Palacio del Pardo (A beautiful Spanish multi-functional facility)

Today I went on a field trip to the Palacio del Pardo.  And I am going to tell you guys all about it!  The Palacio del Pardo is a quick bus ride away from the university (I could use my Abono--Madrid city transportation pass) and it is quite the multifunctional palace.  Currently, it serves as a museum (which is what we saw), residence for foreign diplomats and heads of state, and a location for foreign and national receptions.  In the past the Palacio del Pardo was the King’s residence when he was hunting in the mountains, and, as I learned in my history  of Madrid class, the Pardo was where the king stayed/lived before Madrid was the established capitol of Spain. Also, the rich hunting here is one of the reasons why Madrid became the capitol.  

In much more controversial (but cooler) time, the Palacio del Pardo was home to General Francisco Franco during his dictorial reign.  COOL!

View from the main gate

This was an “obligoatory” (but not really) field trip for my class on European politics in the 18^th and 19^th centuries.  It has had relation to my History of Madrid class, because in that class we learned about the origin of the Pardo and who constructed it and why it was important in the creation of Madrid.  It is a beautiful palace, but they all are, with even better gardens.  

The rooms in the older part were mostly decorated with tapestries on the walls, and we saw sala after sala (sala is like a salon), all pretty useless, with gold framed tapestries and paintings on the wall.  Some had tables, some had chairs, some had tables and chairs, all had clocks, and each had a different kind of theme; there was one that was Flemmish themed, because Carlos V who built the original palace (I think) had filial connections with Flemmish royalty.  One was hunting themed, with all of the animals hunted in the region, one was Madrid city-life themed (Madrid city-life dating back to the 16th and 17th centuries...)  Apparently el Pardo, the neighborhood we were in, is known for its hunting restuarants, where you can try deer, rabbit, and other assortments of meats from animals hunted in the mountains here.  I kind of want to go back one night and try the “comida de caza” (hunting food).  

Another room, which was really cool, had a painted ceiling of all the famous Spaniards, there was a side with the king and some royalty, another with the Spanish explorers, like Hernan de Cortes and others. And another side with famous architects, like the guy who designed El Escorial (don't remember his name), and famous artists, like Velazquez, and famous writers, like Lope de Vega.  It was my favorite ceiling for sure.  

We couldn't take pictures inside...so I'll insert random snapshots from outside here

We also saw the room where Alfonso XII, a famous Spanish king who was known as Alfonso el Sabio (the knowledgable) died.  His wife later converted the room with his bed into a chapel, which I think is where Franco also prayed…who knew that guy was religious!  There were also pictures around of famous royals and diplomats who have stayed at the palace, but most of those are kept in the modern parts where those people actually stay.

The coolest part though was when we got to see Franco’s quarters.  All of Franco’s rooms have remained unchanged since his death.  We got to see his office, with the original decoration and desk, his dining room, a display of all of his uniforms and metals (He was a really really really small guy), with door’s leading to his daughter’s room, and even his bathroom! I took an illegal picture of the bathroom.  Highlight of my day.

Franco's bathroom: Where he did 'official' business 

We then proceeded to the garden, which was really pretty.  People apparently go there on the weekends to picnic and hang out, and it seems like a great spot.   I wouldn’t mind spending a nice family afternoon in Franco’s old backyard…

And that concluded the visit to the Palacio del Pardo

Until next time.   

I managed to set off the security alarm.  Took off my jacket, and set it off again. I was about to start taking off my belt and/or pants, when the guy said it was shoes, so after swinging my foot through and confirming that it was my shoes, I got to go through. Oh Spanish security.

Salamanca

This weekend we went on our overnight trip with IES.  To Salamanca, the town I was debating studying in over Madrid.  Glad I picked Madrid.  Its not that Salamanca isn't cool and doesn't have anything to offer, I'm sure I didn't see half of the beneficial parts of actually living there, but I still have to say I'm really happy with me decision to pick the bigger city (although it is sometimes much more overwhelming, I don't think I will ever really know it that well, I will never be a 'local' anywhere (there are just way to many places to go and new things to experience that I don't want to go to the same places twice (and yes I know this is my third round of parentheses)), and it is more expensive here. But all in all, I like Madrid.


I feel like I should start with this in chronological order (ish).  So mid bus ride to Salamanca, we stopped in Ávila, where there was apparently a castle, or old wall, or something cool that we were supposed to see.  We had breakfast in a hotel (not a castle like they said...) and I don't think we did the walk around like we were supposed to because it was so cold.  There was a cool wall and this cool part of the wall that we walked past, but that was about all we saw of Ávila.  Ávila is also at a higher elevation than both Madrid and Salamanca, so it was really really cold, and it even started snowing as we were leaving!

Me and Kelly in the snow at Ávila.

Our hotel was right off the Plaza Mayor...Salamanca has a Plaza Mayor that looks very similar, but definitely not as cool as Madrid's.  It was our central meeting point for everything over the weekend. We split up in groups to go on tours, and my friends and I quickly snagged Raul, our favorite tour guide.  He has taken us on a lot of the tours around Spain, and he is just the funniest, nicest guy ever.  He even offered to take us on private tours of the Prado (a big art museum in Madrid) if we want, and he said he would tour mom and dad around when they come to Madrid, (but I would have to be the translator). Raul showed us all the spots Friday and Saturday in Salamanca...the library, cathedral, museums, etc...


Salamanca is a university town, and the university is its main selling point. Obvy we took a tour of the university...not really what I was expecting.  I don't really know if this building is still used for much, some of the rooms are, but to me it just seemed like an empty museum.  It was founded....well a long time ago, somewhere around the 14/15th century, maybe by Ferdinand and Isabella, since the main entrance has their pictures on it.  The main entrance is so pretty, as are all the buildings there.  With gingerbread details up the wazzoo!  The rooms don't really look like 'classrooms' most are big open spaces, some have desks or tables in them, but they all have a big table in front with at least 5 red velvet chairs, like some sort of committee or tribunal sits up there.  So it made me wonder what class was like with 5 scary Spanish professors (not wearing robes and white wigs, but thats how I pictured it) staring out you.

Gingerbread on the University.  (Ferdinand and Isabella)

We also toured the Cathedral, the other big attraction in Salamanca.  It was....a cathedral.  The cool parts; 1. There is an older roman part and an older gothic part, so it was interesting to compare the architecture of both.  2. One day we did the upper tour, so we got to climb through the top of the cathedral, close to the high ceiling and also see a great view of the city and all the rooftops. 3. There was a relic of some dead guy's left forearm and hand.  I probably sound like a snob saying this, and I think I've said it before, but after you've seen 10 European cathedrals, you've kind of seen em all.  And they are all beautiful, with different interesting stories, but thats about it.

The most interesting part of the cathedral...

Salamanca also has a river, which was pretty beautiful.  I went there during our free time with some friends and we explored around the bank.  We were under one of the main bridges to cross it.  I just love rivers!

Saturday night was fun...Since it is a university town, the going out life is a little different.  Mainly shot bars that are a a lot cheaper than Madrid.  My friends and I went out a little too early... 11:30 pm.  We ended up at an empty shot bar that was playing great music, so we just started dancing.  There were two people in there when we arrived, and as a few more people trickled in we were getting some entertained looks...Anyway, short part of it, as I left at around 2 the place was completely packed and more people were still coming in.  I guess I still haven't quite got the Spain schedule down 100% yet...but I did have to wake up at 9 on Saturday for more touring.


Saturday it was cold again. But the biting wind and freezing temperature felt really refreshing (at least for a little bit).  We did the lower part of the Cathedral tour....as described above.  We also went to an Art Deco museum which was one of my favorite parts!  It was in a converted house, with a beautiful view of the city, and had exhibits on Art Deco pieces, from bronze/ivory dancer figurines (with so much detail on their muscle tone and costumes, it was absolutely fabulous, awesome, and impressive), to thousands of porcelain dolls (which I really liked since I used to collect them...), fans, jewelry, paintings, etc... We also went to a a garden that was really beautiful.


One of the most exciting parts of Salamanca for me is that that it is the location of a lot of Spanish stories, since it is one of the oldest cities in Spain.  The garden we went to was called the "Huerto of Calisto and Melibea,"Calisto and Melibea are like the Romeo and Juliet of Spain, a story which I've read in class.  There was a well with a bajillion love-locks, kind of flowing off the well in an irony mass that looks a lot more fluid that it is.  Also the garden had another gorgeous view, both out onto the river and also back at the looming roof tops and points of the cathedral.  Also, there is a statue down by the river of another character from a Spanish story I've read, Lazarillo de Tormes, so that was exciting too because I guess that also has some Salamancan history.

Love locks in Huerto de Calisto and Melibea

We left and headed to have lunch at a castle, which apparently is now a hotel, restaurant, wedding spot, etc...because castles are too expensive to maintain in the 21st century. (Wonder why...?)It was also a sheep farm, since there were a bunch of little sheepies running around when our giant buses rolled in.  The castle was definitely a castle...with old remnants of a moat, towers made of stone, little windows...Inside was really cool, and I sat at a giant rectangular banquet table.  The pathway up to the bathroom was like a secret passage way up some little stairs (it was really steep and had really low ceilings.  So cool!)  We had jamon, chorizo, and salchica appetizers, as well as some of the best croquettes I've had yet in Spain.  We also had salad, and some beef with potatoes as our main course, and a yummy dessert (which didn't have any chocolate on it :(

Castilla de Buen Amor

It just wouldn't be an broadcast blog post without a picture of food...

Chocolate-less Dessert.

Usually we are supposed to get wine, but since some of the kids in my program are irresponsible middle schoolers, the directors pulled the plug on that right when we came in. (I'll explain in a second my sentiments on that).  After lunch, I was so full, and tired (we didn't leave the castle until 5 pm) and we got to hop back on the bus back to Madrid.


Last night, I was so tired, any thoughts of going out or doing something fun were completely expelled immediately after coming home and laying down in my bed.  Yup...I was a Spanish lame-o once again.  However, I can tell I really needed it after sleeping until 11 am today...If you know me at all, you know that I do not do such things lightly.

Candid laughing shot (in the Huerto de Calisto and Melibea) so that you all believe me when I say I really am having a great time here!

Anyway, its nice to be home, in my own 'spot.' Salamanca was fun, but its always more tiring to travel with a group....especially when there are over 100 American students, most of which have zero understanding of respect or responsibility.  I am really glad that I chose Spain, and I like IES a lot (as in the directors and programs, etc...) but some of the people on the program are just so not my style.  We got yelled at like middle schoolers because people were running around and being loud in the hotel on Saturday morning, which is just so irresponsible for 20/21 year olds its baffles me.  I have met some really cool people on this trip, and not everyone sucks like an entitled bratty 12 year old, but it is really nice to be able to come 'home' and separate myself from all of that anyway.


Next on the list...make some Spanish friends! Which maybe will happen once I start my class at the Spanish university this week, or when I start my intercambio (exchange) with a Spanish student to practice my Spanish and his/her English.


Dos Besitos!


Lily

Clase de Cocina

If you know me at all, you must know how stoked I was to go to a Spanish cooking class. The "cooking school" was in a converted apartment and had a demo kitchen and little desks in a semi circle for us to sit around.


On the menu:

Sangría (vino tinto, apple slices, lemon soda, sugar)

Pan tostada con tomate, jamón serrano y aceite de oliva (toasted bread with tomato sauce, ham, and olive oil)


Tortilla de Patatas (typical Spanish tortilla...fried potatoes, onions, eggs)

Paella Mixta (Paella with clams, mussels, chicken, shrimp and peas). 

Tarta de Santiago (Santiago tart, typical of Galicia, a region in the northwest of Spain.  It was almond flour, sugar, eggs, and lemon zest with powdered sugar on top)

When we first got there it looked more like a demonstration, but we actually got to make everything ourselves.  


She made the sangria...pretty easy, wine, lemon santa, sugar, apple slices, cinnamon(?). done.


The first dish we made was the pan tostada, because you can't have a drink without food in this country.  First she showed us how to do it: rub the garlic on the bread, add some tomato sauce, put ham on top and sprinkle it with olive oil.  I was so excited though when she told us to come and help do it ourselves!  

After this, we started on the dessert.  I volunteered first to help make the dessert, and the teacher asked me if I usually cook (I guess I'm a good egg beater, a pro at mixing batter, and have a knack for pouring batter into a pan). I also got to wear a cute apron.  It was black with red polka dots.  

We also got to make our own Tortilla de patatas, which is semi-difficult because you have to flip the whole omelet-like dish.  Theres actually a really easy way to do it, so its not as impressive as it sounds.  They use the top of a pot or a flat plate to do it.

The flip method...

We also got to help make the paella, I didn't help with this one, but I took good good notes on how to make it.  I ate it all too, even the mussels, clams, and shrimp.  Soooo yummy.  I learned that saffron is the secret ingredient in paella...hence the yellowy color.

Now I am soooo full.  Can't wait to go to sleep because I'm still recovering from the weekend.  Good thing I came home from school and went on a run today...

Granada-dada

Granada round 2...I had mixed feelings going to Granada this weekend.  On the one hand, I was so excited to get out of Madrid, not that I don't like it here, but it was just time for an adventure.  And I went on a trip totally planned by me and friends, which just gives it a whole new sense of adventure and excitement.  On the other hand, I had been to Granada before so I thought that I would kind of know what to expect.  Boy was I wrong.   

The travel family

Last I saw Granada, I was there for maybe 23 hours, probably less, and we just saw the Alhambra.  I realized as the bus rolled in that I didn't even know what Granada looked like.... I also saw it in summer, which is what you think of when you picture Southern Spain...however seeing it in winter gives a whole new dimension.  It is cold!  And also, those castled made of stone are really not that warm...sometimes it was colder inside the rooms in the Alhambra than outside.

Kelly, Greg, Rodrigo and I boarded the bus at 7 am from Madrid to Granada.  It was going to be a long day from the start.  The buses here though are so comfortable, and also so prompt.  We rode the 5 hour bus ride, with a half hour stop in the middle.  It was a good time to get some much needed sleep, journaling, reading, and chilling accomplished.  We were all really excited to be going on this adventure!

We got to Granada at 12 pm exactly, and took the bus to our hostel, which was in a pretty central part of town.  First on the list was a walking tour of the Albaicin, the white washed gypsy area of Granada.  The walking tour took us to one of the main plazas in Granada and has us follow the river up the hill, so the river separating us from the Alhambra was on our right and the Albaicin was on the left.  The spots on the walking tour weren't really much...it seems like all anyone cares about in Granada is the Alhambra, and for good reason.  Eventually we turned left into the white-washed little town.  The streets were cobblestone and narrow, and it was amazing that people actually drove their cars up there.  Each time we stopped at a view we though it was amazing, and then two seconds later we saw an even more beautiful view.  This trend, of the views getting better and better continued into the trip, with the best views at the Alhambra on Saturday.

One of the many views from the Albaicin

One of the beautiful views from the Alhambra

Cute street name in the Albaicin...apparently it is called such for a more morbid reason than one would think...

We walked around the Albaicin, taking in the view of the Alhambra, city, gypsy caves, and the snowy Sierra Nevada (yup, the mountain range here is called the Sierra Nevada, so its like I never really left California.)

One cute part of Granada are all the little mandarin trees they have growing all over the city.  The fruit obsessed person that I am, I figured I had to try one, even though I assumed we probably weren't supposed to pick them.  Greg got one down for me, and it tasted like acid and sourness, and not so good. Ben later informed us that its very illegal to pick the oranges, and also said you don't want to eat them anyway, because who wants to eat something thats been growing out of cement. Good point. 

After our self guided tour we met up with Ben and Sean, Ben who goes to Oxy with me and Rigo and Sean who goes to CMC with Greg and Kelly.  Ben took us to his colegio, where he lives.  It was beautiful, right in the center of town.  There were tile floors, a cute courtyard/patio in the middle, and just had such an old and distinguished feeling, it seems like an awesome place to live.  

After seeing the colegio, we went to a tea/hookah place and had some Baileys tea.  It was a much needed warm drink, did I mention that apparently Friday was the coldest recorded day in Granada history? Anyway, the tea was great, but the atmosphere of the restaurant was even better.  I felt like I was in a harem, with tapestries draping the walls, a candle on our table, and really cool stained glass lamps.  It makes you realize how close the south of Spain is to the Mediterranean and all of the influence from the Arab culture that still proliferates the Spanish culture. 

We went back to the hostel after, and huddled together in one room because the heater only turns on from 6 pm to 9 am, so we had to come up with creative ways to get warm (nothing like huddling under the heater with a box of Don Simon (Spanish version of Franzia...)  Later that night we went out for Southern Spain tapas, which are 3948723984702 times better that Madrid tapas.  You get an entire meal with your drink.  It was amazing.  As a cheap skate, I loved it.  One glass of wine and dinner is complimentary.  So cool. 

Granada is also a lot smaller than you think.  Well it was a lot smaller than I thought.  Nothing is a far walk, and they have buses and stuff, but there is no need for metro or bussing if you are staying anywhere near the center of town.

Anyway, we had an early night for SST (Spanish Standard Time) and woke up pretty early the next day, 10:30.  Best treat of the day, waking up to no water in our hostel.  Not that the water ever seemed like it would have been hot enough to take a shower anyway. We finally make it out of the hostel (Thanks Rigo and Greg for waking up and youtubing instead of getting ready...) and wander more into the heart of Grandada.  We had breakfast at a little cafe, I had a tostada con tomato, so yummmm. We also happened upon a little panaderia and fruit stand, and bought some 20 cent bread to keep us going through lunch and an avocado.  When the woman got the bread out of the case, 3 trays of donuts and muffins fell on the ground, we felt really bad, but we got our bread and headed out.   

One of the fountains leading up to the Alhambra.  It was so cold the water was frozen.

Really not as miserable as I look, but you can see a tear running down my check from the viento and frio (wind and cold)

After breaky, we had to walk up to the Alhambra, which wasn't really that far, just up up and up.  The Alhambra was awesome, there is a reason why it is THE attraction in Granada.  It was interesting to see it a second time.  I'm glad I'm fortunate to have gone twice, each visit was a different experience.  When I first saw it, I was messing around with a bunch of teenagers the whole time, taking silly pictures, but also listening to the tour, which was very informative.  This time, we didn't spring for the 50 euro guided tour, but it really is more interesting to see a place and actually understand what went on there.  However, not being on a tour allowed me time to explore the nooks and crannies on my own, using my imagination about what went on there and also take in the little details and the view; the types of things that you miss when you are on a tour.  I am also older so I able to look at things a little differently, and just have a different perspective.  The Generalife, or recreational area of the king was one of the best parts, it is the pretty gardens and fountains where the king went to escape the court.  However, it may have been my favorite simply because it offered a great view, was sunny, and surprisingly unreachable by the frigid winds that proliferated the rest of the Alhambra.  The Torre de la Vela was the very last place we went (we spent 5 hours in the whole compound...) and had the best view of all.  After climbing to the top, we saw a 360 degree view of Granada, and the mountains were especially beautiful.  

Avocado bocadillo with a view....

Post Alhambra, we meandered our way down to the city, and were starving.  We picked up some bocadillo provisions and pastries and went back to our hostel to make some grub.  (I think after this weekend I have eaten close to an entire baguette...maybe more.)  We also polished off two sleeves of cookies, one before dinner and one after dinner...  Then we napped (well I napped), shared a couple bottles of wine and were ready for the night. 

Low point at the Alhambra: we all huddled on the wall in the sun to try to catch some warmth.  Feeling pretty miserable right about now...

We went to another place that also gave us giant tapas with our drinks.  But the highlight of the night was Cambodio, the nightclub that is part cave and has an amazing view of the Alhambra all lit up at night. We danced the night away, into the not so wee hours of the morning.  Favorite moment of the night: when "Ai se eu te pego" came on, which is a song by a Brazilian guy that is absolutely huge in Spain right now.  When I came home tonight, Sergey and listening to it on repeat and learned the little dance that goes along  with it.   

view of the Alhambra at night

When we got back to the hostel, circa 6 am, Kelly, Greg, and I passed out onto of the bed completely clothed.  We got a solid 5 hours of sleep, most of it still in our clothes with the three of us in one bed, Rodrigo had sense to go to his own room and got that bed all to himself.  

As I sit here writing this, there are still many parts of the weekend still going through my head: stereo love (The theme song of the weekend), my aching and calloused feet from walking around and not really taking my socks off once because it was just too darn cold,  the marks on my hips from literally wearing my money belt for almost 48 hours straight (it felt weird to finally take it off since I felt like it had become a part of me, but mom, you would be proud), ai se eu the pego by michel telo, which has been stuck in my head all day, and my complete exhaustion from a crazy weekend well spent.

I came home tonight at around 7:30, and it felt so great.  I really felt like I was coming home, somewhere safe, secure, comfortable, and where I belong.  First I took my shoes and socks off...my feet are still angry with me for not letting them breathe all weekend.  Next went the money belt, then the shirt I had worn for 3 days straight.  The shower was more than anything I could have asked for, and Pilars Spanish tortilla and salad was a perfect meal after eating loaves of bread, ham, cookies, wine, and not enough water all weekend.

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.

My first time in the Plaza Mayor

Meager bocadillo 

love locks 

well-dressed Spanish couple

According players