¡Estoy aqui!

So I didn't have time to write anything yesterday, but I actually got in from Frankfurt around noon local time. The flight was okay - the TV monitor on the seat in front of me was broken so I couldn't watch movies or anything, but other than that, everything was just fine!  I think I would like to visit Germany someday.  Everyone at the airport, even just the citizens, were so friendly and helpful.  I was so impressed by everything  and everyone at the airport, which I suppose is a strange place to be wowed by, but I was!

The flight to Madrid was quick and I actually managed to sleep, which I didn't on the way to Frankfurt, so that was nice.  A program representative came and picked me up, and then I took the bus back to the hotel. Then, the group went out to take a tour of Madrid and we saw the royal palace - the palace is supposedly the "official residence of the royalty of Spain," except for none of them actually live there!

You would have to see this place to believe it.  It was so ornate and beautiful on the inside.  Every ceiling looked similar to the Sistine Chapel; every piece of furniture was intricately carved.  It was what you would expect from a palace I suppose, but it was still pretty awesome to see up close.  There were no photos allowed inside, but I do have a picture of me by the outside of the castle:

At first, I was sort of confused about how Madrid was any different from all the other big cities in the United States.  There are definitely a lot of streets that resemble Chicago or New York, but some of the older streets have their own unique charm.  I was especially a fan of the cute flower boxes that were attached to the outside of every apartment on the narrow streets:

¡Que bonita!

Here's another picture of one of the old-fashioned streets of Madrid:

Palm tree indicates that Madrid is HOT

Since we were on a guided tour that moved quite quickly, it was a little difficult to get pictures in Madrid.  However, I was really impressed by the cathedral that we saw.  Here's a picture:

Yesterday was a big day, but I actually had a great time in Segovia today and quite preferred it to Madrid.  Segovia is a medieval city, but there are also modern touches.  I thought it was so charming.  I will probably post about that tomorrow - the Internet connection here isn't so great.  Tomorrow, we are heading out to Bilbao, so I'll finally get to see my new home for the next month.