"Vale! Vale vale vale!"

Day 20
On Monday, we all begrudgingly went back to class after our amazing free weekend. After class, we all went to the Prado to check another major museum off our list. The Prado was amazing! It was interesting to see what all of the Spanish nobility we've been learning about actually look like. The most interesting paintings were of Carlos III, also know as Carlos el Feo (Charles the Ugly). He was a great king and he did many great things for Spain but his nose looked like it belonged in the Pyrenees. The other interesting painting was Velzquez's Las Meninas. I've seen this painting many times in textbooks and I've even seen Picasso's interpretation of Las Meninas but truly nothing compares to the original. I think I may be turning into a little bit of an art fanatic! After the Prado, I went home to study grammar grammar grammar for my test the next day. I've found it quite a bit harder to find motivation to study while in Spain compared to back in Waco. Hmm I wonder why...!

Day 21
After finishing our grammar test, some of us decided to go celebrate and get lunch at El Tigre, my favorite restaurant in Madrid. El Tigre was showcased on the Travel Channel for its amazing deal: you order any size cider you want then they bring you plate after plate of tapas, including paella, mmm! You get all of this amazing food for 5 €. We all love going there because its the perfect solution for hungry, broke college students. After El Tigre, we got some delicious gelato (I picked cookies and Nutella and it was an excellent choice) and headed on home to take a siesta and prepare for our trip the next day to Segovia!

Day 22
On Wednesday, we left Madrid in the morning to visit a palace and then a castle in Segovia, about an hour and a half north of Madrid. First we went to La Granja, a beautiful palace that was constructed by the Bourbon kings. It is easy to see the difference between the palaces built by the Hapsburg kings and those built by the Bourbons: these French monarchs always choose extravagance and elegance. I noticed that La Granja was very similar to Versailles, right down to the beautiful gardens that took up most of the estate. After La Granja, we drove down to the heart of Segovia to see the Roman aqueduct, the beautiful cathedral and the Alcázar, the castle/fortress. The Alcázar stood in stark contrast to La Granja: cold stone floors and walls, dark shades of tapestries and furniture, an emphasis on protection rather than showing off the wealth of the country. At the Alcázar, we got to see the thrones of Ferdinand and Isabella: they were completely identical, showing the equality of the two monarchs. The more I learn about Ferdinand and Isabella, the more impressed I am. They were definitely very unique, powerful monarchs. After exploring the castle, we climbed up the tower to see the bird's eye view of Segovia. So beautiful, like all of Spain. After we left the castle, I stopped to buy what I thought was a Spanish cupcake. It wasn't! It was a small thing of some kind of cream, sort of like mousse, with sprinkles on top. I was surprised at first but it was delicious so I was glad I got it! Back on the bus and back to Madrid for one last class day before another great weekend trip.

Day 23
On Thursday, we had class again but had the afternoon off! I decided to take a short siesta during my break to catch up on some very needed rest. Then after my nap, I went into the center of Madrid, Sol, to explore with one of my friends and to do some shopping! It was a great afternoon and it was nice to get to see more of Madrid. This next week, since its our last week, I have told myself that I don't need to take any siestas; I'm going to spend all my time soaking up every last bit of Madrid while I can! After shopping, I went home to pack for our weekend trip back up to the northern coast of Spain: Santander!

Carrie