< previous
next >
Day 2: June 17, 2025
We arrived early in Madrid after more than a 12-hour flight.
Emiliano, our Tour Director, and Miguel, the bus driver, were waiting for us at the airport.
The first thing we did was go to the hotel to drop off our bags and then head to the city center to explore Madrid.
Emiliano gave us a short walking tour of the city center, in which we walked through Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de la Villa, the Royal Palace, and the Teatro Real. Along the way, we saw the Bear and the Strawberry Tree, Kilometer Zero plate for all higways, the San Miguel Market, the statues of Charles III and Philip III, the Almudena Cathedral, and a few other sights I don't remember.
Afterward, we had some free time for lunch. Most of us went to the San Miguel Market, as it has many Spanish and international food options.
After finishing lunch and doing a bit of shopping, we walked to the Prado Museum and passed right in front of the Congress of Deputies.
Once in the Prado, we were able to enjoy works of art by Velazquez, Goya, El Greco, and Bosch, and some of our classmates even found one of the first copies of the Mona Lisa, attributed to one of Leonardo da Vinci's students.
After the museum, all we had to do was take the metro to the restaurant where we had dinner, and then head back to the hotel to rest, as today had been a very long day.