Day Thirty

Well look at that. Looks like today our program is over the hill.

What did I do to celebrate? I went to a magical place in the land of Madrid- The Hard Rock Cafe.

After class today, there was only one thing on my mind. American food. Last night we'd decided we were going to make a journey to a new part of Madrid, and eating would be our first stop. Hard Rock Cafe couldn't have been a better decision! As we walked up to the restaurant there was a clan of long haired and leather clad hard rockers, the toilets flushed normally, and the menu was in English. We felt so... so.... AMERICAN! Do you see that delicious looking veggie burger topped with zucchini, salsa, and other assorted vegetables along with delectable fries and lemon mayo sauce? It was worth every euro. (which was a lot) Mmmm just looking a it is making me want to go back!

When our tummies were full, we had Metallica stuck in our heads, and our wallets were all a bit lighter, we ventured into Madrid to see some of the less touristy sights. I am getting very good at navigating the Metro... and let's just say with all the traveling on it we did today, we are definitely getting our money's worth!

Our first stop was the leaning towers in Madrid. I think they have a special name, but it's escaping me. There are two buildings, one on either side of the road, and, well, they lean towards each other. It's cool, but my memory has been a bit tainted because the security guard wouldn't let us go up inside :/

Next, we hopped back on the Metro and went to see the stadium where Real Madrid plays. We followed some VERY excited 9 year olds up the stairs to see if we could stealthily sneak in for a little bit of a tour, but much to our dismay we didn't blend well, and tickets for a tour were 15 euros. Meh... as much as I wanted to see a little patch of grass, I would also like to eat. Guess the pictures outside will have to suffice?

America has France, Spain has... Egypt. Throughout our stay in Madrid, I've been seeing signs pointing towards El Templo de Debod, and today we finally went there. We didn't get a tour because they were shut down for the day, but what little info I did gather was that this monument was a gift from Egypt to Spain long ago. Guess it's their version of the Statue of Liberty? It was cool, we had a good time taking pictures, and the view behind the monument was incredible!

When 5 hit, it was time to head back to Alcalá because we had fútbol to attend to. Yes, yes here in Spain our only time commitments are with soccer matches. It's great. Our games were fun, but when a couple of drops of rain started falling around us, Natalie and I knew it was time to head home- we'd decided to run, and hadn't brought our bus pass. Well, much to our surprise, those little drops of rain quickly graduated to a steady shower... which quickly graduated to a torrential downpour. Of hail. Yep, we got caught in a Spanish hailstorm and it was cool. I was soaked to the very core, my shoes were so full of water that I didn't even think twice about running right through the small lakes the puddles had become. Oh, and when we finally reached home we realized we'd taken somebody else's key. Great. Fernando came to our rescue though, so all is good in the world.

Darn. We don't look as wet as we really are.

Anywho, another day in paradise has come to an end. Tomorrow we're headed out to Salamanca bright and early to take a little weekend trip! Guess I should pack some clothes now.