Madrid is lovely, and I must have walked for absolutely miles. My feet are aching. However, I’ve had a really productive day - I’ve done all the touristy stuff and met up with Stephenie Meyer. She’s lovely and very entertaining to listen to:

Hopefully meeting up with her for a proper chat soon - would be fun to get to know her better; I liked her very much as a person.

I also met the Spanish equivalent to the Lexicon’s staff, and they’re great fun. Such good English and so very friendly. Thanks for looking after me, guys! I really appreciated it.

Considering I don’t speak a word of Spanish, I’m managing remarkably well in Madrid. I’m buying fruit in the local market, grinning idiotically when I don’t have a clue what people are saying to me, and I’ve even managed to get some tea to drink (which was a crisis this morning when I couldn’t find any. I never thought I’d be saying it, but God Bless Starbucks!) I’ve done the plazas and the cafe where Hemingway wrote. Tomorrow, I’m off to be cultured with Art and a visit to the royal palace. Life is soooo easy without the kids around - but I’m missing them. It’ll be good to get home too.