Los últimos días de vacaciones

I'm here! I got in to Madrid last week, arriving at 5 in the afternoon to a rather deserted city. Compared with the Madrid I left in early July, it seemed like a ghost town. August is the month of vacation in Spain, as in other parts of Europe, and lots of things slow down, or shut down completely. In a way it was a nice way to come back and get set up in my new apartment: streets and stores are less crowded, waiting time is at a minimum, the pace of life just seems slower. But it was also strange: harder to get in touch with people, shorter business hours, and several of my go-to places in the city for art, music, film, etc. didn't have anything going on.

Now that it's September 1st, things are changing. New calendars of events everywhere, the summer sales in the stores are suddenly over, there are segments on the news about how to lose the weight that you put on drinking beers at the beach. The study abroad program that I taught for this summer is opening its fall session. And I have orientation next week. Soon I'll have to ponerme a trabajar en serio [start working for real]!

I've done a little bit of reading and writing this week, and made some trips to the Biblioteca Nacional, in addition to working out bank accounts, internet, etc. etc. There has been some stress. But I've also been trying to explore, and enjoy the simple pleasures I like about daily life in Spain. Here are a few:

1) Running in the Retiro in the morning.

Not very Spanish-sounding, I know. But running is growing in popularity here, and there are always a bunch of people out jogging through the gorgeous park when I go. This summer I lived right next to it, so it was easy to get up and go for a run. Now it takes me longer to get there, but I like the little route I've chosen through the streets.

2) Salmorejo.

Salmorejo is gazpacho's slightly paler, thicker cousin, made with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and bread. You can buy pretty good salmorejo and gazpacho in the grocery store.

3) Fresh bread bought that morning from the bakery around the corner. 'Nuf said.

4) Pear yogurt. Why do they not have this flavor in the U.S.??? Yum. And kiwi is pretty good, too.

5) "Traditional" markets. I love getting groceries in the old-school, pre-supermarket "mercados." This summer I made visits to the Mercado Antón Martín in the Embajadores section of Madrid. Now that I live in the city center, I've been exploring Chueca, a very trendy part of town that has been gentrified over the last decades, especially thanks to the gay community. On one of my first days I discovered the newly re-done Mercado de San Antón. It's very Chueca--clean design, gorgeous stands with sustainable ("ecológico") produce, booths upstairs selling everything from traditional tapas to sushi, and a gorgeous "azotea" (terrace) on the roof. Maybe a little pricey for every day, but I know I'll be back...

That's enough for now. Just one last note: thanks to my friend Elena, I also got to head out to a local "feria" in her town, on the outskirts of Madrid, and confirm that it was a lot like a county fair in the States: rides, games with prizes, fair food... Oh, and then blasting music in the streets all night until it's time to run the bulls through them at 8 AM!