After arriving tired in the hotel, we were rather on and decided to go out (might not be a good idea cos it's really hot and bao stayed up all night packing). This is Puerta del Sol, the centre of Madrid. The bear and the strawberry tree (I thought strawberries don't grow on trees?) is the symbol of Madrid. They hung colourful cloth above the walking street. Very beautiful and it shades us from the scorching sun, it's 35C, feels like a very very hot Bugis.
LOVE structure, in a park, don't think the park has a name, it's just the middle of 2 1-way streets
More of these in the park.
Prado museum. The art museum in Madrid. Don't remember who painted this and title of the piece, but it looks really real, almost 3D. One of my favourites in this museum. The museum doesn't have English explanations, so we were relying on Lonely planet and eavesdropping on other tours. I really need the explanations, I can't tell what they're drawing even though I know the story of what they drew if you tell me who the characters are. Got to know Velaquez and Goya.
The Prado museum
Retiro park, where tired tourists who stayed up packing retire to sleep
Broccoli-looking trees
Monumento a Alfonso. Man-made lake with lots of people rowing in it. We were too hot to do anything.
Not too hot to drink this sweet drink that's famous in Spain in the summer. Horchata, made from tigernuts, whatever they are. Everybody's drinking it.
Strawberry slushie and orange? slushie
FF-ing. We attract stares everywhere we go, just for being Asians. And of course, for being a bunch of university age good friends who tease each other, make quite a bit of noise and do strange things.
Guitar practice in the park =)
Crystal Palace and us, taken by an honest-looking guy who doesn't look like he will run off with my lousy camera. But we didn't really check if he can take pictures properly, cos we concluded at the end that all caucasians cannot take proper photos, either cut things off or take too much of something else. This picture is quite nice though.
It's called a crystal palace for this reason, must be spectacular when the sun's higher, but we were sleeping on a bench then..
Wonder what it feels like to be in the palace itself. Currently it's empty.
1 of the many couples in the park. Really a lot a lot of couples, straight and otherwise in every corner in the park, PDA-ing, talking, whatever.. The sun sets late, at 9.30 -10pm like that, so they can watch sunset or sth..
The fallen angel.
A nice monument
Madrid at night. This is Gran Via, the main street in Madrid. It's 10+ but the place is very bright and happening. Shops are closed but all restaurants are open cos Spaniards eat at strange times. Dinner is from 9pm-12, lunch is from 1-4pm. These people are doing some crystal ball thingy. Weirdos.
Nice arch outside park.
Our hotel room. Nice hotel, didn't really care that there were 5 of us in a quad room, and provided free hot and cold water to drink.
This is the toilet door in our room. Such a dumb design, leave a hole in the door to see who's on the toilet bowl, especially when this is a quad room, not a double.. We stuck paper on that transparent part of door.
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