MI VIDA MADRILEÑA
Summer 2012
First Thoughts
Hello America!
I’ve been in Charlotte for the past couple hours and some things are already striking. First, tax is not built into to prices. It was so easy to just look at a menu and know exactly what I needed to pay. And faster. We should consider this system. Second, my name is now Alice again instead of Alicia (with the lovely Spanish lisp.) Wahhh.
Then there is the whole deal with people speaking to me in English and me being expected to answer in English…
I can’t help but notice that the level of fashion is far below European par. There are far more overweight people. The beautiful dark Spanish man is few and far between.
It’s not all bad. I saw a man thank a young serviceman in uniform, and the US women’s soccer team won a gold medal. This is my home and I’m proud to be an American, but it’s going to take some time to get used to some of the culture.
(pssss… I plan on holding on to lots of Spanish culture)
Bucket List #13: Go to the Top of the Building in Cibeles
Lo and behold said building is called Palacio Cibeles. This was a wonderful last bucket list item to complete on Wednesday afternoon. I got to see Madrid from a new point of view, from a building I’d admired all summer. We took an elevator and 88 stairs to be in the hot sun for less than 15 minutes, but it was so worth it. The yummy aceitunas, tinto de verano, patatas con 4 salsas y montadito de 4 quesos that followed at the Cien nearby also made the day.
My Metros
Sitting on the metro home last night, I realized that over the last 11 weeks many of the stops have taken on special meanings to me and each have memories to go along with them.
- Cruz Del Rayo = HOME, comida, Señora
- Ibiza = Caitlin, Retiro and Gabana
- Francos Rodriguez = Nebrija, studying, Spanish, learning
- Gregorio Marañon = Intercontinental hotel where los padres stayed when they visited
- Velasquez = The Citibank I visited far too many times
- Avenida de America = the gateway to everywhere else
- Sol = turistas but also the meeting place
- La Latina = good food, first night out
- Bilbao = FUN - La Sureña, Cherokee, y Malaica
- Banco de España = pretty things the first time I popped out of the metro, Cibeles
I might not know any of the historical meanings behind the names, pero no me importa, mine I’ll cherish.
*click click*
Today I will be that girl taking photos of every tiny mundane thing I see in Madrid, not as a tourist pressed for time, but as a Madrileña capturing the last bits of that which is precious to me, trying to fill the hole made by the part of my heart that will stay here in Madrid.
Heading back to the States tomorrow morning.
Bucket List #5: Visit the Palacio Real
If you know me, you know I love royal things. I admittedly checked to see if there were any eligible princes in Spain before arriving and aspire to be Kate Middleton. El Palacio Real was stunning. Every room was decorated in a different way with lots of colors. One of my favorites was a room decorated in the Rococo style to look like vines were twisting all about it. The ceiling frescos and chandeliers were particularly beautiful. I saw two plain white ceilings and after all the other amazing ones they were stark and depressing. I don’t like old tapestries because the faded colors honestly freak me out. They look like vacant/dead people. The royal family doesn’t live there any more so its mostly just a museum which I find a little odd but I think it might get used every so often for official business.
Bucket List #9: Visit El Escorial
The Escorial is a monastery an hour outside of Madrid known for its beauty and size. I’m not really sure I can cross it off the list though because… it is closed on Mondays… along with everything else sight-seeing worthy in the cute town of San Lorenzo. Including the tourist office. Caitlin, Katie and I therefore decided to eat interesting things (leche frita por ejemplo) and go in any open door of anything that looked interesting. It wasn’t a bad day. Even though I did get stung by a wasp at breakfast. I’m scratching this one off my Spain bucket list with an A for effort but adding it to my life bucket list.
Bucket List #7: Wander the Garden Outside Prado
Today was a day of bucket list items! Outside of Prado is El Real Jardin Botanico, I can imagine in spring it is overwhelming beautiful because it was beautiful in summer. I actually spent more time wandering it today than inside the Prado. It was a rare cool day in Madrid. The garden has many different sections - decorative flowers, vegetables, trees from around the world… it was interesting! There was also a green house with a desert section and a tropical rainforest section. Of course I took un monton de fotos.
Bucket List #6: Go to the Prado (again)
My visit to the Prado today wasn’t very long but it was free! I didn’t realize that I had seen much of the interesting works. I was excited to see the Rembrant but it wasn’t what I was expecting. De verdad, lots of the pieces I saw this time were incredibly strange. I did like getting to see the Rubens though - I guess I missed him last time and his works were some of my favorites I have seen. I like paintings of mythology, especially containing Venus.
Bucket List #4: Go Shopping at the Rastro Flea Market
This is an obligatory thing to do in Madrid. Or so they say. It didn’t surprise me or thrill me and contained the souvenirs and cheap wares I expected. I liked being up in the morning, the picture I got out of it, the yummy Magnum ice-cream on the way home and the yellow flowers I bought for Señora.
Bucket List #8: Go to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
I wandered over to this museum sola yesterday. Its considered part of the art triangle with Prado and Reina Sofia, but interestingly enough the collection was started by a Baron, sold to the Spanish Government, and the museum also currently houses the private collection of the Baroness. There was tons of art, from different countries and eras. I took notes as a went through because I didn’t have a guide and wanted to be able to look up works later. Some of my thoughts included:
- “There are beautiful portraits of the King and Queen at the entrance”
- “I really like the wall color (coral) and the frames”
- “Sometimes brush strokes interest me more than the whole work - especially of tree leaves”
- “Cats with fish are cool” (I am aware this is an amazingly profound statement”
- “Duchess of Sutherland has a beautiful dress”
- “Water colors do what they want and that is why I like them”
- “Dali is weird”
- “There is a woman sitting on a chicken with the face of a mouse while two people make out in a boat in the background” (By far the strangest painting I’ve seen)
- “Love the dress on Santa Casilda. I’m such a girl.”
At the end of the museum I discovered two really interesting things. The first was that after looking at a little guide book in the gift shop, I realized nothing that I liked was important. Beauty really is in the eye of the beholder. The second was that they sell very cool jewelry based on works of art. It would make a great gift for someone who adores a certain piece.
Wandering the art was a good way to spend a few hours.
Bucket List #12 : See the Cervantes Monument
I decided to include this one on the bucket list because I know the significance that Cervantes has for Spain, having written Don Quixote and all. Admittedly I’ve never read it, but the monument was impressive nonetheless. The man Cervantes himself is sitting in the middle, with the Don and his sidekick Sancho on their trusty steads under him. I liked the grand building behind them, known as “Edificio España” according to the door. Both can be found in Plaza De España.
Bucket List #11: Go to Mercado San Miguel
Mercado San Miguel is a great place to find interesting and high end foods. I went searching for some goodies to bring home with me but oddly enough the stands don’t really sell packaged items that I could get through customs. I guess it is a good thing; everything is fresh. The food can be expensive, but its worth taking some time to wander and look at everything until you find something you can’t resist. For me it was a strawberry-mango-yogurt batido.
Bucket List #1. Row a Barco Around Retiro Lake
It seems fitting that I completed the first item on my bucket list on the first day of the last week here, and it couldn’t have been a more perfect day. There was a nice breeze, something a little rare here. Rowing was a little tough though, especially since you face away from the direction you row in. I think the workers got a good little laugh. Retiro really is one of the most beautiful places and I will miss it.
Bucket List
Well, the countdown has officially begun. As of yesterday, Thursday August 2nd, I only have one more week here until I leave on the 9th. I’m glad to spend it in Madrid, to see things I haven’t and to do things I’ve come to love. So, I made a list! Can’t forget anything. I’ll try to post when I complete something, so you can spend my last week in Spain with me =)
- Row a barco around Retiro lake
- See a Flamenco show
- See a bullfight
- Go shopping at the Rastro Flea Market
- Visit the Palacio Real
- Go to the Prado (again)
- Wander the garden outside Prado
- Go to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum
- Visit the Escorial
- Take the bucket car ride above Madrid
- Go to Mercado San Miguel
- See the Cervantes monument
- Go to the top of the building in Cibeles
- Eat at El Tigre
Looking at this list, I’ve come to the sad but realistic realization that I may not get it all done.
Like Being in a Different Country
Caitlin and I got back Wednesday night from “our vacation from our vacation” to Granada and Malaga in the south of Spain. We had amazing experiences and met great people. The great thing about the two cities we traveled to is that they are distinct from each other and especially from Madrid.
Granada was my favorite. Being there was like being in a northern african or middle eastern country - the city is heavily influenced by Arab culture. Food was so cheap and was some of the best food I’ve had in Spain. It was nice to have a break from ‘typical’ (though wonderful) Spanish meat and bread and instead mix it up with some new spices and flavors. We had internationally flavored burgers, different tapas, kebab, hummus etc etc… drool.
The first day we hit the ground running and went to see the beautiful Alhambra, a giant castle complex. We managed to see it from every view possible too - inside, later that night on the most gorgeous terrace bar all lit up, from the famous mirador while the sun set - and every time it was still beautiful, perched on the hill, framed by mountains and guarding the white buildings of Granada below. A mistake we made was that we didn’t get an audio guide for the Alhambra, so lots of the historical significance was lost on me.
The second day there was a true vacation day. We joked that people were going to ask us what we did in Granada and our answer was going to be “Took a bath.” And we did. We spent two hours lazily switching from warm to freezing to hot pools in Arab style baths called Hammam. We drank amazing mint tea and laid on a giant stone to nap and think. It was one of the most relaxing experiences ever. You should look at pictures here.
That night we wandered the city, from tapas bar to tapas bar and in and out of stores selling arab wares. We walked in one to look at belly dancing costumes and the shop worker told us to go ahead and try them on! It was SO fun. And he was very nice; we weren’t even asked if we wanted to buy them.
It was sad to leave Granada. I definitely want to go back there. The people were so nice to us and it was so different from any place I’ve ever been.
After hoping on a short hour and half bus ride (my new favorite form of travel) we got to Malaga, again completely different in character. It reminded me of being in Miami or somewhere in California, only with more history. There were long pedestrian streets lined with high-end shopping and lots of tourists. The beach was great, especially the second day when we rented chairs and an umbrella. Lots of napping ensued - well, until we woke up to yells of "levantate!" "get up!" as the waves came up to our feet and towels. The downside is that the sand is chalky/dirty as opposed to the nice stuff we have in Fort Lauderdale.
The highlight of Malaga for me was our hostel. We stayed in a room with two Canadian girls, two French guys and a Finish girl. We spent a bit of time with them, at lunch and on the beach. English was our common language and everyone was very nice. I tried learning some French words but it still stand by the statement that I can’t physically make the noises required to speak French. The hostel also had a classy terrace bar. What was so strange/cool about it was that the clientele were not the people who stayed in the hostel, but well off looking business people from Malaga.
I have to rave a little bit about the dinner we had our second night in Malaga: cheese. As a cheese buff with Caitlin as a cheese buff friend we had been searching, craving some good cheese this whole time in Spain. And we’d had a lot. But there is just nothing quite like being presented a plate of six strong quesos accompanied with grapes, olive oil and bread and getting to eat it all, for only nine euros.
Our last day we went to the Picasso museum. I came to Spain not really liking his work but I will leave with a better appreciation of it. His paintings are more than broken lines.
It was a lovely mini-vacation. We might not have seen all of the monuments/sights in the cities but it was worth it to relax as opposed to running from cathedral to cathedral.
I’m officially a graduate from the Program of Hispanic Studies at Universidad Antonio de Nebrija, with not just one but two certificates, one for each month in Madrid!!
Tomorrow I will take two final exams and, ya, I’ll have finished my two months studying Spanish at Universidad Antonio de Nebrija.
How quickly time flies.
An absolutely imaginative commercial by Fanta that is really popular in Spain right now. The song gets stuck in my head!