My Trip to Madrid

As you all know, I was sent to Madrid, Spain for a week of work. Me and five others made the trek over to deliver two days of training to folks from all over Europe. It was an eye-opening experience and I hope to be so lucky again soon.

I left Los Angeles on the morning of Sunday, January 18th and arrived in Madrid on Monday morning. Our workshop was held on Tuesday and Wednesday and I got Thursday and Friday off to see the sights before I headed home on Friday evening. I took lots of pictures of the sights and have tried to include the best ones below.

Above: My very own two twin beds for a week! Haha. The hotel was a Five Star, but apparently European standards are a bit different than American standards.

Below: Some of the amazing Spanish architecture and lighting on our Monday night.

On Monday night our team went to Restaurante Botin (http://www.casabotin.com/INGindex.html), the earliest established restaurant in the world. It has been in existence since 1725. See picture below.

We also saw Puerta del Sol, the center of the city's road infrastructure...



...and the famous Tio Pepe sign.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, there were a few other interesting sights but other than that, we were taking care of business.

Above: This is our dinner hanging behind the bar at the restaurant we went to on Tuesday night. As weird as this is to us, it was not an uncommon sight in Madrid...and the meat was ALWAYS delicious!

This is just one of the many painted cows that I saw throughout the city.

They were all very colorful and creative. I was so curious that I did a bit of research and found out that they are part of the Cow Parade, the world's largest public art event. Oddly enough, the cow figurine that Poppy got me as a gift years back, is also part of the Cow Parade!

Cow Parade Website: http://www.cowparade.com/index.php

Cow Parade Madrid Site: http://www.cowparademadrid.com/

On Thursday morning, my boss and I set out to see some of the sights. She lived in Madrid for two years and knew all of the best places to see. First stop: the Royal Palace, still a part time home to the King and Queen of Spain.

We continued to walk the streets. I was amazed at the fact that I was in Spain and took pictures of anything that looked even mildly interesting.

Trying to get in all in just a few days, I toured the Prado Museum...

...Went to Madrid's Bullfighting Ring (Plaza de Toros)...

...and walked through the Parque del Retiros, a Spanish version of New York's Central Park.

All in all, it was a great trip and I can't wait for the next adventure!!