20250410 Spain Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Madrid

20250410 Day 3 schedule, Breakfast- Hotel, Real Madrid training- (Morning), Afternoon stadium tour and Dinner at the Hotel. Just like cattle we were loaded onto the bus and dropped off at the outlet in Las Rozas Village. Normally I would be all excited about checking out an outlet in another country, but the last thing I need are more clothes especially when my suitcase is overflowing now, as was Sharyn’s.

Sharyn and I pose for the Bold and the Beautiful, ya think we have a chance.😳 

The very proud QLD and NSW team with their coaches.

After the the boys completed their training the bus returned to pick us up and drop us off at Las Rozas Village. The village's architecture has styles, which was influenced by the story of a Spanish prince and references to European cities, as well as Eastern architectural style.

The village has over 100 boutiques offering a variety of fashion and lifestyle brands, with year-round discounts and the most important, restaurants and cafes, coffee please.

Strolling the shopping village when we came upon a pretty butterfly, kiss it and set it free.

The butterfly is also known as the common yellow swallowtail or simply the swallowtail, but check it out, it was more than happy being rescued from the ground by Sharyn.

After browsing through the shops we all meet in a park just up the road where the kids played and the parents relaxed until our bus arrives at 1pm. We piled onto the bus for our next adventure, “the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium”. On our way we pass many sites and I did try to manage some photos along the way but being in a bus is much more difficult than driving in a car.

Passing the Manzanares River, a river in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula, which flows from the Sierra de Guadarrama, passes through Madrid, and eventually empties into the Jarama river, which in turn is a right-bank tributary to the Tagus which is 92 kilometres long.

The boys had a great sing along at the back of the bus with three of their coaches Fabio, Rodrigo and Marcus. I’m not sure who were the kids but they certainly kept them entertained singing all the way to the stadium. It was so good to see them all having a super time together before the serious training begins.

Wow! Check this place out, “The Real Madrid Stadium” What impressive architecture and one of Spains most treasured soccer field, it has a retractable roof and a seating capacity of 78,297, the stadium has the second-largest seating capacity for a football stadium in Spain.

Real Madrid has been the home stadium since its completion in 1947. Madrid ranks first in the all-time club ranking.

The stadium stands right in the heart of the Spanish capital and it certainly stands out as one of the main attractions in this photo.

The Spanish fans have fond memories of the UEFA Champions League final when Real Madrid won the match by a two-goal margin and took home the prestigious trophy. The final between BVB and Real Madrid took place at Wembley Stadium in London, but was broadcast live to the Bernabéu Stadium in Madrid on a giant screen cube.

Once inside the boys were off and running and some even getting into trouble for leaving their parents side, but this place can be overwhelming. The walls and isles are covered in trophies not to mention the memorabilia, I’m not into soccer but even I found this place interesting.

So here’s Hamish inside the Real Madrid, not the biggest in the world but it’s very exciting for these boys and let’s not forget the parents.

The walls a lit up with the players from the past and present.

The Real Madrid Stadium and we are standing in it, wow.  

Check out that look on Hamish’s face, he looks in awe of this place.

The QLD and NSW boys with their coaches stand proud overlooking the Stadium.

Hamish checks out the many trophies won from all over the world.

Check out theses crazy pair enjoying the moment.

The Real Madrid crest blends historical and modern design elements featuring the interlocking initials "MCF" (Madrid Club de Fútbol), a royal crown, and a diagonal stripe. The "MCF" signifies the club's original name and is rendered in a stylized font. The royal crown, with intricate embellishments, represents the club's "Real" title, given by King Alfonso XIII in 1920. The diagonal stripe, originally purple, now a bold color, symbolizes the Castile region. The emblem's color palette predominantly features blue and gold, representing the club's regal heritage and excellence.

I found this information on one of the all great  soccer player, Cristiano Ronaldo, is a part of Real Madrid's legacy and will forever be remember as one of the great icons throughout the club's history. He was unveiled at the Santiago Bernabéu on 6 July 2009, since that day the goals just kept coming. He netted 451 times in 438 competitive appearances with Real Madrid (averaging over a goal a game).

Check out these clowns, Hamish, Cauan and Jeffery complements of Mal.

The boys had a wonderful time checking out the Real Madrid Stadium, an opportunity of a life time and one I’m sure they will never forget.

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