Today is my last day here; I fly out tomorrow around noon, but G flies out a couple hours earlier, so I'll go to the airport early with him. I'm not nearly ready to go. I suppose that's a good thing—to leave with good memories and before you're tired of a place. Ah, well, I guess it's about time to go back to work--office and school.
Christmas Eve we went to the apartment of some of G’s friends for dinner. He’s a Brit and she’s from S Carolina. Enjoyed a great Southern-style turkey dinner—to which G added a tasty apple crisp—and delightful conversation. Christmas was a quiet day at home, resting up before we returned to doing the tourist thing. That evening the family of one of his roommates descended on the place. After much cheek-kissing and a little Spanish conversation, G and I escaped the smoke and took to the streets to view some of the Christmas lights. Madrid really does put up a lot. G said there was an article in the paper not long before I came about an estimated 1+ billion (yes, that's what he said--billion with a "b"-- but that just can't be right) bulbs that're up around town. Anyway, they're pretty.
We toured the palace at El Escorial, which was definitely worth the trip back up there. I think my favorite part was the library—very impressive. We went through the palace in Madrid, too. Very different feel, but equally remarkable. We spent a day in Segovia, which wasn’t long enough. We got a bit lost and happened upon the "Casa del Sol" museum about 40 minutes before it closed. It had some really good exhibits and explanatory videos which certainly deserved a lot more time than we were able to give them. Then we spent quite a bit of time in the Alcázar, the fortress-castle. (This is the one that inspired Disney’s Cinderella castle.) With only a little time remaining before everything closed, we decided to go into the cathedral, which meant we had to bypass other things I really would have liked to see. Last, but certainly not least, we went to the aqueduct (built by the Romans), which was helpful to see AFTER the exhibit at the museum. Wow. We had hoped to sample one of the specialty dishes, roast suckling pig, but our bus back to Madrid left at 9:30 pm and none of the restaurants started serving dinner until 8:30. By the time we were leaving, the tourist buses were gone and the Segovians were coming out to walk around, visit, dine, etc. What can I say about Segovia? If you’ve been there, you understand; if not, be sure to add it to your itinerary when you come to Spain.
Gosh, this is so banal: here’s where I went; this is what I saw. It’s just that in this brief space I can’t begin to describe how awe-inspiring all of this is: the art, especially the unbelievable detail of so much of it; the views; the history; the age of everything; and so much more. What an incredible experience this has been! I took a bunch of pictures –not that I have a clue what I’m doing with a camera, but to refresh my memory in years to come…mm, and yes, also to bore some of you lucky ones with travelogues.
I’ve had an opportunity to see brief glimpses of everyday Spanish life, staying with an older Spanish widow and with a group of young singles. I’ve traveled via subway, slow trains, fast trains, intra- and inter-city buses. I’ved had cañas and tapas in neighborhood bars as well as churros and chocolate (You dip the deep-fried churros into sort of like warm chocolate pudding) and jamón and bocadillos and mazapan and tortillas (not like what I'm used to at home at all--these are potato omelets). I’ve eaten more olives than I thought possible. Did I mention watching G’s roommate’s Galician boyfriend cook their Navidad specialty: whole octopus? The ink make the water dark purple and gave the apartment an, um, interesting smell. A group of friends came over and we shared it on a communal plate, chopped up and served with the onions and potatoes it boiled with.
G’s a charming host and a consistently excellent and imaginative chef with a growing repertoire of dishes. He and I have spent a lot of time together—more than we have in many years—and, as incredible as everything I’ve seen has been, that’s the best part of this whole trip. Of course, since he plans to remain in Europe for awhile, I don’t know when I’ll see him again, so that’s difficult, but he has made this an absolutely incredible time for me.
I’ll try to figure out how to add some of the photos to this blog without making it take so long to load that you fall asleep. Maybe I’ll do that while I sit waiting in airports. (I just figured out my 5-hour Philadelphia layover will be between 1 and 6 a.m. Madrid time—oh, boy!)
Well, time to go. I think we’re headed for a last visit to Sol and/or Retiro.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
We've been busy!
Happy Nochebuena (Christmas Eve)!
The language school at which G teaches and I was taking Spanish is closed for 2 weeks. The branch where my class was concluded with a Christmas party early Friday afternoon, including instructors forming a living belén (complete with elaborate costumes for the magi, shepherds, etc.), snack goodies, and a Christmas carol contest among the classes of students. Our class sang “La marimorena”—not very well, but with a lot of volume and enthusiasm, clapping, foot-stamping, and shaking tambourines and water bottles half-filled with beans. The unfortunate after-effect: I can't get the dang tune out of my head! (Check YouTube for any of a number of examples of the song.) The winning class had worked out a rather elaborate choreography and certainly deserved the dictionaries they won as prizes.
G, of course, is on vacation, too—the first time since he arrived here in August—so he’s enjoying playing tourist along with me. We’ve been pretty busy going all over: Retiro Park, the Temple of Debob; the Prado, the Madrid royal palace and adjoining cathedral; figuring out the Cercanías and high speed trains to get us to El Escorial and Toledo; and more. I think I’ve done more walking in the last week than in the last 6 months combined.
Just a few brief comments on some of these as I don’t want to spend a week typing out my full impressions:
Put a Sunday afternoon picnic at Retiro Park on your must-do list if you’re ever in Madrid. Young couples, old couples; groups of friends; occasional singles. Families are all over, with children learning to ride two-wheelers, chasing each other, shrieking in laughter. It's impossible to count the number of strollers and it’s apparently quite the thing to dress both of your young children in matching outfits, even if they’re different genders and/or ages. Also very popular are renting a rowboat to row around the tiny "lake" and bringing your drum (ANY kind) to join in the hours-long drum circle.
The Prado: omigosh! Most of you know I have not an artistic cell in my body nor have I had any kind of art education, but still, it was absolutely overwhelming! We spent several hours there and hardly touched the surface. So many paintings I’ve spent my life seeing only as reproductions in books, etc. and there they were—the real thing—and so close I could have touched them. I was afraid I’d sneeze. Two hundred, three hundred or more years old. The frames alone were usually impressive. The size, the colors, the impact—I just can’t begin to explain it.
The palace/monastery at El Escorial was, disappointingly, closed the day we went, but the train trip into the country surrounding Madrid was fun and the town has easily the best belén I’ve seen. The figures are life-size and the recreation of Bethlehem spans the entire town center. There are several flocks of sheep; a caravan arriving with elephants and camels; a wall with Roman soldiers on guard; an encampment with people dancing; a market with housewives and vendors haggling over prices; an entire hillside with goats and cave-like passages; a river with people in rowboats and women washing clothes on the bank; and much more.
Toledo: wow! The streets are narrow and winding—exactly the same as they’ve been for over a thousand years. The cathedral was awe-inspiring. I don’t know how many El Greco’s they have there. There were ceremonial robes dating back to the 14th century—now I know why everything I’ve read talks about noble women spending so many hours embroidering. The intricate details of carvings in stone and wood are incredible. I was awed by the Madrid cathedral, but this one was even more stunning. Everywhere we walked (and G walked me up and down every steep, twisting street…several times!) there were buildings dating back hundreds of years and yet we had to periodically step into a doorway so a car could pass. I can’t imagine what it would be like to enter the front door of your apartment every day, knowing that 30 feet away is a church built almost 1000 years ago and containing Visigoth relics found nearby that date from the 7th century.
And throughout it all, I'm spending more time with G than I have in years. It's just generally a pretty wonderful vacation.
The language school at which G teaches and I was taking Spanish is closed for 2 weeks. The branch where my class was concluded with a Christmas party early Friday afternoon, including instructors forming a living belén (complete with elaborate costumes for the magi, shepherds, etc.), snack goodies, and a Christmas carol contest among the classes of students. Our class sang “La marimorena”—not very well, but with a lot of volume and enthusiasm, clapping, foot-stamping, and shaking tambourines and water bottles half-filled with beans. The unfortunate after-effect: I can't get the dang tune out of my head! (Check YouTube for any of a number of examples of the song.) The winning class had worked out a rather elaborate choreography and certainly deserved the dictionaries they won as prizes.
G, of course, is on vacation, too—the first time since he arrived here in August—so he’s enjoying playing tourist along with me. We’ve been pretty busy going all over: Retiro Park, the Temple of Debob; the Prado, the Madrid royal palace and adjoining cathedral; figuring out the Cercanías and high speed trains to get us to El Escorial and Toledo; and more. I think I’ve done more walking in the last week than in the last 6 months combined.
Just a few brief comments on some of these as I don’t want to spend a week typing out my full impressions:
Put a Sunday afternoon picnic at Retiro Park on your must-do list if you’re ever in Madrid. Young couples, old couples; groups of friends; occasional singles. Families are all over, with children learning to ride two-wheelers, chasing each other, shrieking in laughter. It's impossible to count the number of strollers and it’s apparently quite the thing to dress both of your young children in matching outfits, even if they’re different genders and/or ages. Also very popular are renting a rowboat to row around the tiny "lake" and bringing your drum (ANY kind) to join in the hours-long drum circle.
The Prado: omigosh! Most of you know I have not an artistic cell in my body nor have I had any kind of art education, but still, it was absolutely overwhelming! We spent several hours there and hardly touched the surface. So many paintings I’ve spent my life seeing only as reproductions in books, etc. and there they were—the real thing—and so close I could have touched them. I was afraid I’d sneeze. Two hundred, three hundred or more years old. The frames alone were usually impressive. The size, the colors, the impact—I just can’t begin to explain it.
The palace/monastery at El Escorial was, disappointingly, closed the day we went, but the train trip into the country surrounding Madrid was fun and the town has easily the best belén I’ve seen. The figures are life-size and the recreation of Bethlehem spans the entire town center. There are several flocks of sheep; a caravan arriving with elephants and camels; a wall with Roman soldiers on guard; an encampment with people dancing; a market with housewives and vendors haggling over prices; an entire hillside with goats and cave-like passages; a river with people in rowboats and women washing clothes on the bank; and much more.
Toledo: wow! The streets are narrow and winding—exactly the same as they’ve been for over a thousand years. The cathedral was awe-inspiring. I don’t know how many El Greco’s they have there. There were ceremonial robes dating back to the 14th century—now I know why everything I’ve read talks about noble women spending so many hours embroidering. The intricate details of carvings in stone and wood are incredible. I was awed by the Madrid cathedral, but this one was even more stunning. Everywhere we walked (and G walked me up and down every steep, twisting street…several times!) there were buildings dating back hundreds of years and yet we had to periodically step into a doorway so a car could pass. I can’t imagine what it would be like to enter the front door of your apartment every day, knowing that 30 feet away is a church built almost 1000 years ago and containing Visigoth relics found nearby that date from the 7th century.
And throughout it all, I'm spending more time with G than I have in years. It's just generally a pretty wonderful vacation.
Mobs of Madrileños
There are a lot of people in Madrid. I mean, a LOT of people. They’re all over the place all the time. When you get on a Metro, it’s not unusual to board along with 100-200 other people…and keep in mind that the last Metro left the station 4 minutes earlier. There are people on the street walking their dogs and shopping and who-knows-what at 7 am and 6 pm and 2 am.
The people around here—unless they’re sprinting to make a Metro train—walk at best at a pace I would term “meandering”. Sunday it finally dawned on me why: they spend so much of their time slowly shuffling along in crowds that even "meandering" probably seems like a pretty quick pace to them in comparison.
I spent several hours last Sunday en El Rastro, the weekend open-air flea market, wandering through La Latina, up to Sol, and back again. Mobs of people everywhere. In front of you and behind you and up every side street: a sea of heads. The Metro was already pretty full when I got on, but at each stop, I got wedged further and further back in a corner. When we arrived at the stop for El Rastro, just about everyone exited and we slowly shuffled en masse up the escalators and stairs to the surface, where we merged with the already-arrived hordes of people. It was—literally at times—wall-to-wall people. OK, so the streets are much narrower than in Seattle, but that's still a lot of people. You can’t just skirt a slow-moving group or slide past a cluster at a vendor’s booth or take a wide path around a small crowd enjoying a band of street musicians—there simply isn’t room. You can only move at the pace of the throng, which goes at about the same speed as a glacier.
On the other hand, the people-watching is fabulous! Plus, there is such a sense of energy and…hmm, how to articulate it? Life? Enjoyment? I don’t know; it just gives me a little glow and makes me smile.
The people around here—unless they’re sprinting to make a Metro train—walk at best at a pace I would term “meandering”. Sunday it finally dawned on me why: they spend so much of their time slowly shuffling along in crowds that even "meandering" probably seems like a pretty quick pace to them in comparison.
I spent several hours last Sunday en El Rastro, the weekend open-air flea market, wandering through La Latina, up to Sol, and back again. Mobs of people everywhere. In front of you and behind you and up every side street: a sea of heads. The Metro was already pretty full when I got on, but at each stop, I got wedged further and further back in a corner. When we arrived at the stop for El Rastro, just about everyone exited and we slowly shuffled en masse up the escalators and stairs to the surface, where we merged with the already-arrived hordes of people. It was—literally at times—wall-to-wall people. OK, so the streets are much narrower than in Seattle, but that's still a lot of people. You can’t just skirt a slow-moving group or slide past a cluster at a vendor’s booth or take a wide path around a small crowd enjoying a band of street musicians—there simply isn’t room. You can only move at the pace of the throng, which goes at about the same speed as a glacier.
On the other hand, the people-watching is fabulous! Plus, there is such a sense of energy and…hmm, how to articulate it? Life? Enjoyment? I don’t know; it just gives me a little glow and makes me smile.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
These boots are gonna walk all over...
I’ve come to the conclusion, after quite a bit of people-watching in the last week, that I am not the only woman in Spain who is not wearing both a scarf/muffler and boots; however, I may be the only one who’s not wearing either. (Ha, try to wrap your mind around that sentence!) Now, I’m not talking hiking boots nor the rainboots that are popular this year among young women in Seattle. I’m talking pretty boots: a few with wedge heels, some with stacked heels, but mostly spike heels; boots with bows, with zippers and buttons and buckles, fringe and cuffs, little gold chains and embossed designs; ankle length or mid-calf or up to the knees; in white patent leather or pink suede; deep, rich red or purple, but mostly in browns or black; almost all with toes pointed enough to be classified as deadly weapons.
Our teacher opened class the other morning by asking what people had noticed about Spaniards since they had arrived. One of the young women from China immediately answered that almost all the women wore boots and her compatriots chimed in in agreement, advising that boots are very rarely seen in China. The Polish women noted that boots are not uncommon in their country, but the frequency is nothing like in Spain. The teacher, wearing knee-high black boots, pointed at the feet of the Chinese women—they were both wearing boots. Ah, they responded, they had bought them shortly after they arrived. When in Rome…
Note: The Polish women weren’t wearing boots that particular day, but yes, they had come in with long scarves wrapped around their necks.
Our teacher opened class the other morning by asking what people had noticed about Spaniards since they had arrived. One of the young women from China immediately answered that almost all the women wore boots and her compatriots chimed in in agreement, advising that boots are very rarely seen in China. The Polish women noted that boots are not uncommon in their country, but the frequency is nothing like in Spain. The teacher, wearing knee-high black boots, pointed at the feet of the Chinese women—they were both wearing boots. Ah, they responded, they had bought them shortly after they arrived. When in Rome…
Note: The Polish women weren’t wearing boots that particular day, but yes, they had come in with long scarves wrapped around their necks.
This is still fun!
I haven’t been able to post for a few days for several reasons, primarily because I have less time now (between school, prowling around neighborhoods in the city center and where I’m staying, and the fact that I’m finally starting to be able to sleep at night—yeah!), but also because my access to WiFi has become more limited.
School’s good. The other 7 students in my class are from Poland, China, and France. I’ve decided I really like the sound of Spanish with a strong French accent…or maybe it’s that the French just sound so cool no matter what language they’re speaking. ;) I don’t want to tackle another language, but I do enjoy listening to the 2 French students conversing during break time. Our instructor, Beatriz, keeps the class interesting with lots of activities and I’m getting plenty of listening and some speaking practice. Of course, I’d have to live here for awhile, like G, to really improve, but this week is good for refreshing my memory regarding some of what I’ve forgotten in the last couple of years.
I can’t say I’ve mastered the Metro (Madrid’s subway system), but I am pretty comfortable navigating it now. Once you figure out the signage—where to find it and what to look for—it’s really pretty well marked. Choosing the correct exit can be problematic, but still, I’m getting to be quite a fan of the system. I met G at his apartment Tuesday evening after he got off work at 9 pm, going there and back via the Metro. At 9 o’clock there were lots of Metro passengers and the streets were full of people shopping, chatting, strolling, etc. Even when I was en route “home” at almost midnight there were plenty of “normal” people on the Metro. In the mornings, of course, it’s quite full, but the trains come every 3 or 4 minutes (about every 7 or 8 minutes at night), so you don't have to wait for very long.
While G cooked dinner Tuesday, I searched the Internet for info regarding bus schedules, tours, etc. After much discussion regarding our various travel options, we finally decided not to go to Granada, but to stay in Madrid and take some short day-trips to Segovia, Toledo, and/or El Escorial. He’s doing some research on travel arrangements and my assignment is coming up with what to see and/or do at each location.
I must admit that periodically something happens, e.g. hearing a siren, and it dawns on me once again that I’m actually in Europe and I just can’t help grinning. A little later something else reminds me, so I spend much of my time with a foolish grin on my face. I’m sure people think I’m a little abnormal (no comments, please) or maybe they just think, “Ah, another one of those Americans.” At any rate, I’m still having a ball!
School’s good. The other 7 students in my class are from Poland, China, and France. I’ve decided I really like the sound of Spanish with a strong French accent…or maybe it’s that the French just sound so cool no matter what language they’re speaking. ;) I don’t want to tackle another language, but I do enjoy listening to the 2 French students conversing during break time. Our instructor, Beatriz, keeps the class interesting with lots of activities and I’m getting plenty of listening and some speaking practice. Of course, I’d have to live here for awhile, like G, to really improve, but this week is good for refreshing my memory regarding some of what I’ve forgotten in the last couple of years.
I can’t say I’ve mastered the Metro (Madrid’s subway system), but I am pretty comfortable navigating it now. Once you figure out the signage—where to find it and what to look for—it’s really pretty well marked. Choosing the correct exit can be problematic, but still, I’m getting to be quite a fan of the system. I met G at his apartment Tuesday evening after he got off work at 9 pm, going there and back via the Metro. At 9 o’clock there were lots of Metro passengers and the streets were full of people shopping, chatting, strolling, etc. Even when I was en route “home” at almost midnight there were plenty of “normal” people on the Metro. In the mornings, of course, it’s quite full, but the trains come every 3 or 4 minutes (about every 7 or 8 minutes at night), so you don't have to wait for very long.
While G cooked dinner Tuesday, I searched the Internet for info regarding bus schedules, tours, etc. After much discussion regarding our various travel options, we finally decided not to go to Granada, but to stay in Madrid and take some short day-trips to Segovia, Toledo, and/or El Escorial. He’s doing some research on travel arrangements and my assignment is coming up with what to see and/or do at each location.
I must admit that periodically something happens, e.g. hearing a siren, and it dawns on me once again that I’m actually in Europe and I just can’t help grinning. A little later something else reminds me, so I spend much of my time with a foolish grin on my face. I’m sure people think I’m a little abnormal (no comments, please) or maybe they just think, “Ah, another one of those Americans.” At any rate, I’m still having a ball!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
New for Today
Two new words for today: "defensa" (defense) and "rebote" (rebound). I joined the cheering section at G's basketball game this evening. It apparently wasn't his best game, but the team won by 1 point, so they're happy. I just enjoyed watching him play. I can't remember how many years it's been since I've been able to sit on the sidelines at one of his games. The team is multinational--several Spaniards, a Frenchman, and 3 Americans--and the gym is close, a brisk 10-minute walk from G's apartment.
It's still pretty chilly here (there were a few snowflakes when I was out earlier in the day), so everyone's bundled up in scarves (they do love their mufflers here) and coats, but have only seen a couple of people wearing hats.
Also new is where I am at the moment--my new "home". Paula is perhaps mid-70's and has lived in this apartment for 30 years. She's done a lot of remodeling and decorating over the years. My room is large and light; it'll be a nice place to stay this week.
I've been to and from G's place all by myself on the Metro, figuring out which lines to change to and which exits to take (that's the tricky part--so you don't end up 3 blocks away and on the wrong side of the street, having no idea where you are). I've got to say, their Metro system is really nice. I've seen several billboards showing either a sphinx or the Statue of Liberty peering down into a Metro entrance with the caption, loosely translated, "The Metro everyone would like to have lives in Madrid." It is quite efficient; I just have to avoid thinking about how far underground I am. I feel like a miner going down flight after flight of stairs and/or escalators. Sure wish we had something like this in Seattle.
Well, I really have to do a little studying before turning in because tomorrow I start school and the first thing they'll do is to give me a level test. I've forgotten much of my vocabulary and some of the intricacies of the verb tenses; maybe I can nudge my memory a little tonight.
It's still pretty chilly here (there were a few snowflakes when I was out earlier in the day), so everyone's bundled up in scarves (they do love their mufflers here) and coats, but have only seen a couple of people wearing hats.
Also new is where I am at the moment--my new "home". Paula is perhaps mid-70's and has lived in this apartment for 30 years. She's done a lot of remodeling and decorating over the years. My room is large and light; it'll be a nice place to stay this week.
I've been to and from G's place all by myself on the Metro, figuring out which lines to change to and which exits to take (that's the tricky part--so you don't end up 3 blocks away and on the wrong side of the street, having no idea where you are). I've got to say, their Metro system is really nice. I've seen several billboards showing either a sphinx or the Statue of Liberty peering down into a Metro entrance with the caption, loosely translated, "The Metro everyone would like to have lives in Madrid." It is quite efficient; I just have to avoid thinking about how far underground I am. I feel like a miner going down flight after flight of stairs and/or escalators. Sure wish we had something like this in Seattle.
Well, I really have to do a little studying before turning in because tomorrow I start school and the first thing they'll do is to give me a level test. I've forgotten much of my vocabulary and some of the intricacies of the verb tenses; maybe I can nudge my memory a little tonight.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Soccer, napolitanas, & eggs
While G was fixing breakfast Saturday morning, he realized he needed eggs and bread, so he sent me to the grocery store a block away. We had stopped in briefly the day before, so I already knew some things which are different from in the US. In the refrigerated section there were shelves of yogurt and cheese and other familiar items as well as some that weren't. "Where's the milk?" G asked me. Hmm, not in the refrigerated section. He pointed across the aisle. There were several shelves containing a variety of boxes of milk-- all shelf stable, no fresh milk. But what really caught my attention was that right next to the milk were stacks of egg cartons, also not refrigerated. Anyway, so that morning I set off for the store through a light rain mixed with snow. Apparently most people shop daily or almost daily and because most stores are closed on Sunday, everybody and his cousin goes shopping on Saturday morning to stock up for the weekend. There are some grocery carts like every store has at home, although somewhat smaller, but most people were dragging around these cute little red plastic baskets that sit about an inch off the floor and have two wheels on one side. G told me later that you have to pay a euro to rent the regular grocery carts. It was a little odd to select a carton of unrefrigerated eggs and know that I would soon be eating them, but it was fun to stand in line with all the other people and watch them and try to understand what they were saying.
Fur abounds here. There are a few jackets, but mostly it's knee length or longer coats. On the way home the first day, G and I rounded a corner and almost ran into a woman in one pushing a baby carriage--not a stroller. It looked like something out of the '50s, but now I'm used to routinely seeing fur, usually on older women.
After breakfast, G showed me around town a little. We took the Metro closer in to the city center and he showed me where the school I'm going to attend is. (It's a different location than the one at which I met him Friday.) We walked past La Puerta de Alacalá and down the Paseo de Recoletas and saw what must be 10’s of 1,000’s of lights put up for the season. I’m going to have to get back there at night when they’re on; it must be spectacular. Madrid’s City Hall is far more imposing than Seattle’s, let me tell you. In front of it was a belén, an elaborate Nativity scene. G told me the figures are all hand carved. There was running water in a little “river” and an incredible amount of detail in the recreation of a whole section of the town of Bethlehem (Belén). Afterwards we walked over to the Plaza Mayor and it was full of booths selling moss, pieces of bark, and all kinds of figures to purchase to build your own belén. G took me to one booth and showed me a particular type of figure. It seems that some years ago someone carved a figure of a famous politician squatting to, umm, answer the call of nature, let’s say, and slipped the figure into a large belén in Andalucia. It took awhile before anyone noticed it, apparently, but now you can buy “Andalusian” figures in the same position everywhere.
From there we went to La Puerta del Sol, which was packed with people milling about. Looking up every street all you could see was a sea of umbrellas. We took pictures of each other at the Kilometro Cero marker and searched unsuccessfully for the main tourist information center. The height of the tour, though, was a chocolate napolitana at La Mallorquina. Mmmmm, I’m definitely going to find my way back there before I leave in order to repeat that experience!
That evening was the big soccer game between archrivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Half a dozen friends collected in the living room for a lively viewing of the game. It was like a Super Bowl party, complete with beer and pizza, except that almost everyone smokes. Barcelona was supposed to win easily, probably by half time, but it was a close game until the last 10 minutes, so it was a little rowdy until then. What a fun Spanish experience! Of course, since it was only midnight when the game was over, they all went out afterwards, returning around 4 a.m.
Well, enough for now; more later.
Fur abounds here. There are a few jackets, but mostly it's knee length or longer coats. On the way home the first day, G and I rounded a corner and almost ran into a woman in one pushing a baby carriage--not a stroller. It looked like something out of the '50s, but now I'm used to routinely seeing fur, usually on older women.
After breakfast, G showed me around town a little. We took the Metro closer in to the city center and he showed me where the school I'm going to attend is. (It's a different location than the one at which I met him Friday.) We walked past La Puerta de Alacalá and down the Paseo de Recoletas and saw what must be 10’s of 1,000’s of lights put up for the season. I’m going to have to get back there at night when they’re on; it must be spectacular. Madrid’s City Hall is far more imposing than Seattle’s, let me tell you. In front of it was a belén, an elaborate Nativity scene. G told me the figures are all hand carved. There was running water in a little “river” and an incredible amount of detail in the recreation of a whole section of the town of Bethlehem (Belén). Afterwards we walked over to the Plaza Mayor and it was full of booths selling moss, pieces of bark, and all kinds of figures to purchase to build your own belén. G took me to one booth and showed me a particular type of figure. It seems that some years ago someone carved a figure of a famous politician squatting to, umm, answer the call of nature, let’s say, and slipped the figure into a large belén in Andalucia. It took awhile before anyone noticed it, apparently, but now you can buy “Andalusian” figures in the same position everywhere.
From there we went to La Puerta del Sol, which was packed with people milling about. Looking up every street all you could see was a sea of umbrellas. We took pictures of each other at the Kilometro Cero marker and searched unsuccessfully for the main tourist information center. The height of the tour, though, was a chocolate napolitana at La Mallorquina. Mmmmm, I’m definitely going to find my way back there before I leave in order to repeat that experience!
That evening was the big soccer game between archrivals Real Madrid and Barcelona. Half a dozen friends collected in the living room for a lively viewing of the game. It was like a Super Bowl party, complete with beer and pizza, except that almost everyone smokes. Barcelona was supposed to win easily, probably by half time, but it was a close game until the last 10 minutes, so it was a little rowdy until then. What a fun Spanish experience! Of course, since it was only midnight when the game was over, they all went out afterwards, returning around 4 a.m.
Well, enough for now; more later.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Estoy aqui!!
I'm here! Hard to believe, but I'm actually in Spain! It's about 2:30 a.m. and G and I just got back from a short walk around the neighborhood. We went into a little bar (maybe 20' x 30' with maybe 25 customers and 4 staff--G said it's very typical) and checked out a salsa dance club (literally wall-to-wall people; I can't figure out how they were actually moving on the dance floor). Yes, along with the beer and Lemon Fanta (no, not in separate glasses--mixed together), we received a plate of olives and several garlic sardines at no additional charge. Much nicer than pretzels in an American bar. It felt odd to throw the napkins on the floor, but apparently one of the ways you're supposed to be able to judge if a place is good is by how much stuff is on the floor.
The trip over was long, but no real problems. Thanks, JoAnn, for the tip on putting the the neck roll on backwards (open end to the back of your neck) for sleeping on the plane--it works a lot better that way, keeps your chin from dropping every time you doze off and waking you up.
Had my first little adventure when I arrived as G was not at the airport as planned. It seems he sent me an email taking up my suggestion to meet him at work and giving me directions how to get there. However, I didn't get the email in time, so there I was at the airport, waiting and waiting. Had to start actually using my Spanish to ask for assistance from police officers, information desk, etc. Managed to get him on the phone and get the address before we got cut off. Found the Metro, but wasn't sure which direction to go, so I asked a young couple standing nearby. Turns out they had just arrived from Mexico for their first trip to Spain. Mariana immediately took me under her wing, intermittently practicing her English on me. Since I was going the same way, they escorted me to the correct place to get on and even to my stop. She searched through her stash of maps and asked bystanders how to get to the address I was looking for from the Metro, then walked me to the exit and insisted on giving me her map and a parting piece of advice, "Be careful Don't trust anybody!" "Like you?" I asked. She laughed warmly, "Nobody else!" Up on the street I had to ask for directions again and another woman walked a couple of blocks to show me where the building was. I don't know if this is the norm, but I sure appreciated all the kindness and help.
Tip: If you're on an escalator in Madrid and you're just going to ride it, squish yourself over to the right side so others can run past on the left side. G told me to move over cuz I was taking up the middle and, boy, did I ever get a dirty look and some muttered comment I think I'm glad I didn't understand from the woman I had been blocking. Even though the trains arrive every 5 minutes or so, many people do the OJ-Simpson-running-through-the-airport thing to make them.
As we entered G's apartment building, his roommate's boyfriend was also walking in. G introduced me and the man grabbed my upper arms and got WAY into my personal space! It took a moment before I realized he was greeting me by kissing both cheeks. (It's not actually kissing; it's pressing the cheeks together while making kissing noises in the air, although I have occasionally seen others, men/women and men/men, actually kiss each other's cheeks.) Ricardo and G's roommates thought my reaction was pretty funny, but after meeting half a dozen people now, I think I've got it down.
The apartment is small, with teeny bedrooms, but cute and his roommates are charming and really hospitable. Thankfully, they speak English well, but much of the conversation is in Spanish--yikes!
G and I have been talking and talking. It's wonderful--this is going to be a marvelous trip!
The trip over was long, but no real problems. Thanks, JoAnn, for the tip on putting the the neck roll on backwards (open end to the back of your neck) for sleeping on the plane--it works a lot better that way, keeps your chin from dropping every time you doze off and waking you up.
Had my first little adventure when I arrived as G was not at the airport as planned. It seems he sent me an email taking up my suggestion to meet him at work and giving me directions how to get there. However, I didn't get the email in time, so there I was at the airport, waiting and waiting. Had to start actually using my Spanish to ask for assistance from police officers, information desk, etc. Managed to get him on the phone and get the address before we got cut off. Found the Metro, but wasn't sure which direction to go, so I asked a young couple standing nearby. Turns out they had just arrived from Mexico for their first trip to Spain. Mariana immediately took me under her wing, intermittently practicing her English on me. Since I was going the same way, they escorted me to the correct place to get on and even to my stop. She searched through her stash of maps and asked bystanders how to get to the address I was looking for from the Metro, then walked me to the exit and insisted on giving me her map and a parting piece of advice, "Be careful Don't trust anybody!" "Like you?" I asked. She laughed warmly, "Nobody else!" Up on the street I had to ask for directions again and another woman walked a couple of blocks to show me where the building was. I don't know if this is the norm, but I sure appreciated all the kindness and help.
Tip: If you're on an escalator in Madrid and you're just going to ride it, squish yourself over to the right side so others can run past on the left side. G told me to move over cuz I was taking up the middle and, boy, did I ever get a dirty look and some muttered comment I think I'm glad I didn't understand from the woman I had been blocking. Even though the trains arrive every 5 minutes or so, many people do the OJ-Simpson-running-through-the-airport thing to make them.
As we entered G's apartment building, his roommate's boyfriend was also walking in. G introduced me and the man grabbed my upper arms and got WAY into my personal space! It took a moment before I realized he was greeting me by kissing both cheeks. (It's not actually kissing; it's pressing the cheeks together while making kissing noises in the air, although I have occasionally seen others, men/women and men/men, actually kiss each other's cheeks.) Ricardo and G's roommates thought my reaction was pretty funny, but after meeting half a dozen people now, I think I've got it down.
The apartment is small, with teeny bedrooms, but cute and his roommates are charming and really hospitable. Thankfully, they speak English well, but much of the conversation is in Spanish--yikes!
G and I have been talking and talking. It's wonderful--this is going to be a marvelous trip!
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
A quick update before I go
Well, the response has been gratifying: many of you have been pretty darned encouraging when I said I was thinking about doing this. Some have actually signed up for gmail so they could look at this blog, others have posted comments, and I even have a follower. (Thanks, Randy!) It so nice to have good friends and supportive family.
Anyway, I'm only in the early stages of panic so far. Turned in my term paper tonight (I am WAY too old be pulling all-nighters again), so now I get to start on the take-home final, due a few hours before I leave for the airport. Somewhere in there I have to finish the myriad trip details, e.g. last-minute shopping for crucial items, refilling prescriptions, getting that haircut, packing, prepping the house...not to mention stuff at work that has to be taken care of. I figure I'll be exhausted by the time I get on the plane, but that way I may actually be able to sleep and if not, well, I can study Spanish or see if I can figure out how to work that new camera or maybe even the laptop. I can hardly wait!
Anyway, I'm only in the early stages of panic so far. Turned in my term paper tonight (I am WAY too old be pulling all-nighters again), so now I get to start on the take-home final, due a few hours before I leave for the airport. Somewhere in there I have to finish the myriad trip details, e.g. last-minute shopping for crucial items, refilling prescriptions, getting that haircut, packing, prepping the house...not to mention stuff at work that has to be taken care of. I figure I'll be exhausted by the time I get on the plane, but that way I may actually be able to sleep and if not, well, I can study Spanish or see if I can figure out how to work that new camera or maybe even the laptop. I can hardly wait!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Testing, testing...1...2...3....
Well, I never really pictured myself blogging, but it seems like it might actually be a reasonable way to keep the few of you who have any interest in me and/or my trip informed while I'm away, so I thought I'd try it.
I bought a laptop today (since I was going to get one for school anyway, I figured I might as well get it in time to take on this trip) AND a small digital camera AND a couple of small Spanish resource books (a dictionary and a verb conjugation book, because the ones I have are bigger than I want to cart around Europe). Browsed through the books on Spain and Madrid, but put them all back on the shelf for now. I'm beginning to realize I'm really going to go. In fact, I even pulled out the calendar and counted how long 'til I leave--19 days.
So, after filling out screen after screen and typing all this, I guess it's time to see if it actually works.
I bought a laptop today (since I was going to get one for school anyway, I figured I might as well get it in time to take on this trip) AND a small digital camera AND a couple of small Spanish resource books (a dictionary and a verb conjugation book, because the ones I have are bigger than I want to cart around Europe). Browsed through the books on Spain and Madrid, but put them all back on the shelf for now. I'm beginning to realize I'm really going to go. In fact, I even pulled out the calendar and counted how long 'til I leave--19 days.
So, after filling out screen after screen and typing all this, I guess it's time to see if it actually works.
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