Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I went to Spain and lived to blog about it!

My friend, Carlos, moved to Madrid in December. Come February, great price on a plane ticket + free place to stay = so going! The trip was amazing; Carlos and roommates, John and Clint, were wonderful hosts -- home cooking, walking, sightseeing, lots of discussion and story-sharing and late nights and relaxation with three wonderful guys I'm now lucky to know.

Carlos hadn't done everything there is to do in Madrid, and I've only ever cared about Spain for pretty Spanish boys and el Prado (right?) so we took a lot of time to walk and talk and see things: Parque del Retiro (huge park near the apartment -- lake, gardens, fountains, lots of people), Puerta de Alcalá (used to be a gate to the city), Biblioteca Nacional de España (National Library), Palacio Real, Plaza Mayor (heart of Old Madrid), Puerta del Sol, Gran Villa, Museo del Prado (famous musuem), Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (famous twentieth century art museum). On Saturday, we took a daytrip to Avila, two hours outside Madrid via train, to see a real fortress! Like, where people used to defend their city and stuff! That was pretty awesome.

The trip wasn't nearly long enough; I could have visited for a month and still not have been ready to come home. On my last night, I actually picked through one of John's Spanish travel books and wished I hadn't waited so long because there were some neat things to see and do that I hadn't know about. Gives me a reason to return someday, eh?

Now, pictures! (All courtesy of Carlos and John because I am a slacker who doesn't actually like taking pictures.)

Me in el Retiro in front of el Ángel Caído (and such beautiful weather).


Lions in the park for Mom.


Puerta de Alcalá. Biblioteca Nacional de España (we tried to go inside, but the guard spoke so quickly .... Went in the library museum instead).


El Retiro in the rain. Plaza Mayor (There were For Rent signs. You can live there!).


Carlos Villa in la Plaza de la Villa. A butcher shop (Carlos thought of Shrek; I thought, EW.).


Of course, we found a Starbucks, and I got really excited. Handwritten menuboard! Pretty pastry case! The Promise in Spanish!


Palacio Real.


Local foods -- Jamón ibérico (Iberian ham, Spanish delicacy that costs at least $52 a pound). Paella.


And yemas, the traditional candy of Avila. One of John's coworkers suggested we try it -- when in Spain, do as the Spaniards, yes? Well .... We opened the box; it smelled like stale fish and stagnant water. Yuck! Carlos and John were brave and each took a bite; what did they get for it -- GAGGING! Suffice it to say, I was NOT going to eat a yema. Until Monday night, all the peer pressure: "Erica, you have to try it!" "Erica, you're in Spain!" "Erica, we had one; you have to, too!" So .... I gave in and had an eensy bite of yema ... and it wasn't bad! Apparently, yemas age well -- it tasted like and had the consistency of cookie dough. Score! Then the aftertaste hit. But I can still say that I have eaten a candied egg yolk in Spain!


Pictures of Avila will be in another blog because this one is photo-heavy already. And that was Spain. Amazing, wonderful, exciting, relaxing, never-forget-it Spain.