3 days in Madrid!

So I am in Madrid ! The capital of Spain! I am so excited because I studied here over a summer in high school...so I feel like I can show my family around! It was about a 2.5 train ride from Sevilla...so by the time we got to our hotel it was in the later morning. We all got some breakfast and started our day! Our hotel is actually located in Puerta del Sol, which is a major spot in Madrid with restaurants and shopping.... and it is the exact center of Spain. They even have a plaque on the ground reading 0km. A pretty cool location for us to stay! It is supposed to rain the entire time we are here, so since it wasn't we decided to enjoy the famous Retiro Park while we could! Before we headed to the park we walked around the Plaza Mayor, a historic cobbled square with a lot of street performers, shops and lots to eat! Once we got the to park we were ready to relax ( it was quite a walk and it was very warm and muggy outside).... we went to the center of the park and had some drinks and snack and enjoyed the beauty of it! There is a huge lake that has great views and you can walk all around it and enjoy all the greenery and gardens! Definitely a place we you go and sit and enjoy a book and everything around you! It was totally hat we all needed since we had been traveling so much and doing so much....we were all very tired, but still so excited! We hung out there as much as we could...taking a a little siesta! And of course lots of pictures! And on our way out there was someone dressed up in a Mickey Mouse costume....it was definitely kinda weird to see that in Spain...I don't know...someone I wouldn't trust to take a picture with! you never know of the sneaky pickpocketers! So far so good! We around some more and made our way back to the hotel going along the Gran Via, a main street with lots of shopping ( the fancy stuff! ) The buildings here are so beautiful...definitely a big city! Once we got back to our room, it nice to relax, but our balcony overlooked the square so you could here all the music and people! The Spanish people do know how to enjoy themselves...I swear I don't know when they go to work! Haha! Well there are definitely a lot more tourists here...! It is a busy time of the year! We had dinner outside in a small cafe...and we definitely able to enjoy the music and and the lots of people. Once we got back to our hotel we found out that there was a big futbol (soccer) game going on...Real Madrid vs Barcelona, so that is why it was especially crowded ...and Real Madrid won! so everyone was celebrating! The next day it was raining pretty hard, so we decided to spend most of the day inside ...so we went to the famous Modern Art Museum, Reina Sofia, where we saw a lot of Picasso, Dali, and Miro....it is just crazy to see all these paintings up so close since you studied them and saw them in the books...We had lunch across the street from the Museum and a little Italian restaurant and then Noelle and I got some little time to do some shopping before we headed off to a Bullfight tonight! It is always fun to shop for some new clothes... especially when you are in Spain! So we are off to a Bullfight here in Madrid, luckily the weather cleared up a little bit, but our seats were covered so it was okay....now I have been to a bullfight before when I was here, and I know it is hard to watch. But it part of the Spanish culture, so we had to experience it since we were here! A fight has three acts....each something different, but ultimately weakening the bull, and then in the last act the matador acts permission to kill the bull, and that is definitely what happens....it is definitely hard to watch and sad...but very interesting at the same time! The 3rd fight we watched ( there is 6 total in the night) the bull was so aggressive.... it was scary! He was running around crazy, and there is a part where some horses come in and they poke the bull with a sword to help make him weak....well this bull was hitting the horse( they are protected with armor though!) so hard that the horse fell over...it was so sad...just to see it lay like that, you thought the bull was going to kill it! Luckily there are people there to help the horse back up....I got some great pictures! And once the matador came out, the bull still had some energy! And the guy got knocked over and fell with the bull right over him....oh my gosh....I thought he was going to die! I have never been so scared, I thought I was going to scream! Luckily he got out fine, minus his shoes! yet he continued to fight! Amazing! What an experience! Friday was our last day in Madrid before heading off to Paris in the morning on Saturday...so we all decided to relax and enjoy the city...which had to be some inside activities because it was raining again! no bueno! We did a lot of shopping and stopped by the Royal Palace in Madrid. It is Europe's 3rd greatest palace. The outside and inside interior was just incredible! I can't imagine living in something like this! We also got see the Palace Pharmacy, which had all these little jars that filled all the drugs and medicine of that time....all stacked on the walls all the way up the ceiling! And the furniture and artwork inside was just so beautiful! I can't wait to share all the pictures! We were here around the evening and got to walk around the city around sunset...and enjoyed the views of the city! Tonight was our last night in Spain, and my grandma was leaving back home....so it was a nice to celebrate and have a nice meal! But what is funny is that I think all of us needed some American food...so we happened to see a Steakhouse...and that is where we went! Our last night in Spain, we had a nice piece of meat and potatoes! Too Funny!