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Introducing a new Guiri, Allison Stendardi-Deptolla

October 30th, 2010 | Posted by jodiehop in Allison - (1 Comments)

Madrid – Round 2

I arrived in Madrid, for the first time, in the winter of 2004. I was a study abroad student from a small town in Upstate New York, and I was itching to see the world.  How did I end up in Madrid? Well, my university had a small campus here, and after years of Spanish classes yet having no real grasp on speaking the language, I decided it was about time to really learn it (did I? Not quite, but I’m working on it). I lived with a Spanish family near Diego de Leon, took classes like the Culture of Spain and Art History, and explored Spain and some of Europe. It was my first experience really seeing the world, and I told myself as I headed to Barajas for my flight back to New York, after five months in Madrid, that I would return one day. There was still so much more to see here.

Well, that day has come. My husband, Andreas, and I were living in Los Angeles when he applied, and was accepted to, IE Business School here in Madrid. Though the move would take us far from my family in the States, we would be closer to his family in Germany, and we were both looking forward to spending 15 months in Spain.

Upon receiving the acceptance, we started thinking about our year ahead. We had already planned a beach wedding in Malibu for the following spring, which was attended by our immediate families and a pod of dolphins, and we had always dreamed of a grand honeymoon. Since we were taking 13 months for his IMBA anyway, we figured why not take an ‘Around The World’ honeymoon before the program started? We sold all of our furniture, along with most of our possessions, and packed what was left into a VW hatchback, which we drove from Los Angeles to New York.  After that we headed to South America, South Africa, and finally, to the most intense traveling experience: India.

Eventually it was time to head to Spain. We decided to walk the Camino de Santiago a week before arriving in Madrid. It was one of those experiences that had always been on the bucket list: to complete the Camino de Santiago on foot. After 31 days of walking we reached Santiago de Compostela, tired but proud.

Finally, we are now in Madrid, ready for the year ahead. We have a great apartment in Goya, near Parque del Buen Retiro, which is wonderful as my husband is a runner and I am trying to become one. The city itself amazes me. Sometimes I’ll see a plaza or a building (or a bar…) that brings back memories from my time here 2004, and other times I feel like I am discovering a whole new city. Madrid has so many different neighborhoods to explore, and Spain itself has so many various regions with their own culture and flair, and sometimes even a totally different language. I feel fortunate to be back in Madrid, this time with more life experience under my belt. It’s going to be an exciting year.

Life in Madrid is an adventure, and I’m looking forward to sharing this adventure through the Guiri Guide.

www.stendardi-editing.com

Madrid through the Eyes of two American Tourists

October 29th, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Lifestyle | Stephanie | What's Happening Madrid - (0 Comments)

When I lived in Hawaii, before moving to Madrid a year ago, I always enjoyed having visitors.  One reason being that it really made you appreciate even more where you lived, and gave you a fresh perspective through a fresh pair of eyes as to why you moved here in the first place.  I experienced this again when my parents came to visit me here in Madrid.  I had a renewed interest in exploring Madrid, along the way I noted a couple observations that they made that I had never really given much thought to or had forgotten about.

One of the things they really appreciated was how clean everything was.  I remember my mom saying you could actually feel comfortable using the restroom in the train station.  In the states you always dread the public restrooms especially in some of the airports and train stations.  They also were very impressed with the cleanliness of the metro, and how reliable it was.

They also were surprised by the variety and flavors of the food in Madrid.  I took them to a Galician style restaurant known for their pulpo or octopus, then a small tapas bar, and finally a Morrocco style restaurant.  Every night was something a little different, and they enjoyed the long lunches and siestas that Spain is famous for.  My mom was surprised that things weren’t spicier, a misnomer that I think a lot of Americans come to Spain thinking ahead of time.  She also like the fact that everything was fresh and not processed, and that they used a lot of sea salt and paprika to favor the seafood.

They found the people in Madrid to be nice and accommodating people to them.  My parents could barely say hola, but found that a lot of restaurants had a la carta or menu in English.  Also, almost all the tours they did were in English as well.  One thing I noticed is that a lot of the waiters would respect people that were my parent’s age, and even goes as far to ask where they were from and if they enjoyed Madrid.

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Getting your Shoes Repaired in Madrid

October 29th, 2010 | Posted by sawidner in Lifestyle | Stephanie | What's Happening Madrid - (0 Comments)

Did you ever watch the episode of Sex in the City where Carrie the main character continues to get her stilletos stuck in subway grates or they fall apart as she’s walking down the sidewalk?  I can relate to this episode after spending some time navigating some of the cobblestone streets in Madrid.  I finally broke down and took three pairs of shoes to have then repaired, just in time for the fall boot season.

I headed over to a place near me called Reparacion Del Calzado Ol-Mar near Metro Lavapies.  They charged only 4 euros to replace the tips of my heels on my boots and 20 euros to resole a pair of ballet flats.  The best part was they were ready the next day, or if you’re in a real shoe emergency they can repair them while you wait.  This seems to be a big business here, and rightfully so, since so many madrilenos spend a lot of time walking for fun or to the  nearest transit stop.  Online I discovered 10 shops within a 20 minute walk from my place near the Museo de Prado.  I have also heard there is a reasonable shop up near IE business school on Diego de Leon.

So I’d advise checking out your nearest shoe repair shop before the rain, and maybe snowy weather sets in.

Reparacion Del Calzado Ol-Mar Calle Argumosa, 31 Madrid 28012   91 539 80 24

In Madrid and not sure what to order?

October 27th, 2010 | Posted by jodiehop in Courtney | Food and Restaurants | Learning Spanish | Traveling outside Madrid - (1 Comments)

My husband and I still laugh at the fact that we’ve been living in Madrid for more than a year now, have learned some decent Spanish and yet the menus (cartas) at restaurants still baffle us sometimes.

Perhaps you’ve visited Argentina and ordered many a lomo (beef tenderloin) and were a little surprised when a pork loin is laid in front of you in Madrid (or maybe not… Pork? This is Spain after all). Or maybe you were feeling adventurous and ordered Mollejas without knowing what they were – well unless sweet breads are your thing…stay away from these suckers. Or you’re confused between Lechazo and Lechal…

The thing is the term “Spanish cooking” does not really exist. Just as the typical Spaniard will first identify themselves by region [ie, Basque] before claiming Spain, food is divided by region too. A true way to really experience Spanish cuisine is to tackle it by region, ideally in said region while understanding the terrain and history which have so greatly influenced their famed culinary delights. Also you might be pleased to know that it is often the region that dictates the foods names – so don’t be alarmed when your Castilian skills seem less than stellar.  What’s really lacking is your regional dialect…and I think we can let that slide for now.

In Madrid here are a few regional restuarants to try:

La Sidreria Vasca Sagaretxe – To experience Basque cooking at its most delicious in Madrid.

O’Caldiño – For the best Galician food in Madrid!  I LOVE their Pulpo Gallego.

Casa Carola – Hungover? Best way to cure that is with Madrid’s Cocido!

La Paella de la Reina – For that proper Valencian lunch of Paella.

…for more regional speciality places see here.

Before heading out on any side trip I reference this website on gastronomy around Spain to learn a bit about those local dishes I should try.

And to avoid any mishaps I would suggest to read up  on food terminology before simply going out to dinner in Madrid [or else where].

Happy dining!

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Smoking in Madrid – the update

October 25th, 2010 | Posted by jodiehop in Entertainment | Food and Restaurants | Government | Health | Jodie | Lifestyle - (3 Comments)

It looks almost certain that Spain’s non smoking ban that has been talked about for a long time will finally come into force on 2nd  January 2011. In an earlier post we wrote about the previous problems initiating the ban.

In 2006 it became illegal to smoke in the workplace but restaurants and bars kept their right to decide if smoking should be allowed. Restaurant and bar owners are campaigning to have sealed areas for smoking but general consensus is that this will be rejected.

Now the ban has been backed by parliament and is with the senate for approval, which is expected fairly quickly with only minor amendments, if any. It may be one of the stricter european anti smoking laws as many public places will be included in the bill.
Having seen this take place is France fairly smoothly I think it’s a great move. I look forward to not having to shower and wash clothes every time I go out for even a coffee in winter! I am sure that there are many that look forward to being in small, crowded Madrileno bars without the think smokey fog. Maybe we’ll be going out more because of it…