After a challenging day yesterday, I decided to escape to Madrid today. I packed up my little bag--keys, phone, iPod, bus schedule. I was ready to go! While waiting at the bus stop, however, I realized that I forgot the one thing that every tourist needs... her camera. Needless to say, I was very disappointed. Luckily, I used the camera on my phone. Unluckily, most of the shots were blurry and bad quality.
Nevertheless, I managed to salvage just a few to prove that I was outside in society today!
After a week and a half here, at this point I am starting to get a little bit cocky about knowing my way around the bus system, metro, etc. Even so, I found myself being in the wrong place numerous times! (Excuse me while I go smack myself in the head.)
Numerous men telling me that I was in the wrong place--in Spanish, of course--doesn't exactly boost the self-esteem. Even if you didn't speak Spanish, you could easily tell what they were kindly saying between the lines: "You're obviously in the wrong place, silly American! Let me helpfully tell you where to go in a language that I'm not sure you speak."
Despite my "struggles," I managed to make it to the Museo Cerralbo. The small, lesser-known museum houses the collection of Enrique de Aguilera y Gamboa, Marquis of Cerralbo. (Did I mention that the museum is his very house!)
Here are two small pictures of the building from the terrace, which I barely managed to take with my camera phone.
Unfortunatley, most inside pictures were blurry, but you get the idea. This is the tiniest proof that I was actually there sneaking pictures. (The security guards/guides were everywhere and slightly intimidating.)
These small pics don't do it justice at all. But hey, you know how this works. You do have Google, right! (Trademark?)
After the museum, I took a small stroll back to the Plaza de España. Saw the Senate again, although this was the first time that I actually knew what it was:
All in all, it was a good day. No complaints, really. I mean, there's nothing like finishing the day off by eating a frozen yogurt with Don Quixote! (He's in the background...shockingly camera-shy!)
SIDENOTE: Although I was humbled a couple of times today, I did receive a huge compliment! A stranger came up to me in Plaza de España asking for directions in Spanish. Even though I didn't really know what he was saying... (and pretty much ignored him...) it meant that he thought I was a local! Major success!!!
Oh, and just in case anybody forgot, I am still working as an au pair. Here is a picture of the back of my two little girls (Vicky on the left, Ana on the right).
They can't wait for summer and swimming pool season! (Neither can I, frankly!!)
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