Arriving in Madrid was the end of all of our anticipation towards this trip, the end of all the unknowns of whether this we would actually be able to 'make this work' ... but very much the beginning of a brand new chapter of our lives.
After flying into Madrid, we took their Metro system towards our hotel. This would take about an hour of travel time, and we were literally underground the entire time. When we finally surfaced from the Metro station and false lighting, we found ourselves standing in the heart of Madrid, Puerta del Sol (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerta_del_Sol). All of sudden ... we were in Spain! All of this was real. I don't think either of us will ever forget the feeling of actually realizing all of this ... the travel, the trip, the changes we have made in our lives, was real ... until taking the elevator up from the Metro and we were standing in the middle of the busiest plaza in Madrid (think Times Square in NYC, without the skyscrapers).
Our first week in Madrid was a blur. While we had both been to Madrid before, this was first time to experience it together. We made sure to revisit all of the top tourist sites, however, saving adequate time to experience it like a Madrileño (a person of Madrid). I would say the majority of our time was spent in tapas bars. We were welcomed by a friend, Antonio Yebenes, which was a friend of Todd's from when he studied abroad in Valencia in 2004. They had kept in touch and he made sure we enjoyed ourselves ... and stayed out very late.
We tired, but there was no excuses. We were going to play like a champion. We adjusted and would wake up early, visit the sights, only to take naps from 9pm - 10pm, so that we could be fully rested for our night out. As Ernest Hemingway wrote, "Madridleños do not go to sleep until they have killed the night". Needless to say, we would see a couple sunrises during this first week in Madrid. When in Rome.
Here are a couple pictures of our first week in Madrid:
Finally got Nancy to see the benefit of Chacos. She still complains that they aren't stylish.
Entrance to Palacio Royal -- home to the royal family of Spain for many years.
Sampling all of the amazing food in Spain. Here is gazpacho (cold, tomato-based raw vegetable soup) and their world-reknowned 'jamon iberica'. Spaniards are crazy about their 'jamon' (cured ham), there are even museums are devoted to it!
This statue of a bear nuzzling a madroño (strawberry tree) is the official symbol of Madrid. Here you can see Nancy giving it 'un besito' (a little kiss).
Walking to our hotel for the week. We made a big mistake in the placement of our hotel, since we had to walk past streets lined with shops. Nancy's weakness.
Churros con Chocolate at the Chocolatería de San Ginés. The perfect way to finish the night ... at 5am. Only in Spain would it be normal to have a coffee before going to bed.
Out in Madrid. Eating outside is nationally celebrated event. We loved all of the cafes that line the different neighborhoods of Madrid.
After leaving Atlanta the day before, this was our first moment where we felt like we had finally "arrived in Spain". We will never forget taking the elevator up from the Metro and arriving in Spain.
Nancy and I were able to keep in touch with our parent's through the "FaceTime" application on our iPad --- the future has arrived.
While in Madrid, we visited two art museums, El Prado and Reina Sofia. Above is a painting by Salvador Dali in the Reina Sofia. We are pretty sure he enjoyed mind-altering substances while painting.
Entrance to 'mercado de san miguel' in Madrid. This was an incredible, covered market featuring tapas, wines and desserts from all parts of Spain.
One round of tapas at the Mercado de San Miguel.
Our day trip to Segovia, Spain. The Roman aqueduct is stunning.
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| I think I ruined this picture, but you get the idea that Segovia was beautiful. |
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