Thanksgiving in Madrid...

On my way to my friend's house to cook the pavo in a bigger oven...

One of the downsides to study abroad is not being with your family on certain holidays. However, one good side is being able to share holiday traditions with others. Although I missed by family, I experienced quite a unique Thanksgiving that I will never forget. With the help of some ingredients my mom brought to Madrid from the US (as well as years of experience cooking for 30 people), my roommates and I cooked a full on thanksgiving dinner (Turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing and all) and invited our curious Spanish friends over to take part in the uniquely American Pilgrim/Indian tradition. There were many funny moments (traveling with a 12lb turkey on the metro), fitting 30 people into our tiny apartment, trying to explain stuffing in spanish... but all in all it was a great celebration of being thankful. Enjoy the pictures...

How did this all come together... I will never know...

Roomies

It is in those daily happenings that make life so spectacular

Xiomara, Irene, Patty and Me. Friday night dance crew. They teach me how to move :)

Sitting here with the realization that my days in Madrid are numbered, only 10 in fact, and I am dumbfounded at how fast the time has flown. Just yesterday I was pulling weeds and moving rocks in view of the Slane Castle in Ireland with only a hint of what my life in Madrid would be life. Now, everything is coming to a close. Last papers, projects, tests are in route, not to mention the last bucket list of things I want to do and experience before the semester wraps up (eat at the local restaurant, walk through Park retiro again, enjoy many tapas, Christmas bike tour through the streets of Madrid, see a snowy mountain town near Madrid, see live music at a Jazz bar, eat the delicious croissants from the local Ecuadorian bakery, and the list goes on). I have been blessed with many travels this semester, but I must admit that a lot of my favorite memories are the everyday events that go on. Tapas with friends, making a spanish dinner, walking through the streets of Madrid, speaking in spanish, watching a futbol game, grabbing lunch after church with friends.... Before I get more nostalgic and reminiscent, I want to keep updating you on the daily life adventures that have occurred here in Madrid...

Fashion Museum

Kira and Me about to go enjoy some delicious tea

When life hands you lemons... make lemon mirengue. Part II

Belfast is one of my favorite cities. Beautiful countrysides,  people and memories. A friend of mine (the same one I went farming with over the summer) is currently living and volunteering in Belfast. After my sunny adventure, I came to visit her for 5 days. I got to see and take part in her job in Belfast (playing laser tag in the forest with some high schoolers). We toured up the northern coast, walked the Carrik-A-Rede Rope bridge, climbed giants causeway and heard the tales of the north from our quick witted Scottish bus driver. For some reason I keep coming back to Ireland, one can't visit this island without it creating a special place in your heart for the fresh green scenery and the warm hearted people. Although the weather was contrary to that in the canary islands, the people and experiences made it that much more fuller. Here are the pictures from the trip... enjoy:)

when life hands you lemons. make lemon meringue. Part 1.

*Pre posting note: learning spanish has made me lazy with English. So bare with me with the many grammar/spelling errors that fill (and have filled up) my blog. 

This blog begins with a story... At the end of October we had a week off of school. As all my friends from my program were making their exciting plans to travel around Italy, I was at a loss of what to do. Being that I am traveling to Itlay  later (with some amazing people from the CO). I knew that I was going to travel this week long trip SOLO. I've always been curious as how a trip solo would go... so I took the opportunity. I scoured the internet for an inexpensive flight from madrid and was drawn into a town called fuertaventura. After a bit of research I booked a ticket to none other than an island in the canary islands...

These islands are located off the coast of Africa.!!!  The temperate weather, unique location and lure of an adventure waiting to happen I booked a flight. I spent three days amongst the beaches and other northern travelers (this is a hot spot for when northern Europeans want to escape the cold). It seriously was a bunch of Nordic families and me. :) I would read next to a Swedish person, a Norwegian family, some Irish travelers and the English. Sitting by the pool was a cultural experience. 

Real Madrid

GGGGGOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLLL!
GGGGGGGGOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLLLLLL!

What would a trip to Europe be without going to a fútbol game? One day after class, I ran into some friends who were purchasing tickets to a Real Madrid game. In all honesty: I know little, maybe nothing (at least before this game) about soccer. Regardless, I eagerly joined in on the ticket purchasing festivities.  No matter the depth of knowledge for the game, experiencing a game like the one I went to will turn anyone into a fan. The game we randomly singed up for was against none other than against their rivals... Milan. These two have been competing for years to be the best and most well known teams of Europe. Quite the experience.

My friends, Hannah, Kathleen, and I went to the stadium early to check out the pre-game festivities. The media loves to portray such games as near riot status... but all we found were regular fans simply gun-hoe for their teams. Songs cheering on each team washed down the streets. Italian and spanish words were flying in every direction. Real Madrid scored twice in the first two minuets creating a surreal vibrant atmosphere.    During the game we were constantly standing up, sitting down, shouting, laughing and trying to learn the spanish cheers. Amazing. 

Pre game streaker

Fish in Salsa Verde

DELISH.

Spain Dish #2: Fish in Salsa Verde

I was initially drawn to this dish because there aren't that many ingredients, at least ones hard to find. Wine is ridiculously cheap around here and now I know why. Spaniards love their wine but they also love to cook with it. With wine almost as cheap as bottled water, why not?

The best part of this experience was talking to the fish man at the supermarket. I had no idea what cod was in Spanish, so I just pointed to a white fish and he smiled at me. He looked at my blond hair as if he understood and acted the rest of the fish related questions
out (my fish/supermarket vocabulary isn't quite up to par).I really enjoyed this recipe, although I am not sure why it is called salsa verde?!. If you try it out let me know!

FISH IN SALSA VERDE.

Basic ingredients 3 kg hake or cod 5 tbsp olive oil 1 medium onion 1 leek 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped fresh parsley 4 or 5 potatoes thinly sliced 100 ml water salt flour 150 ml white wine

Steps: 1. Chop the onion and leek. 2. Heat the olive oil in a strong earthenware casserole dish - add the onion and leek and fry on a low heat until they are a golden brown color (about 10 mins). 3. Add the garlic, parsley, sliced potatoes and a couple of pinches of salt - cover with the water and simmer until the potatoes are nearly cooked (this takes about 20 mins depending on thickness of potato slices) 4. After covering the fish pieces in flour add them to the casserole dish 5. Pour the white wine over the fish and cook for about 10 mins over a low heat until the fish is done

http://www.euroresidentes.com/euroresiuk/Recipies/fish-salsa-verde.htm

Besos.

South of Spain

Was fortunate enough to go on a trip through the South of Spain. Two ladies from my program and I set off to three major cities: Granada, Cordoba, and Seville.We toured away from the Gothic style of architecture that has been in all of the cities we have visited so far and stepped into something like Aladdin. Saw the '8th' wonder of the world, The Alhumbra, in Granada. A palace/fortress built in the 14th century by the Moorish rulers. It was Africa's last stronghold before Spain regained control of the country. A small walled in city that overlooked all of Granada... AMAZING. Next, we wandered the windy streets of Cordoba before entering the Mezquita: a mosque built on top of a chapel with a new Roman church built inside of the temple. Confused? I still kind of am. But lets just say it is a ongoing war, with a sad history, of whose property the Moorish mosque/Christian church mixture is. Meanwhile, it makes for one great place to visit. Lastly, we enjoyed 'Spain Day' holiday in Seville, the flamenco/tapa capitol of Spain (although we didn't see Flamenco.. we enjoyed some tapas!). The weekend was history packed but we managed to get in time in each place to get a good feel for it.


**Note: this is a picture packed blog. I had a hard time narrowing down what to share with you all. We saw so many things, I hope the pictures can give a better glimpse into my experiences. So come and go as you please. :)

Granada

Granada was beautiful. The river added a low key atmosphere to the city

Random fruits on the side of the road... we had to try them. One word: interesting

Kathleen, Hannah and I

Make myself like a potato, winnow myself down.

"Maybe I needed to make like a potato, winnow myself down, be part of something that was not easy, just simple." -Julie Powell (From the movie Julie and Julia)

As I am staying here in Madrid my aim is to live as the Spaniard lives... well at least try. How many times in my life will I have the opportunity to live in another culture and embrace a different flow of life?! There are a few aspects of the Spanish life I have already become accustom to. Whereas others I have had to learn about the hard way. ;) Many a nights I will sit down to eat around 9 or 10 pm. I've learned how to navigate the public transportation systems (a definite trial/error process, I have shown up 20 minuets late to class, a few times, trying to take a new route). Also, I've learned where it is and isn't 'acceptable' to go for a run. Smiling to strangers is solely an American practice. Always have a book on me.Skinny jeans are the only type of jeans here. Taking a siesta or break in the middle of the day. (genius). Taking time to enjoy food, eating on the go is an inconceivable practice here.(Well a practice that will generate many intense stares).

If you've known me for any amount of time, you know that I love to cook, be in the kitchen and enjoy food. In any combination. Naturally in Spain this had been a big part of my experience. A woman from my program gave me a number of Spanish recipes. Being that I am not living with a family from Spain, it is up to me to experience homemade Spanish food. Hence the Julie and Julia reference. In my attempts to tackle some of these, I am going to share them with you amongst my travels. So sit back, grab a glass of Rioja wine (a special region in Spain known for good wine), cook with me and enjoy. :)

First, is Alubias Blancas Con Chorizo. It seemed like a simple, quick recipie perfect for a novice Spanish cook. Beans, veggies, and sausage...delicious. As with every recipe I started off with onions and garlic. My two favorite items to cook with. I end up leaving the kitchen smelling like a combination of onion and garlic bread, but it is worth it! This was a dish that was different that anything I have tasted before, but it was delicious! I substituted the pepper for zucchini and added a LOT of garlic.

 Here is the recipe... ENJOY!

Alubias blancas con chorizo (white beans with chorizo)

White Beans with Chorizo is a quick and easy dish for those nights when you don't have a lot of time or energy. Since the recipe uses canned white kidney beans, most of the work is done for you. So, it's a perfect dish for beginner cooks as well. White beans combine well with the Spanish chorizo, onions, garlic and pepper to make a tasty and satisfying main course, ready in about 20 minutes.

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/2 red bell pepper
• 1 Spanish chorizo sausage (about 1/2 lb.)
• 4-5 Tbsp extra virgin Spanish olive oil
• 2 15 oz can white beans, drained
• salt to taste

Preparation:

This white beans with chorizo recipe makes 3-4 servings as a main course

.

Important Note re Spanish Chorizo: This sausage is very different than Mexican or Caribbean chorizo. Spanish chorizo is a firm, dry sausage where most Mexican chorizo is fresh and soft, not cured sausage. It also has different spices than Spanish Chorizo, so it is not a good substitute for this recipe. If you need a substitute, use Portuguese Linguica sausage, which is very similar to Spanish Chorizo and should be easy to find in your local supermarket.

Chop the onion and the bell pepper. Peel and chop the garlic, not too finely. Cut the chorizo into slices about 1/4-inch thick.

Pour the olive oil into a large frying pan and heat over medium flame. When hot, sauté onion and bell pepper, stirring often. Take care not to burn the vegetables. If necessary, lower the heat. When the onion becomes translucent, add the garlic and chorizo slices. Continue to cook until chorizo slices are browned. Add more olive oil if mixture begins to stick. Reduce heat to low.

Quickly rinse the beans under cold water and drain. Add to the frying pan and stir, heating the mixture on low heat. Add salt to taste. Once the beans are hot, serve in bowls with slices of fresh baguette.

Fighting Giants. Climbing Mountains.

Ventured to the countryside of La Mancha. Famous for the picturesque windmills. As well as Don Quijote's adventures around Spain. Spent time with my fellow USACers and enjoyed another delicious meal of Spanish food...

These are the 'giants' that Don Quijote fights.... quite the epic battle...

Bull ring in Chinchon (small town by la mancha)

Cafe con leche in the 'Bull head' bar

Huge Bull Fight Plaza

View from the top of Chinchon

Running with the Bulls: Kings, Gaudi and Fabio (Part 3)

Spain has so many hidden gem pueblos (villages) to visit, it is such a diverse country. For another last minute trip my roommate Lindsey, my friend Jion and I decided to head west on a bus and go to Salamanca. In a 2.5 hour bus ride we ended up in a town closer to Portugal than to where I live in Madrid! Salamanca is another quaint town full of rich history: Cathedrals, monasteries, sandstone buildings, and friendly folk (especially an elderly man named Francisco who thought it his duty to give us a mini tour of the city). We stayed less than 24 hours, but I feel like we experienced Salamanca.

I am pretty sure we found out where Fabio spends his time. Seriously. I am 80% sure we had a Fabio sighting. We were walking down a small windy street when a fancy gray car comes zooming around the bend. Shimmering in the sunlight, the car slows down just enough for us to catch a glimpse of the famous long flowing locks and possibly a sparkle in his smile (maybe I imagined that... it was rather hot out). NEVERTHELESS... we know where you hide out Fabio.

Anyways... I hope you enjoy the pictures.

Cathedral of Salamanca

Jion, Lindsey and me getting coffee in the Plaza del Mayor

BEAUTIFUL

Running with the Bulls: Kings, Gaudi, and Fabio (Part 2)

A friend invited me to come stay with her as she worked in Barcelona mid-September. The beautiful thing about Europe is it is easy, cheap and conducive for last min trips. So... why not? Thus a weekend trip to Barcelona... 

Crazy architecture was everywhere

I walked up from a random metro stop and found this statue in the middle of a round about...

Found a cute dessert shop in the middle of all the stores and enjoyed some fudge-like dessert... it was delicious.

Running with the bulls: Kings, Gaudi and Fabio (Part 1)

I've been fortunate enough to travel around Spain in the weeks that I have been here. Travel along with me.

Segovia

As a program we went to a small town outside of Madrid, Segovia. The name encapsels all that you would think it would be. Quaint, charming, and full of character. After the bustling city of Madrid it was nice to experience something so beautiful. We went to a castle first, then to an amazing cathedral, enjoyed a fancy dinner of 'suckling pig', admired a Roman aqueduct and finally strode through the royal gardens.

 This place is BEAUTIFUL. This is where the King and Queen used to live... what a rough life.

Tiffani, me, Olivia and Hannah

The Patronato del Alcazar de Segovia. This is where royalty used to live... it was created during the mid-evil times so it has a 'knight and shining armor' flair

Madrid: And So It Begins...

Grafiti writers of Madrid were rooting me on...

Go get 'em tiger

Play time is now over... it is time to go to school and learn. I've been in Madrid for over two weeks ...

*let me just take a second to tell you eeeeeeeeekkkkkkkkkk. I love that last sentence.

Madrid is a booming city. It is so full of life. Classic and modern art is everywhere. Intricate gardens and parks come out of no where in this concrete jungle. Men and women are always around, walking in their finest. No sweats or work out clothes allowed. The clink of dishes at tapas bars as well as American pop music seep out the the little shops and into the streets combining with spanish chatter and speeding cars. Spaniards are always out until all hours of the night! It is quite a change in pace from the suburb city of Arvada in which I grew up.

Museo del Prado- home to some of the most classic pieces of art

A Lucky, Lucky Irish Experience

Hasta Lluego Slane

Well friends and family, the farming part of this trip has now ended. It wasn't exactly what I imagined it to be, but it was an experience I will never forget.The Mount Charles family were incredible hosts and co-farmers. Watching Olivia debate... er help design the goat shed with two Italians who barely spoke English as well as Irish dancing on top of the dirt in the pig trough were moments I will take with me. I will miss the communal lunches and warm Irish sun. I'd like to say that I had some great revelation about organic farming and the importance of sustainable farming for the health of the world, but unfortunately I have none. At least from this adventure. It was simply a great experience.

*Aha the fact that we took pictures shows how 'farmy' we really are

The Pink Rain Boot's Last Journey

The famous Irish Poet, Francis Ledwidge, of Slane stated about Slane

"feel the lure, drawing you back."

This quaint town has a gentle lure to it. The quiet passages, lively pubs, fields and wild berries, friendly people, weather worn buildings and simple atmosphere slowly draws you in until you are swimming in its life. I feel so lucky to work here and get to know the people. It has been such a unique experience, I can't fathom what a trip to Ireland would be like without being apart of its way of life. I recommend wwoofing in the countryside of Ireland to anyone! However the farm work and long walks in the countryside have cost one casualty... the pink rain boots. I might be a little unhealthy attached to them... Read on for more of the story :)

Farming in Ireland.... An Earl, a German man and a lot of eh's and aboout's.

My brilliant family and friends,

*Pre-posting note: I am working on my Ireland slang. You are now warned if words such as brilliant, lovely, crack (slang for fun), lift (elevator), Q'ed and many more terms fill up my blog. ;) Also, this is a very long one simply because it is an introduction. My plan is to turn this  more into a picture blog as time goes on. :)

Well I arrived. Not much else to say about about the trek over here other than, everyone has to have a nightmare travel day, right? It isn't worth you wasting your time reading so... lets just say 48 hours of no sleep, 2+ hours of turbulence on the plane ride to Dublin, and a 9 hour hang out at the Dublin airport were the highlights. But I am here now and that is all that matters! 

The first picture is me with some crazy women from little rock, AZ who I met on the plane. We had cocktail hour over Chicago and swapped stories. :) The second picture is a smoke area at the Dublin airport. I just loved the hodgepodge of people in this picture. The third picture is a undercover shot at my table in the Dublin airport... this is what every Irish flight attendant wore!