Last Sunday in Madrid

 

Sundays in Madrid never feel like Sundays. They feel like… nice… they just feel nice.

 

This last Sunday we went to do some tourist sightseeing… Rastro (the Sunday market in Madrid), Chueca (Madrid’s gay neighbourhood) to drink some cañas, Templo de Debod (boring), Parc Oeste (boring boring), eating in Principe Pio (some sort of a mall), Retiro park – bongos, some beer and something to smoke, Palacio de Cristal, bla bla bla. The interesting part came when we went out for “botellón” in a small plaza between Malasaña and Chueca.

 

Botellón means drinking and smoking on the street. Julie2 joined, we were together with Guy’s brother, Owen, and his cute girlfriend, Bob. A guy from País Vasco also joined. Unfortunately I didn’t catch his name. A really interesting person. In the plaza there were many people, playing the guitar, drinking and smoking, laughing and chilling… A nice atmosphere, relaxed, nice conversations, the kind of moments that you feel that should last forever.

 

I don’t know why, but I can’t seem to find my words today. Might be because of Bob Dylan – Hurricane in the background, might be because I’m writing just because I have to, because I don’t want this moment to be forgotten anytime, I should have written about it that night. I need a kind of a gadget that I can carry with me all the time and write all the things that I’m too lazy to hand write.

 

Well… life is still good in Madrid although I don’t have a house, I’m changing apartments every week, although I’m working more, although the end is so close and it’s starting to be too hot. Madrid, you keep showing me life and I still love you for that.  

     

The usual week-end in Madrid

Great week-end, as almost any here. Busy week, little sleep, a too short but intensive week-end. Friday night surprise party for “papa del piso” in Flor’s house. At 1 I was home. Uf! He came (surprisingly)… I don’t know at what hour, we slept and woke up hung over.

On Saturday I had to study with the girls from my Masters… so boring and tiering. A little fight that made me feel kind of bad during the evening and then… hehehe… party at my house. Micha’s birthday party. Tons of people, a lot of “entertainment”, alcohol, too many different languages.

We went out to Cardamomo, a flamenco bar near Sol. Good flamenco music to dance on but unfortunately there was no show on Saturday. After the flamenco bar we went to another typical Spanish bar, salsa and unknown music for us, and the owner, Pepa, one of the coolest bar owners that I’ve met.

Too bad that almost all bars in Madrid close around 3 o’clock. No problem, my apartment never closes. People were still partying in my house, beer in the fridge, music was playing, so… yeeey, let the show go on.

Today we just walked around Madrid, went to Rastro, I bought a new dress (I really should start putting pictures on) we went to the Retiro park, listened to bongo, ah, how can one not love Sundays in Madrid? We had a good sidra in a galician bar in the La Latina neighborhood and afterwards I went home. Good dinner, a good chat with my flat mates, tea and cigarettes and now… relaxed in bed waiting for a new explosive week in Madrid to begin.

Good morning Madrid!

De Madrid al Cielo

Well… a busy week, that’s why I’m behind with writing. After Toledo, on Thursday, my best friend (we’ll call her CMBP) came to Madrid from Barcelona (she was there to give her exams for the Masters that she will start in October). I picked her up from the airport, we went on Fuencarral, ate and drunk in a dirty bar (one beer was for free) – 6 EUR one menu, enough for 2 girls, I don’t remember how much were the canas (cana = small beer).

We went for a touristic walk, Plaza Mayor, La Latina, Lavapies, Atocha (the place where the terrorist attack took place), Plaza de Santa Ana, together with La Colorada, and then to Cafe Hawaii, my favourite, of course. Argentino, Taki and Parisiano joined and later on also did Pablo and Cesar, two of my Spanish neighbours. CMBP and me drunk some canas and the rest had red wine. After Hawaii we went to a rock (rock’n'roll) club/bar/something near Tribunal… I forgot the name. We had fun and headed for home late.

Just when I thought that the night was over, Pablo and Cesar were at the window (we can see each other in the back yard, we’re “very neighbours”) and they called us to their place. And so we went… They played the guitars, Pablo classical one and Cesar the electric guitar. Absolutely wonderful. The night couldn’t have finished any better.

On Friday we went shopping more or less because we went on calle Serrano, the “brand” street, so we could only look from the outside… and almost cry near the wonderful thousands euros shoes, purses and fashion.

Nighttime we went out with Blondy and Taki, first to a tapas bar, Callao area, then La Catrina, a bar where they were playing nice jazz (I can’t believe that I’m actually saying this) and a little bit of rock. After La Catrina we moved to the club/bar/something from the other night. We closed the bar (that’s how we call it) and went home.

On Saturday we went… I don’t remember where… strange… hmm. Well, nighttime we went to Comedia, a disco near Plaza de Santa Ana. Nice, bad R&B music, I’ll only go back because I made friends with the bartender. Oh, good cocktails also, one of the best Strawberry Mojitos I have ever had, 6 or 7 EUR depending on the time (after 00:00 they are more expensive). We went home, had a little chat and went to bed early as today was a rough day.

We woke up at around 11, had breakfast and went to Rastro with Argentino and Parisiano. Rastro is a market, I don’t know exactly how to describe it in English, more like an outside fare. I bought 2 posters – one with Marilyn Monroe and one with Tacones Lejanos (one of Almodovar’s movies) – 15 EUR in total. The weather was great, sunny, hot, absolutely wonderful.

We went back, ate and quickly, quickly to Retiro. Palacio de Cristal and bongo, of course. At 7 we went to Tomate’s house, walking again and going up 5 floors, no elevator. Monica (American) also joined and… out for a walk yet again. Tribunal, Patatus, we had salchipapas (fries and sawsage) and canas. At ten I was sooooo tired. We got home and I decided that the night was not over yet so we went out again, trying to find Beauty Bar that turned out to be a hotel… So we stopped in another bar nearby, had a cana and went home, to sleep this time.

It’s 02:25 and tomorrow we planned to go to the Zoo, so I should go to sleep. Well… anyway plans… plans… plans nothing.

So, good night Madrid, I’ll see you tomorrow.   

Hola

Ah, n-am mai scris de ceva vreme si nu-mi place. Scriu in romana de data asta, fac un scurt rezumat cu ce am facut azi si urmeaza sa vin cu detalii mai interesante intr-un alt post (stiu, mereu promit dar tot tarziu indeplinesc promisiunile).

Azi m-am trezit la 8:30 cu chef de lucru. M-am dus in pat la Blondy, am stat langa el vreo ora in speranta ca pot adormi la loc. N-am reusit asa ca mi-am luat laptop-ul in brate si am deschis documentele. Surpriza: varianta mea piratata de Office pt Vista tocmai expirase. Asa ca, nervi, stres, panica. Pana la urma tot Romania m-a salvat. Un baiat de nota 10, pe care il citesc si il am de multa vreme in lista de mess dar pe care nu l-am intalnit inca, m-a ajutat enorm si pot din nou sa scriu/modific/salvez/trimit documente. Apropo, trebuie sa precizez ca urasc din sufletelul meu noul Windows Vista.

In timp ce vorbeam cu Cathy (belgianca mare) am coborat la patiserie si am luat bagheta calda – 55 centi si o gogoasa mare, acoperita de glazura de zahar – 1,10 EUR. Painea calda e dementiala.

Dupa 3 ore am reusit sa rezolv problema cu calculatorul si normal ca orice chef de lucru se dusese demult. Avand in vedere ca azi a fost una din cele mai frumoase zile din ultimele saptamani, am facut un dus si am iesit cu Blondy in Retiro (da, acelasi Retiro, cel mai cunoscut parc din Madrid).

Ne-am intalnit acolo cu Pedo si Argentino, am stat la o terasa la soare (am uitat sa mentionez ca azi termometrele aratau +18 grade, as indrazni sa spun ca erau 20 dupa parerea mea), am baut fiecare cate ceva - Colorada (Pedo) – apa plata, 1,40 EUR, Blondy – ceai, 1,40 EUR, Argentino si eu sucuri mici, 2 EUR fiecare. Am stat cu cartile in brate, eu cu laptop-ul vreo ora, dupa care am plecat la plimbare. Ne-am separat, am ramas cu Blondy si am mers de partea cealalta a lacului sa ascultam bongo (tobe, cred ca ritm african).

Incredibil. Lumea dansa, aplauda, fuma diverse, bea alcool, in mijlocul zilei, cu politia pe-aproape. Obiectele interzise erau ascunse repejor dupa aparitia patrulelor (inofensive dealtfel). Am stat la soare, am stat pe jos, m-am uitat la studentii care dormeau pe iarba cu cartile sau ziarele in brate, am zambit si m-am bucurat de Madrid. 

Am luat-o usor spre casa, agale, pe langa Ritz Hotel, Palace Hotel, pe Paseo del Prado (unde se afla Muzeul Prado pe care nici pana acum nu l-am vizitat), Sol, apoi pana la cinematograful de langa Tirso de Molina – printre singurele unde inca mai poti vedea filmele in limba originala. Nu rula nimic interesant asa ca inapoi spre casa. Am intrat la Fnac sa caut o ”incapatoare” pt laptop, ne-am oprit la El Corte Ingles de unde am luat ulei de masline – 2,85 (la oferta – calitate proasta), tarta de branza si ou cu jamon (specialitatea lor de carne de porc), un ardei gras rosu mare – 3,15 (!!!), jamon si cam atat.

Spre fericirea mea cardul a functionat, credeam ca nu mai am bani pe el. Se pare ca acolo in Romania cineva inca se mai gandeste la mine din cand in cand.

Am ajuns acasa cand deja se inserase de-a binelea. Am mancat, am citit, si acum sunt in pat dupa o zi frumoasa de duminica in Madrid. Ce as fi putut sa-mi doresc mai mult de la aceasta zi minunata de primavara devreme, dar primavara de-a binelea? Ah, Madrid, Madrid…