After a disappointing night last night, in which I went to bed early from sheer exhaustion, I had high expectations for today. I woke up and first wandered towards the royal palace, which is only a 10 minute walk from my hostel. Unfortunately the palace was closed for "official ceremonies" until further notice, but it was still very interesting to see from the outside. Later, I walked to the Plaza del Sol to see some of the urban action during the day. The plaza was packed with tourists, shoppers, cafes, and such, and was a nice place to see. Next I walked to the Parque de Retiro for an afternoon stroll. The park was beautiful and the weather was nice, so I lay down in a grassy area for a while and took a little siesta.
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