Madrid day 2 & 3- Everywhere but the city, well almost

The next morning in Guadalajara my friend and I got up to catch the eight o´clock bus to the small town of El Casar. I was excited to finally get a chance meet her father. The bus that drove up could probably also have been called a van and as we sat down inside the driver turned on the radio to blast Top 40 music. It was like being at a dance party, but a little too early in the morning. During the trip we seemed to take all of the narrowest, windiest roads and about an hour later, just as I was starting to feel carsick, we finally arrived. Since we were early we stopped in a bar for some breakfast. A popular morning treat is chocolate and churros. This consists of a hot chocolate, pudding-like drink that you eat with churros that are like a type of doughnut, or fried pastry that you can dip in the chocolate. It´s like having dessert first thing in the morning.

After the visit I got on another bus for Madrid. I had a small project of trying to find some Maple syrup. The day before I left I had called up the Canadian Embassy in Madrid for some help. It was strange to hear the ´Hello, Bonjour´ greeting instead of the typical ´¿qué?´ or ´what?´ when they answered the phone and after announcing my query my friendly correspondant suggested I check in the Corte Inglés department store in the gourmet food section.

On my second arrival in Madrid I made my way to the Puerto del Sol and joined a throng of tourists in the streets. It was a little strange because it seemed like the common language was now English, not Spanish and there were so many people. Before pursuing my syrup quest I stopped at the Plaza Mayor to eat the popular ´Bocadillo de Calamares´ ( a fried squid sandwich) and then went to look for the Corte Inglés. It was very nice to feel the air conditioning when I walked in because it must have been about 40C outside that day. I went up and down every aisle in the grocery part of the store and for a while thought the only thing I would be able to find was a package of Maple leaf-shaped cookies in the international food section. Finally in the baking food aisle, below the various items for cake decorating I saw two small bottles of Maple Syrup and I picked them up. Funnily enough I have since learned that Maple syrup has significant antioxidant properties,is used in a number of diets and can be found in health food shops in Lugo. To share the Canadian delicacy with others I have adapted a Maple pie recipe and have brought the small tarts to my Spanish classes. Most people suggest it tastes likes honey, however one of my roommates told me he thought it was more like cough syrup or ´jarabe´.

Back in Madrid I made a short stop to visit the open doors event at the Prado art gallery to see their new exhibit spaces in the new extension, and then caught the train to Alcalá de Henares. The nearby town is most famous for being the birthplace of the author Cervantes and for its historic university. There I met up with a couple friends and we went to visit the ´International Gathering of Living Statues.´ All along the main street mimes were posed in elaborate costumes and waited for someone to drop a coin in their hat before starting to move. It was fun to see all of the different characters, but more than anything else what caught my attention in the town were the beautiful roses that literally filled the main square both rich in variety and colour.

The Spanish day sometimes seems like it never ends and you really should try to take a siesta to try to keep up with it. Later when I arrived back in Guadalajara my friend was ready and waiting for me to go out to a concert and when we got there I ended up eating supper around midnight. The next day, or a continuation of the previous, was a blur of trains and buses as I went to meet some friends in another town/suburb of Madrid called Alcobendas. I met them for church and then we had lunch together afterwards. That night when I got back to Lugo I was very happy to see my bed.