Fútbol, Helado, y Madrid (y otras cosas)

So something must have shut off in my brain sometime last night because when I awoke today, I had a very tough time putting Spanish sentences together. Factor in 5 hours of sleep and an empty stomach well into the early afternoon, and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.
So while I was dealing with this problem, I was riding a bus to Madrid. It looked as if, the powers that be would not grant us a break for the day; we didn’t get a reservation at the hostel in Madrid so we couldn’t stay there to watch the world cup game and do other things around the city, and storm clouds were ominously hovering over the mountains that we were driving through to get to Madrid. Luckily things would change for the better. I just had to wait a little while for that to happen.
The first thing I wanted to do when we arrived in Madrid, besides take lots of pictures, was find a knock-off brand Spain soccer jersey. But before we could do that, we had to go with the rest of the KIIS group to get our bearings in the city. For the first couple of hours, we toured the Plaza Mayor and the surrounding areas, I took several pictures at this time, and that would later pay off.
Nate, Alejandro, and I were released from the group with an hour to do whatever we felt like doing before lunch, and the search for the camiseta de fútbol commenced. (BTW before I go any further, I want to thank Alejandro and Nate for having the patience to come along on this search with me.) Even though the rain had cleared the area, my Spanish was still rough at best, my eyelids were heavy with fatigue, and for the life of me, we could not find a jersey in my size. After scouring virtually every souvenir shop we could with the time given, we were still empty-handed, and it was time for lunch.
We met the group in this square that resembles the structural template of Time Square in New York without all of the technology. We went to this quaint little restaurant , and had yet another great meal. Macaroni con chorizo, hamburguesa con papas fritas (hamburger with French fries.), and chocolate ice cream. While I was waiting between courses, I checked the pictures that I had taken, and realized that I happened upon a store earlier in the day that had a very wide variety of Spanish soccer jerseys, so that was the obvious next stop.
After lunch was over, we trekked over to the store and I was able to find my size and the player I wanted (the hero of this evening’s game, David Villa.) So from this point on, my day changed; My Spanish was getting better and I was happy because I had the prize that I was looking for.
The rest of the trip through Madrid consisted of more picture-taking, more shopping, and more ooing and awing at the wonderful architecture that the city has to offer.
We returned to Segovia at around 7:00, took quick showers, and ate the bocadillos that Maricarmen made for us.
Then it was out to Oso Blanco to watch the soccer game. I have always liked soccer; I played the sport for close to 14 years of my life, but never have I watched it with people that have such a passion for it. The crowd hung on every waking moment of that game, and when the final whistle blew, and Spain was on top, the place went up for grabs.
We left Oso Blanco and headed over to the Plaza Mayor, where thousands of Segovians had gathered to watch the game on a giant screen. The place was clearing out, but there were still several hundred people left celebrating, and the enthusiasm of the crowd was contagious.
Later on, we watched people celebrating outside the bars and spilling into the streets. It was a celebration reminiscent to when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. This game, however, was only a quarterfinal. I can’t imagine how big the celebration will be if they win the whole thing.
After the people-watching was done, we sat down outside of a café and had ice cream and horchata. This would be where our day would finally end, but not before a newly-wedded bride and her friends came down the street dancing to music played by two drummers and two oboe players.
Anyways, my feet hurt, I’m a little tired, and I may or may not still be hungry, but I am very satisfied with how the day went, and hope that tomorrow can live up to it.