Juanes in Madrid Wednesday night!
Fue un concierto maravilloso!
It's 12:30 a.m., and I just returned from the Juanes concert! It was incredible and Juanes is such a talented musician, one of the best Latin singers today. I have wanted to attend one of his concerts since my friends and I bought our first Juanes CD when we were living in Puerto Rico in 2001. We heard one of his songs on the radio a day or two after we arrived, found out who he was, and my friend bought the CD in a music store in San Juan. Has it really been 10 years?
It took 10 years, but it was well worth the wait. Juanes played for 1 hour and 50 minutes and the entire Palacio de Deportes (venue) crowd was on its feet, including the four of us. He played most of my favorite songs ("A Dios le pido," "Mala gente," "La camisa negra," "Es por ti," "Fotografia," "Me enamora," "Y no regreses" and so many other). He even performed two I had never heard before. The only one he didn't sing that I was hoping to hear was "La historia de Juan," one of the songs my students most enjoy hearing each year even though it is a sad one. We had great seats almost in the center of the arena and could see everything. The light show and visuals during the concert really added to the energy in the place. The concert would have been phenomenal even without the added aesthetics. Juanes thanked his fans several times in between songs and you could tell by his voice that he was genuine. Tonight's concert was probably the best one I've ever attended, and I would love to see him perform in the United States again soon. Mana, my favorite Spanish rock band, is actually going to be in Madrid in September. I really hope to see them in concert some day, too!
Before the concert, I spent the day around Madrid doing a little more sightseeing and making some plans for my upcoming trip to Granada. I decided to go into the Starbucks just down from my hostel this morning for some breakfast. I was going to take a few pictures inside but the employee behind the counter quickly scolded me for taking a picture of the menu. Afterward, I returned to the hostel and bought my ticket to visit the Alhambra in Granada on Saturday. I'll write a lot more about the Alhambra in the coming days, but it is the most visited spot in all of Granada and it's a good idea to get your tickets ahead of time because they only let so many people in each day. I thought I was going to have to pick up the ticket in Granada once I arrive Thursday but I discovered there was a place just down the road from my hostel where I could retrieve it. It was kind of like a Ticketmaster but a little different because the place where I picked up the ticket is also a bank.
By noon, I had my ticket in hand and was ready to see a little more of Madrid, as this will be my last day here and I won't be coming back before returning home. I returned to the Plaza de las Cibeles because the Palacio de Comunicaciones building is located near-by. I posted some pictures of this building a couple of weeks ago, but it is absolutely stunning. Its construction is a mix of North American monumental style from the Gothic period but it also has a Renaissance look to it. The building is used for the central post office, as well as the city hall. I visited the building when I was here a couple of weeks ago but I missed the chance to go to the top of it, where you can walk around and get a great overview of Madrid from its tower. They gave me a ticket to go to the top at 1 p.m., so I had about 30 minutes to wait. While waiting, I took a quick stroll through Retiro Park again and then went back. The elevator takes you up the first six stories and you walk up stairs for the last two to reach the top. The weather here was perfect again today and the skies were clear, which provided amazing views of Madrid from all sides. I'll post some pictures below from the top. I could only spend 15 minutes at the top, as they limit the number of people who are up there by giving each group one-fourth of an hour to take in the views. I asked if they were open at night, as the view from the top would be amazing. Unfortunately, 7 p.m. is the latest, and it doesn't get dark here until 10 p.m. or 10:30 p.m.
Afterward, I walked around the Gran Via Avenue some more and went inside the Corte Ingles to look around. The Corte Ingles is the name of the big mall in Spain. It's one big store that is usually six to seven stories high. You can find everything there: a grocery store, clothing, electronics, sporting goods, etc. I walked around for about an hour but didn't buy anything. I'm still waiting to get my souvenirs in Barcelona next week so I don't have to carry everything around in the backpack I brought with me. Afterward, I had lunch at a place that serves tapas as sandwiches. I had four little sandwiches and some chips, and it was a great lunch. I'll post some pictures below of these little sandwiches. I saw another movie after lunch and then came back to get ready for the Juanes' concert.
It was another great day in Madrid. I'll miss Madrid but am looking forward to seeing Granada in southern Spain before making my way up to Barcelona to spend the last week. My bus leaves around 11:30 a.m. Thursday for Granada and it's a five-hour trip. I'll be staying near the Plaza Nueva in Granada, just a short walk from the Alhambra. I'll update from Granada tomorrow night. Buenas noches!
Hasta pronto,
--Justin
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