Madrid

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CIEE took the business program to Madrid, the capital of Spain. They paid for the hotel, train and food. They gave us 50 euro of food stamps and we found some great places to use them at. We could even use them for drinks. When we arrived, we visited a local cerveseria and enjoyed a couple beers and tapas that come free with drinks in Madrid. We kept wanting to order another round to see what tapa we would get. Then, we went on a walking tour around the city. We visited Plaza Sol, the main center of the city where the Spaniards celebrate New Years Eve under the clock tower by eating grapes when it turns midnight. We also visited Plaza Mayor, which is the historical center of Madrid. The buildings were beautiful and the atmosphere was great. The shops and cafes near this plaza were located in caves that lined the streets. That night, we went to a great dinner where Micaela and I shared the menu del dia, which is very popular here. It comes with bread, a bottle of wine, soup and a main course.

Mariachi Band in front of El Corte Ingles
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We visited the Museo del Prado and the Museo del Reina Sofia. I got to see a lot of work done by Valasquez and El Greco at the Prado and works of Picasso and Goya at Reina Sofia. Park Retiro was beautiful and the fountains were nice. There were many people rowing boats in the lake and it reminded me of Italy. People were also playing music in the park and I loved it. The Royal Palace was my favorite sight. The King and Queen of Spain don't currently live there, but they have special dinners there sometimes. There were many rooms and each one was amazing. The intricate detail on the walls, ceiling and furniture was mind blowing.