At home...

The view from Nunhead railway station... the famous Gherkin 

This week was the next stage in my phased return to Madrid. I had an arthroscopy on my left knee and am now recovering at home. One of the features of my year in Spain was the alarming number of times I fell over. I have been suffering from osteoarthritis for a while and one of the benefits of not working in an office was that I was doing a lot more walking. On the downside, I was also doing a lot more looking up to read those street signs with the added risk of tripping up on the dodgy Madrid pavements. Four bad falls and a lot of pain later, I found myself at my London doctor's in my first week back in London.

I was hoping to have the op in August and get back to Madrid for this month (October) but the NHS thwarted me and it is now going to be January 2011 before I can return. Taking the view that this is happening for a reason, I am making the most of the time "between jobs" and doing a CELTA course, some intensive Spanish learning, a bit of writing, a lot of packing up of "stuff for storage" and getting my knee fixed.

The op went well and I was soon home with a large crepe bandage, one crutch, painkillers and a big black arrow on my left calf pointing at my knee cap. I discovered that my discharge nurse was Spanish - from Leon! I had been really worried about the op as it was my first. I read and re-read the leaflets I was given about surgery and anaesthesia and "possible complications". I just wanted to get it over!

It is four days later and I have managed a few trips out with my crutch. I am hanging on to it too. The stitches will be removed next Thursday. In the mean time there is no excuse for not doing my studying ... parts of the body revision coming up.

New year in Madrid and some resolution

A new year kiss from a stranger in Sol

I had to be in Sol for the new year and was worried it would not be possible as surely everyone in Madrid would want to be there? Apparently not. It helps that there is a dress rehearsal the night before - can you believe it - and there is also a family-friendly event at midday on the 1st of January.

I was also worried I would be on my own hanging around with a handful of grapes and a small bottle of cava and a straw. Thanks to an invitation from Emma and her mate Richi, I was at a pre-Sol gathering and warmed up with chorizo and red wine before a group hike into the city centre. In the end there were nine of us - most of whom had taken risks to come here in 2009. I was in fine company - a theatre makeup artist, an actress, a photography teacher, three English teachers, a German teacher and a Spanish man called Angel. We waited in keen anticipation for Big Ben-like bells but this is Madrid. We had to guess it was midnight and gulp our grapes as well as we could.

Grapes. Yes in Spain and Portugal it is the done thing to eat 12 grapes in time to the 12 chimes at midnight. Why? Well it seems this tradition is a twentieth century invention and a product of good old fashioned marketing. Apparently there was a glut of grapes in 1909 and so everyone was encouraged to eat twelve for new year and the practice has remained. I hope it brings me luck as it was hard work chewing those grape skins.

Grapes were followed - or washed down - with cava. Lots of toasting and then we had sparklers and grinned inanely at the loveliness of being in Madrid! There were some fireworks which were nice and heartwarming rather than over the top and expensive. There was good humour and lots of hugs and even some new year kisses from strangers - thanks to Em who "found" and photographed the lovely Italian above.

We stayed on in Sol an hour so we could do it all again for GMT and then we managed a quick "auld lang syne" before we drifted off to find metro trains. I chilled with a new friend, drinking real tea and chatting, until I walked home from Ventas at 530am. It was a lovely morning and the Christmas stars on the bridge looked stunning. I must photograph them before they disappear at the weekend.

Festivities are not over yet in Spain as we have a national holiday on 6 January for the Three Kings. This is the traditional time for children to receive gifts. There is a Kings parade where sweets are thrown into the crowds and an event in Cibeles to look forward to.

I made some resolutions for 2010. The first one is to sort out my debt problems, the second is to learn Spanish and the third is to do a CELTA - though that might have to be a 2011 project. My adventures in teaching are definitely not over forever but it will be a relief to get back to a proper job in London in May and start saving up for my next adventure.

And what about the resolutions from 2009? I DID IT! I came to Madrid and have been living here for seven months now and teaching English and getting paid to do it. It has been a great year!

Photograph (c) Emma Ryan 2010