First Stop: Madrid

Actually, we didn't want to dedicate a post to Madrid, as it was just a layover on our journey to South America. Jan, the old penny pincher, had discovered that flights from there to Lima are significantly cheaper than direct flights from Frankfurt. However, once we arrived, it quickly became clear that Madrid has more to offer than just cheap flights. After an adventurous journey to the "Airporthotel" (an hour bus ride from the airport), we ventured into the beautiful city center of Madrid the next day (also an hour away from the hotel - I wonder where we actually ended up). So, first we were impressed by the Retiro Park, a city park of about 1kmx2km in size, famous for the Monumento a Alfonso XII and the Palacio de Cristal.

Afterwards, we made our way through the city center, passing old book markets, a traditional delicatessen market (named: Mercado de San Miguel :D), and many Catholic churches. We were particularly impressed by the Catedral de Santa Maria la Real de la Almudena. Not only because of its unpronounceable name, but also because of the mixture of modernity and tradition, as it was built over decades and was only completed in 1993.

To end this day, we admired the Palacio Real opposite the church, which seems to have been inspired by England, as it reminded us a lot of Buckingham Palace.

We should also mention the beautifully designed shopping malls in Madrid, where we were able to pass the time until our flight to Lima at 23:55, and where we will definitely return with a little more space in our luggage.

And so, Peru, hold on tight, here we come!