Day 120: Madrid, Spain

It’s taking a while but we’re getting used to everyone lisping. When I talk to a Spaniard I can’t help but think, you know if you spoke that way in the States, we would send you to a special school to fix that. I know it’s part of their culture and it’s the proper way of speaking Spanish but coming from 4 months of standard Spanish, it’s tough to make the initial adjustment. In fact, we’ve met quite a few people in Madrid and so far, not a single person has been able to understand us, nor we them. And our Spanish has gotten quite good since we first started, way back when in Honduras!!

After a meager ”breakfast” at the hostel (few ounces of juice and a single croissant).We set out to wander the city like regular tourists on a sightseeing frenzy. Well, without the frenzy part. Our journey first led us through the Botanical Gardens. They’re quite simple but very pleasant with lots of wonderful tulips and screaming school children trying to identify plants. Admission was cheap, 3 euros for students (double for nonstudents). In Madrid, there are student discounts galore and plenty of free events. The Prado Art Museum, for instance, has certain days and hours when admission is free but there is usually a monstrously long line to get in during these free hours so plan ahead if you are brave enough!

Red tulips in the park

Flower in the gardens

Trees in the garden

We enjoyed a leisurely stroll here and there, whatever direction sparked our fancy til we came upon the famed Plaza de Armas. Lucky for us, on this day at that moment while we were passing through, a Spanish swing band was rocking their hearts out more for fun than money. They couldn’t have looked any happier and Lin, being the old timey nerd she is, was completely stoked to have stumbled upon such a sight. Watching for a couple songs, we tossed them a couple euros and rambled on…

Swing band in the plaza

The evening found us in the hostel bar, lamely named Cat’s Cave, that serves a terrible beer (Estrella Damm). The bartender said it was a famous beer from Barcelona, Saben says “poor Barcelona”. It was tough to even choke down a single pint but, refusing to waste beer of any sort regardless of how terrible, we choked down a pint each, and went to bed unhappily sober.