In-Spain in the Membrane

At about 11:15 am on Monday I was bidding my parents and Esack goodbye at Epply Airfield and trust me, there was no shortage of tears. Kisses were had, and my eyes did not stop leaking until about three hours later somewhere in the air near Chicago. A melancholy beginning to an adventure if there ever was one, but an honest one nonetheless.

Somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean I made friends with a Bulgarian girl who raised my spirits with enchanting tales of her expeditions all over Europe, and comforted me in sharing the insecurities she had when first visiting America. It was a relief to speak directly with someone who had the same fears I did, as universal as they may be. I managed to sleep for about two hours on the plane, but my excitement kept me awake most of the ride.

Upon exciting the plane, the first thing that struck me was how gorgeous the Madrid Barajas airport is! I had too much luggage to take a photo, but I'll post a generic one here so you can all see of its beauty. It has huge multicolor diagonal pillars and a rustic wooden ceiling throughout. I was grateful to walk off of the plane directly into such a unique building.

On the cab ride from Barajas to my hostel, I experienced a Spanish language snafu identical to many I have experienced since. So far my language barrier is a lot like this: Jenna speaks Spanish like small child, cab driver understands Jenna and responds accordingly, Jenna CANNOT understand cab driver, responds completely inappropriately, cab driver laughs. Silence. 

It could be worse, right? Alas, I am getting better every day...I think.

After checking into my hostel, I was completely exhausted. I sat down in the lounge to enjoy a drink and relax when a couple of other travelers invited me on the walking tour of Madrid. By this point I had not slept for quite some time, but I couldn't turn it down. Our charismatic Venezuelan tour guide took us all around the center of Madrid. We visited Plaza Mayor, Puerta del Sol, the Cathedral of Madrid, several restaurants and bars, and scoped out the locations of some awesome museums. This guy was chalk full of information, and there was so much to learn and see. Therefore, I'll only point out some highlights. 

This is 1/4 of Plaza Mayor. This building and the one across from it where originally built by the Habsburg kings. One as a meat market, and one as a bread market. Since then, this has been the site of the Spanish Inquisition massacres, and now a lovely square for wining and dining. 

The horse in the photo was a monument built for King Phillip II I believe, upon moving it to the square Spaniards noticed a foul smell in Plaza Mayor. No one cared to investigate it for hundreds of years until a group of protestors threw stones at the horse's belly. The stomach cracked and thousands of dead birds came out. The birds had been flying in through the horses mouth. It is now sealed. Yowza. 

The photos above are from the OLDEST RESTAURANT IN THE WORLD. That's right, according the the Guinness Book of World Records this is the oldest continuously open restaurant in the whole wide world. It has had the same name and been in the same building since 1725. Aside from being ancient, this place is famous for its suckling pigs. These baby pigs are roasted for at least two hours every day in the original brick oven. The basement was a tiny cellar with a brick, arched wall and ceiling. This establishment was charming in every way, and I hope to come back as a guest someday. 

The above are photos from la Cathedral de la Santa María, Madrid's first and only cathedral. The silver plate in the middle is the image of the Virgin Mary. Before an attack by the Muslims in 725 AD Spanish farmers evidently buried this image, it was recovered in the 12th century and now sits in the cathedral for guests to see. It's probably the oldest (non natural) thing I have ever touched. 

Today I woke up and went explore the city with a friend I made in the hostel. We traveled to the most multicultural area of Madrid (mostly Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani immigrants) to enjoy some Indian cuisine for lunch. I had a veggie curry with hot, pickled veggies on the side, and fresh garlic nan. The waiter then surprised me with free "arroz con leche" or rice pudding. A delicious meal indeed; when you say spicy in Madrid, they take you seriously. 

That's all for now, my friends! I'll keep you posted, and thank you for reading. :)