Gym Shopping-what?

Yesterday, en el día de San Valentín, Pan and Laura and I went wandering around Madrid checking out the gym scene. The one at the University is almost pathetically small, although maybe I will be taking advantage of it. It really makes me appreciate Freeman for all it's space and light and music and free-ness.

But anyways, the journey began with a building that to our American eyes did not seem like it could possibly contain a gymnasium inside. We cautiously approached the door and stood there dumbfounded for a moment. It appeared that we had to ring a bell in order to enter. This could not be, could it? Yes, yes it could. We rang, and an incredibly good-looking fit woman answered the door and ushered us inside. We took a tour that consisted of basically turning around and walking up a short flight of stairs. This gym was tiny. And smelled like people working out because there was a significant lack of ventilaton. This is really all I can remember from this one, besides the fact that we got a free pass to one of the classes and the prices weren't wholly unreasonable. Expensive, but not unreasonable. I was chuckling a little the entire time and glancing at Laura.

The second one, on the other hand, was utterly ridiculous. It was somewhat of a cross between a gym, a massage therapy building, and a modern art museum. The walls were painted a nice orange, the lights were dim, the music was calm. There were lovely modern art paintings on the walls that had some illumination to draw attention to them. Immediately upon entering this place (that was on the second story of a building with an sign advertisting their locations in Milan, Londen, Paris, Madrid, Miami, etc) I decided I didn't want to do it. Hopefully they throw out the card with my number on it that was mandatory to fill out in order to get any information. The most ridiculous part of this whole thing, or one of the more astounding, was the price. A little less than €200 a month. Whaaaaa??

This is not encouraging for my already pathetic gym attendance at a gym that is amazing and free (at Wes). We shall see how my body reacts to this lack of exercise. Except for the large amount of walking everywhere.

j