The Landing

Monday, May 16, 6:20 AM—touchdown. To my surprise, our flight out of Logan was remarkably on time. Encouraged by this punctuality, I imagined briefly that the European airport might just be relatively efficient. This proved to be naive. The following hour and a half was spent waiting in several long, slow-moving lines. Frankly, the agonizing process of passing through airport security made me feel right at home. The silver lining, I suppose, was the first collective bonding experience for a majority of our group. Misery loves company!

Exploring a New City

Around 8:30 that morning, after escaping the clutches of the airport, we were greeted by Maria Angeles of API, one of our excellent guides. We were herded onto a private bus and shuttled promptly to Hotel Regina. If nothing else, our experience at the airport made the group that much more eager to make the most of our time in Madrid. Not much to anyone’s surprise, the hotel was not exactly ready for us at 9:00 in the morning. We dropped off our luggage and were turned loose to tackle the city, with some helpful recommendations from Maria.

Fueled somewhat by curiosity (but mostly by hunger), yet naturally unfamiliar with our surroundings, the entire group of us, some 14 Americans, made our way across the street and into the first café we could see; Hontanares. Certainly shaken initially, a man I took to be an owner or manager of the café received us probably better than we could expect anywhere. This was where I got my first sense of the late-rising spirit of Madrid—at 9:30 in the morning, the café was practically empty. We filled it. After stumbling graciously through the menu in a language unfamiliar to most of the group, we got our first taste of Spain. Non-adventurously, I ordered a croissant and a cappuccino but the breakfast for the group varied from tostas to spaghetti to nachos. It was undoubtedly an interesting start to day uno en Madrid.

Gran Via

With a newfound pep in our step, we hit the ground walking, finding our way to a crowded Gran Via by 11:00. There, we came across an international speed-walking race, one of the most intense sporting events I’ve ever spectated. After this very unique experience, we realized quickly that coming to a consensus among a group as large as ours is no easy task, so smaller groups broke off here and there.

I did what any good tourist should, and went shopping. With a pocket full of euros and an eagerness to get out of the sun, I visited the Primark Gran Via, the most overwhelming retailer I’ve ever seen. Like many of the buildings in Madrid, the scale of this store is something to behold. After a bit of wanton spending and indulgence in fast-fashion, I retreated to the hotel basement. A majority of the group ended up there simply to get out of the sun and put our feet up. Many were approaching 24 or 36 hours without sleep, but that’s the kind of determination it takes to make the time zone adjustment. 

After a quick rest and a well-needed trip to a coffeeshop (admittedly, a Tim Hortons), 2:00 PM rolled around, and we were able to check in to our rooms at Hotel Regina. Despite my best efforts, I gave into the urge to lay down, allowing myself about an hour nap. The constant excitement of exploring a new city on top of the long flight exhausted each and every one of us. 

API Excursions

With a second wind—or third, or fourth—we attended API’s orientation with Maria. This was purely informational, and will likely prove very helpful for the week ahead of us. This was followed by a short walking tour of our neighborhood. We visited Sol, a bustling plaza, which features kilometer 0. A quick trip down Cava Baja especially piqued my interest. This tour was the first time that the things we discussed in class began coming to life for me. It’s one thing to research an incredible location, and something entirely different to be there, engaged and interacting with it. In that short tour alone we were given more options and recommendations than we know what to do with. Suffice to say, I could feel the anticipation mounting.

Our last stop as a group was La Chulapa de Alcalá, a Mediterranean restaurant kind enough to host us all. Many of us very hungry by this point in the night, we feasted on several Spanish starters. I found the Croquetas de pringá and Huevos rotos con jamón ibérico particularly tasty. For my entrée I enjoyed tuna tartare in a strong mustard sauce, and crème brûlée for dessert. There’s simply nothing that beats a nice big meal after a long day. Almost as important as the food was the time spent getting to know one another—a group largely made up of near-strangers who are going to have to rely on each other for the following eight days.

La Noche

While a handful of brave souls reinvigorated by dinner swung by the hotel bar afterward, It was straight to bed for me. I can hardly remember a time in my life that I was as tired as I was that night. It was exhausting, but our first day in Madrid got us off on the right foot. My first impression of the city is that it is, bar none, the most beautiful place that I’ve ever been, especially regarding the architecture. Day 1 got the entire crew psyched for the rest of the trip. What remains to be seen is just how much Madrid exceeds our expectations.