Submitted by Emma Straw on the 2020 spring semester study abroad program in Madrid, Spain…
I can’t believe I have been in Madrid for an entire month! Where has the time gone? It feels like just yesterday I stepped off the plane and began my long walk through the airport.
Four weeks has flown by and I know that when the time comes, leaving Madrid is going to be really, really hard.
On a more positive note, my fourth week in Madrid has been exceptional to say the least. My friends and I took a day trip to Segovia and saw the Aqueduct as well as the Alcázar de Segovia, a medieval palace that’s also a World Heritage Site.
I also took a field trip to the Valley of the Fallen with my Politics of Contemporary Spain class. Built by the dictator Francisco Franco, the memorial is home to the largest mass grave in Spain and to this day, is a very controversial site.
My friends and I also took a trip to the Reina Sofia Museum and saw Pablo Picasso’s Guernica. After learning about it in my art history class, I was in awe as I stood in front of the massive painting.
The week was also spent learning to use the bus system (now that I’ve mastered the metro) to take trips to my new favorite late-night creperie, Mimi’s Creperia, and the most amazing empanada shop, Chipa. (Can you tell I love the food in Madrid?)
We’re rounding out the month with a weekend trip to Seville, so stay tuned for the next post!
