"You don’t have to go home but you can’t stay here." This is what the Moroccan government told
me. Well not really but it’s close enough. I have been in Morocco for 3 months and now I
must take my leave on a Visa run! This
is the preferred method for people staying in Morocco for over 90 days. Applying for a Visa can take a considerable
about of time and effort and aint nobody got time for that. I checked out the cheep
airlines and found a flight to Madrid, Spain.
I knew the most important word in Spanish, queso (cheese), so I felt
good about surviving in Spain. Turns out that I Love Madrid!
In honor of Valentines Day let me count they ways in which I
Love Madrid!
1)
Tapas
If you are unaware of Tapas prepare for
your stomachs to be blown! Tapas is the
delicious cuisine that is a variety of appetizers or snacks. Pretty much it is the sampler appetizer menu for
dinner and you get to pick and choose everything on it! I’m talking if you want to get guacamole,
pancakes, cheese, and wine in one meal no problem! Tapas small portion options are great for a
picky eater who might want to try something new but don’t want to risk a whole
plate of it. Beware though, Tapas is a
bit like a bag of “fun size” candy bars – you don’t feel like you are eating a lot but
then you look down and the whole bag is gone.
The best place for Tapas was the Cafeteria
next to the Plaza Mayor Square. It was
my Disneyland.
I did my first lap of the place to search
out what I wanted and then I went in for the kill (the happy, shovel my face
with food kind of kill). Here is what I
got for brunch.
“Spinach pie, cheese pie, cashews, cheese, chips and beer. All part of a nutritious breakfast!”
Madrid is also amazing at hot
chocolate. It’s JUST melted chocolate in
a glass! I admit to being overwhelmed
and confused when they handed me a glass full of melted chocolate and people
were just drinking it down with no problem.
I opted to add a bit of milk to mine in order to finish drinking it
all. I’m so ashamed.
"How is this not in America?"
I want Tapas everyday for the rest of my
life.
2)
Cheese/Queso
Tapas is also amazing because it allows me
to eat lots of cheese!
"decisions, decisions... I will have them all!"
I got this cheese plate for lunch one day and it was glorious. I was also very happy that the restaurant was loud so fellow restaurateurs couldn’t hear how much I was enjoying each and every bite.
3)
Wine
Wine is my friend. We have a very long and meaningful
relationship. Rioja wine was my
preferred poison on this trip and it never disappointed.
“Roses are red. Wine is also red. Poems are
hard. Wine.”
4) Museums
I hardcore got my culture on in this city! I
visited the famous Del Padro museum where I figured out one of my favorite
painting is also really freaking famous.
"I always imagined
being this little girl. Total Diva.”
Other greats I got to base upon were there from Rembrandt, Raphael, Ruben, and a special Goya exhibit. There are no photos allowed in this museum
so you have to Google if you want to see art and stuff. Instead here is a photo of me next to a tree.
“Just because I look pretty… like
art.”
Next I visited the modern art museum Reina
Sofia where I saw Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. Those two dudes had some weird ass paintings,
but I dig it.
Also featured in the museum was this commentary on American politics.
"tehehehe"
And then there is just me playing with the modern art.
"Grrrrrrrrrrrr"
Last I hit up this glass museum where this
dead lady was chilling with all her hoarder treasures.
“Creepy and a warning (mom)
to not die surrounded by your stuff.”
5)
Royal
Palace
This was the first royal palace I’ve ever
been to and I have to say that I’m a fan. I think I will try to get one of
these bad boys for myself.
“I’ve already picked out my room”
While I was there
I also got to see the royal horse guard practice ridding horses… so that was
neat.
If anyone is planning a visit to my new
home, I would highly recommend getting on one of the tours. The staff were amazingly knowledgeable and made the
experience so much better by pointing out all the little details of the
freakishly expensive rooms. Of course,
they also make it a lot harder to steal things.
"I should paint this in the bathroom"
They only let you photograph the outside
and the front hall of the Palace. I will have to get
ride of that rule when I move in so I can Instagram all my riches.
“Bitch get out of
my house”
6)
Clean
Streets
“Checkout that recycling! Go Green!”
The streets don’t smell like piss! The streets
don’t have trash everywhere! The streets don’t have major holes in the ground.
The streets have drivers that follow traffic laws! The streets have dogs on leashes and owners.
What a concept! What a city.
7) Nice people with nice dogs
Madridians (I’m going to pretend that’s
what they are called) are very nice people.
Maybe it was because I kept muttering “queso” to people while trying to
remember any other words in Spanish like “I’m lost”. Luckily everyone seemed to see that the struggle
was real and helped me get where I wanted to go.
Did I mention that they have dogs in
Madrid?! And they actually like them! Whoa
what a concept! (confused? Click here)
Last but not least, there was NO
catcalling!!! Men left me blissfully alone on this trip! Freedom!
8)
Squares
are not just fun shapes
No matter where I was in Madrid every few blocks I would come across a square. Each one had a landmark or stature that spoke to the history of that place.
Each square had coffee houses, restaurants and a few shops, making them great areas to go and people watch. Plus, with people always hanging around it made me feel like I was never alone in the city and was a safe place to be at night. This might sound like one
of the saddest reasons to love a city, but after lots of dark winding
alleyways, a well-lit open space is a nice change.
9)
Beautiful
architecture and history everywhere
Everywhere you turn in Madrid you see
another beautiful building or piece of history.
It might have been cold and rainy while I was there but I still enjoyed
my time outside checking out the cities parks, statues, churches, and other buildings.
I was once told a story of a magical store
in Spain where American foods and candy were sold. Gold Fish, popcorn, ranch dressing, and more
graced the shelves of this beautiful store and gave people a taste of the
processed food that is America. I had to
see this place. So I made my pilgrimage
on the metro to this famed store and see for myself what treasures it
held.
And what riches did I find? Behold!
"I got the Blues!"
The Holy Grail! Kraft Mac & Cheese! I contemplated buying out the stores stock
of Mac but then thought I would be robbing the good people of Madrid the
delicious treat. As I walked away from
the dream like store, I had a huge smile on my face and giggled (slightly crazy like)
to myself at my great fortune. Now my
only problem is how I’m going to cook this marvelously cuisine without having to
share it with anyone…
I special thanks for Mike and Lita for my Christmas present
to Spain where I could eat all the cheese and wine as my heart desired. Love you guys!
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