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.