Adios Espana!

O Spain!!! I am so glad that we were slightly crazy and this planned in trip 3 weeks.  We ate a lot of patatas bravas and drank a lot of sangria (it was so cheap how could we pass it up?) and it was so wonderful, even if my pants were tighter.  Madrid, you tested me with your rain and cold and at some point I think we were close to losing it but in the long run you were worth it.  My packing skills could have been better on this trip but thank god for some overpacking.  I am glad I tried my spanish, even if after 10 years it was still awful.  Honestly Spain, I will be back - how can I not when you have cheap sangria and tasty Patatas Bravas and those cheap sandwiches in Madrid.

Madrid By The Pictures!

Some Random Picutres of Madrid:

 I was jealous we didn't get to do this.

Game Time!

So when we first started thinking about going to Spain Bridget said the one thing she wanted to do was to go to the Real Madrid game.  Before we left we both looked on how to buy tickets but couldn't figure it out.  So Bridget asked her cousin to ask his program and his host gamily how we could get tickets and they told us about a website that was legitimate. So when we were in Seville we decided to buy tickets and with a prayer we entered Bridget's credit card information.  They were supposed to drop the tickets off at our hotel in Madrid.  The game wasn't until Sunday and we got to Madrid on Thursday, when we asked the concierge if the tickets were delievered she was like o no not yet, too soon.  Well soon they would become sick of us because I think we asked every time we walked into the hotel.  Wehn we got back from Mercado de San Miguel we still did not have the tickets and the game was in a few hours. Bridget was convinced that we weren't getting them and were being scammed, I believe it popped on and off her credit card a few times. She tried emailing and calling them but they were closed on the weekend.  So we took a nap (what else is there to do in Spain) and when we woke up I went downstairs and asked one more time and he said that they just got a phone call that they were about to be delievered.  I ran upstairs and told Bridget and she said she just got a call too double checking on our hotel.  So a few minutes later I went downstairs and picked up our tickets.  Bridget still thought there was a chance that they weren't legit but we said a quick prayer and headed to the stadium.

 

 

 

 

 When we got to the stadium there were tables selling gummy candies and nuts, we were like um that is an interesting game snack. I think we held our breaths as our tickets were scanned and were delightfully surprised when they actually worked haha. Our seats were actually in the same spot where we stood for the tour; they were high up and Bridget forgot her glasses. The players were hard to see but it was still awesome being there. We were slightly confused at the anthem that was sung because it was just really music and not singing.  

 



 

Some weird things we noticed:

•  They had all of these security guards sitting around the field.
•  There was no eating or drinking during the game escept for the nuts and gummies.
•  At halftime they all pulled out sandwiches in tin foil.
• We decided to go get some food but couldn't find the food stands until we realized that they were  the floor below and not all over the place like here.
• Also, I believe there wasn't any drinking during the game.  

It was definitely a great experience and I am so glad I got to see Real Madrid win even if getting the tickets took years off my life. :)

Nothing like self portraits

Hold Me.............

On our way to Meracdo de San Miguel we saw these guys...................I ask Bridget if she would hold me up - yeah i think she just ignored me. hahahha.

Couldn't Find A Convent But Found Food............

The weather in Madrid was rough and not our favorite but Sunday it was absolutely gorgeous so after the tour of the bull ring we decided to go find a convent before it closed, like everything else around noon on Sunday, so we hopped back on the train and headed back toward El Sol.  We followed the map but honestly couldn't find it but instead found a little Church that was super cute and tiny so we went into it for a quick prayer. 


We then headed to Mercado de San Miguel.  Mercado de San Miguel is one of Madrid's oldest and most beautiful markets; it bills itself as a "culinary cultural center" and honestly I would agree.  It is this big building that has about 3 rows of stalls that sell food; it kind of reminds me as a fancier Eastern Market (the indoor part).  You can just roam, well shuffle because it was like sardines in there, and just buy tapas portion sizes of different food; o and we did including some paella.  There are only a few standing tables but we made it work.  This place was awesome and I wish we went back or went when we were a lot hungrier :)

EL TOROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Seriously, when our alarm went off early on Sunday morning to go to the bull fighting arena I think we were both cursing life after pretending we were young.  However, we had no choice because things in Spain are either closed on Sunday or close at noon.  So we headed over there.  It was a guided tour but with audio cassettes; I kept falling behind of where we were supposed to be on the audio guides but I got the gist.  I was not comfortable watching a bull fight but a tour of the arena was pretty cool.  It was super interesting learning about how the price of seats depends on where in the sun they are.  Their was a bull fight that nite so there were a bunch of old men just hanging out and talking.