The Battle of the Capitals: Fast-Paced City versus Old Town Charm

 The first day in Madrid was pretty relaxed as everyone arriving from the United States was pretty tired/jet-lagged. I finally got to meet my roommate Becki, who is also my roommate in Granada, and she is awesome! We just started chatting almost immediately like old friends. After a short orientation meeting we were on our own for the evening and with Becki and a couple of other girls, we went to grab some dinner and ended up at a “Museo de Jamón”…apparently the Spaniards love their ham because it is everywhere! It was this small, strange place with pig legs hanging from the ceiling. They have sandwiches with ham, ham and cheese…and other slight variations on this. Essentially you just kind of stand at the bar and shout your order and then they bring your food right out and you pay. Then you stand at the bar and eat as well. I had a ham and cheese on a croissant for 1 euro. Ham here is not like it is in the states, all processed and everything…this ham is more like prosciutto and quite salty…not exactly my cup of tea, but I ate it anyway. I can assure you it was no Domenico’s sandwich! (Domenico’s Delicatessen is my place of employment for those of you that were unaware)

Lisa and I: reunited and it feels so good!

            After dinner, Lisa came to pick me up for a night out on the town! I was so excited to see her and get a little taste of the Madrid night life. After meeting up with a couple of Lisa’s friends we were on our way to a discoteca for salsa dancing! Lisa’s salsa teacher had arranged a night out for everyone in the class. It was fun to experience this new aspect of Spanish culture though it was particularly awkward at times!

            The next morning we went to El Prado Museum…home to great works by Velázquez, Goya, and El Greco. I loved having the opportunity to see some of the works that I’ve learned about in my classes.  After a truly authentic Spanish meal of pizza, Becki, Nikki and I, with map in hand and my extensive knowledge of the city (yes I’m crediting the previous night to my expertise) we made our way to the Puerta del Sol, a thriving plaza in the city center.

The Roomie and I in the Puerta del Sol

            Before our tour of the Palacio Real we stopped in the GORGEOUS Catedral Santa Maria La Real de la Almudena…such bright colors like I’ve never seen before in a cathedral. Then it was on to the former home of Spanish royalty. On our way to finding the palace we came across el Mercado de San Miguel, filled with all types of delicious foods. We decided to stop by later and grab some dinner. The amount of people, foods, smells…all the excitement in the air was overwhelming! After a little gelato we called it a night! All in all, Madrid was fun but I couldn’t wait to get on to Toledo!  

            
                             Isn't this cathedral just gorgeous?

El Palacio Real

The moment our bus rolled into Toledo I had my camera out snapping photos of the beautiful old capital built on the hill. It’s hard to describe with words how quaint and picturesque this city is, so pictures will have to do! 

   

First stop: San Juan de Los Reyes monastery. This little gem had beautiful gardens, exquisite sculptures, and intricate detail. Then onto the oldest jewish temple in Toledo, Santa María la Blanca, and after that the church of Santo Tomé. With a few hours of free time we dined at Naca Naca (the most normal sandwiches I've experienced so far) and then explored the city in search of some cool Toledo trinkets. After orientation we returned for dinner (Naca Naca again!)…and to our surprise: a procession and the Miss España pageant! Oh the things we get to enjoy when in España!

Toledo's Cathedral

              

San Juan de los Reyes

           

Hangin' out with Miguel 

Cervantes