Madrid Part Dos

I woke up late, and with a nosebleed this morning. I had plans to wake up early to make the free breakfast provided by the hostel, but it was already over. And the nosebleed was just the icing on the cake.

Despite the disappointing morning, today was incredible.

I have many pictures to share, but the internet connection at this hostel is too slow to upload pictures. So I'll have to share pictures at a future date. But here is a short summary of my day.

When in Madrid...

- Eat churros con chocolate for breakfast. Dip the freshly fried churro into creamy, and not too sweet, hot chocolate and enjoy.

- Take a leisurely, mid morning stroll to Plaza de Espana, and follow the crowd to the Palacio Real.

- Eat a large lunch consisting of cerveza (beer), tortilla de patatas (a Spanish version of an "omelette" of eggs, onions and potato), BBQ beef filet, and cafe con leche (coffee with milk) for dessert.

- Get a personal tour of the city, both on foot and by car, with two friendly Spaniards.

- Take a brief break at a cafe for some refreshing beverages (its super hot in Madrid right now).

- Drive over to Alcala, a charming city just east of Madrid, to partake in Day 1 of their annual, week-long ferias y fiestas (fairs and parties). Start the party off right with fireworks.

- Step into one of Alcala's most famous tapas bars for a drink (wine+soda = a popular summer beverage) and bocadillo de calamares (fried squid-ring sandwich).

- Visit the huge fair, and eat at one of the various outdoor restaurants. I had a taste of the food in Asturias, which consisted of a chorizo sandwich, some sort of tuna sandwich and traditional cider.

- Come back to the hostel tired, but full and happy.

Lesson of the day: Madrilenos know how to have a good time :)