our best meal so far

susie and i are now in santander, in northern spain. we arrived by train this afternoon and spent a good part of the day walking by the sardinero, one of the popular beaches here.

lunchtime had passed us by, and we were desperate to sit down and have a bite. most establishments in santander close after lunch and don't open until 5 or 6, so it was tough finding a place to eat in.

we chanced upon dias desur, and soon found that it was a blessing. the waiter was cheerful and pleasant, and the food fantastic.

sus and i each had a plate of this, their fish of the day. it's lubina cooked on a grill, served with vegetables and fried potatoes. maravilloso.

it was not a cheap meal at 12,50 euros, but it came with a primer plato, a drink, and dessert. you'd be hard-pressed to find such a deal in other european cities (save for cities in spain).

remembering madrid

memories of my trip to spain have been buried in piles of work emails, appointments, and manila annoyances. this weekend, however, i was able to get some time on my hands, and i happened to check back on my europe files. i found this:




this was the moment when the reality of being in europe hit me--pigeons and tourists everywhere, i was sitting on cobblestones, and accordion music can be heard in the distance. i shot this in madrid's plaza mayor, and the view that i lingered on is the casa de la panaderia.

i wanna go back. *nostalgic smile*

ikea mondays

mondays in madrid are the worst for tourists. most museums and other places of interest are closed, and to make up for this, susie and i would go to ikea over at san sebastian de los reyes.

to do this, we had to go to the plaza de castilla metro stop, which is just a short ride from cuzco or tetuán. plaza de castilla is a huge intercambiador, or transportation interchange, where one can take a bus or train to other parts of spain.

bus 156, which goes to san sebastian de los reyes in 30 minutes, is in dársena 23. buses usually leave every 15 minutes, and the fare is €1,65 one way. you pay this when you get on the bus. it's always best to have exact change (avoid paying in bills or the driver will not be happy).

san sebastian de los reyes is warehouse city. there are plenty of industrial stores, such as media markt for gadgets, leroy merlin for your hardware needs, and of course, IKEA! for some reason, my trips to ikea from singapore has made me equate the place with good food rather than good furniture. that's because i never miss out on their delicious swedish meatballs whenever i go there, no matter what part of the world i'm in.

on my first visit to ikea in s.s. de los reyes, i got so attracted to all the food, that i got myself a dish of meatballs, or albóndigas, (10 pieces) with mashed potatoes and lingonberry sauce (€4,50), and a plate of salmon (€5,50). that's two huge plates for €10,00, which was the usual price i would pay for a menu del dia in the city center. not bad, eh?

on our second trip, i knew better. i had read that ikea had a promo from 5pm until closing--10 pieces of meatballs, with potatoes and lingonberry sauce, is sold at just €1,00! being the cheapskate that i am, i timed our visit the following monday to coincide with the special offer, and we ended up having such filling el cheapo meals!

it's okay to be such gluttons in ikea, because after eating, you still have the rest of the store to walk through. i enjoyed looking at their sample houses in the premises, which had a lot of good interior design suggestions. there were so many things there that i wanted to buy, and i swore that the next time i'm going to madrid, i have to take an empty suitcase and fill it with ikea stuff.

uploading photos, little by little

i've managed to upload until week 2 of the great spanish trip, and if you want to see what happened, you can check out these multiply albums:

hola, madrid
my first full day in the spanish capital. started with a short walk around cuzco, followed by a meal at VIPS, and ended with an awe-inspiring performance of "carmen" by sara baras at teatro lope de vega on gran via.

reina sofia, atocha, and museo del jamon
featuring my first madrid museum, my first glimpse of the train station that would be the starting point of my journeys to toledo, barcelona, and granada. topped off the day with a meal at local joint museo del jamon.

madrid sightseeing extravaganza
a whole-day affair that started at puerta de alcala and ended with a delicious meal at las cuevas de luis candelas near plaza mayor.

plaza de espana
i ventured out alone, armed with only a smattering of spanish phrases. well, as it turns out, you learn to order lunch when your stomach is asking to be fed. i ended up ordering surtido de pates (i found out that "surtido" meant assorted, so my first plate consisted of a variety of pates that had me feeling so full when my second plate arrived), grilled chicken with potatoes, and cana.

andéncero
one of the places that i really enjoyed--a former metro station turned into a museum to tell of the history of the metro. it was half eerie and 150% fun.

museo sorolla
i've mentioned this place already, and the memory of my visit is still fresh in my mind. i actually went back a few days before i flew home, to buy myself a print of my favorite sorolla painting. now i'm all sorolla crazy.

el parque del buen retiro
too bad i only went there twice, but my first visit was enjoyable enough! i got to see a lot of the park while hunting down the palacio de cristal. i heart parks, and this one is no exception. people were taking in the sun, eating, rowing boats, some were even performing their breakdancing moves! it really is a pleasant retreat, as its name says.

toledo
the city of steel and religious tolerance (there's some irony in there somewhere) gave me my first taste of renfe, the spanish rail system. next time i go, i'm bringing home a replica of sting!

ikea mondays
foreigners will never get it, but we pinoys just have a soft spot for ikea, no matter where we are. susie and i spent two consecutive mondays eating swedish meatballs with lingonberry at the san sebastian de los reyes branch, since most tourist spots were closed on that day.

museo del prado
the album is an irony in itself. the location of some of the world's most famous paintings, and i only have three images of it on my camera. what was i to do, no photo-taking allowed inside the galleries. i was happy to see some works of bosch and velazquez, and will go back again for a second look.

madrid nights a la javi
an album dedicated to susie's brother, javier, who was our official nightlife guide in madrid. we never did get to join him until the early morning hours, but we always had fun wherever we went. every place he took us to had damned good food and drinks. check out his photos of spain at javierpernas.multiply.com.

scenes from segovia
one of my favorite daytrips! about a couple of hours away from madrid, segovia is known for its aqueducts, but will be remembered for its cochinillo. :D this album is just an introductory page for other segovia photos to come.

it's been seven days

it's been one week since i arrived, and i'm still hung up over my trip.

i'm sorry i haven't written. everything was so overwhelming, and most of the experience is still swimming in my head, unwilling to be pinned down and be committed to words.

but in my 30 days there, most of it spent in madrid, i learned a lot about the way i want to travel. i discovered that i can actually do without the sights and the must-sees. i'd love to go to a couple of museums, and okay, visit some of the recommended places, but what's more important to me is to live like the locals do--eat where they eat, ride public transportation, walk, observe, hang out in a park, talk to the people, and eat some more. somehow, i just find that more enriching and a more worthwhile experience than chasing after the visiting hours of a monastery.

i highlighted eating, and that's because that's what i enjoyed the most during my stay. it's the most fun a traveler, especially a budget traveler, could have. you can't always shop yourself to death, especially in a city like madrid, where everything is expensive, and the euro is times 65 of each peso that i earn. so i just went crazy with the meals, since i had to eat to survive anyway.

i don't think i refused any meal invitation when i was there. nor did i refuse a dish that was served to me. i ate morcilla, chistorra, potatoes, boquerones, anchoas, croquetas, ternera, pulpo a la gallega, cordero, hamburguesas, chuleton, and a bunch of desserts. i had fish and seafood in sevilla, tajin in granada, cochinillo in segovia, and steak in barcelona. for drinks, i would often order a cana, or at times, take some wine, but beer was the preferred drink, and it was one of the best places to have a pint or two.

but more than the meals, i miss the streets. even in our smoggy city, i would walk a lot, and over there, i made the most out of the efficient pedestrian crossing lights and sidewalks. every day, i would always take a walk to either cuzco or tetuan metro stations, which will bring me to wherever i had to be.

their public transportation system is pretty efficient, but it has its kinks. for one thing, waiting for the metro can take up to seven minutes, depending on the day of the week or the time of the day. the walk to interchanging stations can take a while, too, and i actually got lost inside nuevos ministerios, one of the largest intercambiadors there. the signs in that station were so confusing, that i got mixed up and ended in the renfe station (train station) connection, and i had no choice but to go back and pay for entrance again just to get to the exit. it took me fifteen minutes to get out of the station and find my way towards el corte ingles.

the rest of their public transport system is topnotch, though, especially the rail system. i took advantage of the renfe every chance i got, and i used it to get to toledo, aranjuez, barcelona, granada, and sevilla. trains would leave on time, and without the hassle of long check-in lines. the train rides offered pretty good scenery, which i never got to see much of, since i would fall asleep the minute the train pushed off. but i still got to check out the cafeteria car, where i would order a can of olives and a beer.

and as if the comfortable seats and clean restrooms weren't enough, spanish train stations are a sight for sore eyes, and serve as a wonderful welcome after chugging along the rails. atocha, the main station in madrid, has sculptures and tropical plants, while the toledo station boasts mudejar architecture with stained glass windows.

it's so refreshing to be in a city that values beauty for a change. from their awesome train stations, to the flowers in the color of the spanish flag that line the main avenues, it's clear that these folks love to live in a city that looks pretty. the buildings of old have remained to this very day, giving the whole city a charming feel. i could have walked there forever. crossing was not a problem, my feet didn't get dirty, and i could sit anywhere when i got tired.

it's a city that will always have a place in my heart, not only because it was my first european city, but because it was a city that treated me well. the people are not all-out friendly and smiley, like we are, but when they do talk to you, they are sincere and nice. i felt immediately comfortable wherever i went, i never felt judged even though i was clearly an outsider. they don't mock you for the way you dress, they don't care if you're bobbing your head to the music from your mp3 player. they just go through their lives and let you live your own. and that, for me, is the loveliest thing of all.

the flight to europe

europe welcomed me with open arms by shocking my senses. after a grueling 14-hour flight from manila to amsterdam, i landed, thankfully in one piece, at amsterdam schiphol airport, where the sun was shining brightly at 7 in the evening.

now i know why people who've been to europe appreciate it so, especially those who come from the philippines. the long-haul trip is no joke, and even i, someone who actually enjoys plane rides, felt like breaking down 10 hours into the trip.

it's not that the flight was uncomfortable. in fact, KLM provided everything for a comfy and entertaining flight: games, movies, tv shows (the big bang theory!), pillows, blankets, and food every few hours. i never went hungry, and the food was really good. the bathroom on board was clean, and they even had ginger and basil hand soap.

the torture was in having to sit in one place for 14 straight hours. after a while, the beauty of having so many movies and tv shows and games in the palm of my hand lost its novelty, and i found myself checking the flight tracking screen every minute.

but hey, i passed the first test, and i'm expecting europe to treat me nice. landing in madrid, i was greeted by weather that contrasted that of scorching manila. so far, i've only seen snippets of the city that would be my home for 30 days, but i'll take in a little of it every day. :)

now for some breakfast.

neurosis starts... NOW

so i'm just a few days away from the great spain trip, and the list of things to worry about is starting to pile up, even when i've prepared for this well in advance.

last night, i decided to reposition and repack my whole suitcase, even though everything looked fine in it already. and you know why they say, "if it's not broke, don't fix it?" because when you try to fix something that ain't broken, you're going to go and make a once-roomy maleta all cramped and crowded with the very same things you packed the first time.

you know that packing rule that says something like, "lay out all the things you want to bring on your trip. then take half the clothes and twice the money?" well, i've never really believed in that. for one, i can't just multiply my money like that, and two, even when i overpack, i don't take up that much space in any of my suitcases. i don't know how i do it, but i was born with the power to squeeze things in a tiny space without going over the baggage allowance.

but i thought i was going to have to concede to that rule this time. i thought about it the whole day. i kept wondering if i brought too much stuff. well, i know i did, i mean, i had to bring different types of clothes, because i'll be there when spring turns to summer. just the same, though, i rechecked the contents of my suitcase again tonight and weeded out four items. it took me such a long time to finally decide that i won't die if i leave them behind.

of course, nothing is set in stone until i check my suitcase in at the airport. who knows what kind of neurotic issues i'll come up with during the four days i have left? stay tuned, and be entertained.

image taken from ottawa at home.

getting ready for the spain trip

just a few updates on the spain trip, lest you think i've gone AWOL on you. :p

i'm now all packed and ready to go. i actually had a little panic attack, because my weird memory told me that KLM allows carry-on luggage with a length of 17 inches, whereas my carry-on is 19 inches long. don't know where i got that information though, because upon checking a few minutes ago, KLM flights have the following carry-on baggage restrictions:

Each passenger is allowed to carry on one bag and one personal item such as a purse or briefcase. Assistive devices and outer garments do not count as personal items. All carry-on luggage must fit in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you and adhere to the following requirements:

• Maximum Dimensions of Carry-on Luggage: 22in x 14in x 10in/55cm x 35cm x 25cm (length x width x height)
• Maximum Weight of Carry-on Luggage: 22 lb/10 kg

(taken from seatguru by tripadvisor)

thank goodness that was cleared up. i had been going out of my mind trying to figure out how to fit the items in my carry-on into a smaller bag. actually, everything in the carry-on can still fit in my suitcase, but i want the laptop and a few clothes to be on my person should i encounter some mishap with baggage claim at madrid barajas.

upon weighing my bags, the carry-on comes to 5 kg, while the big elle suitcase weighs 15 kg, just 5 kg short of the limit. that means i can buy 5 more kilos of stuff. (as if i had the money!)

i'm pretty proud of my packing skills--they really came in handy this time. the suitcase has a lot of space left, and i actually thought i brought a little too much stuff. i used the sanitary napkin packs to pad the sides of the suitcase to protect some of the electronics. :D

this is also my first time to pack large amounts of toiletries. since i'll be there for a month, a month's worth of shampoo sachets will take up more space than a bottle of shampoo that will also last me a month. i was told that spain has dry weather, so i packed my lotion and facial moisturizers as well. still can't imagine what "dry" weather is, though. i've always lived in humid philippines.

i've photocopied my passport (details page and visa page), as well as my travel insurance, just in case i lose them. i'm also thinking of scanning them and saving a softcopy in my email. still thinking about that, because, you know, email is not completely secure.

i've tried my best to read up on the various spanish regions that i could visit, but the first item i read up on, which was the tren de la fresa (the strawberry train) to aranjuez, has me all daydreamy already, that i can't move on to other places. can you really blame me for being excited, when the train ticket includes

a guided visit to Aranjuez's beautiful gardens and palace, and all passengers receive a plate of Aranjuez's famous delicious strawberries en route.

trains, strawberries, gardens, and palaces! hoowee! maybe i should get this trip out of the way, so as not to distract me from the bullfighting and the flamenco that i also want to see. not to mention the tapas that are waiting to be eaten.

my friend kate was kind enough to buy me a spain guidebook, so i can get some reading done on the plane. the trip is from manila to amsterdam for 14 long hours, then another 2-hour flight from amsterdam to madrid. i think i'm gonna feel like a limp vegetable when susie comes to greet me at barajas.

good thing i arrive in spain a little before midnight. i can go straight to sleep instead of trying to fight jetlag. :p

will write more updates on the spain trip when i get there. seven more days!

cartoon taken from here.