After revamping our energy we headed off towards the Palace. On the way we passed through Plaza del Sol, a busy plaza with statue-people, fountains, and pure life. The Palace was my favourite part of Madrid. We toured the inside; the rooms have intricate details and are richly decorated. They were absolutely beautiful. Continuing our tour through the streets of Madrid, we ended up in Plaza Mayor. This is the most famous plaza in the city. The buildings are painted brightly, and people swarm everywhere. Finally, we were ready for a break. We took a much needed nap and got ready for the night.
A group of us headed to a Chinese restaurant around 11p.m. for dinner where we indulged in dumplings and lemon chicken. To finish off the meal we were given a complimentary shot of Madrono, Madrid's sweet local liquor. We walked for a while, exploring at night was different than the day. The city didn't feel so safe, I think we have all grown comfortable in Barcelona. Right off of one main road was a plaza filled with about 30 prostitutes, just going right up to people trying to get business; I had definitely never seen anything like that before. We ended the night in a pub called "The Quiet Man." The atmosphere was calm yet lively, the people were spanish, and there was a special on deliciously fresh Mojitos.
The next morning was an early one. We started by filling ourselves with the complimentary breakfast, a luxury when living abroad on a student budget! Next, we loaded onto the busses for a panoramic tour of the city. We drove past all the important buildings, and to my disappointment did not stop at the bull fighting stadium. We got off at Real Madrid's futbol stadium instead, which was quite unimpressive. However, the tour was informative and became more interesting once we started the walking section. We were released for lunch and to spend the rest of the day as we pleased. First stop: Lunch. We chose a typical spanish resaurant where bocadillas and paella were served. Lindsey and I headed back to our room for siesta, then back out into the world to meet up with Mark.
Seeing someone you know from home in a foreign city is a very relieving feeling. A friendly face when you're seperated from your own world for months never goes unwanted.
First we explored the Retiro Park, pretty, but would definitely have been better in the middle of summer. It seemed to be missing a lot of it's life. After grabbing smoothies Lindsey and I headed to the Museo del Prado. I think I would have been better suited going to the Reina Sophia. Prado wasn't really up my alley, but it was still cool to see so much famous art. Once again our day came to a close and we headed home. Later, we met Mark & friends for Thai before pregaming in a plaza outside (as the spanish do!). We weren't exactly dressed for the ocassion though, so we headed to McDonald's. I'm proud to say this was my first time going to one in Spain, and all I got were french fries. The boys bought beer, and we came equipped with our own wine. Drinking in McDonald's is an experience itself. Next we headed to Kaptial: Madrid's biggest club. The night was crazy as is to be expected with a $15 euro cover, two free drinks, and seven floors of night life.
We made it out into the city around 11 for our last day, and headed to La Rastra. This is Madrid's famous flee market that is held through rows of streets and several plazas every sunday. It was filled with culture, antiques, colours, and tiny treasures. We made it back just in time to take the bus to the station, souveniors in hand! The train ride back seemed long, and despite our fun-filled weekend, we all agreed we were excited to be getting back to Onix, and back to Barcelona. It has become home, it has become comfort, yet we have not lost the sense that we are still exploring, it has not become any less wonderous.
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