A Pair of Panties and Boxers

'Etiopia' - Image from http://www.agencevu.com

On our last day in Madrid we slept in until the hunger pain set in. We had a buffet brunch at Fres Co, our favorite place to eat. Then we strolled around the neighborhood and ended up in Salamanca, the ritzy, snooty area of Madrid (according to Lonely Planet). We’ve seen much of Madrid in the last few days and so we decided to go wherever the wind blew and get lost in the city one last time. There’s always something to do in every corner of Madrid.

We visited the Biblioteca Nacional de Espana where they had a malaria exhibition. Unfortunately it was all in Spanish and I didn’t understand a thing. It didn’t take us very long to see the entire exhibit. When we came out, it was rainy and windy. We ducked into what we thought was a train station. It was actually the entrace to the Teatro Fernan Gomez. There was an exhibition called “Etiopia”

This exhibition was done by Juan Manuel Castro Preito over the span of four years and four trips to Ethiopia. His pictures show Ethiopia’s culture and diversity in it’s people due to the blend of Christians and Muslims. Castro highlights his focus by blurring out certain aspects of the photo, regardless of the perspective of distance.

Columbus Circle

When we walked out of the exhibition, the rain was gone and the sun was out. Mother Nature was kind of temperamental that day. We sat in a circle dedicated to Christopher Columbus, basked in the sun and watched kids skateboard around us. There was a statue in the circle that tells the story of Christopher Columbus and his voyage with the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria.

Throughout our entire trip, we were so exhausted at the end of the day that we just collapsed in the hotel. We never got to see Madrid at night so we decided to stay out late tonight. We spent the rest of the day getting lost in the small cobblestone streets of Madrid. I wanted to buy souvenirs but I didn’t want the usual postcards and shot glasses. I wanted one with a story.

I remembered the fans the Chinese migrant workers were selling. It’s not something that would be considered authentically Madrid but it’s one with a story that no one else who has visited Madrid would have. We set out on a mission to find them. We walked toward the Plaza Mayor and retraced our steps from the day before but no luck. Then we realized that they were probably selling fans the other day because the weather was so warm.

Palacio Real at night

As dusk began to set, we made our way to the Plaza de Oriente. We sat down on one of the stone benches facing the Palacio Real and absorbed everything around us. This was our last night here. Adios Madrid.