Retiro Park

Well yesterday I had a great day with some friends, and none of it was planned! A few of us met up in Retiro park in the afternoon just to walk around. Retiro is probably one of my favorite places in Madrid. It is just so pretty especially with all of the leaves changing colors. There is so much to see and there are always a bunch of people there. In the middle of the park, there is a lake where you can rent a boat for 45 minutes and go out on the water. So Landri, Joe, Lindsey and I decided to do it. It was a lot of fun. Then after Retiro, we decided to walk around a part of the city that we had never been to. We ended up walking to the Real Madrid's soccer stadium and found out there was a game that night. So I ran to the ATM, got some money, and tried to find the cheapest tickets. We bought some about 15 minutes after the game started for a pretty good price, considering the cheapest that the box office had was 250 euro. Real Madrid was playing Atletico Madrid, the other team from Madrid, so it was a loud and rowdy game. The atmosphere in the stadium is very cool, and I'm glad I got to be there for the game. I'm wearing my Real Madrid jersey to class tomorrow (last day of class!) because my teacher is a huge Atletico Madrid fan. Hopefully, he doesn't get too mad...

On the boat in the Retiro

Joe and Landri at the Real Madrid game

Then after the game, we met up with some more friends and my "amigo," Alberto, from school. We are set up with amigos (friends) who live in Madrid and they plan events with us so we can get some good interaction with Spaniards. It was Alberto's birthday so he invited us to go out to a bar with him. It was funny because Alberto and all of his friends wanted to practice their English, but we wanted to practice our Spanish, so we would talk to them in Spanish and they would respond in English. We stayed there until about 4 am, and then Landri and I decided to go get churros and chocolate from San Gines, a famous chocolatería in the middle of Madrid. We walked there since the metro was closed and it was SO COLD. But SO WORTH IT. I have been there twice at around 4:30 am, and both times it has been packed with people coming back from clubs or bars. After that we decided to skip on a cab, and wait until the metro opened at 6:00 to head home. The metro at 6:00 am is also an experience. It's a lot of kids going home from being out (like me). Usually, people are falling asleep in their chairs, or being loud and obnoxious. So overall, it was a great day/morning!

Churros con Chocolate

On Thanksgiving, our school organized a dinner for all of us, our teachers, and some students from another university. We had Spanish appetizers, but the main meal was turkey, stuffing, and french fries. It was a little weird not being in the states for Thanksgiving, but hey I'll take Madrid!

This will be a busy week for class. We have final exams on Tuesday and Wednesday, and our big theatre performance on Thursday for our Theatre class. So lots of work to do, but then we have a week of traveling in Andalucía in the south of Spain!

The Past Few Weeks

Avila

Wow it's been awhile. Time is flying by - a little over a month left! We had our final Prado visit last Friday. Our art teacher came with us each time and taught a lesson about either Velazquez, Goya, or some other artist as we looked at different paintings. The Prado is huge. After going 5 different times, I still have not seen a good majority of the paintings there.

A few weeks ago, we took a tour of the Spanish Congress. In 1981, there was an attempted coup d'etat and members of the Congress were held hostage there. We could see bullet holes in the walls that they keep there as a reminder.

Two weekends ago, I took a day trip by myself to Avila where Saint Teresa of Avila is from. It is about a 1.5 hour train ride from Madrid. It is a medieval city with a huge 12th century wall surrounding it. They had a small museum with some of Saint Teresa's belongings like her rosary and a crucifix she carried. Oh - and her ring finger. There wasn't much else to see there but it was a neat little town.

Last weekend, our group traveled to Toledo which is about an hour south of Madrid. It was one of my favorite trips we have taken. We saw lots of churches and buildings. They are famous for having some of the best mazapán (marzipan) in Spain and the world. They sold it everywhere and it was so good!

Our school also took us to see an authentic flamenco performance. That was really neat. We also went to see a play for our theatre class last week. It was called "El perro del hortelano." I couldn't understand all of it, but it was still entertaining.

The Spanish elections were on Sunday. Instead of just having two main political parties like in the U.S., they have several different parties. This year, the conservative Popular Party won with President Mariano Rajoy. My Señora freaked out a little. She basically said that all of Spain would change for the worst and that everyone was being ignorant. She has extremely strong opinions over almost everything and especially politics, but I suppose I have learned a lot from her!

I am ashamed to say it, but last weekend was the first time I went to Mass here in Spain. I went to a church that I had seen behind the Prado called Iglesia de San Jerónimo el Real. Here's a picture...

Mass was a lot different than what I expected. First of all, there were not that many people there. The whole time, tourists would come in and walk around, even though there was a sign outside that said not to visit during Mass. There was no singing or music. The priest didn't enter down the main aisle - he just came in through a side door near the altar. The same man read all the readings and the Responsorial Psalm all at once. There was no method to going up for the Eucharist - everyone just kind of walked up at once. And it all lasted about 35 minutes. I guess I was just expecting something a little more grand and exciting, but it was still interesting. I never told my Señora that I went, because she is kind of anti-religion. She has made several negative comments about Catholicism in the past. I have actually gotten this impression from a lot of people in Spain. Probably because of Franco who forced Catholicism on all of Spain from about 1953 - 1978. I don't think she would have been mad if I told her, I just think it would have been a little awkward.

Since I was here by myself last weekend, I did a lot of wandering around the city and hanging out with Señora. We watched a lot of politics because the Spanish elections are coming up on November 20th. Señora is very knowledgable so she explained a lot of things to me. One day, I went to the Temple of Debod, which is an ancient Egyptian temple donated to Spain in 1968. It was really pretty at sunset.

Halloween wasn't really a big deal here. A few kids stopped by our apartment for candy, but nothing like in the U.S. I had to buy candy though, so I went to a little market near my house and bought some Spanish candy! My friend Ryan and I went out to a discoteca (club) at night. Everyone was dressed up in scary costumes like zombies and mummies. I missed America where everyone tries to be funny with their costumes. I still don't understand how the Spaniards do it. We got to the club around 12:30 (because it was free before then), and we left right around when it was getting busy at 3:00! People were still walking in when we left. I think a lot of people just try to stay out until the metro opens at 6:00 (which I may have done once or twice...). Ryan and I went on this long walk looking for the buses because the metro closes at 1:30 and we can ride the buses for free. They call the buses "búhos" which means "owls." I always have a hard time finding them, but it is worth the money saved from not taking a cab!

This past weekend, we had a day trip to Segovia. The main thing to see there is this huge roman aqueduct built in the first or second century. We also visited the Segovia Cathedral and the Alcazar.

This past week has been one of the best. The big event that stands out is when Landri (another girl from my school) and I snuck into a COLDPLAY CONCERT. This sounds bad and is possibly illegal, but in my opinion, it was completely worth it. Here is the story: Coldplay had a concert in Madrid last Wednesday in La Plaza de Toros, which is where they hold the bull fights. Some of my friends and I decided it would be fun to sit outside the arena and just listen to the music. So, Joe, Meredith, Landri and I are sitting there when we see people start to run into a side door to the arena. So, naturally, I follow. Landri and I are together running into the arena. We separate from the other people that also ran in and go up a few flights of stairs. We start walking around, not fully believing that we just walked into a Coldplay concert for free. We were in the hallway on the outside where we couldn't see much of the concert, so we decided to walk into one of the sections pretending like we knew where we were going. So that's what we did and it worked. No one said anything to us, and we got to watch Coldplay sing about 5 songs. Singing along to "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" with 30,000 other people while it is raining in Madrid is a moment I will never forget.

The weekend before this, our group went to a small town about 3 hours northwest of Madrid called Toro in the province of Zamora. We went to a bodega (winery) called Liberalia. I've never toured a vineyard so I don't know if it was anything special, but I thought it was pretty cool. The man who owns the winery is also a painter so we got to see some of his paintings, including the one that is on the label of some of their wines.

This Thursday after class, Lauren, Ryan, and I went to Valle de los Caídos (Valley of the Fallen) which is about an hour away in El Escorial. This monument, which was finished in 1958, was built for all those killed in the Spanish Civil War and as a national act of atonement. There is also a basilica there where Francisco Franco (Spain Prime Minister from 1938 - 1973) is buried. Antonio Primo de Rivera (leader of the Fascist party) is also buried there. It was a little weird and eerie seeing the tomb of Franco because he has so much controversy surrounding his dictatorship. Still, the monument was very impressive. There is a plaza outside of the basilica with a great view. The weather that day was foggy and rainy which added to the eeriness of the whole place.

"Caídos por Dios y por España" = "Fallen for God and for Spain"

This weekend, my roommate is in Portugal so it's just me and Señora. We don't have class on Monday or Tuesday (they call the long weekend a "puente" which means bridge), so a lot of people are traveling. I decided to stay here because I'm traveling a lot in December and there is still so much I haven't seen! I'm a little nervous about being here with just Señora because communication is still a little rough, but I'm sure it will be fine. Señora is awesome. She bought me and Lauren scarfs this week, and is always asking me if I'm cold or need anything. Whenever we have day trips, like when we went to Valle de los Caídos, she packs us a lunch to go. She always packs 2 whole baguettes (one for each of us which we never finish), a bunch of cheese and meat, apples, and tortilla española (omelet with potato). The meat always kind of freaks me out. For example, yesterday we got what I think was bologna with random white spots and turkey with fruit in it. It was actually pretty good, but I'm never sure what I'm eating. Anyway, I'm looking forward to my puente in Madrid and some good conversations with Señora!

23/10/11

Big day: It rained in Madrid today for the first time since I've been here.

Barcelona

Inside La Sagrada Família

This past week, we went to Barcelona for five days. It reminded me a lot of Madrid, but with more modern buildings. My favorite part was the church “La Sagrada Família.” It was designed by Gaudí who is this really modern architect that has designed a lot in Barcelona. The church is still under construction though and when it is finished, it will be the tallest in the world. From the outside, it looks like just a normal church, but when you walk inside it is like a work of art. There are windows all around made of different colors of glass. It was the most colorful church I have ever seen and a nice change from all the other ones that we have been seeing.

Another cool thing that we went to was the Boquería, which is a big market on the main street, Las Ramblas. It had tons of fruit, candy, fish, meat, and more. I got a kiwi coconut drink which was delicious. One day, we went to a Monastery at Montserrat which is up on a mountain. It had some really pretty views. A few of us also went to the beach one day. I walked in the Mediterranean so it was a little chilly, but still worth it. It was different than the U.S. People approached us every 5 minutes trying to sell massages, drinks, and food, and I saw more than a few topless people even though it wasn’t a nude beach.

Overall, I’ve been asked if I like Barcelona or Madrid better by multiple people, and I think would have to choose Madrid. I really liked Barcelona, but the Spanish culture wasn’t as strong there. It was very touristy and almost everyone spoke English. I’m still excited to go back there in December when my parents come to visit.

This past Tuesday, I traded in my Titans jersey for a Real Madrid one when some of the group went to a Spanish fútbol (soccer) match. I had always heard that soccer is like a religion here, and it dominates a lot of the news so getting to go to a game was awesome. [Side note: One of the churches we went into in Barcelona had the Barcelona fútbol team’s logo in one of the stained glass windows - that is how big fútbol is here.] Our seats were in the third row from the top, but we still had a great view of the field. They had this section, kind of like the student section at college games, that cheered the whole time. People definitely got into it. Someone told me that they don’t sell any alcohol at the games, because if they did, people would get too rowdy. It was a ton of fun, and I am hopefully going to go to another game before I leave.

Monteserrat

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium

Last Thursday, a few of us made a trip to El Escorial which is about an hour outside of Madrid. It is the historical residence of the King. It reminded me of Versailles in France because it had gorgeous gardens all around it. It was basically a museum inside with a bunch of different paintings and tombs of past Kings.

Last Friday, we had our first of five trips to the Prado. One of our teachers from school came and talked about the paintings by El Greco. It was really nice to have her with us because she pointed out a lot of the symbols and characteristics that I would have never known.

On Saturday, the whole group left for Salamanca for the weekend which is a city about two hours outside of Madrid. The same teacher who went with us to the Prado, came along on the trip. We visited the oldest University in Spain, the University of Salamanca. We also saw the Old Cathedral, which is right next to the New Cathedral. It was neat because they had a pathway around the towers on the top of the Cathedral so you could climb to the top and walk outside. We learned a lot about the architecture and history of the Cathedrals.

Yesterday, we had a flamenco lesson after school. We learned the history about it and some basic moves. It was a lot of fun. Tomorrow we are headed to Barcelona for five days. My whole house is sick right now and I think I have a little bug. So hopefully, I'll get better before we leave!

Londres

Tower Bridge

London Eye on the right

View of Big Ben and Parliament from the Eye

London was amazing!! It seriously was one of the best trips I have ever been on, and it only lasted for two days. Our flights were both at about 7 in the morning so we ended up spending the night in the airport twice. I do not recommend this ever. Sleeping (ok, laying down with eyes shut) on a conveyor belt is not comfortable. Also, the airline only allowed one bag for free, so I packed everything in my school backpack and carried that around with me all weekend. Still, it was worth it. We walked, walked, and walked some more and saw most of the important sights: Buckingham Palace, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Westminster Abbey, Big Ben, Parliament, National Gallery (Velázquez, Monet, van Gogh), British Museum (Rosetta Stone, mummies), Sir John Soane's Museum, St. James Park, Hyde Park, Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter (except it was closed when we got there), and Abbey Road. Abbey Road was probably my favorite. It was really difficult to get the classic Beatle's picture because it was a busy street and there were lots of other people waiting for their turn to get a picture. But we got a few, and they are hilarious.

Abbey Road Picture

Other great things about London:

1. Accents

2. Children with accents (actual quote: “Daddy, this park is so lovely. Can’t we just stay a little longer and talk with the guards?”)

3. People speaking in English (even though it still sounded like a different language sometimes)

4. Cars driving on opposite side of the road (this makes crossing the road confusing because I ALWAYS looked the wrong way at first)

5. Free museums (sorry, I didn’t donate)

6. Changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace

7. Picnic in Hyde Park (What is better than Nutella and fresh bread?)

8. Mexican food

9. The London Eye (It is kind of like a huge ferris wheel with great views of the city)

10. The classic red phone booths

The Sunday we got back, a few us went to a bullfight (corrida de toros) at the Plaza de Toros in Madrid. When we got there we decided to ask this man who was sitting near us about some of the rules because none of us knew much about bullfighting. He was an older gentleman who used to be a torero (matador). He sat with us the whole time, answered our questions, and explained everything. There were a total of six bulls and three toreros. One torero was actually a woman, but she got badly injured within the first 10 seconds so we didn’t get to see her do anything. It was a lot grosser than I thought it would be, and I quickly learned when to close my eyes. It was also stressful to watch because the toreros stood so close to the bull. One guy got trampled by the bull and was rushed off to the hospital probably pretty close to death. Our friend we sat next to explained that bullfighting has actually been banned in a lot of cities including Barcelona because of all the controversy surrounding it. But it was still interesting and definitely one of those moments when I thought, “Ok, yeah I’m in Spain right now - no doubt about that.”

Los Viajes

View from top of Torre de Hércules

The past few weeks have been really busy between traveling the past two weekends, going to class, taking siestas, going out for tapas, fulfilling our weekly cultural requirements, and just getting to know Madrid. Two weekends ago, we went to Galicia in the northwest corner of Spain. It had some of the most amazing views I have ever seen and really good seafood. When someone ordered fish, they brought out the whole fish with the skin and sometimes the head. My favorite part of the trip was the visit to the “Torre de Hércules.” It is the oldest Roman lighthouse still in use. After climbing to the top, we could look out over the ocean and the city of Galicia. We also saw the Cathedral of Santiago which is the burial-place of St. James.

Last weekend, we traveled to Asturias which is on the northern coast. We saw more awesome views and drank their traditional cider. The waiter poured the cider by holding the bottle up high and the glass down low. This supposedly aerates the cider, and then you have to drink it quickly. My favorite part of Asturias was our visit to two pre-romanesque churches. They were built sometime around the 700s. The architecture was really cool, and it was neat to put into context some of the things I have been learning about in class. I feel blessed to be able to travel so much. The most stressful thing so far (besides the fiasco at the beginning with the flight and the luggage) has been trying to decide where I want to travel on my free weekends. We have about four, and I have already made plans to go to London this coming weekend!

Each week we have to attend a cultural event so this week I decided to go to a Spanish movie, "La Piel que Habito." The least I can say is that it was interesting. When I went to buy my ticket, the guy asked me a question. I had no idea what he said, so I just replied "Si." This seemed to be the right response because he gave me the ticket for the movie I wanted. Things that were different: bars in the movie theatre, assigned seats, graphic scenes, and really weird, complex plot. The good thing is it was only a 10 minute walk from my house, so I’m sure I’ll be back to watch more movies. One thing I didn’t know is that a lot of the TV here is American shows with Spanish voices recorded over. My Señora loves to watch CSI and Friends. Yes, Friends just got funnier.

This week, I also went to my first discoteca (club). It was super packed but lots of fun. People go out here so late. I’m still confused about how they do it. I didn’t leave until after the metro had closed so I got to take another taxi ride home. I guess I’m still getting used to some things, but looking forward to some English accents this weekend!

muscles

pouring the cider

La Escuela

This week we started school. The university is about a 30 minute metro ride and 15 minute walk from our apartment. Since we have to be there at 8:30, we have to get up pretty early. On Tuesday, I decided not to get up when my alarm went off and instead, was woken up by Lauren telling me I had about 20 minutes to get ready. So we were already running late when we got on the metro going the wrong direction. After finally getting off of the metro, it was about 8:26. The best 3 euros I have spent so far is for the taxi that took me and Lauren to the university where we arrived right on time. Now, I make sure to read the signs in the metro very carefully, because I want to stop this trend of being the person who arrives late to everything on this trip.

School so far has been pretty easy. All of my classes are in Spanish and with only Furman students. The teachers speak slowly though and are easy to understand. My four classes are: language, Spanish theatre, contemporary Spanish society, and art and civilization. It is strange not to have a health class since that is my major, but I hope to do my research project on health and nutrition in Spain. Juan is our teacher for two classes, and he is great. He gives high fives to whoever participates in class, and about every 10 minutes asks if anyone has "preguntas, comentarios, or chistes (questions, comments, or jokes)." Every day, we have bread or croissants, mandarin juice, and coffee for breakfast. Señora gives us an apple to bring to school, and by the time we get home around 2:00, I am always more than ready for lunch which is usually huge.

Tomorrow we leave for Galicia, which is in Northwestern Spain. We are spending the weekend there and then go back to school on Monday. Although Madrid is great, it will be nice to see a completely different part of Spain!

La Pena de la Piña

Today, our Señora made us paella which is a very traditional Spanish dish. It is rice with various other ingredients. This one that she made had calamari and bell peppers. At lunch, Señora was telling us some of the customs of Spain. When eating rice (like the paella) Madrileños start from the outside and work their way towards the middle so that it stays warm. They also eat their lettuce (which is topped with olive oil, vinegar, salt, and pepper) before the meal. And she told us not to drink water during the meal if it is rice or pasta, because then we will get full very fast. I have also learned that Spaniards eat with both hands on the table. After we ate the paella, Señora said that she would get us some fruit. She comes back with pineapple. I love food and will eat almost anything (I even ate pig's blood last night). But pineapple is one of the few foods that I hate. I tried to cut it into little pieces, but I only could eat a few. I told her I was full and couldn't eat anymore, and thankfully she told me not to worry.

One thing that is very different for me is wearing shoes in the house. Here, it is rude to walk barefoot inside. It is hard for me to remember because I am so used to taking my shoes off as soon as I walk inside. Also, I keep forgetting that most stores close in the afternoon from 2 to 5. Yesterday, Lauren and I went for a walk in the afternoon around our neighborhood looking for stores. We completely forgot that this was the time when most people go back to their houses to rest and only a few stores were open. Everything will take some getting used to. For now, I am still trying to get over this jet lag and understand what my Señora is saying. Señora said that in 15 days everything will be much easier, so we will see!

How do you say "delayed?"

Well, it has been quite a crazy start to my trip. Wednesday was one crazy day. I was scheduled to fly from Nashville, to Atlanta, to Charlotte, to Madrid. However, my first flight was delayed an hour causing me to miss my next flight. After many tears, phone calls, and prayers, I decided the best option was to get on the next flight to Charlotte which would arrive 5 minutes before my flight to Madrid was scheduled to leave. The flight attendants said the chances of me making the flight to Madrid were very slim, and the next available flight out was in five days! I was stressed, but it was worth a shot. Thankfully, my flight was 20 minutes early! As soon as I got off the plane, I ran as fast as I could with my luggage for what seemed like forever. But, I made it (with probably about 30 seconds to spare)! My professor and my classmates were very patient and helped me out so much. They said that they tried to walk really slowly onto the plane to save as much time as possible. It was such a relief to see them on the plane.

When we got to Madrid, we met with our host families. I am living with a Senora and another student, Lauren, from Furman. My Senora only speaks Spanish, and I am not really sure what she is saying most of the time. But she loves to cook and is very helpful. She talks so much. The first night, I kept zoning out and really just wanted to go to bed, but she kept talking and talking. It takes so much effort to listen closely to her Spanish. But, she is so sweet!

I am really enjoying Madrid. The people are really nice, and the weather is great. Now, I am going to go unpack, because my luggage just arrived earlier today and I want to wear something other than t-shirts and the only pair of sandals that I brought in my carry-on bag!