It is much nicer than I expected, which goes for the entire house. From what I can tell, it is a relatively big and luxurious house for the city, with 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, and finely decorated expansive living and dining rooms.
This is the view from my window: lots of houses! When I first arrived, I asked my host mom if they were all apartments, but she quickly corrected me and said they are all casas (houses). They are stacked like apartments, but she seems too proud of such prime real estate to call it an apartment. Which is most definitely true; the complex is sandwiched between the famous Royal Palace and a beautiful park.
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| Park with Cervantes Monument in the Background |
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| El Palacio Real |
It’s amazing how quickly I have become familiar with the winding streets and extensive Metro, and since we walk pretty much everywhere, I’ve developed a very good sense of direction. The Metro is super easy to use and is much cleaner than most I’ve seen. Plus, all the walls are brightly painted, so it makes for an enjoyable experience. Mostly, though, I walk to wherever I want to go because it is easy, cheap, and allows me to run into little interesting shops, parks, and restaurants, which populate just about every street. Luckily, my homestay is fairly close to La Puerta del Sol a.ka. the “Soul” of Madrid because all streets and Metro lines spread from the giant plaza that always seems to be full of life. I have yet to see Sol without hundreds of people passing along the streets, and I’m pretty sure the number peaks in the thousands around 2 a.m. since everyone and their mom (and kids, and uncles, and dogs) are out drinking, eating, dancing, and enjoying each other’s company into the wee hours of the night. It amazes me seeing elderly couples and little children running around at 1:00 in the morning; that’s past MY bedtime in the U.S.!
The Spanish schedule has definitely taken some getting used to: they wake up and have a very light breakfast, usually coffee and toast, before they head to work at 9:00. Then, the work straight through until siesta time around 2:30 when the city essentially shuts down for lunch, which is the biggest and most satisfying meal of the day. I’m usually starving by 12, so it’s a long haul until we actually eat lunch, but when we do, it’s quite a production! The meal is huge: at least 2 full plates of meat, vegetables, and of course, mucho pan (a whole lot of bread). French bread is served with every meal, and between the 3 of us at lunch, we go through almost an entire loaf! My host mom always tries to feed us more, putting extra bread on our plate and telling us to take 2 of everything. And it doesn’t stop there; the meal isn’t complete without fruit and dessert. Although most stores close during the afternoon siesta, the time is spent eating and relaxing with friends rather than napping. But, to keep up with them, I’ve definitely been taking advantage of the free time to sleep. Yesterday, after a long day trip walking the hill-filled city of Toledo, I napped for 4 hours (!) and woke up just in time for dinner. After siesta, most businesses resume until 8:30 or 9:00, when it’s time for dinner. Dinner is a much smaller meal, usually small plates and drinks, called tapas y copas, which are followed by more drinks, followed by more drinks, and the night goes on… drinking, dancing, and filling the streets until 4 or 5 in the morning. (I’ve heard it can be even later, but I’ve yet to stay out that late myself). I don’t understand how everyone functions on such little sleep, but somehow they are always full of energy!
Madrid is a remarkably unique and fantastic city. My guidebook says it perfectly: “Madrid is a rebellious ex-convent schoolgirl who grew up, got sophisticated but never forgot how to have a good time.” The deep tradition and conservative history drastically contrasts the wild nightlife and posh modern style. It’s a little bit of everything at once, and the final product, although unexpected and contradictory, is a beautiful thing. Madrileños know how to do things right!
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