The Last Hoorah: Hasta Luego, Madrid

I am back in the United States of America, sitting at the coffee table of my Florida beach house. The winds from Hurricane Alex blow through the palm trees and the clouds are moving quickly. Their soft white and grey forms billow up into the sky, taking on fuzzy shapes whose interpretation of form is left to the imagination. My imagination can’t help but take me back to Madrid, to the regal Gran Vía and to the charming Plaza Mayor. I’ve been home for three days, but half of me is still in Spain.

My last days in Madrid were nothing short of spectacular. I did quite a number of new things—with Sarah by my side on almost all occasions—and we also made sure to revisit our old hang outs. Here are the highlights from the last hoorah in Spain:

• The Opera at the Royal Theater: On Thursday, June 17th, SK and I got last call tickets at a 90% discount for some stellar seats in one of Madrid’s grandest theaters. Our box seats were literally next to the Royal Box, so I don’t think we could have asked for a better deal. We saw a German opera, The City of Death, which may not have been the happiest plotline in the world (it’s about a man obsessed with his dead wife), but it was a great experience and something both of us have wanted to do since arriving in Madrid. The orchestra played beautifully, and naturally, we were inspired by the actors to work out our vocal chords.

• A Saturday in Segovia: SK, Patrick and I took the AVE train to Segovia on the 19th of June. There, we marveled at the ancient Roman aqueduct, explored the Alcazar Palace, and strolled through the charming streets of this quintessential Spanish town. Also, we had cochinillo (suckling pig) for lunch and then I took them to El Oso Blanco to drink the best sangria in all of Spain. Segovia was the very first place outside of Madrid that I visited, and I think it was quite fitting that it should be one of the last places, too.

• A Saturday in Ávila: On the 26th on June, SK, Patrick, and I met at the Menendez Álvaro bus station at “Stupid O’Clock” (as Hitler, I mean, Patrick called 9:00 AM) in order to spend a few hours in Ávila. Ávila is the home of the famous Saint Teresa (of Ávila, duh), and the city center still maintains its medieval atmosphere. In fact, it is surrounded by an impressive wall with 88 towers standing tall and firm to protect the city. For me, visiting Ávila was something of a spiritual experience, because I deeply admired St. Teresa for her passion and commitment to God. We toured through a museum in her honor and we even got a glimpse at her ring-finger, finger, ring and all!
Later on, we found out that certain bars-restaurants were competing in a tapas competition, and it became our mission to eat as many different ones as we could. In less than 2.5 hours, we stopped at 7 different places, guzzled down our claras, and snacked on the free tapas that accompanied our drinks. We rated them according to presentation, flavor/taste, and price-value. (The winner was a fried-wantony-thing-of-goodness. The loser was the pig-ear goop we got served without knowing what it was beforehand.) By the end, we were literally running through the streets to get to just one more bar before we had to catch our bus and beat the rain showers rolling in. It was a magical day, full of the famous mystic’s presence and fanciful tapas. I really liked Ávila!
• I might have been living in Madrid for (almost) two years, but it took me that long to discover some of the cities best kept “secrets.”

o I finally took a turn through the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, an often-overlooked museum and former royal art school that houses pieces from some of Spain’s best artists.

o SK and I trekked across town to see the Ermita de San Antonio de la Florida, a small chapel built in 1789 that has stunning frescos painted by none other than Goya.

o SK & I circled the Royal Palace until we found the singular entrance to the Campo de Moro, a beautiful park that lies just below the palace hill. There we were enchanted by the peacocks fluffing their feathers and by the gorgeous vegetation surrounding the quiet footpaths. Before reaching the lovely park, we spotted the Muralla Árabe, the remains of the ancient Moorish wall and the namesake of the park.

o I played volleyball one last time with some girls one Thursday night. Afterwards, Ana and I went out for dinner and said our goodbyes. She was the teammate who most pursued a friendship with me from the beginning, and I really appreciate her desire to get to know me on and off the volleyball courts.

o One of Patrick’s hobbies is to go “pool hopping.” He scrutinized the Google satellite map of Madrid for rooftop pools, came up with a list of hotels, and then met SK & I on Sunday the 27th to try to “sneak in” one. After two unsuccessful ventures, we decided to walk into a random 4-Star Hotel on Gran Vía, where we nonchalantly took the elevator to the top floor, and, low and behold… we found two jacuzzis! From the roof, we could see almost all of Madrid—from the Royal Palace to the Casa de Campo and even the sky scrapers situated in the north of the city. The red-shingled roofs reflected the warm sunshine, and we were ecstatic by our find. In fact, SK & I spent a couple of hours there the following day (our last day), accompanied by a bottle of cava and strawberries, and it was the absolute most perfect send off either one of us could ever have wished for.

• My last two Sundays were also refreshing and delightful. I went to the Community Church of Madrid and on the 20th I went to the University Pool in Moncloa to relax and catch some sun rays. On the 27th, I brought flowers in honor of “all the beautiful people of CCM who have ever walked through the doors,” and I stood up to give thanks for that amazing community of people. After my last service, the normal “Coffee Crew” decided to do something a little more special, and we went to VIPS for lunch; they paid for both mine and Sarah’s meal as their parting gift. I can’t express how grateful I am to have found the Community Church of Madrid. It was a haven of support and a greenhouse of love and life-lessons, and it had a lasting effect on my experience in Madrid and on my life.

• My last day in Madrid—Monday, June 28—was quite special. I first met Pastora Cathy and treated her to her very first clara (that’s Fanta lemonade with a little beer), and we chatted for a good while about CCM, families, upcoming weddings (her son Ben gets married one week before Justin and me), and many other things. She gave us a wedding gift, silver serving spoons with smiley face cut-outs, which will forever remind me of her big smile and warm heart. Later on that afternoon, SK & I were treated to a few drinks by the primary server at one of our favorite bars, El Rincón de Jaen, which is just down the street from my apartment. We took a picture with Salvador and thanked him for the many extra plates of tapas and glasses of wine he brought us over the course of all our visits. Next, we went back to the roof-top pool, as I’ve already discussed.

o SK & I had a proper last night out in Madrid. First, we met up with some familiar faces: Pilar, Victor, Concha, and teachers who were at my school last year. We went to El Tigre, a personal favorite where they give you loads of food when you order a drink. It’s greasy goodness galore. SK & I enjoyed chatting in Spanish for a bit, but then we all parted ways as she and I had our last date. We ate dinner at Bazaar, another favorite, and then went to the rooftop bar of the fancy hotel that towers over the Plaza Santa Ana (something new!). Finally, we owned the dance floor at Sol Y Sombra one last time; needless to say, there was no competition for best dance moves… we had them all. Sarah and I parted in front of her house at 2 AM, but neither one of us slept through the night. She went to the airport soon after and I stayed up to finish shoving as much as I could into my suitcases and carry-on bags.

• I had so many despedidas throughout my final days, and it was special and moving to part with so many great people. From Elly to Patrick, from my kids and my co-workers, from Pastora to my best friend, the goodbyes were flowing more freely than the vino in a Spanish bar! Yet, more often than not, I found myself happy rather than sad when saying my farewells. Each person played a special role in my Madrid experience, and I would not be who I am today without them.

In Spain, people most commonly use “hasta luego” to say goodbye. “Until later” is the choice parting phrase that you use with best friends, acquaintances, and with strangers, like the cashier at the grocery store. And so, that is what I said to my friends in Madrid: hasta luego. See you later, Madrid. Yes, I will see you later.