Madrid with the Family

As I said in the previous post, we had an early flight. I mean early. We left our place in Vienna at 4 or so in the morning to get to the airport on time. Well, that afforded us a full day in Madrid!

One thing before I talk a little about Madrid. We were sitting in the Vienna airport at our gate and found out they had wireless. For free. Awesome! That actually isn’t the important part. Due to the free wireless Hill was able to access the internet with her iPad and the first piece of news we read that morning was OSAMA WAS KILLED!!!

Thrilled, I told my mom, “Hey Mom! Guess what! They Osama is dead.”

Shocked, she pauses for a second. She then turns to my dad and says solemnly, “Gary, the president is dead.”

It is unfortunate how close their names are.

Our three goals for Madrid:

1. Meghan wants sangria.

2. Dad wants paella.

3. Mom wants tapas.

We get into Madrid at around 8 or 9 in the morning and head to the place we are staying, Hostal Pez Azul. It is in this really eclectic and interesting part of Madrid, right next to Gumbo, a Cajun food restaurant. I am not sure if I mentioned that Hillary’s family is from New Orleans in my post about her, but she was really excited about this fact. Too bad it was closed that day. Next time.

Okay, so we check into the room and then head out. For what? Another Sandeman’s free tour! Yes, that makes my Sandeman’s Free Tours count up to five: Dublin, Berlin, Munich, Prague, & Madrid! You might actually think that I enjoy these tours.

Well, I do. But after already having been on another Madrid free tour, having a flight at 6 in the morning and just being overall exhausted from so much travelling, by the end of the tour I just wanted to pass out. And after accomplishing goals one and two at dinner, I get that opportunity, as my family wants a siesta. Instead I stay up though, planning out Porto details with Hill.

After a few hours siesta (not the way actual Spanish do it by the way), we knock off number three on the list on Cava Baja, this street lined with great tapas restaurants. We end the night with some churros.

I would say, all in all, a good end to a good family vacation.