Time has gone muy rapido for us in Madrid. This city has been a fantastic place to live and we have learned a lot during our time here. Spain is still in a period of uncertainty after five years of a very deep economic crisis. La crisis, as it is know here, impacts life in many ways that are not as obvious for a regular tourist. The bars in the centre of the city are full and the streets are crowded. But, I have met many regular Spanish people, through my school and my exchanges, and they have told me that life here for many is tough. The unemployment rate for the country is 25% and many people have lost faith in the perpetually corrupt political elites. About half of the people I meet through language exchanges were very well educated but either underemployed or out of work. Many of the best and brightest have left for greener pastures in Europe and beyond. I'm told that there are more buskers and beggars on the streets than in past years. Every time we ride the metro there is someone playing an accordion or just asking for money. Spain is a very diverse and regional nation. Different parts of the country try to maintain their own customs and autonomy, such as Barcelona, which makes it harder for the nation as a whole to remain united. But, one of many great qualities of the Spanish I've meet has been their positive attitude and a surprisingly optimistic outlook for the future. We are reminded once again how lucky we are to be Canadian.
While walking around our neighbourhood last week, Paul stumbled across a fabulous specialty bread bakery. The shop is called Panic - which makes more sense when you know that pan means bread in Spanish. They bake hearty artisanal sourdough loaves, as opposed to the French-style baguettes which are typical in Madrid. We tried to buy a loaf on Saturday but they were sold out, so we settled for reserving one for Monday. It was still warm when I picked it up! Definitely worth the wait!
Fresh out of the oven. Each loaf weighs about a kilogram!
Football (soccer) is the king of sports in Spain. The football fans of Madrid have enjoyed a season of the ages. Both Madrid teams, the famous Real Madrid and Athletico de Madrid, are playing each other for the European Champions League final. This is the "Stanley Cup" of football, except imagine that the Leafs and Canadians are playing in the 7th game and they are both from Toronto. Football fans will party the night away celebrating or drowning their sorrows on the streets of Madrid. We went around the corner to a local bar to watch the game. Real Madrid scored in extra time to take the title over the underdog Athletico team. On my way home I could hear shouts of joy coming from apartment buildings, music was blaring, and people we celebrating in the streets.
Yesterday, Paul and I travelled to the beautiful village of Segovia. Like Toledo, Segovia is a medieval town with countless historical buildings and churches. Segovia's main attraction is the aqueduct, which was built around the thirteenth century by the Romans. It's a breathtaking structure - a series of tall arches made from large pieces of granite. We also toured the Castle of Segovia. From the outside it looked like a castle in a Disney movie! The inside was equally impressive with its intricate ceilings, original artwork, large stained glass windows and display of medieval weaponry.
Needless to say I went solo to the bullfight in Madrid. This is a deeply traditional cultural event. It does demonstrate the art and skill of the madator as well as traditions and ceremonies that have developed over hundreds of years. But, of course, it is brutal for the bull. Bullfights are increasingly unpopular with many Spaniards who see it as an outdated, violent, and cruel event that should no longer be practiced. It was an emotional, fascinating, and unnerving spectacle that will provide years of captivating story telling in my geography class. But, I would not go again and I felt terrible for the bulls.
We travelled to the medieval city of Toledo on Spain's impressive high speed train network. We reach speeds of over 200km an hour and arrived in thirty minutes. Toledo was the Spanish capital city until the 1500s. It is stunningly beautiful, very old, and hilly. The city is protected on three side by a river and is surrounded by wall fortifications. There are archers towers, grand cathedrals, monasteries, cobblestone streets, and many beautiful stone buildings. more photos.
Paul and I attended the Madrid tennis tournament yesterday. If the Hamburg marathon is "what you'd expect from a race in Germany" then the Madrid tournament is what you'd expect from an event in Spain! Madrid has many wonderful qualities and features, but impeccable organization and orderliness are not among them! The facilities at the "Magic Box" are impressive. There are several show courts, all in close proximity and providing plenty of shade for those in the stands. The quality of tennis yesterday was outstanding - we saw Milos Raonic, Rafa Nadal, Serena Williams, Andy Murray and Li Na play. However, entry in and out of the main stadium lacked efficiency - which left people wandering to their seats long after play had resumed. At one point, the sinks in the washrooms ran out of water. The Spanish crowd was more boisterous than tennis is used to. If the response to Christano Rinaldo sitting in the crowd was any indication, most were likely soccer fans attending to cheer on Nadal! Which was great to see, and made for a lively day!
Trying to follow Jenn as she ran around Hamburg was a lot harder then I expected. I missed seeing her at km 12 as there were thousands of runners and even more cheering marathon supporters. The feeling in the crowd was electric. There were bands playing at various points and Djs pumping music. I had to quickly learn the Hamburg metro system. I asked many friendly Germans for directions as I crisscrossed the city. They would respond, in almost perfect English, and guide me to the next stop. On my travels around Hamburg I got a great view if this beautiful city. The architecture was a combination of old and new buildings which showed the city's history and the current modern prosperity. There were trees and parks everywhere. Hamburg is an important port city which makes for many rivers and canals. There were cyclist everywhere and the streets were full of shoppers. I was very happy to finally spot Jenn at km 38. See ran by quickly and I knew she was going to finish strong. While waiting for her to pass by I enjoyed a German beer and pretzel which were sold along the route. Hamburg was a great place to be a spectator. I'm very proud of Jenn's marathon effort. More photos.
Back in January, when I was deciding which marathon to register for, I read a review describing Hamburg's as "what you'd expect from a race in Germany"! All the reviews mention what a well organized and community-supported event it is. Plus, the course was described as really flat! Sold!
Paul and I flew into Hamburg Friday night, then headed to the race expo first thing Saturday morning to pickup my kit. In addition to my number and timing chip, it contained a bottle of alcohol-free beer. The expo had lots of great merchandise as well as offering more alcohol-free beer! (I'm sure it's no surprise that it was also given at the finish line.) On our walk home from the expo, we watched the kids mini-marathon (a 4.22 km race) which got Paul and I excited for the big event Sunday. With over 15,000 runners, the Hamburg marathon really is a big event! The day was cooler than I expected and although the sky was threatening, I was lucky not to experience more than a very brief drizzle. The course took me all around Hamburg, starting with the red-light district early in the race then through the main shopping area, past city parks, beautiful historic buildings, and the busy shipping port. From start to finish the roads were lined with people - apparently about 800,000 of them. There were people cheering, blowing horns and blasting music, some offered cola and bananas, there were a number of bands and DJs, as well as groups having picnics and BBQs. Somehow, I spotted Paul in the massive crowd at kilometre 41. It felt wonderful to see a familiar face and be so close to the finish! My training had me well prepared and I managed to avoid the dreaded "wall". That's not to say the last 10 km were easy, but that they felt more like a surmountable challenge than an impending defeat. I crossed the finish line ahead of my goal and with a smile on my face, in a time of 3 hours and 38 minutes, then realized after stopping just how tired and sore my legs were!
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Time has gone muy rapido for us in Madrid. This city has been a fantastic place to live and we have learned a lot during our time here. Spain is still in a period of uncertainty after five years of a very deep economic crisis. La crisis, as it is know here, impacts life in many ways that are not as obvious for a regular tourist. The bars in the centre of the city are full and the streets are crowded. But, I have met many regular Spanish people, through my school and my exchanges, and they have told me that life here for many is tough. The unemployment rate for the country is 25% and many people have lost faith in the perpetually corrupt political elites. About half of the people I meet through language exchanges were very well educated but either underemployed or out of work. Many of the best and brightest have left for greener pastures in Europe and beyond. I'm told that there are more buskers and beggars on the streets than in past years. Every time we ride the metro there is someone playing an accordion or just asking for money. Spain is a very diverse and regional nation. Different parts of the country try to maintain their own customs and autonomy, such as Barcelona, which makes it harder for the nation as a whole to remain united. But, one of many great qualities of the Spanish I've meet has been their positive attitude and a surprisingly optimistic outlook for the future. We are reminded once again how lucky we are to be Canadian..JPG)
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