Madrid, Spain
To be entirely honest, Madrid was towards the end of my month long solo journey and I was exhausted. I did a lot of slow-paced exploration and spent a good amount of time relaxing in the many parks that were just about everywhere. The Buen Retiro Park, the biggest park in Madrid, was a sprawling maze of paths through thick wooded patches with countless features scattered within. Fountains, statues, entire buildings not within site of one another. It took about half a day for me to thoroughly experience a majority of the grounds.
One part of Madrid that I did not know much about to begin with was the stadium. I am no sports fan and did not understand the significance of this stadium until I toured it one afternoon. Not only was the stadium itself massive, the history of the team was even greater. I walked beneath the stadium inside the museum past shelves upon shelves of trophies. It quickly became clear to me how strongly Real Madrid unites Spain and all of its fans with a passion for the sport, for winning, and for being a team. Standing alone in the stadium, I was able to envision thousands of cheering fans brought together by one event.
One part of Madrid that I did not know much about to begin with was the stadium. I am no sports fan and did not understand the significance of this stadium until I toured it one afternoon. Not only was the stadium itself massive, the history of the team was even greater. I walked beneath the stadium inside the museum past shelves upon shelves of trophies. It quickly became clear to me how strongly Real Madrid unites Spain and all of its fans with a passion for the sport, for winning, and for being a team. Standing alone in the stadium, I was able to envision thousands of cheering fans brought together by one event.