Can one really ever have too much Turron or Marzipan?

This week has been crazy, and i can't believe tomorrow is already Thursday! I have been turning in final projects all week, and am hurriedly studying for finals that start Friday. For a quick break yesterday evening, i went down to Sol and looked at the amazing Christmas Light displays, and then walked over to see the Christmas market in the Plaza Mayor. I then finished my diversion by buying a few boxes of Turron and marzipan to bring home for Christmas. I am so excited to get through finals and get to see my family for Christmas.

The Royal Treatment

As everyone is finishing their final projects and studying for finals, including me, the day trip to the Palacio Real of Madrid was perfectly timed for a diversion. This past Friday, after presenting a movie about Celiac Disease at the first annual SUMC Film Festival headed by Dr. de la Fuente Marcos, i headed down to the center of the city, grabbed a coffee at Starbucks with my cheque gourmet, and met the small group in front of the Opera House that faces the Palace. Our guide was Prof. Angel whose hysterical side-notes to Spanish history made the impressive state rooms and furniture alive. He was an absolute encyclopedia, knowing almost everything about every room we saw in the palace. When we finished, he took us across the courtyard and through a small door to the royal armory. The armory was fantastic, with full suits of armor set-up, and a pleasure for even those of us who did not like jousting and war memorabilia. Every kind of armor was there from almost every era of Spanish royalty, everything from horse and dog armor, to armor for children. When the tour finished i crossed the courtyard to see the royal pharmacy. Great blue and white porcelain jars contained the herbs used for the royal family, some still with the original herbs inside. I spent the rest of the day doing the end of my Christmas shopping, later heading to El Corte Ingles Castellan for Mazapan de Soto and Turron for Christmas and some gluten free cookies for me.

The Blitz...

This last week and a half has been great, but at the same time I have 2 1/2 weeks of class left, with my finals shortly after. I have been preparing for finals and semester projects for the last few weeks, but now it´s crunch time. This last week my mom and aunt came to Madrid to see me. It was awesome having family in Madrid and going to their apartment every night to unwind, chat, and have dinner together. During their stay, we were able to see so much together- the main museums, Retiro Park, and even have dinner with my host family. Thursday morning, i went to a government building with the school to have my appointment for my residence visa. The appointment went smoothly after i had to leave to get better pictures with more white space from a booth down the street. The legal work done, I was able to go back to my mom and aunt´s apartment to spend the day with them.  Back in September, we had planned to spend a day in Segovia, but when we arrived at the train station to get our tickets, all of the trains were full until three hours later. We quickly changed our plans and hopped on a train for El Escorial, an enormous palace/monastery, about 1 1/2 hours from Madrid on the Cercanias commuter train. El Escorial was amazing, nestled in the mountains and filled with hundreds of rooms. We spent the entire afternoon there, amazed by the Basilica, royal crypt, and library, grabbed some food from a local market and hopped on the bus that drives passengers from the train station up the strenuous hill to the bus station within walking distance to El Escorial. We were planning on buying our tickets and having a late lunch on the platform while waiting for the next train, when we couldn´t understand the time tables and went to the attendant to ask for the next train to Madrid. He looks at us and taps on the glass that separates us, there was hung a paper stating that the next train to Madrid left at 5:15, we immediately looked at our watches- it was exactly 5:15. In a rush of English, Spanish, and exaggerated hand gestures, we asked if we could make the train and he immediately printed 3 tickets for us. We quickly exchanged the euros, ran through the turnstiles, up the stairs, and onto the platform where the train was blowing its warning whistle. My aunt and i were about to hop onto the train, when we turned to find that my mother was not with us. The stairs down to the station were empty, and the seconds we waited passed slowly, the whistle blew again and i quickly ran down the stairs to find that she had only just got through the turnstile, her ticket having been demagnetized. We quickly threw ourselves onto the train, just as the door closed, and the train started on the trek back to Madrid. We snacked on the train, arriving in Atocha that night. We quickly made our way to the Starbucks by the Reina Sofia, and made plans to go shopping and to see Retiro Park. The next day, i easily signed up for classes via MY SUFFOLK and spent the last day with my family shopping and chatting. The weekend was spent getting ready for final projects and finals...

Busy, Busy, Busy...My Family in Madrid

This past weekend went by quickly, but quite enjoyably. My mother and aunt came to Madrid to see me for a week and so, early Friday morning, i woke up, checked that their plane had landed and then headed off on the pink line to get them. It was wonderful to see them both again, though they were exhausted from their flight. We took the metro down to where they were staying and finally they were able to relax...until i got them out into the city for a walking tour. We later went to the market to pick up some essentials and snacks and came back the apartment to have a light dinner before they both went to bed. The next morning we headed out to see the National Library, Plaza de Colon, and the newly opened Archaeology Museum. We passed by the Madrid´s famous Alcala gate where MTV´s European Music Awards concerts were taking place, and ended up across from the Neptune fountain at Starbucks. I later brought them to the Thyssen-Bornemiszma museum and that night we took a walk around the Plaza Mayor, and crowded Sol, to see the city lit up at night. On Sunday, we headed out early to see the Rastro Market before the crowds became unbearable. The timing was perfect as we arrived at La Latina metro stop at 915, walked down the main street browsing, and then, around 945 walked back up the hill, knowing exactly what we wanted to purchase, and where the best prices were. We reached the top of the hill right when the market began to get too crowded, and, after the last few purchases, went back to the apartment. Sunday afternoon, as the clouds began to roll in, we went to the Sorolla Museum, which i have spoken of before, and spent the rest of the afternoon at El Corte Ingles Castellana. Last night we spent out, the wind becoming much cooler, browsing through shops around the Barrio de las Letras. I wholeheartedly recommend experiencing a new culture with friends or family...wandering alone may be enjoyable, but it is always better when there is someone to share  it with.

Halloween and Gluten Free Success

This weekend was the Halloween party orchestrated by student council. The time everyone had together was great and the costumes that many of the students created were amazing. Everyone from Cleopatra to the French Army to Superman was there. The party ended around midnight, most extremely reluctant to change into more accepted street attire. On Friday, i decided to get a jump-start on my impending due dates and final projects. I spent the entire day working besides a short trip with my host parents to buy food at El Corte Ingles. I had asked for Gluten Free cereal in the mornings as well as a few other things, which i was not too sure that El Corte Ingles would have. I had been to the department store in Sol many times before, only finding a few boxes of Gluten Free cookies, so i expected the same from El Corte Ingles Castellana. In the first few minutes of entering the store, i was entirely lost because of its massive size, but as we turned a corner (finally in the grocery section) I almost sat down and cried for sheer joy. Standing before me was an enormous aisle completely devoted to Gluten Free food. In the aisle was everything i had ever desired to have out of a Spanish bakery, cookies, cake, and even GF Turron was nearby. Not only was i able to get gluten free cereal, but also cookies and i will definitely go back every few weeks to try something new. Now to go back to that bothersome term paper...

There and Back Again...but much too quick

San Sebastian is one of the most beautiful seacoast cities in all of Europe...and also one of the furthest away from Madrid. Our group, ready to go on a weekend trip to San Sebastian, arrived slowly, each new arrival appearing with his suitcases out of the darkness to join the ever-increasing mass sitting under the streetlamp. About 830, we were all on our way, though the excitement soon gave way to utter exhaustion and the bus became quiet. After several breaks and hundreds of kilometers, the bus made its first stop, Biarritz an amazing French seaside town in the Basque region. The views were spectacular and the town was also quaint and still bustling even though the tourist season is ending. We then drove a bit longer until we reached the French mountain town of Epelette, which is known for its famous peppers, festooned on the facades of village houses to dry. That night, we finally arrived at San Sebastian, going to dinner in a restaurant with enormous cider barrels, and four courses of everything from salad with eels and anchovies, to grilled steak, to the famous local cider. That evening, most crashed at the hotel, tired from an entire day in the bus, ready to conquer San Sebastian beach and old town tomorrow. Around 10 the next morning, the group walked down the hill to the beaches below. Two mountains act as beacons guarding the harbor, and both were scaled that day, the first in a funicular the other by foot to the castle and statue above. The old town was centered around the town hall, formerly a casino on the beach, and filled with local bars famed for their regional tapas and cider. We were even able to see the Aquarium and then relaxed on the beach till the sun fell from view. At the hotel, many changed their day clothes in preparation for the clubs, but not me. I decided with three friends (around half past one in morning) to walk down to the beach with a blanket and to sit and talk because it was our final night there. The beach was entirely deserted when Chrissy, Soraya, Hieu, and me arrived at the beach and, the blanket laid out, we all took off our shoes and socks, rolled up our jeans and waded into the water. The only sound we could hear was the crashing of the waves and we all went back to the blanket to lie down, breathing the fresh sea air and relishing a weekend free from any responsibility. Around 3 am the wind picked up and it began to rain, so the four of us decided to head back to the hotel, excited about taking hot showers and sleeping until noon. The following day, we left the hotel, a bit mournful, and headed back towards Madrid, stopping at the medieval town of Burgos for lunch on the way. The rest of the trip back was quiet, many students anticipating the return to Madrid with excitement, but, for me, the trip back was quite saddening. San Sebastian and Southern France have such a magic about them, that it is hard not to regret leaving them so soon.

All in the Name of Adventure and Gluten Free Cookies

Midterms are officially over and the SUMC students have all participated in a collective sigh of relief. Now, to relax for the weekend before preparation for finals begins. Some went on trips to Lisbon or Paris, but not me. I decided the best activity, for me, would be to sleep-in and just chill for the weekend. But, as you know, i have an insatiable appetite for wandering that transcends any desire to relax and recuperate. So, Friday afternoon i took the Metro to Atocha, planning to walk around the museum district, but, instead, hopped onto a bus that i assumed was going to circuit around the city and leave me off at the Atocha Metro station. This way, i could wander the city without wearing myself out. But, as i am not blessed with the wisdom of being able to navigate the bus system of Madrid, i soon was lost, REALLY lost. But, even as the half hour journey turned to one and a half i stayed on the bus, believing it would go in a circuit and, in time, would drop me back at Atocha. Soon i was the only passenger left on the bus, in a neighborhood about an hour and half bus ride from Madrid proper. To make matters worse, the bus stopped and the driver turned around to tell me it was the end of the line. So, in a neighborhood far from the city, of which i had never been to before, and where there were no more Metros, i began to walk, and walk, and walk....until i found a bus that was heading towards the Madrid Opera House that would allow me to take the Metro home. So, today, i decided, that i would stay around the apartment and relax, but, yet again, i had to get out and do something. So, i went to Carrefour’s, only a few Metro stops away, and bought some Gluten Free Cookies and other munchies to get me through the week. But, there was this lively street with Tapas goers that i just had to walk down, and yes, you guessed it, i got lost...again. I found my way home after a few hours of taking wrong streets, and settled down to eat my munchies while video chatting with my Mother. It was quite the weekend, even with two mishaps in a row, but Madrid is a very interesting city so even when you are completely, honestly, lost, it´s almost like you´re still pleasantly, purposefully, wandering.

Midweek Break from the Midterm Grind

So this Tuesday was Dia de la Hispanidad, a Spanish version of the American Columbus Day, and so the entire weekend before was an enormous festival celebrating Hispanic culture. So, on Di de la Hispanidad, we were released from the Midterm grind and were allowed one day to let off some steam before hitting the books again. So, after sleeping in late, i walked over to the Museo Sorolla, which i had been meaning to visit ever since i left the US. Sorolla, a painter with a similar style to the impressionists, lived in Madrid´s Castellana neighborhood for a large part of his life, though he originally came from Valencia. His city house still stands, wedged between two high-rises, and almost everything has been left the way he had it before he died and his widow gave the house and all its contents to the city. His paintings of turn of the century beach scenes are some of my favorite works of any century, and having them placed in the places that Sorolla left them, makes for an amazing experience. The furniture, like the artist, is eclectic and interesting, from many different eras and styles, the gardens are spectacular, and a perfect haven from the busy streets beyond and the family´s Spanish pottery collection on the lower floor is not to be missed. Overall the day off was perfect, right in the middle of midterms though i wished i could have gone through the Sorolla without so many people, though I will be back. Well, back to the midterm grind, it´s almost over...and nearly time to start preparing final projects!

Buckets and Buckets

So it's the middle of midterm’s week and everyone at the SUMC campus is exhausted. After hours of studying and buckets full of half-semester projects due, we all are glad that the weekend is finally here. Speaking about buckets, it's raining buckets outside right now. And so, after mostly completing a take-home midterm, I decided to take a short walk around the block. As it happens, that short walk turned into a few hours’ worth of walking through mud and rain. When i left my apartment and turned onto the main street, in a direction i have never wandered in before, i saw the leaning towers of Madrid, the two skyscrapers that lean in towards each other over the road beneath. I have wanting to see the skyscrapers for some time, and the distance didn't look that far-goodness was i wrong. On my way, i was soaked through, from my suit coat, scarf, sweater, and t-shirt though the cool air felt wonderful. On my way back, you guessed it, i took the metro. My few hours long walk took about 10 minutes and soon i was home changing into warm clothes chowing down on Gluten Free French bread that my mother sent me in her last care package, smothered in peanut butter, also from mom, and nutella, ready to embark on the rest of my pressing projects. The air today is quite chilly and if the cool air wasn't enough to make me miss fall in New England, the pumpkin scented candles that my mother sent me will do the trick. That´s the most wandering I’ll be up to this weekend. Off to do more studying, typing, and researching!

Yes, we have exams too....

As promised in my last post, I am now reporting on how SUMC is doing. This past week has been quite chaotic at SUMC. Everyone is preparing for midterms, though it seems as if the semester has only begun. Student Council is planning the Halloween party, Book club has started, and term papers have just been assigned. So, with all of this craziness in my mind, I decided to spend my Friday afternoon in my own neighborhood. In my strolling, I saw a short multi-lane bridge that spanned a short valley. I crossed, seeing nothing unusual, but as I took the steps that led down from the bridge to the commercial road beneath, I came across the most unexpected park. Beneath the highway bridge was a modern sculpture park with fountains, and cafes around its perimeter. I was shocked, though pleasantly surprised as I needed a cool place to sit and rest. Afterwards I continued down the road and poked into several shops ending up on a street with astonishingly high prices for shoes. I couldn’t understand why a regular pair of gray dress shoes could cost 415 euros until I left the store and saw that across the street was Gucci and Cartier, with Tiffany’s, and Prada further along-I had officially entered the Salamanca shopping district. The rest of the afternoon was spent gawking at window displays with no price tags and at designer labels that I had never heard of. I soon wound up back at my own apartment where I made lunch and sat down to study. Here come the exams!

Moving Ever Onward...

So yes, the student wanderer has wandered himself out. The consequences? Sitting in bed with his feet up (not too bad if you ask me). This weekend contained some interesting developments at SUMC, but first i must fill in the gap that gapes at us from between Salamanca and the Bike trip.

The first weekend we were back in the city, Amy put together a day trip to the Prado museum. I, of course, signed up and that Friday, a small group of us met to see what treasures the museum beheld. With our very informative guide, we saw the three great Spanish masters that are displayed within the Prado, Goya, Velasquez, and El Greco. While there, I was able to see paintings that I had only studied in art books, such as Las Meninas by Velasquez and the dark paintings by Goya. The museum is massive so after we finished the tour i rented a set of audio guide headphones and went back through the museum. Around every corner there was something new and exciting and i ended up spending most of the day there. Before i left i paid a small fee to be able to see the special exhibition Titian and the Masters. The entire exhibit was about how Titian evolved as an artist and how he used the works of the great painters to fuel his own creativity. The exhibition was magnificently done as it began with his younger years and progressed as you went along, each of his paintings paired with a few of the masters that inspired the work.

           The next morning i decided to wander around the old center, pausing to have lunch in the park in front of the Palacio Real. The day was a bit warm so i decided to take advantage of the cool interiors and free afternoon admission of the Reina Sophia modern art museum. My personal taste tends to be a bit more towards the traditional, but some of the modern art within the museum blew me away. I have always admired Dali and Picasso and being able to see Guernica was amazing. A hint: the Reina Sofia allows photography of all the works in the museum, except for Picasso's Guernica which has a room to itself.
       The following weekend i went to see the final part of the triumvirate of Madrid's Museums the Thyssen-Bornemisza. The collection within this museum is unlike both the Prado and the Reina Sophia as it was the personal collection of a Baron and Baroness for whom the museum is named. Their collection spans the entire spectrum of art from primitive Italian, to French Impressionists, to more modern works by Georgia O’Keeffe. My personal favorite was Edward Hopper's Hotel Room, which I had seen in numerous art books and was excited to see in person. I also saw the temporary exhibition of Ghirlandaio and Renaissance Florence. The entire exhibit was based around his famous profile of Albizzi Tornabuoni. The Thyssen makes for a light and fun museum day compared to the serious heavy-hitters of the Prado and the Reina Sofia.

The first taste of Spain...

Weekend Trip: The words hit me like a blow to the stomach. How can Suffolk University even think of taking the entire University away for the weekend when we've only been in the country, not to mention the continent, for only a few days? I thought that they were crazy, but I'm always willing to work with crazy. The ride was long but the time spent in the touring buses was rewarded by our first view of Salamanca's twin cathedrals across the river in the old town. We soon unloaded our bags into our dorm rooms at the University of Salamanca and were off on our first tour of the old center. I might be a bit biased as i favor the over luxurious look of Baroque, but i must say that i slightly favored Salamanca's Plaza Mayor, (though who can possibly beat the paintings and enormous statue in the Plaza Mayor of Madrid?). We were able to tour the twin cathedrals and even see the famous University of Salamanca wall where potential students were forced to find a small frog in a puzzle of dazzling carvings before being allowed entrance to the University. That night was one to remember. After all of the students had had their fill of shopping and dinner (and hopefully a short rest) it was time to go out. As Salamanca is a University town, it has a thriving nightlife. SU Students found new friends during lunch and dinner and so that night large groups of students made the walk from the dorms to the old center, laughing, chatting, and dancing in the streets all the way there. After a few smaller places for drinks, Club Camelot was an absolute must. It is actually inside of a working convent and so the mix of loud club music and an international clientele make it THE place for visiting students to start the night. The fun lasted until almost dawn, though i had drifted back to the dorms a few hours before then, still on US time. The party continued in a similar fashion all three nights that we were there, each night the clubs getting louder and the return home being pushed further and further into the morning hours. The two full days that we were in Salamanca we participated in two separate activates. The first was team building/ laser tag in the hills outside Salamanca. I'm not one for violence or military games but the laser tag was amazing and the team building exercises made everyone laugh as we tried to golf over fields of dirt and brush and cross ¨water¨ with people we hadn't made met before, only using bricks and one plank. The second day was horseback riding and a tour of a real bull ranch. This must have been my absolute favorite day. A few of us even tempted fate and got into the ring with a real bull to test our skills. Both days included amazing food, much of it being gluten free including the most amazing sausage and other kinds of pork as well as tortilla and chorizo at the first ranch. The trip ended with a morning tour of the rooftops of the twin cathedrals, a not to miss tour if ever in Salamanca. Overall the trip was unforgettable and helped me to concentrate myself on the semester ahead.

Keep on Rolling...

Dirty water, ruined shoes, sore muscles, the best coffee I’ve ever had, and the chance of severe rain that was the mix that I received when I went for the most amazing bicycle tour of Madrid with Suffolk University this morning. The group with Amy as our guide met at campus early this morning and made our way down to the Temple De Bod to meet the guides and the bikes that would become our own for the next few hours. On the way we stopped at a small coffee and churro place called Bar Martin on the corner of Calle de Tutor near the Temple De Bod. When we saw the bikes all of us immediately became a bit nervous, but also excited. Though many of us had ridden bikes in the states since we were young, we all initially had a difficult time on the cobble stone streets and busy traffic ways of the city, though we soon caught the hang of city bicycling. We were able to see so much of the city in only a few hours. From the Plaza de España, to the Plaza Mayor, Retiro Park and all the way through Chueca, it was an amazing day that will always stand out in my mind. We departed around 2 having ridden eight miles. Back at campus I was also lucky enough to find that i had received a care package from home this afternoon from my mom, filled with gluten free cookies, peanut butter bars, and a few more useful items. The day was amazing, and was perfectly suited to the days’ worth of cycling. There are several places in Madrid to rent bikes either for a few hours or for a full day in order to do a bit of aimless wandering through the intriguing streets of the city.

The Adenture Begins #1

The sudden jerk, the fast stop, and Bang...the landing gear made contact with the hot tar of the Barajas airport. I could barely think coherently my mind was racing so fast. Millions of questions swarmed in my head. The plane rolled up to the gate and Bam, it hit me that I was finally in Madrid Spain on my way to meet Amy who would then take us to the Suffolk University Madrid campus. After months of work, emails, and trips to the Spanish Consulate to get my visa, it was finally time for everything to come to fruition. It´s been about three weeks since i first set down in Madrid and the enjoyable craziness of settling in and starting classes has finally calmed down-though the fun of being in Madrid has not. I can´t wait to see what Madrid has to offer as i continue to blog throughout this semester about my classes, trips, host family, and , of course, my incessant wandering about the amazing city of Madrid, Spain.