Chapter 743 Sunshine City
When people mention Spain, words such as passion, sunshine, beach, olive oil, bullfighters, carnival and flamenco may come to mind. It seems that the people living on this land are enjoying the comfort and beauty of vacation every day, making their lives bloom with brilliant colors.
Madrid, located in the center of the inland, is not as famous as Barcelona on the Mediterranean coast, nor is it as leisurely and comfortable as the fishing port towns lined up on the southern coastline. In this land full of magnificence and depth, there is always a lack of some highlights to attract people to stay here.
However, this city still exudes its own charm like a rose with thorns.
With the reputation of having the longest sunshine hours in a year in Europe, people living in Madrid can enjoy singing and dancing in the sun, delicious food and wine, beautiful women and beautiful scenery. Walking through the streets and alleys, they can't help but wander among them, silently melting into the dazzling golden color.
Of course, there is also a world-famous football club here, which is far away from Barcelona, located on the Mediterranean coast. Every "national derby" can touch the hearts of fans from all corners of the world, and it is even a day of celebration for the entire country, witnessing people's enthusiasm for the sport of football.
In addition to football, Madrid also has two sports treasures, one is basketball superstar Paul Gasol, and the other is tennis superstar Rafael Nadal.
In this optimistic land, people's passion for competitive sports is unreservedly devoted to football, Gasol and Nadal.
When the plane landed at Madrid International Airport, Gao Wen could already feel the atmosphere of vacation in the air.
This is not the first time Gawain has come to Spain.
Exactly one month ago, Gao Wen went to Valencia to compete and reached the final there, opening up a possibility for a sprint to the year-end finals; and when he returned to the Iberian Peninsula again, the year-end finals had already come to an end and all the tennis matches in the 2014 season had also ended.
The feeling wasn't very obvious last time, but this time, leaving the gloomy gray city of London, passing through layers of wind and rain, leaving the cold and wet winter behind, and crashing into the warm embrace of the golden sunshine all over the sky, the whole feeling is completely different.
Even in the bitter cold of winter, you can still feel the dryness and lightness in the air, which brightens your mood.
Now, Gawain finally understood why Europeans always liked to go south to the islands and beaches in winter. There was a reason for everything.
"…our city is full of ancient buildings, such as the Puerta de Alcalá, the Siberian Bridge, the Puerta del Sol, and of course the Royal Palace."
“Everyone says ‘Rome is the Eternal City’, but Madrid is also a real museum city, a city where you can go back in time without paying a ticket.”
The driver sent by Nike to pick us up at the airport was obviously a senior tour guide. He was chubby, with a shiny bald head, a flabby beer belly, a prickly beard on his chin, his rosy cheeks were always filled with a smile, and his eyes were narrowed into two long slits.
The knowledge that came to his mind was slowly told in a light-hearted and cheerful tone. It was more like a casual chat between friends than a popular science lecture. Then my eyes could not help but follow the driver's instructions and explore the city carefully.
"Our city is surrounded by four UNESCO World Heritage cities: Toledo, Ávila, Segovia and Alcalá de Henares. Each of these cities is a living history. If you like art and history, there is no doubt that you will be very impressed here."
The driver's pride can be felt in his words, and his flexible retroflex sounds give his fluent speech a special flavor.
Gao Wen couldn't help but reveal a smile in his eyes, and asked jokingly.
"What about people who don't like history and art?"
The driver shrugged and glanced in the rearview mirror. “You mean, just like me?”
Hahaha.
The driver himself laughed along with Gawain.
"Then you will find that, morning and night, even at midnight and dawn, this is one of the merriest, noisiest, and most interesting cities in the world."
"Believe me, everyone can find a way to stay in Madrid."
Night falls slowly, and the golden sunlight gradually turns into a blazing sunset on the horizon. Although it is winter, there is always the illusion of a summer evening.
The street lights are lit one after another, and the city seems to have entered night mode. As the shops close, one can see the crowds of people on the streets gradually increasing. The pubs and cafes are bustling with activity, and even in the small square one can see people sitting on the steps.
Just like a fairy tale, after sleeping for a whole day, the city finally woke up.
Dimitrov once told Gawain that a day in Spain starts at nine o'clock in the evening. Now Gawain finally understands what this sentence means.
"The daytime belongs to the tourists, and the nighttime belongs to the Spanish, right?"
The corners of Gao Wen's mouth curled up lightly with a smile, and his mood also became more excited.
The driver laughed heartily.
"It looks like someone has done a good job."
"If you're interested in bars, this alley will be busy a little later, after 11 o'clock."
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Following the driver's line of sight, Gawain looked towards the alley on the left.
In the small alley that only allows motorcycles and bicycles to pass through, there are more than a dozen bars densely packed. At the door of each bar, there are customers standing here and there, each holding a bottle of beer, chatting happily with friends at the door. Passers-by coming and going will stop and greet friends enthusiastically when they see them.
There is a cheerful atmosphere in the air.
The starry sky is reflected in the brilliant and dim halo of the street lights, rising and falling like the tide.
Gao Wen was stunned. "You mean, it's not lively now?"
"Of course, it's dinner time now, how could we come here to drink?" The driver said matter-of-factly, "We are a hard-working nation."
Then the driver glanced in the rearview mirror and saw Gawain's dumbfounded expression, which made the driver laugh out loud again, and his flabby beer belly seemed to be crowded against the steering wheel.
But he was not panicked at all. He steered the wheel with ease and took Gawain to the residence Nike had booked.
Obviously, the building in front of us is not a hotel, but a small detached villa with a garden.
From a distance, Gao Wen could see the outline of the residence. It was obvious that he was still not very familiar with the working routines of these sponsoring brands. But if shooting commercials was such a job, then he could indeed treat it as a vacation and relax.
After all, after working hard for half a year, it's time to take a break.
(End of this chapter)