New Year in Madrid

After a very hectic December we took the opportunity to recharge our batteries in Madrid over the New Year. This brought back lots of happy memories for Jay and I, who spent our honeymoon there in May 2007.

This time we were accompanied by my parents, and were fortunate to have two fantastic tour guides, my brother Adam and his girlfriend, Elena, who live in the Spanish capital. They even managed not to laugh too much when I tried to buy a new tripod and asked for one that was "muchos grandes" (many great ones) than the one on display.

Highlights of our trip included a visit to the Retiro to see an amazing carousel designed by a French artist for the festive celebrations. We also spent a great deal of time soaking up the atmosphere in the many tapas bars and celebrated New Year in traditional Spanish style by eating 12 grapes (washed down with Cava) as the clock struck 12.

As usual we travelled extremely light, except when it came to cameras. I was very excited to get to use my new camera - an old film SLR that Jay gave me for Christmas. While I absolutely love the digital age (I am so impatient that I relish the opportunity to see my photos straight away) there is something very nostalgic about the feel of an old camera in my hands. This reminds me of my very first camera, bought at the age of 8, although I like to think that my photography has moved on since then! There is also something magical about entrusting your film to the photo elves and the anticipation as you wait for your prints to come back.

Meanwhile, Jay was armed with the big guns - his digital SLR and his Holga! Here are some of our digi pics for now...