Yes, *that* Final Countdown

This and that and the other thing (AKA tidbits I've loved so far):

1) Flag capes - The day we arrived, as you know by now, we attended the World Cup celebration. Sea of red, swimming through a blood stream, blah blah blah. But what I haven't mentioned yet is that every 4th Madrileño looked like they'd just done a turn in a phone booth and turned themselves into Superhombre, with a Spanish flag tied around their shoulders like a cape. Flag factory owners made a killing unseen since the days after 9/11. (Too soon? Nah.)

2) Final Countdown - Yes that Final Countdown, blaring out at us at the World Cup celebration.

3) Fanaticism - In all our hours at the WC celebration, we saw exactly one port-o-pottie. One. Which speaks either to the organizers' complete A) incompetence or B) belief that no true believer would dare tear their gaze away long enough to answer nature's call.

4) "Friend chicken balls" - Apparently available at your friendly neighborhood Madrid eatery.

5) Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell - Over 1,000 pages long, and I've barely been able to put it down since we arrived. Absolutely amazing.

6) Roller blading - Whereas we Americans abandoned this "sport" years ago (the associated gear being far too dorky for our tastes), the Spanish have taken it up with zeal. We stumbled across what looked like training (cones, slalom course, individualized instruction) in the midst of Retiro Park. Hard as it may be to believe, we saw nearly 100 people rocking kneepads, helmets, and the finest day-glo available.

7) Museum of Ham - No, seriously. I ate there twice: museodeljamon.com

8) Aquarius - I joygasmed when I saw this lurking on the bottom shelf of a Madrid supermercado. Oh how I've missed thee!