¡Carnaval!

Sorry I haven't updated in so long! I actually had work to do last week...huh? Anyway, what follows is a long overdue recap of my weekend in Cádiz celebrating Carnaval. For two weeks leading up to Lent, Cádiz holds some of the biggest Carnaval festivities in the world, complete with parades, comedic performances, crazy costumes, and botellónes (a cool word to justify the act of drinking in public). Pretty much a Spanish equivalent of Mardi Gras. So, two weekends ago, a bunch of friends and I packed our bags and our tutus and flew to Jeréz, right outside of Cádiz. Side note: first successful plane ride in Europe! Didn't miss my flight! Nice. So we landed at the Jérez airport early Friday morning, breathed in some of that fresh Andaluz air, and found our way to a bus that would take us the half hour journey to Puerto de Santa María. The bus dropped us off and after a brief (long) period of wandering, we found our hotel. The first thing we had to do was buy ferry tickets to Cádiz from Puerto de Santa María, the port of which was conveniently located right next to our hotel. Both Friday and Saturday we took this 25 min ferry ride to and from Cádiz, which was part of the whole Carnaval experience. We really must have looked like a boat full of crazies in our costumes. After purchasing the tickets and getting some lunch, we donned our masks and boas and began the festivities on the rooftop pool of our hotel. The weather was amazing - high 60s and sunny all day, and we were right next to the beach! 

Rooftop ready!

Space friends

After the short ferry ride, we reached land in Cádiz and followed the crowds into the main plaza which was filled with hundreds of people - a mix of tourists and locals, little kids and older peeps - wandering the streets. I met a few mimes, chatted up some adult babies, and made friends with at least 6 different versions of the pope.

Elf friends

Both Friday and Saturday were filled with street-wandering, friend-making, and fun-having by everyone. When it got chilly at night as we started to make our way back to the ferry, we warmed up in the best way we knew how: con un bocadillo caliente y más vino. It really was a great weekend, and though I didn't get the full tourist experience due to the whole Carnaval thing happening, Cádiz seems like a wonderful little city. This trip also got me super excited for the travel plans I have coming up this semester. Next stop...Dublin for St Patrick's day! 

Check out all the gente!

Toledo and Spanish Bathroom Norms

In the middle of my Spanish lengua class today, the profesora stopped class to have a little discussion with us about going to the bathroom. Apparently, getting up during class to go to the bathroom is considered both strange and "maleducado," or ill-mannered, in Spanish culture. This little informative chat took me by surprise because I've never thought twice about doing this at home during a class. This got me thinking about other cultural differences that have stuck out to me since settling into Spain. One of the biggest is taking coffee to go. They don't do that here! Coffee is a social time for sitting, chatting, and sipping. As much as I'd like to get on board with this charming image of a leisurely European breakfast-time, sometimes a girl needs her coffee to get through that hour and a half medieval history class. Not that images of Gothic architecture don't pump my blood with adrenaline, but I gotta say a latte for the walk to class would be nice. Oh well.

Last Friday my program took a day trip to Toledo. We spent the day discussing the city's historical importance, especially during the reign of the Christian kings. We walked through some magnificent cathedrals and two of the remaining Jewish synagogues from those times. Walking around these shuls, walls lined with Hebrew verses and arks still in tact, I felt such an immediate connection to my own heritage and past. It was a really cool feeling to stand in the same place where Jews came to pray so many hundreds of years ago.

Ark in Toledo synagogue

After some more cathedrals and a bakery run for some unreal marzipan, we headed back to Madrid. It was a great day in a truly historic and beautiful place. It's easy to forget how much history there is in this country and how far back it goes, and visiting a city like Toledo was a good reminder.

Overlooking the city!

This weekend, I am traveling with a few friends to the southern city of Cádiz to celebrate Carnaval. From what I've heard Carnaval in Spain is sort of like a combination of American halloween and Mardi Gras...I can work with that. I'll report after the weekend!

Exploring

Every weekend, I try to find a new area of Madrid to walk around in. It seems like there are endless options of places to explore, which is overwhelming and exciting at the same time. Last weekend, I walked around the Chueca area which is sort of like the Boystown of Madrid. It's filled with cool shops and restaurants and a great place to spend an afternoon or go out at night. I also went to el Palacio Real, the official residence of the Spanish royal family (but they don't actually live there; it's more for ceremonial purposes). Built in the 1700s, the palace is huge and the architecture is breathtaking. One thing I love about walking around Madrid is that every street boasts old and beautiful buildings. I guess this is typical of any European city, but this kind of architectural history is not something we have so much in the US and it makes walking around here all the more enchanting! We've also had some really nice and sunny days here recently. One of my favorite places anytime, but especially when it's nice out, is el Parque Retiro. Always a perfect spot for a picnic, a run, or a nice paseo.

Perfect day for Retiro!

On Sunday I finally had my first visit to the Prado and I already can't wait to go back. Highlights included the Garden of Earthly Delights by Bosch (I could stare at this for hours), Las Meninas by Velásquez, and so many paintings by Goya. Afterwards, Gillian and I discovered the wonder that is 100 Montaditos. This fast food-esque sandwich shop (a montadito is like a mini-sandwich) offers everything on the menu for 1 euro on Sundays and Wednesdays. Score. We each picked a few sandwiches and pulled off a 3.50 euro lunch tab!

On Friday my program is taking a day trip to Toledo, and next weekend I'm going with some friends to Cádiz to celebrate Carnaval. Very excited about both of these trips - updates to come!