SPAIN and PORTUGAL(3/17-3/18)
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There is internet in the house I am living in, however, I am unsure of how frequently I will be allowed to use the computer. Therefore, I am going to try and keep each entry brief. Unless I do something so spectacular it requires a more detailed explanation. :)
SPAIN
Today I leave for Spain for an entire month. I signed up with a company named GeoVisions. http://www.geovisions.com/
Through this company I was matched up with a family in Spain, outside Madrid. There were other countries to select from, however I have always wanted to visit Spain. I thought it was the perfect opportunity to get a little taste. I had to send the company my resume, pictures of myself with family and friends, recommendations, college diploma, etc. After the family viewed my credentials, they decided if I was the right fit for their family. GeoVisions also did a background check with the family I would be staying with. Everything was approved back in December. I will be living with them for a month and teach them conversational English. They will provide me with 3 meals a day and a place to live. It is also called a cultural exchange.
Video of where I lived
Friday, March 6
I flew from Newark to London and then to Madrid. When I arrived in Madrid, Mayte, the mother of the two boys, was to pick me up. After about twenty minutes of searching we found each other. I was quite relieved as it can by nerve racking looking for someone in a foreign country. Plus, I didn´t even know what she looked like.
It was about a 30 minute drive to her house from the airport. The town they live in is called Villaviciosa de Odon. It is a flat area with town houses all with brick exteriors. I look forward to exploring the little town more.
Around 8 pm I met the family. Mayte speaks English very well, and so does her oldest son, Alejandro. Alejandro is ten and his nickname is Alex. Mayte´s husband is Tito and her other son is Alvaro. Alvaro is 6 years old and doesn´t speak much English at all. They were very welcoming and we had a casual Friday night meal in front of the tv watching....High School Musical 3. I was actually very excited. If you don´t know my past with High School Musical, I will explain. The class that I taught three years ago (now in 5th grade) spoke of this movie often. I had no desire to ever see it, but one student kept mentioning how one of the characters looked like my sister. Shortly after, that student brought in the dvd and the rest is history. I became a big fan of HSM. As we sat down to eat, I was pleased that we were watching something I was familiar with. Although all the characters spoke in Spanish, the songs were in English. Fortunatley, I have seen a lot of movies on my many flights over the past 7 months. On my flight to Argentina I actually saw HSM 3 (yes, by choice) in English. I was able to understand the plot clearly because of my previous viewing.
Saturday, March 7
I woke up around 2pm today. I am having a bit of trouble recovering from the time difference and flights I took to get here, also known as jetlag. When I arrived there was a 6 hour time difference, but now because of daylight savings time it is a 5 hour time difference. I am five hours ahead of you in NJ. When you end school at 3pm, it is 8 pm here in Spain.
We had lunch around 3 pm. Dinner and lunch are served later in the day. Dinner is usually 9pm. The lunch consisted of popular spanish meats, such as chorizo (spicy sausage), jamon(ham), and some form of thick bacon. Served with bread and a hard cheese. Delicious!
Next, Mayte, Tito, Alex, and I went into Madrid for the afternoon. Mayte made sure to point out all the important places to me. She showed me many of the museums, puerta del sol, plaza mayor, the Royal Palace, etc. It is such a clean city with narrow streets in certain areas. It is interesting how all the cars are so tiny here. There are no SUVs or big vehicles of any sort. Even the vans are narrow in size. The weather is very nice compared to the east coast right now, in the 60´s. Today it was sunny, but windy by evening time when we left for home.
After a short nap (I am so tired), Mayte took me to the town cultural center where we saw a theater performance. The people of Spain speak very quickly. It is a challenge for me right now to understand everything they say. Also, they have a different accent here than the South American spanish I heard in Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Regardless, the performance was delightful and included singing, dancing, and acting.
I flew from Newark to London and then to Madrid. When I arrived in Madrid, Mayte, the mother of the two boys, was to pick me up. After about twenty minutes of searching we found each other. I was quite relieved as it can by nerve racking looking for someone in a foreign country. Plus, I didn´t even know what she looked like.
It was about a 30 minute drive to her house from the airport. The town they live in is called Villaviciosa de Odon. It is a flat area with town houses all with brick exteriors. I look forward to exploring the little town more.
Around 8 pm I met the family. Mayte speaks English very well, and so does her oldest son, Alejandro. Alejandro is ten and his nickname is Alex. Mayte´s husband is Tito and her other son is Alvaro. Alvaro is 6 years old and doesn´t speak much English at all. They were very welcoming and we had a casual Friday night meal in front of the tv watching....High School Musical 3. I was actually very excited. If you don´t know my past with High School Musical, I will explain. The class that I taught three years ago (now in 5th grade) spoke of this movie often. I had no desire to ever see it, but one student kept mentioning how one of the characters looked like my sister. Shortly after, that student brought in the dvd and the rest is history. I became a big fan of HSM. As we sat down to eat, I was pleased that we were watching something I was familiar with. Although all the characters spoke in Spanish, the songs were in English. Fortunatley, I have seen a lot of movies on my many flights over the past 7 months. On my flight to Argentina I actually saw HSM 3 (yes, by choice) in English. I was able to understand the plot clearly because of my previous viewing.
Saturday, March 7
I woke up around 2pm today. I am having a bit of trouble recovering from the time difference and flights I took to get here, also known as jetlag. When I arrived there was a 6 hour time difference, but now because of daylight savings time it is a 5 hour time difference. I am five hours ahead of you in NJ. When you end school at 3pm, it is 8 pm here in Spain.
We had lunch around 3 pm. Dinner and lunch are served later in the day. Dinner is usually 9pm. The lunch consisted of popular spanish meats, such as chorizo (spicy sausage), jamon(ham), and some form of thick bacon. Served with bread and a hard cheese. Delicious!
Next, Mayte, Tito, Alex, and I went into Madrid for the afternoon. Mayte made sure to point out all the important places to me. She showed me many of the museums, puerta del sol, plaza mayor, the Royal Palace, etc. It is such a clean city with narrow streets in certain areas. It is interesting how all the cars are so tiny here. There are no SUVs or big vehicles of any sort. Even the vans are narrow in size. The weather is very nice compared to the east coast right now, in the 60´s. Today it was sunny, but windy by evening time when we left for home.
After a short nap (I am so tired), Mayte took me to the town cultural center where we saw a theater performance. The people of Spain speak very quickly. It is a challenge for me right now to understand everything they say. Also, they have a different accent here than the South American spanish I heard in Peru, Chile, and Argentina. Regardless, the performance was delightful and included singing, dancing, and acting.
Top/Middle-Puerta del Sol area, Bottom-Plaza Mayor
PLAZA MAYOR VIDEO
Sunday, March 8
Another late wake up for me. However, the family was up early and ready to go. We went for tapas with Mayte and Tito´s neighbors. It is quite popular in Spain to go for tapas on the weekends. Tapas is wonderful because it isn´t like ordering a big meal. It actually consists of many small snacks to be shared with friends. We only had two plates, but I´ve eaten tapas with my friends back home and have had as many as 5 or 6 small plates.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at a park. The boys and men played soccer and us ladies watched them play and looked at some fashion magazines. Overall, it was a nice opportunity to get to know the family better.
Tomorrow I start my job as a language assistant or tutor. The boys, Alex and Alvaro, will come home from school(around 4:30pm) and then I spend about 3 hours total with both of them. Each child has their own lesson. Monday through Thursday I will work with Alex and Alvaro. On Fridays I will work with Mayte reading and discussing news articles. I have time during the day to explore Madrid or other areas of Spain. On the weekends I am allowed to travel to distant areas of Spain or maybe another country.
Monday, March 9
I am still having trouble sleeping so I had a bit of a late start. I decided to check out the town I am living in. It is adorabe! It is pretty easy to walk around and check out the little stores or restaurants. After an hour I returned to the house to prepare for my two lessons.
Mayte gave me a set of keys so that I can come and go as I please in the morning. Around 4:30 I walked to the bus stop to wait for Alex and Alvaro. It is a short walk to the bus stop, maybe 5 minutes. We walked home and I spent my first hour with Alvaro. Then I spent the next hour and a half with Alex. Overall, both lessons went really well. I work on math, reading, and writing with the boys. For Alvaro I spend more time on the basics: colors, numbers, body parts, letters, objects, etc. I am really excited to be teaching again.
Tuesday, March 10
MADRID!! I spent the day by myself exploring Madrid. It was absolutely amazing ( I feel like almost every blog entry I am writing about something that is so wonderful, but it is) I imagine it is how people from other countries feel when they see, hear, and smell New York City for the first time. It is an overwhelming feeling to experience a new city. Overwhelming in a good way. All I did was just stare and take in the beautiful sights, signs on the streets, fashion, and people. Right then and there when I was walking down Gran Via, I fell in love with Spain. Or as they say- España. Sometimes I have these moments on my travels where I just try to stop for a moment and really take it all in. It seems so crazy that I am even here and doing what I am doing. I ususally end up with a big grin on my face and people look at me and wonder, ¨why does that girl look like she is ontop of the world?¨
I walked down Gran Via (the v is pronounced as a b sound) and there are tons of stores and cinemas. I guess it could be a cross between 5th Ave(but not that high end) and Broadway(but not as many shows). When I walked to the end of the road, there was a beautiful fountain with a castle type looking building in the background.
Another late wake up for me. However, the family was up early and ready to go. We went for tapas with Mayte and Tito´s neighbors. It is quite popular in Spain to go for tapas on the weekends. Tapas is wonderful because it isn´t like ordering a big meal. It actually consists of many small snacks to be shared with friends. We only had two plates, but I´ve eaten tapas with my friends back home and have had as many as 5 or 6 small plates.
We spent the rest of the afternoon at a park. The boys and men played soccer and us ladies watched them play and looked at some fashion magazines. Overall, it was a nice opportunity to get to know the family better.
Tomorrow I start my job as a language assistant or tutor. The boys, Alex and Alvaro, will come home from school(around 4:30pm) and then I spend about 3 hours total with both of them. Each child has their own lesson. Monday through Thursday I will work with Alex and Alvaro. On Fridays I will work with Mayte reading and discussing news articles. I have time during the day to explore Madrid or other areas of Spain. On the weekends I am allowed to travel to distant areas of Spain or maybe another country.
Monday, March 9
I am still having trouble sleeping so I had a bit of a late start. I decided to check out the town I am living in. It is adorabe! It is pretty easy to walk around and check out the little stores or restaurants. After an hour I returned to the house to prepare for my two lessons.
Mayte gave me a set of keys so that I can come and go as I please in the morning. Around 4:30 I walked to the bus stop to wait for Alex and Alvaro. It is a short walk to the bus stop, maybe 5 minutes. We walked home and I spent my first hour with Alvaro. Then I spent the next hour and a half with Alex. Overall, both lessons went really well. I work on math, reading, and writing with the boys. For Alvaro I spend more time on the basics: colors, numbers, body parts, letters, objects, etc. I am really excited to be teaching again.
Tuesday, March 10
MADRID!! I spent the day by myself exploring Madrid. It was absolutely amazing ( I feel like almost every blog entry I am writing about something that is so wonderful, but it is) I imagine it is how people from other countries feel when they see, hear, and smell New York City for the first time. It is an overwhelming feeling to experience a new city. Overwhelming in a good way. All I did was just stare and take in the beautiful sights, signs on the streets, fashion, and people. Right then and there when I was walking down Gran Via, I fell in love with Spain. Or as they say- España. Sometimes I have these moments on my travels where I just try to stop for a moment and really take it all in. It seems so crazy that I am even here and doing what I am doing. I ususally end up with a big grin on my face and people look at me and wonder, ¨why does that girl look like she is ontop of the world?¨
I walked down Gran Via (the v is pronounced as a b sound) and there are tons of stores and cinemas. I guess it could be a cross between 5th Ave(but not that high end) and Broadway(but not as many shows). When I walked to the end of the road, there was a beautiful fountain with a castle type looking building in the background.
Top/Middle- Gran Via, Bottom- Plaza de laCibeles
I continued to find more fantastic spots. Not to always compare to NYC, but it is similar in the fact that there are numerous little sections of Madrid to explore. I went back to Plaza Mayor and sat on the ground. Some people were sitting outside of the restaurants and others on the ground soaking in the sun. It was just fantastic! The street performers trying to make money and both locals and tourists watching in delight.
I walked back to the bus terminal and headed back to my house. I forgot to mention the currency here is Euros. Unfortunately, the dollar is not that strong here as it was in other countries. For every 1 euro it is really as if I am paying $1.30 (at least). When I gave Mayte $100 dollars to exchange for me at the bank, she gave me 76 euros. To use the bus and then the metro one way costs 3 Euros.
Wednesday, March 11
I spent the day in Madrid again. The bus is quiet easy to use, but I was a little unsure of how to use the subway or what they call the Metro. I happened to approach a man reading a book and I tried to use the Spanish that I knew to ask how to get to a certain area in Madrid. He rattled off plenty of words in Spanish and I guess he could see the confused expression on my face. I must of said something in English and suddenly he became my best friend. He said that he loved the USA. He said, ¨ask me a state and I will tell you the capital.¨ I was quite amused by this. He told me Omaha-Nebraska, Sacremento-California, Raleigh- North Carolina, and so on. I told him I was from New Jersey and the following four words came out of his mouth: Trenton, Atlantic City,and..... Bon Jovi. I couldn´t help but laugh out loud. He then showed me the correct Metro to take and I was on my way.
I decided to go to Parque del Retiro for the afternoon. Again, not to compare, but it is said that this park is similar to Central Park in NYC. However, maybe because they are parks they are alike, but that is about it. The manicured lawns and blossoming trees are gorgeous. There are pathways that are so long and quiet it feels as if the whole park is yours. People can sit in the shade or look for an open area to soak in the sun. There is a place where people can take a rowing boat out on the lake. What I found so different was the amount of statues and monuments all over the park. Every which way I looked I saw another beautiful sculpture. Additionally, many of the statues sit upon fountains of water. I walked around all day and sat in different spots to see and hear the sights. With the weather alredy feeling like spring, it was a fabulous day.
I usually spend 3 to 4 hours in Madrid and head home by 3pm to prepare for my tutoring lessons with the boys. Things are going well on that end, too.
I walked back to the bus terminal and headed back to my house. I forgot to mention the currency here is Euros. Unfortunately, the dollar is not that strong here as it was in other countries. For every 1 euro it is really as if I am paying $1.30 (at least). When I gave Mayte $100 dollars to exchange for me at the bank, she gave me 76 euros. To use the bus and then the metro one way costs 3 Euros.
Wednesday, March 11
I spent the day in Madrid again. The bus is quiet easy to use, but I was a little unsure of how to use the subway or what they call the Metro. I happened to approach a man reading a book and I tried to use the Spanish that I knew to ask how to get to a certain area in Madrid. He rattled off plenty of words in Spanish and I guess he could see the confused expression on my face. I must of said something in English and suddenly he became my best friend. He said that he loved the USA. He said, ¨ask me a state and I will tell you the capital.¨ I was quite amused by this. He told me Omaha-Nebraska, Sacremento-California, Raleigh- North Carolina, and so on. I told him I was from New Jersey and the following four words came out of his mouth: Trenton, Atlantic City,and..... Bon Jovi. I couldn´t help but laugh out loud. He then showed me the correct Metro to take and I was on my way.
I decided to go to Parque del Retiro for the afternoon. Again, not to compare, but it is said that this park is similar to Central Park in NYC. However, maybe because they are parks they are alike, but that is about it. The manicured lawns and blossoming trees are gorgeous. There are pathways that are so long and quiet it feels as if the whole park is yours. People can sit in the shade or look for an open area to soak in the sun. There is a place where people can take a rowing boat out on the lake. What I found so different was the amount of statues and monuments all over the park. Every which way I looked I saw another beautiful sculpture. Additionally, many of the statues sit upon fountains of water. I walked around all day and sat in different spots to see and hear the sights. With the weather alredy feeling like spring, it was a fabulous day.
I usually spend 3 to 4 hours in Madrid and head home by 3pm to prepare for my tutoring lessons with the boys. Things are going well on that end, too.
Parque del Retiro
Thursday, March 12
I am taking it easy today. I am going to spend some time in Villaviciosa de Odon and get to know the town I am living in a little better. I will probably head into Madrid tomorrow, however, I´ve done a lot of walking the past couple of days and rather stay close to home today.
Another funny situation: Yesterday I decided to wear my flip flops to be comfortable as I explored Madrid. I am not lying when I say almost every woman that saw this was disgusted. Wearing flip flops screams Tourist in Spain. The women here are extremely concerned with fashion and are walking around the city in heels. They seem to always look as if they are going out for a night on the town or dinner. I guess I have to buy a pair of decent shoes considering I only packed flats, sneakers, and flip flops.
Friday, March 13
While staying in Madrid, there are many other places recommended to visit. The first of the places that I wanted to see was Segovia. A small, but beautiful area that is an hour outside of Madrid. I took one bus to Madrid and then a separate bus to Segovia. It was quite simple to get to and navigate through this historic town. Known for the aqueduct(transports water) built there between the 1st and 2nd centuries, it is the first major site to see when walking into town. The fact that this aqueduct is still standing is amazing. There is no cement or mortar holding the 166 arches and 122 beams together. It is massive in size and can be seen from a distance.
Aqueduct
The other two major areas on interest in Segovia are the Alcazar Castle and Cathedral. Both beautiful from the outside. I chose to climb the tower in the castle of Alcazar. There were 156 steps up a spiral staircase to the top. Once up on the roof area, the whole town of Segovia could be viewed (specifically the cathedral). It was beautiful!
Top-Cathedral, Middle/Bottom-Alcazar Castle
The rest of my time in Segovia I spent taking pictures, walking around, looking for souvenirs, exploring the side streets, and having a quick bite to eat in the Plaza Mayor. The area was extremely simple to figure out. I was able to see the whole town in just 4 hours and was home in time to have my tutoring session with Mayte by 6pm.
Saturday, March 14
The weather is officially warm. It seemed like the beginning of summer today. I didn´t even need a jacket in the afternoon. I started my day a bit later since I knew I would be seeing a show at 8pm. Believe it or not, after just 4 hours of walking around the city can become tiring. I did my usual stops: puerta del sol, plaza mayor, the royal palace. However, today I was on a hunt to find Temple of Debod. It is apparently a must see while in Madrid. It was closed by the time I arrived and so I decided to do option number 2, sit down. There was a beautiful park right outside the temple and many people were sitting with friends or by themselves on the lawn. I plopped myself down and did some more people watching. I´ve become quite good at it since I don´t really have anyone to talk to.
At 8pm I went to the Flamenco show that I booked online, Las Tablas. The flamenco is the dance of Spain and usually involves clapping of the hands, precise arm movements, and vigorous stamping of the feet. It was a small production with 3 music players and 2 dancers(one male and one female). Another aspect that is nice about the flamenco is the costume. The women usually wear colorful dresses that have ruffles cascading down the front. At Las Tablas, that wasn´t the case. The woman was wearing a plain white shirt with a black vest and a long blue or green skirt(no ruffles). The show was definitely slow to start, but eventually it was full of energy and the people in the small venue were definitely pleased. I loved the actual dancing part, I just wished I had seen the attire that Spain so often advertises.
I have yet to really see Madrid at night since it is not always safe to be traveling alone in the evening. I was already in Madrid so I thought I would check out what everything is like at night. I would say I walked around from 9- 10 pm and felt very safe. The nightlife was just starting and there were tons of people everywhere. I even took the subway and bus home without worrying. This city is so wonderful!!!!
Sunday, March 15
Trip To Toledo
Another place that I wanted to visit was Toledo. Similar to Segovia, only an hour from Madrid by bus. Segovia is north and Toledo is south. Toledo was actually the capital of Spain up until the16th century. It is a city built on a hill with many cobbled alleys. There is no need for a car or public transportation because to get through each narrow street you must use your feet. Sometimes the map wasn´t even that helpful as some streets don´t have names. Toledo is also known for the Christians, Jews, and Muslims coexisting together. There are mosques, synagogues, and the cathedral all within a couple minutes of each other. Souvenirs that are popular in Toledo are marzipan and swords.
The weather is officially warm. It seemed like the beginning of summer today. I didn´t even need a jacket in the afternoon. I started my day a bit later since I knew I would be seeing a show at 8pm. Believe it or not, after just 4 hours of walking around the city can become tiring. I did my usual stops: puerta del sol, plaza mayor, the royal palace. However, today I was on a hunt to find Temple of Debod. It is apparently a must see while in Madrid. It was closed by the time I arrived and so I decided to do option number 2, sit down. There was a beautiful park right outside the temple and many people were sitting with friends or by themselves on the lawn. I plopped myself down and did some more people watching. I´ve become quite good at it since I don´t really have anyone to talk to.
At 8pm I went to the Flamenco show that I booked online, Las Tablas. The flamenco is the dance of Spain and usually involves clapping of the hands, precise arm movements, and vigorous stamping of the feet. It was a small production with 3 music players and 2 dancers(one male and one female). Another aspect that is nice about the flamenco is the costume. The women usually wear colorful dresses that have ruffles cascading down the front. At Las Tablas, that wasn´t the case. The woman was wearing a plain white shirt with a black vest and a long blue or green skirt(no ruffles). The show was definitely slow to start, but eventually it was full of energy and the people in the small venue were definitely pleased. I loved the actual dancing part, I just wished I had seen the attire that Spain so often advertises.
I have yet to really see Madrid at night since it is not always safe to be traveling alone in the evening. I was already in Madrid so I thought I would check out what everything is like at night. I would say I walked around from 9- 10 pm and felt very safe. The nightlife was just starting and there were tons of people everywhere. I even took the subway and bus home without worrying. This city is so wonderful!!!!
Sunday, March 15
Trip To Toledo
Another place that I wanted to visit was Toledo. Similar to Segovia, only an hour from Madrid by bus. Segovia is north and Toledo is south. Toledo was actually the capital of Spain up until the16th century. It is a city built on a hill with many cobbled alleys. There is no need for a car or public transportation because to get through each narrow street you must use your feet. Sometimes the map wasn´t even that helpful as some streets don´t have names. Toledo is also known for the Christians, Jews, and Muslims coexisting together. There are mosques, synagogues, and the cathedral all within a couple minutes of each other. Souvenirs that are popular in Toledo are marzipan and swords.
Toledo
I walked up the giant hill and then turned to find another steep hill in front of me. Stunning views from high above to see the Tagus River and all of the houses crammed together. As I entered the main part of town, on the right was the main sqaure. Through here was where my self guided tour started. Maybe that is why I got lost because I was guiding myself. It didn´t start off that bad as there was one average sized cobbled street. Unfortunately, at the end of the tiny road there was a decision to make-left, right, or continue going straight. And it seemed that at the end of each road there were always 2 or 3 other streets to turn onto. In the beginning I was always walking up hill. Not steep roads, but still uphill. I saw many sites, but wasn´t sure of some of them. It took me a while, but I finally found the cathedral. I read in a book that there is gold in the treasure room that Christopher Columbus brought back from the Americas in this cathedral. I wasn´t able to step foot inside because of the time and the line. I hope to make it back to Toledo one more time before I leave Spain. If not, at least I saw it from the outside and truly had a lot of time getting to see the streets of Toledo.
Cathedral in Toledo
Monday, March 16
I spent the day in Madrid, I know, shocker. I can´t help but want to go there everyday. There is so much to do and see. I loved the park at the Temple of Debod and went back to enjoy some reading on the grass. The Temple of Debod was closed again so I will have to attempt another day. I did some walking around the main area and had my new favorite dessert. I still don´t remember the name, but I know where to get it. Homemade chocolate inside a croissant type of pastry with powdered sugar on top.
Tomorrow I fly to Portugal. I will spend one night there and two full days. I am excited to visit a place that my grandmother claims to be her favorite country.
I spent the day in Madrid, I know, shocker. I can´t help but want to go there everyday. There is so much to do and see. I loved the park at the Temple of Debod and went back to enjoy some reading on the grass. The Temple of Debod was closed again so I will have to attempt another day. I did some walking around the main area and had my new favorite dessert. I still don´t remember the name, but I know where to get it. Homemade chocolate inside a croissant type of pastry with powdered sugar on top.
Tomorrow I fly to Portugal. I will spend one night there and two full days. I am excited to visit a place that my grandmother claims to be her favorite country.
My favorite park by Temple of Debod
PORTUGAL (3/17-3/18)
Tuesday, March 17
I knew very little of Portugal or what the capital Lisbon (they call it Lisboa) was like. All I knew was that my grandmother always spoke highly of her visit there and that my brother did his 6th grade report on this country. Honestly, that was it. I purchased a travel book before I left that had plenty of maps, places of interest, self guided walking tours, information, etc. I thought that would be good enough to help me navigate my way around Lisboa for two days.
I flew out early Tues. morning and arrived at 9am. I wasn´t able to check into my hotel which meant I had to walk around with my backpack that had all of my belongings in it. Just like any major city, Lisboa has many different districts. I was able to explore just some of them. I spent the most time in the historic areas of Rossio, Baixa, and Alfama. I was dropped off in Rossio Square where the city becomes the historic district. After some quick glances at the fountains and statues I headed to the area that is in the form of a grid, Baixa. Restuarants, sovenir shops, pastry shops, and trendy clothing stores (H&M,Zara, Bershka, to name a few) are in Baixa. Since it was early many stores were closed. I continued on through the Arco de Triunfo that links up with Park of Commerce (under construction:( ). I was near the water, Tagus River. I spent a short time here and continued on.
I decided to head in the direction of the Alfama area because I had read in my book there was a flea market there on Tuesdays and Saturdays called Feira da Ladra. The Alfama area is considered the heart of ancient Lisboa. Steep cobbled streets, narrow steps and pathways, roads that twist and turn, and plenty of ladies hanging their laundry on the line high above your head. Many of the houses here are covered in tiles (which is what Portugal is famous for), some even crumbling off. This area is definitely full of character. I decided to look at the map to see if I could find the cathedral, castle, and the Feira da Ladra. I will just say that this place had so many different outlets that all three maps I had were inadequate for me to use. Because the streets were so narrow, the tall houses towered over me. I couldn´t see what was beyond the houses to my left or right, just straight ahead. I saw a lot of cats, but had so much trouble finding my way around. I don´t know how it happened, but I found the market. Not the castle or cathedral, but the market. The market was a little different than I expected. The people would put a blanket or sheet on the ground and put out all their used belongings to sell. I saw remote controls, hardware, shoes, clothes, toys, a My Little Pony, records, you name it, it was there. I felt like I could have grabbed somethings from my parents´ basement and I could set up shop. I did find some vendors selling pottery and tiles and bought as much as my backpack could hold. I spent a good amount of time there and then continued my search for the catherdral and castle. I am sure you can figure it out...no, I didn´t find them.
Tuesday, March 17
I knew very little of Portugal or what the capital Lisbon (they call it Lisboa) was like. All I knew was that my grandmother always spoke highly of her visit there and that my brother did his 6th grade report on this country. Honestly, that was it. I purchased a travel book before I left that had plenty of maps, places of interest, self guided walking tours, information, etc. I thought that would be good enough to help me navigate my way around Lisboa for two days.
I flew out early Tues. morning and arrived at 9am. I wasn´t able to check into my hotel which meant I had to walk around with my backpack that had all of my belongings in it. Just like any major city, Lisboa has many different districts. I was able to explore just some of them. I spent the most time in the historic areas of Rossio, Baixa, and Alfama. I was dropped off in Rossio Square where the city becomes the historic district. After some quick glances at the fountains and statues I headed to the area that is in the form of a grid, Baixa. Restuarants, sovenir shops, pastry shops, and trendy clothing stores (H&M,Zara, Bershka, to name a few) are in Baixa. Since it was early many stores were closed. I continued on through the Arco de Triunfo that links up with Park of Commerce (under construction:( ). I was near the water, Tagus River. I spent a short time here and continued on.
I decided to head in the direction of the Alfama area because I had read in my book there was a flea market there on Tuesdays and Saturdays called Feira da Ladra. The Alfama area is considered the heart of ancient Lisboa. Steep cobbled streets, narrow steps and pathways, roads that twist and turn, and plenty of ladies hanging their laundry on the line high above your head. Many of the houses here are covered in tiles (which is what Portugal is famous for), some even crumbling off. This area is definitely full of character. I decided to look at the map to see if I could find the cathedral, castle, and the Feira da Ladra. I will just say that this place had so many different outlets that all three maps I had were inadequate for me to use. Because the streets were so narrow, the tall houses towered over me. I couldn´t see what was beyond the houses to my left or right, just straight ahead. I saw a lot of cats, but had so much trouble finding my way around. I don´t know how it happened, but I found the market. Not the castle or cathedral, but the market. The market was a little different than I expected. The people would put a blanket or sheet on the ground and put out all their used belongings to sell. I saw remote controls, hardware, shoes, clothes, toys, a My Little Pony, records, you name it, it was there. I felt like I could have grabbed somethings from my parents´ basement and I could set up shop. I did find some vendors selling pottery and tiles and bought as much as my backpack could hold. I spent a good amount of time there and then continued my search for the catherdral and castle. I am sure you can figure it out...no, I didn´t find them.
Alfama Area
It was around 1:30 (lunch time) and I went to have some codfish at a restaurant in the Baixa area. Checked into my hotel and actually took a nap for a little.
Around 4 pm I was ready to find my way around Portugal again. I gave up on the catherdral and castle and went in search for Tram 28. Tram 28 is a tourist thing to do and it allows for visitors to see most of the historic districts on a fun tram. It also always for a nice break from all the walking uphill. As I was looking for the starting point of Tram 28, I went into the ¨bad¨area. There were some dangerous events that happened in this area of Martim Moniz 2 weeks ago. I didn´t know this and after at least 45 min. a lady(the one who explained about the incident) told me to head the back to the tourist area. Again, much time spent looking for the correct tram(there are others besides 28), but never found the one I wanted.
Around 4 pm I was ready to find my way around Portugal again. I gave up on the catherdral and castle and went in search for Tram 28. Tram 28 is a tourist thing to do and it allows for visitors to see most of the historic districts on a fun tram. It also always for a nice break from all the walking uphill. As I was looking for the starting point of Tram 28, I went into the ¨bad¨area. There were some dangerous events that happened in this area of Martim Moniz 2 weeks ago. I didn´t know this and after at least 45 min. a lady(the one who explained about the incident) told me to head the back to the tourist area. Again, much time spent looking for the correct tram(there are others besides 28), but never found the one I wanted.
Tram 28 Video
I walked back to Baixa and saw the famous iron tower that is so interestingly or even oddly placed around some buildings. The tower stands out and is a major attraction of the historic area. It is 45 meters high and at the top are spectacular views of Rossio Square, the streets of Baixa, and the castle. The Elevador de Santa Justa costs just 3 euros to take the elevator ride up the tower and later back down. Finally, I saw the castle, but still didn´t get there. I was glad that I was able to do one of the other recommended activities from my book. I walked around the area called Chiado for 30 minutes, but felt as if I was going to get lost again. I decided to just call it a day and try to do most of the other must do activities tomorrow.
Top-Elevador de Santa Justa, Middle- Baixa streets, Bottom-Rossio area
At the end of the day, I was so exhausted from walking and being lost that I decided to do something that required no thinking. I walked into the Hard Rock Cafe where English was spoken without a doubt and had a nice juicy cheeseburger with fries. A great way to end my long day of walking and exploring Lisboa.
Wednesday, March 18
I woke up early to make sure that I would see the important sights today. I was much more successful today at finding places compared to yesterday. I was able to take the famous Tram 28 with all the working commuters rather than the tourists. The tram creaked and clanked up and down the hills of other districts such ast Barrio Alto, Estrela, and Campo Ourique. I hadn´t seen these areas and it was nice not to have to climb steep cobbled streets rather sit and take in the views. Then the tram headed back towards Baixa and Alfama. I was on the tram for a total of 45 minutes. It was great seeing the Alfama area on the tram. I even saw the cathedral and found the castle that I was searching for. It was a great moment for me when I reached the Castelo de Sao Jorge(St. George´s Castle). I jumped off the tram and walked up a couple more steep hills and paid the 5 euros to enter the castle. I was so excited that I had just taken the tram and found the castle, could the day get any better. The castle allowed for spectacular views of Lisboa from high above the city. The Tagus River, the Ponte 25 de Abril (red suspension bridge), and all of the rooftops of the city. I was able to walk up high on the castle and even climbed up a couple of towers.
Wednesday, March 18
I woke up early to make sure that I would see the important sights today. I was much more successful today at finding places compared to yesterday. I was able to take the famous Tram 28 with all the working commuters rather than the tourists. The tram creaked and clanked up and down the hills of other districts such ast Barrio Alto, Estrela, and Campo Ourique. I hadn´t seen these areas and it was nice not to have to climb steep cobbled streets rather sit and take in the views. Then the tram headed back towards Baixa and Alfama. I was on the tram for a total of 45 minutes. It was great seeing the Alfama area on the tram. I even saw the cathedral and found the castle that I was searching for. It was a great moment for me when I reached the Castelo de Sao Jorge(St. George´s Castle). I jumped off the tram and walked up a couple more steep hills and paid the 5 euros to enter the castle. I was so excited that I had just taken the tram and found the castle, could the day get any better. The castle allowed for spectacular views of Lisboa from high above the city. The Tagus River, the Ponte 25 de Abril (red suspension bridge), and all of the rooftops of the city. I was able to walk up high on the castle and even climbed up a couple of towers.
Top/Middle-Castelo de Sao Jorge, Bottom-Tiled building I followed the tram tracks down the hill so that I wouldn´t get lost again. I saw the cathedral quickly and then headed back through Baixa and Rossio up to my hotel. I checked out of my hotel, but left my backpack there so I wouldn´t struggle walking around with all my new souvenirs. I wanted to explore a different area for the afternoon. I had spent all my time in the historic section and wanted to see the new modern area, Parque das Nacoes (Nation´s Park).
Left- Cathedral, Right- Ponte 25 de Abril Bridge
I had to quickly learn how to use the subway/metro system. There were only 4 different lines (blue, yellow, green, red) which made it easy. I had to take the green line to the red line which would take me directly to the park. I received some help from a nice man in a metro uniform. He spoke some English and explained the ins and outs of the metro. Even the subway walls are covered in tiles. The art created from the tiles was beautiful. I forgot to mention that even the sidewalks are different. No cement at all, white squares or diamond shaped pieces of smooth stone are on all the sidewalks. It gives the appearance of a tile, but the actual tiles are mostly on the homes or buildings.
Nation's Park video
After about 30 minutes I arrived. Wow, it truly was not the Portugal I had just explored. It was so modern. The platform station for the metro was covered with a combination of metal and glass columns and a roof that resemble a bunch of connected palm trees (but all white/clear). Then across the street was a huge airy shopping mall full of trendy stores, eateries, and movie theater. Leaving the Vasco de Gama mall, I saw the cable cars high above the ground. I decided to take one to get a better view. I saw more outdoor restaurants, Vasco de Gama bridge(longest bridge in Europe), Vasco de Gama tower(which was closed due to a new building being constructed next to it) and the Oceanarium(full of animals for the kids to enjoy). I really just wandered around for a couple hours and headed back to the Metro. I had an easy ride back and had no problems figuring out my way back to Rossio. I walked through Baixa one more time to say goodbye to Portugal. I walked back to the city area and picked up my backpack. I took a bus to the airport and took in some sights of other parts of the city. My flight was at 9pm and I was back in Madrid an hour later. Home sweet home.
Parque das Nacoes (Nation's Park- 1998)
Thursday, March 19
I am taking it easy today after all the walking I did yesterday. It is Father´s Day here. Mayte and the family are out on the countryside enjoying the beautiful weather.
Today I sent out an email to all the other language assistants living here through GeoVisions. There are about eight of them in the surrounding area (meaning up to an hour away from Madrid). I really would like to meet up with someone so that I can have a conversation in English and not always go out by myself. Hopefully I will get some responses.
Friday, March 20
The kids had off from school this morning and I was able to give them their english lessons. We played Monopoly(the Madrid version) and then I worked with each boy separately. Today I taught them the card game War. It was a big hit and Alvaro especially loved the game.
I spent the afternoon in Madrid and went to the Temple of Debod. This is a temple that was given to Spain from Egypt. Originally built 2,200 years ago, it was donated to Spain in 1986 for their assistance in rescuing the temples of Abu Simbel in Nubia. From the outside it looks grand, but inside visitors are only allowed to walk through a very small section of the front of the temple. It took me about 10 minutes to look and walk through. After three tries of attempting to get in the Temple, I was glad to finally be able to enjoy the inside.
I headed home in the early evening for my class with Mayte. Having a class with her once a week is really nice. She is so easy to talk to and the lesson is similar to a regular conversation about anything and everything: work, politics, the world, family, school, life, food, etc.
Mayte has really made my time here in Spain wonderful. I am apart of her family and am always welcome to join them on outings. She even allowed me to go to Portugal during the week when the flights were cheapier. Usually I have my lessons during the week and travel time on the weekend. It is so refreshing to live with someone who wants me to truly immerse myself in the culture and get a taste of this life. My time is already half way through and it is going so fast. I know it is because of her and my living situation that I was able to adjust so easily.
Saturday, March 21
Another day trip, Aranjuez. It was recommended that I visit Aranjuez by Mayte and her neighbor. During the first couple of days we sat down and looked at my travel book on Spain and both ladies said it would be nice to go there. Aranjuez is also about an hour trip southeast of Madrid. I have to tell you that there wasn´t too much to see here, but I liked it. I liked it because it was flat and there weren´t any streets that were narrow and steep with twists and turns. I know that Toledo and the Alfama streets were unique and had a lot of character, but sometimes it´s nice not to get lost.
The main attractions were the Royal Palace and the two enormous gardens. I spent the day walking around in the gardens. The Isla garden was beautifully manicured and the small bushes and shrubs were in a maze layout. Plenty of shade on another warm day in Spain. Later I stopped by the other garden, Principe. This garden was huge with towering trees and plenty of land to explore for many hours.
Aranjuez
It was nice to visit Aranjuez, but by 6pm I was back in Madrid. I had finally received two emails from two of the language assistants both wanting to meet for dinner. Both girls lived in the same town, took the same Spanish classes at a university, and had been here in Madrid for a little over 2 months. I was looking forward to meeting them at 10pm for dinner.
I had a couple hours to kill so I walked around my favorite areas, listened to the street performers, had a calamares bocadilla (fried calamari in toasted mini loaf of bread), and also tried to get into the Jason Mraz concert. He was playing at this club right on the street I always walk on. There was a huge line and I didn´t have a ticket so I really didn´t have a chance. I thought it was in my best interest to do something else. I had been wanting eat at this little restuarant that specializes in only serving churros and chocolate. Usually all the outside tables are filled, but after walking around for a while and then going back one table finally opened. I ordered basically the only items on the menu. The churro is fried dough that is in the shape of a long circular tube. I was given five long sticks and steaming chocolate. Don´t think of hot chocolate, think rich, thick chocolate in a cup. The chocolate was so hot I had to allow some time for it to cool off. As I placed the churro in the chocolate, it then appeared as a chocolate dipped churro. It was just fantastic. I can now see why the place is always packed. 5 euros later I was headed to meet the other Americans.
I meet Landon (23, Texas) and Inger(28, Florida) by the green cow. I will have to tell you more about the cows at a later time, but there are painted cows all over the streets of Madrid. Both are language assistants through the GeoVisions. They also brought their friend Cathy(18, Missori) who is a language assistant through another program, but they all met because they live in the same town on the same street.
I think I probably did all the talking. They were asking me all these questions as I was the new person in the group. Plus, I was so excited to talk to someone. I love Mayte, but she has her family and can´t talk to me all of the time. The girls showed me the Santa Ana area of Madrid. I am so glad because I had no idea about this trendy little area where all the young people go out and have tapas. Unfortunately, I could only stay an hour because I had to catch the last bus back to Villaviciosa. Overall, a long day, but full of great discoveries.
I had a couple hours to kill so I walked around my favorite areas, listened to the street performers, had a calamares bocadilla (fried calamari in toasted mini loaf of bread), and also tried to get into the Jason Mraz concert. He was playing at this club right on the street I always walk on. There was a huge line and I didn´t have a ticket so I really didn´t have a chance. I thought it was in my best interest to do something else. I had been wanting eat at this little restuarant that specializes in only serving churros and chocolate. Usually all the outside tables are filled, but after walking around for a while and then going back one table finally opened. I ordered basically the only items on the menu. The churro is fried dough that is in the shape of a long circular tube. I was given five long sticks and steaming chocolate. Don´t think of hot chocolate, think rich, thick chocolate in a cup. The chocolate was so hot I had to allow some time for it to cool off. As I placed the churro in the chocolate, it then appeared as a chocolate dipped churro. It was just fantastic. I can now see why the place is always packed. 5 euros later I was headed to meet the other Americans.
I meet Landon (23, Texas) and Inger(28, Florida) by the green cow. I will have to tell you more about the cows at a later time, but there are painted cows all over the streets of Madrid. Both are language assistants through the GeoVisions. They also brought their friend Cathy(18, Missori) who is a language assistant through another program, but they all met because they live in the same town on the same street.
I think I probably did all the talking. They were asking me all these questions as I was the new person in the group. Plus, I was so excited to talk to someone. I love Mayte, but she has her family and can´t talk to me all of the time. The girls showed me the Santa Ana area of Madrid. I am so glad because I had no idea about this trendy little area where all the young people go out and have tapas. Unfortunately, I could only stay an hour because I had to catch the last bus back to Villaviciosa. Overall, a long day, but full of great discoveries.
Top- Churros with chocolate, Bottom-Santa Ana area
Sunday, March 22
I don´t think I will ever tire from Madrid. Today I found another new location, La Latina. My new American friends told me about a flea market there called El Rastro. I love bargains and shopping so I had to check it out. It was a new area for me to see which was nice. Very congested with people and restaurants. El Rastro was packed with people. There were so many vendors selling numerous different items. This definitely was different from the flea market in Portugal. Everything was new and the set up was more like a typical street fair. Clothes, bags, jewelry(all types), t-shirts, shoes, belts, scraves, toys, wallets, you name it, it was there. I had a great time walking around and looking. I will definitely be going back next Sunday when it happens again.
Spent an hour in the plaza mayor eating my calamares bocadilla on the ground with all the other visitors that day. There were thousands of people walking around, eating at cafes, watching the performers, listening to music, soaking in the sun, and taking it in. I can always come here and just enjoy watching whats happening around me.
I still had a little more time and I decided to go back to Santa Ana. I went for tapas on my own and tried the spanish omlette. The omlette consists of egg, onions, and potatoes. It was pretty good.
Around 6:30 I headed to Gran Via to walk to the theater. I had purchased a ticket to see the Sara Baras show, Carmen. Sara Baras is a famous flamenco/spanish dancer who has her own broadway show. The show was dynamic, full of energy, and I was extemely pleased with the 25 eruos I spent to see it. It was the flamenco at its best with extradorinary performances and exceptional technique. There were 10 (5 men, 5 women) other dancers besides Carmen and her two leading men. The two hour performance didn´t include intermission, but they even decided to do a phenomenal encore. All 13 of them stood in a semi circle and 5 of the 13 members each did a solo dance. I highly recommend this show if anyone is visiting Madrid in the near future.
Monday, March 23
Today I met my sister´s friend Judith. Judith is originally from Los Angeles and then moved to Spain with her husband. My sister sent me Judith´s email so that we could met up.
We met for lunch near the school she works in. It was wonderful to be able to communitcate with someone else in English. She felt the same way. We are going to meet up again for lunch and then I am going to give Judith a tour of Madrid. Although she´s lived here for over 8 months(in Segovia), she said that she really just goes to work and spends time with her husband. I think it is funny that I will be giving her a tour.
This past week the weather was in the 70´s. It has been beautiful here. Only 2 more weeks of this wonderful city, weather, food, and culture.
OH....funny or kind of scary moment- When I picked the boys up from the bus stop I always give them a snack. I went into the refrigerator and was looking for a little something extra to give Alvaro when I opened one of the compartments. To my surprise, there was a pig´s leg (hoof as well). I actually screamed. The boys thought this was funny. I thought I would check the other compartment and there was a 2nd leg. I was shocked. The hoof is what made it so terrible, in my opinion. Mayte later explained that every part of the pig can be used. I took a picture and will upload it when I get home so you can see what I saw.
I don´t think I will ever tire from Madrid. Today I found another new location, La Latina. My new American friends told me about a flea market there called El Rastro. I love bargains and shopping so I had to check it out. It was a new area for me to see which was nice. Very congested with people and restaurants. El Rastro was packed with people. There were so many vendors selling numerous different items. This definitely was different from the flea market in Portugal. Everything was new and the set up was more like a typical street fair. Clothes, bags, jewelry(all types), t-shirts, shoes, belts, scraves, toys, wallets, you name it, it was there. I had a great time walking around and looking. I will definitely be going back next Sunday when it happens again.
Spent an hour in the plaza mayor eating my calamares bocadilla on the ground with all the other visitors that day. There were thousands of people walking around, eating at cafes, watching the performers, listening to music, soaking in the sun, and taking it in. I can always come here and just enjoy watching whats happening around me.
I still had a little more time and I decided to go back to Santa Ana. I went for tapas on my own and tried the spanish omlette. The omlette consists of egg, onions, and potatoes. It was pretty good.
Around 6:30 I headed to Gran Via to walk to the theater. I had purchased a ticket to see the Sara Baras show, Carmen. Sara Baras is a famous flamenco/spanish dancer who has her own broadway show. The show was dynamic, full of energy, and I was extemely pleased with the 25 eruos I spent to see it. It was the flamenco at its best with extradorinary performances and exceptional technique. There were 10 (5 men, 5 women) other dancers besides Carmen and her two leading men. The two hour performance didn´t include intermission, but they even decided to do a phenomenal encore. All 13 of them stood in a semi circle and 5 of the 13 members each did a solo dance. I highly recommend this show if anyone is visiting Madrid in the near future.
Monday, March 23
Today I met my sister´s friend Judith. Judith is originally from Los Angeles and then moved to Spain with her husband. My sister sent me Judith´s email so that we could met up.
We met for lunch near the school she works in. It was wonderful to be able to communitcate with someone else in English. She felt the same way. We are going to meet up again for lunch and then I am going to give Judith a tour of Madrid. Although she´s lived here for over 8 months(in Segovia), she said that she really just goes to work and spends time with her husband. I think it is funny that I will be giving her a tour.
This past week the weather was in the 70´s. It has been beautiful here. Only 2 more weeks of this wonderful city, weather, food, and culture.
OH....funny or kind of scary moment- When I picked the boys up from the bus stop I always give them a snack. I went into the refrigerator and was looking for a little something extra to give Alvaro when I opened one of the compartments. To my surprise, there was a pig´s leg (hoof as well). I actually screamed. The boys thought this was funny. I thought I would check the other compartment and there was a 2nd leg. I was shocked. The hoof is what made it so terrible, in my opinion. Mayte later explained that every part of the pig can be used. I took a picture and will upload it when I get home so you can see what I saw.
Part of the Pig's leg that I saw in the fridge
Tuesday, March 24
Mayte has made sure that I see all of the must see places around Madrid. She made another recommendation to check out El Escorial, about 40 min. outside Madrid. Another lovely little area with some uphilll walking, but not a lot compared to Toledo or the Alfama district in Portugal. Known for the massive monestary, I decided to check out the main attraction. The monastery is more like a museum with rooms and rooms filled with paintings (hundreds), tapestries, antiques, tiles, and of course the final resting place for almost all Spanish monarchs.
I enjoyed looking at the paintings on the ceiling as well.
Mayte has made sure that I see all of the must see places around Madrid. She made another recommendation to check out El Escorial, about 40 min. outside Madrid. Another lovely little area with some uphilll walking, but not a lot compared to Toledo or the Alfama district in Portugal. Known for the massive monestary, I decided to check out the main attraction. The monastery is more like a museum with rooms and rooms filled with paintings (hundreds), tapestries, antiques, tiles, and of course the final resting place for almost all Spanish monarchs.
I enjoyed looking at the paintings on the ceiling as well.
El Escorial- Monastery
After the tour, there was a garden outside to walk around and enjoy the warm weather. I walked around the town a bit and then had to head home by 2pm. I wanted to arrive back at the house by 3:30 in order to prepare for my lessons with Alvaro and Alex.
Wednesday, March 25
I spent all of my morning in the Prado Museum. In Madrid, there are three popular art museums to visit. I decided to select the one that was the most popular of all and that was the Prado. I could have spent hours in there(maybe 4 hours or more), but I did the quick version in about 2 hours. I purchased one of those audio guides so that I could know what some of the pictures were about. I had the chance to visit all three of the main floors including over 70 rooms of art. Most of the art pieces were religious or depictions from the bible. There were also some many portraits of important people and families. In addtion, I saw some art work that represented war scenes and some still life of food. The three major names known at the Prado are El Greco, Goya, and Velazquez. Of course there are many other famous artists, but these are the three that are the spoken of the most.
I will tutor the boys later this afternoon and tomorrow I leave for the south part of Spain, Sevilla.
Thursday, March 26 - SEVILLA
The bus ride to Madrid usually takes 30 min. Of course, the day I am scheduled to leave for Sevilla it took me 1 hour and 5 min. I am not going to lie, I was panicking and totally thought I was going to miss the train. I had to run through the bus station to the Metro. I took two separate subways to make it to the huge train station. I was running like a crazy lady through the place. It was 9:58 and my train was scheduled to leave at 10:05. Fortunately the little Spanish I can speak helped me out. By 10:02 I was seated on the train and it took off a couple minutes early. It was a bit hectic, but I head three hours to just sit back and relax as I was headed to the south of Spain, Sevilla.
I walked around and got a feel for the area. I would say that it is big, but not like Madrid. I was able to cover a lot of ground on my first day. I saw Plaza de España, the Cathedral (only the outside), walked past the Plaza de Toros (bullring), and had some tapas. Plaza de España was a beautiful sight with all the tiled art work on the railings and the bottom part of the building. Oh, the weather was in the 90´s today. I have been very fortunate with weather in Spain.
Wednesday, March 25
I spent all of my morning in the Prado Museum. In Madrid, there are three popular art museums to visit. I decided to select the one that was the most popular of all and that was the Prado. I could have spent hours in there(maybe 4 hours or more), but I did the quick version in about 2 hours. I purchased one of those audio guides so that I could know what some of the pictures were about. I had the chance to visit all three of the main floors including over 70 rooms of art. Most of the art pieces were religious or depictions from the bible. There were also some many portraits of important people and families. In addtion, I saw some art work that represented war scenes and some still life of food. The three major names known at the Prado are El Greco, Goya, and Velazquez. Of course there are many other famous artists, but these are the three that are the spoken of the most.
I will tutor the boys later this afternoon and tomorrow I leave for the south part of Spain, Sevilla.
Thursday, March 26 - SEVILLA
The bus ride to Madrid usually takes 30 min. Of course, the day I am scheduled to leave for Sevilla it took me 1 hour and 5 min. I am not going to lie, I was panicking and totally thought I was going to miss the train. I had to run through the bus station to the Metro. I took two separate subways to make it to the huge train station. I was running like a crazy lady through the place. It was 9:58 and my train was scheduled to leave at 10:05. Fortunately the little Spanish I can speak helped me out. By 10:02 I was seated on the train and it took off a couple minutes early. It was a bit hectic, but I head three hours to just sit back and relax as I was headed to the south of Spain, Sevilla.
I walked around and got a feel for the area. I would say that it is big, but not like Madrid. I was able to cover a lot of ground on my first day. I saw Plaza de España, the Cathedral (only the outside), walked past the Plaza de Toros (bullring), and had some tapas. Plaza de España was a beautiful sight with all the tiled art work on the railings and the bottom part of the building. Oh, the weather was in the 90´s today. I have been very fortunate with weather in Spain.
Plaza de Espana
In the evening I made sure to check out a flamenco show. Since I am by myself, I really don´t go out much at night. However, the flamenco shows let out early enough that it isn´t bad walking home and seeing the city at night. The place I went to was called El Arenal. I was lucky enough to get a table right next to the stage. This was similar to Las Tablas, a small venue with about 50 people watching. The singers were excellent and the 5 female dancers were wonderful. I was able to get great views of the foot movement and really see the facial expressions demonstated (sometimes they looked as if they were in such extreme pain). The 90 minute performance was well worth it. So far, this show and the Sara Baras show are my favorite two flamenco shows.
El Arenal Flamenco Show
Flamenco Video
Friday, March 27 - SEVILLA
I didn´t have much of an agenda today. I can recall my jam packed schedule in Argentina and this is so the opposite. However, since I am my own tour guide, I must also figure out some things to do. I opted to go for an hour boat ride on the Guadalquivir River (where both Columbus and Magellan set sail from). It was nice, I was able to see some bridges and a lot of the famous sights from afar such as Torro del Oro (the golden tower).
I didn´t have much of an agenda today. I can recall my jam packed schedule in Argentina and this is so the opposite. However, since I am my own tour guide, I must also figure out some things to do. I opted to go for an hour boat ride on the Guadalquivir River (where both Columbus and Magellan set sail from). It was nice, I was able to see some bridges and a lot of the famous sights from afar such as Torro del Oro (the golden tower).
Left- Guadalrquivir River, Right-Torro del Oro
I know I mentioned that tapas is popular in Spain, but Sevilla gave me a chance to get a look at the real thing. Tapas bars are small in size and rarely have many tables or seats. Usually eating at the counter and standing up is the way to do it. The one I went to I had passed numerous times and could see that it was always packed with locals. I decieded if the people from this area liked it, it must be good. The three men behind the counter were quick and didn´t allow me to ask any questions in English. I was unsure of how it all worked at first and observed for a bit. A customer would rattle off two or three items they wanted from the chalkboard menu and order a drink. Then the man would write the amount the person owed with chalk on the counter. Once the person paid, he would erase the number. I decided to get some croquettes. Within 4 minutes my food was in front of me accompanied with mini one inch breadsticks(that is what I am calling them). It was such an event and at the end I threw my napkin (which is basically similar to tissue paper material) on the floor like all the locals.
TAPAS EXPERIENCE
Next stop...A visit inside the Cathedral and Giraldi Tower. I have seen so many cathedrals from the outside, but I had heard that this was one of largest cathedrals in the Christian world. This cathedral also houses the remains of Christopher Columbus. That made my decision pretty easy, I was going to spend some time visiting the cathedral. It was such an amazing sight to walk into the massive building with such elaborate art work and stained glass. As impressive as all the separate rooms and areas are, the big draw is the Giraldi Tower. The tower is actually the symbol of Sevilla. The tower is 97 meters high and requires visitors to climb 33 ramps to the top. The panoramic view from the bell tower was well worth the climb.
Christopher Columbus' tomb/Cathedral Video
Outside of Catherdral and Giraldi Tower
Inside of Cathedral and Christopher Columbus' tomb
Apparently I now consider myself a flamenco expert. The show I went to tonight, El Patio, was definitely no Sara Baras or El Arenal. I now know how important the singers and guitar players are to the flamenco performance. The singer at El Patio didn´t seem like he even wanted to be there. Not to mention that he didn´t even have to sing every song, for some numbers the dancers used audio tapes/CDs. I think if I had never been to any other flamenco show I would think it was good, but I had already seen three, and this one was the by far my least favorite. The dancers were very good and they had the beautiful costumes that I was looking to see. There were three male flamenco dancers and 6 female dancers.
Flamenco at El Patio
I ended the night going to another tapas place.
Saturday, March 28 - SEVILLA
It was raining this morning, but it stopped by the time I left my hotel. I started my day off with a plate of churros and chocolate. The chocolate wasn´t as rich as the other one I had tried last week. I definitely enjoyed this chocolate much more.
I decided to just spend the day walking around, enjoying the cathedral, and taking it all in. Of course I also went for tapas again. I love watching the whole process of ordering, the mayhem behind the counter, and the little plates of delicious food.
Top-My favorite Tapas spot, Bottom-Pigs legs hanging in a tapas restaurant
I was an hour early for my train ride back to Madrid. ;)
So long, Sevilla!
Sunday, March 29
The weather has suddenly changed in the area where I´m living. It was very chilly today, nothing like the last three weeks of sun and warm weather. I took a stroll around Madrid and it was dead compared to the last three weekends here. Mayte told me that it will be like this for another day or two and then the weather will go back to the high 60´s/70´s. Also, it was daylight savings time here last night. There is now a 6 hour time difference between Spain and NJ.
WHERE ARE THE COWS????
When I first arrived to Spain there were these colorful and uniquely designed cows all over Madrid. Little by little, they have disappeared. I did some reaserch and found out that it was a cow parade to raise money for charity. The parade started back in January and ended on March 16th. The cows (made of fiberglass) were placed along popular tourist spots and the streets of Madrid. Each cow had its own theme and represented the local culture and aspects of city life in Madrid. The exhibit of public art was a huge hit with tourists and locals. I know I took a lot of pictures of the cows and so did many others.
CHECK OUT THE COWS!! CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW!!!
www.flickr.com/photos/capitrueno/sets/72157614265667119/
Cow Parade in Puerta del Sol area
Monday, March 30
Mayte, Tito, and the boys are leaving this Friday for Granada (an area 5- 6 hours south east of Madrid). Next week is Holy Week here and it is common for families to travel for the holiday. Therefore, I will actually be spending my last three days in Spain by myself in their house. As I´ve mentioned before, Mayte and her family have been so amazing to me and made my time here very easy. I have only four more days with them and I want to make the most of my time and lessons.
Mayte, Tito, and the boys are leaving this Friday for Granada (an area 5- 6 hours south east of Madrid). Next week is Holy Week here and it is common for families to travel for the holiday. Therefore, I will actually be spending my last three days in Spain by myself in their house. As I´ve mentioned before, Mayte and her family have been so amazing to me and made my time here very easy. I have only four more days with them and I want to make the most of my time and lessons.
Although it was chilly and actually drizzling today, I headed out in search of a thank you card to show my appreciation. It was not easy finding a thank you card, but I did find a card that was blank inside that worked. The rest of the afternoon I spent with Alvaro and Alex. Our lessons have really turned into games with conversation as we play. Alvaro even performed a Jonas Brothers song and dance for me. It was great!
Tuesday, March 31
Mayte invited me to Alex´s school today. She is actually incharge of a High School Musical 3 show. Mayte has choreographed 5 dances and in June the 5th graders will be putting on the show. She is all about learning English and all the kids are singing the songs in English.
It was fantastic to see her in action. Mayte introduced me to the 30 or so children and they asked me a couple questions and then I watched them dance and go crazy for the next 50 min. or so. It was a lot of fun and something different to do with my day.
Wednesday, April 1
Alvaro and I have spent a lot of time playing games while trying to learn english. Alvaro is very smart, but is not a big fan of english and games are really the best way to get him to speak to me. We´ve played Monopoly, Go Fish, and War. Another area we work on is counting 1-20. I will be posting a video of this when I arrive back to the states. Alex and I did our usual lesson of reading, card games, etc. Somehow at the end of his lesson he convinced me to play badmitten. Alex has always been a great help to me as the older sibling and I thought it was a nice reward and agreed. I know we both had a lot of fun ( Alex won 2 games out of 3).
Alex and Alvaro decided to put on a mini concert for Mayte, Tito, and me this evening. It was absolutely adorable. The two boys created tickets for us and we each had to pay 1 euro to enter and see their performance. It was two spanish songs and one Jonas Brothers´song. I couldn´t stop smiling they were so focused and professional. Even Tito and Mayte couldn´t stop laughing at the dance moves and how they acted like rock stars. It was a lovely evening just the five of us spending time together.
Alex and Alvaro's Concert- Jonas Brothers Song
Alex and Alvaro's Concert- Spanish song
Thursday, April 2
I took two days off from going into Madrid, but today I wanted to go back to Retiro Park. I know my time is coming to an end and there are certain places that I want to visit one last time before my departure. The weather was in the high 60´s again and there were many people walking around the park grounds. It was a great day and I enjoyed watching all the people and even had my lunch there.
After my last english lessons with the boys, the five of us went out to dinner. It was the first time we had done this since I arrived. Mayte and Tito explained that they wanted to go out in my honor and I was truly touched. We went to a restaurant right in town and when we entered I saw them hanging from the ceiling. There were pigs legs, at least 20 of them. I of course gasped and started taking pictures. Mayte was laughing at me and surprised I was so taken aback by this sight. She explained that it is really common in restaurants and in supermarkets for the legs to be hanging up or on display. Again, I think I am just shocked by the hoof.
We had typical spanish food: jamon(the meat from the pig´s leg), calamares, croquettes, etc. It was another nice evening for the five of us. think we had dinner around 9:30 and when we left at 11pm people were still coming in for dinner. It is quite common to eat dinner much later here. I´ve been eating lunch around 3pm these days.
Top-My "family", Middle-the house I lived in, Bottom- The boys-Alvaro and Alex
Friday, April 3
The boys had off from school today. It is officially their vacation and tomorrow they will leave for Granada. Mayte took us all out for lunch in order for me to have some paella. Paella is a saffron flavored dish made with rice, vegetables, seafood, and meats. Unfortunately the menu for the day didn´t include Paella. Mayte was disappointed, but I told her not to worry about it since I would be going into Madrid the next couple of days and could get some there. Regardless, Mayte, Alex, Alvaro, and I enjoyed a nice afternoon together.
At 5pm the four of us jumped into the car and drove a short distance to drop the boys off at a birthday party. This gave Mayte and I some alone time together. She took me to Xanadu (shopping mall)because she had wanted to pick up some things before her trip. Again, it was a great chance for us to just chat and spend time with one another without anyone else.
Our final evening together, the five of us did exactly the same thing we did on the Friday that I arrived (March 6th).....we watched (per my request) High School Musical 3 and had dinner in front of the tv. It was very fitting and we all couldn´t help but sing along with the movie (well, maybe Tito could help it). For me, it really was the perfect ending with my new family. They had prepared some farewell presents for me, and I for them. We exchanged our meaningful gifts with one another and said our so longs. Mayte mentioned that she may even come and visit me with Alex this September. It was truly a special night.... ¨A NIGHT TO REMEMBER¨
Saturday, April 4
After all the excitement of the last couple of days, I decided to be lazy this morning. I took it easy and didn´t do anything special. I had some paella for lunch, watched some movies, and started to pack.
Sunday, April 5
I met up with my sister´s friend Judith again. Today I was going to show her some of my favorite spots in central Madrid. We started off with El Rastro, the enormous flea market. I guess because it is officially Holy Week here and it was the first Sunday of the month, El Rastro was insane. There were hoards of people and it was impossible to move around. There were multiple traffic jams throughout the hour we were there. It was a bit chaotic and so we bought what we wanted and left. The next place I had to take Judith was to my favorite pastry shop. We induldged in a napolitana de chocolate. I also took her to Plaza Mayor, Santa Ana, and Puerta del Sol. She had already been to Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor, but they are must see places all of the time. We sat down for lunch around 2pm to beat the 3pm crowd. I finally had some great paella and the restaurant was near all of the people walking in and out of Plaza Mayor. It was a lovely afternoon.
I know I have spoken a lot of Plaza Mayor, and this is because it is full of life, tourists, restaurants, street artists/perfomers, and locals. There are 9 separate arcaded entrances into the recatangular open area. It is surrounded by buildings with terraces and is open to the public. I really loved spending time in Plaza Mayor.
The boys had off from school today. It is officially their vacation and tomorrow they will leave for Granada. Mayte took us all out for lunch in order for me to have some paella. Paella is a saffron flavored dish made with rice, vegetables, seafood, and meats. Unfortunately the menu for the day didn´t include Paella. Mayte was disappointed, but I told her not to worry about it since I would be going into Madrid the next couple of days and could get some there. Regardless, Mayte, Alex, Alvaro, and I enjoyed a nice afternoon together.
At 5pm the four of us jumped into the car and drove a short distance to drop the boys off at a birthday party. This gave Mayte and I some alone time together. She took me to Xanadu (shopping mall)because she had wanted to pick up some things before her trip. Again, it was a great chance for us to just chat and spend time with one another without anyone else.
Our final evening together, the five of us did exactly the same thing we did on the Friday that I arrived (March 6th).....we watched (per my request) High School Musical 3 and had dinner in front of the tv. It was very fitting and we all couldn´t help but sing along with the movie (well, maybe Tito could help it). For me, it really was the perfect ending with my new family. They had prepared some farewell presents for me, and I for them. We exchanged our meaningful gifts with one another and said our so longs. Mayte mentioned that she may even come and visit me with Alex this September. It was truly a special night.... ¨A NIGHT TO REMEMBER¨
Saturday, April 4
After all the excitement of the last couple of days, I decided to be lazy this morning. I took it easy and didn´t do anything special. I had some paella for lunch, watched some movies, and started to pack.
Sunday, April 5
I met up with my sister´s friend Judith again. Today I was going to show her some of my favorite spots in central Madrid. We started off with El Rastro, the enormous flea market. I guess because it is officially Holy Week here and it was the first Sunday of the month, El Rastro was insane. There were hoards of people and it was impossible to move around. There were multiple traffic jams throughout the hour we were there. It was a bit chaotic and so we bought what we wanted and left. The next place I had to take Judith was to my favorite pastry shop. We induldged in a napolitana de chocolate. I also took her to Plaza Mayor, Santa Ana, and Puerta del Sol. She had already been to Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor, but they are must see places all of the time. We sat down for lunch around 2pm to beat the 3pm crowd. I finally had some great paella and the restaurant was near all of the people walking in and out of Plaza Mayor. It was a lovely afternoon.
I know I have spoken a lot of Plaza Mayor, and this is because it is full of life, tourists, restaurants, street artists/perfomers, and locals. There are 9 separate arcaded entrances into the recatangular open area. It is surrounded by buildings with terraces and is open to the public. I really loved spending time in Plaza Mayor.
Top-Napolitanas de Chocolate, Middle-El Rastro, Bottom-Judith and I outside Plaza Mayor
Monday, April 6
Today was my last full day in Madrid. I made sure to stop by all my favorite places and see all the things that I have loved about this fantastic city. I can´t say enough about how wonderful of a time I had here. I plan on coming back some day as I know there is so much more to see. Hasta Luego, España!
Tuesday, April 7
I am typing this entry from the airport. I am headed home now and will be in River Edge for a very short period of time. Just enough time to unpack, do the laundry, and pack up again. Until the next trip...
Today was my last full day in Madrid. I made sure to stop by all my favorite places and see all the things that I have loved about this fantastic city. I can´t say enough about how wonderful of a time I had here. I plan on coming back some day as I know there is so much more to see. Hasta Luego, España!
Tuesday, April 7
I am typing this entry from the airport. I am headed home now and will be in River Edge for a very short period of time. Just enough time to unpack, do the laundry, and pack up again. Until the next trip...
posted by KMF @ 7:17 AM
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