Phase one - Spain Day 6

Well Day 6 in Spain is winding down. An eventful day. Woke up to breakfast at 9am which was the same old meats and cheese then we hopped on the bus to head to Madrid. It was warm out but very dark in the distance with a sprinkle of rain where we were.

As we headed to Madrid most of the team and staff went to sleep. My curious nature made me stay up. I wanted to see the country side and see what that area of Spain looked like. Along the way there was a lot of livestock in the fields. I also was able to see at least a dozen storks. That's a lot of kids being delivered! They are a very cool bird though. I saw one in Serbia a few years ago but there are a lot here in Spain. The landscape is very rocky throughout the rolling fields and there are a lot of small trees. A very interesting looking place.

As we got closer to Madrid it got much darker and it started to sprinkle some rain. We had to go in a tunnel to go through a mountain and when we came out on the other side it was pouring rain. Very hard rain. The closer we got to our hotel the lighter it got and then it was sunny and hot when we arrived. How would I describe our hotel? Rustic. Yes Rustic would be a word I would use to describe it. Glad I am here for one night only.

Our day after arrival was pretty hectic. We went almost immediately for our lunch which consisted of some very good salad, tremendous bread, pasta and flattened chicken. There was also rice and french fries available. A good meal. We went from meal to our video session on Japan. The team played them last year so we were able to see some things they did in that game. After the video we had about 2 hours before we left for game time. The session ended at 1:40 and we were leaving at 3:45. I decided to head out with our team manager to explore a little bit of Madrid. Well this section looked a little sketchy but we found a grocery store for the team and then decided to walk a little more. I wanted to do a little bit of shopping for souvenirs because I hadnt had a chance to do that yet. I forgot that at 2pm in Spain they have this little tradition called Siesta. Everything shuts down. People close their shops and the streets are a lot less busy. Of course with the shops closed, my souvenir venture went awry. Oh well, I can say I tried.

On the way home we stopped into the grocery store so Livia could get some bananas for the team and when we came out it was a torrential downpour. Luckily we were close to the hotel so we didn't get soaked.

Next up, Canada vs. Japan. We played at a very nice facility but it lacked one thing - Air Conditioning. WEll at 25 degrees or so outside you can imagine what it was like inside. Hot and Humid. It showed in our play too. We lacked energy and were sluggish all game. We got down early and fought back, then got down a little bit again and took the lead. We held the lead for a large chunk and then we went cold. To go with our cold spell, they hit 5 three point shots in 6 trips down the court and they shot them from DEEP range. We battled hard but could get back in it and lost 70-55. The frustrating part was not our defense but our offense. We were absolutely horrid at times. Brutal. Interesting part of the game though came in the 2nd half. We had the 2 doors on the far side of the gym open to let some air in. It started to rain and then got progressively worse. Next came the hardest rain I have ever experienced and then hail the size of peas. The players were distracted on the court and slowed the pace a little.

So we headed back to the hotel for supper which was Salad, Pasta, Fish and potatoes. Not bad but it doesn't rank up with the other spot we stayed at. We decided this evening to go out and relax. We walked to a place Livia and I discovered earlier. It is a beautiful square with outdoor pubs and fountains with a beautiful OLD church at one end. It was a nice relaxing evening. We noted that the sky was bright at 9:40 pm and we were in shorts and t-shirts. Beautiful spot.

So there it is. Spain is complete. It was an interesting trip. I learned that the people here are very nice and helpful. They also love to smoke and eat and I am not sure which one is more important. Nice country though and it is one that I could live in. Having visited China and Serbia before I am not sure I could live there but I could live in Spain. What I also learned while in Spain is that I really love home. We never realize how well we have it until we are away and I have learned that for sure. I just wish that North Americans could live like the people here in some regards. Here they enjoy life, take time to sit down with friends A LOT and they are not tied to a clock. We are so schedule driven it is not funny. It is much more relaxed here.

So without getting too long winded, I just want to say thanks to those people who joined me along the way. It gave me an outlet to think about my experiences and hopefully share what it was like for me here in Spain. I started this blog 4 years ago when I first joined the national program and I started it for one reason. I did it so my mom could follow my journeys around the world so I know 1 person read this every day.

My journey home begins tomorrow and it should be just about 25 hours. I leave Madrid at 7AM and fly to Paris. From Paris it is on to Toronto. Shitty part is the 8 hour layover in Toronto before flying home to Sydney around 1AM. It will be nice to get home but it will be tiring. Am I complaining. Absolutely not. What started as an innocent trip to the gym years ago has turned into an obsession and that little round ball has given me the chance to earn a nice living and travel all over the world and meet lots of people. It's been a fun ride.

I will be back at my blog for phase 2 which is Japan and China later in July. For now I must do some last minute packing and get ready to go. 5AM comes early.

Buenos Noches

Coach