Madrid

I arrived at the bus station with plenty of time. While waiting I met a New Zealander named  Katherine who had been working as an aupair in Madrid. We were talking when the bus arrived so decided to sit together. The bus was definitely a step up from the last one I took. The seats were big cushy leather lazy boy like and there was a little console in between each pair of seats. On one side there was a row of single seats as well. We got started in our journey and it wasn't long before Katherine and I were sleeping. I woke up several times and my bum was asleep. I attribute this to the slippery seats as I slid around constantly and would wake up in the most awkward position. We arrived in Madrid at the lovely hour of 6:30am, a half an hour early. I was grateful for my new friend as she knew how to get to my hostel and came with me. We arrived at the hostel to a bit of a chilly reception but ignoring the grumpy desk guy we sat and relaxed on the couches in the lounge for a bit until Katherine left to get to her own accommodations. The guy at the desk ended up being very friendly and let me check in early and leave my stuff in my room. Turns out he was having a bad day....poor guy had a broken arm.

I got ready for the free walking tour and then went to Plaza Mayor to meet my guide. Eduardo is born raised Madridian (?) Who didn't want to sit behind a computer all day. Madrid's history is much like the history of the other towns in Spain. One of our first stops was a statue in Plaza Mayor. It is of a horse and rider and during a riot the statue was destroyed when it was pushed to the ground and shattered. Inside were the skeletons of hundreds of birds. Turns out that the statue was hollow and the horse had an open mouth so the birds would fly in and then get stuck, unable to find their way out. The citizens never knew why the Plaza smelled until that day. When the statue was rebuilt they made sure the mouth of the horse was blocked. Our next stop was to the oldest restaurant in Europe. It has been open for over 200 years consecutively. We walked through the old streets of Madrid eventually finding ourselves looking at the old Roman walls which stand in front of Basilica de San Francisco El Grande. This beautiful building is still under construction.

Heading to Peurta del Sol we saw fountains and statues. There is one of a bear and a tree which represents how the Spanish beat the church in a battle over land. The church owned all the land and wanted to charge the Spanish for taking their livestock through it to get to the woods. The Spanish fought them and won so they made the statue to show this. Also in the square were some characters you might recognize. I saw Minnie and Mickey, Hello Kitty, Spongebob, and Smurfette. There was also one special smurf I caught buying a lotto ticket! Even smurfs hope for the millions! We walked over to Teatro Real and heard all about Queen Isabel II who became Queen when she was only 3! Her mother ruled for 10 years until they decided at age 13 she was ready to rule. Her biggest enemy? Her uncle who should have been king when his brother died. However Isabelle's father started a new law of succession which allowed a daughter to be heir. The uncle sent armies to fight her and spread many rumours about the poor young Queen. Next stop Palacio Real which is the biggest palace in Europe, bigger than Versailles with over 2800 rooms. Only 50 are open for viewing. It is more of a tourist place now as the King has a palace outside of Madrid and only uses Palacio Real when there is a big event. We ended our tour in Plaza de Orient amid an arctic wind. The sunny day had turned increasingly colder and I couldn't wait to warm up! In the distance there was a beautiful domed building which is a cathedral that used to be a mosque. The outside remains the same and only the inside was converted, well except for the cross over the door of course. Another girl from my hostel, an Edmontonian name Natalie, and I headed back and got some food for meals. I dropped off my food, added a layer and headed out for some lunch and exploring. I went and saw Templo de Debod which are Roman ruins with an amazing view of part of the city. Along the way a bride was getting pictures in the park...photo shoot or real wedding I'm not sure....it is a Tuesday so I vote model. I walked and saw the church formerly known as a mosque and Plaza de Espana with it's gorgeous fountains. Walking along Gran Via, I enjoyed the lights and rush of people. Signs advertising various musicals such as El Rey Leon....the Lion King! All the major brands and stores lined this busy street. I stopped at one point as sirens went roaring by. A police officer on a motor bike waved at people to stop and was followed by about 20 dark sedans, 3 mini vans with tinted windows and 6 more police on bikes.....hmmmmm, the king maybe? Continuing along to Plaza de Cibeles and its beautiful fountain it was only another few blocks and I was at Peurta de Alcala. They have a LOT of traffic circles in Madrid! By this time I was ready to burst and just had to find a bathroom. I found a cafe and ran in asking for the bathroom. I came out and ordered a mint tea....2€ for a tiny cup! I was going to have a treat but when she pulled out a packaged sweet I decided forget that! I walked back the way I came and enjoyed the beautiful architecture despite the cold. I am Canadian after all! I wandered around the neat area of Peurta del Sol before I went up to my hostel. I sat in the common room chatting with people from all over until 8:30 when I realized I hadn't eaten dinner! I went and made a rice stirfry I had bought earlier and rejoined the group. There was a guy from Iran, Armani, with the funnist stories! He had had an attempted pick pocket that morning and watching him reenact it had us all clutching our sides! I'd say the pick pocket is lucky he didn't get anything! At 11:00 I finally pried myself away to have a quick shower before bed! I was exhausted! The next morning I was waking up early to go to Toledo and meet Vinicius so I didn't want to be late!