Hola Madrid!

Alright, more adventures!! This time to Madrid, Spain. On Friday the 26th I worked from about 6-1130 and then did a couple quick errands before heading back to my room to finish packing and changing clothes, then it was the 3pm train to Munchen and then the bahn to the airport. It turns out because of the air traffic controllers strike in France that our plan had been delayed getting to Munich because they couldn't fly through French air space. So the 5 of us girls(Lisa, Marissa, Melissa, Elizabeth, and myself) enjoyed some dinner and window shopping, well and we actually purchased some chocolate while waiting for our plane. We boarded around 9:15 for our 7 something pm flight. Now, I'd never flown on Iberia Airlines, let alone heard of them before this trip. They have the least amount of leg room I've ever seen even on a little 4 seater plane! So not only was I tired from having been up at 5 am and at work for the morning, but I had to sit straight up with my knees literally molded into the woman's seat back in front of me. Then to add to it the flight was completely full and the air wasn't on so I was sweating and crammed into my seat. I managed to sleep for about 20 minutes I think. We landed around midnight I think and then had to wait about an hour for our bags to come up on the carousel. So at about 1:15am(now Saturday morning) I got to see my dad and Terry and Marissa got to see her high school friend Nick who lives in Madrid. So since the subway stops running at 1:30am we had to take a cab to our hostal and I was in bed by about 2 am.
Ok, so the rest of Saturday... I got up and unpacked, showered and felt like a real person again, had a little breakfast and was ready to go by about noon. Dad brought me a hot chocolate(thanks so much!) to my room and I reviewed my Spanish phrase book while he and Terry finished getting ready. We walked through Plaza Mayor to Mercado San Miguel and met several former Pueblo Ingles and Vaughntown Spaniard participants that my dad knew. We had tapas and wine and spoke English for several hours before heading to a mojito bar for more drinks. I then got a call from the girls and Nick and met them and brought them to the bar and I then went to meet Justin at the hotel as he had just arrived from the airport. We had a siesta and then had dinner reservations for 10pm and then a flamenco show at midnight at Casa Patas which was literally just around the corner from our hostal. The food was yummy(and wine as well) and the show was great. We had a table that was touching the stage so we were right in the action.
Sunday we got a walking tour from Tour Guide Tom Ware of several plazas and sights and then went to the Prado Museum during their free admission time that evening. Terry and Dad were thoroughly engrossed in the paintings and both purchased books about the paintings housed at the museum.
Monday Terry, Justin and I got tickets for the hop on hop off tour bus around the city and saw lots of sights, walked in Ritero Park, then met dad and Inma, a Spaniard that was in the Pueblo Ingles week that Terry and Dad had just finished on Friday. She took us to a little place and we shared about 6 dishes and several bottles of wine. Justin and I then made our way to the Real Madrid Football(Soccer) stadium for a self guided tour, then the metro back to our hostal. Then the four of us went to a cafeteria a block away from our hostal for an early dinner. We then happened to see the girls outside on the sidewalk and Justin joined them for a movie in english at a theater just next to our hostal and the cafe. Terry, Dad and I enjoyed some ice cream and talked about life and met an American couple visiting their daughter who was studying nursing in Madrid. We then went back and I packed up my stuff and headed to bed.
Tuesday we checked out and went to the Real(Royal) Palace for a self guided tour and then some lunch, a stop to purchase a paella pan, before picking up our bags and taking the metro to the airport for our flights home. I got a manicure at the airport spa before some dinner and then met the girls at our gate for our flight back to Germany. I got an exit row seat this time and none of us checked our bags so the flight was a little better and we were able to catch the bahn to the main train station, grabbed a snack, and then caught the train to Garmisch, arriving at 1 am to snow falling. Then it was up at 5 am to work 6-2:30. Ahh the life of a jet setter! :-)
I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see my dad and Terry as well as exploring Madrid. It was a great break from the grind. Thanks again Terry and Dad for everything.
Pictures on Facebook...
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2090174&id=44801562&l=604cb5e02e