Finalmente! Here is the last installment of the Portugal/ Spain journey (don't cry). First things first: let's discuss spanish food. In one word: delicioso. In two words: muy delicioso. The paella was out of this world, the gazpacho melted in my mouth, and the jamon was...deliciously salty. Our first big meal was at the oldest restaurant in the world, Sobrino de Botin. It was a cute little place (a little rickety, but I suppose that comes with the territory of being the oldest restaurant in the world) complete with a mariachi band (who knew?), an alluring atmosphere, and yummer sangria (though not as good as the sangria that we drank at the flamenco show, but that's a whole nother story...).

Ok, this ham leg is a little bit disgusting, but the jamon is so delicious that you can forgive the unappetizing slicing of the meat.

Such a charming place!
In case ham leg picture didn't convince you that Spain is very serious about their ham, check out the Museum of Ham. I'd like to think that this is what heaven is like.

Oh my goodness, it's so much ham. My mouth is a'watering!

Although the food was certainly a highlight of the trip, the other facets of Madrid aren't too shabby either. The views alone are worth writing home about. First case in point: our view of the Prado museum from the hotel.

The weather was so fantastic that we spent some good time just hanging out on the balcony of the hotel and taking in the view. What's prettier, Diana or the view?

Another of my favorites in Madrid was the main park, el Parque de Retiro. We strolled through on the first day and jogged through on another (and by "jogged" I mean walked). Our first stop in the park was the rowing lake, which is very similar to the one at 72nd street in Central Park.

Next stop in the park: the Crystal Palace. Check this place out! It must get so insanely hot in there. The building actually reminded me quite a bit of Berlin because a lot of the governmental buildings in Berlin are entirely transparent; the clear glass is the government's way of demonstrating to the German people that they have nothing to hide. But seriously, that's gotta get steamy. This part of the park reminded me of something out of Dr. Suess book. Such funny little hedges...
Next stop: the Palacio Real (the Royal Palace). Hi, Mom!

The Palacio was really spectacular. I've visited a few castles in Germany (and we saw some in Portugal), and they all really showed their age. Though many of them were furnished with period pieces, it was hard to imagine what they really looked like in their glory days. The Palacio, however, retains all of its splendor and majesty. I really don't think that I can justly describe it, so I won't even try. But if you happen to find yourself in Madrid, go to the Palacio, it's definitely worth it.

A view of the Palace grounds:

This church, the Cathedral of our Lady of Almudena, wasn't completed until 1993. The artwork and stained glass on the inside are entirely modern (and very angular) - almost Picasso-like. The colors were all so bright and bold, it was quite a contrast to every cathedral I've ever seen. Again, if you're in Spain, be sure to hit this up.

A final stop: The Plaza Mayor, home to many a fiesta, bullfight, execution, and revolution. It doesn't look like much in these pictures, but the square was dripping with history and intrigue, creating an almost mystical feeling.

So how did we go about soaking up the enchantment of the Plaza? We drank a cerveza, of course. Some shots of me and the cousins:

Diana must have resembled some famous Spanish/ Portuguese person, because there were many times when people just stared at her. Like, stared and whispered. It was fun traveling with someone who is maybe famous. Maybe it was those rockin sunglasses (which I wanted to steal, but feared for my life).

!Mas cerveza, por favor!

And thus ends my recap of the trip. Good stuff, eh? I highly recommend going out and finding yourself a couple kickass cousins.