So I have been in Spain for more than a week now, but
it still hasn't hit me that I am here. Maybe it is because I haven't been
speaking Spanish. I should change that, soon!
So I arrived in Madrid
on the 22nd. The hostel I stayed at (Mad Hostel) was okay. The location wasn't
bad, but then again you can walk everywhere in downtown Madrid. It was a bit pricey, but I did book
it late. The rooms were clean and safe, but if you are uncomfortable with
sharing rooms with members of the opposite sex book your room early. The shower
stalls were tiny though, but since they were clean I didn't mind them too much.
During the first few days I just wandered around Madrid. Of course I went to El Prado. It was
cool to see all those famous paintings (esp. Goya's work and Velazquez) but
everything else was the same to me. I preferred the Thyssen-Bornemisza Musuem.
Although it was a bit pricey to get in, the collection is amazing! It has a
little bit of everything, which always keeps me interested. I also went to the Reina Sofia
Museum, it was free on
Saturdays so I figured why not. Picasso's Guernica
is amazing, I didn't enjoy the other stuff. I may have overloaded on too much
art too quickly. I also went to see the Templo de Debod, it was closed, but the
view was great. El Parque del
Buen Retiro is also a must. Although everything was closed (like the Crystal Palace), it was such a beautiful park.
The nightlife in Spain is also amazing. Although it
may be difficult to find a place to sit for large groups in restaurants,
walking down the streets near the bars/clubs gets you lot of attention. We
walked into about 3 clubs and got free shots in each of them. Although the
music was something to get used to, I suggest talking to the Bartenders to get
a better grasp of what to do in Spain.
My first impression of Alcalá was “eh.” I was expecting a
much older looking city, but I guess I was just looking at the wrong things. Walking
around Plaza Cervantes and near the University was amazing. The history is very
interesting too. We arrived during the Feria so there were so much things to do
and most of it was FREE! It has been fun during the Feria, but I am still
waiting for everyone else to return from vacation. That should be interesting. Anyway,
I will post more later with pictures.
