Student Bloggers

If you would have told me a year ago that I would be able to take a weekend trip to Spain, I would have said you were insane. Seriously, who just hops on a plane and heads to Madrid for the weekend? Well, I did. This weekend, Julia, Audrey, and I decided we needed a dose of sunshine, a glass of sangria, and a heaping plate of paella so we grabbed our passports and headed to the Dublin airport. I was pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to travel. HostelWorld makes it a cinch to find a place to sleep and traveling with my fantastic big-city dwelling friends made the Madrid Metro (mostly) easy to navigate.

As for Madrid, it was a perfect first trip. It was 75 degrees with a sky full of sunshine; we were able to wear dresses and I didn’t even bother packing a coat! I love Ireland, I really do, but Madrid had such amazing things to offer. Every corner unveiled amazing architecture, sculptures, and fountains. The museums were free to students and I think I fell in love at the Real Palace. We were able to go inside the palace and tour the rooms and I just started laughing as we walked from room to room because they were so grand and beautiful, there was no other way to respond. Each ceiling had a unique mural and the walls were covered in everything from silk to felt to real silver to porcelain with elaborate patterns and the furniture to match.

Our first day found us at the city market. It was fun to be able to walk around and see all the different food and drink. There were elaborate sweet stands, places to buy every manner of fish, and infinite amounts of fresh fruit. While we were wandering through the market, we bought tickets for a Flamenco show Friday night. The dancers were so expressive and the dances so deliberate that it didn’t even matter if we couldn’t understand the lyrics. It was fun to sit back and watch the performers get lost in their art. This weekend also gave us all a chance to pull out our rusty Spanish, but we did give up one morning and headed to the familiarity of Starbucks…

Which brings me to our real list of accomplishments. Forget that we were able to see the original art of Picasso and Dali. Forget that we managed to find the most impressive cathedral I have ever seen. And forget that we successfully navigated our way around a new city without getting lost. Julia, Audrey, and I accomplished the amazing feat that was our “foods to eat” list. Be prepared to be amazed at what 3 girls can eat in 48 hours:

• paella
• tapas
• pastries
• gelato (x2)
• burritos
• churros and chocolate
• sangria
• bread
• coffee (x3)
• gazpacho
• items that I couldn’t pronounce/spell (x2)

We’ve decided to dedicate our lives to being traveling food critics. While we may have been exhausted Sunday night and very happy to be back in our beds, Madrid was a perfect way to kick off a semester of international travel. I could not have asked for better friends to travel with or better weather. This weekend has made me even more excited for all of my weekend adventures.

Next stop: Milan