Day 2 in Madrid

Day 2 in Madrid!  I'll try to keep the dialogue to a minimum and let the pictures tell most of the story.

We just happened to be in Madrid for San Isidro, a festival celebrating the patron saint of Madrid. We headed back to La Puerta del Sol to watch some of the traditional dancing, but found the place far too packed to see much.

Afterward Brooklyn introduced us to this amazing shop called the "Flying Tiger." She describes it as a lovely cross between IKEA and the Dollar Tree. Jason's never wanted a coffee maker so much in his life. After all, air never tasted better.

This journal would have been perfect for Brooklyn.

This was quite possibly the fanciest McDonald's I've ever been in. With marble floors and golden columns, it elevated fast-food Madrid style.

Next stop? Brooklyn's favorite department store, Primark!

Talia left with cute new shorts and Annika picked up a second sweatshirt since the weather was chilly. Little did we know we needn't bother...a heat wave was soon to come.

Brooklyn then introduced us to this amazing restaurant, Honest Greens. The sweet potato fries were amazing! I think I could eat there every day and never grow tired of it.

As much as we would have loved to dine out every meal, in general we picked up baguettes and charcuterie to save on food. I think Annika gave most of her picnic fare to the pigeons. Even without a heart transplant, having a pigeon on your lap is kinda gross. We soon had to lay down some new ground rules about touching the wildlife.

As an afternoon thundershower headed in, we skipped over to the Prado to enjoy some art. Jason didn't realize he wasn't allowed to take pictures, so I have this one photograph that he took before security informed him otherwise. I really enjoyed seeing Las Meninas by Velazquez--it's so much more impactful in person. It's really impossible to get a sense of scale from a textbook. I also loved Bosch's whimsical Garden of Earthly Delights. Goya's Saturn Devouring His Son is even more disturbing in real life. As for Annika, her general conclusion was that the entire place had far too many naked people.

After the Prado, I was bushed and ready to hang in the apartment for some chill time. Brooklyn and Jason, however, headed out to play some volleyball with los Jovenes Adultos. And whaddayaknow? They ran into Elder Holman from our Emigration stake! What a beautifully small world.

Stay tuned for more adventures! (And may my current adventures not involve any more flight delays...)