Plaza Mayor, Madrid, España

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Determined to own a legitimate Spanish passport stamp (and not just a discounted stamp for spending a half hour running to catch another plane in the Madrid airport), I booked an overnight layover in Madrid to break up a long trip from the Tel Aviv to Honolulu.
The flight arrived late and I took the Metro just in time for the Real Madrid fútbol match fans to pour into the rail system. Squeezed and squished with my carry-ons held close, listening to four men rap in Spanish while drunk locals panicked that they missed their stop, I had a very lovely conversation with a Canadian couple who had just witnessed the fútbol spectacle and enjoyed the jam-packed Metro ride for the cultural enthusiasm of the fans as much as I did.
I took the train to Puerta del Sol and walked to a beautiful, quiet, and efficiently-run Hotel Liabeny where I promptly went to sleep. Waking up early in the morning to make the most of my layover, I entered the cobbled streets and city plazas before the city woke up. I was enamored with the calm and clean Sunday morning streets after such a wild fútbol night. Churros and chocolate, pastries from La Mallorquina, and a spot of coffee kept me on my toes while I gathered my coat about me and explored the cool, crisp, and quiet streets.
My walking tour took me through the Plaza Mayor where I arrived in time to see the sun's brilliant beams reflect off the street stones, through the archway, and into the plaza. Men quietly set up their coins for the Sunday morning antiques market and the statue of King Philip III stood proudly in the center of the square. But it was the beauty in the exact moment of morning light that caught my photographer's eye; along with the hope that a crisp and sunny Sunday morning brings to the world.
Location: Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain

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