Equipped with some basic Spanish vocabulary (asking for a glass of wine, asking for one more and asking if some food is a death-threat to me by containing flour) and with transparent paleness of my face I possess after every winter, I hopped on a plane with one goal - to buy THE perfect Spanish skirt. And okay, maybe to get some rest and recharge my soul and body.
Landing in Madrid already felt like landing in a parallel universe, where sunshine and warmth were normal circumstances of life instead of something to be looking forward to for months, while being disappointed by not being able to put away your winter coat even in April. Do you know those people who start wearing summer sandals and airy skirts or shorts when the first signs of warmth appear, while people like me still shiver in their boots and scarves? Now it was me who turned into the weirdo, sitting in my sandals and linen dress next to locals in boots and coats.
So what was so great about my week spent in Madrid?
1. The weather
Yes, sunlight makes your steps light and despite the initial horrible forecasts we ended up having summer in April. Such summer caused not only a never-experienced sun-allergy (Yes. An allergy. To THE SUN.), but made me quickly forget about turning gray inside an office.
I'm sure I was in the right time at the right place (finally once in my life!), as the weather turned terrible in Madrid once I was back in Prague. Ha!
2. The people
I don't think there are generally nicer people in some countries and not that nice ones in others. Regardless where I had been, people - in restaurants, shops or random passers-by - have been kind to me. (I hope I haven't just jinxed this and won't meet a Waiter From Hell tomorrow.) I have met the most helpful navigators when I was standing in the middle of a street in Berlin, desperately gazing at a map. I met the most professional restaurant owner when I had a bad food-related incident in Prague, the most friendly and spontaneous Hungarian to have small-talk with in Vienna.The peculiarity with people in Spain was - they spoke no English! I don't know if they pretended not to speak English or what caused this dreadful look in their eyes when I tried to ask them anything in the language of Shakespeare, but after a few attempts I rather switched to my poor Spanish skills. I LOVED this. I had full (brief) conversations with waiters. I managed to order any egg-based dish I wanted. And I managed to nicely say NO to the shortest and nicest shop assistant lady, trying to convince me the lila lipstick she wore on her sun-kissed face would suit me as well. No, gracias!
I was expecting noise and sparks in the air, everything different than here in Prague. In the end, Spanish people were not extraordinarily noisy, there was the same quiet in the subway, disrupted by the same occasional hysterical or over-sharing person as here. To be honest, I think groups of Spanish people are louder when they are on vacation - in Prague you can hear them talking from afar!
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| This is a park where a cell phone was lost. It's a park where someone found it and brought it to the security-guy who might have been older than the park itself. This is a park where Señor Seguridad tests if you know how to unlock the phone, just to be sure. Kudos, people of Madrid! |
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| This is how I always end up on trips - taking photos of others. One-two families per day (do I look slow enough not to run away with their cameras?), but always a nice part of vacations. #socializing |
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| The biggest flag I have seen and the biggest Miguel I have seen. |
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| Meanwhile, in Retiro - the park with the most intense boat-traffic ever. And the line to rent those meant half-a-day waiting. I guess it's worth it. |
3. The outdoors
OK - the weather we had in Madrid would make even Komárno (or any end-of-the-world little town) the most awesome place on Earth. Madrid itself is a beautiful eclectic city with the loveliest balconies and the most wanted seats in outdoor-terraces (the wine-wanting Grandmas circling around the terrace and sprinting to the first available spot were the best!). I have to admit that sometimes I felt like walking in any random big European city - which is not a bad thing per se. I felt in a more "Spanish" world when visiting Segovia or Toledo.
Due to the fact that Spanish cuisine proved itself the least compatible cuisine so far I was not really enjoying nice dining spots (as dinner is the only important meal of the day there, hehe), but rather the nice outdoors. I was not really enjoying food itself - yes, Spanish food is flour and tomatoes and I was surviving on egg-based meals. (Now I cannot even look at an egg yet, they are hunting me in my dreams. No, no quiero tortilla, por favor!) But you know me, I'm not really a foodie, my credo being What doesn't kill me makes me fuller.
Now bring in the coffee, chicos!
Before going for a cuppa, bear in mind two things: regardless of the countless lists of nice cafés to go, check their facebook-page for any sign of activity. Hipster-caffeinism is blooming in Madrid as well and one mustached-café-owner is replacing another. Or the places are closed and empty as not every raw-vegan-gluten-free place is meant to succeed.
Secondly, bear in mind that even though you want to go to a place where they serve coffee - a lovely beverage with caffeine helping you survive Monday mornings - they sometimes open at 5 or 6 p.m.
Still wondering how your Spanish friend is able to dance 'till the morning?
4. The little things
I would love to live in certain parts of the world for a longer time and become - in this case - a Madrid-based version of Margita, hanging out on her nice balcony and having a BFF (book friends forever) relationship with the local librarians.
As living multiple lives is not possible, I have to take what I can and absorb as many things I can. I like to interact with my surroundings and environment as much as possible, learn and at least for a moment blend in.
Like every place I have visited, Madrid surprised me in a lot of ways. I found myself feeling really tall for the first time in my life, standing in the subway among the locals, feeling like a giant accidentally visiting earth and having a sudden urge to drink sangria. It felt absolutely normal when the nice lila-lipped shopkeeper took my hand and started to put some make-up on in, trying to match the 50-shades-of-whiteness of my skin, me just thinking - damn, do I really need to put this concrete on my face? (Yes, that concrete ended up being purchased by your favorite lady-giant.)
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| Future home-goals, no. 157: a balcony like this. |
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| Peacock-blue, one of my most favorite shades of blue. |
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| In case you have ever wondered where your beloved pet-parrot Petey ended up when he escaped... He might be enjoying life and freedom under the Spanish sun. |
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| Absolutely no editing or Photoshop! Incredible, what a coincidence, right? #smooth |
I wrote the first words of this text looking out of the window, staring at a world where snow was falling and the grayness was so thick you could have cut a slice out of it. Remembering sunshine, the freedom to let your feet carry you wherever you want, the possibility to speak in a different language, through a different you... Not having to sit, but moving, moving, moving in so many ways...
I'm saying this probably in a less cool and intimidating way than the Terminator, but - Hasta La Vista, España. Cool down some wine - I'll be back soon!
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P.S. Spanish things to implement here as well:
1. The beds. Those superlong pillows which enable you to roll as much as you want - you're never out of pillows! That blanket, which you wrap yourself under like into a cocoon and you're literally hugged by your bed! Go to hell, IKEA bed-equipment!
2. Tapas. Can we just stop for a moment and think of the importance of proper snacks? Imagine you're having your second copa de vino blanco, feeling a bit peckish but still not hungry. How about some nice chicken wings, little sandwiches or filled olives?
3. The cheese. The wine. But - no eggs, por favor!
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