Oh man. This afternoon was a total bust! I had high hopes of going to the Prado, exploring Madrid some more, getting tapas, etc. I did end up hitting the Prado -- but not much else.
Before I get into the afternoon, I have to note that I had a pretty cool lunch. A couple coworkers and I went to this place that looks quite a bit like a deli counter. Instead of ordering a sandwich and leaving, though, you actually just stand at the counter and eat (and, in most cases, drink -- a lot). I ahve to say, actually, there was more drinking that eating at this particular lunch. Each round of beers (70 cents per beer, btw) came with some tapas. One round we got some disgusting paste-pockets, the next some jamon serrano sandwiches, then chorizo and potato chips. I have to say, it was great and cheap.
But then things took a turn. First off -- the Prado was huge and booorrrriiinnnngggg. Despite seeing "one of the most important paintings in the history of art" (credit: my audio guide), I really found that this type of art just bores the life out of me! Not much more to say about it. Just got bored. Combine the boredom with jet-lag, and you get NapTime! And nap I did... from 6pm to 1:30am.
At 1:30, the day picked up a bit. I woke up, called Lucia cause I miss her crap loads, and decided I'd try to find some dinner! Spaniards have a reputation for eating dinner late -- but apparently not this late. I rolled up to a few restaurants right as they were closing up shop. No big deal, I wasn't that hungry anyway. I moseyed on back to the hotel (in no rush), and poked in the hotel restaurant to see if anything was happening there...nothin. That's when I heard a ruckus like people were partying! Thinking it was a bar that was still open in another part of the hotel, I decided to investigate. Low and behold I had stumbled on a Pega Patriots game viewing party that I forgot was happening! Tons of people drinking and having a great time, so I hung out there for a bit and said hi to all the Pega folks I hadn't seen in a while. It ended up being a great night and they even had some food (pizza, wings, sliders...I made them get some Tortilla Espanola, cause -- you know...we're in spain, not the US).
At around 4:30am I went back to my room and read a bit (I'm reading the Ender Quintet, so easy and so fun), and finally around 6am I went back to sleep. 7:30am starts the next day, so stay tuned!
As this second half was a bit of a bust, and since the Prado doesn't allow photos, I don't really have any to post. I think I might have a couple on my iPhone that I'll throw in here, but don't set your expectations too high =)