thankfully, day two in Madrid was cold, but not as windy or rainy. not that sightseeing isn’t ok in the rain, but it can make for a very damp day.

we walked over 10 miles today, traipsing through the various areas in Madrid. although we could have taken the Metro or a taxi for some of the day, walking allows you to see so much more of the different neighborhoods…… especially if you just wander down side streets.

we started off the day going to El Rastro to check out the most popular flea market in Madrid. it was open from 9 AM – 3 PM and it was HUGE, it puts any other flea market (i’ve been to) to shame.

there was a vast assortment of treasures just waiting to be bought on the streets or in the small over-packed stores tucked away. if it wasn’t at that market, i’m pretty sure it doesn’t exist.

one downfall, since it is a well established and popular market, it got really crowded around noon. and when i say crowded, i mean like leaving a football stadium at the end of a game crowded. in some spots you could barely move.

after the market, our mission was to get to Chocolateria San Gines, the home of, “the best” churro dipped in chocolate. we found the spot easily, just look for the big sign and long line……

we opted to have lunch first and then churros. wise move considering the amount of sugar that was ingested. it was delicious and i recommend if you happen to be in the area to seek them out. also, one order is easily enough for 2-3 people to have a taste.

after our chocolate overload we headed to the Royal Palace for a guided tour. completed in 1755 this palace contains over 3000 rooms and is the largest royal palace in Europe. it used to be the residence of the Spanish royal family, but now is only used for state ceremonies.

we left the palace and went to the Catedral de la Almudena (we saw the outside the day before) and went in for a look.

we easily had enough time to make it over to the Prado Museum before it closed, but sadly, the line was WAY too long for us to get in before closing. note, if you’re going to try and go to the Prado for a free ticket visit, you probably need to be there at least an hour before free time begins.

we decided to make our way home, wandering through the Malasaña District, on the way. this is the, “bohemian/hipster” neighborhood. lots of restaurants/bars and there’s a strong “community” feel….it was a little quiet on a Sunday at 6 PM, probably a livelier scene on a Friday night.

one of the coolest stores we passed was a little book store with amazing paper mobiles and specializing in pop-out books & cards.

we eventually made it back to the flat for cocktail, snack and repacking time.

off to Girona tomorrow.