A mix of things and the need to be seriously hurt at an airport

 Ends of cities are messy things. We will skirt tidy suburban villas; wander past blocks of economical blocks, take short cuts across forgotten strips of grass and go near huge out of town shopping centres. It makes the airport seem normal.

The Visconti is a 3.9 place, with mostly a 4 and 5 star place. Third choice is 1 star.   Three weeks ago Sean was all single starry.  ‘This bar was highly recommended by my accommodation. But as a tourist I was treated like one and felt unwelcome in what is obviously a bar for the local residents. I was not served at my table as were the locals, I had to go inside to order and after 4 weeks in Spain I paid the most here for my favourite drink ‘ Five days ago Felix said in a five star way ‘Visconti is a fantastic place for a drink. We ordered a slice of Spanish omelet that was amazing and a spectacular portion of ham hock, generously served and bursting with flavor. The terrace was packed and everything took a little while, but that's understandable with how busy they were, and it was totally worth the wait. A perfect neighborhood bar for a few beers and some tasty snacks. Highly recommended! ‘  Go there and decide.

We are near Colegio Bristol.  https://www.colegiobristol.es/  It will take you from 1 to 18 years. Two months ago Laura reckoned ‘There was no better choice for our daughters! A school that has greatly facilitated their adaptation to Spain. They have been able to perfect their English and have also learned Chinese and German. The teachers at Bristol School are more than qualified, with just the right level of rigor to ensure our future adults develop not only academic but also social skills to face the realities of life. The general and pedagogical administrations are attentive to the needs of each student. It's the ideal environment for our daughters to grow as individuals. Thank you so much for your decades of effort and your daily dedication to the education of our young men and women. You are truly unique!’

Across the grass we go and passed the El Corte Ingles Campo de las Naciones. It opens 10am to 10pm - cept Sunday, which restricts happy shoppers from 11am to 9pm.  Let us take three review words.

Perfume [27]  Isabel - Perfumery. Thank you, Maribel. I want to highlight your great professionalism and friendly service. It's a pleasure to encounter people who provide such kind and dedicated service despite the busy work schedule. 

Staff Friendliness [56] JDVL ‘I always buy meat there, and as an Argentinian, I'm never disappointed by the quality and flavor. The parking is reasonably efficient, and the staff is generally friendly, with the exception of a few employees in the cosmetics and perfume department who seem to think they're heirs to the big brands. But aside from that, it's perfect for buying everything’

Spacious [29] Victor ‘A very spacious shopping center that I highly recommend. It has everything from restaurants to clothing stores. Highly recommended!!!! 😄😄😄 … ‘

And so to Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas Airport - MAD in the world of the IATA. It has been expanded to cover 30.5 km2, making it second only to Charles de Gaulle in size and Europe’s 5th busiest. I can attest to how bloody far you have to travel once you get to the place.

The airport opened in 1931 and was, in 2014, named after Adolfo Suarez, first post Franco Prime Minister. Rome is the chief destination of the passengers [1.98 million wishing to leave Spain]. 1.85 million go to Lisbon, 1.72 to Paris, 1.65 to Bogota and 1.5 to London-Heathrow.  

The busiest route is to Palma de Mallorca [2.22 million]; Gran Canaria next [1.91 million] and then Tenerife-North - 1.79 million.  Barcelona comes a near 4th with 1.76 million.

Wiki reports, of the Medical care ‘The airport is attached to the Ramón y Cajal University Hospital in Madrid as a referral hospital for medical and surgical emergencies requiring hospital care. In addition, the airport itself has medical rooms and medical personnel attached to the Airport Medical Service to cover transit passengers who need medical attention. It also has 75 Cardiac Rescue Points equipped with defibrillators in the event of cardiorespiratory arrest’.

I can report, when arriving with minor cut marks on my hands, having beaten off a knife wielding mugger and his two chums with nothing but a jamon and a loud wife, they were, less than helpful..The nice man of reception sent us to the Medical Centre. You couldn’t get there without scrambling over obstacles. They took one look and opined they really only dealt with serious stuff.

That’s it for the day.