Espana

London
Days: 4
Nights: 4
Meals consumed that were prepared by Chef Morimoto: 4
Number of times I made Sam laugh so hard that she had to use her inhaler: 1

Madrid
Days: 3
Nights: 3
Number of times strangers approached me to ask if I'm from China: 4 

Barcelona
Days: 5
Nights: 5
Number of times I went topless on the beach: 1 (Everyone does it!)

I haven’t blogged since three cities ago. I have been slacking and I don’t have Internet often now. I am in Hong Kong staying with my grandma. 

After London, I took a short flight to Madrid. I don’t know anyone there but figured I could get by with my rudimentary Spanish. However, I haven’t taken a Spanish class since eighth grade and as soon as the flight attendants started talking, I wish I remembered more than “tengo hambre.”

My first day there, I took it easy and went for a walk in the park near my hotel. Throughout my three day stay, I passed through Parque del Buen Retiro several times. I love that the name of the park means "Park of the Pleasant Retreat." The park is home to a rose garden, peacocks, rollerskaters (apparently it's a big thing there), runners, badminton, and people working out on the park equipment. There was a section of it that looked like Madrid’s equivalent of Muscle Beach but with people that aren’t grossly muscular. Sorry, I didn’t take any creeper pictures. 

A lesson that I have learned while travelling is that funny stuff happens. I hope that I am becoming more patient and understanding. For example, you may travel for an hour to visit a museum you really want to see that should have completed renovations two months ago only to discover they are closed for another five months (Sam later told me that construction/renovations are never completed on time in Berlin). You may walk several kilometers to a famous nightclub only to be turned away by the bouncer when he overhears someone in your group making a remark that “this club looks lame” (We ended up going to Watergate which had an amazing view). A couple hours before your flight, you may realize you and your travel companion have flights on different days (Thankfully, it’s fairly easy to change flights). Also, the first night you are alone in a foreign country where you don’t know anyone and you don’t speak the language, you may be in bed with no pants on at 11pm when an uninvited stranger walks into your room. It’s pretty funny now, but at the time it was kind of scary.

I was in bed catching up on e-mails when I heard the door click open. The person quickly left after they heard me yelling. I got up to deadbolt the door, which I should have done in the first place, and then I crawled back into bed. Three minutes later, a man tries to swipe in and starts talking to me in muffled Spanish. I couldn’t really hear him or understand him so I refused to open the door. I have been brainwashed and I thought I was about to get mugged or murdered. The front desk later told me he was a staff worker that got sent up because the first person who came to my room told the hotel that my room was “busy.” What does that even mean? Anyway, always remember to deadbolt your door. Duh. 

The next day, I walked to the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia. I love when museums are free especially when it’s mostly filled with stuff I think is weird. I took AP Art History in high school in hopes of gaining a deeper appreciation and understanding of art but I don’t remember anything. It’s my fault I didn’t pay attention. But, if anyone could explain contemporary art to me, I would be forever grateful. I just don’t get it. It’s all over my head.

Next, I went next door to Jardin Botanico and Museo del Prado before ending my day at Palacio de Villahermosa (Museo Thyssen Bornemisza). This museum is now my favorite (sorry, London’s National Gallery). The baroness has an amazing private collection that she has housed in a museum to share with the public. On the wall, there was a nice quote from Baroness Carmen Thyssen-Bornemisza, “From the time when I began to acquire works of art in the 1980’s with a passion that I owe to my husband, I have been profoundly impressed by the remarkable capacity that works of art have to move and unite human beings, I have always felt that art is not for one person alone and should be shared.” 

The museum also had a temporary exhibit of works by American artist Edward Hopper. Things like this make me feel like I am never far from home. There were many groups of girlfriends dressed up for a museum outing. Do people do this in the states? When I left at 8:30pm, there was a large crowd of people waiting to get in. The museum closes at 11pm. Crazy. 

On my last full day in Madrid, I went to walk through part of Madrid Rio.They tore down a highway and replaced it with 10 kilometers of parks along the Manzanares River. It's a neat idea and there were many people taking advantage of the bike paths, playgrounds, urban beach, cafés and restaurants, terraces, and cultural and sports facilities. 

Then, I walked to the Palace and it ended up being one of my favorite stops. I only got pictures in the first room because picture taking is forbidden. Oops. I wish I was sneaky and got more pictures because the palace was amazing. It put Cribs to shame. The walls and ceilings were ridiculously ornate and words just don’t do it justice. I’m pretty sure that my mouth was gaped open like an idiot the entire time. Two of my favorite rooms were the “Throne Room” and The “Porcelain Room,” pun intended. The “Porcelain Room” was 100% porcelain-walls, ceilings, but I was kind of disappointed there wasn’t a fantastically pimped out toilet. “The Antechamber of Queen Maria Cristina (Stradivarius Room)” had two violins, a viola, a violoncello, and an undecorated solo violoncello. Baby Jin, I tried to steal them for you but they had some intense security. Sorry, I couldn’t bring you home a Stradivarius souvenir. 

I loved Madrid, but I was even more excited about visiting Barcelona. Whenever I mention “Barcelona,” people gush about how amazing the city is and how much they love it. Also, one of my old rowing teammates, Allison, just moved there. I took a three hour train ride from Madrid to Barcelona.  Allison was super sweet and volunteered to pick me up from the train station.  I didn’t have a phone and we had difficulty finding each other in the crowded station. I felt like I was in a cheesy chick flick when I finally spotted her in a sea of strangers. I love staying with friends when I am in a new country. There is nothing better than seeing friendly faces in foreign places.

That night, Allison and I went to dinner with an English teachers association. I spoke with a man who used to work as a stand-up comedian in L.A. He visited Barcelona once and fell in love with the city. Without a job, a plan, or any knowledge of Spanish, he moved to Barcelona. When he got here he took a one month intensive Spanish course and since then has been learning the language by interacting with locals. 

In true Spanish fashion dinner started at 9:30pm and was still going strong when we left at midnight. The tapas were delicious-patatas fritas with spicy mayo, pimentos, and clams. 

The next day we went to Allison’s swanky gym, O2 and went to a spinning class. It was fun to go to a spin class in a different language. I didn’t understand everything she said but I began to dread it every time she said “¡una punta mas!” We took a well-deserved siesta before heading to her friend’s fiesta. Over the next couple days, I learned that siestas and fiestas are a winning combo. We went to her friend’s house in a small town just outside of Barcelona. He had a sick nasty (I can’t think of a more elegant way to describe it) view.

On my third day there, we went to a playa with Allison’s roomies. Allison lives in an international house with a roommate that is a vet from Brazil, a Frenchman in advertising, and a married couple from Argentina. We took a train about 30 minutes out to get away from the touristy beaches. We spent the day on the beach playing pallas (beach ping pong minus the table), drinking mojitos, and eating paella. I came to Spain with the sole intention of eating paella. Mission accomplished. It was delicious. 

Travel Tip Tuesday Topic: Travel Time-Allot more time than you think you need for the train station or airplane. I know this is a duh statement but I need to remember this. When I took a train from Madrid to Barcelona, I happened onto a strike at the train station. There was a crowd of people singing and chanting with a whole mess of policia surrounding them.  I will upload the video eventually and I would love it if someone could translate it for me.

Three things I’m grateful for: 

1. Hearing my favorite Michael Buble song on the train to Barcelona

2. Staying with locals who have cars

3. When my unplanned adventures work out