Madrid

My night train to Madrid was forgettable - as in I cannot remember it at all. I arrived in Irun, just across the Spanish border where I transferred to a comfortable Spanish high-speed train for my trip to Madrid. The trip would take over five hours, I realized just then, noting the time on my ticket of 14:00 which I had previously assumed was the time at which I had originally booked the ticket. Oh well, I had plenty of time to sleep while the supposed bullet train averaged a measly 150 km/hr with some additional unplanned stoppages as well.

Once in Madrid, I dropped my bags off at my convenient and comfortable hostel. Next I checked out the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), the official but unused residence of the King of Spain and largest palace in Europe. I was too late to go inside, but managed some photos through the gates.

Palacio Real

Next door was the Catedral de la Almudena, a recently-completed church with controversial modern decor

The overnight trip fatigue began to hit me and I returned to the hostel for a successful nap. My phone rang and woke me up. AJ, my friend and neighbor in Westport was calling to see where I was. In Madrid for study abroad, he told me to meet him and his friends for dinner. They were a fun, multicultural group, but all seemed to have a real problem with the food. They complained in Spanish, French, English, even Arabic. After dinner, I hung out at AJ's apartment for a bit before catching a late metro back to my hostel.

In the morning I first visited the Museo del Prado, Madrid's world renowned museum featuring Spanish artists like Goya and Velazquez. I didn't quite see the entire museum, but took my time and kept a record of my favorite pieces.

Church adjacent to Museo del Prado

Right nearby the Prado is Parque del Buen Retiro, a beautiful park. I wandered through it, then navigated leisurely through the city using maps posted at bus stops. The weather was wonderfully warm, and the old parts of the city were easily walkable. In the evening I boarded a high-speed train to Barcelona, and made my way at a true high speed of around 300 km/hr.

Monument in Parque del Buen Retiro

Palacio de Communicaciones