A Compacted Version of our Madrid Trip

I didn't take too many photos in Madrid for several reasons. One, it was hot and I don't function well in anything over 80 degrees. Two, I was feeling kind of bad about my photos. I just felt like I couldn't get a good picture of anything. Three, it was my sister's first time there so we revisited many of the places I'd already seen. Finally, it was time with family, so taking photos wasn't my first priority. For these reasons I feel like I can fit most of the trip into one post with two other posts to follow. On our second day we went to church and then grabbed some tapas for lunch. We walked around a bit and then finished the evening watching a Flamenco show in a place that looked like the scene from Cask of Amontillado. Don't get me wrong, the flamenco show was great we just weren't sure whether we were going to make it out alive or not.

On our third day in Madrid, we walked around Retiro Park, headed up to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu so I could take a picture for J since it's his favorite team, and consumed chocolate and churros (which I didn't get to try on my first trip) and more tinto de verano. In the Glass Palace they usually have some kind of art installation. On my first trip there were bones hanging from the ceiling. On this trip it looked like prosthetic limbs were every where. I know I sound completely ignorant but I totally did not get what the point of it was.

The next day we took the train to Toledo, but that'll be in another post. On our final day in Madrid we went on one last walking tour. This one was not with the same company as I used in Berlin or Amsterdam, but it was still informative. These tours are so interesting because there is always something hidden around the city that you don't notice until someone points them out. Throughout Madrid you might see brass looking stones in front of businesses. These bricks are given to those places that have served Madrid continuously for many years. For example, Sobrinos de Perez has been in business selling religious items since 1867, and they have a stone in front of their business. Little facts like this are why I recommend taking a walking tour next time you visit Europe. We finished the tour by getting a calamari sandwich from one of the recommended places. For a sandwich with just bread and fried calamari it was pretty good, although you really have to make sure you get it from somewhere popular or it won't taste like anything special. We finished our last day by eating in and packing for our trip back home.