Madrid – Finally! – Day 1

Statue of Don Quixote, Plaza de Espana, Madrid, Spain

I finally made it!  It took a few miracles, for which I’m quite grateful, but I’m finally in Spain!  In Madrid, to be precise.  I got in somewhat early in the morning, around 9 AM and by the time I double-checked all the directions on how to get to the hotel and made my way there, it was past 10.  My hotel (Hostal Las Fuentes) was near Puerta del Sol, so that’s the metro stop I used as my orientation point.  Once there, I saw a phone store and went to see if I can purchase more minutes for my phone.  Turned out that this particular store wasn’t going to work and they directed me to another, where I was able to purchase a new sim card with 20 minutes on it.  Yay!  After that, I had to make my way to the hotel.  One thing I keep forgetting about Europe is how poorly streets are marked.  You have to look up and spot a tiny tile (in this case) that tells you the street name.  You have to be right on top of it, practically, to see it.  But I managed.

Once I reached the hotel, I had to laugh at the elevator since it’s the world’s narrowest elevator.  I could fit sideways, with my suitcase.  It’s essentially as wide as I am, plus a few extra inches.  But at least there was an elevator and I didn’t have to drag my suitcase up 3 flights of stairs.

After getting my room situation figured out, I decided to plan the rest of the afternoon, but found myself 4 hours later just waking up from a “20-minute” nap.  I must have been too tired and just needed more than 20 minutes.  But that essentially cut my day to just an evening and I wasn’t going to let that go to waist.  So, off the bed and camera in hand, I left to explore the neighborhood and get some dinner.

Gazpacho and pickled veggies

Steak

Dessert

Dinner was OK, at a restaurant just down the street.  The appetizer was some sort of pickled vegetable mixture and gazpacho.  Gazpacho, the tomato soup which is served cold, was tasty, and everyone has a different recipe. The main course was a steak that I had to check to see if it still mooed.  It was rather rare and bloody, like it was merely waved over something hot, but edible nonetheless.  For some reason, they served it with fries and from what I can see, fries seem to be big in Spain.  I don’t get it.  For dessert, I had a little piece of cake and a small ice cream.  The server also brought out some sort of a liqueur, which to me tasted like a cross between vodka and tequila.  It was very strong and very smooth, and green.  The only thing about it that I understood was that it came from Galicia.  Does anyone know what it is?

After dinner, I decided to make my way to Reina Sofia museum to see Guernica by Picasso.  This is really the only thing I was planning on seeing at the museum and I made it just in time (the museum was closing in a half hour).  Not being a fan of cubism or modern art, I was surprised at how much emotion there was in the painting.  The painting is also much larger than I anticipated.  I knew it was big, but it takes the whole of a really long wall, and it had 2 guards sitting on either side of the painting.  As I was leaving, I was glad I came to see it, as it was a “maybe” on my list.

Plaza de Espana, Madrid, Spain

Next, I went to Plaza de Espana and see some of the other things I had planed on seeing.  One of them was the statue of Don Quixote in that particular square.  It was great to see locals sitting on benches, chatting, going on about their daily lives and being part of the city.  They live in it, not just work in it.  They live IN the city; the city is OF them, not just by them.

After I took the obligatory pictures, I walked around some, and headed back to the hotel neighborhood.  Once there, I had to fight my way through the throng of people demonstrating.  Not quite sure what they’re demonstrating for, or against, but I can read about it once I get home.  Or not.

Once back at the hotel, I was out like a light, as I had a long day planned ahead.

PICTURES TO COME LATER.