The first sunny and relatively warm weekend of the year will always bring out the best in people. I have slowly, recently, been re-falling in love with Madrid, a city which I loved at first sight and then became less and less excited about over time (as happens with many love affairs). Lately, though, the city has become alive yet again for me, and I find delight in its nooks and crannies as well as in its gleaming historical buildings. Something which I have always loved about Madrid are the books. It is a very literate city with tons of book lovers. Book stands show up everywhere with options from historical to contemporary to art... whatever. I am always attracted to book stores, book stands. Almost every book calls to me, even though once I have them, I rarely finish them. There is something exciting, enticing about all of the possibilities that books hold... that there are books about things you didn't even think of, and that you can use them to be informed, to be relaxed, to enjoy with a coffee or a glass of wine. So, a sunny day with book stands for me, is a perfect mix. The book stands in the following photos are a staple of Madrid. They have been around forever; I remember them from my first days here four years ago. Over time, I became less and less enchanted by them. But today, I found them just as enticing as the first day and enjoyed browsing them on the way to meet friends in the park. The final photo is how I spent the majority of the day, soaking the sun with a book. I met three friends in Retiro Park, we ate a delicious menu del dia in a nearby restaurant with artichokes and ham, merluza, and ice cream.
