Last Full Day

Annaleigh:

It’s my last night in Spain. I went out for breakfast. I went to the park. The plane ride is nine hours.

Autumn:

After yesterday, I was determined that we would end our otherwise-amazing trip on a positive note. I did a little research and decided that we would have a fun, low-key day. First, I told Annaleigh that we were going out for breakfast. We made the trek down to Chocolatería San Gines so that I could surprise her with her first-ever serving of churros con chocolate.

Those of you who have read previous blog entries know that I am no stranger to churros, having last eaten them a mere three days ago. However, San Gines, tucked into a non-descript alley, is quite possibly the most famous chocolatería in all of Spain. This visit was a first for me, and I was surprised that it wasn’t crowded at 9:00am on a Saturday. In fact, we were sitting at a churro-laden table within five minutes of walking through the door. I thoroughly enjoyed my breakfast, and Annaleigh was clearly a fan, too.

After breakfast, we strolled down to Puerta del Sol, which was much less hot and crowded than the last time we were there.

Also in Sol were two Meninas, which are part of the Meninas Madrid Gallery art installation. 

There are currently dozens of Meninas sculptures all over Madrid with a variety of different themes, although Annaleigh wasn’t too keen on the idea of me stopping and taking pictures of every one I saw. You could read more about it here: www.meninasmadridgallery.com.

From Sol, we took a taxi to a park called El Parque Madrid Río. It is a relatively new park that narrowly stretches for several miles along the  Manzanarez "river" (really more of a glorified creek). We entered through this tubular metallic bridge:

The real draw of the park is the dozen or so playgrounds that dot the bike and walking trails, each with its own theme. We visited four of them. The first one was simply called Toboganes (slides). It was composed of seven or so slides of varying heights that were perched atop a stepped climbing wall. This was where we spent most of our time.

We briefly wandered under the tubular bridge to find another playground. This one was a semicircle of rope nets and synthetic logs that looked a bit like a giant game of pick-up sticks.

My little American Ninja Warrior scaled the whole thing from beginning to end. It’s too bad "Guts" is no longer on Nickelodeon.

Back in the opposite direction, we came across a playground called "El Barco de Pirata" for its obvious resemblance to a pirate ship. Annaleigh had fun exploring its little nooks and crannies.

We also visited the park’s sprayground. I had read about this area ahead of time and knew to bring Annaleigh’s bathing suit. It was a nice way for her to cool off and engage a bit with other kids.

Fortunately, there was a little cafe next to the sprayground for when we got hungry. I went Spanish and had a pincho de tortilla and a tinto de verano for lunch, while Annaleigh went American and had a hotdog and a smoothie. 

When we were ready to leave, there were not that many taxis around (and the taxi ride to the park had been quite expensive anyway), so we took the metro back to Sol. I realized that on this trip, Annaleigh has travelled by airplane, taxi, ferry, coach bus, city bus, train, metro, private car, and foot. If we can hitch a ride to the airport on a motorcycle tomorrow, she’ll be all set!

In any case, once back at Sol, we did a little souvenir shopping at El Corte Inglés, which is Spain’s major department store (picture Macy’s but bigger and with a supermarket in the basement). We then returned to the apartment more than seven hours after we left it and regrouped before heading back out for our daily dose of ice cream. Annaleigh asked that I photograph her with her (melting) ice cream, at which time she yelled out "patata" - what Spaniards say instead of "cheese".

On our way back, Annaleigh humored me and we posed for this picture in front of a bar on the corner of Príncipe Pío and Huertas. The sign translates to "Kiss me on this corner." So she did.

The rest of the evening was rather mundane: we stopped at the little playground next to the apartment, bought a few airplane snacks at the  local supermarket, watched "Paw Patrol" ("Patrulla Canina") in Spanish while eating sandwiches for dinner, and worked on packing up our luggage. Annaleigh said to me, "Mom, today was better than yesterday, wasn’t it?" I had to agree. It was the perfect end to an incredible experience.

One of those days

Annaleigh:

I will be in Spain for two more nights. I went on a tour that was three hours. I saw paintings.

Autumn:

Today had been one of the days of this trip that I was most looking forward to. The same company through which I had booked last night’s walking tour also offered a children’s tour of the Prado, and I couldn’t wait to take it. The owner of the company, Almu, was going to be the one giving the tour, and I had read such amazing things about her. She has a doctorate in Art History but worked with children as a docent for many years, and she also has two young children of her own. All of the reviews said that she was patient, kind, completely relatable to children, and able to teach little ones about art in a completely engaging and appropriate way. This morning I took Annaleigh down to the Prado and excitedly waited for Almu’s arrival.

The reviews were spot on. Almu was amazing! She explained paintings and themes in such an incredibly understandable way, and it is clear that many kids could easily get hooked on her every word. Unfortunately, my child, as wonderful as she is in many ways, has a pretty short attention span. Almu worked tirelessly to bring her into the conversation, and we even took occasional breaks - including once to get a cookie from the cafe - but Annaleigh still struggled with the tour. I was apologetic, explaining that we sometimes even leave theaters in the middle of movies for the same reason. She completely understood, and I still came away from the tour feeling as though I had learned a lot that I could in turn share with my own students. In any case, I highly recommend Almu and her company. She does adult tours, too. Here is the link to her website: www.acrossmadrid.com.

By the time we left the Prado it was lunch time, and Annaleigh wanted to go back to the apartment for lunch rather than out like I had offered. I was still frustrated by the tour experience and she got angry with me when I refused to let her have a second piece of candy after she ate her sandwich. Thinking we needed a change of scenery, I got us back out of the apartment and on our way to el Retiro, which is kind of like Madrid’s version of Central Park. I had planned on seeing if we could rent a rowboat in the pond, but we never made it that far. Annaleigh was still cranky, and didn’t want to do much of anything after we left one of the park’s playgrounds. This was the extent of what we saw in the park:

On our way back to the apartment, Annaleigh got a nosebleed. This is not uncommon for her, but is still not something either of us look forward to. We sat down on a bench and applied wipes to it (I was out of Kleenex) until it stopped and she was all cleaned up. By the time we returned to the apartment yet again, we were both pretty worn out. I called for some quiet separate time to give us each a chance to regroup, and then we went back out for ice cream. That was probably when the day finally started to turn around.

While we were eating, Annaleigh told me that she tried really hard in the museum, but that long activities are hard for her. She also rattled off some of the things she learned from Almu, like how black clothes with a white shirt in a painting were a sign of wealth, as were books, and how many people who did own books often owned just one: the Bible. She also talked about how Velázquez chose to paint the king and queen in the mirror in Las Meninas. Then she told me that her favorite painting was "the one where the table changed directions depending on how you looked at it" (she means this one, for which Almu had her move from one side to another to see how the perspective was different). It turns out that she was listening! Thanks again to Almu for getting through to her.

My only other plan for the evening was dinner, which were arepas that we picked up from a local arepería and brought back to the apartment. I know they’re Colombian and not Spanish, but they were quick and inexpensive and we both agreed that they were delicious. 

Now Annaleigh is sleeping and I am continuing to reflect on this day. I knew I wanted to paint an honest picture of how it went because I think that one of the worst things about social media is they way it tends to make everyone else’s life seem perfect, even though perfection is unattainable. Even on this amazing, once-in-a-lifetime trip, there was bound to be at least one "off" day. Back when we were eating ice cream, Annaleigh asked me what my favorite part of our trip was. I told her that it was hiking from the lighthouse back into town in Santander, and then I asked her the same question. She said that it was a tie between the beach, climbing the tower in Salamanca, and going to camp. I think that the fact that she couldn’t pick just one experience highlights that she really has enjoyed herself. Tomorrow is our last full day in Spain, and I’m determined to end our journey on a positive note.

Madrileñas

Annaleigh:

I went on a scavenger hunt today. I finished camp yesterday. I am going on another tour tomorrow.

Autumn:

For some reason, the blog post I wrote last night did not upload properly, so I am going to try and recreate it.

Yesterday morning we bid farewell to our apartment in Salamanca and took a taxi to the train station. Once there, we ran into Elena and Cristina, who were taking the same train as us but planned on getting off in Segovia instead of Madrid. We were scheduled to ride in different cars, but it was nice to have people to chat with while we waited for the train to arrive. Since we didn’t get a picture of the four of us when we climbed the tower, we decided to have a photo taken right there on the train platform.

When we arrived in Madrid, Annaleigh and I took another cab to our new AirBnB, where our host’s son, Jorge was waiting for us. Jorge gave us a few maps and made suggestions about different restaurants and points of interest. After chatting for a little while, he left so that we could settle into our new space.

We were hungry by that point, so we went out for lunch and then wandered around the neighborhood, which was more or less where I stayed when in I was in Madrid for five weeks 12 years ago. I showed Annaleigh Calle de las Huertas, a pedestrian-friendly street that is full of little restaurants and is known for the Spanish literary quotes that are emblazoned in the cobblestone.

Eventually it was time for us meet up with our guide Tristan in Plaza del Sol (kind of like NYC’s Times Square, although prettier).

Tristan gave Annaleigh a little booklet filled with examples of Madrid’s bear symbol. He helped her look for them on everything from sculptures, to wall engravings, to plaques and even garbage cans. Annaleigh went through checking them off as she found them.

Tristan also shared interesting pieces of history, legends, and myths related to Madrid’s buildings, neighborhoods, and monuments. Annaleigh was a little too hot and tired to appreciate much of it, but I thoroughly enjoyed learning about how Madrid went from being an Arab city founded by the Moors to the capital of modern Spain. I also enjoyed passing by Botín (the oldest restaurant in the world in continuous use), window shopping at a traditional flamenco dress shop, and seeing where Cervantes went to school when he was young. 

At the end of the tour, Tristan "knighted" Annaleigh with a pin that displayed the symbol of Madrid on it. She promised to wear it on today’s children’s tour of the Prado. I’m so excited for that experience!

The Ups and Downs of Traveling

Annaleigh:

I am staying up until 11:05pm today. I am taking a train to Madrid tomorrow.

Autumn:

After dropping Annaleigh off at camp this morning, I realized I had some time before my conference started, so I decided to treat myself to one of the most delicious breakfasts ever: ¡churros con chocolate!

If you are going to get churros in Salamanca, there is no better place than Chocolatería Valor. It has been there for well over a century, and the staff serves rich, melted chocolate with hot churros fresh out of the fryer. I felt a little guilty that Annaleigh hasn’t had churros con chocolate yet, but I plan on taking her to San Gines (quite possibly the most famous churros cafe in all of Spain) when we are in Madrid.

After my delicious churros, I went to two conference sessions: one for K-8 teachers, and one on a website called Voicethread. I think I could make good use of Voicethread for homework speaking practice, and I also have a whole list of resources that we generated in the k-8 workshop. We also took turns taking silly photos of each other.

When my sessions were over, I went to pick Annaleigh up at camp for the last time, where she said goodbye to her teachers and some of her new little friends.

We returned to the apartment for a few hours, and then it was time to spend our last evening exploring in Salamanca. We crossed the Roman bridge once again...

...went past the statue of the famous literary character Lazarillo de Tormes...

...and over to the tourist train, which gave us a fun and informative ride through the historic center of the city.

Afterwards, Annaleigh made friends with some police officers who gave her stickers and a badge.

I then took her to la Huerta de Callisto y Melinda, a beautiful garden named after the other two famous literary characters that are associated with Salamanca.

We had dinner and were finishing up some shopping when I discovered that my debit card was missing. In a panic, I retraced my steps, breaking the glass water bottle in my bag in the process. I finally had to call my bank, where I discovered that I had last used it in a store much earlier that day that was closed by that point. I was grateful that no further charges had been made, and I cancelled the card. It’s not the best circumstance to find myself in, but at least I have my credit cards and some cash to get me through the rest of the trip.

Once my stress level came down, I took Annaleigh to the Plaza Mayor as promised so that she could see what it looked like all lit up. We got some ice cream while we waited for the lights to come on, and we sat on the ground right in the middle of it like a lot of other people.

When the lights finally came on, Annaleigh gasped and applauded like I hoped she would, and she told me that the plaza was so beautiful that she didn’t want to leave. We aren’t often on the same page, so my heart swelled at the realization that she seems to love this place just as much as I do. I told her that if she studies abroad here some day, she can watch the Plaza Mayor light up every night if she wants to. We both were quiet for a few seconds, taking in the view and thinking about if and when life would ever take us back here. I no longer cared about lost debit card or broken glass, because that moment made it all worth it.

Another Day in Salamanca

Annaleigh:

I went to the plaza today. I went to the store today.

Autumn:

As you can probably guess from Annaleigh’s entry, there’s not too much to report today. We caught an earlier bus this morning, so Annaleigh had a few minutes to play on a playground before I dropped her off at camp.

I went to the conference, where I attended three interesting sessions: one about the history of food and its influence on Hispanic culture, one about the use of social media and other technological tools in the classroom, and a third about incorporating Social Justice into World Language curriculum. Then I went and picked up Annaleigh and we went home to have lunch and rest. 

Afterwards, we walked to the local supermarket to pick up some fruit, yogurt, and sandwich supplies (what would have cost me 20 dollars in the U.S. cost me 8 euros here). We dropped off our groceries at the apartment and made the trek over the Roman bridge and into the city center. We got ice cream at my favorite place in Plaza Mayor before doing some shopping. We wandered in and out of stores, and although I didn’t by myself any clothes, Annaleigh wound up with some new (hopefully comfortable) shoes. The Velcro on her current sneakers no longer works, and it’s driving us both crazy because she has to keep stopping to refasten them. We also went into Alehop, my favorite accessory store, where each of us bought a fan and I got a water bottle. By that point, we were ready for dinner, so I found a tapas bar outside of the tourist area. For another 8 euros, Annaleigh had a bottle of water and a chicken sandwich, and I had two tapas and a huge tinto de verano. It always amazes me how inexpensive food is here if you know where to look.

With full bellies, we slowly made our way back to the apartment, were we popped out onto one of our three balconies for a few minutes before Annaleigh’s bedtime.

I put Annaleigh to bed, and then managed to turn on enough appliances at once to make the power go out. Fortunately, a quick text to our host was all I needed, as he informed me where the fuse box was and what switch to flip within about 60 seconds. All is well now. ¡Buenas noches!