First few days in Madrid

Hola todos. I got into Madrid on Tuesday after a six and a half hour flight to London out of Chicago and had a two-hour layover. London-Heathrow airport is the largest in the world and I was absolutely amazed at the size of it and the many planes and grounds-crew. Their baggage handling systems were incredible, but not enough to keep track of mine. I finally arrived in Madrid around three after a relatively quick flight. My uncle Kurt, my mother’s brother picked me up from the airport and we took the metro to his place so I could drop off my backpack then we headed out. We ran a few errands and did some shopping in the markets and small stores, but not before we grabbed a caña. A caña is a small beer, maybe 8 ounces and is always served with tapas. Since few peolple own cars and are constantly walking inbetween metro trips cañas are very convenient and a great way to break up a trip and relax for a bit. The weather here is beautiful, 60’s and sunny but has not been as nice as of late.

Tapas can be just about anything, depends on the place and whatever is available but common dishes include sardines and other small fished cured in olive oil, small pieces of tortilla (which in Spain is similar to a flour and egg bake), vegetables or seafood in olive oil, olives, bread and hummus, mini-burgers on baguette with a mayonnaise based sauce, and all sorts of other things. Tapas originated a long time ago when there were fly problems in Spain and bartenders would give you a plate to put on top of your beer (hence tapas) to keep the flies out. Over time it has become expected to serve some little snack with every drink.

We spent that afternoon trying to figure out how I was going to get my bag back, visiting my aunt Gloria, kurt’s wife, at the pharmacy where she works, and meandering around the city.

We met up with Gloria after she got off work around 10, which is very typical in Spain, for a drink and some tapas then headed back to their place for dinner, which we had been shopping for all day. After dinner we headed out once again to have another caña before bed, which usually comes around 2.

My second day in Madrid was more shopping in specialty stores and markets, buying my train ticket, and retrieving my luggage. We met up with Glorias niece Carmen who is 28 and in the typical Spanish Fashion…gorgeous. Kurt’s friends Marcello and his wife and daughter nina joined us for some cañas and tapas at cool place by kurts house called Este Oeste.

Thursday morning began at around 9:30…the crack of dawn in Spain and we went out shopping to prepare a stir fry quick before I had to catch my train. Kurt accompanied me to the train station via the metro.

The train is called “El Ave” and is a high-speed train that travels in excess of 200 km/h, I should be in Sevilla in two hours, a trip that used to take around 5. The scenery is gorgeous and I have taken a few pictures of the vast olive orchards that extend far beyond the eye can see. I have orientation in a hotel tonight and tomorrow I meet my host family and get settled in my place before classes start.