Finally, I have an apartment, and what a great feeling it is. Not exactly the situation I was looking for, but I'm excited for it none-the-less. I'm living in the perfect area, in Arguelles, two metro stops from the Complutese, on the fabulous calle Princesa. I'm also just a few blocks from a lovely park in Moncloa. My room is fairly small, but just what I need, and best of all, I have a balcony right off my room. I'm living with 2 Spanish guys, two guys from Germany, Emma from my program, and there is one empty room that I'm guessing has been rented out in the last few days as well. I've only met one of the Spanish guys, named Alfonso, and he's really cool. Very friendly guy, 25, and seemed thrilled that we were moving in. I also met one of the Germans named Dominik, also very nice, but lacking in the Spanish speaking department. I've already told him that he won't be hearing any English from me this year, however... Neither Emma nor I had had any intention of living with anyone from our program, but we set off to see this place together, and both fell in love with it. As we were two of the last 3 from WIP to find a place, we decided that neither of us should leave it behind. I'm confident, however, that she's one of the few with whom I can actually make it through the year without reverting to English in the apartment. Lots of fun, and a great sense of humor, and I think we will get along nicely. There is a big kitchen, a rare feature is apartments here, about which I'm quite excited. Two bathrooms, one if which is tiny but has a shower, will have to accommodate seven of us, but I don't think it will be an issue. The only downside is that there are a few smokers in the apartment, which will take some getting used to, but that's just Spain. Also, having the balcony is perfect for keeping my room feeling fresh. It's just such a relief to finally have a place, and not have to spend all my time searching the papers and internet, making phone calls, and rushing from one piso to another around the city. The metro is finally starting to feel cool to me again...
My new address will be:
In other news, we took a group trip to Segovia, about an hour and a half north of Madrid by bus last Sunday. A really cool city with some fascinating history and architecture. Oh, how I love Europe... They just don't make buildings like they used to... We saw la iglesia de San Miliano, a great example of 11th century romanico, as well as la catedral, which was built over a period of 200+ years between the 16th and 18th centuries. Absolutely enormous, containing an interesting blend of Gothic (gotico) and Bourbon (borbono) architecture. As the cathedral was built over such a large period of time, you can see the transformation as you look higher and higher up the walls. The city also reveals its Mudejar (Muslims living in reconquested Christian regions) influences, in the facades of some buildings, and certain types of arches spread throughout the city. Illustrating a much earlier period, a large Roman aqueduct still stands in pristine condition. Also, the Alcazar (castle) from the 11th century is situated at the edge of town, converted for a short time into a military training school in 19th century. Such an incredible place to visit, with more than 2000 years of history at one's fingertips. The only disappointment, all too common in a place with a history such as Spain's, is that all buildings from the Muslim era were destroyed during la reconquista. Such a shame to lose that. Oh yea, and I had the most delicious dessert EVER- a chocolate cream puff that simply can't be described...
It was also interesting to learn that a high-speed AVE train line between Madrid and Segovia is almost complete, making the trip less than a half hour. This should certainly spur development away from the big city, hopefully easing the pressure on skyrocketing housing costs in Madrid (300% in 7 years), but at the same time, may have negative effects on Segovia's charm.
School has been picking up a bit, and it's really hard to actually believe we're taking classes that count back at home. That idea is still so foreign to me, and grades sort of seem like playthings... Hopefully that will change, but it's just so hard to want to think about doing any homework when there is so much else to do, despite the fact that the classes are quite interesting in the September course.
I'm addicted to cafe con leche. It's so delicious. And these chocolate filled pastries called napolitanas con chocolate. Good thing I found a grocery store that sells them for practically nothing... or maybe not so good...
What else to tell... hmmm... it's been a long time since I last wrote and my memories are failing me at the moment. Life is still great here, and I'm anxious for this September course to be over, which will be hell for the next few weeks, and to move into my apartment and start the actual semester. I think it will all feel a bit more real at that point. It's been a great time in the dorms with the people from my program and the few sporadic Spanish students that are around and that I've met, but it still just feels like I'm only visiting for a little while. It will be fun to get settled into real Madrid life and into some sort of routine.
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