Celebrate Your Way

Celebrating Independence Day in Madrid, Spain, did not include the fire works I am used to in USA. But folks know how to celebrate just the same. When I arrived at the underground station I breathed a sigh of relief. Only a short walk and I could wash my face and relax.
Was I in for a surprise. First of all I took the wrong salida - that´s Spanish for exit - and came up on an unfamiliar corner. Oh I knew I was in the correct place because I could see the statue on the top of the building that I can see more or less at eye level from my room at the Hotel Alexandra.
But I knew I did not see usually see that statue from the Metro stairs. That was not the greatest puzzle. The street was packed with people, unusual. I had to be pushy to get on the sidewalk. Looking up, I see nets strung between the buildings like I had not seen before, certainly not this morning when I left for University. So of course everything looked different.
Then what looked like a Marti Gras parade came down the middle of the street, no ordinary traffic. On the sidewalk, now clear because people were packed 5 deep against the edge of the street was a man advertising the king of Mexico. Well he was a sight, good thing too, because I never did get beyond the rim of spectators to see the parade. I think it was mostly marchers, just having fun. Everyone was eating ice cream, the temperature was about 90. The cones looked quite sticky and drippy and did not appeal to me. However, I spied a neat blouse and decided I could celebrate in my own way, so I bought it and a pair of what we called peddle pushers when I was much younger.
So now to get to the hotel. Would you believe that contrary to what I had been led to believe, very few people spoke English so I got no assistance. I kept angling around toward where I thought I would find the HA (Hotel Alexandra). The I spotted Gran - that´s the big dividing avenue I was familiar with. Sure enough, from there I could see the Colonel and the golden arches and beyond were the lottery kiosks and the magazine and doodad stalls. Step carefully around the slop on the sidwalk. I thought of stepping around the goose droppings back at the old homestead.
The one English speaking clerk at HA explained that Spain celebrates Independence Day
annually, for defeating Moors a thousand years ago. Or did the Romans defeat Ghengas Kan? I read about it somewhere but I do not think the celebrators gave a Euro penny for the reason. Any excuse to have fun.
Naomi Sherer