I have been in Madrid with my exchange partner Pablo the past few days, and it has been a lot of fun! The first day I got in I was able to drive through the whole city coming in from the airport and see the numerous plazas, train stations, monuments, buildings, and neighborhoods. The next day, I went to Pablo's school for the first time. The school is quite different from SHP. It is much more compact than SHP, and the entire school probably has the same number of students than just the Prep alone. Also, the teachers come to the students, not the other way around. The students also don't use their technology in the classroom, minimizing distractions. At school, Alex and I also met some of Pablo and Javier's friends and other students, who were all very friendly and welcoming. After school, we all went around Madrid and saw some of the highlights of the city including the Royal Palace, Plaza Mayor, Mercado de San Miguel, and various plazas, all while taking in the sights and sounds of the city. On Thursday, we saw the Madrid River and the Gran Via, which is the main shopping area of the city in the heart of downtown. On Friday, we visited the Salamanca neighborhood with lots of shops and cafes. After, we went to El Retiro Park, where we saw the annual book fair and rowed a boat around the lake. Next, we went to the Sol neighborhood and saw the main square of the city where the people of Madrid celebrate New Years, similar to Times Square in New York. After this, we went to a typical Spanish tapas restaurant for dinner to get a taste (pun intended) of Spanish cuisine. Today, we visited Segovia and La Granja. La Granja is a quaint town where the kings of Spain used to live in the summer. There, we saw the palace with beautiful gardens and a traditional glass blowing museum and studio. In Segovia, we saw the ancient Roman aqueduct and the cathedral while walking around the narrow alleys.
I have been having a blast experiencing living in an urban environment in a different country while making international friendships. Living as a local definitely shows you the true culture of the city, and I am able to do just this through the exchange program.
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