Madrid, Spain--Day 2

Sunday 3.18.12

We started the day off at the market in Madrid. Their market stands as the largest market in Europe and they are not kidding. There were tons and tons of people everywhere. Prime time opportunity to get pick pocketed. You could not even browse around because you were not able to let your guard down around so many people. We then went back to the Reina Sofia to see the modern art and architecture of the building. There were glass elevator shafts and a rooftop terrace that was really unique and interesting. It was nice to see some modern architecture for some contrast. We went back to the 24 hour taco place for lunch. An interesting ingredient to their tacos is a mixture of pineapple and onion that they pour on top. It is tastier than you would imagine. After lunch, we went to the Royal Botanical Garden. It was beautiful and I took far too many pictures. The visit concluded with a greenhouse of tropical plants.  Overall, the garden had a lot of interesting connecting pathways and would be even better when in full bloom.  Following the garden tour, we went to the Prada Museum which was enormous. There were multiple levels with many rooms of art. It was slightly overwhelming and we went during the free time of day so large amounts of people were walking through as well.  I did see the painting “Las Meninas” During my years of learning Spanish, we talked about the meaning of this painting a lot. It was really neat to stumble upon that and see in real life. Later that night, we went to a glass marketplace where vendors and restaurants sell products. It was closing but we were able to walk around and experience it.

playing a song with glasses

trapped with all of the people at the market

Reina Sofia