It was still nighttime when I left Madrid. A city half asleep and sleeping poorly. I could already feel that dry clarity of the Spanish capital.
I'm obsessed with getting to places with plenty of time in advance, it's part of my OCD. Hence, I arrive at the airport several hours early. Almost miraculously, without having planned it, I am sitting next to my best friend's wife on the plane. Cristina makes the trip more bearable; she is an exceptional woman who puts me at ease. I hate flying. I like to arrive in London at Gatwick and leave through Heathrow. More solo traveler pet peeves. On the Gatwick Express, I look out the window. The English haze still encompasses the dreary fields and suburbs surrounding London. There is a thrilling silence
