Spencer's Semester Abroad: March 15th-March 18th (Madrid)

So far, I’ve been to seven countries during my brief time here in Europe. After seeing countless historical cities, I can tell you that Madrid is simply amazing. I’m not really sure what was the best part, the history, weather, food, architecture, mujeres, language, nightlife, sangria, or just how many people I knew in the city. Just to add, Spain has had by far the prettiest girls per capita than any other place I’ve been to. The lifestyle is so different than everywhere else I’ve been and it seems like the people move in slow motion. But after a long weekend, Madrid ties London as my two favorite cities abroad.

March 15^th

Chris and I left London midday. I took the day off work, slept in late and ran a few errands. When we left for the airport, the weather was beautiful. Figures that we leave London and the sun comes out. The flight to Madrid was pretty easy and I slept from the moment we took off until the wheels skidded against the Spanish soil. We landed around 8:30pm Madrid time and headed to our friend Rachel’s apartment, where the two of us were staying. Unlike other places, walking around the airport, I was thrilled that I could read the signs in Spanish. By the time we got outside the metro and finally hit los calles, I could tell you Madrid was already doing it for me. Not only was the weather perfect, but the streets were busy, the traffic was on the correct side of the street, and I could communicate people if need be.

We found Rachel’s pretty easily. It was really good to see her and the few other Wash U girls she lives with in Madrid. Chris and I put our stuff down, and while the girls napped before going out, Chris and I got a quick bite to eat at a restaurant close by. When we returned to the apartment, our friend Remy was also visiting for Wash U’s spring break. After some pre-gaming, we all went to a bar called El Tigre and met up with our friends Will, Drew, another pledge brother of ours named Adam, some of their friends, and a few more Wash U people. Since everyone in Spain is on a delayed schedule, we didn’t even start heading to the bar until 1AM or the clubs until around 2-2:30AM. Each of our nights ended around 6:30AM. Rachel and I got some Mojitos, which came with some delicious tapas. We also met up with some other friends Wash U guys, Jon, Jeff, and Mikey and two girls, Amanda and Lindsey. After catching up with everyone, we went to one of the famous 7 story clubs called Kapital. This place ended up being really cool, and each floor had a different theme/drink. By 4AM, I couldn’t stop yawning but my friends who were studying in Spain had no problem staying up this late. I ended up going to sleep around 6:30.

March 16^th

Today was one of the more productive days we’ve had in Europe. We woke up around noon to start exploring the city. We took the metro to the Puerta del Sol, which was this cool plaza in the middle of the city. We walked towards El Museo del Prado, which is one of the more famous museums in Madrid. Here, they have tons of really famous art from various artists including El Greco, Francisco de Goya, and Diego Velazquez. This museum was enormous and a bit overwhelming, but I really enjoyed walking through it and seeing some of the work I had studied in my Spanish classes over the years.

After that, we continued to walk throughout the city towards El Parque del Retiro. This is an enormous park that is full of plants, green spaces, statues, memorials, a pool with boating, stands, and other cool things. I really enjoyed this park, but I couldn’t believe how many people were there in the middle of a workday. We walked over to the Monument to Alfonso XII where we sat on the steps in the sun, overlooking the water. I can’t tell you how much I enjoyed the weather in Spain and just wearing a T-shirt around. At the steps, we met up with Drew’s friend from home, Charlie. Charlie, aka the Chazmanian Devil, ended up being a great asset. Since he had been studying in Spain, he was our acting tour guide and brought us, in an efficient route, through the rest of the city. We snaked through historical plazas, markets, and other cool areas until we ended up near the Palacio Real. The Palacio Real closed at 6PM, and since we were starting to get really hungry, we decided to stop quickly for some Tinto (A wine mixed with sprite) and some bocadillas. The food was awesome, but tiny. Not the best place for someone like me, who sustains himself on disgusting quantities of food that would be illegal in most countries. At this particular restaurant, you have to give your name and they give you the receipt to pick up your food. Upon telling them my name was Spencer, they spelled it “Espenser”. I love Spanish.

After our bite (literally, a bite), we went to take a tour of the Palacio Real. Unfortunately, the last tour was at 5PM, and we showed up at 5:08. No worries, we decided we’d come back tomorrow. We stopped by the front of the palace to snap a few pictures and see the Almudena Cathedral. After that, we walked the streets until we el Mercado de San Miguel. This reminded me of the many food markets in London, but was really cool to experience in yet another European country. After touring the market, we stumbled upon La Plaza Mayor, which is one of the more famous places in the city. In this square, there are dozens of performers who dress funny or perform for tips. There was one guy dressed as a baby, and he would cry and whine until you gave him money. This guy is the type of person who haunts your dreams. Talk about creepy; he looked like the child of the Joker from Batman and Beatle Juice.

After the Plaza Mayor, we walked through some more sites until we came upon Charlie’s favorite pastry shop. We all tried a few different Spanish desserts, including Torrijas, which is egg soaked bread, fried overnight and seasoned with Cinnamon. When we finished stuffing our faces, we walked outside and I saw a McDonald’s. Of course I stopped in to compare it to the other McDonald’s in each country. What can I say; I’m a growing boy. The fries were simply not as good. After this, we picked up some Cuban cigars and walked to these Egyptian ruins. The ruins are on a cliff overlooking the city and it’s a great place to watch the sunset. We sat down, lit up some stogies and soaked in the beautiful views around us. By the time the sunset, we hopped on the Metro back to Rachel’s for a power nap. We napped. That night, we went to a series of Tapas bars and tried all different types, including Chorizo, Jamón, Cod, Pollo, and a few more while also sampling some sangria and Spanish wine... so tasty! After that, we headed to another large club called Joy. In my opinion, this club wasn’t as cool as the first one, but it was still a fun and extremely late night.

March 17^th

Today is my half-birthday, twenty-one and a half, funny how time flies. In my honor, people across the world dress up in Green, drink a ton of Guinness, and celebrate in the streets. Chris and I started our day around 1 when we decided to take an English walking tour. This tour took us to most of the sites we saw the day before, but the tour guide walked us through the history and meaning behind each of the things, which made it a little more special. One of the highlights of the tour was stopping by the world’s oldest operating restaurant. Halfway through the tour, there was a break, so we left and met up with our friends. Teddy got in town today, so we met up with him too before walking around. We went back to the Palacio Real to get a tour of the inside. The Palacio Real is the largest palace in Western Europe. It has over 2,800 rooms. The tour only takes you through about 50 of the rooms, but I’m really glad we did because it was spectacular. Each room had its own theme and the most intricate details. After going inside the palace, we walked through the Royal Armory to see some of the weapons and armor that used to be used.

When we finished walking through the palace, we headed back to El Parque del Retiro to meet up with Adam, Jon, Jeff, and Mikey. The ten of us hung out on the steps, drinking some Sangria, eating some peanuts and taking in some sun. I can’t get over the lifestyle here. Everyone is so lazy and all they do is relax! Madrid is so different than London in everyway. After walking through the park, we went back to Rachel’s and napped. After our nap, we packed our stuff for the airport the next day, and left to meet the other guys at a restaurant. We all sat down and had a two-hour dinner. This was one of the favorite parts of my trip because it was so good to be with friends. One thing I’ve learned about touring Europe is that its no where you go or what you see, but who you go with. I’m glad I could have so many friends experiencing everything with me. After dinner, we again went out and returned to Kapital.

I had the best night. I ended up meeting a ton of people and having pretty extensive conversations in Spanish. My friends who were studying in Spain were surprised at how much I knew, so I have to give some props to all those Senoritas who attempted to correct my American accent in all of those Spanish classes over the years. Around 5AM, we all left the club to grab some late night food. We hung out awhile at a Kebab restaurant before saying goodbye to everyone. Teddy was headed back to Paris, Chris and I to London, Will and Drew to the States, and the other guys were staying in Spain. What a worldly crew!

March 18th

By the time we fell asleep, we were waking up an hour later to head to the airport. Early start to the day, but definitely worth the awesome weekend we just had. So glad I went but now I’m dreading that ever-looming research paper I need to write. Like the Spanish would say, I’ll get to it Mañana, Mañana. Ciao for now- Espenser (Imagine that in a silky smooth Spanish accent)

Plaza del Sol

We thought this was a palace until my friend told me it was a Post Office. Oops!

Mueso del Prado

Chris, Will, Drew and I

Museo del Prado

A Church next to el Museo del Prado

Parque del Retiro

Monument to Alfonso XII in el Parque del Retiro

Drew and I

Chris and I

Francisco de Goya outside of el Museo del Prado

Chris and Drew

Bacci ball in the park

Egyptian Ruins before sunset

Egyptian ruins before sunset

Top of the hill, near the Egyptian Ruins, before sunset

Palacio Real and the Almudena Cathedral

View of Madrid

Chris, Will, Drew, and I overlooking the city

Charlie, Drew, Will and I smoking some Cubans

Charlie, Drew, Will and I smoking some Cubans. Just ignore my hands in this one.

Spain's finest Bidet

Sunset

Sunset over the city

Egyptian Ruins after sunset

Imagine this old guy just flopping around in his little short shorts. Who doesn't love Europe??

The World's Oldest Operating Restuarant

Memorial for the 2nd Largest Terrorist Attack in Spain

A wedding at the Church

The wedding

Almudena Cathedral

Inside the Almudena Cathedral

The Organ Inside the Almudena Cathedral

Inside the Almudena Cathedral

Palacio Real

View from the Palacio Real

Palacio Real

Palacio Real with the Almudena Cathedral in the background

Front door of the Palacio Real

Inside the Palacio Real, I had to sneak pictures inside

Inside the Palacio Real

Teddy and Will

Teddy, Drew, Will, Chris, and I. We did this pose once at platform 9 and 3/4, so we started doing it all over Europe. You should see the looks we get from people as they pass by.