Bajai Life Camp 17.09: Day 490
Hotel Castilla Vieja
Tuesday October 9, 2018
Palencia, Spain
26.83% conspiring
I came up with the idea last night to go to Burgos tomorrow and return to Palencia Friday and go back to Madrid Sunday. But I'll have to alter that plan.
Train sculpture across from the Estacion de Tren
Because of Spain's time zone it's pitch dark outside at 07:30, when my alarm sings. So, of course I go back to bed, if not sleep, and question why I should be waking up so early? I have nothing to do besides what I assign myself... and moving, of course.
Once I arose I did get to some band work for the shoulders and a couple of sets of squats and some small lunges. I can feel the body coming back because it wants to do more. And it's that good kind of sore. There were pushups also.
Let's get back to the hotel. Tuesday, close to noon and the lobby is packed with what looks like business people. Maybe a convention? Seminar? I wonder what it's about. Everyone was dressed in business casual, I suppose. Why did they choose Palencia? Location I'll bet. And maybe price. Cheaper than Madrid. Maybe they came from Madrid.
Oh well. Not my business. I won't be able to return to this hotel this weekend. Maybe another, or perhaps I just leave Burgos Sunday transfer here for the train to Chanmartin in Madrid. I can work that out. If I can get from Burgos to Palencia before 13:00 I can make it.
That means, one hotel in Burgos, early checkout and then a place in Madrid for Sunday and Monday. Okay. This can work.
*Should I apologize for thinking out loud? Maybe readers like to get a glimpse of the planning process.
I stepped into my new cheap tea spot. The succubus from last night showed no signs of recognizing the guirie that came for tea last night. I asked for tea, normal... she said she didn't understand. Hmmm. She understood last night. I rephrased. She got it. I think she was messing with me, but her face had a lifetime of annoyance etched into it. If she was having a go at me there was no hint of a smile on her face. And if there was a smile, I didn't detect it.
Did I mention drawing? I've included a sample of my early attempts. Just heads, faces, straight on, no real expressions. If I take the same approach I use in fitness training, that is documenting, chronicling and keeping myself accountable via social media, I will improve. This could lead to actually drawing comics again.
Drawing revisited... again. It's relaxing.
Earlier today, I imagined myself recreating the series I made on Bitstrips (2013-2015 roughly). However, if I don't, no biggie. The goal here is to improve my drawing skills and rewire my neural net... so to speak. Which reminds me, left handed writing practice.
This is my de facto novel. Until I write a real one.
Today a guy, young-ish, hipster-ish, let his dog leave a poop in the middle of the walk, and then tried to walk away. An older man... (retirement age) called him out on it. Young'in tried to play it off as if he forget. This dude has become the face of all the piles of dog shit I've seen in the middle of Spanish streets. This being exposed, Palencia is one of Spain's least shitty cities.
Booked for Burgos tomorrow. I went around in a big circle just to get back to the first and nearly only choice, Hotel Secrotel Corona de Castilla. Later... I will get my ticket. I'm still okay. Still pinching pennies. It takes practice to quit that behavior as well.
Burgos was mostly sold out! WTF. I have an idea for Madrid, but I want to get settled in Burgos and get my tickets. Tomorrow, I'll wrap up the rest of my plans.
Hope it's not too late.
Stopped into the cafe for "te normal" - I pronounced it correctly and I got a smile. I even understood when she said, "¿un-poco-leche-quieres?" It sounded like all one word to me, but I got it.
Spanish immersion. However, there's English being spoken in the hotel today.
Everything is done, except the final hotel booking in Madrid.
Train from Palencia to Burgos; hotel in Burgos; train from Burgos to Madrid... flight from Madrid to Miami. The next... week will go quickly. All aboard.
Good workout in the park. More pulling. I'm in a 2008 situation, where I'm bulky, chunky, but strong and muscular under layers of fat. I should be taking eval shots, but can't bare it. Ha ha.
Hunger at 21:00 took me to the doner kebab spot I've been wanting to try. English here. Good combo. Just enough, I think. With a coke. Maybe a beer later at one of the two places I go.
Dad stays in the mix while his sons(?) do the work.
I think Palencia is one of these places where I'd make friends. I'd certainly improve my Spanish. I wonder how lucky I got booking the hotel I'm at. Maybe I really got an "insider price" and it's normally out of my budget. Unlike Madrid I want to be outside and about in Palencia. I think it reminds me of someplace. Not exactly home, nor any of my "second" homes. I hope I can return. I hope I feel as charmed next time as I do now. I'm having Mahou... again... to cap the night.
I'll be up for a while. Crunches and planks. I'll force them if necessary. That is if I don't sleep first.