Night Life in the City That Never Sleeps
It was midnight by the time I found myself in the midst of the Madrid nightlife scene. The festive atmosphere in the series of plazas near the city center was unlike anything I had experienced before. The bright lights and loud noise made it almost seem like midday. With my train leaving in six hours, I decided to give up my search for a hotel and join in the fun. It was a warm, beautiful night and I enjoyed watching the throngs of locals and tourists mingling together beneath the lampposts or crowding around the entrance to a bar or just enjoying a late meal at one of the many sidewalk cafes.
There was a feeling that everyone knew everyone else, and, who knows, maybe they did! For sure, no one knew me, but I was greeted with a pleasant smile or a friendly ‘hello’ wherever I went. Crossing streets to pass from one area to another I was amazed to see the amount of traffic for that hour of the night. At two in the morning it looked like commute hour in any large American city.
I wandered around the busy squares, took a load off my feet when I could and just generally blended in with the rest of the folks. The time passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time to find my way back to the train station. As I left the party scene, the same old familiar refrain was going through my mind…”I’ve got to get back here for more of this sometime!” My train arrived right on schedule, and I was soon on my way to the next party town…Barcelona!
