We've officially been in Madrid for 1 week! It's crazy how familiar we have become with the city in just a few days. Do I still look like a tourist? YES. Do I have to use my maps as much to get around? NO! That's a win. I have walked to class the past 4 days without google maps and am starting to get a feel for where we are located.
Madrid is so lovely rain or shine! It rained a few days this week which made walking to class not as pleasant, but the city is beautiful in the rain. So beautiful that even when I cut my finger trying to open a cheap umbrella I bought in the middle of a downpour to finish my walk home, I wasn't even mad... maybe because I didn't notice it was bleeding until I got home because my hands were frozen... It's ranged from 36-65 degrees this week. Temps vary a lot throughout the day here, just like Texas. Feels like home.
With one week of living, we blew through our weeks worth of clothes we packed. We fearfully used the tiny washing machine in our apartment that looked like it would eat our clothes and hung our clothes on the clothesline to dry and they turned out fine... well almost fine. I did drop a clothespin into our downstairs neighbors garden...oops. The art of balancing clothes on a tiny string while dangling your head out of a three story window has yet to be mastered.
Today was Dia de los Muertos and most people had the day off. We spent the afternoon exploring a new part of town and ended up in the Retiro Park. Retiro Park takes up a huge portion of central Madrid. We entered on one side in an area of town that was new to us and came out of another entrance by the Prado on streets I recognized close to my school.
The park was packed today and it was fun to watch everyone enjoying the holiday and beautiful weather.
Things we learned in our first week:
-People in Madrid do not like sharing the sidewalk and will continue in a straight path, at any speed, even if that path is diagonal.
-The whole city doesn't shut down for siestas and we have been able to find food at all times of the day and night.
-Everywhere has amazing bread and pastries.
-Vegetables appear to be super uncommon in restaurants.
-People have been very nice here.
-I know enough Spanish to answer yes or no and things turn out okay.
-The city is super walkable and so fun.
-Traveling with one bag was a super good call even though I had my doubts.