Simply Splendid Weekend

Friday Night we went to a puppet show.  Yeah.  My reaction exactly.  So we got all pumped up and excited (ready to make the most of this "culture" experience.  

We get there and basically it turned out to be a "make puppets out of as many body parts (hands, knees, we even got a belly dance) as possible.  Oh Good times.  They'd have fake noses on objects, often times connected with glasses for the eyes, and would make a "puppets."  

You're still wondering about the belly dance aren't you... 

You know when you're little how you draw smiley faces on your tummy and your belly button is the mouth? Yeah, an 80 year old woman never grew out of that... Her bra was the glasses, her tummy was her mouth (she was way good at making curvey faces out of it...), and then she wore a skirt for the dress, and then her legs were the legs of the puppet... yeah... weird.  ha It was way too funny! 

For our Weekend trip we went to a monastery called El Escorial.  It was/is a monastery and it was a summer retreat home of  a king away from Madrid.  One of the best tours I have been on yet, the tour guide was very funny and just like every other Spaniard a flirt with the blondy.  

We then went to Valle de los Caidos.  This is basically as Lord of the Rings as I have ever felt in my entire life.  It's a memorial to those who "Fell" (Caidos) in the civil war.  The building was completely dug into this mountain as you see below.  It goes back for about 150-200 yards and it is GINORMOUS! We walked in and the ceilings were arches about 40-60 above my head with giant hooded statues holding swords looking down on me as I passed through the main corridor.  Then in the center there is a dome that has a gorgeous Mosaic! HUGE! This is Katie and I in front of monastery.

So after a long day of traveling Katie and I decided to get some hot chocolate and churros because we had about 3 hours before dinner.  for 6 Euros we each got a hot chocolate and 5 churros... too much food, next time (because there will be a next time!) we will definitely be sharing! So delicious! Basically the Hot chocolate is hot pudding.  It is so thick! So delicious! and it's about a 60-70% chocolate vs. Milk chocolate! HEAVEN!

We had to finish our "Madrid Walk" of the highlights of Madrid.  We went to Principe Pio and there was Goya's grave and a river walk.  We are standing in front of the river... and in the back you're supposed to see the Catedral de Nuestra Senora de la Almudena.  

Logan, Jesse, Katie, Katie, Dottie, ME, and Scott.

On our way back from our river walk we saw across the way a park, so I, being the sporadic person that I am, convinced everyone to come join to take a picture... 

Basically we found the best place to play Hot Lava in the entire world! Giant Ropes Course for free, in the middle of now where, not being used! Happiest Place In... Principe Pio... I think.  

Me, Scott, and Chantelle

Ropes are hard... literally.

Me, Katie, Jesse, and Scott chillin after wearing our adult-like muscles on all those rope climbing

Supposedly there are Penguins all over Madrid... We found a Giraffe Penguin... Pengwaff?  Girguin?

Arco de Triunfo

Coming in from the North, the Arch that greets all as a sign of Triumph and a city of Education (There are definitely a million universities around here.

Still not wanting to come home.  Madrid is the happiest place on earth.  Never gets old.  :)