A city with a lot to see

Madrid, Spain

This place was Average

The men are trading stamps in the Plaza Mayor (pictured next)

I woke up on the train to Madrid and saw mountains in the distance... my favorite! We stayed with Laura, she is a sister of one of Carolina's friends from Argentina. The first day she was basically our guide around the city... we saw a stamp exchange in the Plaza Mayor, very traditional; La Rastro in La Parte Latina with lots of little shops and street vendors; Placio Real; Immaculada de Almudena - a church with a museum of the Virgin Mary; we walked down La Grambla - more of a downtown area; the Plaza de Sevilles - or the post office; Porte Alcala which is one of the 4 gates to the city. That night we went to the Plaza de Toros Monumental where we saw a bull fight. It was quite brutal, but reflective of part of Spain's culture. We also went out for paella that night... it was good, but not as amazing as I had expected.

The second day in Madrid we went to the Centro de la Reina Sophia, or the modern art museum. We were able to see Picasso's Guernica and some great Dali's. We even ate at ChurroMania that day... great food! Laura gave us free passes to see the Real Madrid stadium... I can't pass up a free facilities tour! We even got to sit in David Beckham's seat on the sidelines. That night we went out for tapas and had: Croquettas con jamon y queso, Patatas ali-oli, and ended with flan and rice flan. In Spain and Italy they give you a small shot after dinner, and in Spain it is called a Chupito.