Day 4 - A Walking Tour

So I had another late start today.  I originally set the alarm for 8:00 but at 7:30 I turned it off.  I figure I'm making up for the lack of sleep that I had the last 3 weeks I was in the U.S.  I wound up waking up at 10:00 and feeling fantastic.  Classes start on Monday so I better take advantage now.  

I signed up for a free walking tour of the western part of Madrid which started at 2:00.  How bad could a free tour be?  I ate breakfast of yogurt and granola before I left and meandered by way to Plaza Mayor, stopping on the way to have a cafe con leche.  When I got to the Plaza I had lunch - cooked Iberian ham on toast - yummy and a glass of casa vino tinto (house red) - also yummy!!  Then I met up with my tour.  It was great!  I learned a lot about the city and palled around with a gal who's in from NY for the week.  We'll probably meet up tomorrow with one of her colleagues to tour around the city again.  

My view from lunch in the Plaza Mayor before the walking tour started.

A plaque on the ground to say that the restaurant has been around at least 100 years.  This one is in front of the oldest restaurant in the world (according to our guide).  It opened in 1725. 

The official motto of Madrid - "On water I was built, my walls are made of fire".  It's a long story.  If you want to know if, let me know in the comments and I'll explain. 

Then I was off to meet a friend and band mate of Darryl's, Matt who has been in Spain for a few years with his wife.  I'm hoping to get more information about teaching English. 

Matt was extremely generous with his time and his knowledge.  We wound up chatting for two hours over un cerveza (Matt) and una sangria (me).  He and his wife moved here from California about 6 years ago.  They both teach English over here - Matt in the corporate world, at the university level and the majority, about 3/4 is done through private tutoring.  He gave me many ideas and things to think about.  I am extremely grateful to him and I hope to get together with him and his wife in the near future. 

After meeting with Matt, I headed home.  I was pretty tired from being outside all day and walking for about 4 hours straight.  I updated my blog, made some phone calls, ate dinner and headed to bed.  Another great day!!

Thanks for reading and following my adventures!!  Feel free to reach out via the Comments section below.  I'd love to hear your thoughts, feedback, ideas, etc.