Segway Around Madrid
Segways are really a neat invention. If you can stand, I know that’s difficult for some, you can ride a Segway. They stay balanced, turn easily and quickly, stop on a dime and actually travel pretty fast for such a small device. Great way to get around a big city and see lots of sites without wearing yourself out.
Collette and I had ridden a Segway in Malta and had a great time so we thought it would be fun to do with Linds and Leo. Not all that expensive and you also get a very knowledgeable guide who can show you things you’d normally miss. Good value for your tourist dollars.
We signed up for a 2-hour tour that, as luck would have it, starts in the plaza just 10 minutes’ walk from the apartment. The tour will take us through the heart of Madrid, out to El Retiro park, then back to our plaza. Should be fun.
After a quick intro into the do’s and don’ts of a Segway, along with a few minutes of practical application of the rules of balance, we’re off on our tour. Our guide Yanny, not the singer, led the way and provided the necessary directions for a safe tour. Things like slow down, turn, speed up, and most important, stop. Of course, one needs to be watching Yanny to see those directions (hand signals) or it could get interesting. The attached video is a wonderful Segway adventure taken by Lindsay. If you do nothing else, watch it, it’s worth it.
Some of the stops along our journey were Cervante’s home, author of “Don Quiote”, a small corner pub that has the inscription on the wall to “kiss me on the corner” (never would have figured that one out), the live peacocks in the El Retiro, the Glass House in El Retiro, and back by Estanque Grande del Retiro (the big pond) before hitting Madrid’s main street, Gran Via. Here is a collage of photos from our tour.
Female Peacock
Male Peacock
Segway Gang
Statue of the angel Lucifer
Cast from heaven
Cervantes home
The Living Wall
So, with the exception of a couple rear-enders, the Segway tour was a fun, safe way to see the city. So much so, we’re probably going to do this in Barcelona when we get there next week.
Tomorrow is a down day for shopping, walking and a nice dinner out at El Corte Ingles. Rumor has it that the Christmas Tree lighting is tomorrow night so should be a fun time.
Hasta la vista, baby.