world in front of me
Madrid has been a great city so far.
Some notable things I’ve explored:
Parque del Retiro- This is a huge and beautiful park. We only got to stroll around a corner of it, but I got to see a pond of ducks, a large lake where people paddle boat, a crystal dome, and lovely nature surrounding us. Apparently the park is supposed to be crowded on Sundays since most shops and businesses are closed. Everyone migrates here to relax. Wish we had that in California.
Museo del Prado- The two-story museum is filled with what seems to be hundreds of paintings by different artists such as Goya or Velazquez. You’ll see an array of art from religious depictions to ancient sculptures. I did not know the Las Meninas painting by Velasquez was located here. Humcore was the only reason that I remembered this painting. As a result, I bought a print of it along with others.
Calle de Goya- I love love love this street. The apartments are certainly beautiful. Rows of shops line along this street. It’s also in the more expensive area to live in I believe. As for shopping, my favorites have been Springfield, Massimo Dutti, Lefties, Pull & Bear and Sfera. What’s funny is that in any shopping district, the stores will repeat. You’ll see like a Springfield on every block or something. It’s weird. I’m glad that they mainly have their Spanish brands instead of just US ones.
Mercado de San Miguel- Once you enter, you’re in a world of delightful cuisines. It offers high quality products and seasonal food. People walk around with glasses of wine trying different tapas. It gets fairly crowded as well. I really enjoyed their frozen yogurt. It was simply one of the best I’ve tried so far.
I’ve also come to realize that I’m kind of glad I did not choose Spain for my study abroad option. Madrid is amazing, but for some reason I think Scotland or the UK just fits me more. It’s not the language, but perhaps the lifestyle. I’m not much of a late night, party till 7am type of person nor do I partake in this need to drink. I feel that it’s just part of the culture here. I haven’t experimented with a range of Spanish foods beside tapas and this strange meal at a random restaurant at 11pm one night, but I feel like I would tire of them soon. There’s also this idea that the Spanish are very relaxed people, and I suppose that is true, which I’m the complete opposite of at times….However, Madrid is wonderful and has unique qualities of its own , so if you get the chance to visit, you should.
Anywho, I leave for London tomorrow! (Spain time) I need to start preparing soon. Hope you are all having a good break!
