No Metro today either, so we took the bus to the bull ring.
We just barely made the last tour because the bus ride took so long. It was an interesting tour, and bull fights are very gruesome. If you stand in the middle of the stadium you get an amazing echo just by clapping. We learned that a bull fight is 20 minutes and the bull fighter has to impress the audience. At the end the people who liked the show wave their white handkerchiefs to show the president of the bull fighting society their approval. He then decides whether the bull fighter gets to cut off one bull ear, two bull ears, or two bull ears and the tail. It is so uncommon to get all three that it has only been done once. A bull can be saved if it is a particularly ferocious bull, and the bull fighter asks for it to be saved, and if the president agrees it is let loose on the country side.
After we got back we went on a route that Mom’s book said was for shopping, it turned out to be very few shops and all alleys.
We returned to the main streets to do some actual shopping and managed to get a thing or two, and Mom said we would spend tomorrow shopping.
Tomorrow is our last day in Madrid!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Madrid - Day 5
The Metro was not working today because of a strike, so we had to walk everywhere.
We decided to go on a walk that was in Mom’s book about Madrid. We went in Lope de Vega’s house, and had an interesting tour. We learned about how people used to live in Spain… well at least how rich people lived. His house had a mini chapel, an extra room for guests, a kitchen, a dining room, a room for women, and three bedrooms for him and his family. His room had a window in it so he could look though the window into the mini chapel to pray at night.
We also saw a church on our walk. The church has a statue in it with an interesting story. The church was stolen by an African tribe, and they wanted is weight in gold. Amazingly when weighed its weight was equal to that of one coin. The church was built to protect the statue.
After we finished the walk we tried to find a shop that had the coolest clock ever. We had found it yesterday and we were trying to go back but Mom forgot the card with the street name on it.
Since we couldn’t find the store with the clock we just we to look at other shops. One of the shops had a whole bunch of swords and armor; they even had the sword form Lord of the Rings. Upstairs was like a museum they had so many different swords and weapons, and there was a guy telling people about them. The store also had jewelry, and in the jewelry section they had the ring from Lord of the Rings. It was on a chain, and it had the words on it that appear when you throw it in the fire, they also had a few other things from Lord of the Rings.
Tonight there is a soccer game and Spain is playing Portugal. It’s going to be crazy, already we have seen people waving flags and yelling out their car windows, the game starts in 45 minutes.
Last night there was a very, very loud thunderstorm. It made all other thunderstorms sound like kittens. Judging from the clouds as I look out the window we could have another tonight.
We decided to go on a walk that was in Mom’s book about Madrid. We went in Lope de Vega’s house, and had an interesting tour. We learned about how people used to live in Spain… well at least how rich people lived. His house had a mini chapel, an extra room for guests, a kitchen, a dining room, a room for women, and three bedrooms for him and his family. His room had a window in it so he could look though the window into the mini chapel to pray at night.
We also saw a church on our walk. The church has a statue in it with an interesting story. The church was stolen by an African tribe, and they wanted is weight in gold. Amazingly when weighed its weight was equal to that of one coin. The church was built to protect the statue.
After we finished the walk we tried to find a shop that had the coolest clock ever. We had found it yesterday and we were trying to go back but Mom forgot the card with the street name on it.
Since we couldn’t find the store with the clock we just we to look at other shops. One of the shops had a whole bunch of swords and armor; they even had the sword form Lord of the Rings. Upstairs was like a museum they had so many different swords and weapons, and there was a guy telling people about them. The store also had jewelry, and in the jewelry section they had the ring from Lord of the Rings. It was on a chain, and it had the words on it that appear when you throw it in the fire, they also had a few other things from Lord of the Rings.
Tonight there is a soccer game and Spain is playing Portugal. It’s going to be crazy, already we have seen people waving flags and yelling out their car windows, the game starts in 45 minutes.
Last night there was a very, very loud thunderstorm. It made all other thunderstorms sound like kittens. Judging from the clouds as I look out the window we could have another tonight.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Madrid - Day 4
The first thing we did today was find the statue that is on the crest of Madrid, it is a bear standing to reach a Madroño tree.
Then we went on to look at a bull ring, but it was closed. We missed the tours by about half an hour.
Third we went to a enormous park, we played for a long time, and then we went to look at other things in the park.
First we saw a pond, we fed the carp and they gathered by the million, we fed them half a ham and cheese sandwich ham and all. The little birds came and look pieces of cheese right out of our hands.
After we ran out of sandwich we went to see a building made out of brick, it had hand painted tiles, and it was a modern art museum.
My favorite exhibit was the one with the rice. They had rice assembled in flags of different countries in cases, and they left it to rot. It was puffed up with fluffy mold, and there was orange and black stuff on it. I could only recognise two out of the ten: USA and Brittan.
Across from the small museum was a crystal palace, it was being cleaned, and the inside was under maintenance.
There was a cool waterfall near the crystal palace and you could walk in a cave underneath it, Lukas wanted to climb over it and almost climbed into some poison ivy, so we decided to go on the path.
We ate dinner at a Greek restaurant and it was really good. We had so much leftovers that we will be eating them for breakfast. I have no objection to that, they have great food.
Then we went on to look at a bull ring, but it was closed. We missed the tours by about half an hour.
Third we went to a enormous park, we played for a long time, and then we went to look at other things in the park.
First we saw a pond, we fed the carp and they gathered by the million, we fed them half a ham and cheese sandwich ham and all. The little birds came and look pieces of cheese right out of our hands.
After we ran out of sandwich we went to see a building made out of brick, it had hand painted tiles, and it was a modern art museum.
My favorite exhibit was the one with the rice. They had rice assembled in flags of different countries in cases, and they left it to rot. It was puffed up with fluffy mold, and there was orange and black stuff on it. I could only recognise two out of the ten: USA and Brittan.
Across from the small museum was a crystal palace, it was being cleaned, and the inside was under maintenance.
There was a cool waterfall near the crystal palace and you could walk in a cave underneath it, Lukas wanted to climb over it and almost climbed into some poison ivy, so we decided to go on the path.
We ate dinner at a Greek restaurant and it was really good. We had so much leftovers that we will be eating them for breakfast. I have no objection to that, they have great food.
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Madrid - Day 3
Today we saw a very large art museum, it had four floors of art. The Greek god statues were my favorite to see.
After lunch we saw an enormous archway, it used to be the gateway into Madrid (it isn't now).
It had the name of the king when it was built, and 1778 in roman numerals on the front. There were numerous statures on top, and it was surrounded by a large garden of pink flowers. It took four whole years to build.
After lunch we saw an enormous archway, it used to be the gateway into Madrid (it isn't now).
It had the name of the king when it was built, and 1778 in roman numerals on the front. There were numerous statures on top, and it was surrounded by a large garden of pink flowers. It took four whole years to build.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Madrid - Day 2
We did a lot of walking, we walked through this huge park, and went on a gondola.
Then we went to a huge palace, like more than three thousand rooms huge, and we saw the old pharmacy, and the armory. The armory was my favorite part.
There was an old church across from the huge palace, and we went in and heard a lady pray the rosary in Spanish.
We went to a plaza with lots of vendors, there was a guy blowing bubbles bigger than a human being, and another guy played glasses with just his hands and some water.
The coolest thing was the middle of Spain, there was a plaque on the ground and we stood on it, it's called kilometer zero.
Tomorrow we might go shopping or go see a museum, I will tell you exactly what we did tomorrow.
Then we went to a huge palace, like more than three thousand rooms huge, and we saw the old pharmacy, and the armory. The armory was my favorite part.
There was an old church across from the huge palace, and we went in and heard a lady pray the rosary in Spanish.
We went to a plaza with lots of vendors, there was a guy blowing bubbles bigger than a human being, and another guy played glasses with just his hands and some water.
The coolest thing was the middle of Spain, there was a plaque on the ground and we stood on it, it's called kilometer zero.
Tomorrow we might go shopping or go see a museum, I will tell you exactly what we did tomorrow.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Madrid - Day 1
Today was our first day in Madrid! We got here at noon (our plane was delayed because of air traffic)
It was fun, except that I only got two hours of sleep on the entire flight (I spent the whole day trying not to fall asleep).
In Spain they really like soccer because when Spain scored we could here just about the entire city screaming and cheering.
I am looking froward to everything except sharing a very small bed with Alia for a whole week. There are lots of museums, parks, and churches.
Guess what? It rained today for about ten minutes.
I have to go eat but I will write more tomorrow after I make up for all that lost sleep.
It was fun, except that I only got two hours of sleep on the entire flight (I spent the whole day trying not to fall asleep).
In Spain they really like soccer because when Spain scored we could here just about the entire city screaming and cheering.
I am looking froward to everything except sharing a very small bed with Alia for a whole week. There are lots of museums, parks, and churches.
Guess what? It rained today for about ten minutes.
I have to go eat but I will write more tomorrow after I make up for all that lost sleep.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)