Madrid Numero Dos: Adele!

The weekend after Spring Break, I went back to Madrid to see Adele in concert. I went with three other exchange students, Hailey, Sabina and Kim. We left on Friday morning. Our cab driver showed up half an hour late, so it was also one of the fastest rides I've taken here. Somehow, even when it seems like a crash is inevitable, the driver manages to avoid it.

Kim found a really nice hostel, which was a little out of the way, but worth it. Our room was set up like a hostel, but we got it to ourselves and there was a laptop! Once we settled in for a little bit, we took the metro back into Madrid for dinner. We headed back to Salad and Co., for buffet number two! Hailey and Sabina's friend Carrie, who studies at Oxford, joined us!

Along with salad, the buffet also featured a large fruit selection. We decided we wanted a pineapple, so we got one. In an all you can eat buffet, nothing is off limits, right? :)

The next day, we wandered around Madrid and did some shopping. In Morocco, we haven't come across many normal clothing stores, so I haven't bought much (aside from about seven or eight scarves). This is probably fortunate. In Madrid, there is great shopping, and I definitely bought more than I should have! Also, the exchange rate is not good news for my wallet...I did get some new shoes, which was exciting. The ones I have been wearing for our trips here (which have entailed trudging through sand, rain and everything in between) are getting a little old. I also came across some harem pants (basically Aladdin pants haha), but they were too expensive. Hopefully, I can find some for a decent price this weekend in Chefchaouen!

We had a little trouble finding the venue for the concert, but it wasn't too bad. When we got there, the line was wrapped around the block!

When we finally got in, there was a bit of a fiasco with Hailey's camera. They made her leave it behind a desk (and pay for it too). Apparently they thought she was going to take really good pictures? It's a nice camera, but the whole ordeal was a little silly. Once that was over, everyone was excited for the concert to start! Hailey and Sabina were ready for Adele! :) 

We picked spots on the railing of the balcony, which was still pretty close to the stage. It was a pretty small venue, which surprised me, considering how popular Adele is right now. At one point, Hailey, Sabina and Carrie headed to the main floor to get drinks. An older lady walked up and took their spots on the rail. I didn't want to be rude, but figured she should know that people were already standing there. When I told her, in Spanish, she responded, "Veo nadie! NADIE!" (I see no one). After a few seconds of huffing and cursing, she left. 

Adele was absolutely incredible. Every song was just as good, if not better, than the recorded tracks. She is such an amazing artist and one that is totally worth seeing live! The concert seemed short, but was great! Our tickets, which were only 29 euro, were worth every penny! 

The next day (Sunday), we ate breakfast in our hotel. We had two coupons, which allowed two people to eat for 14 euro. While we were eating, a hostess came up and gave us our bill, charging each of us 14 euro. At first, she tried to tell us that our coupons weren't valid. Then, as we tried to put fruit and other food in our bags to eat at the airport, she started yelling and literally taking food off of our table. She made Hailey open up her bag and hand her some of the food she had taken to eat for lunch. Slightly ridiculous? Yes. Other than that, Madrid was wonderful! If anyone is considering seeing Adele in concert (she is touring in the US this summer), I HIGHLY recommend it! You won't regret it! :)