Well, where to begin? I've already been going to Nebrija Universidad for 3 weeks now. I am currently taking four classes, three of which are in Spanish. I enjoy my classes and I have learned loads about Spain's history, mainly revolving around the past dictatorship, which explains why Spain is so far behind many other European countries.
I have seen probably about half of the famous landmarks in Madrid: Palacio Real (but not the inside yet), Museo Reina Sofia, Parque Retiro, Sol, El Rastro, El Tigre, etc. I have also been to some of the trendy barrios like Chueca and La Latina.
Parque Retiro
Just a used book I found!
Plaza de Los Toros (a block from my house)
I went on a trip to the province Extremadura with my exchange program API about two weekends ago. We saw some Roman Ruins in Mérida, and stayed a night in Trujillo. The next day we hiked La Ruta Isabel La Católica, starting in the small village of Cañamero to the town Guadalupe. The hike was 16kms which would be approximately 10 miles. I will not lie... It was probably one of the hardest hikes I've ever done, not that I'm much of a hiker. It was all uphill in the mountains. When we arrived in Guadalupe we walked to el Monasterio (the Monastery), which is now a hotel/ museum where we stayed. I loved this weekend trip because I finally saw something different from Madrid. The towns were exactly how I imagined Europe, with little cobblestone streets and friendly people. Trujillo was especially charming. My friend Sam (another API student) and I went to the supermercado in Trujillo and we had no idea where it was, so we had to ask around, the people were helpful.
My feelings so far about Madrid... I really am beginning to love Madrid and Spain, but I still have this feeling I will always love Argentina more, maybe it's only because I haven't seen much of Spain yet. Since I am living in Madrid, the largest city in Spain (6 million people), the people aren't as friendly as I would expect them to be. Then again, in cities everyone just goes about their daily life. The food here is wonderful. One thing I really love of Spain is that the people go to these little bars throughout the whole day. Here bars are very different from bars in the USA, they're definitely the opposite of bars in Athens! Bars here are family places where you can drink a café, o have a copa de vino rosado o una cerveza. The best part about getting a glass of wine in Spain is that 99% of the time you get a tapa with your drink. Normally, you'll get some bread with cheese or maybe corquettas which are these fried ham finger food that I can't explain, but I would definitely recommend if you come to Spain! It's crazy how cheap wine is here in the grocery stores too. You can buy a good bottle of wine for 1€ ($1.15). In Spain the doctors recommend that every day you have a glass or two of wine or cerveza for the "health of your heart."
Jamon, Queso, Vino
Just had to take a picture at this plaza!
Another thing I have been enjoying is the public transportation in Madrid. I strangely love the Metro. Public transportation is something I have never had before coming from the suburbs of Cleveland where we don't even have sidewalks. Something I really like about the metro are the performers. They're just singing or playing the violin or even the flute in the metro and it's a nice way to brighten up your day!
Hasta Luego,
Chandler
