Madrid Day 4

Hola. This is our last full day in Madrid. We're leaving in the morning after breakfast, and I am so so sad. Even though there are too many people here, I already miss this city, and I wish I could stay longer. There's still so much that I haven't seen that I want to see. Today, we went to the bus station to get tickets to Caceres for Mom and Sandra. We weren't sure if they'd have them tomorrow. It was a bit far away, so we decided to take the Metro. It was my first time. We were pretty confused at first, but it became much easier after a few minutes. We got the tickets and then headed back toward Puerta del Sol.

After walking around downtown for a bit and eating some sort of rectangular pizza for lunch at a little cafe, we walked to the Royal Palace. Actually, we found the cathedral by accident, and when we noticed this massive, extravagant building behind it, we knew it was more than just a tourist attraction. We waited in line for nearly an hour, but it was definitely worth it. Again, I got a student discount, so whenever you're traveling it's always good to ask about that. The palace was absolutely beautiful. I've never seen such lavish rooms, but then again it was remodeled in the 19th c. You see a lot of rooms dedicated to Carlos III, who apparently was a really good king. There's an enormous courtyard in between the palace and the cathedral, and honestly I don't know when I've felt so small. The Armory Room in particular was pretty cool. There were suits of armor, weapons, and life-size (but not real) horses and riders all decked out in their armor (even the horses) and jousts. It was awesome. And now, we can say that we've had tea at the Royal Palace in Madrid. I feel special.

After, we took a new way to our hotel. It seems that everywhere we turn, there's something new and wondrous to behold. Ok, so maybe that last sentence was a bit much, but I'm tired. Once we made our way out into the city again, we decided to go back the way we came. We saw an incredibly long line that seemed to never end. When we finally reached what was going on, apparently some very famous Spanish singer was signing autographs. His name was Sergio Dalma, and I have no idea who he is. But I intend to find out because now I can say that I've seen a famous person. I think. We had dinner at this really nice restaurant. It wasn't expensive or uppity or anything like that. It was just really good. We each had a glass of white wine and cheered ourselves as we waited for our last true meal in Madrid. I'm so glad that my mom and aunt could come and experience this new world with me. I cannot wait to return. And I will.