Wanderings Around Madrid: Other Things We Saw and Did

Madrid is a city that causes you to wander either intentionally or accidentally with its maze of streets running in all directions. Here are some things we did and saw along the way that we haven't mentioned yet: 

We went to the Reina Sofia and Prado Museums during their free admission hours, and the Prado was our favorite. We don't have photos from either, because it wasn't permitted.

"King" Pauley wearing his Grand Rapids Football Club t-shirt at the Real Madrid stadium

Walking the streets of Madrid

A fountain in Parque del Oeste

Waiting to take a 2.5 km gondola ride from Parque del Oeste to Casa de Campo. The gondola had an audio program where it took on a personality with a creepily, enthusiastic voice (think Dora the Explorer) and narrated the sights of Madrid. 

Pauley prepping his camera for the gondola ride

A rose garden near the gondola that has yet to bloom

Part of Madrid with a mountain range in the background

Caught in the act of taking pictures

Overhead view of the river cutting through Madrid with the palace in the background

Looking back from over Casa De Campo park

View from the hill in Casa de Campo where the gondola deposited us

Brandon running down the hill pretending he's on a mountain bike

Some cool looking trees at the bottom of the hill

Testing the playground equipment

Brandon admiring a pirate ship playground in the park. Ahoy!

Brandon and I checked out a rock climbing gym in Madrid. Honestly, it was a disappointment. There were only a handful of top ropes and barely any routes set anywhere throughout the gym. We spent most of our time amusing ourselves by creating routes for each other. 

Hanging out in the boulder area making up routes for Brandon to try 

And, finally, a very important part of our trip: The elf figurine in our apartment that we kept hiding in random places for each other to find and be scared by