NYR #70: Take a picture with Gran Vía in the background

In case you couldn't tell, the last picture in the previous post fulfilled this requirement, but just to make sure, Aubs and I took one together.

Gran Vía is one of the most important (shopping) streets in Madrid, and it was actually created specifically for that purpose. Back around 1910, the people (read: upper class) of Madrid decided that the city needed a project that would bring it more in line with the values of Northern Europe (capitalism). So the powers that be tore out a poorer neighborhood and replaced it with a wide avenue, suitable for cars (when probably less than 1% of the population owned a car) and lined with theaters and shops (especially jewelry shops). 

It was Madrid's playground for the rich for quite awhile, and even if most of the theaters and jewelry stores are gone (one jewelry store got replaced by a McDonald's and a theater by an H&M), the glamorous architecture remains. 

It's one of my favorite streets in Madrid, mostly because of the paradox that demonstrates: at a time when Spain had basically no world power (in 1910, most Spaniards were still reeling from the loss of the empire in 1898), Spain's ruling class specifically decides that what is needed is a construction project designed to give off the illusion of such power. 

Gran Vía is really quite grand. But it's also a façade. And that's why I find it fascinating. 

NYR #3: See the sculpture of the Fallen Angel

Madrid is apparently the only city in the world with a statue of the Devil. It's in the Retiro, maybe a 10 minute walk from where I row every week.

It's actually a really pretty statue, I think. Even if it's supposed to be the Devil as he falls from grace. And of course, I can't help but imitate the drama.

NYR #13: Go Shopping on Calle Preciados

Well, this one wasn't particularly hard to do, given that Preciados is one of the most popular streets in Madrid. Chances are, if you come visit me, you will get the chance to at least wander down it once or twice (or 5 times, as accidentally happened with Veronica while she was here).

And of course, like all of the best streets in Madrid, Preciados is full of cute little stores and boutiques, along with some bigger names.

(I potentially prefer Fuencarral when it comes to shopping in Madrid, but I think that's just because there is one really awesome shoestore that has a super-cute pair of light pink oxfords that I have been obsessing over in my mind since I first saw them over a month ago. But that's beside the point.)

So when Aubs was here, I took advantage of having a shopping buddy and went off in search of some items which are desperately needed here in Madrid: espadrilles and a pair of good sunglasses.

This is me sporting my lovely set of shopping bags.

And this is me sporting my lovely new pair of shades.

They're pretty awesome. And oh-so-very-necessary in the bright Spanish sunshine (which will hopefully return very soon).

NYR #87: Run a marathon (we're gonna make that a 10k)

Before this 10k experience today, I was adamant that this body can't handle a marathon. Now, though, I'm not so sure. I think if I ran it in Madrid with a friend (after a solid 6 months of training, of course), it would be one of the greatest experiences in the world. This, of course, won't happen before I leave in July, but I am fully prepared to come back to Madrid, if only to run the marathon (although hopefully, I'll make it back here for various other reasons).

This 10k was the best yet (I've only run 2, so take that with a grain of salt), and I will tell you why.

This was the starting line a half hour before the race started. Look at them all lined up!

1. The marathon and the 10k started off at the same time, and for about the first 4k, we were running side by side. Then, we reach a point where the marathoners go off in one direction and the 10k-ers in another, and everyone just starts clapping and hooting and hollering, waving and cheering the other side on in their respective races. That probably didn't happen with the first few guys (those who were actually running to win), but it's pretty representative of the air of collegiality that just infused the entire race. Someone fell, and others stopped to help them up. We saw the leader as he ran past us where the course doubled back on itself, and everyone cheered him on. It was just an absolutely wonderful, supportive atmosphere and I had so much fun.

2. Having a friend means that (if you're like me), you have someone to set the pace. Kaitlin and I started off aiming for about an hour (and thinking that there was no way that we would make that). We both recognized that we haven't trained nearly as much as we would have liked to have trained, and we entered the race knowing that we were doing it for fun and not for a PR. That said, I still haven't mastered the art of the slow start, and Kaitlin's steady pace definitely reined me in and ensured that I wouldn't collapse of exhaustion before I reached the halfway point.

And to top it all off, I think that her awesome pacing ensured that we both beat our principal goal of finishing in under an hour.

3. Having a friend means that (if you're like me), you then have someone to help you push that pace as you really start to weaken after the halfway point. Granted, it also helps to run with some tunes, but it helps even more to run with a friend.

4. And running with a friend means that at the end, you have someone to lean on to help you recover.

I will run this much someday. Not now, and probably not anytime close to now, but someday.

NYR #26: Go out for tapas in the Mercado San Miguel

Back in March, when friend Aubrey was here, one of the first things we did was go out for tapas at the Mercado San Miguel. I mentioned this place in an earlier post as one of two remaining buildings with a French Belle Epoque architectural style, and it just so happens that it only recently became a super-posh place to go out for tapas.

Before its renovation, it was just a local neighborhood marketplace. Now, the people in this neighborhood don't really have a local market and have to drive to a supermarket that is kind of far away in order to get their groceries. That doesn't really sound so bad in American terms, given that we all have to drive to the store for our food. But here in Madrid, where a good percentage of the people might not have a car (or might try to use one as little as possible), it's not cool.

(Plus, I kind of live for the days that I get to hit up my neighborhood market and chat up my butchers. They always make me laugh.)

Aubs and I had a great time sampling some various tapas. The ones in the picture are some seafood bruschetta-type things. I think Aubs was being adventurous and tried the octopus. It's really quite delicious.

Nevertheless, going out for tapas at the Mercado San Miguel is a fun, albeit expensive, experience.

And it's definitely worth doing at least once in your life.

NYR #25: See the bonsais in the Royal Botanical Gardens

Right next to the Prado are the Jardines Reales Botánicos. That's right: Royal Botanical Gardens. And we all know what that means...

FLOWERS!!!

This week has really been the start of just absolutely beautiful perfect Spanish weather. 80º and sunny every single day, and Saturday was no exception. Friend Veronica came to visit, and since it was so pretty (and since she's been locked up in a library in Krakow all winter, and it still isn't particularly sunny there), I decided that the perfect thing to do would be to enjoy the Spanish sunshine.

With flowers.

First, there were the camellias. Lots and lots of lovely pink camellias. 

Some were even salmon-colored and all were absolutely beautiful.

They've convinced me that they should be my new favorite flower.

Then, we might have gone tip-toeing through some tulips.

And of course, we couldn't actually cross this one off the list until we saw the bonsais. 

I didn't really realize that bonsai just meant 'miniature tree' before coming to these gardens. For some reason, I thought that they were the crazy bamboo trees that people have cut and shaped into awesome sculptures. But I was wrong.

There are maybe 20 different bonsai trees in an exhibition. They're pretty cute and very unique.

But I think I preferred all the flowers.

NYR #4: See the Crystal Palace

This is actually one of the things in Madrid that I definitely saw when I was researching here during the summer of 2008, but I was incredibly happy to go back and see it with Aubs.

It's just so pretty and crystally and French belle epoque-y!

Late 19th/Early 20th Century Spain was kind of in love with the French belle epoque style of architecture (think lots of wrought iron and glass), but the only two buildings in Madrid that remain that really reflect this love affair are the Crystal Palace in the Parque del Retiro and the Mercado San Miguel.

This day and age, the Crystal Palace is either left vacant or is used for art and cultural exhibitions. This time, there was a cultural exhibit, but it was super-weird and I didn't want to take any pictures of it. So all you get is the lovely one above.