Madrid - Take Two!

Our second time in Madrid was a completely different experience than the one before. First off, our hostel was 10,000 times better:

This was probably the first hostel I've ever stayed in that had walking space and its own private bathroom. I was ready to sign a lease as soon as I saw the room AND the balcony where we could people watch. It was perfect and a bummer we weren't staying an entire week. 

We were in a different part of town than before so we got to see a whole different side of Madrid. After Gijon, I think Madrid's my second favorite city in Spain that we visited. There's something about the atmosphere there and how easy it is to navigate. Plus there are a TON of things to do and see. 

The day after we arrived was the 4th of July, we were a little bummed to miss the festivities in the US but, luckily, the Oscar Meyer Weiner company decided to throw the US a little tribute. Complete with Uncle Sam, Hot Dogs, Cowboys, Cheerleaders, Football players, and all those lovely American stereotypes:

First... we got food because we were starving. A man outside a pizza place happened to have a super cheap promotion going and we wandered in. But, SECOND, we visited the royal palace. They wouldn't let us take pictures inside but here's the outside:

The inside was amazing though. They had murals and paintings by Goya and all sorts of old furniture - including a collection of hundreds of clocks (I would go insane) in all shapes and sizes (one was actually a table, apparently this monarch had a fetish). We didn't bother with a guide and read out of Alex's travel book instead and learned a ton about the history of the Spanish monarchy. 

There was also an old "pharmacy" full of old herb jars and remedies that my mom would have loved and an armory full of actual armor from waaaaay back. Some pieces had dents and bullet holes in them.

We met up with Crystal later and visited the Reina Sofia again. This time we actually knew a lot about the artwork there since we'd learned about it all in Laura's class. It definitely enhanced the experience and made us appreciate the art more. We saw Guernica again and had fun telling Jenny about all the symbols and history behind it. We visited Salvador Dali's work too and watched his video that we'd discussed in class. 

Inside the glass elevator that goes down the exterior

of the Reina Sofia.

Outside the Reina Sofia. The museum used to 

be an old hospital and you can tell by the setup inside.

After that, we said goodbye to Jenny and wandered around Puerta del Sol for a while. Crystal really wanted to see a discoteca since she'd never gotten a chance in Gijon so we walked around looking for one until a guy handing out flyers showed us to one. 

Most discotecas don't really draw a crowd before 2 AM so this one was pretty dead. Crystal got her free cocktail and danced with a small group of kids while me and Alex played pool. We hung around for a bit and then decided to come back when it had people. 

Alex opted out later though, so it was just me and Crystal. We went to a different discoteca this time and it was definitely a unique experience, not sure if I'll do it again. We did find some nice Spanish boys to dance with and had a pretty good time before we got a little nervous and decided to leave. Alex was still awake when we got home and we ended up pulling an all-nighter talking and watching TV. The next morning, Crystal and Alex both left and I spent the rest of the day alone. 

I wandered around Plaza Mayor and Puerto del Sol again but spent a lot of the day in my hostel getting ready to leave. 

Creepy deer/dog thing hanging out around Plaza

Mayor, waiting to scare the crap out of unsuspecting

tourists.

They'd moved me to a private room downstairs that looked like a hallway that they'd somehow shoved a bed into. I only had money left for a taxi to the airport so I had to scavenge for food and hardly ate anything. It kinda sucked being hungry and alone, I was definitely ready to go home at that point. It had been an amazing experience and I'd do it again in a heartbeat (and for even longer) but I missed familiar faces. 

Now, I'm in the Dallas airport waiting for my flight that will finally take me home after a 20+ hour day of traveling. My taxi driver was really nice this morning and told me all about his trip to Florida after I told him I was an American. It was fun to have one last Spanish conversation before going back to full-English and real-life. I haven't had internet at any of the airports I've been in so these posts will have to wait til I get home. More highlights to come though once I get organized!