The one place Spaniards love to be more than el estadio del futból or the bar is: outside! When the weather is nice, (and even when it's freezing) the spanish people are always out of their cramped apartment. Do not be offended if a Spanish person never invites you to their house. The home is a place of privacy, of which there is very little in a large city like Madrid. Almost all social gatherings are held in public spaces such as, bars, cafés, restaurants, la plaza, or (my favorite) the park!
This is where I spent most of my weekend and a portion of my week studying for midterms/picnicking a fresh baguette, some cheese, and jamón serrano! (a spanish meal is never complete with out some ham!) This is Parque del Oeste. A 20 min walk from campus and a 5-10 minute walk from my apartment depending on which section you decide to go to.
I imagine that as the days get warmer the parks will be swarmed with people relaxing on the lawn, kids playing in their "yard," and excessive amounts of PDA and dog poop... Both rather unsettling.
Ah don't you just love it here now? I swear, spring in Europe is even pleasant than spring anywhere else.
ReplyDeleteAnd so true about the PDAs and dog poop - I thought it was bad at the beginning of the semester but now its just getting ridiculous.
Hope you're having a great time on your trip!