Quito and Madrid

It was my intention to only post blogs when I was travelling but so many of you have asked for more that I will post when I am at home as well as abroad. I flew from the Galapagos via Guayaquil to Quito and stayed in the same hotel as before.

I hired a bicycle to cycle along El Chaquiñán. Last time I cycled towards Cumbaya but this time I planned to cycle in the opposite direction towards Puembra.  This section is not as scenic as the trail to Cumbaya and has not been adopted by the municipality. The portals exist but they are less grandiose. The trail runs parallel to a main road and it is much less scenic.
               
You have to be careful as some of the rails are still in position and if you try to cross them at an angle they will throw you off the bike.

A small bridge across a stream.

A view of the stream that the bridge crosses.

 A view across the bridge.

 And then I flew from Quito to Madrid en route to London. I had time to look around Madrid and look up old haunts. I revisited a restaurant just a hundred metres from Sol metro in the centre of Madrid, El Cathedral and I thoroughly recommend it.

The ambience is great...low level lighting behind the bottles on the wall...

 cosy and intimate seating areas....

a detail of the ceiling decorations...

 and my starter...although I was too hungry to remember to take photos of the main course.

 Then I had to go back to visit another familiar sight. Those who worked with me in Madrid will recognise these photos. The local Metro station is Parque de las Agendas and the it was a walk across the motorway.

Parque de Las AvenidasParque de Las AvenidasParque de Las Avenidas

 We all stayed in the Novotel and visiting staff also stayed here. I stayed here until I got a flat nearer the centre of the city. This was a convenient hotel as the office was just a short walk around the corner.

And then it was a flight to London and finally home after nine months of travelling.