I found out after a quick google search that they were taking part in the San Sebastian half marathon 2014.
Apologies for the shakiness of the video - I had just woken up!
Sunday 30 November 2014
A Marathon??
I was woken up this morning by shouts and cheers from the street outside. I pulled up my blinds to find thousands of red t-shirted runners braving the fog and cloudy skies.
A Visitor!!
Last weekend my lovely boyfriend Chris flew out to Madrid to visit me for the first time. It was so strange to see someone so familiar after being away from home for so many weeks! I met him from the train at Nuevos Ministerios but only after faffing about not knowing where to wait and coming crashing down on my hands and knees after changing my mind on an escalator and trying to run back up the first few steps...again smooooth.
We only had 4 days so had to pack in as much sightseeing as possible. From the station we headed from Gran Vía down to Sol looking for somewhere to get some lunch. We ended up in Montaditos which is a famous Spanish fast food place that serves tapas and tiny sandwiches. After a mix up in which we we nearly ate another guy's food we finally got our Tabla of mixed options. To be honest I'm not sure I'll be eating there again it all seemed a bit over-hyped.
After a walk down into Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor we headed home to my flat in Atocha; it was so nice to have someone to show it to and to introduce Chris to all my housemates. It had been a long day with an early start for Chris so we stayed in on Friday night just catching up and watching a TERRIBLE film (if you get the chance to see "Lucy" with Scarlett Johansson politely decline).
We were so lucky with the weather for the whole weekend. Saturday dawned bright and warm so we decided to go for a walk in Retiro. It really is a lovely park; we sat with a drink in the sunshine watching all the roller skaters zip about and little kids with scooters trundling along. I really wanted to see the Palacio Cristal as I'd heard it's really beautiful. Sitting outside it was a dude playing what I've since found out is called a "Hang" - a metal instrument that looks like a UFO or flattened globe that he balanced on his knees and played like a drum. It was amazing the wall of sound he created by just tapping out his rhythms. The Palacio is as beautiful as I'd hoped it would be with the sunlight streaming through the high glass panels and the autumn leaves reflected in the ornamental duck pond outside. There was an art installation in the centre of the palace made up of a caravan with panels cut out so that we could peer inside. It was full of tiny animatronic puppets of magical creatures made of twigs and doll parts that each seemed to be dancing about to strange backing music. At the far end of the caravan was a woman lying asleep in a white nightgown with the strange creatures playing all around her. At first we thought she was a model, then Chris convinced me she was real, then I wasn't sure again and in the end had to ask one of the minders. It turns out she was made of wax but was the most realistic model I've ever seen - she even had a mechanism inside her that made her chest rise and fall as though she were breathing! Her skin was incredible; it must have taken the artist aaages to create her.
After a quick lunch back at the flat where I introduced Chris to tortilla (in my opinion one of the best things about a year abroad in Spain) we headed to El Mercado de San Miguel. I'd known I was going to take him there since I discovered it on my first day in Madrid all the way back at the begining of October. One of the most famous food markets in the city, it's housed in a huge Victorian glass house and packed with tapas stalls full to bursting with everything you can think of; definitely Chris' kind of place. We tried smoked salmon and dill crackers before deciding to come back for pudding and headed to Calle Cava Baja for dinner. After reading the menu of every restaurant in the street we finally settled on the first one - sorry Chris! A lovely dinner of garlic prawns, salmon, albóndigas and tiny beef steaks followed (the spanish don't seem to be big on vegetables...). Then bag to El Mercado for a chupito of passionfruit yoghurt.
Sunday was a fairly lazy day. We wandered up to Malasaña to buy some ingredients for dinner from El Mercado de San Anton. We got there within about half an hour of closing time when most of the fish and meat stalls were packing up so we bought some lovely vegetables instead and decided to make ratatouille. The second floor of the market is devoted to tapas stalls and a bar; though there were tables it was absolutely packed so I wouldn't hold out on getting a seat if you're thinking of going. We had tiny ham and salchichón sandwiches, tomatoes filled with feta cheese, an octopus cracker, tortilla and to finish off Chris had a slice of coffee and bailey's cheese cake. Our attempt at ratatouille was mainly successful (it looked like it was supposed to) but a bit tasteless so we had to add some chorizo. We made so much I've been eating it every night for a week...it's beginning to lose its appeal...
On Monday we had a lie in and then headed to the famous San Gines for chocolate con churros. These are like deep fried doughnuts dipped in melted chocolate. They were nice for the first one and a half churros but then we started to feel a bit sick...
Reading this back it seems like all we did was eat but Madrid has such nice food! After a dinner of paella, fried goats cheese with blueberries and rabo de toro or bull's tail stew (food again...) it was time for Chris to head back to the airport. I went along for the ride and it only took about 40mins so it should be an easy journey for me at Christmas. We said our goodbyes *sniff* and then I headed back to my little flat in Atocha.
Having Chris here even for only a weekend was so lovely and I can't wait to see everyone in England again at Christmas. At first, after a couple of days of mainly speaking english and not thinking about work, I felt refreshed and ready to take on Spain once again. A few days into the week however and I just wanted to go home. That's the downside to having visitors - sometimes when they leave you wish you were going too! My mood hasn't been helped by the horrible dark rainy weather we've been having here but thankfully the sun soon came out again and I began to feel better. I've realised that it's keeping busy that makes me feel good (that and my new MAC lipstick - Merry Christmas to meee, Merry Christmas to meeeee) so have planned a week full of clarinet lessons, cinema trips, christmas shopping and photography sprees.
I apologise for the lack of photos to accompany this incredibly long post; I decided to leave my camera at home for the weekend but I'm sure I'll be uploading some photos of San Miguel soon as it's one of the most photogenic places I've seen so far in Madrid!
We only had 4 days so had to pack in as much sightseeing as possible. From the station we headed from Gran Vía down to Sol looking for somewhere to get some lunch. We ended up in Montaditos which is a famous Spanish fast food place that serves tapas and tiny sandwiches. After a mix up in which we we nearly ate another guy's food we finally got our Tabla of mixed options. To be honest I'm not sure I'll be eating there again it all seemed a bit over-hyped.
After a walk down into Puerta del Sol and Plaza Mayor we headed home to my flat in Atocha; it was so nice to have someone to show it to and to introduce Chris to all my housemates. It had been a long day with an early start for Chris so we stayed in on Friday night just catching up and watching a TERRIBLE film (if you get the chance to see "Lucy" with Scarlett Johansson politely decline).
We were so lucky with the weather for the whole weekend. Saturday dawned bright and warm so we decided to go for a walk in Retiro. It really is a lovely park; we sat with a drink in the sunshine watching all the roller skaters zip about and little kids with scooters trundling along. I really wanted to see the Palacio Cristal as I'd heard it's really beautiful. Sitting outside it was a dude playing what I've since found out is called a "Hang" - a metal instrument that looks like a UFO or flattened globe that he balanced on his knees and played like a drum. It was amazing the wall of sound he created by just tapping out his rhythms. The Palacio is as beautiful as I'd hoped it would be with the sunlight streaming through the high glass panels and the autumn leaves reflected in the ornamental duck pond outside. There was an art installation in the centre of the palace made up of a caravan with panels cut out so that we could peer inside. It was full of tiny animatronic puppets of magical creatures made of twigs and doll parts that each seemed to be dancing about to strange backing music. At the far end of the caravan was a woman lying asleep in a white nightgown with the strange creatures playing all around her. At first we thought she was a model, then Chris convinced me she was real, then I wasn't sure again and in the end had to ask one of the minders. It turns out she was made of wax but was the most realistic model I've ever seen - she even had a mechanism inside her that made her chest rise and fall as though she were breathing! Her skin was incredible; it must have taken the artist aaages to create her.
After a quick lunch back at the flat where I introduced Chris to tortilla (in my opinion one of the best things about a year abroad in Spain) we headed to El Mercado de San Miguel. I'd known I was going to take him there since I discovered it on my first day in Madrid all the way back at the begining of October. One of the most famous food markets in the city, it's housed in a huge Victorian glass house and packed with tapas stalls full to bursting with everything you can think of; definitely Chris' kind of place. We tried smoked salmon and dill crackers before deciding to come back for pudding and headed to Calle Cava Baja for dinner. After reading the menu of every restaurant in the street we finally settled on the first one - sorry Chris! A lovely dinner of garlic prawns, salmon, albóndigas and tiny beef steaks followed (the spanish don't seem to be big on vegetables...). Then bag to El Mercado for a chupito of passionfruit yoghurt.
Sunday was a fairly lazy day. We wandered up to Malasaña to buy some ingredients for dinner from El Mercado de San Anton. We got there within about half an hour of closing time when most of the fish and meat stalls were packing up so we bought some lovely vegetables instead and decided to make ratatouille. The second floor of the market is devoted to tapas stalls and a bar; though there were tables it was absolutely packed so I wouldn't hold out on getting a seat if you're thinking of going. We had tiny ham and salchichón sandwiches, tomatoes filled with feta cheese, an octopus cracker, tortilla and to finish off Chris had a slice of coffee and bailey's cheese cake. Our attempt at ratatouille was mainly successful (it looked like it was supposed to) but a bit tasteless so we had to add some chorizo. We made so much I've been eating it every night for a week...it's beginning to lose its appeal...
On Monday we had a lie in and then headed to the famous San Gines for chocolate con churros. These are like deep fried doughnuts dipped in melted chocolate. They were nice for the first one and a half churros but then we started to feel a bit sick...
Reading this back it seems like all we did was eat but Madrid has such nice food! After a dinner of paella, fried goats cheese with blueberries and rabo de toro or bull's tail stew (food again...) it was time for Chris to head back to the airport. I went along for the ride and it only took about 40mins so it should be an easy journey for me at Christmas. We said our goodbyes *sniff* and then I headed back to my little flat in Atocha.
Having Chris here even for only a weekend was so lovely and I can't wait to see everyone in England again at Christmas. At first, after a couple of days of mainly speaking english and not thinking about work, I felt refreshed and ready to take on Spain once again. A few days into the week however and I just wanted to go home. That's the downside to having visitors - sometimes when they leave you wish you were going too! My mood hasn't been helped by the horrible dark rainy weather we've been having here but thankfully the sun soon came out again and I began to feel better. I've realised that it's keeping busy that makes me feel good (that and my new MAC lipstick - Merry Christmas to meee, Merry Christmas to meeeee) so have planned a week full of clarinet lessons, cinema trips, christmas shopping and photography sprees.
I apologise for the lack of photos to accompany this incredibly long post; I decided to leave my camera at home for the weekend but I'm sure I'll be uploading some photos of San Miguel soon as it's one of the most photogenic places I've seen so far in Madrid!
Tuesday 25 November 2014
El Rastro - Madrid's Biggest Flea Market
On Sunday it was the second meeting of "las mujeres creativas" and because I had such a good time at the exhibition I thought it would be good to hang out with them again. For the morning Aurora had organized a photography trip to El Rastro, one of the biggest and best known markets in Madrid, and a possible look in at a book launch in the afternoon. I'd been looking forward to it all week and praying for sunshine so it wouldn't be called off. After a mini adventure on the Cercanías line for the first time I arrived in the sunny Plaza Campillo del Mundo Nuevo and was met by Aurora all on her own. It turns out the others had all had to cancel for some reason so it was just the pair of us that set off to explore the market.
In the square itself there were groups of people crouched over on the floor surrounded by albums and folders bursting with cromos or trading cards. Everything from Pokemon to Magic The Gathering and vintage cigarette cards. A little further in we discovered the book stalls...soooo many lovely books!
In the square itself there were groups of people crouched over on the floor surrounded by albums and folders bursting with cromos or trading cards. Everything from Pokemon to Magic The Gathering and vintage cigarette cards. A little further in we discovered the book stalls...soooo many lovely books!
The main thoroughfare is packed with people and knock-off clothes, jewellery and bags etc. In the streets off the square were the antiques and more interesting stalls covered in knick knacks.
The sheer variety of the stuff on offer is incredible! The more legitimate sellers are often accompanied by people that have just turned up with a battered suitcase full of odds and ends. I saw one man selling a single mug, a coil of telephone wire and a few plastic toys spread out on his old tweed jacket.
There's no denying the place was crowded but the main crowds were to be found in the more touristy areas. The back streets, though mainly full, still left you with a little room to breathe. I'd been told to watch out for pick pockets but just kept my bag close and was fine.
The market managed to keep hold of its traditional roots while catering to the tourists; there was even an old romany woman playing a barrel organ!
As well as the street stalls there's an arcade just dedicated to antiques with the larger pieces stored outside in a courtyard.
Each shop is themed with some dedicated to 1920s antiques while others are full of Victorian bits and bobs. On the way out we found a tiny shop packed with Spanish antiques and pictures.
Aurora found a pile of tiny paperback novellas and short stories from the 20s that must have been part of a serial or attached to a magazine of some kind. The one she wanted had lost its cover so only cost 2 euros.
We bought a bag of freshly fried potato crisps and wandered about some more. The sun was really low and I was wearing sunglasses so couldn't really see anything to be honest. I walked straight into a bollard and now have matching bruises on each knee...smooth.
El Rastro is definitely worth a trip on a Sunday morning; don't listen to the people who say it's been ruined by tourists! Admittedly some parts have been but there are definitely still some hidden gems to be found.
To end a little video of an amazing clarinet player from El Rastro:
El Rastro is towards the south of Madrid in the Lavapies area, it's open every Sunday from 8am to 3pm and I arrived via Embajadores metro stop but there are plenty of others to choose from.
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Exhibition - "Metamorfosis" - La Casa Encendida
Last week I was browsing the website meetup.com to try and find any groups I might like to join. I found a recently created one for "mujeres creativas" in Madrid and thought I'd check them out. The first "meetup" was set to be at La Casa Encendida which is a really interesting space designed to be used for "educational purposes"; there are numerous workshops, talks and events taking place all throughout the year. The exhibition we were going to see was called "Metamorfosis: Visiones Fantásticas de Starewitch, Svankmajer y los Hermanos Quay". I'd read online that it was based on the work of early stop motion animators who had gone on to be major influences for people such as Tim Burton. Now anything to do with Tim Burton has got to be interesting right?
I arrived and met Aurora (the group's founder) and Andrea at reception. Admittedly three is quite a small number of people for a "group" but as I said this was only their second meetup. They were both really lovely and welcoming; asking me all about what I was doing here in Madrid as we headed into the gallery.
The first room was filled with Vladislav Starewitch's work and tools. Starewitch was a russian film maker who specialised in stop-motion animation using beautifully intricate animal puppets and insects. He wanted to film live insects but found that they died under the hot studio lights. He discovered that by sticking wire legs onto the dead insects' carapaces he could make fully articulated insect puppets! (slightly gruesome it's true but this was a running theme throughout the exhibition).
Together with Starewitch's work was that of Percy Smith a british naturalist and documentary film maker famous for his films showcasing the strength and beauty of flies. I tried not to get too excited at this point but history and insects people!! History and insects!!
The Quay Brothers or Brothers Quay are a pair of identical twin brothers from America who work together on animated films. These often contain doll puppets in various states of destruction and a dark and moody atmosphere. They're most famous for their film "The Street of Crocodiles" which is based on a novel of the same name by the polish author Bruno Schulz. I have to say some of their puppets and ideas are interesting but I don't think they're really my cup of tea.
The last couple of galleries were devoted to the sculptures of Jan Svankmajer. These I really did not like at all. He had used bones, shells and body parts from hundreds of different animals to create strange hybrid creatures. This is quite an interesting idea in itself but he always placed them in really suggestive positions and seemed to be trying to shock. This got tedious but meant that when we walked into the room full of condom sculptures and a giant wooden masturbating machine we were prepared...
I definitely enjoyed this exhibition as it was unlike anything I've ever seen before but the weird and wonderful was often interspersed with the downright odd. If you're in Madrid and feel the need for some weirdness then head on over!
A short film advertising the exhibition I found on YouTube:
Metamorfosis is on until January 2015 and is being held at La Casa Encendida, Ronda de Valencia, 2
I arrived and met Aurora (the group's founder) and Andrea at reception. Admittedly three is quite a small number of people for a "group" but as I said this was only their second meetup. They were both really lovely and welcoming; asking me all about what I was doing here in Madrid as we headed into the gallery.
The first room was filled with Vladislav Starewitch's work and tools. Starewitch was a russian film maker who specialised in stop-motion animation using beautifully intricate animal puppets and insects. He wanted to film live insects but found that they died under the hot studio lights. He discovered that by sticking wire legs onto the dead insects' carapaces he could make fully articulated insect puppets! (slightly gruesome it's true but this was a running theme throughout the exhibition).
Together with Starewitch's work was that of Percy Smith a british naturalist and documentary film maker famous for his films showcasing the strength and beauty of flies. I tried not to get too excited at this point but history and insects people!! History and insects!!
The Quay Brothers or Brothers Quay are a pair of identical twin brothers from America who work together on animated films. These often contain doll puppets in various states of destruction and a dark and moody atmosphere. They're most famous for their film "The Street of Crocodiles" which is based on a novel of the same name by the polish author Bruno Schulz. I have to say some of their puppets and ideas are interesting but I don't think they're really my cup of tea.
The last couple of galleries were devoted to the sculptures of Jan Svankmajer. These I really did not like at all. He had used bones, shells and body parts from hundreds of different animals to create strange hybrid creatures. This is quite an interesting idea in itself but he always placed them in really suggestive positions and seemed to be trying to shock. This got tedious but meant that when we walked into the room full of condom sculptures and a giant wooden masturbating machine we were prepared...
I definitely enjoyed this exhibition as it was unlike anything I've ever seen before but the weird and wonderful was often interspersed with the downright odd. If you're in Madrid and feel the need for some weirdness then head on over!
A short film advertising the exhibition I found on YouTube:
Metamorfosis is on until January 2015 and is being held at La Casa Encendida, Ronda de Valencia, 2
Saturday 8 November 2014
Lolina Vintage Café
Lolina Vintage Café is included in my Lonely Planet guidebook so it's not as though no one knows it's there. I just thought I'd include it in a post because it's every bit as good as they say it is.
My friend from Southampton, Darina, and I planned to meet up for coffee on Tuesday. She's been here for about double the time I have but hadn't got round to visiting Malasaña/Chueca yet so we hopped on the Metro and set off. The Café is actually in Chueca right opposite my favourite book/gift shop Las Tres Rosas Amarillas (which I'll definitely have to do a post about in the future).
It's really cosy and warm inside with squishy chairs and crazily patterned wallpaper (apologies for the quality of the picture, I left my snazzy camera at home). The drinks on offer vary from the usual coffee and hot chocolate to cocktails and smoothies. There's a whole other floor downstairs with even more comfy corners to curl up in and the music was excellent; all 1950s rock and roll mixed with 40s swing band. It's a great place for a drink and a chat with friends or even a study sesh - a couple of people were obviously working on laptops. Plus if you're craving caffeine but are worried it's too late in the day then worry no more -Lolina's is open til 2.30am everyday of the week!
Lolina Vintage Café is located at Calle Del Espiritu Santo, 9. The nearest Metro stop is Tribunal.
My friend from Southampton, Darina, and I planned to meet up for coffee on Tuesday. She's been here for about double the time I have but hadn't got round to visiting Malasaña/Chueca yet so we hopped on the Metro and set off. The Café is actually in Chueca right opposite my favourite book/gift shop Las Tres Rosas Amarillas (which I'll definitely have to do a post about in the future).
It's really cosy and warm inside with squishy chairs and crazily patterned wallpaper (apologies for the quality of the picture, I left my snazzy camera at home). The drinks on offer vary from the usual coffee and hot chocolate to cocktails and smoothies. There's a whole other floor downstairs with even more comfy corners to curl up in and the music was excellent; all 1950s rock and roll mixed with 40s swing band. It's a great place for a drink and a chat with friends or even a study sesh - a couple of people were obviously working on laptops. Plus if you're craving caffeine but are worried it's too late in the day then worry no more -Lolina's is open til 2.30am everyday of the week!
Lolina Vintage Café is located at Calle Del Espiritu Santo, 9. The nearest Metro stop is Tribunal.
Tuesday 4 November 2014
How to Get Hold of a Railcard
"The public transport is amaaaaazing!" - It's one of the first things that you get told about living in Madrid. Everyone raves about how cheap it is to get around the city on the bus or metro and compared to the UK this is definitely true. The cheapest way to get around is by buying a railcard or Tarjeta Transporte Público/Abono Transporte and charging it up every 30 days. This sounds easy enough but remember this is Spain and anything that involves the slightest amount of paperwork can get complicated... Fear not! For I am here to talk you through the process.
When you first arrive in Madrid (we're talking literally the first day or so) you'll want to get a 10 trip bus and metro ticket. You can buy these for around 12 euros at all metro stations from the machines at the entrance. This will tide you over for the first few days while you start your new life in the city. You'll soon want to upgrade to a transport card though as I was getting through 2-3 of these tickets a week.
There are 2 main ways that you can get the card:
- The first is carried out entirely online with forms to fill in and documents to scan and send. You'll also need a permanent address for the new card to be sent to you; this can take a couple of weeks or so.
- The second way is to make a prior appointment (una cita previa) online for a meeting at one of the transport offices in certain stations. This means that at your appointment you'll be given the card then and there.
You can't make an appointment in person at the station it must be online or by phone. You'll also need to specify what kind of card you're after - as I was under 23 I asked for an Abono Joven. The city's public transport network is split into zones with zone A being the city centre and anything outside of that being zone B1, B2 etc. You'll need to check whereabouts you'll need to be travelling to before you make your appointment so you can specify a zone.
I had trouble with the online form that needed to be filled in to book an appointment so ended up phoning the office and making my appointment that way. Make sure you have your passport number and mobile phone number handy. There is an enormous demand for appointments so be prepared to wait at least a few days and up to a week or more for a slot.
Things to take to your appointment:
- Your passport
- A photocopy of your passport (they refuse to photocopy anything in the office)
- A passport photo (often they will take this for you in the office but it's better to be safe than sorry; the machine could be broken, if it's a smaller office it may not have a machine etc.)
- 4 euros for the card
The card is valid on the metro, cercanías lines and buses within the zone that you've specified.
https://www.tarjetatransportepublico.es/CRTM-ABONOS/entrada.aspx
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