Woke up at Midnight with a total of about 3 hours sleep, was up 2 hours after laying down and could not get back to sleep for another 2 hours, the energy from the day was still coursing through my body making it impossible to sleep. We had to get up that early to meet the taxi cab drivers brother so he could take us to the airport at 1am for our 4am flight. Took a really interesting shower, the shower curtian was about three inches to short so the water shot all over the bathroom as you showered. I had fun cleaning that mess up. Then we got packed and were ready to roll around 12:45. Got in the elevator which had no side walls, meaning you could see the walls, and elevator doors pass as you speed down to the bottom floor kinda freaky when you are sleep deprived. Met up with cabby and we were on our way out of Cairo. Along the way we saw a obvoius fatal accident one of the small trucks looked as though it had flipped many times and it had crushed the cab of the truck up quite a bit so I am sure he was done. I got two pics I will post when I get back.
Airplanes Galore
Flew Air italia to Rome (by the way, even though the security seems lax in many of the airports abroad they have no problem sending you thought metal detector after metal detector. I tell you no lie in saying that I went through three in the Cairo airport, and three in the Rome airport and at least a hundred in the Streets of Cairo (every store you go in).
Landed in Madrid around 2:40pm and stopped by Kevins place to get some fresh clothes and drop off the junk we collected in Cairo (thanks mom for making me get some dirt the people thought I was a freak).
I took a shower in another mess of a shower, what is wrong with these people and not having doors on the shower? It has a great messager built into the shower shoots streams of water at your back but if you move wrong they shoot right out of the shower, drenching the door in the 150sft bathroom as well.
After the shower Kevin and I left to see the Plaza de Mayor
The Plaza Mayor, built in 1619 by Philip III, is a vast, cobbled, traffic-free chunk of 17th-century Spain, with its centerpiece: a statue is of Philip III. There are nine arched gateways leading into this great square which was the hub of life in Renaissance Madrid. Each side of the square is uniform. Much Spanish history was lived in this center: bullfights, fires, royal pageantry, and the scene of "autos de fe", the public punishments imposed by the Inquisition. Philip V, Ferdinand VI and Charles IV were each proclaimed King there. Relief’s serving as seatback under the lampposts tells the story.
During the Inquisition, many were tried here, paraded around the square with signs listing their many sins, and then burned. Some were slowly strangled with a garrote while holding a crucifix as a priest prayed. The square is painted a shade of burgundy, the color selected as the result of a city-wide vote. Three different colors were painted as samples on the walls of this square, and the city voted for its favorite.
It was Freezing cold there so we didn´t stay long but there really was no need to either since it was just a square with some shops at the bottom. We then went to an Irish pub and had a beer waiting for our restaurant to open up.
The Botin
I am not sure what was better the atmosphere or the food, the building on the inside (I have pictures) was made from poorly laid bricks and small passageways to your table either the people back then were short or they didn´t mind ducking to walk down stairs to the next level. I will say it was beautiful.
To start our dinner we had garlic soup and a platter of mushrooms which were both great. Then our main course comes, suckling pig. We could have dined on baby eels or stewed partridge, but how could we pass up the roasted suckling pig with its crispy bronzed skin and luscious meat? It's a huge portion--actually enough for two. The slow cooking has rendered the meat sweet and tender and infused with olive oil, herbs, and garlic. For desert we had Flan which was alright but not needed since we were stuffed as it was but Kevin wanted some so I caved.
After dinner we rushed to the hotel room exausted from lack of sleep and a huge meal we passed out quick to end another day abroad.
No comments:
Post a Comment