abroadcast: Lunch in Plaza Mayor

I don't know how many of you have been to Spain, seen videos, pictures, heard histories or stories, but one of the most powerful images that I associate with Madrid is the Plaza Mayor. I don't know all the history around it (I'm sure I'll learn in the History of Madrid class I'm taking), but the Plaza has been around for a long time, and many an auto de fe took place there during the inquisition, albeit it is a much different place now, it still bursts with antiquity and authority. Every time I've been to the Plaza Mayor, whether during the morning, afternoon, or night, when its busy and crowded or completely empty, I have a moment of utter amazement, that I can't believe I am here, in Madrid, and I live so close to such a substantial place. Its my wow place.

Anyway, the Plaza is just a square surrounded by stores and cafe/restaurants with apartments above those. The apartments all have white shutters and are painted a ruddy red color. It would be so cool to live in the Plaza...There is a statue of someone on a horse in the center (haven't looked at who it is yet), and other little statues around, some surrounded by a circular bench. There is a Spanish flag, a wind pointer thingy, and a sign on one wall that says "Plaza Mayor."

Rather than the Spanish Inquisitor and his men who ran the auto de fes, the Plaza is now filled with its more modern inhabitants: tourists (and locals), accordion players, the annoying man who makes funny bird noises with the weird mechanism in his mouth, Elvis, the silverman, the sandman, fat spiderman, among other costumed characters trying to get a euro or 2 for a picture.

It is here that I ate lunch the other day, a dream come true. A dream I never knew I had. I walked from school to Plaza Mayor, past the royal palace and church. It was a really nice sunny Madrid day.

I walked into the plaza, had my wow moment, and decided on a bench to sit and eat my bocadillo.

I started feeling really poetic as I tried to take in every aspect of the experience, and wrote down some thoughts in my journal...

Trying to take in the experience with all 6 senses...Taste of my meager bocadillo (homemade turkey, mustard, and lettuce on a crusty little roll). Hearing the birds chirp and coo, the accordion player to my left, the Spanish conversations surrounding me. Squinting into the sun, looking at the groups standing, the people sitting on the cobblestones, those at the cafes enjoying their lunch or cafecito, glancing at Elvis, fat spiderman, the mime, secretly watching the man next to me also enjoy his homemade bocadillo, admiring the love locks on the bench around me. Smelling the crispy Madrid winter day, cigarette smoke. Feeling the sun warming my skin, burning my cheeks, the wind blowing my hair, the hard stone bench behind and under me. Emoting complete and total awe and amazement, smiling to myself that I am here, in the Plaza Mayor, thinking that this is such an inconceivable experience experience, but yeah, its really happening. Such an incredible moment. I will do this again. Everyday if I could.