Madrid, January 6

1/6/13

Madrid, Spain

We had a wake up call bright and early today (8:00 am) because we had a big day ahead of us.  But before we left, we ate a buffet breakfast at the hotel.  I had a churro, coconut yogurt, some ham and cheese, a roll, and a few other things that I can't really describe... all with some mango juice. Yum! Then we were off to have a walking guided tour of the city. It was absolutely freezing… and even as the sun went up, it stayed cold because the streets are so narrow and the buildings are so tall that the sun doesn’t even reach the ground below in many places. Despite the cold, the tour was interesting and informative. We saw all of the important buildings, including the royal palace, a few churches, the Prado museum, and Puerta del Sol… but not in that order. Puerta del Sol means "gate of the sun" and it is the center of Madrid.  And since Madrid is the capital of Spain, Puerta del Sol is therefore the center of Spain.  Puerta del Sol is simply a big circular open space containing statues and fountains, and surrounding it is buildings of all the same height.  After the tour, we had free time to each lunch, then explore the city.  For lunch, I got a pork, Brie cheese, caramelized onion, and spinach sandwich… and of course café con leche.  This meal was fantastic! Best thing I have ever eaten! After lunch, we took a siesta (I blogged instead… I think it’s going to take me a little while to get used to the schedule here). At 4:30, we met up and started walking to the Egyptian temple, which is the best spot in the city to watch the sun set. Of course we got sidetracked both there and back, so the trip took us about 3 hours! But the view was amazing! On the way back to the hotel, we stopped and got churros (since the gap between lunch and dinner is so large). I got a chocolate covered churro… now that’s the second best thing I’ve ever eaten! At 9:00, we went out to dinner. We actually tried out a Cuban place! I ordered seafood and chicken paella (rice dish).  I figured while in Spain, I should broaden my horizons! I took one look (and smell) of my dish and couldn’t do it. There were little squids (the size of a finger nail) looking back at me! Thankfully, one of the guys switched meals with me… so I ate a beef dish with (thick) potato chips instead. I think I’ll slowly try seafood, and maybe by the end of the trip, I will have a better experience.  After dinner, we weren’t quite ready to go to bed, so we found a small bar. I had my first gin and tonic… not too bad. And 4 of us got tequila shots, with salt and a slice of lime! I skipped out on the second round of tequila shots though… no thank you! But at least I know what I’m in for, for the rest of the trip! I’m sure its only going to get better from here!