Madrid- we did not know what to expect from madrid "the capital of spain". We stayed at mad hostel on the corner of de la cabeza and calle del olivar in a 6 bed dorm ! How about those for street names haha no wonder I kept losing my bearings.

Madrid was full of large buildings, fountains, amazing tapas bars, street artists and astonishing museums ! The first night we settled into the accomodation and headed out to a tapas bar le tiger, 6 euro for 1 litre of beer and a plate of tapas... Breads, Hams, tomatoe, Spanish onmlette, mushrooms stuffed with bacon and cheese, chips and round balls full with cheese ! Wow oh wow.. Euro fat here we come :p after 2 liters of beer and 2 plates of tapas, I was definately satisfied !

Later that evening Ryan and I went to a local flamenco show, it was set in a little restaurant with a stage, it felt very traditional and cultural.. 3 old men singing, 3 playing instruments and usually around 2-3 dancers ! The talent on this stage was beyond belief... Especially The guitarist, Tap dancers.

On the 2nd day we went on a walking tour which was handy to get our bearings ! However the lady had minimal Knowledge. We visited some amazing sites, including a huge cathedral and palace. Later that day Ryan and I went to the Sofia museum to see some Picasso and my favourite Antonio rodriguez paintings and sketchings. We wernt that impressed. Haha however we were more than impressed with our dinner to follow ! We went to a place called ginger with 2 girls we had met at a train station 2 weeks prior to Madrid back in la spezia, and 2 guys we met on fanatics ! Wow the people you meet and become friends so quickly when you travel.

Back at the hostel we had 2 fellas we met in our Greek island tour and there 2 chick friends, amanda, tara, rob and cam ! Legends ! We chilled out with them the next day and visited the del prado museum, this had alot of paintings of the renaissance, including Greco. I really enjoyed this museum as lots of the paintings reminded me of things I had seen in at the auction rooms, so I could really appreciate the value and time taken to finish the pieces ! Also the meaning behind some of the paintings was wacky however very interesting. For example saturns painting- depicts a man eating a child ! it is Saturn eating his own son as he feared losing power to his son as he was next in line for the thrown. Another painting showed the different stages of life alongside a painting with a man holding a skull and an hour glass .. This illustrated the passing of time (hour glass) before death (skull) !

Last night we just hit the tapas bar again, went back to the apartment and chilled out to a game of pool ! Undefeated i must admit ... Rather wrapped with my form haha. A funny moment in the night was running locking himself in the toilet somehow and reception had to break in to help him out haha. Off to San Sebastian now however the weather is starting to cool down dramatically ! 30-35 all august and now 25 !