Perth to Cordoba

Off on another Spanish trip! The Emirates flight was filled to capacity as per usual and it was getting on for midnight before any dinner was served : a tasty chicken casserole with mashed potatoes and peas, plus a G and T and a white wine served all at once., fighting for space on a small tray. Gone are the days when air travel felt special, even luxurious.

On arrival in Dubai, with a couple of hours to wait, I found myself in the middle of a big group of Chinese tourists. The young women were busy with their phones. Some of them wore silk jackets in traditional patterns, with the cuffs turned back to see the lining. One of them sat next to me on the plane to Madrid.  She didn’t eat any of the airline food and just watched films on her tablet. These had subtitles in Chinese, which took up 3 lines across the top of the screen and scrolled across rapidly. Really, the Chinese language isn’t suited to technology!

When we landed in Madrid, I knew it would be a scramble to get across the city to catch my train to Cordoba, which I had booked and paid for online. I got to Atocha Station with only 7 minutes to locate the Iryo lines. Iryo is a new train company that rivals and undercuts the traditional Renfe service. I just made it! I found myself sitting next to a woman on her way home to Cordoba for a funeral. She was determined to fill me in on where to go and what to eat while in Cordoba.