Le soleil de février en Espagne

After some traveling, I finally found the sun. It was in Madrid for the two and a half days that I wandered its streets and laid in its parks. It was a refreshingly pleasant 17 degrees Celsius and jacketless weather when walking uphill.

From the moment I sat down in a cafe to finally re-unite with my friends from IH Valladolid, Maggie and Kathrin, I knew I wanted to come back before my time's up in France (and I had barely taken the backpack off my shoulders).

The free bowl of olives and chips on the table tasted so good, acting almost as a flowery lei would welcoming one to Hawaii.

Not concerned with sightseeing, but instead playing the role of weekending madrileñas (at least in our eyes), we strolled the streets, sipped cava, browsed outdoor markets, picnicked in the park, sampled tapas, and actually spoke Spanish. I reveled in trying out my old favorite phrases with Kathrin to punctuate moments of silence on our walks, then later with my old roommate and his band of friends.

The Spanish I had picked up in Valladolid had crawled to the darkest depths of my brain after a few weeks in France and getting it to come out of hiding was surprisingly easier than I thought, though not as gloriously smooth as I would have wanted it to.

Below is a close-up of an exhibit in el Palacio de Cristal in Retiro Park

El Palacio de Cristal

"La Vaca Guernica" The Guernica Cow outside of Retiro Park

My wonderful friends, Maggie and Kathrin, who are too far away!

Book tables in Madrid's Plaza Mayor.

Arch in Plaza Mayor. I love them, because they act as a frame to whatever's happening on either side (even if it is loaded with tourists).

Kathrin and I in the Royal Park.

Egyptian temple donated to Madrid.

Another newly discovered park. This park has its own teleferico that takes passengers to a wooded area with trails. I never realized how much green space lay oustide of Retiro Park. I liked this park because everyone looked so relaxed on the grass taking in the late afternoon rays.

View of Madrid from the teleferico.

This is my "pollo con mole" or chicken with "mole" sauce. A Mexican girl in my French class had described "mole" to us as a sauce made with chilis and chocolate. When we decided to have our last dinner in Madrid at a colorful Mexican restaurant, I had to try it. It got better after each bite.

Plaza Mayor por la noche.

Mi amigas y yo, Plaza Mayor.

Not only did the sun make my weekend a little brighter, but so did the overall demeanor of the Spanish, who are generally loud, open, friendly, and always want to have a good time. Although we didn't see any huge Carnival events, we did see many amusing costumes on a walk home from a late night. One of which was a very scary and very realistic looking Michael Meyers.

Post vacation blues have dimmed slightly, thanks to the still vivid memories of getting my "regular breakfast of 'barrita de tomate' and tea" with Kathrin at our "regular cafe" every morning, the tingle of sun on my face, grass blades in the hood of my coat from our picnic in the park, and of course knowing I have plans to go back.