Friday, February 25, 2011
Pet Peeve: Picking up after your dog!
I know I live in a big city, where there is far less "green" area than cement but I think it is still your job to clean up after your dog. In Madrid, many of the roads are cobblestone or cement and at night they are usually washed down with a hose. For some reason I think this gives people the impression that they don't have to clean up their dog's poop. You would NOT believe how much dog poop there is on the sidewalks... frankly, its pretty disgusting. I spend my time looking down constantly while I am walking to avoid stepping it it. Often it is already smeared down the sidewalk from some poor person that didn't see it. This past week, for the FIRST time since I arrived, I saw a lady pick up after her dog. I was appalled. It made me happy but it also made me wish more Spaniards would follow her lead and do the same. I remember having a discussion with my high school class about this very thing and when the teacher asked a few of the students whether they picked up after their dog they boldly said "no." Why? Because they didn't feel the need to. Maybe people don't get fined here for doing that or just assume that it will get washed away at night by the water power hoses. Well whatever the reason, it is certainly disappointing. I hate EVERY single day having to dodge or jump over dog poop because someone was too lazy to pick it up. I think if you have an animal that you walk outside, it is not only your duty, but your responsibility to clean up after it. If you can't do that than you shouldn't be a pet owner.
Spain: The country that stares
This time in Spain I have come to notice HOW much people stare here. I don't think I noticed it as much in Toledo since it is so much smaller than Madrid but it is very evident in this city. It's not just on the metro when people often have nothing better to do than stare, it's everywhere. People stare here about 3-5 seconds longer than socially appropriate and then will continue after that. It has come to make me believe that as children their parents never taught them that staring is rude. I am not innocent, I stare sometimes like everyone else, but I always do it discretely, making sure the person I am staring at doesn't notice. In addition, prior to common belief that people might look at me because I look American....no, not true. In fact people don't think I am American unless I am with one of my blonde, American friends. I am also not the only one to notice this. Even one of my Spanish friends told me when she was in the U.S. that people stared far LESS than Spain. Maybe it's just their culture. Though I don't understand how staring can be considered a good thing. I would say that most of the time it is rude. I try and do my part and avoid staring at people. Maybe one of these times a Spaniard will get the clue.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Brandon's visit to Spain/ The BEST week ever!
Where to begin?.....well Saturday morning (Feb. 12th) at about 10am I arrived at the Barajas airport to pick up Brandon. It's nearly an hour commute from my apartment to the airport but this is fairly typical since the airport is so far north of the center of Madrid. His flight had arrived early so he was already waiting for me. I knew it might be a bit awkward or strange actually seeing him in person since we hadn't seen each other for over three months. It was.....but literally for only about 10 minutes. By the time we were leaving the airport it's like we had never been apart.
We took the metro back to my apartment. I had spent the entire previous day cleaning and tidying up everything in sight because he is such a cleaner person than me and I wanted him to be impressed. He loved my apartment. He started unpacking his things- specifically the ENTIRE bag he had brought me full of goodies from him, my parents and his parents. All sorts of wonderful things including my favorite candy and missed foods, a bunch of DVDs, my tax information (so I can do my taxes here), a couple pairs of my sneakers, legit shampoo and conditioner!, face wash, face lotion, taco seasoning, Valentine's for one of my classes, some clothes he had bought me, and so many more wonderful things. It was like Christmas since I didn't really have a Christmas this year.
We took a short nap, made some lunch of Kraft mac n cheese and grilled cheese with some Challah bread he had brought along and then packed some things up and headed to a hotel that we decided to stay in for the first day. Having three roommates, two of which have significant others, my place gets super crowded so we wanted to spend some time together and preferably closer to the center of Madrid since thats were everything important is. We dropped our things off at the hotel and headed to the metro stop Opera which is right near the Royal Palace. He drank his first café con leche (coffee with milk) and LOVED it. We sat outside at a little café with a wonderful view of the Palace. The weather wasn't the greatest- had been gray and a bit chilly (mid-40s) since the start of the day and the only thing that changed was the wind- it got much windier and thus colder. He started taking many pictures because for him, Spain was like a whole new world since he had never travelled overseas before. Next we headed to Museo del Jamón, literally translated to Ham Museum but it is more of a bar/cafeteria with legs of ham hanging everywhere and where you can get cheap cañas (beers). We had a few 1 euro beers and headed to Malasaña. We walked down Gran Vía (the main and most well-known street in the center) and he admired the towering architecture and the craziness of such a huge city. We checked out a few small bars and found a place with free tapas- this is rare in Madrid. Then we headed to our last place which was an Irish pub. We got some Guiness and Brandon was SO happy because he was able to talk to the bartenders in English. He wasn't used to me having to order things for him since he can't speak any Spanish. We headed back the hotel around 1:30am- which is very early for a Saturday night. We both were exhausted. We planned on doing a day trip the next morning so wanted to check out of the hotel before 9am.
Of course we didn't end up waking up until after 9am and didn't leave the hotel till about 10:30am. Brandon had unfortunately already caught the beginnings of my cold so we both were feeling under the weather and decided to not do a day trip and instead spend the day in Madrid and relax. We headed back to my apartment and dropped off our things and immediately headed back out to the center. We spent the day walking through Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, Plaza de España, down Gran Vía and stopping wherever we fancied, getting food and drinks along the way. We stopped at a Sidrería (a place that specializes in Cider). We sat down and ordered some wonderful food. It was probably the best food I have had since I have been in Spain- asparagus in a tasty sauce with ham, potatoes, onions and then some seafood croquetas (a small fried roll filled with seafood but can be filled with ham, chicken, cheese, just about anything). He was blown away and said it was THE best food he had ever had a restaurant- I certainly agreed. We got back to my place, he helped me write the names on these small Valentines for my 12-yr old class with Nerds in them (which they don't have here) and we went to bed at a decent time.
It was HARD getting up on Monday (Valentines Day) but we had to get up even earlier since Brandon had to get ready too. We left my place around 8:20am and headed to my school. He met a few of the teachers I work with before going to my first class with a teacher named Raul. They are high schoolers so about 16-17 years old and all of the girls were so nervous and blushing. Meeting a tall American (tall in comparison to Spaniards) with light hair and blue eyes is uncommon. We incorporated Brandon into almost every class we had that day (4 of them) by having the kids ask him questions or having him talk about himself and see if they understood everything he said. All the kids seemed to like him and any time he put his arm around me or hugged me all the kids would go "awwww and say que bonito!" (how cute/beautiful). All the teachers seemed eager to meet my boyfriend as well. We got back from class around 3:30pm, after having stopped at a small bar with free tapas a few metro stops from my place and then took a quick nap since we both were battling a cold. We got up and headed out into the city, umbrella in hand since it was raining...again. We planned on going to an Italian restaurant that one of my teachers had recommended, for our Valentines Day dinner but when we got there we found out it was closed on Mondays. So we walked down the street and noticed a place called Casa Paco which also happened to be a place my teacher suggested. They weren't seating the dining area until 8:30pm so we had an hour to wait. We stopped in a nearby pub and had a beer. Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling the greatest. The combination of a bad cold, an empty stomach and slight motion sickness from all the transfers on the underground subway (I easily get motion sickness), I wasn't feeling the greatest and actually wanted to go home. We went to Casa Paco anyways and had some very overpriced food that wasn't the greatest as it turned out. We headed back to the metro to make our way back to the apartment and I had more motion sickness so we had to stop and sit on a bench in the metro and wait for a few trains to pass until I felt well enough to board a train and finally head home. We got back and watched Sleepless in Seattle. I fell asleep halfway through and I think Brandon was a bit upset because he originally planned on proposing to me this night. Though with me being sick and tired and all he felt it wasn't right and decided to wait until the next day.
Tuesday I didn't have to go to my first two morning classes because the teachers were either gone at meetings or said they didn't need me in class because there was an exam. I got to sleep in until about 9:30am and headed to class alone. Luckily, I only had two afternoon classes. With commute though I would be gone for almost four hours. Brandon said he didn't mind so I headed off and he continued to sleep. Even though it was already cloudy outside I had my metal blinds shut in my room so it was completely pitch black. It's very common to have thick metal or wood window blinders here in Spain. It keeps the heat and light out when it is very hot during the summer. It also allows you to sleep and sleep and not know what time it is. This is exactly what Brandon did. I got home around 2:15pm and he told me he had slept until 1:30pm. He must have needed it though since I think he was still getting over jet lag a bit. I made him some pasta with a tomato sauce and tuna. I'm NOT a tuna person but one of my friends here showed me how to make this sauce with tomato sauce as a base, cream, butter, tuna and gouda cheese. It's delicious and it has made me enjoy tuna again! Anyways, I made this and he made some more grilled cheese and we feasted. He enjoyed my cooking and the new tuna sauce I had introduced to him. We headed out in hopes of getting a tour of the palace. When we arrived though, around 5pm they said they were done with tours for the day. I was upset and it was raining and cold again so I was in a bad mood. We decided to head to one of the art museums. Brandon asked if we would be heading through the main plaza in the center (Puerta del Sol) and I said yes.
As we were walking through the plaza it began to rain much harder. We luckily had an umbrella. About halfway through the plaza Brandon asked if we could stop. I was still upset about the weather and the palace and so we talked for a few minutes and convinced me that he didn't care at all about the weather and that we should just enjoy each others company and not let anything get us down. I am so lucky to be with someone who helps my pessimistic self be more positive! So as we were standing in the rain, getting our shoes soaked while under an umbrella he lifted me up and set me on one of the steps of a fountain in the center. I was then taller than him and I am assuming he did this so he wouldn't have to kneel in the puddles that were everywhere. I was cold and didn't have any gloves so I put my hands in his jacket pocket as he gave me a hug. He had already taken the ring out of his jeans pocket and put it in his jacket pocket. He said...."Well, your Valentines Day present is in the pocket that your hand is in, why don't you take it out." I felt around and my fingers caught something small that felt like a ring. I took it out and said, "Is this for real??!!" Then as he had learned and practiced he said a bit nervously but romantically, "Te quieres casar conmigo?" (do you want to marry me?) I said "Of course!" I started to cry like every female would and we hugged and laughed. I don't think anyone around noticed what had just occurred since they were trying to get out of the rain and we were the only ones idling under an umbrella in the center of Puerta del Sol.
We headed in the direction of the Banco de España metro stop which is close to Retiro Park. We headed towards the Prado art musuem- one of the many wonders of Madrid. It holds many famous Spanish artists such as Velázquez and Goya. I am not sure Brandon understood much of the art work but since I took an art class in Spanish back in Toledo and had specifically studied many of the paintings that are held in the Prado museum- the museum left me in awe, as always. After the museum we walked in the direction of La Latina back to the Italian restaurant we tried to go to the night before. We got there before 8:30pm (the standard time many restaurants open their dining rooms for dinner) and it was closed. We went for a café con leche at the Irish pub from the night before and waited until about 9pm. We went back and it was still closed. We were kind of upset, seeing as we were both starving. We decided to stroll down the street and see if we could find another restaurant that looked good. Within about a block we ran into a small Italian restaurant. We went inside and had a wonderful meal. We finished the meal off with some unique tiramisu. We walked back to a metro station but not before picking up some Spanish champagne (cava) at a convenience store near Plaza Mayor so we could celebrate our engagement at my apartment. We got back to my place, uncorked the bottle and watched Romancing the Stone. I was jealous that Brandon would get to sleep in the next morning when I had to LEAVE my apartment around 7:15am to get to my first class of the day.
I woke up the next morning super tired but was so happy about being engaged that I could not stop smiling all the way to school on the metro. I didn't tell any of my teachers until recess break when we all have coffee or tea in the teachers lounge- though I am pretty sure some of the students noticed the new sparkly ring on my finger in class. My teachers were SO excited for me and wanted to hear all about how it happened, when, and when I thought I might have a wedding. The day went by quickly and I got good news in my last two classes with my professors telling me I would not have to come to class the next day since they would either be out at meetings or not need me. I think they made excuses for me to miss class so I could spend more time with my new fiancé! I got home and waited about half an hour for Brandon to arrive back at my apartment. I have given him a metro pass, a metro map and a map of the center and told him to explore while I was at school since I would be gone for a long time. He ended up visiting the Reina Sofía, another spectacular art museum that holds the famous painting "La Guernica" by Picasso (another artist from Spain). We went inside and made some of my favorite tomato noodle soup and grilled cheese. I was so tired from having not gotten much sleep so we took a nap and then headed out to the center. I decided to take him to the Templo de Debod- the Egyptian temple that I have talked about before. I had never seen it at night before and heard it was beautiful. So we arrived as it was already dark and the place was deserted since it had started to rain- unfortunately this time we did not have an umbrella so again we got soaked. We got some great pictures of the temple in the evening- I love how it is lit at night; so beautiful. After that we headed to Malasaña in search of a warm bar that would help us dry off. I found a place I had gone before and we went inside. He ordered a Coronita (what they call Corona in Spain) and I got a mojito. We were going to order some tapas but the service was terrible (this is common in Spain) and so we finished our drinks and headed in search of food. We found an Italian take-out restaurant and ordered a pizza and an empanada with ham for Brandon to go. We waited about 10 minutes and then were on our way back to my apartment. Since the commute took so long though, with about three transfers, the pizza was cold by the time we got home so we had to put it in the oven to reheat it. It was still amazing though- probably the best pizza I have had so far in Spain. We watched another chick flick that night I think- my choice of course, and then got to bed.
The next morning we got a later start than we hoped. I didn't have class but we wanted to go on a day trip to Segovia. By the time we got going and headed in the direction of the bus station we knew it would be very difficult to get back to Madrid around 7pm in order to have time to get ready and meet my friends in the center at 10pm. Segovia by bus is roughly two hours and that does not include the trip by metro from my apartment to the bus station (almost another hour). So with commute time we knew it would be too difficult to see everything and get back at a decent time. We decided last minute to head instead to Toledo since it's under an hour from Madrid and I know where everything important is- which cuts back on time getting lost or finding a certain location. We arrived and climbed the hill leading into the walls of El Casco (the old part of the city). One of the first things Brandon said, upon entering the city was, "Wow, I didn't understand completely why you loved Spain so much from seeing Madrid, but now I understand after seeing Toledo." This is so very true- if you want a fun city to wine, dine and party in, it is Madrid, whereas if you want a beautiful city with old architecture and breathtaking views, it is definitely Toledo. We headed to Enebro- a student bar more or less but one of the favorites from when I was studying in Toledo. We got a few cañas and Brandon and I enjoyed some delicious and free tapas! Then we headed to a lookout where Brandon could see the cigarillos (houses in the mountains- mostly occupied by elderly retired or rich people) and the wonderful scenery. We headed down to one of the many puentes (bridges) surrounding the city since the city is surrounded on three sides by the river Tajo. We took many pictures and then headed back up the hill and to the cathedral. We went inside and I think this is the FIRST time Brandon had ever seen a European Catholic cathedral- he was in complete and utter awe since it is so intensely beautiful and breathtaking. Next we headed to the church of Santo Tomé which holds the famous El Greco painting "Entierro del Conde Orgaz" (the burial of the Count of Orgaz). People come all over the world to see this beautiful painting. After the church we strolled the narrow streets of Toledo and walked in a few shops and walked by another church. We headed back down the hill and back to the bus station to catch the 6pm bus back to Madrid. It was only a few precious hours back in my favorite city of Spain but I know it was memorable- especially for Brandon who had never seen any place like it before.
We got back to Madrid around 7pm but by the time we stopped and ate some food quick, we didn't arrive back at my apartment till after 8:30pm. We got ready quick but were about half an hour late meeting my friends at an Irish bar called La Fontana del Oro. Everyone was excited to meet Brandon, celebrate his birthday and our engagement and of course to see the ring. There was live music accompanied by some Irish beer and it was a wonderful evening. Most of my friends, having to work in the morning or having class, had to leave early before the metro stopped so we were the last ones at the bar. We left shortly after and headed to San Gines chocolatería, but not before stopping where he proposed in Puerta del Sol and snapping a picture! We ordered some porras (large churros- which are like fried donuts in the shape of a stick) and we got two cups of melted chocolate. This was Brandon's first experience with churros and chocolate and he loved it as much as I do! We headed back to my apartment after this, having to take the night bus on Gran Vía since the metro was closed for the night. We both dozed off a few times on the bus but I woke us in time to catch my stop. We got back and literally both crashed. It had been a busy day of site-seeing and meeting friends but it had been a great day!
The next morning we slept in later. We had opted to skip a second day trip and instead enjoy one last day in Madrid before he left the following morning. I needed to go to the police station for foreigners and pick up my NIE card which was finally ready (only after three and a half months) before we could do anything else. Luckily, I got there in time before it closed and only had to wait a number of minutes before getting handed my Foreigner card! We headed to Sol metro station and walked down Calle Mayor towards the Palace. We stopped and got some food- lots of food, and then walked on the first sunny day since he had arrived to the Palace. We took some pictures of the Almudena Cathedral which is next to the Palace and then went inside to buy tickets to see a tour inside the palace. We opted for a guide with an actual person- in English of course since Brandon doesn't know any Spanish. It was quite a bit more costly but I told him it was worth it since the palace is extraordinary and I had already seen three tours previously in the past five years. We had to wait an hour so we visited the armory museum near the palace and then headed in to get our tour. We happened to be the only people who had signed up for a personal tour in English so it was like our own private tour in English! I was impressed as always, at the decorative and extravagant rooms of the palace and so was Brandon who had never been inside a royal palace before. The tour lasted about an hour and we got done just in time to see the pharmacy museum which held glass bottles and pharmacy tools that were used for royalty years ago. We made a quick stop in the gift shop and then headed across to the other side of the center of the city to visit the famous Retiro Park. It had gotten cloudy at this point and windy, neither of us were properly dressed for the change of weather so we only stopped briefly to see the manmade lake in the park where you can rent rowboats and we took a few pictures. We headed back towards Callao on Gran Vía so we could go to Corte de Ingles (a HUGE department store with multiple levels and many, many locations throughout Madrid and Spain). Brandon wanted to find some presents for his family and we also wanted to stop for a nice cup of café con leche in the cafeteria on the top level of the department store. We found a few things in the store and then headed down to the bottom level which always holds a grocery store. We picked up a few things for dinner and a few things for his family and also picked up a strawberry and cream cake in the bakery since he hadn't gotten a birthday cake from the day before. We went home and made some food and then enjoyed some red Spanish wine. We spent the evening laughing and talking and trying to savor our last moments together since he was leaving in the morning.
The next morning we overslept until 8:15am. His flight was at 11:30am and assuming he had to get there two hours early and with the hour commute to the airport we knew we had to leave around 8:30am. It wasn't enough time for him to pack but we left by 9am. I was so concerned about him missing his flight so we rushed through streets to the metro and quickly made the trek to the airport. We got there and found his airline and picked up his boarding pass and we found the gate. It was a very, very sad goodbye but it was also happy in that we knew in a few short months we would be together again and planning our wedding. It was cloudy, dark and very rainy outside which seemed to suit the current mood. I watched him as he walked through security to his gate and felt like a part of me had left. It was a long ride home and it was hard coming back to an empty room. But after taking a nap and waking up and recalling the wonderful week I had just had I knew I couldn't dwell on being sad that we were no longer together. I decided instead to appreciate every moment we had spent together and simply anticipate my homecoming in July and know that time would fly by, just as it always does and that I would be back with my fiancé in no time. It was truly the most wonderful week ever! Despite the rain and slightly cool weather we had the best week of our lives together!
We took the metro back to my apartment. I had spent the entire previous day cleaning and tidying up everything in sight because he is such a cleaner person than me and I wanted him to be impressed. He loved my apartment. He started unpacking his things- specifically the ENTIRE bag he had brought me full of goodies from him, my parents and his parents. All sorts of wonderful things including my favorite candy and missed foods, a bunch of DVDs, my tax information (so I can do my taxes here), a couple pairs of my sneakers, legit shampoo and conditioner!, face wash, face lotion, taco seasoning, Valentine's for one of my classes, some clothes he had bought me, and so many more wonderful things. It was like Christmas since I didn't really have a Christmas this year.
We took a short nap, made some lunch of Kraft mac n cheese and grilled cheese with some Challah bread he had brought along and then packed some things up and headed to a hotel that we decided to stay in for the first day. Having three roommates, two of which have significant others, my place gets super crowded so we wanted to spend some time together and preferably closer to the center of Madrid since thats were everything important is. We dropped our things off at the hotel and headed to the metro stop Opera which is right near the Royal Palace. He drank his first café con leche (coffee with milk) and LOVED it. We sat outside at a little café with a wonderful view of the Palace. The weather wasn't the greatest- had been gray and a bit chilly (mid-40s) since the start of the day and the only thing that changed was the wind- it got much windier and thus colder. He started taking many pictures because for him, Spain was like a whole new world since he had never travelled overseas before. Next we headed to Museo del Jamón, literally translated to Ham Museum but it is more of a bar/cafeteria with legs of ham hanging everywhere and where you can get cheap cañas (beers). We had a few 1 euro beers and headed to Malasaña. We walked down Gran Vía (the main and most well-known street in the center) and he admired the towering architecture and the craziness of such a huge city. We checked out a few small bars and found a place with free tapas- this is rare in Madrid. Then we headed to our last place which was an Irish pub. We got some Guiness and Brandon was SO happy because he was able to talk to the bartenders in English. He wasn't used to me having to order things for him since he can't speak any Spanish. We headed back the hotel around 1:30am- which is very early for a Saturday night. We both were exhausted. We planned on doing a day trip the next morning so wanted to check out of the hotel before 9am.
Walking in the center for the first time!
His first café con leche
Looking through the gates of the palace
The back of the palace
The Almudena Cathedral
Our first night stroll down Gran Vía
La Puerta del Sol
La Puerta del Sol
Plaza Mayor
Plaza Mayor
Tuesday I didn't have to go to my first two morning classes because the teachers were either gone at meetings or said they didn't need me in class because there was an exam. I got to sleep in until about 9:30am and headed to class alone. Luckily, I only had two afternoon classes. With commute though I would be gone for almost four hours. Brandon said he didn't mind so I headed off and he continued to sleep. Even though it was already cloudy outside I had my metal blinds shut in my room so it was completely pitch black. It's very common to have thick metal or wood window blinders here in Spain. It keeps the heat and light out when it is very hot during the summer. It also allows you to sleep and sleep and not know what time it is. This is exactly what Brandon did. I got home around 2:15pm and he told me he had slept until 1:30pm. He must have needed it though since I think he was still getting over jet lag a bit. I made him some pasta with a tomato sauce and tuna. I'm NOT a tuna person but one of my friends here showed me how to make this sauce with tomato sauce as a base, cream, butter, tuna and gouda cheese. It's delicious and it has made me enjoy tuna again! Anyways, I made this and he made some more grilled cheese and we feasted. He enjoyed my cooking and the new tuna sauce I had introduced to him. We headed out in hopes of getting a tour of the palace. When we arrived though, around 5pm they said they were done with tours for the day. I was upset and it was raining and cold again so I was in a bad mood. We decided to head to one of the art museums. Brandon asked if we would be heading through the main plaza in the center (Puerta del Sol) and I said yes.
As we were walking through the plaza it began to rain much harder. We luckily had an umbrella. About halfway through the plaza Brandon asked if we could stop. I was still upset about the weather and the palace and so we talked for a few minutes and convinced me that he didn't care at all about the weather and that we should just enjoy each others company and not let anything get us down. I am so lucky to be with someone who helps my pessimistic self be more positive! So as we were standing in the rain, getting our shoes soaked while under an umbrella he lifted me up and set me on one of the steps of a fountain in the center. I was then taller than him and I am assuming he did this so he wouldn't have to kneel in the puddles that were everywhere. I was cold and didn't have any gloves so I put my hands in his jacket pocket as he gave me a hug. He had already taken the ring out of his jeans pocket and put it in his jacket pocket. He said...."Well, your Valentines Day present is in the pocket that your hand is in, why don't you take it out." I felt around and my fingers caught something small that felt like a ring. I took it out and said, "Is this for real??!!" Then as he had learned and practiced he said a bit nervously but romantically, "Te quieres casar conmigo?" (do you want to marry me?) I said "Of course!" I started to cry like every female would and we hugged and laughed. I don't think anyone around noticed what had just occurred since they were trying to get out of the rain and we were the only ones idling under an umbrella in the center of Puerta del Sol.
Right after getting engaged!
The ring
We headed in the direction of the Banco de España metro stop which is close to Retiro Park. We headed towards the Prado art musuem- one of the many wonders of Madrid. It holds many famous Spanish artists such as Velázquez and Goya. I am not sure Brandon understood much of the art work but since I took an art class in Spanish back in Toledo and had specifically studied many of the paintings that are held in the Prado museum- the museum left me in awe, as always. After the museum we walked in the direction of La Latina back to the Italian restaurant we tried to go to the night before. We got there before 8:30pm (the standard time many restaurants open their dining rooms for dinner) and it was closed. We went for a café con leche at the Irish pub from the night before and waited until about 9pm. We went back and it was still closed. We were kind of upset, seeing as we were both starving. We decided to stroll down the street and see if we could find another restaurant that looked good. Within about a block we ran into a small Italian restaurant. We went inside and had a wonderful meal. We finished the meal off with some unique tiramisu. We walked back to a metro station but not before picking up some Spanish champagne (cava) at a convenience store near Plaza Mayor so we could celebrate our engagement at my apartment. We got back to my place, uncorked the bottle and watched Romancing the Stone. I was jealous that Brandon would get to sleep in the next morning when I had to LEAVE my apartment around 7:15am to get to my first class of the day.
I woke up the next morning super tired but was so happy about being engaged that I could not stop smiling all the way to school on the metro. I didn't tell any of my teachers until recess break when we all have coffee or tea in the teachers lounge- though I am pretty sure some of the students noticed the new sparkly ring on my finger in class. My teachers were SO excited for me and wanted to hear all about how it happened, when, and when I thought I might have a wedding. The day went by quickly and I got good news in my last two classes with my professors telling me I would not have to come to class the next day since they would either be out at meetings or not need me. I think they made excuses for me to miss class so I could spend more time with my new fiancé! I got home and waited about half an hour for Brandon to arrive back at my apartment. I have given him a metro pass, a metro map and a map of the center and told him to explore while I was at school since I would be gone for a long time. He ended up visiting the Reina Sofía, another spectacular art museum that holds the famous painting "La Guernica" by Picasso (another artist from Spain). We went inside and made some of my favorite tomato noodle soup and grilled cheese. I was so tired from having not gotten much sleep so we took a nap and then headed out to the center. I decided to take him to the Templo de Debod- the Egyptian temple that I have talked about before. I had never seen it at night before and heard it was beautiful. So we arrived as it was already dark and the place was deserted since it had started to rain- unfortunately this time we did not have an umbrella so again we got soaked. We got some great pictures of the temple in the evening- I love how it is lit at night; so beautiful. After that we headed to Malasaña in search of a warm bar that would help us dry off. I found a place I had gone before and we went inside. He ordered a Coronita (what they call Corona in Spain) and I got a mojito. We were going to order some tapas but the service was terrible (this is common in Spain) and so we finished our drinks and headed in search of food. We found an Italian take-out restaurant and ordered a pizza and an empanada with ham for Brandon to go. We waited about 10 minutes and then were on our way back to my apartment. Since the commute took so long though, with about three transfers, the pizza was cold by the time we got home so we had to put it in the oven to reheat it. It was still amazing though- probably the best pizza I have had so far in Spain. We watched another chick flick that night I think- my choice of course, and then got to bed.
Templo de Debod at night
It was raining and we didn't have an umbrella!
Where we stopped for a Coronita and Mojito
The next morning we got a later start than we hoped. I didn't have class but we wanted to go on a day trip to Segovia. By the time we got going and headed in the direction of the bus station we knew it would be very difficult to get back to Madrid around 7pm in order to have time to get ready and meet my friends in the center at 10pm. Segovia by bus is roughly two hours and that does not include the trip by metro from my apartment to the bus station (almost another hour). So with commute time we knew it would be too difficult to see everything and get back at a decent time. We decided last minute to head instead to Toledo since it's under an hour from Madrid and I know where everything important is- which cuts back on time getting lost or finding a certain location. We arrived and climbed the hill leading into the walls of El Casco (the old part of the city). One of the first things Brandon said, upon entering the city was, "Wow, I didn't understand completely why you loved Spain so much from seeing Madrid, but now I understand after seeing Toledo." This is so very true- if you want a fun city to wine, dine and party in, it is Madrid, whereas if you want a beautiful city with old architecture and breathtaking views, it is definitely Toledo. We headed to Enebro- a student bar more or less but one of the favorites from when I was studying in Toledo. We got a few cañas and Brandon and I enjoyed some delicious and free tapas! Then we headed to a lookout where Brandon could see the cigarillos (houses in the mountains- mostly occupied by elderly retired or rich people) and the wonderful scenery. We headed down to one of the many puentes (bridges) surrounding the city since the city is surrounded on three sides by the river Tajo. We took many pictures and then headed back up the hill and to the cathedral. We went inside and I think this is the FIRST time Brandon had ever seen a European Catholic cathedral- he was in complete and utter awe since it is so intensely beautiful and breathtaking. Next we headed to the church of Santo Tomé which holds the famous El Greco painting "Entierro del Conde Orgaz" (the burial of the Count of Orgaz). People come all over the world to see this beautiful painting. After the church we strolled the narrow streets of Toledo and walked in a few shops and walked by another church. We headed back down the hill and back to the bus station to catch the 6pm bus back to Madrid. It was only a few precious hours back in my favorite city of Spain but I know it was memorable- especially for Brandon who had never seen any place like it before.
Outside the walls of El Casco Viejo
Cervantes statue
So excited about being engaged!
The view
The River Tajo
The cathedral of Toledo
The Cathedral
Church of Santo Tomé
One last picture outside the walls of the old city!
Kelly and Brandon
Jeneé, Lindsay and Brandon
Blanca and Silvia
Stopping in Puerta del Sol where he proposed
Eating porras and chocolate at San Gines
The next morning we slept in later. We had opted to skip a second day trip and instead enjoy one last day in Madrid before he left the following morning. I needed to go to the police station for foreigners and pick up my NIE card which was finally ready (only after three and a half months) before we could do anything else. Luckily, I got there in time before it closed and only had to wait a number of minutes before getting handed my Foreigner card! We headed to Sol metro station and walked down Calle Mayor towards the Palace. We stopped and got some food- lots of food, and then walked on the first sunny day since he had arrived to the Palace. We took some pictures of the Almudena Cathedral which is next to the Palace and then went inside to buy tickets to see a tour inside the palace. We opted for a guide with an actual person- in English of course since Brandon doesn't know any Spanish. It was quite a bit more costly but I told him it was worth it since the palace is extraordinary and I had already seen three tours previously in the past five years. We had to wait an hour so we visited the armory museum near the palace and then headed in to get our tour. We happened to be the only people who had signed up for a personal tour in English so it was like our own private tour in English! I was impressed as always, at the decorative and extravagant rooms of the palace and so was Brandon who had never been inside a royal palace before. The tour lasted about an hour and we got done just in time to see the pharmacy museum which held glass bottles and pharmacy tools that were used for royalty years ago. We made a quick stop in the gift shop and then headed across to the other side of the center of the city to visit the famous Retiro Park. It had gotten cloudy at this point and windy, neither of us were properly dressed for the change of weather so we only stopped briefly to see the manmade lake in the park where you can rent rowboats and we took a few pictures. We headed back towards Callao on Gran Vía so we could go to Corte de Ingles (a HUGE department store with multiple levels and many, many locations throughout Madrid and Spain). Brandon wanted to find some presents for his family and we also wanted to stop for a nice cup of café con leche in the cafeteria on the top level of the department store. We found a few things in the store and then headed down to the bottom level which always holds a grocery store. We picked up a few things for dinner and a few things for his family and also picked up a strawberry and cream cake in the bakery since he hadn't gotten a birthday cake from the day before. We went home and made some food and then enjoyed some red Spanish wine. We spent the evening laughing and talking and trying to savor our last moments together since he was leaving in the morning.
My NIE foreigner card finally!
Waiting outside Palace for our tour
In the court behind the Royal Palace
Front of the Palace after the tour
Retiro park
Outside Retiro Park
Fresas con Nata cake from Corte de Ingles
The next morning we overslept until 8:15am. His flight was at 11:30am and assuming he had to get there two hours early and with the hour commute to the airport we knew we had to leave around 8:30am. It wasn't enough time for him to pack but we left by 9am. I was so concerned about him missing his flight so we rushed through streets to the metro and quickly made the trek to the airport. We got there and found his airline and picked up his boarding pass and we found the gate. It was a very, very sad goodbye but it was also happy in that we knew in a few short months we would be together again and planning our wedding. It was cloudy, dark and very rainy outside which seemed to suit the current mood. I watched him as he walked through security to his gate and felt like a part of me had left. It was a long ride home and it was hard coming back to an empty room. But after taking a nap and waking up and recalling the wonderful week I had just had I knew I couldn't dwell on being sad that we were no longer together. I decided instead to appreciate every moment we had spent together and simply anticipate my homecoming in July and know that time would fly by, just as it always does and that I would be back with my fiancé in no time. It was truly the most wonderful week ever! Despite the rain and slightly cool weather we had the best week of our lives together!
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