My Life in Madrid

Well, I thought I had gone to a palace on Thursday night when we went to the club, Palacio Gaviria, in Sol, but I was wrong. After our exams Monday morning, Danielle and I headed out for an afternoon at the Palacio Real de Madrid. The king and queen no longer live at the palace, but it was beautiful! I now realize why marble is so expensive. It’s because back in the day, while building all of these phenomenal palaces, they used it all. Hehe. But in all honesty, it was breathtaking. Walking towards the palace through Plaza de Oriente filled with hedges, gardens, statues (including the famous horse statue) and water fountains, the palace got grander and grander.  

Finally finding the entrance, Danielle and I went inside. We weren’t allowed to take pictures, but the rooms were exquisite. We saw the king’s quarters and the queen’s quarters in addition to the Royal Chapel covered in gold, lovely vases from the 18^th century, fine silver, portraits and even the Royal Pharmacy. This room was filled with hundreds of bottles with cures for possibly every sickness. They even had their own distillery in the back. It was pretty impressive. The palace itself was impressive. However, if I ever had the option of living in it, I don’t think I would. The marble makes the hallways so cold. The main courtyard in the center, Patio del Príncipe, didn’t have any grass – it was only white stone. Maybe it would be livelier with if it were filled with flowers. Plus, I think I would get lonely living in such a big place.  

After a self tour of the royal rooms, Danielle and I decided to head towards Plaza de España. It was a beautiful day for a stroll. On our way and adjacent to the palace we saw the beautiful Sabatini Gardens. These gardens were stunning with fountains, pools, statues, benches, huge maze-like hedges and an astounding amount of flowers. It was so pretty. I would love to have a garden like that in my backyard, so long as I had a gardener. The upkeep would be impossible! Finally, Danielle and I made it to Plaza de España, had a coffee break and headed back to study for our exams.