Row Boats and Gelato: Exploring Madrid

Day 2 in Madrid, and it's still beautiful.

After moving all my stuff to Syd's for the rest of my time, we hit the streets to sightsee and run a few errands. We stopped by Plaza del Toros again to see it in daylight, then walked around to take in the city. She took me to some of her favorite plazas, which were all unbelievable.

Finally, we went to Retiro Park, which was a lot like Luxembourg Gardens in Paris. It's her favorite part of Madrid, and I have no trouble seeing why. We ate lunch at a small cafe next to a pond (pictured below), where we each had a garnizado de limon, which was basically a delicious lemon slush, and I had a sandwich with smoked salmon and a mixture of soft cheeses with potato chips - all for 8 euros. Right? Throughout the lunch, there was a classical guitsrist playing by the water. At one point, he played Here Comes The Sun, and I found myself so grateful for this opportunity. God is so good.

We then met up with her friends from Baylor (Marshall, Hannah and Tyler) and went out on a rowboat on the previously mentioned pond. It was gorgeous outside, and we took a boat out for 45 minutes, for 4,85 euro. What? Ridiculously cheap and so fantastic.

After that, we walked around the park some more (and found some strange modern art displays) before heading back to Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Sol. We sat down for a sangria-like drink and talked for a while near Sol before hitting up the same market from last night (Mercado de San Miguel) and then went for gelato in Plaza del Sol. Again....delicious.

The view by the market

Part of the market

Now, Syd, Marshall and I are enjoying some wine on the roof of Syd's apartment building overlooking Plaza del Toros. Again - I could get used to this.

Tomorrow, we take a day trip to Toledo!

Viva Espana!

Madrid bound!!!

...3 hours later, we finally took off from Philadelphia. After sleeping through most of my flight, I woke up in time to see the hills and mountains of Spain. I've been here for two days and I still can't believe I'm here.

Observations of Spain thus far:
-it is extremely laid back
-aside from main highways and roads, the streets are all quite tiny (in good European fashion)
-everything here seems to be a process - there seems to be multiple steps to accomplish anything
-old world Spain is infused with modern culture, making for amazing historical buildings and an eclectic nightlife
-the architecture is just beautiful - but I'm sure this will be characteristic of every city I'm in over the next three weeks

I love being in different cultures and finding the rhythm of different cities. Madrid has the hustle and bustle of a big city with 6 million people, a busy metro, large plazas and hoards of tourists; but it feels like a small Spanish town in its narrow side streets winding through colorful old buildings, abundance of balconies, corner street musicians and hidden gem parks.

Once I finally arrived to my airBnB apartment for Thursday night (a private room and bathroom owned by a lovely woman named Eva), I met up with my friend Syd from Baylor in the city. I've found that foreign metro systems get easier and easier to navigate as you use more of them - I'm pretty sure it's just confidence, though. And i still ended up walking the wrong way before I got to the station. But I still got there, right?

I met up with Syd and she took me towards her university. Along the way, we stopped at the triumphal arch for Madrid. I think I'm going to compile my arch pictures from around the world when i get home. Ive got them from New York, London, Paris (two of them), and now Madrid! Turns out they ARE all related, confirmed by Syd.

After her meeting at school, we headed to her apartment to change and get ready for the evening. Why is this interesting? Because this is her view:

And this is her view with the sun lower in the sky:

Yeah. I know. That would be the Plaza del Toros - Madrid's main bullfighting ring! Unfortunately, they only do bullfights on Sundays, and I'm leaving Sunday morning. Boo hiss.

We took the metro to the west side of the city and started our night at Palacio Royal (the Royal Palace). And guys, this place was huge. It was very reminiscent of Buckingham Palace. Across from the palace gate was a giant church that I think "goes" with the palace. There are some things in this world that can only be described as an imposing structure that takes your breath away, and this church definitely fell under that category.

We continued on and stopped by some amazing places - Plaza Mayor & Plaza del Sol (which is somewhat similar to Piccadilly Circus and Union Square, but a little bigger). Dinner was at an awesome covered marketplace with anything from exotic fruits to alcohol to colorful and decadent desserts to obscure seafood. That's another thing about Madrid - they really love their seafood, which is interesting considering its central (i.e. far from the ocean) location in Spain. We both ended up eating paella de mariscos, which is basically rice, veggies and random shellfish. And friends, it was delicious. Here is a picture of one of the fish for sale...creepy.

We continued through Sol and hunted down a churro place. They serve them plain with a small cup of hot chocolate (as in thin melted chocolate, not the drink) for dipping. And friends, it was also delicious. We sat outside (popular in this part of the city) under a small arch over the bend in the side street. It was wonderful and I could definitely get used to it.

All in all, it was a great start to the European leg of my journey, and I can't wait to keep it going!

11 Years Later.

This beautiful sign was posted next to the World Trade Centrr memorial site. Even more beautiful? The policeman and fireman in their dress uniforms stationed around the site. People kept walking up and thanking them, shaking their hands. American flags adorned walls and fences around the construction area, and people weren't speaking. There was the occasional click of a camera, but mostly people just wanted to simply be there and take it all in. I wasn't there five minutes before my eyes began to well up with tears. It was chilling and it was beautiful. I couldn't really tell what emotion I was feeling; it was just very overwhelming to stand in that place. To stand where, if I'd been there exactly 11 years ago, I'd likely be dead. As I took pictures of the skyline where the Twin Towers once stood, a plane flying low passed by, disappearing behind a building. My body became very alert and I felt apprehensive. It was the strangest feeling. I found myself wondering how quickly I could get out of there, and I'd have been able to survive that day. But as I looked around and saw prayers of thanks, praise, sorrow, and confusion - spoken aloud or written on posters or stuck on the fence around Trinity Church, I saw God moving in the city and the country, even 11 years past a tragedy. Friends, God is good. And HE brings justice. And that is just the most amazing, peaceful thought out there for me today.

9/11 Memorial at night

9/11 Memorial at night - base

Guys, this was truly breathtaking. And emotional.on a level ive never experienced before. We were there with James from Australia (mentioned in my previous post) and he appreciated it, but it was just different. It was interesting to juxtapose a visitor that wanted to see the sight with a local New Yorker wanting a picture with the dog tags belonging to the father of her friend being deployed soon. We may have our problems, but I am so proud of my country. God bless America, indeed.

Freedom tower

Live Music, Central Park, & "Night On The Town"

I'm going to separate this post into two. I saw and did a lot of cool stuff/places/people today, but today was also September 11. And as I woke up yesterday morning, I realized that for the first time. So first I'll talk about everything else, and then address experiencing a 9/11 anniversary IN New York City. I think that deserves it's own post, don't you?


SO. First thing I have to say is that Central Park is GORGEOUS when there are leaves on the trees. This is probably common knowledge, but every time I have been to this city, its been during or on the tail end of winter. As cool as the Park was, it felt like Winterfell the whole time - beautiful and intriguing, but a little barren and really freaking cold. Well...it was different this time:

I mean, right?? It's beautiful! On Kali's recommendation I got lunch to go from a place called Burrito Box, and let me just say that it is one of the best burritos I have ever had. Anyway, pictured above you'll see the giant rock I was eating my lunch on top of. However, a yellow jacket (feel the sting!) would NOT leave my burrito alone, and I wasn't about to share food with something that could sting me whenever it wanted to. I surely looked ridiculous swatting it away whole trying not to tick it off too much (think Brian Regan's spider web routine), so I didn't stay there very long. This was a shame, because I'd chosen the rock for my perch due to the view and to the brass jazz trio that was playing below the rock. Oh well.

Instead, I found a bench on "The Mall" (the famous stretch of trees that form an arch over several benches that you always see in movies) and got to listen to this sax player. Not too shabby. And BONUS: I've seen this guy before! I have a picture of him playing on the same corner from Christmas 2009, when the Park was covered in a fresh blanket of snow. So instead, this was my view for lunch - again, not too shabby.

I continued on the Bethesda Terrace to see the famous fountain. I come see this every time I'm in NYC. Again, I've only been here during winter, so the fountain was definitely a sight to behold as I stood on the terrace and listened to the classical string quartet play below me and watched families in their boats and people taking both tourist-y and artsy photos of the fountain (I did both). See below:

So, you know...that was awesome.

I finished my tour of Central Park by cutting across to Central Park East (5th Ave) and catching the bus down to Rockefeller Center.

"Wait...you've been there already, haven't you?" Well, yeah. Here's the thing: I LOVE Rockefeller Center. Seriously. I always end up going there at least two or three times when I come to this city. Y'all, I'm obsessed with anything related to television. Surely they need electrical engineers at 30 Rock...
I stopped by the Godiva shop on my way to Rockefeller Plaza and indulged in a milk chocolate dipped strawberry the size of my fist. Well...not quite that big, but it definitely falls under the category of "jumbo-size." Again, walking around there with the light breeze and sun shining down, munching on my strawberry, I looked out over the lower concourse (where the ice skating rink normally is) and thought to myself: "Yeah, I could live here."

I hopped the subway down to Bryant Park and the Public Library. I haven't been able to make it here before, and I'm so glad I did this time. There's something awe-inspiring about seeing the Empire State and Chrysler Buildings dotting the skyline while kicking back in a park with 300 strangers. I walked to the Empire State Building and drank that in for a while.

I also went into a Payless because my flats were pinchig my toes...and walked out with solid orange/pink wedges. That would only happen to me...

Then I made my way to the World Trade Center site, which I'm leaving to another post entirely. Kali and I met back up for dinner at Blockhead's again (no shame) before stopping back by her apartment before heading out for a night on the town with her roommate Kaitie. We went to one of their favorite bars, Stumble Inn (get it?), where they played a ridiculously awesome assortment of classic rock. I'm not a big bar person, so the music selection definitely helped.

We ended up hanging out with an Australian named James for the night. He was weird at times, but overall it was like hanging out with a little drunk teddy bear. A teddy bear with an adorable smile and very large muscles.
We took James down to see the Freedom Tower and the WTC Memorial, which was a sight to see at night. Again, I'll post on that later.

We dropped him back off before heading home, and that was that. It was a true New York adventure that included laughter, ridiculous moments, hanging out by the river, and roaming the streets of the city enjoying each other's company. It was a good note to end on, and I hopped in a cab the next day (rather...today) and headed for Laguardia, leaving this skyline behind me for a few weeks:

Seize The Day: Celebrity Sightings and Broadway Musicals

That's right, Texas. Today was awesome, and it was freaking 74 degrees.

Today, I walked. And walked and walked and walked.

Kali and I started the day off with a breakfast at a small restaurant called Il Marretto on 11th Ave. and 53rd St. Lunch consisted of a panini de parma (toasted baguette with mozzarella, lettuce and prosciutto de parma) and a chocolate soufflé. It was absolutely beautiful outside, so we ate outside where we saw a beautiful, beautiful man walk by. ...lunch was good, too.

Sometimes, I feel like I could live here. Sitting outside a little Italian restaurant with delicious food, wind blowing, a glass of wine and New York City.

Among other random errands, Kali indulged me in my obsession with Auggie from Covert Affairs (yet another awesome USA show). I had the great fortune of reading on Twitter yesterday that Chris Gorham (who plays Auggie and is just lovely) was going to be at the NBC Store at 4pm. Um....yes please.

And friends, he is just as beautiful in person. He is also just as adorable and sweet as he seems (and as Auggie seems). My goodness...I was on Cloud 9. I mean...look at him. He's adorable.

But seriously, look at him.

Right? And I'm telling you, we had a connection. It went something like this:
Me: "You're my favorite part of the show! It was the best timing, because I just got to New York yesterday."
Him: "Aw, thank you! That's awesome. Is it Brooke with an 'e'?"
Me: "Yes."

True love. This is what it looks like. Drink it in.

He forgot to remove his wedding ring for the photo, but I let it slide. He's had a busy day. Speaking of the photo, here you go:

After that wonderful experience, we hit a few stores before dinner at Delta's, a Cajun place at 9th and 49th, where:
a). We met up with Kali's best friend Savannah, who I met last time I was here. She is always entertaining!
and
b). I had a BBQ pulled pork po-boy and the best sweet potato fries I've ever had.




Now, onto the best part of the day:

OPEN THE GATES AND SEIZE THE DAY!!!

Yes, we were on the sixth row to see Newsies on Broadway. And guys, it was amazing. Also, Evan and Jess from SYTYCD were in it!!! I was freaking out. Roles were shifted around tonight and there was a different guy playing Jack Kelly (usually a Delancey brother), but he KILLED it. There was an amazing tap dance number to go with King Of New York, which exceeded expectations. They were using metal spoons at one point. I'm not even kidding.

After a stop at Walgreens for soda, chips and salsa, candy and Redbox, we finally headed home. Movies: Wanderlust (funny but really weird) and 21 Jump Street (which, sadly, I had not seen before) which is currently playing while I write this blog post.

Therefore....I'm signing off. Not sure how detailed I should be because I don't do travel blogs really. Someone please let me know if this is boring and/or pointless and I should change it up.

Seriously.

New York City: Bus Rides and Irish Bartenders

I hate early flights.

Now that's out of the way, so I'll continue. Flight to Philadelphia (PHILLAAAY!!! -according to Barney Stinson) was great...to Laguardia was a little rough. Let me tell you friends, chronic motion sickness seriously puts a damper on your travel plans. But I managed to maintain a balanced equilibrium long enough tiger off the plane, then hopped a bus to Manhattan! I've only ever used the subway, so I was pretty proud of myself.

It's interesting how after coming here a few times, the experience of coming into the city changes. Now that I've been here a few times, I feel more like I "fit in" if that makes sense. I know where I am and how to get where I'm going, I can actually answer people's questions...it's a cool feeling.

I finally got to my friend Kali's apartment, and after dragging my suitcase up 3.5 flights of stairs, we headed out for dinner and a night on the town! Dinner was at a Mexican food place called Blockhead's. It was good, but let's get one thing straight: nobody does chips and salsa and tex-mex better than Texas.
Then it was off to Forever 21 at Times' Square to look for dresses. Afterword we ended up hanging out at one of her local handouts, Malloy's Pub (pretty sure that was the name) and we hung out at the bar for a few hours talking about all manner of things. Again, YouTube videos played a big part. I got to talk with her friend that was working the bar - His name was Ciaràn and he was Irish. His accent was fantastic and he was really awesome. Lots of conversation and chilling ensued - it was a great night all in all! And I got a hug and kiss on the cheek goodnight from an Irishman, so I've got that going for me...which is nice.

Today I saw on Twitter that Christopher Gorham (Auggie on "Covert Affairs") will be at the NBC Store at 4....I guess I know what my plans are tomorrow afternoon. Stay tuned to see how that turns out. I'm hoping for a picture along with an autograph, but we may only end up with a far away stalker photo. But I have high hopes.

Food, Friends, Fun and Furry Things

Day 2 of blogging: so far, I seem to be able to stay on top of it. Just give it time, I'm sure I'll drop off of here sooner or later.

Today was mostly filled with friends, new and old. I had breakfast with my friend Rachel from Baylor/engineering, and we talked wedding plans, bachelorette party, work and life, living in Houston, and next steps. (Um...when did I get this old?) So good seeing her and I cannot WAIT to be in her wedding in April!! There's at least one more planned trip to Houston.

After a Best Buy run and a stroll through Barnes & Noble (both incredibly satisfying experiences every single time), I met up with Erica and her friends Annabelle, Britney, and Colleen. We ended up at a restaurant called Niko Niko's, which has both Greek and American food. I was full on breakfast, so I ordered a side and appetizer to go lighter. Right? WRONG. They gave me a ridiculous amount of hummus and pita chips AND bread slices. The feta fries (yes, you read that correctly) were a pile of delicious french fries with tons of feta cheese crumbles adorning them. No complaints here on the serving size - I (and everyone else) snacked on both throughout the whole lunch. I had a blast with them. Meeting new people is just awesome.

Also another Erica up and called me from Dallas which was an awesome surprise. Can't wait to visit her once I get back home! All my friends have scattered in the wind across America. It's kind of cool.

And THEN I got to see Abigail!!! Hooray! She and her boyfriend dropped by Erica's for a few hours and we caught up on life, laughed, and looked at Pinterest. Typical. I definitely miss that girl - she always manages to put a smile on my face!! :) <-- see?

All in all, great day filled with food, friends, fun, and furry things (Abigail, I hope you appreciate my alliteration skills because I whipped them out especially for you).

Houston came through on relaxation and good people. However, it's time to pick the pace up a bit....

New York City, here I come!!!