Oh, Spanish. I never felt very inclined to learn Spanish. While all of my friends were studying Spanish in high school, I picked German.  I took a year of high school Spanish my senior year when there wasn't a third year of German offered but that didn't really stick. In college, I studied German for four more years and left with a minor. Not bad but not very helpful in Madrid.

[caption id="attachment_3900" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Palacio de Comunicaciones"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3900" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3900"><img class="size-large wp-image-3900 " title="Palacio de Comunicaciones" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6569-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

Anyhow, I managed. And as throughout nearly all of Europe, most people I bumped into in Madrid, bought tickets from and ordered food from spoke English. And what I couldn't communicate in Spanish, I could with a smile.

This said, my first day in Madrid, I got a huge kick out of everyone saying: Hola to me. <em></em>

<em>Hola</em>.

Yes, hearing the word <em>hola </em>made me want to giggle every time I heard it.  This was absolutely unexpected.  I think it must mean that I am a horrible person. Or maybe that there's something wrong with my funny-bone. It might also have to do with the fact that if any language that has squeaked and squirmed it's way into popular American culture it's Spanish--but a bastardized form of Spanish.  So there are lots of <em>holas</em> spoken but in the States these are often insincere or ironic.  Don't worry I got over it quickly.

[caption id="attachment_3901" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Museo del Prado"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3901" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3901"><img class="size-large wp-image-3901 " title="Museo del Prado" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6585-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

My MoM asked me upon my return: did Madrid feel Spanish?

Well, I am not sure. It felt different. Different than both America and Bulgaria. I guess that shouldn't really come as a surprise though.  Everyone spoke Spanish so I guess that the city felt Spanish but really the city felt young and hip.  It felt like a city that is bridging the past and the present. There are beautiful old buildings which house hip shops like an H&amp;M on Gran Via which is housed in an old movie theater.

There's a bronze state of Don Quixote and his donkey riding side kick.  There are monuments for Spanish kings and queens who's names I've never heard of. Museums are full of art by Spaniards like Picasso, Goya, Dali and El Greco.  And, traces of Franco seem to lurk around the city.

[caption id="attachment_3902" align="alignleft" width="614" caption="Jardines impresionistas"]<a rel="attachment wp-att-3902" href="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/?attachment_id=3902"><img class="size-large wp-image-3902 " title="Jardines impresionistas" src="http://www.karolinkabulgaria.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/IMG_6576-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="614" height="409" /></a>[/caption]

If this isn't Spanish, I guess I don't know what it. Madrid is certainly a vibrant European city.

A city chocked full of wonderful museums.

On my first day, I went to the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza to see <a href="http://www.museothyssen.org/microsites/exposiciones/2010/Jardines-impresionistas/index_en" target="_blank">an exhibit on Impressionist Gardens</a> and then I stood in line for a free ticket to see the  <a href="http://www.museodelprado.es/en/" target="_blank">Museo del Prado</a> between 6 and 8pm. The next day, I checked out the other half of the Impressionist Gardens exhibit at the Fundación Caja Madrid which just happened to be free and then I hit up the <a href="http://www.museoreinasofia.es/index_en.html">Museo Reina Sofia</a>.