The "Real" Madrid experience!

Snow in London, no salt ⇒ no flight to Switzerland! Go to Munich directly, eat good Bavarian food, and squeak out of Munich before the snow catches up...arrive in Madrid. Finally ... no snow to ground planes!

Ready to leave on Saturday...so went to the Bernabeu to buy shirts for RonRik! Walking back to the hotel, I see a big crowd gathered around the entrance, cheering and singing ... the players are driving in, so they can take the team bus to the hotel - game with Valencia tomorrow evening. I hang around, hoping to see a glimpse of some of the best soccer players in the world, since I'm leaving in the AM. Sure enough, I recognize Di Maria as he drives in to a cheering crowd. TV crews are shooting the scene, and yours truly makes it to the real Real Madrid web site, as photographic evidence shows!

Rajat's on the real Real Madrid website

Thrilling enough? NOT!

I walk into the hotel and am told that the airport is SHUT DOWN! Why? There's no snow?! No freeze!

Aha - the human element (Cisco! pay attention!) - Spain's air traffic controllers have gone on a flash strike and Spanish airspace is frozen! Government declares a state of alert and threatens the striking controllers with prison ... well ...my flight is moved out a couple of days! Stuck in Madrid!

Colleague rises to the occasion (Thanks Cesar!!), and I get to see the Real Madrid game vs. Valencia on Saturday, with Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 2 great goals right before my eyes!

"...is this real?"

Destiny, I say! I have the REAL Madrid experience!!