From a lovely flat in the heart of Madrid, Spain, I am excited to share a few of my international experiences and observations thus far. Last week, my best friend Kaycee, my darling Jack and I set off on a European journey to visit some of our nearest and dearest friends. Little did we know that while we were in the air, an unpronounceable volcano began erupting in Iceland. We were very fortunate to have made it to our first stop in Madrid, and our luck did not end there! Though we were forced to give up two of the countries on our trip (The Netherlands and Switzerland) we have managed to book a bus to France to meet one of our oldest and dearest friends. This puts us in a highly advantageous situation compared to most of the rest of Europe. We have stumbled upon many other visitors who are stuck and most of the hostels have filled up immediately, as well as the Eurail and the continent’s busses. We can only enjoy the extra days spent in this miraculous country and hope for the best in regards to our travel home. That said, let’s talk about Spain!
The view from our flat´s dainty balcony!
First of all, the food here is amazing!!! This country prides itself on its ham, and is truly no place for a vegetarian. In most shop windows you will find entire cured pig legs, thick bacon, and the chorizo to end all chorizos. One of the largest chain restaurants in Madrid is called the Museum of Ham. This bustling establishment boasts a wide variety of dishes and deli meats as well as delicious beverages, and can be found in many nooks and crannies of the city.
My favorite daily indulgence is Spanish coffee. They serve only espresso with steamed foamy cream and when you pour their generous sugar packets upon its luxurious crown, the hot milk cooks it into “dulce de leche”. The Spanish make only food to order, and the ingredients here are so fresh that you have to close your eyes every so often and concentrate on not exclaiming out loud.
On the topic of beverages, the beer and wine here are untouchable! They serve both literally everywhere (yes, Burger King included) and the price averages about one Euro. There are family owned restaurants every quarter block, and they all serve homemade tapas for free with every drink! I mean it-you order a glass of their perfect house wine or a delicious Mahou beer and they proudly present you with meats, cheeses, and potatoes to snack on. Bars and restaurants are the only places open during Siesta, so you get to know them very well.
On the topic of Siestas, let’s talk about Spanish sleep culture-or lack thereof. Let’s just say that Mondays are pretty rough for everyone around here. Spaniards of every age group love to get their party on, and the culture is so accepting of this that it just plain isn’t a big deal. With jet lag and stranded paranoia, it was difficult for us to get in the swing of this country. Literally nothing opens till at least noon, and once you’re accustomed it seems too early. I am not exaggerating when I mention that no one even gets ready to go out until after midnight. 1am is the time when our dear host Philip begins receiving text messages inquiring about his plans for the “evening”. You’ll spend the entire day wondering where everyone is, and once midnight hits the metro is full of drop dead gorgeous people; flirting and blatantly drinking. The bars close about 7am, though we pathetic Americans have yet to make it to that hour.
Some fun photos of our out-goings. Above are Jack, Kaycee and Philip waiting for the midnight metro, as well as my friend Philip and his Scottish ladies Siaan and Natalie. Below them are Rueben and Edu, taking me out in the swishy part of town (my favorite!) and finally dancing in an underground gay bar with gorgeous decor!
This schedule and diet seems to really work for people! I have seen perhaps 4 overweight individuals since we arrived in Spain 6 days ago. The customs of skipping breakfast for small snacks all day, drinking through the night, long walks, and elevatorless apartment buildings up to 8 stories high have produced a truly healthy seeming population. The elderly folks here are extremely active, not to mention romantic. They clutch one another and look deeply into their eyes in an honestly tear-inducing fashion. The young kids aren’t exactly quiet about it either-it is customary to live at home until you are married. This means that they are limited to make out sessions in the crowded subways and on the luscious lawns of public parks. You can’t really blame them; everyone is so damned attractive! If it weren’t for our fair hair and constant company of “una blanco con rastas” I doubt that Kaycee and I would even receive second looks from all of the fellows here. They are quite accustomed to tall, gap-legged women with perfect skin, little makeup and effortless beauty.
And while we’re on the topic of beautiful Spanish women-let’s talk fashion! In the daytime here, everyone dresses very reserved. For the most part, jeans and leather jackets have reigned, while any leg baring articles and matched with tights or leggings. Boots are extremely common-likely for the mild to chilly weather-and leather is sported proud and freely. Utilitarianism rules and the oddly dressed are mostly tourists.
Once midnight hits, however, all bets are off. Mini-skirts, high heels, and (gasp!) leggings-only are sported quite perfectly. There is not a lot of cleavage or torso skin bare, but a lot of the ladies look like they stepped out of a magazine. I doubt that my photos will do them justice; my awe at the constant local beauty has forced me to be a bit shyer about taking photos of strangers.
I definitely feel that the international fashion gap is rapidly closing with the technology and international branding that we enjoy today. The only major difference between Spain and sweet home California is that there is virtually no vintage recognition in this country. The clothes are so cute, basic, and cheap that no one really needs to mimic what happened in the past. In addition, the country was under Dictatorship rule less than 30 years ago-so maybe they don’t want to think about that silly, good for nothing past. I can deal with that- the big Flea Market in town was impressive enough (despite a surprise rainstorm) where I purchased a large and covetable Egyptian collar for my grandmother. I also experienced a rare pleasure for an American-it´s called Topshop and it will make a girl cry tears of joy. I scored an antique looking black lace slip dress, as well as a futuristic grey shoulder-happy sweater dress that cannot be worn until some post-Spanish food crunches have been performed! I should mention that once you visit the Topshop shoe section, you´ll need a moment to yourself to either thank the shoe gods or eliminate platform-induced sexual frustration.
Above: A Survey of Spanish street fashion, including a glimpse into the sexy underworld that is the metro at night, a whimsical Gin advert, and a lot of good looking people that I was afraid to take pictures of from the front.
As far as the sights in Madrid are concerned, there are many! We visited the Reigna Sofia which boasts Goyas and Picassos, amongst other relics. The architecture was worth the price of entry-and then we moved onto the Botanical Gardens, where one can actually take photos! Inside the gorgeous, Secret-Garden-like walls they have a small museum. I really liked this laddered sculpture that I feel everyone can relate to. Within the Botanical Garden Museum was an exhibit about the relationship of plants to people, and I adored the fact that each room provided wicker stools for one to sit and take in the pictures.
I fell in love with a gnarled tree and found a pretty bird sitting tall on a statue. Then we napped in a nearby park and watched the lucky children of Spain feel safe enough to play soccer alone at a park known for hippies in the late afternoon.
This is a startlingly beautiful place and time to visit. The center of Madrid is called Sol and nearby are the Palace, the Parliament, and countless shops and eateries. Most intersections in Madrid feature lovely turnabouts with fancy arches or buildings in the middle.
Overall, Madrid is absolutely gorgeous and I would recommend it to anyone! I hope to keep up on my recordings of our adventures while we travel through France. For now, besos bellos!!!
