Picture it! Madrid

The symbol of Madrid is the bear and a strawberry tree...I didn't want to tell them, but strawberries don't grow on trees because they were just so into it! They would just have to replace all the statues and toursit crap they sell. I did think that this one was really cute and if they did decide to finally get it right I would happily take this statue off their hands!

I thought Madrid, and Spain in general, was supposed to be really chic and all the woman dress to the enth degree, even if they are just going out to buy cigarettes (this is probably a real situation because it seems that EVERYONE smokes in Spain, including some Pregnant woman... apparently they haven't been listening to all the research over the last 20 years!). That's whyI was SHOCKED to see this new style of hat! This woman was wearing such a nice outfit, all coordinated and stuff and then she plops her map on her head! I just wanted to offer her 5€ to go and get a hat to go with her outfit! I mean, come on!


Driving in Spain was usually fine, especially out of the cities, but I was really happy we didn't still have George when I saw this mental roundabout! Especially when you think that most Spanish drivers run red lights regularly! What happens here is that the people going west get a green light and the east bound gets a red, then when the light changes, they use the SAME LANES! Its crazy! I don't know if I explained it well enough but it just looked like organized chaos to me! Just my kind of driving!

I forget for sure, but I think that this building is the old Post Office building, but the locals laugh about its design because it looks so much like a Cathedral. I really thought it was beautiful though so took a picture. Hope you enjoy!






The picture on the left is the front of the royal Palace and the one on the right is the cathedral. They both look very beautiful and simple on the outside, but once you step inside its a completely different story! Its like bad tast and gaudiness barfed all over the place...of course I loved every minute of it! Below you will see a few different pictures. The first one to the right is the front hall. Its so big and grand that it completely makes you stop and go 'Oh...' I loved it. The picture next to it to the right I took in the Armory and I just loved that the armour was created to cup the soldier's bum and keep it safe! And what a smart way to creat the perfect bottom! Its like the middle ages plastic surgery...only it iron surgery! Ha ha ha! I can be so funny sometimes! The next two were taken in palace rooms. The one on the left from the 'Yellow Room' because everything was trimed in lemon yellow. The one on the right was from the family sitting room. There was no plain spaces anywhere! The floors, the ceiling, and the walls were all covered in patterned marble or fabric or plaster designs! So intense! Finally, the two below that are of the thrown room and the royal pharmacy. Yes, the royal family had their own pharmacy! These are actually the old ceramic containers where they used to keep the variety of different herbs and chemicals to keep everyone healthy. There were even a few glass jars that still contained dried herbs. So amazing!






As soon as we walked out of our hostel and turned the corner this is the sign we saw....non other than our good friend Tio Pepe! How's that for coincidence!