Curious Incidents of a Flailing Mermaid

Whistle-Stop Tour of Madrid

Right, I'm in Madrid! As I said, I'm days late, and my fellow backpacking friends have already moved on to Barcelona (or somewhere). But that's fine; I figure if I do the tours quickly (while trying not to kill myself) I'll be able to catch up with them in a few days time. I've just checked the "official" itinerary, and I reckon I could boil the first two days down into one

I can but try!

In case you're wondering, I checked out the hostel I was meant to be staying at. I'm sure it was lovely, and the other guys enjoyed their stay. Bunk beds, though? Hmm

But since I'll be all alone, I need to be *err* safe. Safety first! So, I've found myself a nice looking hotel for the night. I'm not a snob, but I do like to be comfortable. Hehe, check out my room. Nicer than bunk beds, huh?

On the plane here, I did a bit of reading up on Madrid - as you do. I read Pocket Rough Guide Madrid   and Madrid Travel Guide: 101 Coolest Things to Do in Madrid  . Apparently, there is a random, giant, baby's head statue somewhere in Madrid. This excites me! I NEED to find the giant baby head!

I need to stop chatting. It's 7 am, and I have a lot to fit in this morning:
Prado Museum Tour
Segway tour
Dinner Tour Madrid Authentic Tapas and History

*****

After dumping my bag at the hotel, I grabbed a cereal bar and can of Coke to fill a hole as I wandered to the Prado Museum. I was glad I did because I was starving. But I did manage to get some Coke up my nose... Don't ask! Just don't!

Unfortunately, because I'm four days behind my travelling party, I couldn't take advantage of the museum tour. I was slightly disappointed about this. However, on the bright side, I'm in a hurry so not being held back by a chatty tour guide is no bad thing. I did manage to get myself an express one hour ticket too; result!

I can't say I'm much of a museum goer, to be honest. So, I was taken aback by the size of the Prado. Sheeeeesh it's huge!! Awesome, too. Because I arrived so early, it was really quiet. I enjoyed being able to take the art in, without being harrassed by other people. My three highlights were:

'Las Meninas' by Velázquez
'The Garden of Earthly Delights' by Hieronymus Bosch
The Emperor Charles V, on Horseback, in Mühlberg' by Titian

Part of me wished I'd had more time to explore. Sadly, time ticked by and I had to move on.

I took the decision to avoid the Segway tour. My balance, quite frankly, is shocking. Also, I've seen little Lego people trying to balance on little Lego Segways - it's not easy. I figured that if Lego can't do it right, I'd probably end up flying off or something.
Instead, I went straight for the food. The food thing was initially booked in for dinner. But I was starving and had other plans for the afternoon/evening. So, I took a stroll to one of the restaurants on the Tapas tour itinerary, keeping my eye out for the giant baby's head.

The tapas was amazzzzing! I love food! As in really really love food Ham, paella, cheese are some of my absolute favourites too.
As I write this, I'm trying to work my way through a massive platter of food, looking out towards the bustling city markets. I'm avoiding the temptation of an ice cold beer: I'd love one but, right now, it's about midday, and I need to squeeze day 3's activities into this afternoon.

Chao for now!