Madrid!

Yesterday was our second day in Spain and we're off to a busy start! We woke up after much needed rest from our jet lag. The seven hour time difference has gotten a lot easier already. We ate breakfast at the hotel,  then met for our small group meeting. Next we traveled to the metro for our first experience with public transportation in Madrid. We went to the Reina Sofia which is a museum that holds modern art as well as pieces from Salvador Dali and Pablo Picasso. We were able to roam around and look at different exhibits but a favorite of everyone's was the Guernica by Picasso. Next we headed back to the metro were we had to navigate ourselves back home which was difficult since all the lines look the same. Once we returned back to the stop where our hotel is we were given free time to find somewhere to eat lunch. This was a fun time to feel independent in a new city and a good time to practice Spanish with the waiters.

-Sophia Grande

In the afternoon, we up at Plaza del Sol at the statue of the tree and the bear which is very significant to Madrid. This spot marked our first stop for our guided walking tour of Madrid. Our fabulous guide, Andrés, took the group to various plazas and landmarks such as the oldest restaurant in the world “Sobrino de Botin” (functioning restaurant since 1725) and the Palacio Real. We ended our second day in Madrid with the “cabalgata” which is the celebration for the three kings followed by dinner.
-Emma Matthews

Today was so much fun! After returning from a day at the museums it was just about time for lunch and quite a few of us were feelings hungry. I decided to do a little research and found a Italian restaurant not too far. Me, Natalie, Emma, Leah, and Logan walked through the rain after a stop at the bank and eventually found out destination. We sat down inside there restaurant not expecting too much and left pleasantly surprised. We all agreed hands down best pizza ever and most definitely will be back! We bundled back up and headed out into the cold to trek back to the hotel to meet our group to head to tapas. We met Caroline Hoffman, HH class of 2013,  and ate some delicious tapas with each other until we were full and all wanted some dessert. After a short walk we arrived at La Chocolatería San Gines for churros!!!! We piled in excitedly and very quickly devoured several plates of fresh churros with warm chocolate dip. We headed back to the hotel to take a break because we still had a surprise coming soon. At 9:15 we met back up and were surprised with an amazing flamenco performance! It was amazing and unforgettable and after a long day headed back to hit the hay. Spain has been amazing!
-Eleanor Brown