Jan 11th – Day in Madrid

Feeling back to 100%, I am ready for our tour to Madrid and to finally go out with my friends. We have one more orientation where we learn what to do when we are sick (ironically) and then they help show us where our classes are. We tour the rest of the university buildings we will be in and they are as intimidating as they are beautiful. More and more I am confirming how excited I am to be here now and am really starting to realize how true my friends are here. When they knew I came alone without friends, they had the same reaction of saying how brave I was and I didn’t quite understand until now. Not coming with a group or at least someone I knew meant I came alone. I think it’s probably one of the balls-iest things I’ve done completely independent. Suddenly I was kinda of impressed with myself, which I have never remembered feeling that way about myself ever. Weird. Now we have a few hours of free time before our trip to Madrid so I go back to my host home for lunch and to leave my backpack. I tell Ana I am going to Madrid and won’t be back until very late because we are going out after. She tells me that Madrid is very safe and calm just make sure to watch for the gypsies. They will pickpocket or rob you when you are not looking. They aren’t violent, they just distract you while another swipes your things. Got it. now we are off to meet Ernesto and I dress a little warmer because it looks like it will rain. I meet up with my group at the university and we wait for Ernesto. Another man approaches and tells us we are going there with another group from St. Mary’s in San Antonio and Ernesto is meeting us in Madrid. Walking from the university was a trek but what made it worse was that we were caught in a big-time downpour. Boo. It was awful, and we were almost completely soaked when we arrived to the train station. After a few minutes the train to Madrid arrives and we get on board. 20 minutes later we are at the Metro station connected to the train station. Now I’ve been on the ‘L’ train in Chicago so I had an idea of how subways worked, but in Spain it’s a little different. These are crammed to the max with people to where any bad breath or body odor becomes too cozy. There is only enough room to grab hold onto the bars in the subway or if you are too short, lean on those who are taller. Once we arrive at our stop ‘Sol’ (which means Sun, it’s the center of the city of Madrid and the center of Spain) almost the entire compartment empties. Finally we see sunlight, or overcast since it is still rainy, but it’s only misting now and will stop soon. Ernesto tells us we are at the center of all the shopping in Madrid and if you go just down a way, you are at all the famous museums of Spain, another is the Broadway of Spain and another is towards a famous cathedral and one of the palaces of Spain for the king and queen. It’s exciting and there are loads of people, and as we cross the street, Ernesto stops us and says we are at this ‘exact point, at the very center of Spain’ and underneath his feet there was a sign saying 0 km, Spain. Then we walk through the commercial area and all of the stores are having sales. ALL of the stores are having sales…my hands were aching at the chance to buy something, but I told myself I was coming back and I would break in Spain when I could devote enough time to such a spectacular feat. Plus the sales last until the end of February. Joy!! We kept walking and he showed us the main area for Broadway with mainstream, films and off-Broadway if you know your proper classes of theatre. Then we walked more and we came upon what used to be the palace for the king and queen. I remembered this, and I remembered where we first entered off the metro. Amazing. Peaking through the gates of the palace at the drop-off of the hill, the rain had stopped and I had the chance of seeing the most beautiful sunset. Maybe all that rain was worth it. Some good had to come of it. Then we walked up a street where I had other flashbacks to my time in Madrid before….remarkable, I couldn’t believe I was remembering what I saw almost five years ago, and I barely paid attention. Then we walked into a plaza that was known for having the best restaurants, and it was beautiful…once more, I remembered it perfectly. Ernesto pointed out a great tapas restaurant to us, and then we kept walking. Suddenly we were back where we started. Going back on the Metro then the train, my friends and I couldn’t wait to come back. And it seemed so easy and accessible. Hard to imagine even though I’m here. Then we were back in Alcala, the rain had stopped and we were starved. My friends and I decided to have dinner together at a small Mediterranean place near campus. While it was fun, the food was horrible, and I love medi food. But I think it was geared towards American students who had never had it before….i knew this because it came with ketchup and ranch. Gross. Afterwards we went to Whelan’s, a popular Irish pub for foreign students to go to and hang out. After wine and hanging for a bit we walked further to Cabana; a Spanish bar. However it was only midnight and we were the first there. No matter, we were there and were okay with it. more and more people showed up as it got later, so we went to a discothèque called Can-Can. By 2am, people started to show up and the club became more and more fun. At all discothèques, you can check your coat, which don’t worry is safe. If they stole your things, you wouldn’t come back….they aren’t dumb here. But just in case, I checked my things later and kept my cards on me. By 4am and on, more and more people arrived until it was so packed you could barely move! Spaniards are true champs when it comes to partying…they start at 2am at the earliest, preferably 4 and don’t stop until 7am. Dancing until I was pooped, one of my friends Trevor, whom we call ‘Dad’ walked me home (he’s called Dad because he watches out for us, he’s cool, like most of my guy friends). I changed into my pajamas and went to sleep.