So today Rebekah and I got up at 6:00am to get ready and catch the 7:40 train to Madrid. It was so cold out – I could see my breath – but I woke up after a nice hot shower. Paddy drove us to the station in Sahagun, and we arrived just before the train did. The ride to Madrid was calm, and I slept for part of it. While I wasn't sleeping I did see some really awesome mountainside villages and some cool graffiti as we passed through other stations. On that note, while graffiti is technically vandalism, more often than not it's a real art form! It's interesting to see how each “work” is layered, and many finished pieces are very detailed and ornate. I think it's incredible that someone can do things like that with a can of spray paint.
After we arrived in Madrid, we easily navigated the train station and took the Metro to Peurta del Sol, and after directions from a friendly policeman (with a hilarious hat – I'm yet to snap a picture. I got a poor one earlier but then was told I was not permitted to take pictures and had to delete it... I will get one though!) and an old man sitting in the middle of the road, we found the Hostal Sol-Cruz where Rebekah had booked a room for the night. THE smallest lift on the face of the planet. It was so funny getting in and our with my stuff, we got a picture. Reb's plane leaves for Germany at some silly hour Tuesday morning, and then she's headed back to the US to guest edit the fall issue of American Pilgrim, a magazine for past, present, and future US'ers who are interesting in the Camino.
We dropped off our things and headed back out so I could exchange some dinero, and she needed to get a rose petal rosary for her sister. She also looked for an American adapter for her laptop, but couldn't find one, so she'll probably just get one at the airport. We browsed some neat little shops, then toured the massive department store (THE department store of Spain, like Printemps in France) in the Peurta del Sol, though I can't recall it's name. Wandered around town a bit more, visited the old Plaza de Mayor which reminds me of a former plaza, now courtyard apartment complex that I visited in Paris. Got “lost” on some quaint and completely charming side streets, and at the end of one stumbled onto the Palace here in Madrid. I'm told I need to go wander around it and check out the gardens while I'm here.
For lunch we stopped at this Extremaduran (a region of Spain) restaurant and had their Menu del Dia. I was a little irritated because the menu listing outside advertised Ensaladilla Rusa, but inside the first courses weren't the same, so I had to settle for soup, which turned out to be pretty boring. Reb had these really fantastic stuffed peppers though, and shared. Main course was sausages (strangely similar to Jimmy Dean) and good fried potatoes. Reb had cod fish in a tomato sauce with the same potatoes. Flan and rice pudding for dessert. So while it wasn't the best Menu del Dia I've had here so far, I can't complain because it was only eight Euro. In addition to our lunch, Rebekah ordered this dish that was basically bread crumbs that had been fried and cooked in the pans used throughout the day to gather all the different flavors, and then just simply served on a plate.
We headed back to the hostel, checked email and what not, and I made plans with Marianne, a fellow CouchSurfer (MarianneOuiOui in France on CS) who coincidentally happened to be in Madrid today as well. I hauled all my stuff over a few Metro stops to meet her and her host for a coffee. Her host, a German girl who has been in Spain teaching English for four years was very nice. Marianne is from Colorado but lives in a town about an hour north of Paris. She teaches English as well. She's due to have a baby boy in August or September, and is planning to reside in France officially. She was really great to hang out with and talk to about all kinds of things, including getting some great info from her about Senegal (where I think I'm going to be with the Peace Corps) as she's lived there twice. I'm looking forward to seeing her again when I'm in her area during the leg of my trip through France. We had Pizza Hut (I know, but she was jonesing for some US-type food) which was really interesting. They gave us plates shaped like pizza slices that had wings. Then we toured some of the small asian-run “bargain” stores in the area that her host lives. Back at her host's apartment – she lives on the fourth floor (fifth to those in America who consider the ground floor the first floor), no lift... good cardio! – I got a hold of Carla, a contact I made through my Yahoo Peace Corps groups (she's leaving in Sept for AgriBusiness in Eastern Europe) who also happens to be living in Madrid right now. Said my goodbyes to Marianne, and carted my things over to the Bilbao district of Madrid where Carla and her roommate live.
Getting to the next apartment, Carla and Irene, her flatmate, also live on the 4th (5th) floor. The stairs are incredibly “rustic” and really add character to the building, but whew. Doing that once or twice a day, it's no wonder no one here is overweight! Going on, Carla and Irene are really awesome. They're letting me sleep on their sofa (it turns out Carla too is on CS!), which so far seems very comfortable. Carla teaches English here in Madrid (surprise!) and is from Houston. She was born in the States, but lived in Argentina for 12 years, so her Spanish is excellent. Irene was great, as she doesn't speak a ton of English – though much better than my Spanish – and so I got to practice talking to her in Spanish while she practiced her English on me. They are letting me leave most of my things here tomorrow as well, so then I can go and check out the Thyssen and the Prada. A lot for one day, but I think I can handle a whole day of museums! The Reina Sofia is closed tomorrow, so I'll see it on Wednesday as well as visiting the 300-acre Park de Buen Retiro. I may end up extending my trip to Thursday, but I'm not sure yet. We'll see. Time to crash for a bit now.
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