Ringing in the New Year in Madrid
Back when I was planning my departure from Chile to head off to Senegal, I searched flight finder site after flight finder site. Since I was planning to travel around New Years, I quickly realized that I would save a bit of money by having an extended layover somewhere in Europe rather than trying to fly from South America to Africa all in one go. Plus, it would be a bit more exciting too! After doing some more research, I determined that Madrid was the best option and I booked a one flight to get there and another leaving 4 days later. It was a short trip, but one jam-packed with fun things to do. And, heading into another year and several more months of constant international travel, language immersion, and daily work on an emotionally challenging topic, having 4 days to just do some touristy activities was a nice reprieve and a good time to get rejuvenated in preparation for all of the exciting opportunities I have coming up.
Wednesday, 28 December 2022
My final day in Santiago! I started the morning off by completing my final bits of packing before heading out to get a classic Chilean sweet from a GF bakery that I found online and meeting with my host organization one last time to thank them and say good-bye. My flight wasn't departing until 11:35pm, so I got a shuttle to the airport around 8. I was joined on the trip by 3 other Americans and it was nice to chat and compare experiences. One was heading back to the US to return to her medical school rotations after taking a short trip over winter break to visit her undergraduate study-away host family again after 7 years of distance. The other couple on the shuttle were jetting off to the south of Chile for hiking and sight-seeing with plans to make their way all the way up north to Atacama (check out my blog here to read about my experience there!) before the end of January. My first flight brought me to Mexico City. The only challenge there was that I was on a 10-hour flight with a pre-arranged GF meal plan, which was brought to me containing only foods with gluten, such as crackers, a roll, and a couscous dish. Oh well - luckily I always come prepared with snacks!
Thursday, 29 December 2022
I spent basically the entirety of this day in the Mexico City Airport, for a 14-hour layover. I got to know the terminals really well from my constant laps. But, it was a good day with a lot of time to reflect, be productive, and treat myself to a well-earned Starbucks coffee. I'm not sure if it is available in the US right now, but if so, you have to try the Iced Merry Strawberry Mocha - 10/10, highly recommend! Or... maybe it just tasted so good because I was operating on about 1.5hrs of sleep, restlessness from being trapped on a plane and then airport, 2 protein bars, and it being the only place open to get coffee at 8am even though my plane landed at 4am. Eventually, though, the time came at last for me to board my second plane that brought me to Madrid!
Friday, 30 December 2022
My second flight had no issues at all and I happily landed in Madrid around 1pm. I also have to say that the customs and security people at the Madrid airport have been some of the most understanding and helpful that I have encountered so far, and at this point, I have been through MANY customs and security lines. I usually get at least a bit of pushback when I take out the diabetes supplies from my carryon that cannot go through the X-ray scanner and say that I can't walk through the detectors myself but would rather have a pat-down because of my insulin pump (I want to be hyper-cautious since I am traveling internationally for a year and can't just hop on the phone to get more/new supplies if these fail because of the airport security devices). But, in Madrid, the woman assisting me happily took me to the side immediately, passed over my supplies to an area to get tested by hand and assured me that "health is a top-priority" and they totally understand having to take other precautions to make sure these devices don't get damaged. It was such a pleasant experience and really what all of these interactions should be like. Sadly, they aren't though.
I got an Uber and made my way to my AirBnB and quickly checked in, since I had a tour I was trying to catch at 4pm. Unfortunately, I couldn't speed walk fast enough and made it to the meet-up spot a few minutes late to join the group. So, instead I bought a SIM card, explored a cathedral, grabbed some dinner, and watched the sunset before heading home for a hot shower and some much needed rest!
Saturday, 31 December 2022
I started the morning off by going to an amazing gluten-free bakery and treating myself to a napolitana de chocolate and a cappuccino. Then, I went back to the Museo Del Prado, where I was supposed to have my tour the day before, and waited in line to get in. I waited for about 1.5 hours, but got in with a free, student ticket and was able to explore the museum in all of its glory!
Then, I went to lunch at a gluten-free pizza spot, a strategically chosen location so that I would have leftovers for my NYE dinner, figuring most places would be packed in the evening. After my meal, I went and explored the Crystal Palace before going back to my AirBnB to relax for a bit before heading out for my big NYE celebration.
Long story short, I was able to ring in the New Year in the place to be: Plaza Del Sol! If you want more information on how that night unfolded (it is quite a funny, convoluted, and a bit of a crazy tale) reach out to me and I am happy to share all of the wild details in full!
After the fireworks show finished and I ate my 12 grapes, I promptly made it back to my room, called and messaged my friends and family, and went to bed.
Sunday, 1 January 2023
For the first morning of the New Year, I went, of course, to another gluten-free bakery. There I got an eclair. They didn't have coffee or a place to sit so I brought it to another spot and got a vanilla cappuccino to sip on while I enjoyed my treat. Most places were closed this day, but I had read about a flea market that takes place on every Sunday and on the holidays in Madrid - Mercado El Rastro - so I went there next. I knew that I couldn't buy anything due to my budget and restrictions of having to carry whatever I have with me for the rest of the year, but, oh boy were some things calling my name! Luckily, my willpower (and lack of euros) won and I left the market empty-handed but with dreams of returning one day.
I then went to a tapas restaurant for lunch and had a lovely meal before making my way over to El Retiro Park. I spent my entire afternoon there, wandering through all of the different areas, admiring the sculptures and the scenery. I had planned to go to a little croquette place for dinner, but it turned out to be closed! So I got a smoothie bowl nearby instead and went off to see a Flamenco show! Before heading home for the night, I stopped at a churro spot that sells a GF option. Obviously, I got the dark chocolate to dip them into, too. Was this a smart move for my budget? Probably not the smartest. Nor for my blood sugars. But it was for my mental health and my tastebuds! :)
Monday, 2 January 2023
My final day in Madrid! I started the day off by meeting up with a friend from the states who happened to be in the area at the same time as me. It was such a coincidence that we had to grab breakfast, especially since in the US we hadn't seen each other for 3 years! We caught up over pancakes at another gluten-free breakfast spot and chatted for about 2 hours before I had to go pack and get ready for my flight and she had to do some exploring.
I made it back to my AirBnB, packed up my stuff, called an Uber and went to the airport. I had a somewhat brief layover in the Grand Canaria airport before I hopped on a 4-hour plane to head to Dakar. And... that is where my next blog will pick up!
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