Madrid Made Me Do It
This past weekend was hands down the best I’ve had while abroad. I knew from the moment we landed in Madrid that it would ruin me. There’s no way a culture that believes in sleepless weekends, tapas, house-made sangria, and excessive amounts of pork would fall short of a personal heaven. Although Madrid is easily covered within a weekend, I would have happily stayed the rest of my semester.
Our first day in Madrid was spent seeing all the tourist essentials: The Prado Museum, El Retiro, Plaza Mayor, The Market of San Miguel, Gran Via, Puerta del Sol, etc. Usually, site seeing is stressful at best. Waiting in line for entrance to museums or fighting off other tourists to get that “perfect shot” of some stereotypical monument usual but in Spain the agenda was altered. It was more easy going. The city of Madrid was very walkable, so we never took public transit but willingly got lost running into grand plazas and quaint cafes in the process. It was a relaxed day wandering around and with the weather on our side we decided to find some good tapas for dinner. Tapas, for those unfamiliar, is small plates of traditional Spanish dishes that are meant to accompany drinks (remember that house-made sangria I mentioned before?).
Throughout the weekend we frequented Museo del Jamon which literally translates into “the museum of ham.” At first I was skeptical of this chain of restaurants, but with legs of ham lining the walls and hoards of people always crowding the bar how bad could it be? The answer: not bad at all, actually quite amazing. For around 3 euro you got your pork fix with a bacon and cheese sandwich and a beer. They also had a deli counter where mass quantities of Spain’s specialty of Iberico ham could be purchased. Evidence of Spain’s love for ham doesn’t solely exist in entire restaurants being dedicated to swine, but rather how pigs are treated. Some pigs are only fed chestnuts and acorns in an effort to produce the purest pork possible.
This type of care for Spanish cuisine extended to nearly everything we ate that weekend, which is not a far stretch from Italian food. One stark contrast between Madrid and Rome, however, was how clean the city was. Madrid looked as though it had been cleaned thoroughly with a toothbrush. There wasn’t garbage laying around and each boutique or restaurant or cafe was not only in pristine condition but so freakin’ friendly! Everyone we encountered those three days was more than willing to help us, whether it be for directions or for a suggestion on where to grab the best paella in town.
If I hadn’t bought a return flight to Rome, I would still be exploring Madrid. A city that offers hospitality, beauty, and delicious food gives no incentive to leave. I’m confident I’ll be back someday ready and willing to dive deeper into Spanish culture. Adios, until next time Madrid.