Fall break has come and gone and it will be a quick snap back into reality! I couldn’t have asked for a better fall break—from seeing friends from Santa Clara, to spending an epic week with new friends, memories were made in 3 countries, 2 continents, 5 languages. Our break started out with a complicated navigation from Muzy to the airport. Thank goodness we left ourselves plenty of time is all I can say to that! We eagerly boarded our early morning flight to Madrid on Saturday and all were in awe the day had finally come and we were embarking on our Fall Break adventure!
We were non-stop from the time we touched down in Madrid until I returned back home in Geneva Friday afternoon. Our first day in Madrid consisted of a half hour purchase period of metro tickets,where Lauren really got to test her Spanish skills, an overwhelming welcome to the city center at Puerto de Sol (essentially the downtown area of Madrid where our hostel was located), and the most epic reunion with Casey and Liz inside our hostel. And this was all before 2pm! We did Rick Steves’ walking tour of the city, guided by Liz, and went to Retiro park where we met up with my friend Eloise from SCU! Next, we visited the Royal Palace, Almudena Cathedral, and Reina Sofia museum before making our way back to Sol before a wild night experiencing the essence of Madrid nightlife.
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| Reunited! |
After a shower and siesta, we met up with Case by the fountain in Sol before heading out to a delicious tapas restaurant where we indulged on two rounds of chorizo, corquettes, and potatoes with more chorizo! What a fabulous introduction to Spanish cuisine. We then met up with some of Casey’s friends from her program before heading to a club called Pacha where we were treated to the crazy nightlife and music Madrid has to offer! After a late night, morning came early and we couldn’t wait to sip on some Spanish coffee! Liz was conviently staying at our same hostel so along with my friends from the BU program, the 5 of us navigated our way to the Rastra, which is Madrid’s famous Sunday flea market. There were so many things to see, so many people to be aware of, and endless market stalls lining the streets! I quickly found myself overwhelmed by the immense amount of people who were literally everywhere you looked. Definitely a lot busier than our quaint and orderly Geneva! We found ourselves losing steam quickly and Liz and I had plans to meet up with Casey later in the afternoon so we walked back to Sol to recuperate a bit before our mid-afternoon rendezvous. I absolutely loved spending the afternoon with Case and Liz eating kebabs and churros con chocolate outside in Casey’s home stay neighborhood. We all caught up and quickly found ourselves falling back into our usual rhythm of telling stories, offering advice, and reminiscing about life back at Santa Clara. We didn’t realize just how much we have missed each other’s presence until we were teased with spending a weekend together. Nonetheless, it was a magical weekend that I know we all feel incredibly lucky to have shared together. Definitely made memories none of us will ever forget.
Later that night, after a sad goodbye with the girls, Mags, Steph, Lauren, and I met up at the Prado museum where we saw Picasso's Acrobat on a Ball, Goya's infamous political paintings, and other various incredible works of arts. As we left the museum, we were greeted by a huge Latin American Pride parade that featured a ridiculous party bus equipped with a band on top that was followed by various dance troups and flag bearers singing and dancing along to the music. We felt like we truly got to experience the wild madness of Madrid the entire weekend and were loving the polar opposite change of pace compared to our orderly, clockwork lives in Geneva! Later that night we treated ourselves to a delicious 12 course tapas meal, pitcher of Sangria, and churros (round 2 for me…) outside the Plaza Mayor. I don’t think I have enjoyed churros and chocolate more in my entire life, but let me tell you my body was not pleased for the next 24 hours. When in Madrid?
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| Tapas! |
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| Churros con Chocolate Round 2 |
to be continued...
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