diary of tan living

  This year, the pull of family rewrote our holiday traditions. With two of my children now building their lives in Spain, the familiar comforts of home were beautifully exchanged for the vibrant, festive heartbeat of Madrid. Our year-end holiday became a pilgrimage of the heart, a journey to reunite under the Spanish sky and weave new memories in a city dressed in Christmas finery. The moment we embraced at the airport, any miles between us vanished. Madrid welcomed us not just with open arms, but with a dazzling display of lights. The grand avenues, like Gran Vía, glittered with elaborate constellations of bulbs, while the elegant, centuries-old buildings—a majestic mix of Hapsburg grandeur and Bourbon refinement—stood proudly under a crisp winter sky. Our days began as a joyful convoy, exploring the iconic plazas, from the bustling Puerta del Sol to the grand Plaza Mayor, which had been transformed into a classic Christmas market. The scent of roasted chestnuts and churros dippe...