The Spanish Super Bowl: Fútbol Not Football

Confession: I lied. I’ll share the weekend in Paris soon enough, but this is just too important. Friday night was the final game of the Copa del Rey in which Barcelona went up against Athletic de Bilbao. You might be saying to yourself, “alright, there was a soccer game in Spain. Those happen all the time.” You’d be right, but there’s some extra political significance thrown in because of the teams that were playing. A friend suggested this article to explain it a bit better. Basically, people from Barcelona are Catalans and those from Bilbao are Basques (both named for the region and language used there), so it was kind of crazy that these two very distinct regions of Spain were playing against each other in the KING’S Cup. Each has a high sense of pride for its own region in comparison to its feeling of being part of the country, as a whole. At least, that’s what I have gathered. You’re allowed to form your own opinions!

What I wanted to share was our blind American participation in one of the biggest soccer games that Spain has to offer. Honestly, how we didn’t find out that this game was happening until the day of, I’ll never know.

My roommate & I met up with a friend of hers near the Athleti fan area. It was already a mess before the game even started.

Red & white stripes as far as the eye could see!

We never actually passed through the entrance to Athletic Hiria, the Athelti fan section, but I can assure you it was completely packed & there’s no way we would’ve seen the huge screen very well.

Because the tent area was so crowded, we actually ended up at someone’s apartment watching the game in a pretty calm setting. Even so, it was easy to see how passionate everyone was about their respective teams. I’m not big into professional sports in the states, so I can’t accurately compare the fanaticism of each country, but the energy was palpable all day long. When we got back from class, there were already people wearing jerseys, flags, scarves, and anything else that represented their team; there was plenty of drunk yelling and whistling happening around our apartment, and probably all over the city; and after the game (Barcelona won), the Athleti fans could not have looked more depressed. I kind of had to feel bad for them. It’s amazing to me how much passion and loyalty people can pour into a sport, but it’s a feeling that unites people, even in this particular situation!

- Alexa

MVM: French Reggaeton?

1. I needed to make sure I got up a music video today since last Monday was full of craziness like going to Spanish class for the first time, attempting to buy groceries, etc.
2. This song is representing both my unashamed love for reggaeton along with my trip to Paris this weekend because it totally got played in a bar that I went to with my roommate. The amount of jumping up and down and squealing that went on when the DJ got into his little Latino set was embarrassing but so well deserved.
3. Yes, this is the first artist repeat we’ve had… but come on, Daddy Yankee is worth it.

I’ll write about the trip to France as soon as I get some time to put up all the pictures! After sleeping about 10 hours all weekend and going straight from the airport to Spanish class this morning, I could definitely use a good night’s rest. Prepare yourself for Frenchy fabulousness in the mean time!

- Alexa

Knowing a New City Can Be a Walk in the Park… Literally.

We literally just got here, and we already had a day off for a holiday. I’m not complaining! Yesterday was Feria de San Isidro, a Madrid-only holiday (and definitely the biggest one). There were a bunch of things going on throughout the city that reflected the culture of Madrid. I wish I could say that we took full advantage of it and went to all of the big festivities, but we’re still in the process of getting settled, and a few wrong stops on the metro can mess up your schedule a bit. Here’s how things went: I was supposed to meet up with my friend who lives here, Sergio, who I met at Pitt in the fall, but kind of showed up 40 minutes late. Went the wrong way on the metro, fixed that, then finally got off at the right stop (Iglesia) but didn’t actually SEE the iglesia, so walked too far one way, and realized the mistake way too late. Yeah, he had left by that time. Woops. Instead, Robyn, Liz, and I took a ride over to Parque del Retiro, one of the biggest parks in the city, so we could check it out.

Welcome to el Parque!

The boats would probably be more romantic if EVERYONE wasn’t doing it.

Honestly, I still don’t know how this was real. They didn’t even look like they were trying that hard.

Two of my roomies, Liz & Robyn, taking a bench break

I LOVED this little area. I’m pretty sure we saw less than 1/4 of the park, though. It’s seriously gigantic.

After the Sergio mishap, we decided it’d be a good idea to finally go get our Spanish phones. We went to the ginormous department store that’s all over the place, El Corte Inglés. I’m pretty sure you can find literally everything you’d really ever need in that store. They take over entire blocks. We went to the one in Puerta del Sol, which usually looks like this at all times of the day…

There are constant protests going on that are part of the 15-M Movement.

Robyn and I also bought our tickets for Rock in Rio! We’re going June 6th for “La noche electrónica” where David Guetta and Pitbull will be playing. I might die of happiness. Speaking of happiness, I’d like to express my love for the metro again.

An empty metro – beautiful just the same

I feel like I spend a majority of my time underground, but it’s so easy to navigate, it’s probably worth it.

After a quick stop back home, we rounded up the troops to check out the last possible part of the San Isidro festivities that we could see: the fireworks! We just had to go back to Parque del Retiro, with the rest of the city, it seemed. Unfortunately, we all seem to be running on Spanish time and showed up almost 20 minutes late.

We arrived in time for me to take a picture of literally THE LAST firework.

To make up for that disappointment, I can say that we finally got some tinto de verano today (back story: it’s the name our apartment’s group gave itself when we did our pre-Spain class)! It’s a mixture of red wine, lemonade, and clear soda. Obviously, it’s delicious and oh-so-refreshing.

We managed to actually find Sergio, too, but I keep looking at the sites that people have been showing us more than taking pictures of them, so that outing might have to be redone. Definitely been doing a lot of walking!

Well, I actually have homework for my Spanish class (weird, right?), so I’ll wrap this up. There have been a lot of random little observations I’ve been making already, so hopefully I’ll get to those soon!

- Alexa

The Suite Life: Madrid

If you hadn’t figured it out by now, I got to Madrid just fine! Getting through customs was the easiest thing on Earth; the lady letting me in hardly even looked at my passport and there were no forms! I guess Europe is convenient that way. After grabbing my bags and changing money (it was painful), I was faced with a question: Wait 3 hours for the group shuttle to show up, pay too much money to take a taxi to my apartment, or test my navigation skills a bit? Onward I went to find the Metro! Madrid’s metro system is absolutely fantastic. I would compare it to D.C.’s, if you’ve ever been there. After accomplishing that feat, I had an idea of which way I needed to go to get to our apartment, but a nice cab driver took pity on me and picked up the lost foreign girl with her big bags. I was only a few blocks away, though! Baby steps.

Today was the first day of Spanish class. I liked it a lot better than what we had in Argentina for our first month of intensive Spanish; the classes are much smaller, so everyone gets to talk all the time. We started by giving a mini-bio on ourselves so that we could know our classmates better, and, of course, as soon as I finished talking, my teacher’s first question was, “have you had an Argentine professor before?” The accent is “muy evidente“, in her words, but I guess we’ll have to continue onwards thinking that each other’s accents are super weird! Although, I’m already getting used to the lisp. Which is scary.

Yesterday was mostly unpacking and trying to figure out our neighborhood a bit. In order to keep ourselves away from our beds until a normal hour (jet lag is real!), I brought two of my roomies to meet up with a friend who has been studying in Madrid since January. He took us on a FANTASTIC tour of the center of the city: Plaza Mayor, the Royal Palace, La Latina (a couple of streets full of adorable little bars), Puerta del Sol, and other little tidbits of the area. It was nice just walking around and taking everything in, so unfortunately, you don’t get any pictures of that. I’ll definitely go back! Don’t fret! I do have pictures of our cutesy little apartment, though!

Right when you walk in the front door, you can go through to the hall where my room, two other rooms, & the bigger bathroom are.

If you look to the left, you can see our gorgeous living room.

La cocina!

Welcome to my room! That’s right… MY room. No one else. Different than Elda’s, that’s for sure!

The view out from my bedroom window – We’re on the 4th of 7 floors.

The little courtyard if you look down

There’s your mini-tour! There is absolutely no food in our house, so we’re off to find a grocery store. Talk soon!

- Alexa

Amazing Feats in Packing

The day has arrived! I’m currently waiting in the Pittsburgh airport for my first flight to Dallas/Fort Worth (yeah, what?) before heading to Madrid! Honestly, even though I checked my bag and I’m sitting here at the gate with my stuff, I still don’t feel like I’m going anywhere. Based on the trips to Chile and Argentina, I probably won’t realize it until I actually step out of the airport in Spain. Am I the only one who’s like that when traveling?

Even though I’ll only be gone for 3 months, and it’ll be one season the whole time, I still managed to have the hardest time packing. Being able to bring two big bags to South America definitely spoiled me! I spent basically the entire afternoon/evening making this…

Toiletries not pictured. Just imagine.

… fit into this…

Let me tell you, it was not an easy feat. There was a lot of weighing, rearranging, re-weighing, yelling at inanimate objects, and accepting defeat (had to leave behind my big bottles of shampoo and conditioner). It probably would’ve been pretty entertaining to watch.

It seems like my flight’s about to board, so the next time I check in will probably be from España! Chau chau!

- Alexa

Guest Post: A Travel Guide for Spain Virgins

In the last post, when I requested advice for living and exploring Madrid, Robby came to the rescue! Simply put, the wisdom’s worth sharing.

- Alexa

When arriving in a new country there is always that awkward time period of trying to adjust to the time zone after an uncomfortable and stuffy flight, while embracing a new culture and environment. This catch 22 usually results in slightly closed-minded thoughts geared towards the “damn locals” and wondering “how the hell does anyone live like this?” Being a student in Madrid is usually correlated with a lifestyle involving sleepless nights (ending at 5 or 6 am) at one of the world renowned discotecas, making the transition slightly more complicated. One thing to remember is that you don’t need to see the most famous sites and museums in the first two days– let yourself relax and adjust. Hopefully, these tips and sightseeing suggestions will help with your transition:

1. Enjoy a Jarra de Sangría in Plaza Mayor. There are several reasons why this is my first tip when arriving in Madrid. First, Plaza Mayor is the most popular plaza in Madrid and is a sight to see in itself. The motley crew of street performers adds to the relaxed dining experience at one of the many authentic restaurants within the plaza. Second, sitting down in Plaza Mayor and getting acquainted with a group of new friends is a great way to start relationships in a new country. And let’s not forget, Spain has, debatably, the best sangria in the world.

2. Visit the Prado Museum at the right time. Take advantage of the Prado Museum whether you’re an art critic or just have an urge to learn about Spain’s history. I would recommend brushing up on your art history before visiting this museum. Be familiar with the styles and artists that you will encounter and you will learn exponentially more with your visit. Visit on a Sunday when the museum is free or on May 18th, International Museum day, when ALL museums are free. Otherwise, pay the 4 Euro cover and say adios to one more bottle of wine you could have purchased. *Also, plan to visit the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía and Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza (these three museums make up Madrid’s “Golden Triangle”).

3. Visit the Palacio Real. Part of me didn’t want to include this on the list because it’s one of those landmarks that you may not be sure what you’re getting out of it. At the least, it’s worth walking by and strolling through the palace grounds. I visited this palace twice when I was in Madrid. The first time I took the full tour inside and out, and the second time our tour was cancelled due to an event going on. I would actually suggest researching events that are scheduled for the palace and go stand out front and watch the Royal family enter the palace and catch a glimpse of other important people that you will have to go home and Google to figure out who they are.

4. Have lunch at the San Miguel Market. One of the best ways to understand a new culture is through food. This famous food market offers a variety of traditional and new-age Spanish cuisine. You will be able to test a variety of foods on a college budget at the San Miguel Market (located in the city center).

Taken from the market’s Twitter page: @MercadoDeSanMiguel

5. Locate the KM 0 tile in Puerta del Sol. If you’ve been to Madrid, I’m sure you have walked past, stepped on, or drunkenly stumbled across this tile in Puerta del Sol. This tile marks the absolute center of Spain, and even the center of Madrid. Once you learn the basics of Spanish history, this tile will seem more significant and may even have a greater meaning for your experience in Madrid. Puerta del Sol is one of the most popular plazas in Madrid and is located in the center of many famous stores, streets, restaurants, and bars.

6. Order a gluttonous amount of churros con chocolate at the Chocolatería San Ginés. Located near Puerta del Sol, you can enjoy a mountainous plate of freshly fried churros with a mug filled with melted chocolate. San Ginés is home to the best churros in Madrid.

7. Fiesta until 5 a.m. at a famous discoteca. Whether you consider yourself a partier or not, staying out until 5 a.m. with Spanish friends at one of Madrid’s fanciest discotecas is a cultural experience. Spanish partying tops the charts around the world. Take note of the music, the drinks, how people interact, and enjoy yourself because every single person in the club is doing the same exact thing. Listen to and love this song! Make an effort to check out Kapital and Pachá, two of Madrid’s (and the world’s) most famous clubs.

Inside Pacha

8. Relax in el Parque de Buen Retiro. Take an afternoon off and away from familiar faces in Madrid’s most popular park. Enjoy the architecture of statues and fountains, street performers, and sidewalk painters. If you visit on the weekend you will find yourself amongst many Madrilenian families strolling through the park.

9. Siesta! Yes, it’s a real thing! Take advantage of a siesta from time to time (or every day). Partying until 5 a.m. and getting up early for work usually results in a much needed siesta around 2 or 3 p.m. In other parts of Spain, nearly all businesses shut down from 2 to 5 p.m. for a designated siesta. It is less common in Madrid, but you may still encounter smaller businesses taking a few hours off in the afternoon. Also, make sure to plan ahead for businesses being closed during siesta because relying on an afternoon café con leche to finish your busy work is a day-ruiner when your local cafeteria is closed.

10. Take day trips outside of Madrid. You’re in the capitol of Spain, a transportation hub– take a bus, a train, or even a flight if you have the time. It’s hard to squeeze an international excursion into a weekend trip, but it’s extremely realistic to visit a small town outside of Madrid. You may even learn to appreciate Spanish culture even more after experiencing a day outside of Madrid city life. A few of my suggestions would be to visit: Valle de los Caídos, El Escorial, the region of Extremadura, Toledo, Córdoba, or my personal favorite Sevilla.

This guide doesn’t nearly cover the number of sights and things to do while in Madrid, but it’s a good start. Research the city, ask locals for suggestions, and don’t be afraid to wander off into an unknown neighborhood. Keep track of everything you do whether it is through a blog, handwritten lists, or pictures and que tengas un buen viaje!

MVM: Pre-Madrid

Hey, so… Turns out I’m leaving for Madrid in less than a week. Weird, right? I’m not used to it either. As you’ve probably noticed from the return of Music Video Monday, I’ve been trying to find as much Spanish music as possible to prep myself a bit. This song by Juan Magan has been making its rounds on my iPod for quite some time. It’s about Madrid! It’s relevant! Yeah!

The ending’s a bit inexplicable, but I mean, it’s technically summertime. Can’t really blame those girls.

If anyone has any tips or advice on packing/preparing for Spain or on what your favorite spots are in Madrid, por favor help a girl out!

- Alexa