Final Steps

The past few days I haven't been able to sleep. Or I've been sleeping in very late because I haven't fallen asleep. My stomach has been aching and I just haven't felt quite right. Tomorrow is my last day in Madrid and then I head back to the States Saturday afternoon.  It has been an incredible past 7 months and I honestly can't believe it is coming to an end.

In honor of my last week, my host family and I have been trying to do some extra fun things, before time runs out. On Sunday, I made arepas with my host-dad, Luis, and my host-sister, Amalia. It was so wonderful introducing them to a new dish and seeing their responses. And seeing how each person stuffed theirs! In return, my host-mom, Titi, taught me how to make a Spanish tortilla on Wednesday.

Amalia and I making arepas!

tortilla española

My host family: Titi, Luis, Amalia, and Popi

It's been a wonderful last week, if not a bit stressful, and I really am sad to see it come to an end. But while I may be leaving Madrid for now, I am coming back to incredible family and friends and cannot wait for my return. As for now, I have bags to pack and last minute good-byes to say.

Santa Klaus

Berlin Air introduces you to this christmas wonderland before you even arrive!

With Klaus being the most popular male surname in Germany, it is no surprise that the country truly comes to life and overflows with holiday spirit when Christmas comes around. Still, I’m unsure if ‘overflowing holiday spirit’, nor any cliché statement for excitement (i.e. kid in a candy shop), depicts an accurate image of German Christmastime.

Berlin Christmas tree in front of Brandenburg Gate

Christmas tree in front of Parliament

International Christmas tree at Checkpoint Charlie (checkpoint during Cold War between West Berlin and Communist East Berlin)

transformation of menorah to christmas tree: Jewish Museum

Me in front/on the Pergamon Altar (c. 300 BC)

I went to Berlin last weekend to visit my friend Zach (Zach Maher, YSC/SY ’13) who is currently working in Berlin teaching English as a Fulbright Scholar. We had an incredible time together and I really loved being able to explore Berlin and have me show him around his city, his home away from home. We saw the Berlin wall in every form (original, reconstructed, painted murals, brick memorials of where it used to stand), most of Berlin’s most treasured museums, holocaust memorials, German parliament, abandoned warehouses, a children’s circus, and so so much more. I was thoroughly impressed by the city and the kind hospitality of everyone there, regardless of the city’s dim history.

fragments of the original Berlin Wall

Zach and I at the Crystal Dome in Parliament

walking through the holocaust memorial (pictured on the right): varying heights are meant to give the impression of gradual disillusion and disorientation

abandoned building exploring

However, all of these exciting Berlin must-do not compare to the plethora of Christmas markets we constantly encountered. Imagine being stuck in a Christmas movie where every turn leads to another candy filled, ornament lined side-street. Now multiply the by ten. We are starting to get somewhere. Berlin is a city of large holiday markets that swallow you as you step inside scatter throughout the center of the city and accompany every major site. They stretch on beyond site and are covered with wooden kiosks, each carved with different Christmas themes, from good ol’ St. Nick to the nativity. Some have carnivals—full size carnivals with Ferris wheels and Youth Fair rides—while others are strictly dedicated to creating a market winter wonderland. But apart from the occasional carnival, most central markets are essentially alike, and equally addictive. 

merry-go-round at market

Christmas spirit...and then some

There are two types of stands at a Christmas market: food and gifts. Classic German fare lines every ornament and trinket and there is no doubt what season each represent. Yet, the best part of a Christmas market is not something tangible—and no, it’s not the Christmas spirit either—it’s the smell!! A vast majority of market kiosks serve Christmas treats of some sort, creating an incomparable sensory sensation. Every 2-3 stands serve glühwein, a mulled wine typical to the German holiday season, while others sell holiday sweets (candied apples, spiced nuts, German pastries) or hearty snacks (bratwurst, currywurst, cabbage). Just taking a stroll through the market is a treat for your senses. But the occasional indulgence is, of course, a must.

chocolate covered chilies!!! (this pic is for you, Matt)

spinning nativity

markets!

ice skating rink in the market! note: the small girl in red to the right using a "penguin" to teach her how to skate. adorable. 

eggnog in mini-cones!

Determined to branch out a bit, we ventured to one market, in particular, that only happens the second Sunday of each year and donates its profits to a local charity. All gifts are hand made and unique, thereby setting it apart slightly from the others. But not too much. Christmas is Christmas, after all.

and more eggnog

I will, reluctantly, admit that by the end of my 6^th market, I was ready for a break. Still, to anyone planning a trip to Berlin, December is the time to go. Soak up that holiday spirit (and scents!) and indulge in some delicious treats. And if the cold is too much for you, glühwein is there to warm your hands. And then head to a beach getaway after your trip to defrost. That’s my plan at least—Miami, here I come. 

café hopping

This post is a bit different; it is more of an ongoing set of reviews than personal reflection. As such, I will be updating this post over the next 2 weeks as I visit new places.

These last few weeks are jam-packed academically with exams and papers. However, they are also my last few weeks in Madrid and Europe. So, I have decided to use studying as an opportunity to continue to explore the city...through its cafés. Every day I am taking my studies to a new café, settling there for a few hours with my laptop, and enjoying the unique atmosphere that each place boasts. I am a HUGE café fanatic, so this task is an absolute delight for me. All of them are within a 5 minute walk from my apartment; I've been very spoiled to live in such a trendy and central neighborhood.
Below are the places I have been to thus far.

Bicicleta *****

A known favorite and frequented place during my stay here, located just across the street from my apartment. Appropriately decorated with bicycle memorabilia, Bicicleta advertises itself as being a "Working Café" and that's exactly what it is. It is consistently packed with 20-somethings on their macbooks, while indie music from the past decade plays in the background (lots of Belle and Sebastian, Arcade Fire, and Elliott Smith). The staff is super friendly and, despite the crowds, there is always plenty of seating. At night, the café transforms into a trendy bar--still filled with 20-somethings and Belle & Sebastian.


La Cocina de mi Vecina  **
I was drawn by the adorable name of this bakery, which is a 2 min walk up the street from my apartment, and visited one of the first weeks I was here. While it is cute and neat inside, I was rather underwhelmed by the cupcake I got, which was stale and less than ideal. However, it was quite and had free wifi, so it wasn't a complete waste. But with so many other options, it also was not worth settling.

Daisies at Café de la Luz

Café de la Luz ****
I stumbled by this café by chance and was a little skeptical as it is on a quieter side street in Malasasña. It quickly proved me wrong. A very modest café, Café de la Luz has small tables each topped with a handful of daisies. The music ranged from soft jazz to Fleetwood Mac and my coffee was served with itsy bitsy galletitas Maria.





Toma Café ****
Any review that you look at will say that Toma Café has the best coffee in Madrid. To be honest, I am not much of a coffee connoisseur as a café-atmosphere seeker, but I will say that the ristretto I had was exceptional. Unfortunately, the café is very small, so it's not the place to hide away and work for hours. But, for all you coffee-lovers out there, ve y toma some toma café!

Sepia seemed the only appropriate option for this vintage café

Lolina Vintage Café *****
As the name suggests, a vintage café decorated in 50/60/70s theme--wallpaper, mismatched love seats, decorative table top lamps, and music to match. I ended up sitting in there basement seating the whole morning and was the only one there for most of the time. It's the perfect place to situate yourself for a long stay. To top it off, my espresso came with a shortbread cookie!

La Central café: view from above

Café La Central****
La Central is a small, but very well known and respected, book store in Callao. To any Miami readers, think Madrid's equivalent to Books & Books. The bookstore has local concerts (jazz, pop-punk, alternative) and various authors come in for book signings regularly. Inside the bookstore, there is also a small café, perfect for lunch, snacks or, a coffee and pastry. I had a wonderful magdalene dipped in dark chocolate and was extremely productive during my stay there. It is a wonderful environment for anything you want to do: study, peruse books, eat, or watch a show.

Tipos Infames: Vinos y Libros *****
Loved. This café is based on the theme of wine and books. It is a boutique book store with a café that serves wine, coffee, and sugary treats. I personally found the environment extremely conducive to studying, maybe it was being surrounded by so many books....This was not your typical café, but I think that actually what is what makes it one of my favorites.




Café Manuela 
Café Manuela is very unique from most other cafés: it is the place to be to grab a drink and play board games with your friends. Yes, board games. The café is only open in the afternoons/evening, but as soon as it opens at 4pm, it is completely packed. They have at least 50 different games for you to pick from, and while I was there, there was not a table without a game on it. Unfortunately, this popularity does not go well with studying. However, I did meet a movie director while there, so that was an added bonus!

I'm really going to miss all of these places and wish I had more time to visit them again. To be a frequented costumer and to have the staff know me. And while I look forward to Koffee and Jojo's at Yale when I get back, neither of those places are quite the same.