strike on a bike

So today in Spain, you may have heard, there was a general strike protesting austerity measures. In case you didn't know, Spain's unemployment rate is still a distressingly high 20% and the govt's latest financial recovery plan doesn't exactly make job/income security look any easier.

Anyway, in our corner of Madrid (which is quite, uh... bourgeois), it was not very noticeable. Nonetheless, public transport was on slowdown and this had the positive result of getting Alain on his bike for the first time since we left Tokyo! His office is only a 7 minute cycle away but he's been paranoid about getting his sleek charcoal Tokyo Bike thieved during the workday as the only bike rack at his supposedly green office tower is in a secluded spot and Madrid is notorious for rip-offs (including stripping the frame of parts if the lock is un-bustable). But post strikeday, his fear has diminished and he claims he'll be taking it more often.

Another habit revived was that yesterday after work he went running to and played some basketball at our new favourite park: La Huerta del Obispo (the Bishop's Farm). G-dog and I speed-walked there behind him (which takes 25 minutes), played some fetch, socialized with some other 4-leggers, and then swung by the courts to pick up the very sweaty A for a family walk home.

The place is really awesome. Nice and green, lots of other doggies but also some secluded spots where I can let G off the leash to chase her ball, also some exercise equipment to do chin-ups, sit-ups, teach-the-doggie-to-jump-ups, and such. Not to mention the lavender bushes for my enjoyment & the soccer and b-ball courts for A's! Maybe we'll do it again tomorrow.