Madrid, Spain

I arose out of my bed at 11:00, showered, dressed, and got ready to see the Royal Palace today (Michelangelo had bought two tickets, reserved for a 12:30 entrance). After 12:00, Michelangelo and I walked westward to the Royal Palace, reaching it at 12:36. The Royal Palace of Madrid is built on the site of a ninth-century AD Alcázar (an Iberian castle), which had been destroyed by a fire in 1734 AD; the current palace was subsequently built (designed by Italian architects) and eventually occupied by the King of Spain, Charles III, in 1764 AD; later on, during the nineteenth-century, a thorough renovation occurred, as well as some restorations after the Spanish Civil War. After having our reserved tickets checked, Michelangelo and I entered inside and we made our way across the Plaza de la Armeria to the Royal Armory. We walked around the armory, looking at all the different weapons, shields, and armor protective wear (no photographs were allowed inside – boo Spain) before exiting the building and walking to a viewpoint that looks out at the western part of Madrid. Next, we continued on to the palace proper, entered inside, and walked up the grand staircase. We then toured the different royal apartments (no photographs were allowed inside past the grand staircase), including the Throne Room and Banqueting Hall (with its very long dining table). After touring the royal apartments, we exited back down the grand staircase and came once again to the Plaza de la Armeria. After taking the obligatory photographs of each other standing in front of the palace, we then exited the site (overall, there wasn’t much to see from what was open to the public and our visit did not take that long) and walked eastward to the city center. We then stopped at a café where I had an iced coffee (that tasted okay) and a green smoothie comprised of various healthy fruits and vegetables (that tasted great and was perfect for a morning after drinking too much alcohol and not enough water). After our stop in the café, we returned to the apartment. Both of us were still tired and disinterested in doing anything other than taking it easy for the rest of the day, so we relaxed inside the apartment and I took a nap. Eventually, around 21:00, we left the apartment to eat dinner. We walked to a nearby Spanish restaurant and I had beer and breaded veal steaks with fried green peppers and chilies. After dinner, Michelangelo and I returned to the apartment and relaxed some more. We considered going out to see the nightlife one last time, but decided against it. Instead, I opened a bottle of Moscato d’Asti (DOCG) and ate an assortment of cheese I had bought earlier. After finishing that bottle of wine, we opened a bottle of Spanish red wine and drank its contents. Finally, after 03:00, I went to sleep.