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When outdoors in foreign cities I don’t usually pay attention to the table were I sit. Or maybe I do. But not with the intensity as this. This one had a sprayed painted ad worn by the sun. Pale by sunburn and ready to poison the environment with its nostalgia. The tavern had outdoor sitting which brought memories of The Alameda de Hércules in Seville. Do I need to point out I was alone, dear reader?

I always hesitate hitting the pavement in semi-hip, on their way out, maybe on their way in, areas of tourist destinations for the likes of me. I can afford a flight, a hotel & maybe some meals at a halfway good pop culture establishment. So I don’t usually find out what I get into till am there. So was the case here, in Madrid. Though I was a bit disappointed. I was hoping to find drug sellers everywhere. In my case, marijuana sellers. Nothing. Just ol’ ale on  a tap and cheap coffee in a joint filled with tourist piggy backing wifi and electricity for their ipads & smartphones. Then again it was smack in the middle of the day. Can’t see that dealers are prone to work the morning shift to peddle their mind altering products in a well established tourist attraction. Somehow these peddlers have something in common with the rest of shady characters around the world: they like to work under the cover of the night. I suppose that after the day has run its course, like elsewhere on the planet, boredom kicks in & they go full throttle ahead to kill it will all of one’s might. The self medicated rucks of this overpopulated planet start their escape routes well planned ahead, longing for boredom to appear a& smother the urge to kick the nasty bastard. Nothing. A few lost tourist like me

I go after the principle that everything that you do is a universe in itself. So I just sat there letting the minutes go by. Travelling alone does that. Time isn’t tuned to restlessness so mostly while there is a false faí§ade of calm and tranquillity with a nice backdrop to go along with it the underpinnings of the ens is in full chagrin. But after a while the discomfort fades into the background as well. I sat quietly until I was awaken of my urban lull by Spanish speaking.

– Parece que hará calor.

– No me cambies el tema por favor.