As this trip has gone on, I have realized that writing a blog post for every single thing we do has gotten a lot more difficult because we literally do so much. So, buckle down because I have a lot to share!
It was about two weeks ago now that we had our day trip to Escorial, Valle de los Caídos, and Manzanares El Real.
Escorial is a small town up in the mountains near Madrid and was very windy and cold. The weather is a huge factor, in my book at least, of how the trip will be enjoyed, and because of the cold and wind, our group struggled, but we still had a fantastic time being together. Escorial has a huge monastery called El Escorial, and it is still in business. We did not see any monks unfortunately...
Next up, on the same day, was Manzanares El Real. I thought this little town was a lot of fun. We went to the Palace there, which on one side has a lake and the other side mountains. This place would be really awesome for kids, and that is probably why I liked it! There was a little museum in the beginning explaining the hows and the whys and then, you could go anywhere in the palace. There were many rooms to explore, a spiral staircase to climb, and the towers to explore. I loved just being able to walk around and play pretend with the few souls that can handle my childlike-ness.
Also on the same day we visited Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen). Now, this place was jaw dropping and also very sad. This monument (the one with the cross in the pictures) was built after the Civil War here in Spain while Franco was in power. It is supposed to honor all those who lost their lives in the war, and true, it does, but sadly, it took more lives than honored them. Franco put the prisoners of war to work on this monument and over 40,000 people lost their lives and are buried beneath the monument. Also, in this monument is a huge basilica about the size of 3 football fields and Franco's tomb. It was definitely a sight to go see, but the sad part is, many families here in Spain have never seen it and refuse to because they have personally lost family members to the building of this monument.
Now, because I am bunching what should be two blog posts together, I have got to tell you about a fun day in Madrid from also about two weeks ago. There is this cute park called Parque Retiro, which is like the Central Park of Madrid. If you go all the way to the middle of the park, there is a large lake with the cutest row boats for way cheap! I have gone back twice now and still loved it! We also visited the Palacio Real and took a tour of it this time. That place is as huge and intricate as the outside. One of the rooms was made completely of porcelain. The walls, the statues, the furniture- all porcelain! And highlight of Madrid day? Seeing El Rey León the musical! I have seen it before, and in English, and let me tell you- I loved it even more seeing it again and in Spanish! We also had amazing seats, right in the front and on the aisle and if you have been before, you know you want to be near the aisle for this one!
Spain is treating me so. well. I have learned so much of the culture, the language, and many things about myself in less than 3 months. I am so insanely grateful for this experience I have been blessed with and I am also grateful for all the support I receive from back home and from all of y'all that read my posts. With the little time I have left here, I promise to do a better job keeping y'all updated!
xoxo,
Lyds
No comments:
Post a Comment