Our morning started with breakfast at Hostal Persal at 8:30 am. There were numerous amounts of pastries, coffee, cereal, and yogurt available to us. We started our day at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía. There were many exhibits to explore with many artists of Europe including Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí, Joan Miró, and many more. The exhibits included art from the surrealist era and also art depicting Spain during the Spanish Civil War. The most famous work of art was Guernica, painted by Pablo Picasso. The painting depicts a town (Guernica, in northern Spain) that was a bombed in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Visiting the museum was a calming change from our fast-paced days.
After our trip to the museum we stopped in the district called Centro. It was filled with many well-known stores and a big department store called El Corte Inglés. There were also many sports teams stores like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona. We had two hours to shop for clothes, souvenirs, and snacks if we wanted. Many of us got the chance to up our wardrobes and to add some brands from Spain. We met up at a good spot to head to the hotel and put down all of our shopping bags.
P.S. On our way out of the hotel we saw a famous Venezuelan music artist, Carlos Baute.
After the hotel we headed to lunch. Our lunch today brought cuisine from southern Spain or the Andalucia region to us right here in Madrid. Many people ordered the delicious “Paella de Carne”, the “Ensaladilla Rusa” (which was delicious), and fried fish. All of the food had a nice mediterranean style flavor.
After lunch we met with our tour guide, Sebastian, at Plaza Mayor. He gave us a tour of Madrid and showed us important government buildings. He explained the architecture, including the Islamic influence on multiple buildings, the superstitions of the people, and the history of Madrid. Sebastian was one of the best tour guides we ever had and really created a fun and inviting environment. It was interactive and informational, and we all enjoyed his jokes. One of the rhymes he taught us as we were passing a street called Calle de la Pasa was, “El que no pasa por La Calle de la Pasa, no se casa.” This translates to, “Those who don’t pass Calle de la Pasa don’t get married.” The tour with Sebastian ended with us learning about a royal king and some of the unfinished architect of the Royal Palace that we had visited before.
Dinner today was a choose-your-own adventure in Mercado San Miguel. We got to choose from many different types of dishes and traditional Spanish tapas. There were many tapas that included mozzarella cheese, chicken, empanadas, and so much more. Moreover, we had the opportunity to practice our Spanish by ordering our own food and speaking to the locals.