Wow. We all thought it would be Paris. The first comment by most Spaniards was, obviously, how much did London pay to get that? And what on earth to the French think? Well it certainly provides a lot more fuel for their English-hating fire. Oh well, as my friend Rafe pointed out, at least we will be spared seven years of non-stop public works. Practically every street in the city has been taken apart in preparation for the Olympic bid – goodness knows what would happen if they had actually won… They might have tried to rebuild whole sections of the city from scratch.
Still, it’s a shame, I was looking forward to an Olympic Madrid. I still think it should have been Paris….
Notes from Spain by Ben Curtis 