Madrid airport, dark clouds and deep puddles on the tarmac. Has the threatened rain passed by before us? A shuttle bus takes us to the Maydrit hotel, then a quick refresh and a short stroll to the metro. The journey to Opera passes quickly, entertainment provided by a group of fashionably coiffured teenagers heading into town.

We wander to the Palacio Real and then make our way to Plaza Mayor through interesting back streets. By Peurta del Sol, the rain is falling hard again. Time for tapas. First stop, La Casa del Abuelo, standing up at the bar for prawns in garlic along with homemade sweet, fortified wine.

Suitably fortified, we move on to another nearby restaurant, Taberna Alhambra, with Arabic design and decoration. The sangria is strong, the food excellent and the waitress kindly advises us against ordering a fifth dish, knowing, as we don't, how large the portions are. We stagger out, overfull and with sangria still left in the jug, not much but, despite our best efforts, more than we could manage.

The rain has stopped and we walk back to Gran Via metro station. Madrid has been a short, but pleasant aperitif before the Moroccan adventures begin.