It’s hard to believe that it’s been a little over one year since I began my semester abroad in Spain. The memories, the people, the food, the adventures… I could go on and on about how amazing my time in Madrid was the best of my life, but I’m sure you get the picture. I’ll make this post short and sweet, but just wanted to give a huge shout out to all of those who made the time abroad so special! Besos!
We may or may not be slightly dysfunctional – going delusional on the last day in Granada
As most of you probably know, I really enjoy photography, but in terms of getting all 10,000 pictures to the masses, it’s a little harder. That’s why I decided to make some youtube videos chronicling our travels. So far I have three which you can check out below from our trip to Lisbon, Toledo and Brussels.
I decided to go back to live blogging and record our school trip to Granada and Córdoba in Andalucía in the south of Spain. NYU Madrid pays for each student to go on one of three trips: Andalucía, Extremadura and Portugal or Valencia. We all chose Andalucía because we all planned on going to Portugal on our own and wanted to go to Valencia for Fallas – a five day long festival in March. Luckily for us, almost all the girls in our group got on the trip so it’s perfect!
12:15 PM – Friday February 15
This morning we were up way too early (at 6:20) to arrive at school by 7:45 and be on the bus by 8. After a quick ride on the Cercancías (similar to the Metro North in the city). As soon as we got settled on the bus we were all passed out – what can I say, we all need our beauty sleep! Two hours later we stopped for café con leche y pincho de tortilla, shortly before entering into the autonomous region of Andalucía. It is the largest region in Spain in regards to population and surface area. Today we will get into to Córdoba around 1:30, grab a quick bite to eat at a Cafetería then head to the Mezquita and Jewish Quarter.
Though Córdoba is rich in its Arabic and Jewish history, we will only be staying a short while before heading to Granada (home to the famous Alhambra).
I’m in dire need of another nap before we arrive so that’s it for now.
– MP
5:37 PM Friday February 15
Córdoba
We are once again back on the bus, except this time headed to Granada. Though my legs are a tad tired from all the exploring, I am sad we are leaving Córdoba after only a few hours.
Córdoba – the old capital of Andalucía – is most commonly known for the Mezquita – a mosque that was converted into a church in the mid fifteenth century. Though the highlight of our trip to this city was La Mezquita, I found some other neat places here. As soon as we stepped off the bus, professors pointed out cute and quaint cafeterias to hit up across the bridge; fortunately for me, my friend Derrick and I were not hungry which gave us a few hours to explore while everybody sat around and ate.
Another Street Performer
We set off to the north east part of Córdoba, completely unaware to what we would find. Before we knew it, we were in the heart of a residential area composed of ancient arabesque architecture. White marble, double entrances and Arabic writing greeted us around each twist and turn – it made me only want to go explore Arabia more. 15 minutes later we stumbled upon ancient roman columns from the 1st century. I was less than impressed by the ten foot tall fences surrounding the site and vowed to Derrick to get an aerial view of the historic site. I must have inherited my sense of adventure from my grandfather, because before we knew it, we were on the roof patio of some social security agency. There were breathtaking views of all of Córdoba (along with the columns), but unfortunately we weren’t able to enjoy them for long, as we were kicked off by some worker. Thank god a bright smile and the phrase, “Ohh no sabíamos, lo siento. Somos Americanos” works wonders and gets you off the hook here in Spain. That one was for you Grandpa.
View from above
The sun began to eat down on our backs so I pulled out my ray bans and we continued on our way, unsure of our next destination. A beautiful park, complete with water fountain and miniature mosque was next up on our adventure. Kids were running and riding their bikes up and down the orange tree lined path as their parents chased them down. We definitely were no longer in the touristy part of the city. As we exited the park, we decided to head back towards La Mezquita because we needed to be back thirty minutes later and still had to score some lunch. Derrick and I ended up making a circle and found the starting point of our adventure and grabbed some bocadillos (sandwiches) before our tour – bocadillo de chorizo for him and a bocadillo de tortilla for me. Yum!
Words, nor my numerous pictures, do any justice to any of the monuments I have visited since being here, especially La Mezquita. The amount of detail inscribed to each column is unreal. I could not even imagine how hard it would have been to work on this Mosque-Cathedral. La Mezquita is a very unique piece of architecture, seeing as it was originally a Muslim place of worship, that was later converted to a cathedral. I have never seen quite the fusion between East and West as I did today. Crosses found their places next to Arabic phrases which were placed among ancient Christian Relics – to say it was a sight to see would be an understatement.
La Mezquita
La Mezquita
Following our Mezquita visit, our guide María, walked us through the Jewish Quarter. The synagogue we stopped at was nothing more than a 2 story room with a seven tiered menorah on the Southern Wall. I don’t know what I was expecting, but I wasn’t very impressed with the size nor details of the structure both here and in Segovia.
One more quick snack break and we were once again on the bus. Two hours till Córdoba.
-MP
12:57 AM Saturday February 16
We made it to Granada! Though I slept the whole way, I was so happy to just crash on a bed in the hotel room I shared with Alinah and Jess.
Not much has happened since I last wrote, except we went out to dinner. Grace, Hannah, Lindsey, Taylor, Alinah, Jess, Matt, Sacha, Will and I ended up a small tapas bar about ten minutes from our hotel in downtown Granada. The city itself isn’t that big, but it does boast the largest college population in the country. Though its a ton of fun to go out in large groups, it is rather difficult to chose a restaurant at 10:30 at night that will accommodate a group of ten. Next time we’ll be sure to have a more solid plan before venturing out into the cold. Luckily the place we dined at was able to put to tables in the back together. I wasn’t terribly hungry so I split croquetas and a plate of jamón y queso with Will, which ended up being perfect. After some great conversation and finishing our food we set back towards our hotel. We have to get up early tomorrow for our visit to La Alhambra, so that’s all for now!
I hope your day is going as awesome as mine. I’m currently finishing up my last class of the day, Blogging Spain. Yes, I know that it does not sound like a real class, but I promise you that it’s actually pretty hard and not just about blogging about my experience in Spain (though that’d be a pretty awesome class). I’ve received a lot of feedback and questions (mostly from my parents and their friends) about going to school, so I felt it was appropriate to finally describe a normal day in the life of Meg in Madrid.
Our cute little yellow school house
Mondays and Wednesdays I usually wake up around 9:30 and am out the door by 10 to get to my 11AM class. On Tuesday and Thursdays I’m up around 7:45 for my 9:30 class – honestly it’s nothing compared to my NY sleeping schedule. My only complaint thus far about living in Sol would have to be the long commute to school – 10 minute walk to the Sol Metro, 2 trains, and a 10-15 minute walk from Santiago Bernabeu to our Calle Segre campus takes about an hour total depending on if the trains are on time or not.
I was incredibly lucky that I got my first pick with classes and scheduled everything back to back so I wouldn’t have to wait around campus for awkward periods of time. On M/W I have ‘Cultural History of Spain’ and ‘Blogging Spain’ and on T/TH I am enrolled in ‘Critical Approaches’ and ‘Spanish for Commerce’. Though I cannot say I’m completely infatuated with my classes as I was with my Sports Management classes in NY, I am enjoying the selection (even if they are completely in Spanish and I’m lost in translation about 70% of the time).
Check Out the beautiful moon
After class for two and a half hours a day, I head back to our apartment in Sol, grab some food, sit down on our lovely couches (pictures coming soon) and pretend to do homework. I usually proceed to get cabin fever and head out for a run.
Sidetracking a bit, but tonight I went for one of the most amazing runs of my life – though it was a brisk 42 degrees, it felt like it was a cool and comfortable 65. I found my heart rate monitor and watch, ran for a good 45 minutes down around Puerta del Sol, up Gran Vía towards school. I began around 9 PM, just when the moon balanced perfectly between the buildings and sat in the mystic midnight black sky. I desperately wish I had ran back and grabbed my camera but my legs and body were exhausted from a long day and I plopped back down on the couch – I know my iPhone won’t do any justice to the beauty in the Madrid sky.
Another beautiful run
Since settling into our apartment, the four of us have been trying to cook more at home, so around 8-9 we usually grab dinner and try and start back on our homework. This past week our meals consisted of a lot of pasta, bread and cheese (channeling our inner European goddesses) but today we swore to go the grocery store and get some chicken and healthier food for this upcoming week.
The End of Gran Vía
After a few hours comprised of a healthy dose of Facebook and homework, I jump into the shower and try to get to bed by a reasonable hour.
Hope that provided a comprehensive overview of a day in the life, until next time!
Seven days without writing, makes one weak. That much is true for me. First let me begin by apologizing profusely but not posting more sense I’ve been here. Though in my head it seems as if I have tons of free time everyday to go about my life, to write, and explore, the minutes easily turn into hours which slip into days which transform into a week and I find myself at a complete loss for time. I guess the saying “time flies when you’re having fun” really is true.
My first week in Madrid was definitely one to remember (if only I could remember it all). Each morning was not only a struggle to get out of our beds, but a struggle to find our place in Madrid, our little blip on the map in a city of millions. Each day was an adventure, a new set of challenges faced us and we conquered them (ever so majestically, might I add). Orientation at school began on Monday and consisted of crash courses in Spanish slang and Spanish cultural history, along with visits to Segovia, the Reina Sofia Museum, walking tours of Sol, a scavenger hunt and a ton of information to get us back on nuestros pies (our feet). I promise to have a blog to recap everything but in the mean time, I think it’d be appropriate to introduce my roommates because you’ll be hearing about them many times throughout the blog, they are absolutely amazing and you probably, most likely, definitely should meet them!
Los Chuptios
Jess: This chica (whom I share a room with) hails from the city of Chicago (the actual city) and is never without a smile. She seems to be my partner in crime everywhere we go and we constantly find ourselves being asked “How long have you known each other?” We immediately begin to laugh it off, knowing that the answer is of no importance to our friendship. Jess loves chocolate con churros (like duh!) and we have recently discovered baguettes, strawberry marmalade and cured cheese as our favorite post school snack. She enjoys taking pictures but much to the rest of our apartment’s disappointment, she does not like posting on Facebook (I promise this will be changing sooner than later).
Alina: Also known as #twitterlessalinah in my tweets about los chupitos (our nickname), this girl is la reina (the queen) when going out at night. She may be the last to get ready when we head to school, but without fail Alinah is always dazzling. She’s from Nueva York (NY) and has the style and outgoing personality to match. I know I can always count on her to have a fun time and to quote pretty much anything ranging from our favorite songs, “The time I studied abroad” tumblr, and “Midd Kids”. Between Jess, Alinah and I we all tend to be bad influences on each other when it comes to food (shown by her love for Pizza, what New Yorker doesn’t?) but as the Spaniards say “de perdido al río” (from lost to the river – we don’t know what it means either!)
Erin: Another native from Illinois, Erin is from the suburbs of Chicago. She is always prepared and has been to Spain before so she helped us along the first few days with some of the customs we weren’t used to. We’re in 3 of 4 classes together, but I promise her Spanish is much much better than mine and she’s always helping me to with my tarea (homework)! We have bonded over our love of traveling and have found ourselves in deep conversations over coffee back home in the city (She’d never heard of NoHo Deli!) Even when we are “de perdido al río” she’s always smiling and looking on the bright side of things!
These chupitos continue to make me laugh on a daily basis and I can’t wait to update you on our latest adventures and mistrials.
Estoy aquí! I arrived in one piece, barely awake, but nonetheless extremely excited to go out and conquer Madrid. In typical Megventure fashion, our plane arrived an hour late which set us back a few hours for everything else I did that day. After taking a shuttle to Terminal 1 to meet NYU, a large group of us boarded a coach bus headed into Sol where we then proceeded to catch a taxi to our apartments. I’m living with three other girls from NYU and absolutely love the place. It was definitely nerve racking signing a lease in a foreign language, but after going over it lentamente (slowly) in Spanish with our lovely landlady, Patricia Mateo, everything was smooth sailing from there.
Roomies
After unpacking we explored around Sol (the city center and where we live), and found La Puerta del Sol, La Plaza Mayor and a cute little café where we nibbled on some Café con leche y croissants (Coffee and Croissants). We then took to the metro and embarked on a NYU walking tour to smooth over the jetlag (which is thankfully currently nonexistent). Much to my amazement, the metro system in Spain is incredibly efficient, easy to navigate and super clean. We took la línea amarilla (Yellow Line) to Argüilles from Sol and walked down Calle Princesa to the Templo Debod which is a marvelous Egyptian Water Temple given to the Spaniards in 1968. After getting a panoramic view of West Madrid from the end of the Templo, a group of us living in Sol trekked back to our apartments but not before walking past the marvelous and extremely beautiful Palacio Real, the residence of King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofia. For being a pretty spread out, non-English speaking city, Madrid is extremely easy to navigate – on maps everything seems miles away but in reality, everything is really close to each other.
Sol
El Palacio Real
Later that evening the girls and some guys from Amherst decided to go out and see Sol some more, which turned out to be a complete fail, not because it was a Sunday night, but because it was too cold for Madrileños. This city just gets me, its unbelievable: not going out because its too cold, siestas, wine all day, tapas instead of full meals, and the laid back attitude of la gente (the people). It’s an absolute sueño (dream) to live here and I can already tell that I will not want to leave (lo siento Mom and Dad).
The following morning (Monday) we all had orientation at the NYU Madrid campus which is located off the Santiago Bernábeu (aka the Real Madrid Stadium) metro stop. I myself was incredibly happy when I found out that we get to pass it every morning, but I guess thats just the inner soccer fanatic within. Although the commute is rather long – a little less than an hour – I’m so glad we live in Sol because it’s really the center of it all for us. Orientation is similar to welcome week: you meet a bunch of people, go out, forget names, take placement tests, sit through lectures on being safe, etc. It’s very relaxed and a great setting to meet a ton of people.
After orientation, NYU sponsored a Paella lunch at cool restaurant called Muuuu north of school. Los Díos! The paella was absolutely amazing. I was apprehensive at first to try it because I didn’t know what was in it, but it was so good. Words don’t even begin to describe it. Though the paella was apparently the best in the city, I cannot wait to travel to the coast and try paella in Barçelona because I heard it is unreal there.
That night, a group of us decided to head out to Sol again, except this time it was a lot more fun! We wound up at a lovely tapas bar that is very popular with both Americans and Madrileños – El Tigre. They provide drinks and numerous tapas for only 6 Euros. Trying the tapas brought me back to my “Fear Factor Days” of living in Japan because we didn’t know what was on any of the plates, nor could the server, Alberto, explain to us what they were. I still probably couldn’t explain to you what they were, but my favorites were the pan y jamón and las patatas (bread and ham, and potatoes). The jamón is very different here, but is absolutely one of a kind. There are Museo’s de Jamón in almost every barrio (neighborhood), and the Spaniards are very proud of it. I don’t quite understand, but I’ll take it.
Patatas Bravas
Following El Tigre, we headed out again to this place called Joy Eslava located in Sol. It was great place to dance, the weird thing was that it was completely empty until about 3 or 4 in the morning. Madrileños have an extremely warped sense of time that will definitely take some time getting used to, but as a night owl I’m sure I’ll really love it.
That’s all for now, off to day two of Orientation. Hasta Luego!
