Exams are finished, lets go to Madrid!

So, after my three 2 hour exams full of writing and thinking, I am finished! (Well until Monday where I begin my Falmouth adventure)

I packed my backpack and decided to go to madrid for 3 days and Lisbon for 2 and a half days.

Madrid was absolutely insane, food was great, people were everywhere, tour guide was awesome. George was having some issues with spanish culture, and to be completely honest I was a bit as well. Nothing I couldn't get used to of course, but we would generally not go out till like 8pm for drinks and Tapas so that free food would be our dinner and we could go to bed at a normal time and not 4am in the morning like the spanish folk.

Our hostel was absolutely gorgeous. It was owned by the Spanish government as a building of extraordinary artistic history.  It was pretty nice but it had awkward hours because everyone was leaving and entering between 12-4am every day. We also met a Mexican who was traveling to Europe for the first time on his own and he joined us on some of our day trips and such. His name was Fernando-- he was cool.

(Madroño) Berry Shot in a ice cream cone dipped in chocolate

Plaza Mayor

Churros con Chocolate

Free Tapas from El Tigre

Anyway, the first day we just explored the city and stopped by this bar called Madroño. I had heard about these berry shots from some friends who had gone before but it was just by chance that George and I found the one of two places who really do it in Madrid. That evening George and I went for Tapas, and went to this bar called El Tigre, which was 12€ for two very large (possibly Liters) of beer, and with it came a plate of chicken wings, fries in hotsauce, and bread with ham and cheese on it. It was a really fun place, there were absolutely no seats, it was all bar space and it was completely packed. 

The next day we did a free tour of Madrid which was very very good. Click the link if you are interested, they do tours of 13 cities across Europe if you are going soon. 

At Puerta de Sol there was an ongoing protest due to the reelection of the new Governor or Mayor-- I could not hear the tour guide very well. 

 On our last day we went to a huge park and relaxed a bit. There was a giant lake in the middle of it where people could rent paddle boats by the hour. 

We also went to this really good Tapas Bar called El Boñar de León. George and I got two rounds of drinks and with it we got a Spanish omelette, ham and cheese, and a plate of fried sardines which were very good and fun to eat.  It was a fun place that was apparently hit or miss for the quality of the food. 

We also went to see the sunset at the Egyptian temple which was absolutely gorgeous!! 

I hope my abbreviated Madrid visit post is ok since I kinda wrote it in a hurry!!

Lisbon tomorrow!

Sara