Madrid!
It’s the end of my second day in Madrid, and this town has character.
After landing yesterday and having some trouble with getting ahold of our hostel landlord, (I’ve now been told by the locals that no one in Madrid actually works), we headed off to lunch for our first round of Tapas and the best Sangria I’ve ever had.
Then we went to La Plaza del Sol, the heart of Madrid, with your basic shops and touristy kiosks. Next, with the help of Gabi and Delisha’s friend Laylee, we went to the Royal palace. Absolutely beautiful. After dinner with the four of us plus Laylee’s boyfriend Sam. By the way, dinner is usually at around 9-10 here, eaten after the usual siesta from around 6-8.
Today was gorgeous. The weather was near perfect. Delisha and I woke up early and headed around Madrid, eventually buying coffee and baguette toast at a little cafe. Next we met with Gabi and Laylee and went to museums. There we saw many of Dali’s most famous paintings, along with Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. The painting was huge, and beautifully tragic in a way that I’m sure he intended.
Then we were off to a restaurant where I tried the famous Spanish dish Paella, and Gabi somehow scored a bottle of wine for free. After lunch we walked around parks, met a bachelor party of 18 guys from the U.S., went shopping, and took our siesta.
For dinner we had more Tapas, and Sam took us to the Oscar Hotel where we drank a bottle of champagne at a rooftop party with outdoor beds - something that looked like a scene from Sex and the City. Rather than heading home as we intended, Gabi, Delisha and I stopped at a nightclub called “Joy,” where there were plenty of Americans and somehow plenty of free drinks to go around as well. We met a group of Americans there who will be meeting us in Ibiza on Thursday.
Overall, Madrid is relatively modern for a European capital city, full of prostitutes and men who would love to buy you a drink
