Day 25 + 26: Still lazying around Madrid.

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Not going to lie, I've been very lazy the past two days so this entry is not going to be that exciting because I don't have the desire to write properly haha. Succint and to the point for now.

Yesterday, we started the day off by going to the big Sunday market – and by big, I mean big... it takes over an entire neighbourhood down near Calle Toledo... it’s crazy!! They really did have everything though, so it was fun to look around and people watch.

Funny thing is one of the busiest stalls was one selling rubber tubing. We totally did not understand. Just rubber... hm.

Anyway, after looking at a bunch of jewellery, clothes, bags, electronics, books, etc we headed down towards Madrid Rio – a big park they created in the middle of the city when they moved their highway underground. I think the concept is quite neat... although I don’t know how much of a “park” it necessarily is considering there aren’t that many trees/shade. There was also apparently a beach... and by beach it’s really a few huge fountains and beach chairs haha.

But don’t get me wrong – we had quite a nice little visit! Em set herself up on a nice grassy patch to sunbathe, while I went to lay down on a divider wall near this little stream thing – it was the only shady place I could find where I could lay down haha. I brought my Sherlock book, so I had a grand old time reading all afternoon.

Aaaaaand that was pretty much our day – very relaxed and not much to say as you can see haha.

And another relaxing day today... although that wasn’t really the plan haha.

We took the commuter train up to El Escorial, where there’s a nice big monastery. Beautiful, beautiful building... and after walking around for about 15min trying to figure out how to get in... (We walked in one door and some lady behind the glass simply said “no” Family Guy maid-style) we find out it’s closed Mondays. A fact that is not on the main website... so is perhaps a new development? Nevertheless, we were not impressed. Not at all.

Plus side, we met a nice family from Australia – the guy was trying to find the entrance too and they were going to go call his sister-in-law who lived nearby to come speak Spanish and such. They really don’t make it easier for the tourists considering this is a UNESCO site. All that to say, they were pretty bummed too when they found out it was closed today. The guy’s like ‘you should come back another day, but aw that’s too bad for you guys, you came so far...’ yada yada. The wife laughed, ‘uh we’re going home to Australia tomorrow, I think that’s a little further than Madrid’. Indeed!

Anyway, we went back to Madrid and ended up going to see Batman! In English of course. But it’s fun to say in Spanish: El Caballero Oscuro! It was actually really good – good end to the trilogy. Also, always good to see Gary Oldman... can’t go wrong there!

After that we just did some of our souvenir shopping, bummed around the Opera/Sol area and came back up to the hostel. I tried venison soup (complete with liver and heart)... sadly, it tasted like nothing and had no chunks. How does that end up tasting like nothing I do not know.

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