Journey's end, Madrid?

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My journey across Europe is almost complete. I have arrived in Spain to stay with friends from Tenerife in a community called Los Arrayos. Situated approximately 60 km to the west of Madrid it falls under the umbrella of El Escorial. I say almost complete as I have some exploring to do here then I am off to France, yes by train, on the 20th December for six months.

We are in the high ground with the mountain ranges in the distance, the campo between here and El Escorial spread out before us and breathtaking views as we descend to the plain and on to Madrid itself. Once again I shall be travelling by bus and train. My amigo Jose Luis has helped me to obtain travel passes for the Madrid area and beyond which make the journeys quite economical.

The Madrid conurbation is served by both green buses and trains whilst Madrid itself is served by blue buses and the metro. The systems interlink on the ground and by ticket. I have a red card containing a computer chip. As we are about as far away from Madrid as you can get we are in zone 3 so I have to register 90 euros on the card every 30 days. This may sound a lot but the card is valid on all the aforementioned transport links so that it more than pays for itself. This photo was taken in Moncloa Bus Station which is underground. Metro lines are an escalator away. Mainline stations also have access to bus and metro in the same complex. A very efficient and clean with cafes and shops to hand. They even have a metro lending library!
Location: Embalse de los Arroyos, 28280, Madrid, Spain

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