While staying in town this weekend, my friends and I went to most of our usual sights: El Parque de Retiro, El Rastro, El Palacio Real, a tapas bar. We'd already been to each place, but we did some different things and actually got to enjoy them, no rush, with a larger group of people. For Retiro, its pretty much like Madrid's version of Central Park. Its gigantic and has art exhibits and playgrounds and grass to hang out on and a mini pond to paddleboat in. Its really fun, I just can't wait for everything to be in bloom! But this weekend, a dozen of us went there and played games and hung out. One of the people that I met there, Phillip, he is a camp counselor, so he had plenty of games up his sleeve for us to fill our time with. He spoke like the truest American, knowing slang and having a great East coast accent, but insisted that he was from Austria and does in fact still live there! Anna and I didn't believe him for the longest time, and if you heard this "Austrian" speak you'd understand why, but turns out he's been going to the states for over 10 years to attend this camp, and the last 4 he's been a counselor there. So I guess learning the language intensely for 8 weeks a year for 10 years might add up and give you no accent. Very weird and very cool though!
I was also introduced to a new tapas bar. I'm sure I have mentioned the famous "El Tigre" to you all. It's supposedly the best tapas bar in Madrid. Well I went there a few weeks back and didn't have a good experience, so I'm not that interested in going back there. But this tapas bar is actually right next door, and is the exact same thing, just with better drinks! So how it works, for those of you like me that had never had tapas before, is that the bar has no tables, but instead is lined with a shelf for you to rest your drinks/tapas on. This place actually has stools for people to sit on as well (when its not packed) which is greatly appreciated by the end of the night. The beauty is, when you order a drink, you get a FREE plate of tapas! So if I get a small beer for 1.60 euros, I also get a plate of paella, or sausage and french fries, or fried mushrooms, or tortilla de españa, or whatever it is they serve you. Oh yes, that's right, you don't pick your tapas, they chose it for you. So you always get a random selection and something different! Its pretty cool and forces you to try new things.
Also, on the first Wednesday of each month, Palacio Real has a changing of the guard ceremony at noon. Since the following Wednesday was just that, we of course had to go. I had probably too high of hopes. I thought there would be a mini parade and music would be played and they would switch formations and move around. This is how it went down:
1) 29 men and 1 woman (yay) walked out in uniform with their fake guns and stood in formation (3x10). So far, so good.
2) 20 men on horses pranced out to join the formation behind the 30 people before hand. First problem arose: one of the horses is seriously foaming at the mouth. Very impressive lol.
3) They stood in formation while 2 of the horses took a dump.
4) The remained in formation. No music, no talking - unless you count the mumbling going on amongst the "guard" to one another. Very professional.
5) The still stood there! They stood there for 20 minutes doing absolutely nothing.
6) One of the men played a short note on his trumpet, everyone lifted up their weapons and turned 90 degrees to their right.
7) They stood like this for another 5 minutes.
At this point my friends and I are wondering if this is all it is. Every 20 minutes they turn! And to think there are at least 200 tourists watching this crap.
8) Finally something happens. 2 horses prance by in the back. Then 2 black Clydesdales prance by pulling a wagon.
9) Another guard in a different uniform comes out of the palace, playing a tune. And the entire guard leaves.
Yup, that as it. So, all in all, I highly recommend not going to one of these things unless its in London. Every tourist there that has actually been to London said the same thing. I'm assuming this is kinda like the Igleja de Santa Maria vs. Notre Dame experience.
Even though the changing of the guard was a bust, it was free and really I didn't have anything else I needed to do with my time, perfectly fine with me to see that so I can tell all you fine people about it. Besides, the rest of my weekend was perfect, and filled with parks and shopping down the main street Gran Via and at El Rastro. What more could this American girl want?
Well next weekend I'm off to Rome and Venice!!! I know I've already been to these places to visit my brother Brian when he was studying abroad, but that was 4 years ago and he was the most informative tour guide I've ever had, so I was a little overloaded with information. Going back again will be perfect! Hasta luego.
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