Last updated on January 8, 2011
I spent most of the day in Madrid on January 2nd after an early morning train ride from Seville. I managed to take the metro most of the way to the hotel but caught a taxi for the last few blocks since I didn’t know where the hotel was.
I got to the hotel only to be told that I had no reservation. I found out that my last name confused people again and my reservation was under Damianne Rowena (no President). I was just trying to figure out how to call expedia when the receptionist found my reservation (phew!).
Since the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sophia is free on Sunday Afternoons, I spent about 40 minutes there right before closing. The painting Guerlain was surrounded by visitors but I could see parts of it; it’s much larger than the Mona Lisa at the Louvre but the crowds were similar.
From the museum, I headed to plaza metro to go on Sanderman’s walking tour. I never did catch up with the guide so I grabbed a Lebanese lunch and walked around aimlessly for a few hours. I reached El Rastro as it was being taken down. Back at Plaza Metro (I think) where I’d first gotten off the metro I grabbed a pastry to go from a crowded shop where I had to elbow my way through; I frustrated the server by not asking for the pastry to go from the start. In any case, I got my neopolitan. It was only 5 p.m. so it seemed too early to head to the hotel. I went to Pans coffee shop and had a coffee and people watched for a while before composing this blog post. Finally, I walked to Gran Via and took the metro back to my hotel.
I enjoyed the food in Spain: tapas, good bread, paella. I had a lot of smoked salmon, shrimp, (not too salty) anchovies and atun (tuna). Goodbye Spain. I’ve enjoyed what I’ve seen of you and will likely be back for a more in depth look!
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