Ten days in Spain (a summary)

In times of crisis and recession, buy pork products!

Friday, Oct. 23: wake up early to catch the taxi to the airport. We overpacked. A lot. In the end it was almost worth it, because I wore almost everything I brought with me. After a whole summer spent living out of a twelve-kilo backpack, however, a twenty-kilo suitcase for ten days seemed a bit excessive. But it was a real vacation, not a "journey," so I justified it to myself.

Made it to Madrid without any hassles, picked up our bags, and went to where we were staying. Weirdly, it was right around the corner from where I lived when I studied in Spain, in a nice residential neighborhood I hadn't had any reason to return to while visiting the past few times. So to be back was a bit strange. The first thing we did, sure enough, was to find a little cafe to sit and drink chocolate, and eat lomo and cheese sandwiches. And I was happy. That night we went out dancing at a pretty chill place, after eating a delicious dinner of beautiful fresh vegetables and rice.

Saturday, Oct. 24: off to Toledo! After a small mishap caused by going to the wrong bus station, we caught our bus to Toledo. As usual, I didn't make it out of Madrid without being lulled to sleep by the comfortable chairs and Spanish pop music. As always, my body knew when to wake me up, and I shook awake just in time to see the giant toro on the side of the highway into town, and admire the old city raising up over the valley. The first order of business was lunch, a starter of garlicky setas (a kind of mushroom), followed by pork and sausage stewed in a spicy tomato sauce, so tender it was hard to lift with a fork. From there we saw the beautiful city: the cathedral, the monasteries, the synagogues. We bought some beautiful damasquin jewelry as our Spanish souvenir. Primarily, though, we just wandered the tiny, winding streets of the city, soaked in sunshine, and popped in and out of tiny shops. We caught the bus back as the sun started to set, and finished our day with a dinner of tapas: patatas bravas and tortilla from El Meson de Tortilla, topped with bitter Spanish beer.

the cathedral

happy toros come from Spain

I found a weasel!one of the monasteries

Sunday, Oct. 25: forgetting about the time change, we woke up disgustingly early (before 7!) to head to the famous Rastro flea market. There, we bought key chains of adorable monsters, some useless pretty things, and a Barcelona scarf for Balint. We chatted with the merchants, and again had some chocolate con churros for breakfast. Wandering the area between el Rastro and La Puerta del Sol, we discovered that there was a giant parade of people from the northern regions of Spain. They were playing traditional music, wearing bizarre shoes, and had also brought a lot of animals with them: whole flocks of sheep, dogs, giant cows and bulls, at least a hundred horses. So that was festive, and took at least an hour to fully appreciate.


We then did some sightseeing: the cathedral, the castle, Plaza de Espana. My beloved Pans & Company served us a delicious sandwich for lunch.

the interior of the Madrid cathedral

Don Quijote and Sancho Panza in the Plaza de Espana

Then we headed to the Prado for the afternoon, where we visited only the first floor. Having happily gotten in free (yay, teacher discount), we decided to come back another day and finish seeing the collection. In the evening, we took ourselves to see the lovely (500)Days of Summer, which it seems will never make it to Budapest. Afterwards: El Almendro. Oh, El Almendro. I dream of the food when I am away from it. Imagine: lomo (pork loin) that has been stewed in a delicious, garlicky gravy for over 24 hours, poured over fried potatoes so thin as to almost be chips, the juice from the meat soaking through them. Diced jamon serrano with perfectly fried eggs over the same potatoes. Olives and pickled beans. All washed down with the sweet-crisp taste of cold manzanilla sherry. This is the stuff that dreams are made of.

Plaza del Sol at night

Monday, Oct. 26: Lyla and I spent essentially the entire day laying in the Retiro park, soaking in the sun. We did very important reading and people-watching. We ate doritos and sandwiches of jamon serrano and cured cheese. We chased ducks. It was beautiful.

how we felt after a day in the park
the Crystal Palace in the Retiro

Tuesday, Oct. 27: some more leisurely sight-seeing, mostly consisting of walking through tiny streets. A fair bit of shopping, of both the window (me) and purchasing (Lyla) variety. A yummy lunch of Thai food.

Gran Viaa bear and a strawberry tree, the symbol of Madrid

Then it was off to my interview for me and to the royal palace for Lyla. As I mentioned: the interview went well. The school is on the southern edge of Madrid, and when I came up from the metro I was struck by the desolateness of the area. It's totally new there, and still being built. You can see the desert around you, and feel the famous madness-causing hot southern wind in your face. It was stark and beautiful and something that I had no idea existed in Madrid.


To celebrate, Lyla and I drank mojitos under the stars near Plaza Mayor, followed by Sangria. I watched the crazy Spaniards milling about as if it were noon, when it was actually midnight on a Tuesday, and I was happy for their presence, and for the simple fact of how alive they are.

Wednesday, Oct. 28: We started the day by heading back to the Prado to see the second and third floors. Lunch was delicious sandwiches, and then it was to the bus station to head to my favorite place in the whole world: Salamanca. As always, the sight of the city cresting over the horizon took my breath away. Upon arriving, we settled in and then headed out for dinner at my favorite gyros stand and a few drinks.

these two are of the view from my friend's flat

the cathedral at night

Thursday, Oct. 29: Woke up pretty early and headed to my old school to visit with the professors there. It was really nice. Then headed off to my old home to visit my housemom, Mariela, who continues to be a totally lovely lady. Napped and layed about in the afternoon, then walked around the city. Salamanca is seriously one of the most beautiful places in the world, and every street and every building seemed to be welcoming me back. In the evening, it was out for a bit of a fun, as every student in town prowled the streets in Halloween gear.

me and Lyla on the Roman bridgethe cathedral, painted red by the sunsetthe above-mentioned sunset

a church on the outside of the town wall, surrounded by inexplicably painted dead trees

Friday, Oct. 30: caught up with another professora that I had missed the day before, and went to the Museo del toro with Lyla. This bullfighting museum is one of the more interesting museums that I've been to. Basically it's a small building crammed full of the most random assortment of stuff related to bull fighting, curated by this absolutely fanatical man. The afternoon was spent in a park reading magazines and soaking up the sunlight, then eating amazing food. That evening was more time out, including a long dinner of paella and chorizo at one of my favorite little restaurants, and a quick stop into the Irish Rover for old time's sake, which really just resulted in my feeling a bit old!

ears are given as trophies to good bullfighters

Lyla strikes a bullfighter's pose

smiley in the sunshine

Yum!the facade of the old cathedralThe Casa Lis lit up for the nightLyla and I in the Plaza Mayor

Saturday, Oct. 31: realizing that we were leaving the next day and until that point had basically only relaxed, we set about sightseeing with a vengeance. We visited the monastery, the cathedrals, and the art-deco museum Casa Lis. And... have I mentioned that Salamanca is beautiful? In the evening we bought cured meats and cheeses to bring home with us, then it was off to O'haras for a few drinks, followed by an unexpected and apparently impromptu flamenco performance in the square. Then we had a delicious dinner at Delicatessan, followed by a long slow walk home.

a monastery's cloister

the view of the cathedral

one of the facades of the old cathedral, depicting the nativity

inside the new cathedral

Look at that sky!

the Casa de las Conchas... the shell house

Sunday, Nov. 1: early up and to the bus station, as always staring behind me at the city as it dropped out of sight, as always promising to return. Then to the airport in Madrid for a rather uneventful flight home.

Finally, the cow bids you farewell, and of couse, since it's Spain... buen provecho.