feliz san isidro

This past weekend Madrid celebrated its patron saint, San Isidro, day. Each municipality in Madrid (and surely in all the other 17 autonmous communities as well..) has its very own saint, and each take a holiday to celebrate this wonderful fact of life. For example, last week was Getafe´s, so on a random Thursday no adults worked and no children went to school, instead spending the day hanging out in the streets... eating and drinking and in-general partying, while a giant cross was mounted in Cerro de los Ángeles. You know what they say about Catholics? Wherever there´s a fourth, there´s a fifth.

I actually am not very familiar with the ways of Catholicism...having been brought up by a spiritual but nothing-of-the-sort-Catholic mother (surprising considering how she was brought up) and an extremely austere NON-church-going dad (also surprising, come to think of it, ahem, Thelma)... But I´m learning, and I´m liking. Madrid Capital of course is going to do it up for their saint´s day, especially considering that this year´s was also the 100th birthday of Gran Via (one of the busiest streets in the city housing LOTS of shopping, tall and impressive architecture, and theatres and cinemas galore).

So clearly, Gran Via was completely blocked off the whole weekend long while the festivities took place and pedestrians took over the blue-carpeted streets, with live music in all the surrounding plazas (and in case you might be wondering, there was a giant three-layer birthday cake planted in one). I actually didn´t make it to see Gran Via on Saturday (the day of the party), but I did cross on Friday night before all the crowds bombarded, and it was a sight.

And to add to this excitment, the city was full of energy in rememberance of San Isidro. There was a giant botellon taking place in a large open area in La Latina, one of the oldest neighborhoods of Madrid (live music as well!). Even though it was FREEZING (winter came back in full force last week...), it was awesome.

In conclusion, I like Spain. I recently learned that the country is number 16 in ranking in terms of quality of life. Imagine if it werent in such bad economic state?! It would surely be number one.

In further, related conclusion, I don´t want to leave! Yes, it´s true, I will be leaving mid-June once school is out, more or less 6 weeks away :(

But that´s okay! I´ll be back another 6 weeks later :)

Summer Itinerary (see you any of these places?):
June 17th-23rd--Barcelona
June 23rd-July 8th--Caliiiiifornia
July 9th-12th--Louisville, KY (I am including this tentative option because I really want it to happen. US, why must you be so enormous?)
July 13th-August 1st--Caliiiifornia
Aug--Vacation in Spain: Cadiz and other yet-to-be-known destinations
Sept--Madrid, aka extended vacation at home (nothin´ like being a teacher)
Oct 1st--Back to school