"Madrid is enjoyed most from the ground, exploring your way through its narrow streets that always lead to some intriguing park, market, tapas bar or street performer. Each night we'd leave our hotel to begin a new adventure in Madrid and nine out of 10 times, we'd walk through the Plaza Mayor." ~ Emilio Estevez

One of the perks of expat life, for me,

is the opportunity to journey alongside other women who are living away from family and friends back home.

Some are raising their families here, 

a few are empty nesters like myself...

but we all have the commonality of our other lives, 

careers left behind, and loved ones far, far away.

One other feature we share is the love of travel.

Otherwise, we would have never moved abroad in the first place.

Inevitably...

while the husbands are entrenched in their work...

we ladies busy ourselves with

 'ladies only' adventures to easily accessible European cities, and most recently took fourteen of us to Madrid for a long weekend.

As we approached our hotel...
fans were lining the streets...
waving flags and cheering.
I had the urge to smile and give them my best parade wave from inside the van,
confused and overtaken by a moment of vanity...
until one of the 'sportier' members of our group explained who they were waiting for.

Their beloved Real Madrid would soon arrive to celebrate their recent La Liga championship title.


While in Madrid...

the stunning Palace Hotel was where we rested our bodies, 
weary from SSS... 
those tiring three S's...
shopping, sight-seeing and sangria!

Stop on by tomorrow for more on Madrid.


Happy Tuesday!