Vagabunda en Madrid: Off to London!!

Hola!

Today in just a few hours I will be leaving for London! I am so excited to be getting in touch with my British roots. My mother, who was born in London, is ecstatic. The other day I went and exchanged my Euros for Pounds so now I am all set for England! I am interested to see how England will live up to or disappoint my expectations. I have never stayed in a hostel before and this is my first time leaving Spain since I got here in September. I hope that this is the beginning of many positive travels to come.

Wednesday was a holiday here in Spain, Our lady of Almudena, (a local holiday in Madrid) so everyone had the day off from classes. My friend Chi and I decided to walk around Sol and the surrounding areas that afternoon. We were surprised to find hundreds of people gathered in La Plaza Mayor and several film cameras documenting the event. We stayed for a few moments to listen, but unfortunately we were so far away from the microphone and speakers it was difficult to hear. We decided to grab some lunch on the way back to Sol. While we were sitting down to eat, we noticed a parade started to form in the street. There were flags, elaborate costumes, and instruments. We gathered around the windows and the workers filed into the street to watch the parade. The men who worked there explained that the holiday was for the Virgin Mary, and that the holiday was hundreds of years old. Both workers said that the holiday had lost meaning for them, because neither of them was religious. Chi and I took photos and admired the costumes but I could not help feeling sorry for the men who worked there. It seems that Franco´s influence has not evaded the people of Spain. I think because Franco made them ashamed to be Spanish, and because he supported a religious Spain as opposed to the atheism of communism. I tried to explain this to my older sister, Emma, via Skype, but she did not understand. She even asked me, “Who is Franco?” leaving me shaking my head. It is a huge reminder of the benefits of an education abroad. I have learned so much about Spain by just being here, that I would have never learned in the United States. It solidifies in my mind that Suffolk, Madrid was the best place for me to start my freshman year.