Lost in Translation: Day 2 - Madrid and Sevilla

My second day began with a 3 hour bike tour of Madrid. It was a fantastic way to visit the entire city, with all the important landmarks, in such a short period of time. It turned out the other biker cancelled, so it was my own personal tour! My guide did a great job telling me the history of the city and the particular buildings, and showed me lots of interesting non-tourist spots too (like a small guitar making shop that has been in one family for many, many years). There is no way I would have been able to see all of this on my own, so I am really glad to have done it!

In the afternoon, I travelled via high speed train to Sevilla. Sevilla is an old, old city, with tiny streets that create a maze. When I arrived, the sun had already set so the streets were dark. They were also packed with people, basically ever inch was full. My cab driver could not get me close to my hotel because the streets were closed, so he pointed down a small alley, and told me to go right. I said thanks! However, when I turned right, I found a maze of streets. I had no map. I asked as many people as I could for help, and it was a miracle I made it!

My evening was spent eating a nice meal, exploring the streets, and taking lots of pictures. It was so nice to get to my hotel knowing I would stay there for two nights. I could actually unpack a bit! The hotel was great - it was nice and small, and the staff were very helpful. I was told which restaurants were a must, and which sites I had to see in the time I had. And again, it was right in the city, in the heat of it all!

Here are some pics!

The start of the bike tour. A nice view overlooking the outskirts of Madrid.

This is the Palacio Real, or the Royal Palace. A very large building, surrounded by official gaurds. While there, we even caught the changing of the gaurds ceremony!