Madrid y OneRepublic!! 11/20-11/23

In November, I took a trip to Madrid with five friends for a wonderful weekend of food, nightlife, sights and of course the OneRepublic concert. We did an epic tour of the city mastering the subway and walking miles. We took a 4 hour train ride form Murcia and arrived in Madrid on the evening of the 20th and hit the ground running. We saw almost all of the major tourist sites in Madrid -Museo Nacional del Prado,  Plaza Mayor, Puerta de Alcalá, Gran Via, Parque del Buen Retiro, Almudena Cathedral , Palacio Real de Madrid, and SO MUCH MORE.

BEST CONCERT EVER! OneRepublic in Madrid. The Concert was way more than I had ever expected. Since it is an american band they are not as huge in Spain so the concert was really small and it felt so much more personal. We ended up about 20 feet from the stage and didn't even have to worry about getting pushed and shoved. They put on one forever memorable show.

This the Puerta del sol which is considered the center of Spain. The plaza was full of people and decorated for Christmas.

One of the most famous Chocolateria's in Madrid. It is located near Puerta del Sol. We stopped in for some churros and chocolate and they were the best we have had yet. the place was busy and it was worth the wait for a seat. 

Mercado San Miguel and indoor market in Madrid. Serving drinks, tapas and other fresh fruits and food items. 

Oldest Building in Madrid. Casa de Cisneros at number 4, Plaza de la Villa, built in 1537.

Catedral de la Almudena circa 1883 which is the Cathedral of Madrid. 

Inside the Catedral de la Almudena where King Felipe IV was married.

Inside the Catedral de la Almudena

Catedral de la Almudena seen from Palacio Real de Madrid.

This is the Palacio Real de Madrid, the official residence of the Royal Family of King Felipe IV.

We toured the Palacio Real de Madrid Sadly you could not take pictures in 90% of the Palace :(

Over looking the Jardines de Sabatini From the Palacio  Real.

Plaza de Oriente across from the Palacio Real, beautiful with fall colors. 

Some cute cafes in the Plaza de Oriente. I was a little obsessed with seeing fall colors for the first time in Spain.. Murcia lacks a large amount of colorful trees... 

Palacio de Cibeles (City Hall)

Monument to Alfonso XII in Parque del Buen Retiro

we spent a lot of time walking through the park. this park is where both tourists and locals go to do their thing. It was always full of people. Parque del Buen Retiro

Parque del Buen Retiro

Natalie and I rowing a boat in front of Monument to Alfonso XII in Parque del Buen Retiro

Puerta de Alcalá in Plaza Independencia

We heavily utilized the metro system. I am now Queen of the underground in Barcelona and Madrid.  Paris and London will be the real test. 

Templo de Debod is an ancient Egyptian temple that was donated to Spain(yeah, apparently temple donations are a thing?)

Taco Bell in Spain > Taco Bell in The State... They have happy hour and serve beer. 

Next up... London and Paris

Oh, The Places we go.