Saturday, March 7, 2009

This morning we had breakfast at our hostel.  We had the option of bread with butter, honey, or jam and frosted flakes.  I had hot chocolate to drink.  The hot chocolate was a little different from what I am used to.  It was slightly bitter.  Sara and I then went on a free walking tour of Madrid.  Volunteers give the tours and if you think they did a good job, you give them a tip at the end of the tour.  I learned a lot about the history and sites of Madrid.  The walking tour was supposed to last three hours, but our tour guide ran a little long and so it ended up being four hours.  We did have a lunch break in the middle of the tour.  We saw numerous sites in Madrid including the Royal Theater and Palace.  The Royal Palace is beautiful and huge.  

We also saw the suicide bridge.  Because of the number of people who jumped off the bridge, the city had to put tall glass barriers along the railings.  Story says that the first attempted suicide failed.  A woman was in love with one man but her parents said she had to marry another.  She was so upset that she decided to jump.  However, this was the time of hoop skirts and very full dresses.  Apparently her skirt acted like a parachute and slowed her enough that she survived but broke both legs.  Her parents though she was either deeply in love or crazy, so they allowed her to marry the man of her choice.  They lived happily ever after and had fifteen children.  No one knows how true this story is but it is interesting.  On the tour we also saw the oldest restaurant in the world, the Plaza Mayor, the Midnight Rose Hotel, and the house where Miguel de Cervantes died.  The final stop on the tour was the congress house that was taken over in a coup many years ago. 

After the tour Sara and I went to the bull fighting ring.  We missed the touring time so we just got to walk around the outside.  We learned that at certain times of the week some of the museums offer free admission.  We were lucky enough to be able to go to the Reina Sophia Museum and the Prado Museum.  After a long and busy day we headed o the bus station.  We took the 1:30 am bus to Nerja.  We were about three hours early but were tired and just wanted to sit.  In the waiting area, there was a crazy man who we believe was drunk.  He was yelling, singing, and annoying some people.  Security kicked him out at least six times but he kept coming back.  Thankfully, he was not on our bus.  Sara and I were lucky enough to get seats to ourselves so we could lie down and sleep on the long bus ride to Nerja.