Gay old time in Madrid

This week I was visited by the GBF and his friend Paul for 3 nights. The best thing about their visit, other than getting to spend time with one of my best friends of course, was that they were booked into a rather swanky hotel with a rooftop terrace, complete with olympic sized hot tub. This hot tub became my second home for the duration of their visit, and we spent many an hour in it sipping tinto de veranos and playing Disney Top Trumps. Not in the slightest bit gay at all.

As with any visitor that comes to see me, our agenda was driven by where we were going to eat and drink. I did, however, take the pair of them on a whistlestop tour of the city to see all of the main sights. This included a romantic boat ride for 3 in Retiro Park, where Paul (rather unwillingly) spent 45 joyful minutes in 35 degree heat rowing us around the lake. I sat up front and longingly gazed at all of the dreamy topless men with big strong arms and powerful strokes rowing their girlfriends nearby. The only problem was, my male companions were doing exactly the same thing. Not quite the romantic boat ride I've been hoping for since I moved here...

On the Friday night, we went drinking in Chueca, the gay neighbourhood of the city. We sat outside in the square drinking goldfish bowl sized gins and ogling the Madrid talent. After Greg got suitably drunk, we went for some 3am churros (the Madrid version of cheese and chips). The churros were rather disappointing, as I think they just sell the leftovers from that day. They're not fresh and they're not hot.

One of Greg's friends had recommended another food market, Mercado de San Ildefonso, which we went to on their last day. It's definitely one of the better food markets I've been to here, with each stall selling popular dishes such as croquettes, paella, patatas bravas. We shared a bunch of plates before spending the last few hours of their time here relaxing in the hot tub. That night I went out for dinner with a guy called Pedro who I met through salsa/bachata. It wasn't a date, just a friendship. He took me to an amazing place in Delicias where we shared a plate of 'tostas' which is basically crispy bread topped with various things (we went for goats cheese, smoked cod, duck pate and ham). We then spent the rest of the evening drinking wine and dancing salsa and bachata in his living room.

Tomorrow I'm taking the train to Valencia for a couple of days to see the city, eat paella and chill out on the beach. I can't believe how fast my time here is going. I only have 5 weeks left, and I still have so many places I want to visit!