Built above water; walls made of fire

Wow, I cannot believe today marks our last destination! It is a strange feeling to finally accept the fact that we are on the homestretch, but nonetheless, still have time to see Spain. So we were up bright and early and were energized with a full night's rest (100% sarcasm) for our train to Madrid. It was really hard to say goodbye to Barcelona not only because of the beach, but because of the wonderful friends we made as well. Shortly after arriving to Madrid, we actually learned that the Real Madrid football team is in Ann Arbor today. Looks like we traded places! Of course, I was wearing a Michigan shirt and some local was pointing at my shirt and muttering something in Spanish. I put the pieces together and knew he was referring to the event. How weird! Well anyways, we made it to our youth hostel and were pleasantly surprised at the central location (literally the first time that ever happened to us). We were able to relax for a few moments then walk around the square and meet up for our beloved activity: the free walking tour! This one was our favorite from any city and we owe it all to our amazing tour guide. She had story after story about the city and her own experience living here, which gave us a really good mix of the history and current culture. Also, Madrid's history is insanely fascinating. The city is filled with Muslim architecture and influence, yet there is also a blend of Christianity and Jewish customs. The picture we had in front of a gated cathedral is a super interesting area. The Catholic cathedral is shown on the hill, but underneath is the historic Muslim wall. Back in history, the Muslims built the wall with flint so that when he Christains attacked the area with arrows, the wall would spark into flames and scare them away.Behind us in the picture is a fairly new fountain of the Jewish star. That particular area was once a place where all three religious groups lived in harmony, and it's a small piece of history that we learned about. After our walking tour, we came back to the hostel and took full advantage of the siesta. We only just barely woke up in time for a late dinner out on the town square with some delicious tapas (however, we both agree our tapas in Barcelona were better). We are now back in the hostel and await our final day as tourists!







- Sarah and Ruby