Madrid
My decision to go to Madrid came from a desire to test out Spain as a base, to feel the pulse of the culture. I have been to Barcelona. I wanted to explore the North of Spain. The gossip is true, they are very different in nature. The country has a division that speaks through these two cities. In other ways they are similar. The sun shines intensely - right through our stay in November it warmed us. Shops close in the afternoon, work happens but it’s not chased after, people readily have a drink at a cafe in the middle of the day, and most food is served on small plates.
I chose an apartment for the month that had excellent reviews and a big outside veranda. The size and sense of outdoor space was useful. As was the price. But it meant loving on the outskirts of Madrid, in a gritty area. At first this disturbed me. I felt irritated by the concrete. Then it grew on me. When we did adventure into the center of the city, I felt the immediate tourist offerings and vibe. I realised most of our time in the city was spent in the very real atmosphere of Madrid. The grit whilst not often pretty was much more honest.
I arrived and spent the bulk of our month stay alone with the children. Landing in a new country as a single parent is very tough, especially with a two and four year old. The first few days were hectic, just trying to get settled with basic stuff like a SIM card, travel card, laundry detergent and food. I carried Aziz and whatever else I could haul. So anything bought had to fit in one bag and whilst I am strong, I can only haul so much. But we broke through and soon enough, as always with traveling, much sooner than one imagines, things became routine. Like the fruit shop I preferred five minutes walk from our apartment. Fruit groceries are on every corner. Or the organic bio stores I liked best. I tried a few. They are more pricy but I got my milk and yoghurt there. Or simply the little walk from our apartment to the closest square, which had all the grit of graffiti and abundant dog poo (not only there but all through the city), but also a railing my children loved to climb on, the pigeons they chased and the stairs they ran up and down on being super hero’s. The capacity of my children to turn what looks like ugly concrete to me into something magical awed me. I had to be humble in front of that capacity.
Madrid has one well known and great park El Retiro. It was a bit far from us and it didn’t sufficiently amaze me to make me go there a lot. But it offers trees and a lake and a respite from the city. I am not a city person I realised in this trip, with the sting of acute consciousness. I know this of myself and I got it in my body fully as an understanding. Despite this I tried to make the best of what we had. We visited the science museum which though small was perfect for my children. They loved the stuffed animal figures and especially the huge calamar in a jar. We checked out city squares and coffee shops, sometimes just walking and discussing what we saw. I took the children to the one gallery I wanted to see, the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum. Their modern art collection is brilliant, it’s not to big and across the road is a good playground space. It did help that they had a lollipop, so they were slightly distracted. We knelt and examined colors and form, and Ruya questioned me on what exactly each shape might mean.
And of course we visited playgrounds, of which Madrid offers a huge amount, all the same type and brand. It’s sandy, with usually two swings, one small slide, a bouncy thing, maybe a see-saw. But they are not all lovely, many are dirty and on noisy streets. We found a few we loved. There are of course many in El Retiro, but there is also a great one in Parque Santander. And ones tucked away like in Plaza del Dos de Mayo and Plaza de Chamberi.
Madrid is structured around plazas, making concrete their social culture. As I lived and observed the place around me for a month, I felt how Spaniards spin their days on the social connection that happens in these squares. The plaza is the hub of each little block, where children run and adults talk, drink coffee, eat bread. At first the space did not seem like much to me, most of them being just plain concrete open areas. But when I felt the routine set in, our little almost daily walk through the local square near our apartment, then I understood. My children would break into a run, and I would stand in the sun if it shone, and we would just spend time there. Because that is what you do in Madrid, you take and spend time in social, public spaces. And eat of course, the meaning of tapas became clear to me too. It’s not really about aesthetic in small, it’s about eating little bits all day, so you can sit and share time together. Food and wine grease the social wheels, and in Madrid you keep your appetite going and eat tapas.
On one of the days that my man visited us we went to Toledo. It’s an hour from Madrid, the original capital of Spain, and its magnificent. The old city winds through small roads, looking over a vast landscape. The tourist energy is strong, but you can still appreciate the beauty, the ancient feeling of the stone. It was far more awe inspiring than Madrid for me in a down to earth way. We sat in a plaza, listening to a man play music, drinking some wine, eating tapas. Around us local Spaniards spoke loudly and celebrated something. That was my favorite day. It gave me the sensation of a city, seeped with a palpable power, alive with everyday moments, talking, eating, making some noise.
I came to and left Madrid as a mama with two little ones. I carried the load and we had some intimate time together. Ruya missed having the bunk beds in the apartment the most, I think Aziz liked the metro trains the best. As for me I am looking onwards, feeling the pull of Zurich, and the land of my heritage, Cape Town.
