Morning/Early Afternoon

March 9th, a new day in the city of Madrid, in the morning. At 10:00 pm, after a fantastic breakfast at Hotel Regina, we met up at the lobby of the Hotel to start the Civil War tour with our API Director, Fran, and our professor Julian Zabarbeascoa. We stopped multiple times to know more about the surroundings, and especially the buildings around us. One of the buildings we stopped by was the Telefonica building from the Spanish Civil War era, which currently houses the Espacio Fundación Telefónica exhibition space. A lot of the buildings in the zone have been repaired since the Civil War, but even so, you can see the remains of the Civil War in many of those buildings. For example, Julian and Fran pointed out the black spots all over the wall facing the street of the Gran Via. Those were bullet holes from the beginning of the Spanish Civil War, which made such a huge impression on me because, as a foreigner, I was not aware of how recent and deep the wounds from the Spanish Civil War are. 

As a matter of fact, the Spanish Civil War was actually not intended to be a civil war but a military coup that ended up failing. The nationalist party led by Franco wanted to take over the main cities of Spain, then eventually take control of the whole country. However, they didn’t expect the republicans to resist the coup, and then the two sides inside the nation started fighting each other. Eventually, the nationalist side won, and Spain got into an authoritarian regime for almost 40 years

As the tour continued, we not only learned about the Civil War but also about the past and present of what Madrid represents. We were told about the new wave of immigration of spain originated at the end of the Franco dictatorship; some people saw opportunity in Spain after it stopped being an authoritarian regime. Because of this, a lot of different immigrants, such as Vietnamese, Chinese, and Japanese people, start appearing in Madrid. That’s why there is a big diversity of restaurants of authentic asian cousine in Madrid. Fran gave us multiple recommendations for good places to eat and visit during our free time.

As for the end of our tour, we visited the Temple of Debod, a gift from Egypt in 1968 in gratitude for Spain’s support in preserving the Nubian temples. This building was incredible, and the most impressive thing is that it was moved from Egypt to Spain brick by brick; unfortunately, some bricks broke in the transportation process, and because of the passing of time, they were replaced by Salamanca stone for the main facade. The rebuild involved mounting the original stones onto new concrete domes to protect them. With this, our tour was  done with a beautiful view of the city of Madrid

Afternoon Free Time

After we were done with the Civil War tour, we got some extra time until 7:30 pm. During this period, some other classmates and I decided to take some pictures of the surroundings of the Temple of Debod. After a fun time taking pictures, we decided to go to the Royal Palace; luckily, there was barely any line, so we only had to wait around 10 minutes before getting inside. Walking into the Royal Palace was honestly one of the most impressive moments of the day. From the outside, the building already looked massive and elegant, but once inside, the scale and detail of everything became even more overwhelming. The rooms were filled with gold decorations, huge chandeliers, detailed paintings, and furniture that looked like it belonged in a completely different world. What really caught my attention was how every single room had an unbelievable effort in detail and elegance. It made me realize how much power and influence the monarchy once had, especially when compared to the everyday life of regular citizens during the same periods

This visit also created a strong contrast with the rest of the morning. Earlier in the day, we were looking at bullet holes in buildings and learning about war, dictatorship, and political conflict, which showed a darker and more painful side of Spain’s past. However, the Royal Palace represented a completely different perspective, one of power, tradition, and national identity. Seeing both in the same day helped me understand Madrid in a deeper way because it showed how the city holds both suffering and beauty at the same time. The palace was a reminder of how Spain’s political and cultural history has evolved from monarchy to dictatorship and eventually to democracy.

Finally, before going to the Bookstore Parenthesis, we briefly stopped at Confiteria El Riojano to try some desserts and hot chocolate that unbelievable good. Afterwards, we took the metro and decided to go to our next destination.

Evening

At 7:30 pm, we met at the Bookstore Parenthesis, a bilingual bookstore near. That night, Julian was speaking about his book, “What We Tried to Bury Grows Here,” with the writer Willow Mata. Julian discussed his long writing journey and process for the book. He not only talked about its content but also what it meant for him personally, which I found really inspiring. After the event was done, some of us decided to grab dinner at Casa Toni, a popular, casual tavern in Madrid, renowned for authentic, affordable Spanish tapas. We tried some of its specialties, such as Patatas Bravas and some tapas, which were tremendously delicious and authentic. Afterwards, we went to the Regina Hotel and called it a night; a very funny and complete day in Madrid, but I could barely sleep thinking about all the new things that awaited me the next few days.

Reflection

This day in Madrid was not only one more adventure in Madrid but also an experience that connected history, culture, and personal growth in a very meaningful way. From the Civil War tour in the morning, where we saw bullet holes and learned about Franco’s failed coup and dictatorship, to the Temple of Debod and the Royal Palace in the afternoon, and finally Julian’s book talk in the evening, the entire day felt like a journey through different layers of Madrid’s identity. It was amazing to physically see how the city carries its past in everyday spaces while still functioning as a modern and vibrant place full of art, literature, and cultural diversity. The contrast between war scars on buildings, royal luxury inside the palace, and international influences showed me that Madrid is shaped by centuries of political conflict, cultural exchange, and creative expression.