It was my last day in Madrid. I had one more spot on my list of spots to see. Plaza de Colón. So I went on the Metro to the nearest stop. I exited and realized I had been here. Oops. Remember those days of wandering till I was lost? Well they were more successful than I expected! I decided to go into the Biblioteca Nacional, or National Library. If we are being honest, and we always are, I knew I'd have plenty of time and thought I might as well see one new thing in the day. The outside of the building was pretty, so I thought why not! I went it and was promptly told I was not allowed to explore. Well then. She told me downstairs was a museum with a permanent exhibition. So off I went.
The exhibition was about how paper, books, and technology have advanced through time. It started with looks at how paper was made in BC times, led to books, to telegrams, and eventually to the Internet. It was all in Spanish.
Here's the thing. I can read Spanish much better than I can listen to or speak Spanish. So I understood not all, but most of the signs and such. And it was boring. There was no interaction or even interesting parts that really captured my attention. So I felt pretty good about breezing through it from about halfway through. So if you're in Madrid, feel okay about yourself for just taking pictures of the outside of this building.
Now, what was cool about this museum was the end. It's an exhibit for kids. ... Maybe this speaks volumes about me. Anyway, it was an exhibit about Hansel and Gretel. They had collected different versions of the story, from extremely old copies to very new. They had them on display. Then around the walls they had different parts of the story. For example, "Hansel and Gretel lived with their father and stepmother. They lived in a forest and were quite poor." (That was off memory of a translated version. It obviously was much more poetic.) And in the center of this room were tables with paper and crayons. So kids would come, color their favorite section of the story, or for some kids they would color pictures from other stories like Rapunzel. These were my favorite. Once they were done, they would hang their picture on the wall in the appropriate order, or wherever they wanted. I thought that was great. The exhibit even included the witch's house of sweets!
Afterwards, I went back on the streets of Madrid. I sat in the main square of Colón for a bit watching a fountain. The fountain changes shapes and even says words. Needless to say, I'm easily entertained.
(See those red dots against the wall? Those are people. That tells you how big this flag is!)
There is a building next to the fountain that looked neat, with a sign saying Madrid Culture and Art. I thought I'd see what it was! I walked in realized it was offices or stores like barbers and such. Well. Not quite what I was going for, so I went right on back out. I guess it was a day of me stepping into buildings only to step right back out. Win some and you lose some.
I finally decided, since it was my last day in Madrid, to go to some of my favorite spots. I walked all over. But eventually I found myself back at Puerta de Sol. It's just the never ending throbbing heart of Madrid, and I love that. Right before I got there, on a side street, a group of people all wearing jerseys were chanting something. I realized everywhere I looked people had jerseys on. Must be a football match today, I realized. I took a video of the group chanting. One member noticed me, ran over and said I could only video them if I would pay with a kiss. I declined the offer and chose to turn my phone off instead. Ah, pre-gaming in the sun. How it catches up with you.
When I did get to Puerta de Sol, everywhere I looked were jerseys. They would randomly sing songs or something. It was highly entertaining. So I decided to get some ice cream and enjoy the show. I sat next to two fans who tried convincing me football is the best thing ever. Due to the fact they spoke German and were fairly intoxicated already, it was a very one sided conversation. But the sun engulfed me, the football fans entertained me, and the ice cream cooled me. So I sat in the square for almost two hours. When the sunburn was setting it, I set off towards home.
My last night with the fam was incredible. We had dinner and talked in English and Spanish the whole time. It was great fun. Then we watched the football game. Hugo would explain things to me as we went.
I must say, for my American female readers, I think we've been watching the wrong football. These guys are incredibly in shape and not wearing any pads or anything. I'm gonna say I got hooked on soccer!
No, but in all seriousness, I really did enjoy it. I didn't think I would, but it's very fun to watch. I can't imagine how much fun it would be to actually be in the stadium. Maybe someday. That would be incredible.
This morning, I got up in time to say goodbye to Sonia and the kids. Diego had to leave early so I said goodbye last night. Iciar looked so sad I thought legitimate tears were going to come down her cheeks. I'm going to miss them so much! I'm so fortunate I was able to spend time with such a kind, generous, loving family. I hope I'll be able to spend more time with them in the future.
As for now, I am sitting on a bus! A bus towards Teruel and home. It's a mere 5 hours from Madrid to Teruel. So I sit back and enjoy the small towns and scenery. And as always, we keep moving on.
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