The Big Move....Arrivederci USA, Off to Spain!

6/19/2018

The Big Move
Off we go! With the help of family and friends, we were able to tie up all of our loose ends and hit the skies. We flew from Pensacola, FL to Charlotte, NC to Madrid, Spain. The kids did great on the plane ride. For long international flights, like our flight from Charlotte to Madrid, each seat comes with a TV screen, headphones, movies, and games. This kept the kids very busy! It got to the point where we had to make them shut the TV off and get some sleep. We were gaining a 7 hour time difference in the air and landing at 9:00 am in the morning, Madrid time. This meant that we had to sleep as much as possible on the plane in order to make it!

Hola, Madrid!
After we arrived, our Airbnb host allowed us to store our luggage at his office for the day until it was time for check-in. Not all Airbnb hosts offer this service, but we were very grateful for it. We were sure to not leave our passports behind and trusted the host and he didn’t let us down!

We walked much of the city on foot. Madrid is much more modern than many European cities. It doesn’t have the ‘old world’ charm but has a clean beauty. My Spanish went far! They speak a clear and concise Spanish that I found very easy to understand. My husband is fluent and gets along anywhere!

We walked around Plaza Mayor, checked out the Puerta del Sol, and made our way to Mercado de San Miguel for lunch. Mercado de San Miguel is a beautiful market with everything from fresh Paella, churros & chocolate (a local favorite dessert), fresh Iberico ham, fresh cheese, fresh fruit, beer, wine, etc. It was fun to walk around and we LOVE to try different things, so we ordered a plate of paella and a Iberico ham & cheese sandwich & we all shared. The hubs and I had a glass of wine, while the kids experienced their first glass bottled Fanta that they ‘oohed and aahed’ over the whole time! Haha, It’s the little things.

Iberico Ham
In Spain, they take their ham VERY seriously. In both Madrid and Barcelona Iberico ham is shaved right off of the pig in front of you in the store. You don’t get much fresher than that! It has a salty, full flavor that we all loved. Put in a sandwich with toasted bread and cheese.....it was simply sublime.

****Money Saving Tip****There are restaurants/stores all throughout Madrid, called Museo Del Jamon where you could have a ham sandwich for €3. This is a perfect, delicious, and inexpensive lunch or a snack!

We walked around the Royal Palace of Madrid and the kids enjoyed the street performers. They particularly loved what looked like a headless Spanish naval officer and we took some pictures. We didn’t have any Euro change to give to him, but the street performers do expect tips.

For dinner, we enjoyed traditional Tapas just outside of the Mercado de San Miguel. To name a few of the tapas on our platter: Jamon & eggs, fried yucca, Patatas Bravas (this is fried or baked cube shaped potatoes with what tastes like spiced mayo ketchup on top), broiled sweet peppers with sea salt, fried chicken with spices, & croquettes. We enjoyed trying the different foods and this meal filled us all up! For dessert, we all tried Churros & Chocolate. We all absolutely loved it. The chocolate that comes with the churros is warm like hot chocolate but has a much thicker consistency.

The next day, we went to Museo Del Reina Sofia which has free admission Monday – Friday from 7:00pm – 9:00pm. We were blessed to see the works of Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali (my husband’s personal favorite), and many more. It was impressive.
**** Insider Tip****They do not allow anyone to lean on walls there, especially near the artwork, to prevent the artwork from falling. Keep this in mind if you’re traveling with kids. Try to keep them off the walls as much as you can!

The Bullfight
Now, we get to the bullfight.......this was a source of debate for my husband and I. We were concerned with the kids and if they would be upset by the killing of the bull or if it wouldn’t bother them. The more we talked to the locals, the more they encouraged us to attend. Children begin training to become matadors at a rather young age (a local told us 10 or younger). In the month of May, there were bullfights nearly every day and we truly believe in experiencing the local culture as much as possible (within reason). We decided to go for it! It was a personal decision that we made and we don’t regret it.

The bullfight itself was in Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. Tickets were affordable at under €20/adult and half that price for the kids. We decided to sit on the sunny side of the arena, where the tickets were cheaper. The seats are concrete, so we sat on our jackets. The sun was HOT! May is a strange time in Spain. In the sun, it’s very warm, and in the shade it’s cold. You really have to be prepared for both.

The bullfight began. Everyone was drinking beer, eating salted almonds, and other nuts. The kids did great! I offered them the opportunity to look away during the actual finishing kill, but they had no issue with it. One of the bulls came out into the arena and refused to run towards any of the Matadors with their bright pink capes & red cape. This bull was pardoned and the whole crowd cheered for the bull. For the other bullfights, where the bull was not pardoned...the bull is stabbed numerous times during the whole process. This, of course, puts the animal at an incredible disadvantage, but the crowd always cheers for a bull that fights harder or outsmarts the matadors. The matadors definitely work for the crowd and are dressed fabulously. Everything had a specific order and the whole process was full of tradition. Overall, it was a good cultural experience and our family enjoyed it.

Madrid was a beautiful taste of Spain. We experienced delicious food, wine, the city, a museum, and a bullfight. BY THE WAY, wine in Spain does not cause headaches like the wine in the U.S. We could drink a few glasses (maybe a bottle+) without any repercussions the next day. I call that a win!

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