Our last full day in Madrid. We had a leisurely day walking through the royal garden and enjoying the rosella. (the rose garden). For our late lunch we went to Wagaboo (Wallpaper) and had a fabulous meal of curry chicken, tuna pasta salad, spring rolls and samosas. We then walked around this neighborhood for a bit stopping in at Cocoa Sampaka, an amazing chocolate shop that had a wide selection of chocolates flavored with spices, flowers, liquors, fruits, single-bean from all over the world and other varieties. We opted not to indulge in buying any but it all looked delicious. From here we took the long walk back to the hotel for a siesta and then got ready for our last dinner in Spain. We attempted to hit the roof deck at 2 different hotels but were unsuccessful because they were closed for private parties. Finally on our 3rd try we found a roof deck veranda at Urban (Wallpaper) but had to come back after 10:00. So we toured around this very fun area filled with tons of Bodegas. We sat in the square for a while but then hit a cute little place where we sipped vino tinto, drank cana (draft beer), and ate some tapas. At 10:00 we went back to Urban to view the city sky from the roof deck. The night was winding down so we slipped into a cab back to our hotel and stopped in to see our friend at The Swan to say goodbye. We had one last cocktail and the owner bought us a round then we went home to relax on

Madrid is filled with museums and today we hit 2 of the most famous. We took the bus to Plaza de casiella and walked to Museo del Prado. This museum is the most famous in Madrid and is the home to works by Goya (Jeff liked Goya best), and many others. We took a museum break and had some gazpacho for me and jamon for Jeff at La Taberna in the square across from Prado. After our snack we went to Museo Reina Sofia for a taste of some more modern works of art. Here we saw lots of Picasso including his famous iconic monochrome Guernica, works by Dali, mobiles by Calder (one in the center of the garden) and tons of work by Miro including the sculpture in the garden (see pic). This museum also has temporary exhibits and we saw ????? which was very interesting. After our museum tour we walked to the train station to view the inside. Inside is like a giant for greenhouse and it felt like it too so we didn’t stay for long. We took the bus back to the hotel for a siesta and to get ready for dinner. Tonight we had dinner in the hood of Malasana at a fun hang out, Ojala (Wallpaper) Here we had atun empanada (which is actually a piece of fish – tuna) and the best croquette of our whole trip! This swanky hip place had a fun basement bar too with a sand covered floor and pillows for sitting around low tables. Upstairs where we sat they were projecting visuals on the wall of various album covers. We stopped off for a night cap at one other little joint and then went home! Long fun day!

Today was planes trains and automobiles. We took the 3 hour train ride back to Seville, grabbed a cab to the airport and jumped on our flight to our final destination, Madrid. We landed in Madrid around 1:00. We were tired and hungry so Jeff stretched out for a bit while I relaxed and planned our 3 days in Madrid while sitting in Plaza de Espana. Our hotel was one block from here. The plaza has 2 main fountains and drew many locals for relaxing and sun bathing. After regaining our energy we were off to see the sights. We started by visiting the royal palace and walking through the garden that is at the one end of the palace. That evening we went to Plaza de Sol which is the very center of Madrid. From there we went to Plaza Mayor and walked around and had some snacks and drinks. We stopped in one fun bar for a mojito made with dark rum and brown sugar. Yum! This was a lively fun Jamaican type bar. As things were starting to close around 12:00 we went back to the hotel and stopped in at an irish pub, the Swan right next to our hotel. The owner of this pub was very friendly and had a celebratory drink with us. It was similar to banyols but maybe a bit sweeter.

Off to Granada. We took the renfe (train) for the 3 hour trip to Granada. Right after we checked into our hotel we headed off the view Al hambra. (On the list to become one of the 7 wonders of the modern world) The Alhambra had 3 main areas, general life which is the amazing gardens of Alhambra. The palace with ornate detail in each room and on the ceilings. And finally the fort with the towers for amazing views of all of Granada. We spent most of our day here at Alhambra, This evening we had a true taste of tapas. The bodegas here served tapas with every drink order. Something different every time. Usuaaly something with jamon or huervos or potatoes or something with bread. We also had a true Spanish treat…Churros and chocolate. Its like fried bread and you dip it into a yummy chocolate sauce. Late night tapas at another bodega for tapas and cocktails. What a beautiful evening for sitting outside.

Today we took an excursion to Cordoba. Yet another beautiful town in Spain. There were many white buildings with hanging pots on the walls and typical Spanish wrought iron decks filled with flowers and plants. Here we had some tapas and sangria at one of our favorite little spots La Fragua. (this means metal worker) In Cordoba we visited an amazing cathedral. In the center there were beautiful fountains. Very romantic. Orange tree lined streets. We returned to Seville for our last night here and went out to another recommended local tapas place for some eats then back to La Colonia to round out the night.