Blogs from Madrid, District of Madrid, Spain, Europe - page 97

I arrived in Madrid on Sunday January 27, 2008 at 10am. After flying for nearly 8 hours, I was glad to be back on the ground. In Madrid, we met as a group and got to know each other and our ISA directors. We also toured the city and visted the Museo Reina Sofia, where we saw work from Picasso and Salvador Dali, and the royal palace, Palacio Real. I also had my first experience with the famous Spanish dish, Paella. Paella consists of a mixture of Spanish rice, clams, shrimp, chicken, crawfish, beef, pork, muscles, rabbit, octupus, okra, beans, spices, and other meats and vegetables. To be such a melting pot of tastes, it is actually a very tasty and filling meal. The city of Madrid is a massive, modern place with and old world ... read more

I would like to prompt my first blog with a warning that it is the product of a drunken rant at about 730 am and edited in my hungover state sometime thereafter... It is weird to say that in the days before I left for Madrid it almost seemed surreal to me, but that was entirely the case. Often times friends and family would question whether or not I was excited or prepared for the upcoming semester in Spain; my final semester of my undergraduate degree; and I was not even sure of that fact myself. Needless to say, Chris and I somehow got our act together, and in a week that consisted of last-minute-shopping, insurance companies unwilling to comply with abroad requests, parents, and just overall stress in general, we found ourselves on a plane ... read more

Madridissa piti olla vaihtoaikaa 4,5 tuntia. Oli tunnin vähemmän, kun lento lähti tunnin myöhässä Vantaalta lumipyryn takia. Madridin kentällä siirryttiin terminaalista toiseen automaattisella junalla. Jututin samalle lennolle lähteviä työmiehiä, jotka olivat menossa työmatkalle Botnian tehtaille. Kentällä ostin kaupasta vain vettä - viiniähän sai riittävästi lentokoneessa. Lentoa odottaessani minulle tuli sellainen fiilis, että lentäminen ja lentokentät eivät ole vielä varsinaista matkailua - ne ovat vain siirtymistä nopeasti ja ahtaasti paikasta toiseen. Varsinainen matkakokemus alkaa, kun astuu terminaalista ulos. Menin viimeisten joukossa koneeseen, eikä virkailija ollut ensin hyväksyä Suomessa tulostamaani check in -varausta, vaikka siinä näkyi selkeästi paikkani 30L. Kun pääsin paikalle, vierustoveri totesi heti espanjaksi: 'Usted viaja solo?' Hän ehdotti että vaihtaisimm... read more

We´re back, and checked into the first place we wanted to stay (but didn´t). This place, Cat´s Hostal, has free internet, but no USB so no pictures (SORRY!) maybe later tonight. Yesterday we went to see the Modern Art of spain, and saw Pablo´s masterpeice Guernica. The painting seethed and seemed to scream, and there´s no place to rest your eyes. There was also Dali. We stayed at a wonderful hostel run by an elderly couple but right now it´s off to lunch. Caio! ... read more

España is lovely! Yesterday we tromped through the streets and found a place to stay, clean and affordable. First, we slept. Then we ate, and slept some more. So far our favorite restaurants have names like ¨"Museum of Ham" and "Paradise of Ham". Standing at the bar, you can have a dollar half pint of beer with a free tapas of sausage and bread. We splurged on a plate of Iberico ham, delicious. Today we went to the old Royal Palace and jardines de real retiero (a big park). ... read more