Madrid, what a fantastic city. We arrived during the month of December so the atmosphere was very festive and Christmassy. European prices however were a shock to the system and the bargaining skills we had acquired were not appreciated here. Even though it is winter, the crisp fresh air and the blue cloudless sky made the city seem more beautiful. The architecture is simply stunning and the city is wonderful to explore on foot, with lots of green spaces amongst the urban setting. We got our fix of culture by visiting the contemporary art museum, Reina Sofia. It houses a large permanent collection, including pieces by well known artists like Picasso, Dali and Miro. Of course we did a bit of shopping. It would have been rude not to. We even managed to find a couple of bargains. The food was scrummy to and we highly recommend the paella to all seafood lovers. Our dream trip has nearly ended and what a fantastic year it has been