It's so hectic! You never have time to stop, eat, or sleep!
It's been super fun & classes are great. So much happens that it's hard to write a detailed post reflecting on the week, so I'm going to try to post more often; I've just REALLY been taking advantage of this siesta thing when I can since you don't really sleep at night. I guess that's what happens in a culture that you eat lunch at 2 and dinner at 10/11 PM.
Last week we did a bunch. Notably, we went to intercambio again and brought a large group of people to 100 Montaditos - I very much recommend! It's very cheap and DELICIOUS. On Wednesdays, una jarra de cerveza is only 1 euro and all the montaditos likewise are a euro, so it's a great deal. Montaditos are small bocadillos, which are sandwiches and are basically the food of choice here. Everything has an unbelievable amount of carbs here. We try to balance it with protein, but it can be quite tough!
Thursday we went to the famous Madrid club - Kapital - ^
It was UNreal. So much fun! We literally didn't get home til the sun was rising, which is actually more common than you think in Spain.
I went to the famous Museo Del Prado on Friday. There's SO MUCH ART there & botanical gardens. El Greco, Velasquez, and the likes have many a painting there.
Javi and I went to Mallorca this last weekend as well! We left on train to Valencia for ~1:30, then took a ferry that stopped at Ibiza on the way to Mallorca - it was 10 hours long! Baeleria was the cruise name & yes, it was a cruise it turned out more than a ferry! And the Friday we went, they had bands playing on the terrace of the ship, so there was basically a party until arrival at 8 AM in Mallorca. Javi and I slept through most of this party after our crazy Kapital Thursday!
We then took an old style train to a tram to Puerto de Soller. It was nice because it is basically a tourist attraction and a cheap way to get around Mallorca. Mallorca is a MAJOR tourist attraction for, randomly, Germans. The people who work there speak Spanish, German & English at most places.
Where we stayed was unbelievably beautiful. A video will be up soon.
We PASSED OUT on the beach for ~4 hours, and I ended up with half of my body and face sunburnt since I slept on my side! Then we put the vibrams on and walked along a cliff trail to what ended up being the spot for local youth. They were sitting in circles on the cliff and jumping in the water and swimming with their pups. Javi and I sat out there for an hour or so, and when a group left, we jumped in the water from where they'd been sitting. It's quite cold there!
We went to a delicious restaurant for dinner, and enjoyed sangria during the Germany game.
The next morning we went back on our way to Madrid.
Some lessons learned this week:
- If it feels right, say you're from the UK because in some situations, it may work to your advantage in case a person doesn't like Americans much -- example: taxi drivers, club promoters
- Speaking of club promoters! To drink for free and have a fun bar hopping experience. Walk around Madrid just about any time after 9, although 11-1 are prime times. Club promoters are EVERYWHERE with get free entrance and free drinks/shots at that time. Walk in, have a drink, enjoy the atmosphere, leave, go with the next club promoter with a flier that says free drinks. (SOME don't have free drinks, but most do)
- 100 montaditos is the BOMB
- When you go to El Tigre and get Sangria, ask for it WITHOUT sugar.
- When in the metro, and on all escalators, stand on the right side, walk down on the left. DO NOT STAND ON THE LEFT SIDE.
- Don't call people señor or señora & don't use "usted" in Spain unless the person is very old or unless you want there to be a distance (like sometimes waiters and such)
- People stare A LOT and it's normal- especially on the metro
- Get a piccell phone if you can
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