In Madrid for the 9th Annual EBAN Congress with Angel Capital Association Executive Director Marianne Hudson and Chairman Emeritus John May.

I had the smoothest flight ever recorded from Atlanta over Portugal into Madrid; getting in at 9:30am. Checked right in, no waiting, but had to return to the front desk to get an internet password for wireless connection. Then had to leave the hotel for a US electrical connector, so I walked right out of the hotel in shirt sleeves and down a few blocks before I realized it was chilly, not like Corona del Mar at all, 57 degrees.

After a 6 hour nap, ah!, I check the guide book and the map to see a vegetarian restaurant about 12 blocks away, should be a nice walk. As I head out, in the lobby I meet the executive director for the US Angel Capital Association, she's waiting for the Chairman Emeritus, they're off for dinner. Sure, I'll come, too, and I'm happy I won't be alone for the weekend.

Marianne has been here since Wed and knows the subways, so we're off for the Opera house and a cafe opposite the Palace. John's flown from the conference last week in Atlanta to Dubai, then London and now here. He's full of stories.

As we walk the busy streets we bump into friends from NYC and Montreal. What an exciting city on a Saturday night. The streets look like a rock concert just let out, people everywhere, great vitality. Mark & David would love it.

We walk by a cafe and I have to snap a photo; it's a ham bar! Hundreds of hams hanging from the ceiling, a vegetarian's nightmare!

Then we settle into a cafe in a busy ally for another bottle of Rioja (red wine) then off to a late night dinner including paellla (a rice dish). Many restaurants don't open for dinner until 9pm, so the city stays up late, so unlike home.

Tomorrow it's off to the flea market in the morning then the Prado Museum in the afternoon. A tour bus takes us around the city at 3:30 then a dinner to get the conference going. Should be fun.

Next year Istanbul...