The night of my arrival to Madrid, I fell asleep as soon as I unpacked and settled in my apartment in Calle Zabaleta. I told myself that I would not fall asleep, but of course I could not help it. The day after, I was ridiculously exhausted and was thankful for redbulls and cigarettes. We toured the university's neighborhood, attended an orientation, and ended the day walking the historic Madrid. The buildings were absolutely beautiful and the views were breathtaking. The weather was very spontaneous, like San Francisco, but this did not stop me from being a typical tourist. The Royal Palace was amazing and the small buildings surrounding the palace added charm and warmth to the neighborhood. The small streets between the buildings lead to other neighborhoods and amazing buildings, like Casa de Cisneros.
This is a picture I took when my classmate and I were walking back to the Opera building from el Mercado San Miguel.
El Mercado de San Miguel is absolutely amazing! There's a little bit of everything and the wine selection is fabulous. It is similar to a farmer's market but it's in a glass building and they serve alcohol. So I guess Madrid won't be too bad for the next ten weeks... :) OJR
