Early start to the day. Up at 4.30am, 15 min taxis ride to the airport at 5am, long queue for RyanAir baggage check-in, another queue for security search and just made it to the gate at 5:55am, the gate closing time. However we stood on a queue for 20 mins to get on the plane.

Our Hotel Pinar was very obliging, they printed our boarding passes for us. If you do not print your passes for RyanAir they charge 50 Euro per person to print them. You can print them at some airports but you have to do so at least 2 hours before departure time. You can only check in for free online 4 days before the flight. To select your seat costs 15 Euros. Free selection will always place you and your partner at opposite ends of the plane. Hand luggage is 10kg and checked in baggage is either 15kg or 20kg. The flights are very cheap but you need to know the rules. To fly from Bremen to Palma (Majorca) cost $75 and from Palma to Madrid cost $45.

We took the shuttle bus from Terminal 1 to Terminal 4 to catch the train to Madrid Atocha, the city centre. We put our luggage in a locker for the day for 3,50 Euro. Walked into the city for breakfast, to find a map and to conduct our own walking tour.

From the station we headed toward the city and found a cafe for breakfast. Then off to Palacio Real (Royal Palace of Madrid). The Royal Palace of Madrid is the official residence of the Spanish Royal Family, but it is only used for state ceremonies. King Philip V ordered the palace be built and construction spanned the years 1738 to 1755 and followed a Berniniesque design by Filippo Juvarra and Giovanni Battista Sacchetti in cooperation with Ventura Rodríguez, Francesco Sabatini, and Martín Sarmiento. Charles III first occupied the new palace in 1764.

There was a long queue so we will visit when we come back and have pre-bought our tickets. Next a 5min walk to the Cathedral de la Almudena. We followed the tourist route to Puerta de Toledo. We found a stand that sold maps and then walked to Embajadoers district and cut our way up to Puerta de Sol and through the shopping district and the Gran Via mall. We had lunch in an alfresco cafe.

Refreshed we walked down Gran Via to the Cibeles Statue. Then along Paseo del Prado to the Neptune Fountain and onwards to the Parque del Buen Retiro for an afternoon smoothie. We walked around the enormous lake and monument to Alfonso XII with the mermaid statues. The park belonged to the Spanish Monarchy until the late 19th century, when it became a public park.

We exited the gardens through Puerta de Alcala. Then followed Paseo del Prado to the railway station. We bought dinner for the train. Grabbed our bags, went through security check and caught the 6:35pm train to Logrono arriving at 10pm.

It was pouring with rain. Only two taxis at the train station and 20 people wanting taxis! We gave up after 15 minutes, put on our poncho raincoats and walked 20 minutes in the pouring rain to our Hotel Condes de Haro. Lovely hotel but Lady Godzilla at the desk.