España dos

I would have to say that the night life was our favorite part of the trip. Like I mentioned before, the schedule is a little different than what we're used to so staying up late is something we do well as college students. It was an objective to try as many different foods and beverages while we were out. I tried multiple Spanish brewed beers such as Mahou and Cruzcampo and I can't forget about the sangria! We heard about this place that is a must when visiting Madrid called El-Tigre. Basically, you pay 5 euro for a beverage and you get plates upon plates of free tapas. Talk about a good deal! and the atmosphere was a lot of fun too. We managed to do a bar crawl one evening and would try the specialty drinks at each place. One shot that I won't forget is called the Chuck Norris Roundhouse kick to the face. This involved, jager, whiskey, vodka and tobasco sauce. Suprisingly it wasn't that bad....

Halfway through the trip, we decided one evening to take a trip to another city for a quick visit. The next morning we hop on a train and head for Valencia. This city is known for its beaches and we got the opportunity to sit on one and dip our feet in the Mediterranean.

We didn't get the chance to the visit Aquarium due to lack of time which was very disappointing. This Aquarium is the 2nd largest in the world (Atlanta, Georgia being the first) and a majority of it is outdoors! Bugga. Aside from that we managed to do a lot of site seeing including the City of arts and sciences, Colosseum Valencia, and Torres de Serranos, which were the official gates to the city.

We traveled back to Madrid to spend our last few days and had a really great time visiting the royal palace of Mardrid. We weren't allowed to take photos in the palace but we snuck a few in very discretely =p This palace was just incredible! Every room was so overwhelming with the amount of intricate details put into them. Later that evening we went to the Prado which is one of the most famous art museums in the world. We only went from 6-8 because it was free and that was definitely not enough time. It was so neat seeing a lot of the works that I've been studying in my classes at school, brownie points for me with my professors! =)

I plan to write a few more entries focusing more on certain topics but I just wanted to give a broad over view of my trip. It's been a crazy fun time and I just want to thank Jordan for hosting and helping us make it through the week with his Spanish speaking skills. Cheers guys.

El-Tigre

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A fiesta in Madrid

Hola! So the Spain trip was a great success and I am already missing it.

Right off the bat of entering Madrid, we did not waste any time in exploring the city. Upon our arrival, we managed to catch the end of the Rastro Market, which is held every Sunday. A number of streets are closed down and filled with vendors and it was a perfect day for it. They seemed to have everything imaginable for purchase but I only got a pair of sunglasses which were much needed.

On a side note, we picked a good time to visit Spain because it was their 'Carnaval' season. Carnaval is a long span of festivites celebtrated before Lent. The main event is a  huge parade along the Paseo de la Castellana. There are things such as 'old time' fancy dress competitions and an evening concert in the Plaza Mayor. The end of Carnaval on Ash Wednesday brings on the traditional 'Burial of the Sardine' parade, with the participants all dressed in black carrying a cardboard sardine in a coffin which is theatrically and mournfully buried at the Fuente de los Pajaritos, marking the beginning of the fasting and reflection associated with Lent.

Throughout the first couple of days, we did a lot of exploring such as walking and enjoying siesta in Madrid's most popular park, Retiro Park. We also took pleasure in seeing the Palacio de Cristal (Crystal Palace), the Royal Botanical Gardens and just being baffled by all of the cool, old buildings. What I love most about this city was the cleanliness and beauty of all the architecture.

On the other hand, I can't say that I disliked the food. I'd say most of my money was spent on cerveza (beer) and food. Prior to the trip, I had talked to Jordan who is living in Madrid and he was informing me on the difference between Spain's time schedule compared to ours in the U.S. For example, breakfast is eaten at its normal time, but lunch is held around 3ish and dinner is around 10 or 11pm. In between meals it is common to eat 'tapas', which are small appetizer-like foods. This did take some getting used to considering our normal lunch time is during their siesta ( kind of like a long lunch break where one often leaves work to relax or nap. The lifestyle just seemed much more breath easy and time doesn't seem to be an issue.

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Rumbo a España

capital

Hola, buen dia para usted (I think that's right =p). So for my spring break, a couple of friends and I decided that we are going to visit my best friend Jordan in Spain. He is currently living in Madrid with a family where upon he is tutoring them in English.. As a college graduate, it is really cool for him to have this opportunity. Not only will he be getting a true cultural experience but at the same time he will be educating others of our American culture, and giving a better light towards our society that can often be looked down upon.
 I can't begin to describe my excitement to travel again. As always, I am going in with an open mind and not really having an agenda, but for the little time I am there, I want to see as much as I can. From the plazas to the castles and museums, I just cannot wait. My Spanish speaking skills are not the greatest, but I always manage to get by. Basically, I just need to know how to order food...and beer=p
I'll be sure to post updates on my adventures and most definitely pictures.
What a great way to start off the Spring season! Cheers everyone!

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