It’s already been a month since I left America and this week I’ll be starting my third week of Spanish classes. It’s crazy to think about how fast time has gone by and all the things I still have left to do. I guess you could say I’m settled into my new routine here in Madrid. My schedule is pretty packed which is definitely a change from Geneva. In the mornings I help get the kids ready for school and try to make sure we’re out the door on time so I’m not late for classes. I have 4 hours of Spanish lessons Monday through Friday, well it’s more like 3 since we don’t always start on time and have a 30 minute break for coffee. About halfway through class it's definitely necessary. After class I have a few hours before I need to get the kids from school so I usually workout or go to a coffee shop and study. Almost every day the kids have a different activity which keeps them pretty busy. The majority of the time I’ve been staying home with the youngest spending the afternoons playing trains, having dance parties and practicing for the next American Idol (I’m often requested to sing Katy Perry “Roar” while giving him a bath). By then it’s time for the kids to eat dinner and get ready for bed. Once they’re in bed I usually make dinner and sit down to finish my homework. After homework it’s usually 10 or 11 at night and it’s time to get a good nights rest so I have energy to do it all again the next day. :) The weekends are obviously a little bit different as I have some free time to explore the city. Last weekend I had my first tapas experience in Madrid with a couple friends from class. I think I could definitely get use to the free food that comes when you order drinks. We spent over 4 hours in the bar chatting and just enjoying good food and good company. On Sunday I spent the day with the family at Abuela’s (Grandma) house for their traditional Sunday lunch. It was my second time joining them and it was cool to see how much more Spanish I understood just after a week of class. I’m looking forward to seeing how much more I understand after 18 weeks! This weekend I was able to meet up with some friends on Friday night for a drink and on Sunday for some city exploring. I checked El Rastro Mercado off my list and although it’s not something I see myself doing again in the future, it’s something I’m glad I was able to see. The streets of the Latina zone fill with vendors selling antiques, jewelry, clothing and second hand goods. Personally, I think you’d have to sift through quite a lot of junk before you found something of interest but it was worth the trip as it is probably the largest market of it’s kind. Classes start again tomorrow and although it’s been tough and mentally exhausting I look forward to it every morning. I’ve got to say it’s nice to be back in school, especially next to people who are motivated to be there. This has obviously been a much different challenge than playing professional sports but I have enjoyed the experience so far and am looking forward to all the memories that are to come. Which is apparently a lot since according to the children, I’m not allowed to leave until I get married. And even then it’s debatable since they have an extra room. ;) A few things that “Spanish Alyssa” likes to do. . .Number one is definitely drink coffee. The longer I’ve been over in Europe the more that has moved up on my list. I’m not quite sure why it’s so much better over here but I’m definitely not looking for a Starbucks when I’m over here (even though I don’t really drink Starbucks in America). Next up, probably eating tortillas. And no this isn’t what you would think of. A tortilla, or a tortilla española, is like an omelet but much thicker. It contains eggs, potatoes and sometimes other vegetables and is served a little like a pie.
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The joys of being so centrally located in Spain’s capital is that most cities are just a hop, skip and a jump away. So with my first official free weekend I decided to head to Salamanca, just 2 hours east of Madrid and home to the oldest University in Spain. Also the second oldest in Europe. Other than the University, some old buildings and a plaza lined with coffee shops there wasn’t much else to see. I covered the main sights (a couple times really) and then settled in a cafe for a heart warming cup of joe (my phone just about died it was so cold). Since I had the center down like the back of my hand I decided to wander around the outskirts before heading to meet my ride. I’m sure most everyone is familiar with my penny pinching ways by now but just as a refresher…I am all about deals. Blabla car was not only half the price of a bus or train but it was a great way to practice my Spanish. I haven’t started school yet (tomorrow!) but the family has been helping me learn and I’ve been doing my best to practice on my own with Duolingo (although the Mom has said it’s not the best Spanish, it’s free and helps me with my vocabulary and verb conjugations). My grammar was probably horrendous, but it was pretty cool when the other passenger and I figured out that we both spent New Years in Lanzarote! Qué casualidad (what a coincidence)! So after a bit a travel I’m revitalized and ready to start my first week of Spanish classes. Not sure what’s next on my travel agenda but until then! Hasta luego! Lessons so far in Spain. . .Breakfast is not the most important meal of the day…most Spaniards start the day with a quick coffee and maybe some bread.
I can’t believe it’s not butter!…seeing someone put olive oil on their toast was a little weird at first but I’ve officially converted to the Spanish way. And when it comes with fresh tomato spread? Keep it coming! Now about getting 6-11 servings of grain a day…instead of using a knife to help scoop food onto your fork (which would be considered good manners in America) they push with a piece of bread. The early bird doesn’t get the worm…for me being a morning person has faired well with helping the kids get ready for school but waiting to eat dinner until 9 or 10 pm at night…definitely taken some getting use to. Buen dia de Madrid! I’ve been gone about a week and a half but am just now getting settled into my new home for the next 6 months. I was lucky enough to spend the first week on vacation with the family in the Canary Islands. But boy was it a struggle trying to get there! It began with what I thought would only be an hour delay out of Santa Ana and ended 55 hours later in Lanzarote. I’ll try and sum it up as best as I can but let’s just say my assumption that Dallas would be a good connecting city was far from the truth. We sat at the gate in Santa Ana for 3 hours and I spent at least half of that time on the phone trying to get a new flight so I could make my connection in Madrid to Lanzarote. My new flight included a stop in London but I was just glad to be getting to Madrid in time for a good nights rest. One thing I learned from this trip…don’t count your chickens before they hatch. About 25 minutes out from Dallas the pilot announced we would be landing in Tulsa. And after landing they announced no more flights would be going out for the night. Time to check into my hotel in Tulsa! After a brief nights rest I headed back to the airport for my flight to Dallas. My new itinerary took me from Tulsa to Dallas to Miami to Madrid with 3 hours to catch my flight to Lanzarote. If I could even get out of Tulsa…3 hours later I had missed my connection in Dallas and had accepted the fact that I would no longer be going to the Canary Islands. The family graciously offered to change my flight to the 1st so I could still join them for vacation. Of course after that decision everything progressed as it should have. I made my flight to Miami and just barely made my flight to Madrid (like last person on the plane, closed the doors behind me barely made it). Finally after arriving in Madrid I was relieved to be able to head to a real bed and rest for a few days. Now don’t forget about those chickens...I would be on a flight out that night to Lanzarote arriving at midnight. Oy vey! The travel day that didn't end. And the final twist...they had no idea where my luggage was. Long story short on my luggage…I spent all but one day in Lanzarote wearing the same clothes. My decision to wear comfortable clothes for the plane didn’t work out so well when I was on a beach in 70 degree weather. Now onto some highlights of Lanzarote. I wasn’t expecting to do much with such young children but to my surprise, I saw quite a lot! I ate octopus and clams by El Largo Verde (Green Lagoon), discovered my love of mojo (typical sauces served with Canary cuisine) in Puerto Calero, got a panoramic view of the island’s volcanoes at Timanfaya National Park, built sand castles at Playa Blanca, explored tide pools in Caleta de Famara (apparently a popular surfer destination in Europe), and even took a ferry over to Isla Graciosa (translates to funny island) for a jeep excursion to Playa de las Conchas. And when we weren’t out exploring I was plenty busy at the hotel with the kids. It was quite a vacation and I’m very thankful things ultimately worked out and I was able to be included in their holidays. Now for my first official day in Madrid. Why not keep the festivities rolling...Día de los Reyes Magos! Or Three Kings Day. Up until about 20 years ago Spain didn’t really celebrate the 25th of December so January 6th is basically their Christmas. The night before we set out some Turrón (like cookies for Santa) for the three wise men, filled up a bowl with water and another with vegetables (for the camels), and put our shoes out before going to bed (which not to mention was nearly impossible with the kids being so excited and nervous). The next morning we lined up in front of the family room door (from shortest to tallest) as the children impatiently waited to see if they had any presents. The second they opened the door…madness. We played with their new toys the rest of the morning and I was even lucky enough to have a few things left for me by the three wise men (Thanks Barbara y Manuel!). That night we had Rascón (another Día de los Reyes tradition) with the kid’s grandparents and opened even more presents. I guess the three wise men leave presents for the kids all around the city.
I couldn't be happier that I decided to come out around the holidays and get to experience some new traditions. From eating grapes at midnight in Lanzarote to searching for the prize inside the Rascón I can definitely say it’s been a good start to the new year. ¡Feliz Año Nuevo a todos! |
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