Merry in Madrid Spain!

Ah, Madrid!  My second international trip!  It was pretty sweet considering I was able to use my archaic Spanish skills.  Though, they have improved immensely thanks to being forced to take Spanish in college for 4 semesters.  Maybe I should go back to Spain to save face...

Spanish Flag!

My friend Noah and I have been good friends for a couple of years now and have traveled to different places in the US including Camden, New Jersey.  Yes that's right, Camden!!!  We figured it was time to branch out and challenge ourselves.  We would go to Europe and see how long it would take before we got on each others nerves. 

We thought Spain would be a great idea, because of the Easter holiday coming up and also because both Noah and I feel comfortable with the Spanish language.  So, we packed our bags and jumped on a 7 hour flight to Madrid.  The flight was pretty uneventful though we had a layover in Paris.  We ended up missing our connection along with 12 other people because there were too many people at customs and not enough people in the booths.  Misery loves company!  

See Thru Bathroom Door!

Because of this, we ended up being bumped into First Class on the next flight.  I have to say, t wasn't quite as glamorous as I thought it would be.  Paris to Madrid is a pretty quick trip so we didn't really get any perks except liquor when we first sat down.  The plane was very old and it suddenly dawned on me that it was actually safer for us to be in the back of the plane rather than the front if this one puttered out in the middle of the flight.  So much for First Class, but who cares, we were going to Spain!

The first thing I noticed when we got to the airport was that it was a little outdated.  It had sort of a 70's vibe to it.  But you know what; many people loved the 70's so it couldn't be all that bad.  I was wrong!  They lost my luggage.  In fact, it went missing for 48 hours!  I wonder what new and exciting place it was visiting while I was stuck wearing a turtle neck in 75 degree weather for the next two days.  Understand, it was still cold in NYC so I dressed accordingly.  Still this wasn't Espana's fault, this was either NYC or Air France's fault, but the first two days were really rough considering I had nothing but my carry on items.

Plaza Mayor

From the airport, we grabbed a taxi and headed to the hotel to drop Noah's luggage off.  The hotel was nice, but Noah had made a mistake in booking it.  He thought it was in the city center.  Nope it ended up being 20 minutes outside of it so we had to take a train back and forth.  Okay, it could be worse and the neighborhood was actually quite lovely! The trip had started off a little rocky, but we were still in Spain!

On our first day in Madrid, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat in our neighborhood before taking the train back into Madrid.  The trains were very clean and very comfortable, unlike the trains in NYC.  In Madrid the people actually have respect for their trains and there wasn't litter and scratchitti everywhere.  I could get use to that!  Respect for property, what a concept!

Our first stop was the Plaza Mayor which was originally built between 1617 - 1619.  The Plaza Mayor is the principal square in Madrid which means a great place for people watching!  I like people and I like watching them!  Count me in!

Library

The first thing I noticed about the Plaza Mayor was that there were restaurants everywhere.  I had a feeling that these were overpriced being that they are in a high tourist area and was happy that we had eaten in our little neighborhood.

The ironic thing was that we did end up eating at the Plaza Mayor late one night later on in the trip.  We had gotten distracted by the production of Mamma Mia that was running and ended up walking for hours and had forgotten to eat.  We were so hungry and the Plaza was right there so we caved and joined the rest of the tourists in the Plaza Mayor before one of us passed out.

We ended up at this Italian Restaurant whose name escapes me.  The food was mediocre at best and we got charged an extra 3.00 for the bread that we didn't ask for.  But you know, even though the meal was poor, the environment was great.  There were people performing magic tricks, a dance troupe and a woman who couldn't sing to save her life, but she sure put forth her best effort!

Does This Count for the 50 State Project?

Besides restaurants, there were vendors who sold various goods including these little toys that you throw in the air and they make this whizzing noise.  They were cool for a whole 5 minutes before they started getting on my last nerve.  I kid you not, they were everywhere!  EVERYWHERE!  To this day when I hear them in NYC which is rare, I have a flashback and my blood pressure rises.

The next day, we decided to get some shopping done because we were warned that most of the shops would be closed on the weekend due to the holiday.  So, we headed in the direction of Plaza del Sol and Calle Montera.  Here you can find pretty much anything you are looking for there so we stayed there for several hours.  I found several things to my liking but eventually Noah just couldn't take it anymore as he was getting too hungry.  So we hit the streets looking for a unique restaurant with local cuisine.

Yummy Lasagna!

What we found were many restaurants named after US States, including Iowa and Nebraska.  Huh?  What was going on?  We couldn't eat here!  But then the skies opened up and the rain started pouring onto our heads.  At that point, we figured since we had never been to Iowa before now was as good of a time as ever even if it was in Madrid!  So, we sat ourselves down and we each ordered the lasagna.  After about 20 minutes we decided to see if our waiter possibly knew the origin of the name of the restaurant but he just shrugged and brought us our meal.  A side note: The lasagna was very different than what we expected.  It was more of a soup with noodles and white sauce (please see photo). Yum!

During the next few days, we had a great time wandering the streets around Madrid to see what we could find.  The architecture was beautiful and the weather was sunny and mild.  We took several photos of various street scenes and stopped for snacks along the way.

The Royal Palace

One of the best things in Madrid is how both ice cream and corn nuts are readily available everywhere.  It was a dream come true for me!  If you are going to travel, you have to be armed with corn nuts.  They are the snack that keeps on giving especially for certain people.  I tried to share them with Noah, but he said they stunk.  Fine, more for me!  We both said yes to the ice cream and headed to the Royal Palace.

When we reached the Palace, we were surprised to see hundreds of people congregating in front of a building and like good little lemmings joined the rest of the group to see what was happening.  After a good 30 minutes or so, the front doors finally opened and what appeared to be an Easter Procession came through the darkness.  Wow, good timing!  As it moved further down the road, people started to walk behind it.  I wasn't aware that this is what one was supposed to do, but Noah filled me in on the workings of processions.  After the lesson, we decided that we were hungry and headed out to grab a late lunch.  So, we snapped a few photos and started swimming up stream against the other people who were planning on following the procession.

Goya

As we winded through the streets we realized that there were several barricades put up around the neighborhood.  At first, we didn't understand why until we turned the corner and we ran into the procession.  So, we turned the opposite direction and tried to find an exit out of the neighborhood, but again we hit a barricade.  It was as if we were trapped in Bizarro World. 

We tried another direction but again we came upon the procession! We were the only two people in Madrid trying to avoid the procession while hundreds of other people were trying to join it.  I have to admit I felt a little bit guilty, but my stomach would not be ignored.  So, again we tried to escape but we just kept hitting more barricades.  Eventually, a guard took pity on the poor tourists and let us out.  Because of that fine gentleman, Noah and I had the best paella that night.  It truly was heavenly.  Thank you, Madrid!

Just Wrong!

The next two days were jam packed with things to do.  First off, there was no way that we were going to miss out on the Prado.  Basically, the Prado is a huge art gallery that has one of the best collections of European art ranging from the 12^th to the early 19^th centuries.  The Prado is free on Sunday (or at least it was when we went) so we figured that was the best time to go; so did about 500 other people.

I knew there was no way I could get through that line without having my morning coffee so I ran across the street to find somewhere to get some.  I was shocked to see a Starbucks looming in the distance!  What the heck was going on?  Since when did Starbucks go overseas?  In America, it is on every street corner.  I think my living room back in Brooklyn is slated to be next, but Madrid?  It didn't seem right and I love Starbucks!  Yes, it has a burnt flavor to it and I know it is overpriced, but I love it!  Usually. But in Madrid?  Is nothing sacred?  But, I was hungry and needed my morning coffee so I grabbed my overpriced latte and muffin and headed to the back of the Prado line, but not before I took a snapshot of Madrid's Starbucks.

Because the line was so long, Noah and I soon grew bored, so we took turns running to the park across the street to buy souvenirs for our family and friends while the other person kept our place in line.  There were many nice little trinkets there including shawls, jewelry, pins, postcards and other items that tourists flock to.  

I have to say if you are an art lover like I am, the Prado is definitely worth your time.  It has over 8500 paintings and also has collections of prints, sculptures and coins.  There is so much to see there that I am sorry that I didn't get through every room, but I don't think it is possible unless you go more than once.  My advice is to find the artists or mediums that you are interested in and go to those rooms first. 

Living the Northwest Dream 

One of our final excursions on the trip was to the Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace is located in El Parque del Buen Retiro.  I have to say that the park and the palace were my favorite places on the trip. The Crystal Palace was made out metal and glass in 1887 and was originally used to grow exotic plants during the winter.  You definitely won't want to miss this or the different parks located throughout El Parque del Buen Retiro.  There even is a man made lake that you can row on if you are so inclined.  I was not, but I had a great laugh over a couple who were on one of the row boats.  The guy was kicking back enjoying the scene while the tiny woman with him was struggling to row the boat.  Who says chivalry is dead?!?  Noah took a photo and muttered something about how that's the way it should be. Uh, sure...

We came upon a few really cool trees (hard to believe since we were in a park) and decided because El Parque was once a playground to royalty; we should climb a few of them ourselves.  Somehow I don't see royalty partaking in this kind of activity, but since I don't see myself marrying into royalty anytime soon, I figured it would be alright. 

Soon it was getting dark so Noah and I decided it was time to grab dinner and go back to our hotel to catch our early morning flight.  But before we left, we took one more trip to the Plaza Mayor before saying goodbye to Madrid. The sound of those annoying whizzing toys echoing in our thoughts and haunting our dreams.