Journal Entry:
Today we had to wake up very early in order to check out of our hotel and catch our train to Madrid. It was a two hour ride on the train, and we ended up getting there at about 10 in the morning. We picked up our rental car then headed to the new hotel we would be staying at, Hotel Acta Madfor.
We ran Dunkin' Donuts in Madrid for a quick breakfast. It took us about 20 minutes to drive from Dunkin' Donuts to the Zoo Aquarium de Madrid.
Zoo Aquarium (Natural, Cultural)
This is a combination of a zoo and an aquarium, and hosts lots of cool animals such as pandas, lemurs, zebras, gorillas, eagles, turtles, and sharks.
Our favorite exhibit was the African Penguins as it was hilarious to watch them eat their food.
The aquarium was relatively small, but we all loved the sharks the most. The aquarium also hosted turtles and a giant grouper. This zoo also supports the Make a Wish foundation and the CBSG (Conservation Breeding Specialist Group). The zoo has exotic animals that you can't find in North Carolina such as mandrills, camels, yaks, and wildebeests. Mason tried to challenge one giraffe to a height competition , but the giraffe ended up winning in the end. Mason just couldn't keep with the giraffe's huge neck. This place was extremely fun and is an exciting tourist attraction. After the zoo, we were hungry for lunch. We decided to go to La Musa Latina, as it has a cheap menu and a good selection of tapas to eat. Tapas are small side dishes to eat with drinks, and can range from a chunk of tuna to a hot chorizo sausage. Tapas are important to Spaniards because they have a verb, "tapear", which literally means to go around to different bars and cafes trying tapas and drinks. This tapas was a lot better than the one we experienced the other day. After lunch, we visited historic Plaza Mayor.
Plaza Mayor (Historical)
This was a square built during Philip III's reign, and now it is a huge plaza surrounded by a 3-story residential building. Some lucky people still get to live in these beautiful buildings. The plaza was built and designed by Juan de Villanueva, and is now mostly occupied by the Casa de la Panadería (Bakery House), which today houses the Madrid Tourist Board and the Madrid Tourism Center. The Casa de la Panadería used to be a bakery for the town, providing bread for the poor, but now only the bottom floor and the cellar remain. Lots of people travel to see this vibrant, main square. This is located only a few blocks away from another famous plaza, Puerta del Sol. After a day of walking around and exploring the plaza, we went and ate dinner at a place called Bar Omaira. They serve Venezuelan food like arepas, empanadas, and cariada, all foods that let us experience the food and culture of Spain. After dinner, we went back to the hotel, and were so tired that we ended up crashing.
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| The view of the outside of our hotel from the front |
Zoo Aquarium (Natural, Cultural)
This is a combination of a zoo and an aquarium, and hosts lots of cool animals such as pandas, lemurs, zebras, gorillas, eagles, turtles, and sharks.
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| The opening sign to the Zoo Aquarium of Madrid |
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| The African Penguins in their habitat at the zoo |
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| The view of Plaza Mayor from where we were standing |
This was a square built during Philip III's reign, and now it is a huge plaza surrounded by a 3-story residential building. Some lucky people still get to live in these beautiful buildings. The plaza was built and designed by Juan de Villanueva, and is now mostly occupied by the Casa de la Panadería (Bakery House), which today houses the Madrid Tourist Board and the Madrid Tourism Center. The Casa de la Panadería used to be a bakery for the town, providing bread for the poor, but now only the bottom floor and the cellar remain. Lots of people travel to see this vibrant, main square. This is located only a few blocks away from another famous plaza, Puerta del Sol. After a day of walking around and exploring the plaza, we went and ate dinner at a place called Bar Omaira. They serve Venezuelan food like arepas, empanadas, and cariada, all foods that let us experience the food and culture of Spain. After dinner, we went back to the hotel, and were so tired that we ended up crashing.
Indigenous Meal: Empanada
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| Beef and Potato Empanada |
Empanadas are a Venezuelan and Latin American food, popular on both sides of the Atlantic. Similar to pastries or hot pockets, it consists of dough being folded over a stuffing like meat, cheese, or other ingredients. What you have left is a dish with dough completely surrounding the stuffing, similar to deep fried foods, but healthier and indigenous to Spain. Their origins trace back to the northwest region of Spain, Galicia.
Average weather in Madrid, Spain:
During the late months of summer and early months of fall the average weather in the city of Madrid is about 22 degrees Celcius, which directly translates to 71.6 degrees fahrenheit.
During the late months of summer and early months of fall the average weather in the city of Madrid is about 22 degrees Celcius, which directly translates to 71.6 degrees fahrenheit.
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