Behold the land of the cucumber - well almost, more Getafe really

 We are advancing into Madrid. I have to begin with an apology.  We are not going through Fuenlabrada and Leganes. No Leganes means no Superpepino.  This is near criminal neglect. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pgiSMfiqAQ 




Football mascots come and football mascots go but only CD Leganes have a giant cucumber - Superpepino.  The club currently hang round the second division - with visits to the first - and are one of the other Madrid clubs,  The wiki pages coyly says ‘However the club had to suspend operations in 1936 due to the Spanish civil war’ which is a bit like saying Somme FC gave up football in July 1916 because of some local difficulties.   Superpepino gets his name from the 16th century habit of growing cucumbers in this region for Phillip II. Superpepino was born into a world which desired a mascot in 2018.




We are wandering through parks, flats and industrial concerns. Let us pop into Empanadas Y Productos del campo for some cake. https://www.empanadasdelcampo.com/  Mostly it is five barely worded stars. Cristina stands out with but three . ‘The cakes are very good and highly recommended. I didn't like the empanadas; the puff pastry was hard and there wasn't enough filling. The sponge cakes were very good. ‘   Around the same time Maria is much more keen. ‘Amazing empanadas and top-quality ingredients. Everything has an incredible homemade flavor and the service is unbeatable. Definitely a place to return to again and again. Highly recommended! 😋🤤 ‘




We are crossing the M-50 and into Getafe.   Atletico Madrid sometimes set themselves up as the working class rivals of the posh Real.  The true working class teams, if such a thing ever exists, is in the suburbs and Getafe is it, or one of it.   The village turned into an industrial suburb in the 20th century. Before that it has the usual smattering of Visigoths et al. We will move swiftly over the 1492 famine and concentrate of modernity. In 1897 they got streetlights. In 1911 an air base was established and in 1924 the first autogyro took place here.




The pattern of population is the same as we have seen in the last few weeks.  This time about 4000 people arrived towards 1900, doubled by 1930, doubled again by 1960 and then expanded biggly reaching 126,000 in 1981 and stands at 194,000 today. 




We are passing the Arroyo Culebro underground station. It is on the Metro Line 12. A peak periods a train will whizz you into the centre every 7 minutes. Maria gives a 4 star review.  ‘A decent metro line to connect the Sector 3 neighborhood of Getafe. Not to be confused with Arroyo Culebro in Leganés.’




Over the A-42 we go and into the Bar Casa Anton. Nine months ago Jose lamented ‘It's lost a lot since the owner died years ago. It's now run by his son and his mother, but there are several bars around that make a lot of money. Unfortunately, because it was a good place. ‘




Oh well, maybe Cafeteria Cibelina will offer up something,  It opens at 7.15am every day and closes at midnight [2am Saturday and Sunday morning]. Viajero reckoned ‘We really liked it, it's very nicely decorated and the breakfasts are very good, especially the tortilla pincho! 




On we go and towards tomorrow.














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