(Monday) We arrived in Madrid, Spain and went straight to the hotel to meet my brother who was arriving via train. Once we were reunited we asked the woman at the front desk for restaurant suggestions but she was not very helpful. Therefore, we went searching for something that sounded familiar. We ended up eating at a Kentucky Fried Chicken and then went back to the hotel to sleep.

(Tuesday)We got an early start and went to the Museum of Tapestry where they restore and refurbish old tapestries and carpets from the 18th and 19th Centuries. They also create new pieces of replicate famous works. We were able to watch them work and it was very interesting. The carpet they were working on was being made for a large hotel in Paris. Next we went to the Prado Museum where we were able to see paintings by Sorolla, Murillo, Goya, Velazquez, and Zurbaran. It was very interesting to see these paintings because I had learned about these painters and their works in my high school Spanish class. That afternoon we went to a Hard Rock Café so that my brother could increase his pin collection and ended up eating there. The food was American and they provided you with free refills in air conditioning (both were somewhat rare). After that we walked around the Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, and a department store called el Corte Ingles. Before returning to the hotel we stopped at an authentic Spanish bar/restaurant and shared a pitcher of sangria with tapas.

(Wednesday) We went to the Sorolla Museum and were able to take photos of the paintings which was remarkable. After that we walked to the area that my mom had studied and hung out in when she studied in Madrid her junior year of college. While walking we stopped at a little restaurant to have paella. It was very good. Then we went to the Palacio Real and toured a portion of the 2800 rooms. Unfortunately, we were not permitted to take photos My favorite room was one made completely of porcelain. We then made our way to the Plaza Mayor for our free tour of the city. It began at 4pm and our tour guide suggested we buy water before it began. He sent us to the Museo de Jamon where we were able to get 1.5 liters of water for just 1 euro each. We bought three. It is rare to find anything that cheap here! They also sold ham or cheese sandwiches, wine, beer, water or pop; all for just 1 euro! On the tour we saw all the main attractions of Madrid in addition to the best kept secrets. Ironically many of the lesser known places on the tour we had stumbled upon accidently on our many walks of the city. For instance, there was a chocolataria that was down a little alley that had the best chocolate and churros in town, so naturally we went there at night to try them!

(Thursday) Instead of roaming the city for the third day in a row, we decided to go to Segovia. It was a 90 minute bus ride from Madrid. We were able to see the aqueduct and castle that the town is famous for. It was refreshing to see a new portion of Spain. After spending a few hours walking around the city we decided to return to Madrid to siesta and then experience the nightlife. Around 7:30pm we ventured to Sol to eat dinner and walk around the city at night. It was a unique experience because when we stepped off the metro around 10:00pm we started walking down the street and there were hookers left and right with the shortest dresses I have ever seen. We decided to take a different route to the Plaza Mayor. We went one block down and there were families eating and playing with their young children. It's amazing the difference one block can make! We arrived at the Plaza Mayor and it was beautiful with lights sparkling.

(Friday) We decided to be true tourists and go to every souvenir shop we could find, looking for treasures to commemorate our trip. Upon my request we went to Bernabeu Stadium to take pictures. Then we ate calamari and returned to the hotel to retrieve our belongings and make our way back to the airport. We decided to eat something at the airport which was the worst decision we have made thus far on the trip. The food was terrible, and to make matters worse our flight was over 2 hours delayed. We arrived around 11pm and then returned to Frankfurt.

(Saturday) Today, I was able to sleep in until 10:30am while my aunt, uncle, and mom went to the airport once again to pick up my dad. Everyone seems very tired still and I think we are just going to relax and rest for the day.