Puerta de Sol

I have now survived my second day of classes! I really enjoy my Spanish Culture class...my art class, not so much. It's basically just an art history class and it is difficult to understand all of the terminology. We don't have too much homework which is nice, although we do have a final project in both of my classes.

Last night, I went on a walking tour downtown with some fellow group members. We met in Puerta del Sol which is the hub of Madrid life. There were a lot of people (and tourists) which meant that we had to be careful because there was bound to be a lot of pickpocketers. The Metro that we came out of looked like a big fish bubble-it was awesome! After we met up, we headed to the Plaza Mayor which is a huge open space without traffic. During the Inquisition, they killed people in the square...now it is more peaceful with shops lining it and cafes. We walked along the streets and saw many local sights (see the pictures on Facebook). There are lots of statues everywhere and also fountains. Our last stop was at the Royal Palace which we will be visiting later in the month with our group.

Today after class, I headed with the group to the futbol stadium to buy my ticket for the Corazon Classic on Sunday. It is a charity event for Africa in which former players from both Real Madrid and Manchester United (boo!) will be playing. I am excited to see some futbol action with my fellow travelers!! The Metro was a bit more difficult to navigate because we had to change lines 2 times and there were a lot of people! There were also moving sidewalks which are awesome when you have to go long distances.

Lunch today was great as always! We had a lentil soup that had potatoes, carrots, and sausage (I think...) in it. And of course, we ate bread with it! After not eating since breakfast and walking around the city I was ready for a big lunch. Dinner isn't usually until 9 or 9:30 and it is more of a snack. By the time we are done with dinner, I am ready for bed.