Spain es muy bonita!

My shared dormitory inside Bull´s hostel
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So I finally made it to gorgeous Madrid!  I have 4 days to live it up and take as many pictures as I can before I head off to South America.  I flew into Madrid on September 14th from Istanbul and took 2 metro lines to Bull´s Hostel located in Plaza Santo Domingo.  Since the metro directions on their website were wrong, I ended up getting off at Plaza de Espana station (several blocks away) and walking to the dormitory instead. Luckily I found it since it is inconspicuously located inside a bank building without any signage whatsoever.  So odd!

My favorite street performance - 2 people performing the tango
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It´s the tail end of my trip and I am quickly running out of funds.  Italy and Greece strapped me financially so I have to scale back while I´m here.  The dollar is unbelievably weak right now!  Thus, I am trying to find creative ways to save cash. So I am now sharing a room with 12 other strangers for $30 per night.  I currently sleep on the top bunk. Unfortunately, every time the person below me moves, the entire bed shakes.  This jostling wakes me up throughout the night so I haven´t been able to sleep very well.  I am quite relieved that I brought an eye mask (courtesy of Turkish airlines) and ear plugs since I can hear locals/tourists partying until well past 5am - There was one instance in particular, when I heard several women screaming (singing?) at the top of their lungs in espanol- They were obviously inebriated! I also have to comment on the hostel bathroom situation: There are 20+ people sharing 2 bathrooms so I´ve had to run to the nearest Starbucks on several occasions just to use the restroom.  Quite an experience so far! My accommodations are cheap so I can´t complain.

So far, I´ve come across an eclectic mix of street performers - those performing dances (tango), musical acts, juggling dispays, etc.

The center of Puerto del Sol
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There are so many people roaming the streets throughout the day/night.  I am quite surprised by this! I can´t tell if they are tourists or locals.  In either case, the streets are packed and lively.  I actually feel quite safe staying out late since most people do.  So far, I´ve come across an eclectic mix of street performers - those performing dances (tango), musical acts, juggling displays, etc.  One night, I saw a group of people offering free hugs.  How friendly! I didn´t actually take them up on their offer, but a few people did.

One of the four corners within the Plaza Mayor
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My 4 days were spent targeting the primary tourist hotspots.  First up: Palacio Real - The King of Spain uses this palacio for official ceremonies, but resides elsewhere.  I´ve seen plenty of palaces on my trip, but I preferred this one since it´s not as ostentatious as the others.  I particularly liked the silk drapery separating each of the rooms throughout the premises. I also visited the adjacent distillery located on the palace grounds.  This is the first time I have seen anything like that.

In front of the Palacio Real
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My favorite thing to do when I visit a new country is to randomly walk down side streets and stumble upon different landmarks and sites.  That´s how I found two key areas in Madrid: Puerto del Sol and Plaza Mayor.  The first is a bustling hub, where different streets converge into an area filled with restaurant/shop-goers.  Puerto del Sol is also surrounded by numerous walkways catering to the shopaholic - stores such as Zara, Sfera, and H & M are everywhere. Plaza Mayor is a square flanked by outdoor cafes serving paella, tapas, and other local treats.  Since this is my last night here, I decided to treat myself to paella mixta and a glass of vino blanco to commemorate my short visit.  I have also visited this plaza on numerous occasions just to park myself on one of the circular benches and people watch.  The other day, I saw two women hobbling and leaning on each other for support since they were wearing 3-inch stilettos.  Crazy!

Backside of Museo del Prado
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Sundays in my opinion are the best days for tourists here!  First of all, I gained free access to two very popular Madrid museums - The Museo del Prado contains a massive collection of artwork from various countries - Spanish, Flemish, Dutch, German, Italian and French.  The Spanish collection in particular, showcases masterpieces from Francisco de Goya and other well-respected artists.  After spending several hours in the first museum, I walked down Paseo del Prado towards Centro de Arte Reina Sofia.  This is my FAVORITE museum on my worldwide trip thus far!  I only had an hour before they closed at 2:30pm, but it was an hour well spent.  The exhibit is on two floors: the 2nd and 4th.  Spent most of my time on the 2nd floor since there were many pieces from Picasso and Salvador Dali throughout.  LOVED LOVED LOVED it all!  I could have easily spent all day in there since there were also numerous sculptures and surrealist photography displays. Captivating!

El Centro de Arte Reina Sofia- home to Picasso and Dali
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El Parque del Buen Retiro is also one of my favorite tourist spots.  The park is located a few blocks past the Museo del Prado.  It is huge!  There are areas that are completely quiet - spots where people can sleep on the grass and take their siestas.  There are also park locations bustling with activity, especially on Domingo (Sunday).  I walked towards the most popular part of El Parque, the Estanque and Monument of Alfonso XII.  So many families - some were in row boats traversing the lake;others were eating popsicles/snacks on various benches lining the perimeter.  I loved the monument with its many columns. Reminded me of Roma! Around the lake, there were also rows of tarot card readers, snack vendors and oddly enough - two people dressed in Winnie the Pooh and Minnie Mouse costumes making balloon animals for the kids.

Standing in front of the El Parque de Retiro entrance
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There isn´t a ton to do in Madrid, so 4 full days is WAY too long to spend here.  Two of my Irish dorm mates (Keith and Patrick) invited me to do a pub crawl with them these past 2 nights, but my alcohol tolerance is not as strong as theirs so I said no.  Plus, they´ve come back to the hostel around 4am on both days not remembering where they had been.  2 1/2 months into my trip has made me slightly tired.  I am not as resilient as I was during my first month. Otherwise I would have joined them.

The Monument of Alfonso XII
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Tomorrow, I will be taking a 12 hour flight to Buenos Aires.  I can´t believe I am nearing the end of my journey!  The last 2 countries await!