Madrid!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone!!!! (This post just in English but more Spanish to come!)

We arrived last week in Madrid and are finally all settled in at our respective homestays!!! The highlight of the trip was that I did not have to pay the sixty extra euros for an overweight suitcase - thanks to stuffing clothes in friends' bags, and wearing two shirts, two sweaters and a jacket on the plane haha.

My Spanish "Madre" is AMAZING! She is sixty and has two kids, one in her mid-20s and the other in his early-30s who don't live with her. My first day, she showed me around the area and took me out for ice cream. We then returned home and I ate some of the best chicken I've ever had in my life. Every meal has been great (since I know some of you guys are foodies here are some things she's made for me: gazpacho, vichyssoise, eggs with capers, asparagus, and ham, toast with olive oil and sugar for breakfast, banana with honey for dessert, and lots of other good stuff) She's a fantastic cook (although of course nothin' beats your cooking Mom-if you're reading this!). Today, Sunday (we arrived last Monday), her daughter and her daughter's boyfriend came over for a big lunch. I had my first real Spanish Paella of the trip and it was ricisimo (delicious)!

The building and apartment are gorgeous. The elevator is identical to the one in the movie Matchstick, old fashioned and tiny with two glass doors that open and close. We are in an amazing neighborhood that is very high end and right next to the Retiro Park! (My "madre' told me that the King's sister lives somewhere along our street!!!!!)

My head sleeps right next to the window which looks out onto a tiny courtyard surrounded by the four walls of our building. Last week I woke up around 4:30am to the sounds of a man talking. I figured he was just awake talking to someone, but then after listening closer it sounded more like singing. I put my head out the window and to my hilarious surprise it was....a man snoring!!!!!!!!!! It was the funniest loudest snore I've ever heard, and was echoing across the courtyard and the walls of the building. It sounded like the following: singing singing singing / weird noises, and then....each time.... a BIG snort sound like pigs make. SO SO so so so so funny. I sat up in my bed just laughing. (And quickly fell back asleep...)

We start classes tomorrow!!! Our university, Carlos Tercero, is a newer campus just outside of Madrid in a suburb called Getafe. We met some other students who attend the school who have shown us around Madrid - and who also brought us to the most amazinggg sandwich place by campus (can anyone say manchego, avocado, tomato salsa, lettuce and mayo?!?!?....for only 3 euros!!!) We also went to one of their country houses this past Saturday and spent the day poolside in the rolling hills of Spain's countryside!


Madrid is known in Spain to be very fast paced in comparison to the rest of Spain. This adjective is quite comic however. In reality, the stores all close for siesta, and there seem to be more people out on the streets drinking cervezas than there seem to be inside! I love it. I was buying shampoo at the market and told the guy I was from NY. He said, "Ahhh!!! I hear it is so fast and so tense! Many people do not like it!" He continued to say Madrid is known to be very fast. I said it was nothing in comparison!

My list so far for Madrid....
-The people are extremely nice.
-The buses are confusing to figure out, but once you do they are great.
-The metro system is SO CLEAN.
-The buildings are precious.
-Fanta = Fantastic. I often "wanta fanta"
-It is stupid but sometimes in the metro system not only do you have to pass your ticket through when you enter, but when you leave as well! No idea why...
-EVERYTHING IN SPAIN has ham. They even have ham flavored chips!
-Oh and yeah! The people are really really nice.



That's all for now!!!
Besos!!!!
-Ana