There's No Place Like Home

Or, lessons in "you can't go home again." Eight and a half hours after leaving the beautiful Terminal 4 of the Madrid Barajas Airport (pictured below), I landed in JFK. After a two hour traffic-filled ride, we turned onto Ballard Drive. Greeted by Colby, flowers, balloons, and cheesecake, it was a warm welcome-home!

I'm adjusting to the non-Spanish Google, earlier dinners, tipping at restaurants, driving a car, one-course lunches, an unlimited-text-messaging cell phone plan, doing my own laundry, and reversing other newly-learned habits. My first neighborhood run was weird with wide tree-lined streets, shorter separated houses (rather than towering apartments), and fresh air! Heading back to Hall High School and Vassar to see old friends was also quite a culture-shock. I'm satiating my Spanish cravings with some of my homemade gazpacho and Whole Foods' queso manchego. Hopefully it will hold me over 'til next time...

Thanks to all who read (or mocked!) my blog, wrote to me, sent care packages, and visited me in Spain -- I've had the time of my life, and I can't wait to share pictures and stories with everyone! Adios!

Ending on a High Note

I don't think my last few days in Madrid could have been any better (besides the leaving part)! On Friday I headed back to the Reina Sofia and Prado museums for the last time before meeting up with the majority of the Vassar-Wesleyan on program for a good bye drink at Cerveceria Alemania.

Today, Saturday, marked the Festival de San Isidro - a huge holiday in Madrid that honors... Saint Isidro! As a result, the past few nights have been filled with outdoor concerts and generally high spirits around the city, but today was particularly special. Gran Via, the main avenue in Madrid, was covered in a blue carpet and converted into a pedestrian-only zone. During the day, madrilenos pranced through the city streets in their traditional clothes -- the women donned mantillas (embroidered shawls) and red flowers in their hair while the men wore black and white plaid jackets with matching caps. Too cute!! Decorated with a huge cake in celebration of its 100th birthday, the main drag was also the site of music and midnight fireworks! How many people can say they've legally "botelloned" while sitting on Gran Via?!?

My last night is pretty hard to capture in words or pictures, but let's say we toasted to just about everything!

For my last big meal, my senora prepared gazpacho, paella, and flan! For dessert, I brought home some listas and Santa Claras (pastries that are typically enjoyed for the San Isidro Festival).

Right Place, Right Time

As I was heading to the gift shop at the Palacio Real to do some last minute shopping yesterday, I noticed an extra-long line. When I got a bit closer and talked to a security guard, I learned that people had gathered to welcome Club Atlético de Madrid after their recent victory in the championship against Fulham! After a few minutes, the double-decker team bus rounded the corner. Amidst cheers of "Atleeeetiii Atleeeetiii," the players chanted from the top and hoisted their silver cup into the air!! Later, my senora explained to me that the team was probably heading to the nearby Catedral de la Almudena to bless the trophy.

Aranjuez, Atlético, and Adiós Adam!

After a somewhat spontaneous decision, some friends and I caught an 11 am train to Aranjuez to visit the famous Palacio Real - the Spanish King's "springtime" residence. Although the royal home boasted many chandeliers, thrones, and overdone decorations similar to those in Madrid, there were some pretty unique treasures. We got to see the King's royal barbell set (covered in red velour), an exhibit on fans (abanicos) crafted from ivory, gold, lace, and other precious materials, and a display of wedding dresses worn by royal princesses (as recently as 2004). The palace had a distasteful mustard yellow theme in many rooms from floor to ceiling - perhaps to incite a springtime sentiment?!

Since Aranjuez is known for its strawberries, we decided to indulge in a huge 2€ carton for lunch. They were so fresh that we found a baby snail living on one... After lunch we meandered through the royal gardens!

Tonight is also Atlético Madrid's big soccer game against Fulham for the UEFA Champions League, hence the sea of red and white striped jerseys to in Sol... And, after our first college semester of living within twenty minutes of eachother, Adam boards his plane back to the United States tomorrow... ¡Buen viaje!

Café Crawl

Over the course of the semester, Abby and I made a point of visiting different cafés throughout the city to catch up and get to know the city's corners a little better. We found a different one to sample each Tuesday afternoon. Abby routinely chose a coffee, I chose a tea, and we "split" a postre (cake/pastry) or two... or three! Consider us connoisseurs.

In an effort to avoid sounding like a travel guidebook, here's a rundown of our hot spots:

- As novices we began at Café Cáscaras (near Abby's apartment) -- our first stop. The brownie a la mode was super delicious, A+ material. Nuff' said.

- We then ventured to Café Comercial (to which I have returned many times). Founded in 1887, it is one of the oldest cafés in Madrid. Although the waiters were somewhat surly, my After Eight chocolate mint tea hit the spot.

- We ended February with a stop at my favorite café, El Jardín Secreto (The Secret Garden). With beaded curtains in the window and slices of tree trunks for tables, the cozy spot mirrors my vision of a secret garden. Chocolate con helado caramelo (thick hot chocolate with caramel ice cream) and carrot cake made for the most delicious combination that I've had in Madrid all semester. Because the café didn't open until 5:30, we made a pit stop at Café Subiendo al Sur for some fair trade tea to kill time and stay out of the rain while waiting!

- The following week, our stop at Café Delic for some homemade mini cakes (dulce de avellana and zanahoria) rivaled the baked goods at El Jardín Secreto. Delic, located near my dance studio in Lavapies, gave me the energy needed for my first flamenco class!

- With the onset of beautiful weather, Abby and I tried the patio seating on Café de Orient (near the Palacio Real). Here we indulged in tea and some dense chocolate cake, which tasted even better with the sun beating down on us!

- The next week brought us to Café Marakech, per Lila's recommendation! We ordered a pot of the sweet mint tea of the house, which was served alongside a platter of assorted Moroccan pastries.

- Although Café Moderno wasn't quite as easy to find, the tea and three freshly-made "cakes of the house" were all a delight for the tastebuds. And, since Abby wasn't feeling well, I did the sampling for the two of us :)

- The prime location and painted ceilings of the Café del Círculo de Bellas Artes probably explained the higher prices. Regardless, the menu of 40+ varieties of tea, 16 types of frozen teas, and an assortment of liquid chocolates in addition to coffees and cocktails was impressive, if not slightly overwhelming (and we all know how quickly I make decisions in restaurants...)

- Most recently we went to the ever-so-popular La Mallorquina, a pastelería placed in the center of Sol! Known for their one euro napolitanas, the joint is quite the destination. We sipped tea and coffee on the second floor and washed it down with some chocolate truffles and a palmera.

Of course a weekly dose of tea and pastries doesn't hold me over, so I've ventured to some others and dragged along a friend or two on the way! Some of my favorites thus far include Lhardy Pastelería for its flaky, perfect chocolate palmeras, El Riojano for its warm, coral-colored walls, Café Ruiz (near my house) for the best chunky milkshake, Café Manuela for some board-game-playing and lemon-champagne-sorbet-sipping fun, Café Central (known for its nightly jazz) and Café del Real for some simple chamomile tea.

Hooked on 'Hoces del Río Duratón'

Yesterday we had our final program excursion to Hoces del Rio Duraton for an afternoon of kayaking before a traditional lunch of cordero asado (roasted lamb) in Sepulveda (near Segovia).

Along the way, two guides kayaked beside us and explained the historical, geographical, and natural context of the area. The national park gets its name from the sickle (hoz) shaped gorges within the Duraton canyon. Within the park lie two ancient monasteries, dangling on the precipice. The park is also home to various birds of prey including vultures, peregrine falcons, and eagles. Although the rain held off, it was a brisk morning on the water!

Our despedida (goodbye) lunch was salty, to say the least. Nonetheless, it was fun to catch up with people from the program who I don't regularly see! At the end of the lunch, we all shared some of our favorite moments, favorite sayings, and false expectations that we held before coming with the group!

[I didn't bring my camera on the trip for fear of dropping it in the water, so I thought a nice Google image would help plant the picture in your mind...]

Making a List, Checking it Twice

It's hard to believe that I have less than two weeks left in my study abroad stint! Along the way I've been writing down various memories, meals, and pet peeves -- are you surprised at all that I have millions of mini lists?! Anyway, here are a few of my favorites (in no particular order):

Top 6 Favorite Neighborhoods:

1. Malasaña - Madrid

2. Barri Gòtic - Barcelona

3. Red Light District - Amsterdam

4. Charlottenburg - Berlin

5. Le Marais - Paris

6. Santa Croce - Venice

Top 5 Favorite Restaurants:

1. La Bodeguita del Medio -Prague

2. Pan de Lujo - Madrid

3. Restaurante Branka - San Sebastian

4. Le Petite Chaise - Paris

5. La Giostra - Florence

Top 4 Favorite Sites:

1. Centre Pompidou - Paris

2. Palazzo Grassi - Venice

3. Guggenheim - Bilbao

4. Sagrada Familia - Barcelona

Top 3 Favorite Pastries/Desserts:

1. Chocolate palmeras from Lhardy - Madrid

2. Gelatto at Giolitti - Rome

3. Stroopwaffels - Amsterdam

Top 2 Most Frustrating Moments

1. Cancelled flight to Berlin

2. Traveling to customs in Madrid to pick up a package...

Best View

1. Torre de Mangia - Siena

And... in a moment of frustration and hostility I jotted down the following list of what I will miss least about Madrid:

- Restaurants without continuous service

- Paper thin napkins that don't absorb anything

- Paying for bread (and bottled water) in restaurants

- My 45 minute commute to school

- The weak U.S. dollar

- Smokers smoking everywhere

- Old ladies linking arms while walking down the street (and blocking the whole sidewalk)

- T-shirts with nonsense or mistranslated English sayings (ex: Detroit Dodgers?!)

- Pickpockets on the Metro

I thought I'd post this now so as not to end on a negative note. Rest assured, the aspects of Madrid that I will miss infinitely outweigh the insignificant things that irritate me!

Frolicking in Catalunya

My trip to Barcelona came and went in a blink. Because the majority of the museums were closed on Saturday May 1st due to Labor Day, we immediately hit up the Museu Nacional d'Art de Catalunya just a couple of hours after landing from our early morning flight. Boasting a hearty collection, the museum was a swift introduction to our stay in the Catalan-infested region. From there, we wound our way through the Parc de Monjuïc to the Fundació Joan Miró. Among my favorite pieces were a floor-to-ceiling tapestry woven with hunks of yarn, a Calder mercury fountain in the courtyard, and the sculpture-speckled terrace. Lunch in the park gave us a burst of energy before venturing to the Museu Picasso. Although I wasn't a huge fan of the museum, I did enjoy the several rooms dedicated to Picasso's take on Velázquez's Las Meninas.

That evening, we sat in awe among the audience of a concert by a Spanish guitarist, Xavier Coll. It was not only his flawless picking on four different guitars that spanned four different eras of Spanish eras (and his 10 year old daughter accompanying him on cello for a double encore) that made the concert unforgettable, but also the modernisme hall in which the concert took place. Every inch of the palau was covered in undulating mosaics, intricate carvings, and bursts of color. A stained glass composition, punctuated by giant roses, dominated the ceiling.

Saturday brought Gaudi galore. We started from the rear of Parc Guell and made our way to the curvaceous benches and, eventually, the mobbed entranced marked by the famous lizard. We then waited on line (25 minutes for tickets and then 20 minutes for an audio guide) with every other tourist in Barcelona outside of the Sagrada Familia. Despite the construction, the church was INCREDIBLE, and I cannot wait to return to see the finished product (that is if it's completed during my lifetime)! Nature's influence was ever-so-evident in the monumental cathedral, and I really liked the exhibits that explained Gaudi's fascinating command of geometry. Our final stop was La Pedrera - Gaudi's famous apartment building. Continuing on our way towards Picasso's hangout (4 Gats) for lunch, we passed by various Gaudi contributions including Casa Batllo, some trippy lamp posts, and other wavy balconies.

After lunch, we strolled down Las Ramblas and wandered (okay, shopped...) throughout the Barri Gotic before making our way to the hotel for a much-needed siesta. A seafood dinner near the beach really sealed the deal! Two and a half days in Barcelona was not nearly enough time, but traveling with my parents, running into a long lost camp friend (and some current classmates from Madrid), and taking the high speed AVE back to Madrid (instead of having to deal with the airport) set this weekend apart from others.

Although I do love where I'm "studying," Barcelona did give Madrid a run for its money (food-wise, architecture/Gaudi-wise, and art-wise)! Oh well, at least we speak castellano here... none of that Catalan crap!