Madrid 2016: First Week

We arrived in Madrid this week around 6am local time. The Madrid airport was an impressive work of architecture, but as we drove off from the airport to our homes for the semester I couldn't help but think that the highways seemed identical to those we had just left behind in States.

Madrid Barajas Airport

We explored a little, but mostly slept off jet lag for the first day, but on the second day we were given a tour of the older parts of central Madrid and learned about some of the history of Spain. Our tour guide brought us to the palace, the cathedral, and many other important sites in Madrid, including Sobrino de Botin, the guinness world record holder for the oldest restaurant still running in the world. The cave like kitchen and dining rooms of the restaurant harken back to its old origins and transplant you to old Spain, to a time when families without stoves in their homes brought their dinners to this very stove to be heated.

We also went to Puerta del Sol, just a few blocks from the apartment where one of the other students and I are staying. Puerta del Sol is in the center of Madrid, which is the center of Spain. A plaque in the pavement denotes this with the 0 kilometer mark indicating the center of the country.

We are in the very heart of the city, learning the streets and monuments. So far, I have not felt too shocked by the move to a new place, as Madrid does remind me of NYC, but I am excited to experience more of the history and culture that makes it unique!