"You Only Madrid Twice!"

The title from today's post comes from our adventure into the city and a tapas bar last night, and it's true- we're only in Madrid for two days and two nights, so we set out this morning to make the most of it! It's definitely turning out to be true what they say- you can sleep when you're dead. This morning we went first to the Prado museum which contained some truly breathtaking art. I really prefer older art such as that that is contained at the Prado. I definitely liked that we had a tour guide who took us through the museum and gave us some of the history behind a lot of the paintings. For example he pointed out to us the "mistakes" that are still apparent in Velazquez's paintings. You can see a faint shadow in Las Meninas where one boy's leg used to be, but Velazquez changed the position of it. There were professional painters in the Prado who were making copies of the famous paintings to sell, which was also really neat to see. There sure are some fantastic painters in Madrid!

After seeing the Prado, we were taken on a walking tour of Madrid. We saw many entrancing buildings! The first stop was city hall, which used to be the post office in Madrid.

Next, we saw the oldest cathedral in Madrid where all the royal weddings used to take place.

We also saw a monument for the civil war that took place in Spain and all the lives that were lost on the third of May in 1808. Although the United States is old, Spain is so much older and it seems that the history is so much richer. 

Our walking tour ended in the Plaza Mayor and we were then given the rest of the day for free time. Some girls and I went to a small tapas bar. I forget the Spanish name, but it translates in English to "100 Sandwiches" and they do indeed have 100 different sandwiches on their menu! They are mini sandwiches (but after all tapas are small portions) and only cost one Euro a piece! I ordered two ham and cheese (jamon y queso) sandwiches and they were quite tasty! Then we walked to the main cathedral in Madrid which was so incredible to see. If w

e thought the exterior was breathtaking, it was nothing compared to the interior. Everything was just so elegant. The stained glass windows were the brightest colors even without sun shining through them. Statues of the Virgin Mary and other religious figures crafted from gold beamed so bright that they surely could only have been sent from above. The impressive arches filled my heart with amazement- sometimes I think we forget what wondrous things the human race is capable of.

The cathedral's main purpose is to be a place of worship, and definitely everything about being there could be more than enough to make any person drop to their knees. The interior, as you can see from the pictures, is mostly neutral grey, however the vibrance that so many people associate with the Spanish culture shone through in the colorful ceilings and statues. All along the walls of the cathedral were insets with statues and figures depicting Biblical scenes. There were rows upon rows of stately dark wooden pews, but also televisions for seats that did not have a clear view of the main podium. It's easy to see why Spain is famous for its cathedrals, and also easy to see why more people want to attend religious services here than in the US. Even on the street, it's impossible not to get swept away in the Spanish way of life. The kindness, the visible happiness, it's exactly the type of life that so many people desire to lead. And here it's all right at your feet.

While lunch was delicious, everyone who knows me knows that I can only suppress my incorrigible sweet tooth for so long. I convinced the other girls to stop at a bakery, and it was a good thing we did! The bakery was run by a middle-aged woman who made all the delectable flaky pastries by herself, and her mother, who hand-made chocolates. I selected a pastry that was kind of like a sandwich, except the bread was light, sweet, flaky pastry and the "meat" was a chocolate mousse. It was so

mouth-wateringly good. The other girls selected a variety of small delicacies including a fruit tart, a baked lemon ball, a mango cheesecake bite, and a flaky pastry covered in a sugary egg mixture that one of the girls had seen on a TV show that is specific to Madrid. The woman informed us that she also has a stand at the San Miguel market which was just a few blocks from the bakery, so we decided to go there as well just for the experience. Oh my, the colors! I have never seen such vibrant fruit. It was unlike anything I had ever seen in the United States. The strawberries and cherries were redder. The apples were more yellow. The grapes were a perfect light green. It was as though they were somehow taking the almost tangible happiness and life in the atmosphere around them and using it to enhance their best qualities.

Our last stop of the afternoon was the royal palace in Madrid. We decided not to go inside, because our feet really hurt at this point and the wind and cold were a little too ferocious for a group of Americans who packed for the 55 degree and warmer weather that we will experience in Sevilla. The palace has over 1,000 rooms, and is honestly the largest building I have ever seen.

Now that our "siesta" is over, I am going shopping and then out to dinner and more with some friends! I also need to stop writing before I slide out of this bed... For some reason when I lean against the headboard the bed slides out from beneath me and across the room. Who knew I was so powerful?


......Oh! How could I forget? Even though I'm so far from home, it will always make my heart warm to be reminded of the place I left. Hail to Pitt! #H2P