A Walk Down Memory Lane

“Wait! I’ve been here before” a little bit of DeJa Vu was going on today as we went to a different or should I say memorable part of Madrid J

Woke up this morning after a light sleep in from my long day yesterday to a magnificent breakfast set for a king…cheeses, tomatoes, kiwi, homemade yogurt, pineapple, oranges, prosciutto, breads of various kinds, and coffee…so many choices and all so delicious

After breakfast Ivy, Alyssa, and I headed toward the metro (great the one thing I was trying to avoid because the metro and I don’t really get along), yet it went over very well Ivy knew where she wanted to be and it seemed to make a little more sense this time as to which was we were going…right as we stepped out of the metro my heart stopped…. “I’ve been here!!!!” 2 years ago Jp and I walked these very streets….this way was shopping, this way was parks, this way was food….I took a photo of this, I was in a picture here, I describe how I was position and could see it in my mind….to say the least I was geeking out just a tad bit J

Although last time, Jp and I walked around aimlessly without really going anywhere…this time we were on a mission…Goal 1 was to see the Prado….after some mishaps walking around and stopping at an information center for tourists hahaha we found our destination…a large older building that has been converted to house some of the paintings of Spain’s history…my favorite section was the Roman time period marble carvings…unfortunately I was told no photos so I only have a few for evidence that I could sneak without getting caught…shhh J

 

The next stop was the Botanical gardens right next door…the flowers and plants were gorgeous and the in and out of sunshine provided a little bit of shade with a slight breeze that felt amazing in the summer heat….we even walked through an indoor part that housed cactus (not like I don’t see enough of those at home) and a tropical center that when walking through constricts your breathing because you are hit with a pound of added weight from humidity the instant you walk through the doors…we sat in the shade for a bit to give our feet some rest and then decided to find the palaces in the park

near us

…Now the park looks big on paper….its HUGE in person….it has multiple paths and grassy areas that seem to be a common place for people to run, read, and be lazy in the grass…after walking and walking and walking we found the Monumento Alfonso XII which sat along the water and surrounded in every direction by people lounging in the grass, boating in the water, or walking around on the paths….then we headed back the way we entered and passed the Palacio De Velazquez which was beautifully decorated with blue tiles along the top…the very best was the last stop: Palacio de Cristal it was a large glass building that was beautiful from the inside just as well as the outside…right as you see it, it takes your breathe away a little fountain was located in front of it with steps leading into the water…the birds chirping were a peaceful noise along the way

 

We stopped across the street to give our feet a rest and fill our stomachs which were grumbling hungrily…I ordered the white asparagus wrapped in thinly sliced salmon, chicken with a barbeque sauce, and flan for dessert….the dessert and sangria were to die for and I think I about gained 20 pounds on that alone…it’s a good thing that restaurant was further away or I might just have had to go back before we leave for Alicante…

Next, we took some time for a siesta and cleaned up my face and feet which were all grimy from all the walking we put ourselves through today…my feet are in heaven now that they are spick and span and comfy on my bed…

The night took my breath away…I love that the sun sets so late here so 9 pm really feels like 5pm…we got rested up and then hit the town for some tapas bars…not only was it crowded but it got even more crowded the later it was…we stopped at tapas bar numero uno and ordered drinks and some tapas…they were good even though I probably couldn’t name what they were and I got ridiculed for going to a bar and ordering water…although the waiter kept asking if my boyfriend was cool because he was better so when it came time for the check we had to wait and wait and wait cuz he wouldn’t give it to us…the funniest part was that everyone working at the bar was drinking as well…talk about your prime time job…

We then headed to a mini stop for ice cream and bolted to make it to our flamenco show in time…it was breathtaking.  The women were stunning especially one young lady with the bone structure of beauty (I was jealous) and the guy who was dancing was not only amazing but he was yummy!!!!...their feet move so quickly while their upper bodies stay directly in place, not even a twitch…their hands and every movement was so eloquent but romantic…I sat in stunned silence every time a dancer took to the stage…we also grabbed some tapas while we were there of smoked salmon rolled in cheese, a plate of cheese and bread, and a dainty pastry puff layered with a type of cheese, and a ham that had been glazed and roasted in honey!!!! YUM!!!!....after such a wonderful night I cannot help falling in love with Spain….we concluded our night, walked back, took a shower, and are tucking into bed

With an early wake up call…the wind is blowing us towards the main palace tomorrow…morning is going to be here already since its already 221 am as I finish this up quickly….good night and good morning…only a few hours left in Madrid before we are bound for Alicante…it’ll be nice to set some roots and unpack my suitcase…Europe fits me well J