Madrid (Spain) | A Guided Tour - Day 138

Last night I walked past the Museo Nacional del Prado (Prado National Museum). This magnificent building is home to Spain's most extensive fine art collection. This Museum is recognized as one of the finest Art Museums in the world and is part of Madrid's Golden Triangle of Art, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"Want to grab a coffee before I head out of town," writes Anne this morning. Sure thing, I have some time before I catch the free city walking tour, I reply. So, I make my way over to a small coffee shop not far from the hostel. I don't drink coffee, but I never miss an opportunity to have a cup of tea in the morning.

Anne tells me she is excited to head to Valencia, Spain, east of Madrid and on the coast. "I also miss my retriever Fionns (Finn). He's six and such a lap dog," she says. We had golden retrievers when I was a kid too. They are great dogs, I say.

"I am ready to head home," Anne says. Yes, I can tell in the short time I've known you. I can see and feel it. You are talking more about it each time I see you. Me, I am not sure yet. I don't miss the United States very much right now. I told myself I wouldn't think about a job for at least 6 mos, and I am not there yet, I say. 

"I have a friend doing a spirit quest and then he plans to work with youth afterward," says Anne. We chat about the similarities between spirit quests, leadership development, and other experiences that are purposefully designed to stress individuals out of their comfort zones which forces introspection and growth. "During his quest, he isn't allowed to leave the circle of tents he and other participants create," says Anne. 

Wow! This is so interesting that this topic has come up. Before starting my travels, I loosely explored similar ideas, as I am interested in mentoring youth. I don't know what that looks like or how to turn it into a profession. But it is something I have toyed with for a while. To be successful, a program needs to not only stress individuals but create a holding environment that gives people a chance to process their experience. I will add these ideas to my list and file the conversation away when I am ready to explore this further. This is wonderful! Thank you, I say to Anne. 

Soon after we finish our coffee (Anne) and green tea (me), we wish each other the best of luck on our future adventures and part ways. Anne and I are in the picture above.

I plan to catch a free walking tour hosted by a 3rd party for the hostel. The tour is "free," but the guide works off tips at the end of the tour. After stopping by two more hostels, our group is now around 35 people. "You are here to learn about Madrid and get new Instagram followers, " says our guide in the blue baseball cap." Since we don't have time, due to the group size, she asks people to raise their hands if they are from specific regions. "Anyone from the UK? Ok, 6, welcome back to the European Union," she says. The rest of us laugh as she pokes fun at Brexit. "How about Canada? Three. Look around everyone. These are the friendly people and the ones you want to get to know," she says. I laugh to myself. My reputation proceeds me. Below is our tour group gathered at Puerta del Sol, one of the prominent squares in Madrid.

We pass a street artist that resembles a statue. Madrid has many street performers that dress up and perform for donations. I've seen several dressed as statues, others dressed as Transformers, and some in immense bear or gorilla costumes. They generally stay in one location, sometimes for hours. The giveaway is the involuntary blink, but they look fantastic!

The tour is alright. Our guide is from the Netherlands. She has been living in Madrid for 2 years and is entertaining for guide. Unfortunately, I've already seen many of these sites. Borja has been a great tour guide. I realize I would rather the tour guide be a local Spanish person. So instead, I spend time noticing things I have not seen yet, including this surprising sign at a waffle shop. I start laughing at the ridiculous sign and think of how I would never see this in North America. I find the hook line at the bottom hilarious.

When Borja arrives in Madrid, I decide to leave the tour and meet up with him. One of the things I've never seen outside of Madrid is these street vendors. Borja tells me most are working illegally selling cheap brand-name knockoffs. They keep their merchandise in these parachute bags to take off when the police approach. Borja tells me that usually, the police will not pursue them. However, they will follow the tourist who purchases things because they are easier to catch. 

And they don't like it when I take pictures either. Each time I pull out my camera, they yell at me. This vendor is selling a shirt to tourists and hides behind a column so that he cannot be seen. Generally, the police will chase tourists and write them a ticket for purchasing stuff illegally.

Borja leads me past the front (north side) of the Palacio Real, where hundreds of people are lined up waiting to get in. "You need to see the view from the other side of the courtyard," he says.

The view is stunning and quite vast. Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I am unable to take a single photo that comes close to capturing what I see. Perhaps it is because of the time of day. The sun is high and shining into the camera. "Have you been to the river yet?" Borja asks as he points down below. No, I haven't made it to the west side of Madrid yet. So, we make our way down the hill and cross the River Manzanares (River of Apple Orchards).

That is a Mallard in English, a type of duck. How do you say Mallard in Español? I ask Borja as I point to a drake Mallard. "I don't know specific ducks. Duck in Spanish is Pato," he says. Shortly after, we pass these Egyptian Geese. I had never seen them before and needed to look them up. A stunning bird!

Borja and I walk around a big lake, Casa de Campo Lake, located in a massive green space called Parque Casa de Campo (Countryside House Park). The park was once the Royal Hunting Estate before it was opened to the public in 1931 and is 1,723 ha (4,257 acres). I always tell people that you can tell a lot about how cultures value the outdoors and environment just by looking at how they choose to protect it in urban areas, I tell Borja. "This forest is used by everyone for all different reasons. Spanish people are fit because they are active. We saw so many locals and old people walking parts of the Camino,  Climbing the steep hills with us like they were young," he says. As we walk around the lake, we continue discussing how different cultures struggle with old age because they don't stay fit. The view to the Palacio Real (left) and the Cathedral (right) is stunning, with the sun at my back.

Around 130 pm, we make our way up the hill to grab lunch before Borja heads to work. Thank you for showing me around Madrid, brother. You are lucky to live in Madrid. It is an incredible city, I say. "Yes, but the summers are too hot. Every day it is 40-45 (104-113) degrees. I am sweating all the time," Borja says. I tell him I probably wouldn't like Madrid so much if I visited between Mid-May and September. We'll see you again, maybe in the US, maybe in Spain, on the Camino, or somewhere else. "We can stay in touch now on WhatsApp. Enjoy Croatia!" says Borja. 

Sometimes, I have noticed that a city resonates with me in my travels. I think they resonate loudly not only because of the intrinsic beauty of the town but also because I am receptive to all that the city has to give. This happens because the city is different than what I recently experienced, and I am ready for a change. Bristol, UK, was that way, with its colors and street art. Madrid is another one of these cities. It is the first city where I have spent more than two days in my nearly 50 days of travel in Spain. It is also because it is the first city where I was able to Flânaur my way around for multiple days. I have fallen in love with Spain and have enjoyed my time here. This was a bit of a surprise for me. The food is good, the people are great, the culture is diverse, and the country is beautiful. As much as I love Spain, my time here has ended, and I look forward to my next adventure in the Balkans.