With the dawn on our final day in Madrid, it was unbelievable that the trip was coming to an end. The week had been a blur of architecture, art, tapas, and many “wow” moments, but today would leave its own unique mark.

With one of the latest starts of the trip at 10:30am, we were able to get some extra sleep in. Before setting out for the day, we had breakfast at the hotel, which was served buffet style with everything from fruit, to eggs, to ham, to pastries, and more. The breakfast was always immaculate and a perfect way to help wake up and energize each day. Then, we set out, boarding the bus still half-asleep but buzzing with anticipation. Where were we going? Our destination was the Valle de los Caídos, or Valley of the Fallen, which was renamed to Valle de Cuelgamuros, or Valley of the Hanging Walls in 2022. I’d heard it was a controversial site, grand, solemn, and steeped in Spain’s complex political history, but nothing could have prepared me for the scale of it.

Carved from the Guadarrama hills, the Valley of the Fallen is dominated by a colossal stone cross, standing at 150 meters high and recognizable miles away. Fun fact: the cross is the largest cross in the world when measured from the base of the cross to the top of the cross. The basilica, tunnelled half-way into the hillside, is dark and cold-iced. It’s a site of remembrance and provocation, built under the Franco regime and once the resting place of his tomb before he was relocated in 2019 because the Valley of the Fallen is a resting place for those who died during the Spanish Civil War, and because Franco didn’t die until around 35 years after the war ended, he was removed after many people pushed for him to be removed. Walking through the enormous stone halls, accompanied by statues and veiled from the sun, I was filled with wonder and dread. History held heavy upon this place, the world’s attention in no way came close to diminishing the significance this was not an edifice at all, but a reflection upon the stresses and recollections of a country learning to forgive and forget. Our guide gave perspective, defining the lives lost in the Spanish Civil War, slave labor used in its construction, and how Spain still grapples with its past. An example of this is that when we were standing around Franco’s old tomb discussing Spain’s history, there were two men waiting for us to walk away in order to pay their respects to Franco at his old tomb. Altogether, the visit to the Valley of the Fallen was a humbling and strong experience unlike many others.

After returning to Madrid around midday/early afternoon, the mood shifted. Having the remainder of the afternoon to ourselves, some of us wandered around the lively streets in search of last-minute souvenirs. First, I stopped at a souvenir shop in order to pick up some gifts for friends and family. This included magnets, bracelets, and a shirt. Afterwards, we kept walking around the city and some of us wanted to get some jewelry for family members, so we visited a couple different local stores. I ended up getting a necklace and some earrings.

Finally, the evening rolled around and we were off to our farewell dinner at La Taberna de Peñalver Cava Baja. The restaurant serves a wide variety of paellas consisting of beef, chicken, pork, seafood, vegetarian, and more, and all of them sounded delicious. Additionally, there was an open window into the kitchen, where you could see the paellas being made as we walked in, and this made me even more excited as we were scouring the menu. Eventually, my table ended up ordering a chicken and a pork paella. After much waiting, the paellas arrived. There was a beautiful aroma in the air from the smell of the paellas and they were delivered in the massive pans they were cooked in. Before my first bite, I could tell they would be amazing and after my first bite I knew they were amazing. For dessert, I got a mango sorbet with fresh mango and pineapple, and it was one of the most delicate and refreshing dishes I have ever tasted.

Lastly, it is never simple to leave. But Madrid gave so much to me. And as I closed my suitcase that night, I did not figure that I was ending a chapter, I believed I was starting a new one. One day I will come back, but in the meantime, I carry a small bit of Madrid with me, wedged between my mementos and stories.