Fashionista to Rocker to Cyclist and Back Again

Another beautiful week in Madrid! We thought temperatures were starting to cool down and it was beginning to feel like fall, but that lasted all of 2 days. I have worn a sweater once or twice though! An unheard-of concept thus far in Madrid.

On Monday after getting back from Florence, Allison and I went to see my first movie in Spanish! It was Pedro Almodovar's newest film called "El Piel Que Habito," or "The Skin I Live In." We had to look up the plot summary before seeing the movie in the theater, but to be fair because it was an Almodovar film we probably wouldn't have even understood it in english if we hadn't. The film was really...weird...but amazing, and it was especially cool considering the Spanish Culture and Film class I took my junior year at Davis where we all had to do a term project on a different Almodovar film. Allison had to leave Madrid on Tuesday for Santander... everyone in Tetuán (especially me, of course) misses her already but I know you're going to be doing great things in the North! Que te pases bien!

It's incredible that even now, 2 and a half months into my stay, I'm still discovering new favorite areas of Madrid. This week, on a few runs I finally found the posh and fancy area of Goya/Salamanca, Nuevos Ministerios, an absolutely beautiful Parque del Santander, and a stunning street that goes all the way from my area to the city center. It's also so cool that even when finding completely new places, I end up in areas that look familiar and can find my way around the streets! Finally getting my bearings in this complicated city with streets that curve and change name at will, lack a name completely, or have a name but exist without any signage to tell anyone about it.

On Wednesday, Élan, Ian and I printed ourselves out exclusive tickets (that anyone could get online, completely defeated the purpose but we felt important anyways) to Vogue's Fashion Night Out (La Noche de las Compras) in Madrid! It's an enormous fashion showcase and exhibition of the most upscale brands and stores touring major cities in the world, including in the UK, Sydney, Brasil, Mexico, France, Germany, Italy, Taiwan, India, Greece, Korea, Portugal, and Turkey! It was absolutely jam packed with people, and all of the stores in the biggest fashion area in Madrid (Calle de Goya in the Salamanca area) including Gucci, Zara, Juicy, Prada, Chanel, Dior, and a ton more all had red carpets outside of their stores to indicate their participation. In each store was free champagne and treats (chocolate, cookies, cupcakes, you name it) and it just felt so fancy! Oh and I guess you technically were supposed to be looking at things to buy but we mostly just enjoyed the posh h'ordevours and looking at the ridiculously priced clothing playing the "guess how badly I can't afford this" game. There was a street blocked off as a huge party area, promotional party buses parked in the streets, a Juicy Couture carousel, and a live runway fashion show, and tons of places to get your picture taken with Marilyn Monroe look alikes and New York taxi cabs. A beautiful night, beautiful clothes, and fun to get dressed up and walk around.

On Friday, Élan and I had a lovely date at my favorite wine bar/cafe/book store, Libros y Vinos, and I got some work done for Alcandora, as well as working on submitting some applications for jobs back in the States, it's so crazy that I'm already starting to have to think about that! We had quite a lovely morning of work and lunch date, and then I came back to get ready because yet again, my wonderful friend Bárbara from work invited me to a fantastic new Spanish experience! This time, I got to go with her and her friends to the Spanish version of Warped Tour, a huge Spanish rock festival called Getafe en Vivo! Tons of hippies and dredlocks, and a huge camping ground where people stayed the night and endured 3 full days and nights of 3 stages of rock and hip hop music. It was absolutely crazy but so much fun, and a completely different side of Madrid than I've ever seen before. Spanish rock is mostly older groups and performers (because rock died out here after the 90's, apparently now it's all pop music) but with more energy and nonsense than I've ever seen. 

This weekend was a ton of fun as well, and included going out to El Tigre, my favorite bar which FINALLY re-opened! And going to El Rastro, the enormous Sunday flea market, as well as some other famous Madrid sights (menú del día lunch, Puerta del Sol, Plaza Mayor, and Gran Vía) with our amazing new roommates from England, Sarah and Rachel for their first touristy taste of the city. I could do that every day! And, typically Madrid, we walked down Gran Vía and unexpectedly ran straight into the final leg of the famous 3-week cycling race, Vuelta a Espana! One of the biggest nation-wide cycling races in the world, along with Tour de France and one in Italy. Again, one of the most amazing things about living in a big city, a nation's capital: you always run into these incredible events without even planning it. There is always so much to see and do here, and I absolutely love the pace and the culture of Madrid! Never fails to impress.