Walking Old Madrid

After a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel, we went to El Prado by subway. It´s an imposing and even overwhelming museum especially one´s first visit. I enjoyed viewing the works of Goya, El Greco, Velasquez and others; I likened it to visiting old friends. Then I visited another -- El Parque del Buen Retiro, a lovely green, tranquil park with fountains, palaces, statues, and a pond. It is a refuge por excelencia from the hustle and bustle of Madrid, something like what Central Park is to New York City. Even though it was a weekday, many locals and visitors reveled in the park´s beauty. They relaxed in the grass, rowed in the pond, snacked at the many food stands dispersed throughout the park, read their favorite book, or just plain pondered.

I heard about a show at the Bibilioteca Naciional called Ecuador: Tradition and Modernity. I walked several blocks and arrived just in time to take in a public reception; then I went in. The exhibit featured items belonging to prehisipanic cultures from the Ecuadorian Amazon, treasures from the colonial period and artwork from the Ecuador´s contemporary society. Since Spain is la madre patria of Latin America, Spaniards take great interest in learning about the Latin American connection because there is a common heritage shared proudly.

I decided to take a coffee break and headed for El Cafe Gijón,a famous spot where the great literary figures and intellectuals of Madrid would gather. There were a lot of people even though it was late in the afternoon, so I sat at the bar trying to soak it all in.

My next stop was El Circulo de Bellas Artes, one of Madrid´s finest cultural centers. When I lived here in 2005, I came here many times to attend cultural events. I saw film, attended concerts and just simply hung out at the lovely cafe. I had so many wonderful memories, particularly of the exciting Noches Barbaras featuring street musicians, that I had to return.

From the cultural center I walked up Gran Vía, one of Madrid´s bustling shopping districts, then cut over to Puerta del Sol and down to Plaza Mayor, the huge imposing historical square built by the Hapsburgs. I had to return to Puerta del Sol at the Zero Kilometer landmark to meet our group for dinner.

As we were congregating, I asked our students if they were up to attending a flamenco dance performance. I had 12 interested customers. To leave Spain without seeing a credible flamenco performance would render one´s visit incomplete. This art form is the one of the hallmarks of Spanish culture with profound roots in Moorish civilization. It is full of fire and passion. I suggested one of best venues I have experienced, Casa Patas, a small intimate place off of Calle Atocha and within walking distance from our restaurant. Most of my companions thought the cover charge of 28 euros (about $40 US) was a bit pricy; however, after seeing the show, they said it was worth every penny. It was a thrilling experience for them. The show featured two outstanding dancers. The first was a handsome young man with a a jubilant but intense facial expression. His dancing was masterful. A lovely woman joined him who was just as intense. Their personal chemistry sizzled on the stage. The musicians accompanying them were just as engaging. Incidentally, we had a resident expert with us, Valerie Chavarria, a flamenco dancer herself, and a student with the PAC Spain Program in 2005. When she participated in the program that year she took classes. The show passed muster with her; in fact, Valerie thought this performance was better than the one she attend two years ago.

We left immediately after to catch the subway back to our hotel. Our wake-up call would be early - 6:30 am - for an 8:30 am departure for Burgos.! Onward to the north!

The End of My First Day In Madrid

Our group returned with Gary to the hotel, but I decided to stay and keep blogging so I could catch up. I just couldn´t bear the thought of going back to my room so early -- nunca en Madrid! I then proceded to España Cañí, a little bar above Puerta Del Sol. The concept of cañí is a community of friends or comrades. Here´s a link to a picture I took of the facade.
http://www.accd.edu/pac/lrc/madrid2004/vi14.jpg

After a beer I walked a few blocks to Cafe Populart, a marvelous place to listen to jazz and blues. Here´s a link to the website. http://www.populart.es/.
The venue has never disappointed me and last night was no exception! I heard a talented cuartet who performed straight ahead jazz. I especially enjoyed the pianist who exhibited many moods. He played with such an edge and velocity at times while in other pieces he conveyed a rather poignant and soulful side. After the first set I decided to to return to the hotel which was a straight shot on Line 1 to Chamartin. I turned in about 1:30 am.

Ya llegamos ! We´re finally here!

I haven´t been able to access my blog from home which I believe is due to a firewall problem, but here I am blogging away in Madrid. Last week Denise and I conducted class with our students at Palo Alto which was a combination of a reporters´ bootcamp and an orientation of basic geography and early history of Spain. Denise really likes the text I assigned for the Humanities class, The Story of Spain, by Mark Williams. Kudos to her also for assigning the Art of Creative Non-Fiction and providing a fabulous seminar about the essence of effective writing. I believe she has prepared our students to write a decent feature story on a subject that has somehow piqued their curiosity.

We left San Antonio yesterday morning with anticipation and excitement in our hearts as we embarked on our long journey. I still needed some badly needed rest because I hadn´t slept a wink the night before, and I felt really groggy. After a two-hour delay on the runway in Newark, we were finally cleared for takeoff to Madrid. I slept most of the way. For me, the flight went went quickly, and before I knew it I was here in Madrid!

I thought about what it would be like to return to Madrid a fourth time. I reminisced about my old hangouts --Calle 54, Cafe Populart, Cafe Central, Casa Patas, as well as the great cultural institutions -- El Prado, Thyssien, Reina Sofia, Teatro Real (where I saw a performance of Carmina Burana) Teatro Español, Círculo de Bellas Artes. Madrid is such a sumptuous city with a joie de vivre. The streets are teeming with people even until very late. Ever since my return in 2004 as a faculty member in the PAC study abroad program, Madrid has gotten under my skin because it is so alive and offers such a stimulating and diverse cultural scene. Madrid está en la onda!

We finally arrived in Madrid and met our guide, Gary, who is a young español of Cuban-American heritage. We had to wait for Denise´s and Sarah´s luggage to come on the next flight; then we left to go to our hotel in the Chamartin area of Madrid. We had a little down time before we visited the Royal Palace constructed by Felipe V, the first king of the the Bourbon dynasty here. We then briefly stopped at the monument to Don Quixote in the Plaza España and Puerto del Sol where we had dinner at El Museo del Vino. The students are quite happy to be here, and I´m excited for them. It´s going on 11 pm, but the night is still young for me. I think I´ll stop by Cafe Populart tonight before heading back!

The"Skinny" on this Blog!

I want to share my adventures, musings and reflections of 13 students and 2 professors on the road in Spain. This will be my fourth adventure in Spain and my very first travel blog. I believe strongly in study abroad-- the longer the better, but three weeks is better than none. Spain is a fascinating place and full of suprises; I can't wait to arrive!

June 4 - San Antonio

I hosted our orientation/potluck last night and met all students and travellers on the trip. It is a delightful group which possesses impressive culinary skills. Among the offerings... paella, patatas bravas, etouffe, European style appetizers -- an absolute feast!

Today is our first day of class and the beginning of our "journalistic bootcamp." Denise gave us an excellent introduction to news writing/reporting and the values associated with it. My hopes for this trip is to have our students experience Spain on several different levels. While taking in the points of interests we will be seeing daily, it is critical they reflect upon similarities as well as differences with USA culture. I hope they will come away with a deep appreciation of this fascinating place, will want to one day return and will learn more about themselves in the process!