I'm somewhere over the Atlantic Ocean right now. I spent most of my last two weeks enjoying the company of friends, basically giving myself a send off from Ann Arbor before heading to Europe. I went to Restaurant Week, ice skating, star gazing, night time driving, and of course, late night music sessions. After returning from Europe, my time in Ann Arbor will be limited. Hopefully, I'll be allowed to return to the solitude and banishment known as MIT. I'll try to enjoy the trip as much as I can. Though I'm looking forward to the sights, food, and culture, I'm mostly hoping to mature some more. To grow mentally stronger, and more prepared for a return to school.
"Eurotrip" is pretty much going to be epic. Richard, Phil, and I....in Europe....'nuff said. I'm gonna see awesome cathedrals and paintings, look at old statues, eat delicious food, and go to ridiculous clubs. I think though, the most important thing you take home from a trip like this isn't just the fun things you do, but the memories you create and the bonds you forge with the friends you travel with. I can always cook at home...and look at pictures on google, right? These memories will be yet one more weapon in my arsenal to fight off loneliness in Boston.
Cheers to an awesome Eurotrip.
Edit: So now we're actually in Madrid, and will be here for the next three days. Phil has already lost his wallet. "FML" - Phil. I'm also running on 3 hours of sleep in the past two days.
Today, we arrived at the hostel, and walked around the "Sol" area, which is a central location in the heart of Madrid. Madrid actually seems to be a lot smaller than I imagined. It feels more like a small town, than a bustling metropolis. Perhaps I need to see more of the city first. We walked around in the afternoon, and saw that most of the establishments were closed. For those that don't know, the Spaniards run on a slow and relaxed schedule: siesta and long lunches in the afternoon, late dinners that start around 9-10pm.
Since we hadn't slept much in the past few days, we walked around and saw a palace, and the Cathedral de la Almudena. My first cathedral in Europe! This one was quiet interesting, though I think it was relatively newly built. It had gothic-style arches, and these huge brass doors leading into the cathedral. The cathedral also had interesting stained glass artwork. The artwork depicted traditional images of Jesus and friends, but was done in a modernistic style. I think it could be considered cubist.
After some sight seeing, we took a short nap back at the hostel, and went out for some food. Spanish tapas are a sort of eat-while-standing-up small plates. We had a bunch of different plates, and glasses of wine to complement. Our wine was really mild tasting, and slightly more sweet. It was really easy to drink.
- Howitzer
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