Sunday Adventures

This morning I woke up and went for a run in El Retiro, a giant park by my house.  It was just what my brain needed and my body wanted.  Or vice versa.  There is definitely more to come later on this park, it is simply awesome, and I am in the process of collecting enough material to do a whole post on it, I've been there 5 times now and I still haven't seen all of it.  But there are so many people running there, and lots of people wearing shirts from races in Madrid.  I am tempted to sign up for maybe a 10k sometime while I'm here.  My goal is to try to run at least 3 times a week, so we'll see how I can keep up on that.


Being outside in the crisp air and windy sunny environment just felt too good after the run and short ab exercise on the grass that I decided to go out exploring. Adventure is out there! But first I had to come home to pack some provisions and add some more layers to my workout attire. I kept on the running clothes, but added my snuggly ear warmer head band, another long sleeve shirt, and my purple hoodie.  Definitely looked like a weirdo for Madrid standards...people don't usually leave the house without a minimum layer of makeup and some cute boots and fashionable clothes.  I also packed some snacks: water, carrots, a tangerine, nuts, and bought a persimmon on the way.  Don't know why I was feeling only orange food... Needless to say I got some really strange looks on the metro dressed in my outfit, with my hood on (did I mention it was freezing today?) and munching on a raw carrot like Bugs Bunny.

Old couple feeding the birds some pan

I made my way to Casa de Campo, another park via the metro.  Took the long way (adventure route) to get there, and got off about 2 stops too early, kind of on purpose, but it was kind of a silly idea.  I walked through a neighborhood semi on the outskirts of town, but I made it eventually to Casa de Campo. The place where I entered was at a cute lake with restaurants around it.  I walked around the lake and into the trails a little bit.  There is also a zoo, amusement park, tennis courts, an arena, running trails, and gardens all in the park.  This park also backs up onto the river that I talked about a few posts ago.  It is a giant park.  A teléferico also runs from the bank of the river into the heart of the park.  Maybe I'll get on it someday.  I definitely want to go back to Casa de Campo to run around in the park, and next time I won't take the adventure route...

I walked around for a little, got my intake of vitamin D, wrote in my moleskine on a sunny bench (thanks Stan) and then headed back home since it was frigid. My chapped lips are definitely reminding me of the arid environment of Madrid.

Another exciting note: Not only did a woman ask me for directions in the metro station today, but I actually helped her! Thats a first!

View of the church from the river

View of the palace from the river

I decided to buy some flowers for Pilar on the way home as a little Sunday gift and to thank her for being an awesome host mom.  We've really bonded in the last few days.  I helped her make dinner, and we were talking about our families, etc... I learned that Sergey is adopted from Russia (hence the Russian name) so I'm pretty sure Pilar has never been married before, since she went to Russia to get Sergey alone. That night we all watched Ratatouille (in Spanish with Spanish subtitles). It really helped my Spanish and I understood pretty much the whole movie.  Yesterday was great too; Pilar had a hole in her sock because she has "Egyptian feet," where her second toe is longer than the other.  Next thing I know, Sergey, Pilar and I all have are shoes and socks off and are comparing feet...  This afternoon I even helped Sergey a little with his English homework.


Last night before school starts, so I decided to stay in with Sergey and Pilar, do a little skyping, reading, and mentally prepare for the semester, which will surely be different than any other semester I've had before...and not only because all my classes will be in Spanish.

El Escorial

On Saturday I decided it was time for a mini travel adventure.  El Real Sitio de San Lorenzo de El Escorial was the perfect day trip out of Madrid.  It taught me how to navigate the bus system a little bit, and was just a short ride up into the suburbs of Madrid.  

The town reminded me of a small Swiss mountain town, surrounded by pretty hills, with crisper weather than in the city, small narrow cobblestone streets, and a view of Madrid.  

However, El Escorial is really why people come to visit this cute little town.  El Escorial is a monastery, palace, church, tomb, school...you name it.  It was built in the 16th century by Felipe II, who actually died in the palace (on the tour, you see Felipe's bed in the same exact spot as when he died) and he is also buried in the tomb that exists in the basement of the palace. Surprisingly, this massive structure, which seems to go on forever, only took 20 years to build, and there is an exhibit on the tour that shows you some of the original drawings, plans, and tools used to build this behemoth of a building. There was also an awesome library, with several collections of really old books, a church that still is used for religious services, beautifully groomed gardens, and numerous art pieces. If I were Felipe, I would be proud to say I have a personal library, church, cemetery (a little creepy), and gardens all in my giant house just a hop skip and a jump away from the congestion and smelliness of the city.

One of the coolest rooms we saw was the "Sala de las Batallas" which is basically and empty long room that has paintings on the walls depicting different Spanish wars.  The paintings are actually 3D, and change position when you view it from either side. Definitely more impressive than watching a movie with silly glasses on and having things pop out at you.  Sorry Hollywood, but painting in 3D is a little more impressive...

The Pantheon was also really cool, which houses a tomb filled with several dead Spanish kings and queens (well, only queens who bore kings have the honor of burial in the pantheon) and there is also a tomb for the royal children.  There were a lot of little kiddies with little tombs, so sad. Also, it was cool to see all the different crests and different areas that all the royals came from, and how intermarried they really were.

I also managed to pass out on the bus ride back, just goes to show how my napping skills have greatly improved since coming to this country...

Flamenco Show...and more.

Its been a great week in Spain! I've tried to take as much advantage as possible of not having classes yet.  The IES classes start Monday, but then the week after I start classes at La Complutense, which is kind of scary. Okay, its really scary.  I still have to pick my class, I'm deciding between 2 psychology classes and 2 anthropology classes...


This week I've managed to explore a lot of new neighborhoods, eat some good food, go to a candy shop with really different candies...take a tour of the Prado,speak to a random group of Spanish kids, see a Flamenco show, make some British friends...


After school one day I explored Malasaña with some friends. We accidentally came upon a really nice restaurant for lunch, the food was really gourmet and rich, and very yummy.  Malasaña is like the alternative young neighbor hood of Madrid, like somewhere you would go for a semi underground club or to get a piercing.  As we were walking back towards somewhere, since we really didn't have a destination, we happened upon a candy store, like sweet factory, where you put everything you want in a bag and they weigh it.  We decided to try a bunch of different kinds of candy and got a bag with three of some of the most interesting looking items.  My favorite was "Judías," which means Jews. I learned earlier in the week that it is a type of bean, but apparently it is also a toffee coated candy thing.  It was yummy.  The licorice was interesting too, definitely a different take on red licorice than in the state.

infinite candy options

"Judías"

weird mushroom looking marshamallow candy.  They tasted like caramel

Judía con una judía en mano.

Afterwards, we explored Huertas, a neighborhood that Hemingway was known to frequent.  It is like the sophisticated literary/live music area of Madrid.  There are famous quotes embedded in the ground from famous Spanish writers. It is definitely an area I want to go back to again, either for to read and get some coffee, or have a drink and listen to live music.  

Some people protesting the government.  Not quite like the quotes in Huertas, but just as cultural. The top one says "The system doesn't have faults, the fault is the system" and the second says "The democracy is the daily participation of the citizens, in the schools, factories, industries, the streets..."

After school yesterday, I went with Rodrigo, a fellow comrade from Oxy, to the walk along the river.  I had no idea there was a river in this city! Of course its semi-walled in and nowhere near as beautiful as the American River.  We walked along the river a little and then into a park on the other side of the city.  We had a great view of the palace and the church right across from it.  Also, the park across the way seems cool and huge and i definitely want to explore that one day.  Today, Rodrigo and I took a run around that area, it was nice to be near water again, so now I know where to go when I need my natural body of water fix.

Rodrigo at the river

Walled-in Rivers...darn big cities

View of the palace (left) and church (right) from the park, Casa del Campo

We also went to the Prado, one of biggest art museums in Madrid. We had a private tour with Raul, our favorite IES tour guide.  He also offered to give us another tour of the Prado, since we were only in there for an hour and a half and it is impossible to see everything, even if we had spent a day in there.  Some of the most notable paintings we saw were "Las Meninas" (The girls) by Diego Velazquéz and "El tres de Mayo del 1808" (The third of may, 1808) and "Saturn devorando a su hijo" (Saturn eating his son) by Francisco Goya.  Pretty much those were the most notable to me because they were the only few I recognized that I had seen and talked about before in text books.   

Saturn eating his son

Las Meninas

In between Prado and Flamenco, we went to one of the most popular chains here, 100 Montaditos, for a pre show drink and snack.  On Wednesdays, everything there is 1 euro.  So drinks (big jarras of beer/tinto de verano) are only 1 euro, as well as all the types of montaditos (or little sandwiches). The place is called 100 Montaditos because they're supposed to have 100 types of montaditos, not to mention that there are 100 100 Montaditos locations in Madrid...I just have to say it one more time...Montaditos.


After the Prado, we went to a Flamenco show, IES got us free tickets.  It was an hour of complete mesmerization.  Everything was simply incredible.  The athleticism of the dancers, the mixture of tapping, clapping, and snapping that the dancers produced, their facial expresions- a mix of seriousness, tension, and sexuality, the sexuality of their movements- everything was so strong and robust, the wailing (not so much singing) of the singer (his vein was popping out the side of his neck, the skill of the guitarist, and how they all worked together to put on an espectáculo (I use the Spanish word because "show" just doesn't quite seem to cut it.)  

After the Flamenco, we went to watch the Barca-Madrid soccer game at a bar. We fond a really nice place that had Pinchos (also spelled Pinxos) which are tapas from the north.  We didn't have any, but they reminded me of sushi but with bread...all different types! Pinxos are definitely something I want to try one of these days, hopefully when I make it to the north of Spain.  At the restaurant, we met some British students who are working here for the next few months.  I also met Alberto, a lovely middle aged Spanish man who is happens to be my neighbor!  He told me I live in a really great neighborhood, maybe because he lives there too...Alberto was telling us about the Spanish economy, and how Madrid is the region least affected by the crisis, which is worse in the south because people are paid less, they have no industry but tourism, and it is more expensive to live there.  Alberto also gave me his number and told me to call him if I ever need anything.  Spanish people are actually really nice and friendly once you break the ice.  Anyway, Madrid and Barca tied the game, which apparently means madrid lost since they lost the first few games against Barca. Still don't really understand soccer...

Copa de vino as I watch the soccer game

I also feel like I should mention that as I write this, my host brother's bunny, Bam Bam (pronounced bom-bom in Spanish) is sitting on my lap.  This afternoon is the most time I've spent at home in the last few days, and right now its just me and Sergey home because Pilar went to what I understood as bible study.  We'll eat dinner soon (me and Sergey) and then I'll get ready and head out for a night at the discoteca. I'm starving, but I'm holding off so I can eat with Sergey. I asked what time he wanted to eat and he said "9. As always." and I'm not trying to mess with his schedule... even though I was starving at 7.

¡Hasta Luego!

Me :)

Me and Bam Bam chillin on the couch.  He bit me when i tried to pick him up and make him face the camera...

Real Madrid vs. Atletico de Bilbao

When: January 22, 2012
Time: 9:30 pm
Where: Estadio de Santiago Bernebau
What: Real Madrid Fútbol
Cost: 40 euro
Experience: Priceless


Last night a few friends and I went to a Real Madrid vs. Atletico de Bilbao soccer game.  The atmosphere on the street before the game was insane; people walking on the street, drinking, eating bocadillos.  We joined in the pre-game atmosphere (yeah it was an actual pre-game situation.) It wasn't until we were walking up the 37239487 stairs to our seats that I got really excited. We were in vomitorio 4, so super nose bleeders. The actual atmosphere in the stadium wasn't as overwhelming as I thought it would be, but maybe thats because we were so high up.  I could still see the players and their jersey numbers, so I was able to pay attention to the game and feel a part of the stadium.  There was a group sitting behind one of the goals that had a drum and some flags and were chanting, dancing, cheering, yelling, and singing the entire game.I called them the rowdy raiders of Real Madrid. If I go to a game again, I'll be sure to learn the chants first because I really wanted to join in.  


Long story short, Madrid won, scoring 4 points to Bilbao's 1, which was super exciting, especially after all the goals.


A few interesting things I noted at the game different than in the US:
1. You are allowed to bring food in, so at half time, everyone whipped out their bocadillos (sandwiches) in tin foil and chowed down.
2. People aren't as drunk/concession stands are not a huge deal.  People were drinking before the game, and some people had beer at the stadium, but it was nowhere near the spectacle at some professional US sporting events, but again, maybe I was too high up to notice. Also, the concession stands are pretty minimal and just sell the basics, and people don't really buy much from them.
3. Cleanliness. The stadium was so clean. There were people cleaning and sweeping while the game was going on, but there wasn't even anything to clean! 

In front of El Estadio Santiago Bernebau

The Boys

Vista del estadio

The girls

Ball action shot

Action shot

Final score

The crowd after the game

All in all, the soccer game was a Spanish experience that I'm glad I did. Check that one off the bucket list... Maybe another time, Real Madrid.

Madrid on the Weekend

First real night out in Madrid was definitely a learning curve situation. 


Here is what I learned and will try to do for next time.  This is both information accumulated from my own learning experience and what I heard from other people.


Note to self #1: Not everything in Madrid is open until 5 am.  But people do stay out that long, if not longer.


Note to self #2: The 'popular' places people tell you to go are filled with Americans, drinks are relatively expensive, and they are not necessarily all that awesome, unless thats the kind of atmosphere you are looking for.


Note to self #3: (similar to note #2) Mostly American music is played.  There were some modern hits, but some of the most notable groups heard on Friday night at a 'popular' joint were Spice Girls, Grease, Santana's Mambo #5, etc... 


Note to self #4: Even old people stay out late!


Note to self #5: Plan better for next time. (Refer to proposed game plan...)


9:00 pm- Eat dinner with the host family
10:30 pm- Leave the house via metro to meet up at a tapas bar.*
11:00 pm- Have a drink and some tapas.        
12:00 am- Stay at present tapas bar if it is fun, or got to a new one.
1:00 am- repeat 12:00 am decision, or go to the disco if you want to get in for free.**  If you want to go home, you can still take the metro for another 30-45 minutes. (But you are a party popper if you go home this early.)
2:00 am- Tapas bars close.  Time to head out to a pub or the discoteca. If you want to go home, maybe you can catch the last metro train. (But you'll still be a loser)
3:30 am- Pubs close, all food options are over.  If you still wan t to stay out, go to a discoteca, where you will have to pay a hefty cover charge, but it may be worth it.  Make sure you have had enough drinks to last through the sweating and dancing, drinks are even more expensive.  If you can, try to get a ticket from a promoter so drinks and the cover are combined prices and cheaper. 4:00 am- Leave the discoteca. this is only acceptable if you are willing to accept defeat and the fact that you are in fact a loser, you're friends are too tired, or you have been robbed or feel uncomfortable (unlikely situations, but they can happen and you should always be cautious and aware of your surroundings and your friends whereabouts). Remember, you have to take a cab.
5:00 am- Keep on dancin' Sally!
6:00 am- Discoteca closes. Take the metro home, it starts again at 6 am.  Debatable what is the cause/effect here; i.e. metro opens at 6 am because thats when people want to leave, or people stay out until 6 am because the metro doesn't open until then anyway.


*At any point in the night, tapas bar, pub, or discoteca may be substituted for boteón, a event that is literally drinking in the streets.  Supposedly illegal, but from what I saw, it didn't really look like it...


**It is only free on some nights, like Thursdays, or may be cheaper on certain nights.  Try to look for club promoters that hand out discounts and coupons for deals.

Spanish Fairy Tale

Segovia: fantastical, medieval, solid.  May not be how someone would describe it in a travel book, but I never said this was a professional travel blog.

First we visited Iglesia de la Vera Cruz, a dodecagonal church.  Although I've seen a lot of medieval churches, this one was interesting because it was not only a lot smaller, but it was kind of circular (hence the dodecagonal shape...).

Iglesia de Vera Cruz

Next we trekked up the hill to the Alcázar, a castle that apparently inspired the Disney castle.  The views from the bottom of the castle were beautiful, as was the view down from the castle.  It was a typical Spanish castle, up on a hill, with a moat (that would have given dad a tummy ache to look down into) and it had Muslim influences in a lot of the architecture and decorations.  

semi Disney-esque right?

pretty Islam inspired tiles on the wall 

Sun dial in a court yard in the castle.  Guess what time it is...

After the castle, we went to the city center and medieval part of the city, a series of winding narrow streets with stores on the lower levels and apartments above. The buildings were decorated with Muslim designs.


One interesting story was about a house that had weird pointy things coming out of it, like pyramidal spikes.  The people who originally owned the house were Jews, and it was known as a Jewish house.  So the guy who bought it from them put the spikes on to make it known as the spikey house rather than the Jewish house so he wouldn't get questioned by the inquisition.  They really love Jews here.  Hence all the pig.

Casa de Espinas

The last sight to see was the aqueduct, dating back to the Roman times.  It was a behemoth of a structure.  At one point, an ambulance drove through the aqueduct and into the old city.  Quite a funny sight to see, mixing the modern and the ancient.  (Well not funny considering someone was probably having some serious issue, but you know what I mean).  

Me and Kelly in front of the aqueduct.  She's pretty tall, but not tall enough...

Before heading back to Madrid, we stopped at a really nice restaurant for a lunch provided by the program.  We had typical Spanish starters, pollo asada, and a dessert special to Segovia called "Poche de Segovia."

Poche de Segovia. Yum!

¡Living La Vida Española!

Yesterday was a very Spanish day...


1.  Ate lunch at around 3:30ish in a cute little restaurant in the Plaza del Sol, the "center" of Madrid.  Even though lunch is late, breakfast is still early.  And I had sour apple yogurt....I can kind of understand why that flavor hasn't come to the states yet.


2.  Ordered the "menu del día" which is a combination of 2 plates that you chose.  I had to go for the paella of course....which included shrimp, chicken, mussels and clams.  Tried it all. Be proud mom. Not a fan of the mussels.

Paella Valencía

3.  Got asked for directions by a Spainard.  Its funny because I was talking with a friend earlier in the day that my goal is to be treated like a Spaniard before I leave, most notably by being asked directions, because I will be hopeless in restaurants; like today, the waiter didn't even give us a chance to pretend to be Spanish.  But I can check being mistaken for a local off the bucket list.  Now I just need to work on the accent and summon that lisp my parents so fortunately made me get rid of in 3rd grade. 


4.  Took a nap at 5 pm until 7.  I guess I should call it a siesta, since I'm so Spanish right?  Probably was one of the most clutch naps of my life, since I didn't sleep well last night.  

First dinner with Pilar and Serge. Yum!

5.  Had dinner at around 9 pm with my host family. White rice with marinara sauce, salad, and a fried egg.  Eggs are eaten all day everyday.


6. Went to a bar to watch the Madrid - Barca soccer game.  We went to a pretty low key place, so it wasn't as crazy as I thought it would be, but fun nonetheless. If that doesn't make me kind of Spanish, I don't know what will.


7. I was asked if I was Spanish and told I have a Spanish face.  This was at the bar we went to after the game. One of biggest compliments I've heard in my life. I must fit in here, that is, until I open my mouth. 


Just for a reference of time on #6 and #7, the game started at 10 pm. And ended at maybe 12.  Then we went out for what would normally be the "pre-game" (excuse the American vocab.)  Since I'm still jet lagged, I headed home at 1:30.  Well lets be real, I  went home so early (yeah 1:30 is early...) because I have to wake up at around 7:30 and take the metro to be at school by 9 am.  


I'm looking forward to the day when 1:30 is early.  Considering how little sleep I got, today wasn't as brutal as I thought I would be.  I only got tired after coming back from tapas and a glass of wine at about 9:30 to eat dinner.  


Spanish status update for today...Two glasses of wine (one with lunch and the other pre-dinner) all before a 9:30 dinner.  I might be able to get used to this... :)

Wine #1. Normally, I'm not a day drinker, but it came free with the menu of the day.  It might be crazy to drink during the day, but it would be even crazier to pass up a free glass of wine!

On a side note, well a note that doesn't involve food and drinks, I am starting to get a feel for Madrid; can't wait until I can navigate like a local!




¡Living La Vida Española!


Besitos y Abracitos,


Me :)