Which Way Is Straight?

Today marks my first day in Spain! I left yesterday for Madrid, and everyone keeps asking me how my flight went. I do not like to dwell on negativity, BUT it was awful. I got zero sleep and it lasted forever (a little over 9 hours). They served us breakfast, and when I opened up my carton, my heart sunk. It had yogurt, granola, dried fruit, and the top part of a muffin. Where were the eggs? Sausage?? Hash browns??? Not there, let me tell you. The girl sitting next to me asked how my muffin was, and I said, "It tastes free, so I'll keep eating it." if that gives some insight into my true feelings.

After I got off the plane, I had to go up and down what felt like way too many escalators to go claim my baggage, but it was easy enough. My little group of early arrivers fumbled our way through taxi service and were off! Madrid is unlike anything I have seen in the United States, but if I had to compare it to one place, I would say Boston. It has similar large cemeteries, old buildings, a subway/train system, plazas, and large parks. The few major differences are that these building are all Spanish style, and there is spray paint almost everywhere. The city could be so beautiful and clean looking, but I find the graffiti to be a major eye sore. 

We checked into our hotel, and I cannot describe how bad I wanted to shower, brush my teeth, and nap. Food was calling my group though, so we ventured around our hotel to grab a bite. We finally settled on a restaurant close to a grocery store, so we could get shampoo/conditioner/etc. after lunch. Not only was the waitress completely rude, we had no idea what the food was. We understood the descriptions well enough, but I guess I didn't realize how important rare seafood and ham was to Spaniards. We settled with this thinly sliced ham from pig legs that they do this cooking process to (I'm not sure what it is, but it's everywhere) that is kind of like bacon, cheese for the ham, and fried calamari. 

After showers and recharging, we decided we wanted to explore Plaza Mayor in Madrid around 3 o' clock. We asked the receptionist for directions to the train station, and she said, "Leave the building then walk straight, and it's your second right." Well, we walked straight for maybe 30 yards when the road forked. We could not for the life of us decide which way "straight" was supposed to be, so we gave up and called a taxi. I think that situation perfectly describes transportation in Madrid. NONE of the roads make sense. Stop lights don't make sense. Turns don't. The roads don't. It's all a crazy giant mess that I am working on figuring out. 

Plaza Mayor is one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen on this Earth. The cathedrals, statues, buildings, art, and architecture are presented in such a delicate and detailed way. I found myself lost in the buildings and even the little parks where the trees towed over the statues and the bushes wound themselves into mazes. I couldn't help but love every inch of this quaint part of such a huge, bustling city. The restaurants did not fail to impress either. I had black rice which is a squid ink flavored rice with green beans, peas, and squid. I also had Spanish style sausage at a tapa bar we stopped by. For those who don't know what a tapa bar is, it's a little bar you go into, and they serve small portions of regular food. Tapa is more of a way of eating rather than a type of food. You're supposed to go from place to place and try a little bit of all of the food. It almost didn't matter where we went to though because all the food had the same Spanish flare. After we were a *little* tired of seeing similar menus, we gave up and got McDonalds (or Taco Bell for the people who wanted that instead) to finish up the night. 

It's barely 9 p.m. here now as I finish typing, but I am so exhausted. The lack of sleep from the flight coupled with the fact that I woke up at 4 a.m. Monday morning has worn on me all day. For now, I need some sleep. 

xoxo, 

Caroline