Today we took a tour of Madrid, first on foot, then by bus. I have to say, all these scheduled events are making me tired. Thankfully, after we got done at 14:30, we were given the rest of the day off until tomorrow morning. A much needed siesta was taken by many of us, since everyone was out and about in Madrid last night till the wee hours of the morning.
Anyways, during the tour we got to see the three different zones of Madrid. The area of the Hapsburgs (Las Austrias), the area of the Bourbons (Los Borbónes), and modern Madrid. Most of the city seems to be a shrine to Carlos Tercero, of the Bourbon dynasty. He seems to have had the greatest impact on the city of Madrid. Anyways we walked through the city and then took a tour of El Palacio Real. It's really cool that the royal family still uses some of the palace for various ceremonies. Apparently the Spanish World Cup winning team was received by King Juan Carlos, and Queen Sofia in El Palacio Real. What I don't understand is why NONE of the Queen's quarters of the past are open to the public. We only get to see where the various kings lived.
Me in front of El Palacio Real. And now I'll explain the title of my blog. On the flag of Madrid, there is a picture of a bear reaching up and grabbing food from a tree. This symbolizes an agreement that happened between the State and the Church that happened around the 13th century, I think. The two factions were arguing over who had the right to the land, and what the land produced. A compromise was eventually reached, and it was agreed that the Church had the right to the land, but what the land produced belonged to the state. The flag is a symbol of this agreement. A pretty cool story in my opinion
Tomorrow we head off to Toledo, though we will return to Madrid for the evening. More adventures.
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