Naturally, around Wednesday I got a cold. It came out of no where; I had miraculously missed the month and a half where every single person on our program was sick. By Friday I didn't feel good-- I had a cough, runny nose, sneezed and blew my nose every 5 seconds, but I was determined to not let it ruin the weekend I had been planning for months.
It was a long (6 hour) bus ride to Madrid. I rode with Audra and Carly. We took the metro into the city and checked into our hostel. My second hostel experience was much, much better than my first. It was a charming little place called "Way Hostel" down a side street about a 15 minute walk from the main tourist sites. We checked into our room (a room of 6 girls, much better than our Salamanca co-ed hostel of 20) and met up with Audra's friend Meghan, who is studying abroad in Norway. She had already befriended our other two roommates, who were very nice. One was from France and is working in Paris-- she told us to look her up when we go there in April and maybe she can show us around!
Saturday we got up around 8 a.m. and took advantage of the complimentary breakfast at the hostel (they had Frosted Flakes!) Two girls from SAS who were staying at our hostel too met us there; they had taken an overnight train from Sevilla. They were meeting some other girls from SAS. I was trying not to repeat too many of the same things I did when I went to Madrid on my high school trip, so I decided to go with them rather than with Audra and Carly.
First we went to the Prado Museum, which I did on my other trip but barely remember. It was neat going this time because this semester I am taking an art and culture class, and I got to see all of the paintings we have been talking about. I got the audio tour and stayed a few hours looking at paintings by Murillo, Goya, Valazquez and El Greco. I stayed there while the other girls went to the Palacio Real, which I had already been to, and then we met back up at the Pueta de Sol for almuerzo. Puerta de Sol is a plaza in Madrid. It is the center of the network of Spanish roads and one of the busiest places in the city.
Puerta de Sol (now is the bear kissing the tree or eating something?)We ate outside next to the Puerta de Sol, then headed to the Museo Reina Sofia, a contemporary art museum where we looked at a bunch of paintings by Picasso.
Guernica, by Picasso-- famous painting that was done in response to the German bombings of Guernica by German and Italian warplanes during the Spanish Civil War. Shows the tragedy of war and the suffering it afflicts on individuals, especially civilians.
Another Picasso paintingAfter we got done with the museum we grabbed some tapas-to-go at a little bar where, when I asked what the cook recommended, he said "a handsome cook like me" and that the price of my food was dos besos. He was friendly.
Kelly, Rebecca and I decided to walk to the concert instead of taking the metro. It was a good walk, but I'm glad we did it. We went through different parts of the city than I'd seen before, including a very upscale part with all very expensive stores.
When we arrived at the stadium, Audra, Carly and Meghan had already been waiting in line for 45 minutes, and the line lasted as far as the eye could see! We cut with them and had to wait about 20 minutes more before the doors opened, and then it was a mad rush to the stage!
Our tickets weren't assigned, instead we were standing in front of the stage. Meghan decided that she was determined to make it to the front row, so she pushed her way through the crowd and received many sneering remarks and dirty looks from everyone around us. The SAS girls decided to stay at the back. Audra, Carly and I followed her for awhile, but stopped trying once we were too squished to move any further.
We had about 30 minutes before the opening band, so we befriended the people squished up against us a group of two guys and three girls who were also studying abroad in Sevilla! We also befriended an older man who was there with his teenage daughter and her friends, and he ended up buying some of our group some beer.
The concert itself was amazing. Taylor was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic crowd. Even though we never made it to the front row like Meghan, we were still really close to the stage-- close enough to see the hair on Taylor's arms! It was great.
At the end of her first song-- "Sparks Fly"
Like I said, Taylor was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic crowd. Just after the concert, she tweeted: "I am in LOVE with the crowd we just played for. Madrid, my heart is yours."
Dancing
Costume change! All her dresses (there were 4!) were super cute. This is during "Speak Now," Elly's favorite song
Sparkly guitar!
So since they had so many connections, and because they were the kind of guys who are very, very smooth talkers, after the concert we tried to go backstage. We were pretty close, but I think they didn't let us because we had too big of a group! Instead, the guard let us write personal letters to Taylor.
Regardless, we went to the side of the stadium after the show and watched Taylor's SUV drive to fly her away in her personal jet.
All in all, a wonderful night!
Look for another Madrid post soon!
Kelly, Rebecca and I decided to walk to the concert instead of taking the metro. It was a good walk, but I'm glad we did it. We went through different parts of the city than I'd seen before, including a very upscale part with all very expensive stores.
When we arrived at the stadium, Audra, Carly and Meghan had already been waiting in line for 45 minutes, and the line lasted as far as the eye could see! We cut with them and had to wait about 20 minutes more before the doors opened, and then it was a mad rush to the stage!
Our tickets weren't assigned, instead we were standing in front of the stage. Meghan decided that she was determined to make it to the front row, so she pushed her way through the crowd and received many sneering remarks and dirty looks from everyone around us. The SAS girls decided to stay at the back. Audra, Carly and I followed her for awhile, but stopped trying once we were too squished to move any further.
We had about 30 minutes before the opening band, so we befriended the people squished up against us a group of two guys and three girls who were also studying abroad in Sevilla! We also befriended an older man who was there with his teenage daughter and her friends, and he ended up buying some of our group some beer.
The concert itself was amazing. Taylor was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic crowd. Even though we never made it to the front row like Meghan, we were still really close to the stage-- close enough to see the hair on Taylor's arms! It was great.
At the end of her first song-- "Sparks Fly"
Like I said, Taylor was overwhelmed by the enthusiastic crowd. Just after the concert, she tweeted: "I am in LOVE with the crowd we just played for. Madrid, my heart is yours."
Dancing
Costume change! All her dresses (there were 4!) were super cute. This is during "Speak Now," Elly's favorite song
Sparkly guitar!
Me, Carly, Audra at the concert
Carly, Meghan, me, Audra just after the concert
During the concert our new friends had quite a bit of interaction with Taylor and the band. Just before, when they went out to buy a drink, they talked with a man about the opening band-- and that man ended up being Taylor's personal body guard! Then, during the concert one of the guys got on the other one's shoulders and Taylor sang straight to him! Then at the end, when Taylor was introducing the band, they called out to the base player saying he looked like Ben Stiller. He said, "I know" and started giving them Ben Stiller's look from Zoolander.
Carly, Meghan, me, Audra just after the concertSo since they had so many connections, and because they were the kind of guys who are very, very smooth talkers, after the concert we tried to go backstage. We were pretty close, but I think they didn't let us because we had too big of a group! Instead, the guard let us write personal letters to Taylor.
Regardless, we went to the side of the stadium after the show and watched Taylor's SUV drive to fly her away in her personal jet.
All in all, a wonderful night!
Look for another Madrid post soon!
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