Our last stop on our Toussaint holiday was Madrid, the Spanish capital. I was especially excited for Madrid because my friend Lisa was living in Madrid as an english teaching assistant. Now, I'm going to be honest, Madrid did not live up to experiences in San Sebastian and did not play into the easy going spanish atmosphere I had expected and gotten to know in San Sebastian. Madrid is a big busy city and the rain did not help at all. Having said that I may have not fallen in love with the city but I did have some amazing experiences there!
After the night that we arrived in Madrid my friend lisa informed me that we would be taking a short train ride out of Madrid to a town named San Lorenzo de El Escorial which is known for The Royal Seat of San Lorenzo de El Escorial. This is a huge royal site that acts as a monastery, palace, museum and school. For our visit we signed up for a tour of the grounds which was pretty interesting, the only problem was that Lisa and I were struggling with heavy eye lids that became obvious when the tour guide called us out on it, she was quite kind about it actually. Luckily Lisa's friend was wide awake holding strong for the both of us. We learned quite a few interesting facts like how the Philippines was named after the king Philip II of Spain.
We got to see an original of the cartography of the time. I took a picture of the map cause I was so fascinated by not only the nations, the devision of land and the names but mostly of how Australia is basically Antarctica at the south end of the world.
Unfortunately (I hate this) we were not allowed to take pictures anywhere in the Palace or the Basilicas so all my pictures are from the exterior but take my word for it, everything was so decadent. They did not go short on anything. The craziest part was the crypt where all the caskets were made of black marble with gold detailing and the entire room followed suit. The basilicas was equally as extravagant 
After the palace we made our hungry way back into Madrid where we went for some traditional Paella and Churros. I absolutely love Spain's obsession with chocolate as I share it. There is even a place in Madrid where you can get a cup of pure melted chocolate and just drink it! TOO GOOD!
The next day we spent the day walking around Madrid and admiring all the architecture! It's all so beautiful and so different from what I am used to seeing in France. Unfortunately the days were quite grey and gloomy so all the vibrant spirit of france was lost under the rain and the umbrellas. Having said that, there was still something beautiful about it's sadness.
My last day in Madrid was definitely the best of all the days! I went to the Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art. I got to see beautiful pieces by Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali and so many more Spanish artists! It's cool how the spanish esthetic is so apparent in the work of every spaniard. Something so uniquely spanish bleeds from each artist.
The Museum is set up in a way that takes you through the modern history of the country and works are organized in such a way that describes the struggle of the spanish people. I felt that laying out the exhibits in this way really captured me. As I am someone who really loves the story of human struggle, I felt like I could follow along and that the paintings of artists I had never heard of meant so much more to me! I would recommend this museum to anyone passing through Madrid! A must visit!
After the Museum I met up with Lisa as we had a dinner date. We went out to this cute Cuban restaurant. It was decked out with Cuban pictures and memorabilia. Even the food was reminiscent of our Cuban experience... although I'm not sure if that is a good thing. After dinner we had reservations at a Flamenco dance show. This was very exciting for me as I've waited my whole life to see a legit Flamenco show! Both Lisa and I were very impressed by the whole thing. This dance possesses so much power and passion. You can see, hear and feel it in every step, every clap, every stare. I really did love it and I know that when I return to Spain in February that I will be going to see another for sure!
I can't say Madrid is my favorite city but I am definitely very happy to have experienced it. It is a big busy city and it definitely looses some of it's spanish charm within it all, but there are definitely hidden gems throughout it all which should not go unseen. If you are ever planning on visiting Madrid I would recommend that you do your research and come with a plan on what to do and see, as the sights and attractions are what make the city.
