My Final Day in Madrid - Day 8

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It was such a fitting day to end my time in Madrid. I was so sad to leave Madrid and it just poured all day long. The only things I had on my non-existant list to do were to go shopping for some souvenirs for some of my friends and go to the Botanical Gardens (el Real Jardín Botánico). My day started off wonderfully. My body was finally starting to adjust to the time difference and I actually woke up at around 10:30. I know, I know, that's still really late, but it went from 2:00 in the afternoon, to noon, to 11:30, to finally 10:30... I was thrilled! So I went out and had yet another tortilla española and some patatas bravas (I had this same thing the night before too... they're SO good!). A tortilla española (spanish tortilla) is not at all like a latin american tortilla. It is a tortilla of eggs stuffed with potatoes and something else. So it ends up being about an inch think... not exactly something you could make a quesadilla out of (mmmm... quesadilla). So anyway, afterwards I wandered through some souvenir shops... that's awkward. But I got my stuff just as it started to rain. So I went back to the hostel and did my laundry... very exciting. Then I went out with a friend and saw the memorial at the Atocha Renfe station again. I was going to take pictures, but no one else was so I didn't know if it would be appropriate. So I didn't. It's an extremely touching memorial. Afterwards, my friend and I walked up el Paseo del Prado and saw some more stuff on that street. We saw the Plaza de Neptuno (which I didn't take a picture of... it was raining), the Plaza de la Cibeles, el Palacio de Comunicaciones (a huge post office), y el Banco de España. It was well worth the walk even though it was in the middle of a downpour.

That night, some girls from my room and I went out to get some authentic Spanish food. It was another girl's (from Boston) and my last day there, and another girl (the one from Wisconsin) wanted to come too, so she did. We walked around for awhile trying to find a good place to eat. As we were deciding, the girl from Wisconsin got a call from a friend and left, so it was just the two of us. We first went into a restaurant, sat down, looked at the menu, and left. It was vegetarian food and neither of us wanted that for our last night in Madrid. So we just went across the street. We sat down, ordered water, and started looking at the menu. Then they brought bread (they bring you bread whether you want it or not and then charge you for it... Spain is kind of weird like that). By this point we were discovering that the menu here was even worse. We wanted authentic Spanish, and that's EXACTLY what this was. It had suckling pig, "brains rolled in flavor", octopus, bull testicles, etc. But now we couldn't leave because we already had our water and bread. So finally we decided on just ordering appetizers. I ordered garlic mushrooms and ham (champañones al ajillo con jamón) and she got some peas and ham and red peppers stuffed with cod. Mine was pretty good... she didn't like hers at all. I don't know if any of you remember my friend Lubna... but the two of them could be personality twins. We had a lot of fun though (I did... I don't think she was as thrilled with the situation). Things like that just don't bother me. I would rather go to a terrible restaurant and laugh about it all night than go to a good one but be bored. Afterwards we both got sick :p

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Photos

La Plaza de Cibeles
This plaza is right next to the Palacio de Comunicaciones and the Banco de España. When the Real Madrid wins a soccer game, this is where they come.

Palacio de Comunicaciones
This is a post office :) It's HUGE! Right off el Paseo del Prado.

Palacio de Comuncaciones
Another picture...