spain: day 4

tapas: patatas al alioli, jamon a la gallega, a kebab + olive salad

I can't get over how delicioso Spanish food is! I was a strict vegetarian for five years, including the semester I spent in Spain. In a country that puts ham on absolutely everything, I basically survived on mushrooms and bread. Nowadays I eat fish, seafood, and the occasional sausage when it comes across my plate. I tell people I am a 'cheating pescatarian' when they ask. Thanks to my relaxed palate, I am thoroughly enjoying the simple, vibrant tastes of Spain this time around. Oh and last week I found this article in the NY Times about Mexican food in Spain. Of course, we went to #1.

sardines, shrimp cakes, marinated dogfish (so good!), calamari + potato chips

fish tacos at Nathan's house

Taqueria del Alamillo-La Latina, Madrid

excellent Mexican food in Spain: tacos al pastor, chicken tacos, + a molcajete lava pig

what's that? you give free tequila shots for dessert?

yes, please

upscale food market: Mercado de San Miguel

Spanish people are obsessed with potato chips

inside Mercado de San Miguel...a tower of wine bottles

each stall has its own specialty food--ready-to-eat and some packaged on-site

of course there is jamon iberico

giant vegetables

spain: day 3

my my metrocard 

Thanks to pleasant experiences in Europe and some work with the LRT construction mitigation in the Twin Cities, I am fascinated with public transportation. I hope someday to work in public transport for my career and eventually learn more about public policy surrounding transport. 

In the meantime, I will settle for using as much public transportation as possible and comparing different cities' systems. I have to say that Madrid ranks among the top cities for public transportation that I've ever experienced. Thanks to their easy-to-follow color-coded metro maps, a huge amount of transfer stations, trains running every three minute on most lines, and the cheap cost of a ticket--only €1--we made it around the city without a single hitch. Keeping in mind that the two LUAS lines in Dublin dont even connect, I was in heaven!

above the islas filipinas station

me in Asyria. ok it's just a large metro advertisement for Asyria.

 

hubs looking rather dapper

Our day: walking, bocadillos, walking around Gran Via, converters, walking, tinto de verano, dinner at Nathan's, walking, Bacchus English Book Bar, British bartender, British Trivial Pursuit, wine, and walking home from Canal. After all that admiration, I guess we forgot the metro stops running at 1:30am. Oops!

spain: day 2

the sun is shining in Madrid

Nathan is my kind of tour guide. His brand of sightseeing involves lots of strolling outside, a multitude of coffee breaks, visiting his favorite spots, and basically including us in his normal life. Tonight we spent the evening with his fellow masters students and professors at a special dinner. We met a lot of friendly people and got to spend some time in a regular Spanish household--cooking, eating, drinking, and chatting. It feels good to be speaking Spanish again, even if I dont remember all the Spain-specific words. Seriously, aseos? At least they peg me as being from somewhere in Latin America. After a lovely dinner we ended with a dance party at Torero and walking home from Sol at 3am. ¡Que vida mas linda!

we love each other

do the metro-man-dance

practicing my Spain-Spanish outside the club: patatas vs. papas

aaron + sarah

tonight's gonna be a good night...

...and tonight's gonna be a good night...

...and tonight's gonna be a GOOD GOOD NIGHT!

save the beach garbage hotel in Callao

spain: day 1

puerta del sol looking much cleaner than i remember it 

Being back in Madrid is an odd feeling for me--like a college reunion but without all the people. I have the funniest memories flooding my brain just from walking around and seeing familiar sights. Is that the tattoo shop where I got my lip pierced? Is that where my roommates and I used to go dancing every weekend? Is this the store where I always wanted to shop but didn't have the money? Is this where all the hippie kids held drum circles on Saturday nights? I feel so much older. At the same time I can't believe it's been 6 years already. In the end, I am just thankful to be here with people I am so close with. I forgot how gorgeous Madrid can be!

still dont know who the horse rider is

new mod metro station...reminiscent of I.M. Pei's pyramid at the louvre

of course

mariachi in spain

ham paradise

hubs & i on a stroll

accordion man sang + danced while his wifey sang along

two coffees and one tinto de verano for me--wine with sparkling lemonade

this bmx kid jumping off the wall of a gorgeous opera house 

the royal palace-Madrid, Spain

beshitos

another horse

palacio real

casa de campo a park near the royal palace

royal gardens

templo de debod an egyptian pyramid in the park. why not.

sunset stroll

im basically a professional photographer.

viva españa

hanging on for dear life to the scary elevator

2011 has been busy for hubs and I. Not only did we have the post-holiday bustle, a lost package of xmas gifts for our family in Minnesota, and Ilsa's visit from the US, but we also planned our first visit to Spain. Our good friend Nathan has lived in different cities during college and now he's in the midst of his masters program in Madrid. The original plan was to go for New Year's Eve and eat 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight with him. Although I didn't have an immigration status in time for NYE, we booked our tickets when we got my letter in the mail. 

As soon as I dropped Ilsa off at the airport and hubs took his last exam for the fall semester, we raced home and packed our bags. What a whirlwind! Special shout out to Ryan Air for their incredibly low prices and horrid service. Hubs' least favorite part was waiting on the cold tarmac to climb the stairs to the plane, since Ryan Air doesn't waste money on fancy-pants things like airport terminals. My least favorite part was not having a SkyMall to browse the wacky-but-useful gadgets--my favorite part about flying. Although uncomfortable, we made it to Spain on the cheap. At least we have a beautiful hostel!

habitación matrimonial or couple's room at Hostal Santillan-Gran Via, Madrid

view from the hostel window

courtyard? 

stained glass in the hallway

antique elevator