So this weekend was pretty uneventful and chill so I decided to combine the two days into one since I don't have a lot of content for either one. To my surprise on Saturday morning, I woke up at almost two in the afternoon! Whoa. I haven't slept that late without waking up first and then consciously going back to sleep in a really long time. Fortunately, that was right around lunch time so I rolled out of bed and went straight to the kitchen (remember, the Spanish eat lunch anywhere from 1:30 to 3:30 so this really was kind of perfect).
I had intended on going to a museum that afternoon to learn about the San Isidro festival that was happening all weekend but considering I had some dinner plans and I still needed to shower, I decided to nix that. Instead, I read my book for a little while and then dolled myself up leisurely for dinner. My roommate and I headed out for dinner around 6:30 to make it to our professor's apartment by 7, where we were just about the last people to arrive because we got a little lost on the way (Madrid streets are very curvy and tricky to navigate).
This was a special welcoming dinner put on by my professor, her husband, and our TA (the one who gave us the food lecture in class the other day so you know he's a good chef). It was actually a night filled with many different tapas, which I was very thankful for because I wouldn't have known where to even begin when going to a tapas bar. My takeaway for the night was that I really enjoy croquettes which kind of look like giant tater tots but there are filled with a gooey breading and some kind of specific ingredient. Ours had ham in them so they were croquettas de jamon but you can get them with just about anything in them. Be sure to try them if you ever get a chance! I was also brave and tried some other more eccentric tapas like a bowl of cold, mushy leeks (it was ehh). Another food that is really seen as a delicacy here that we tried was jamon. Now I know that just sounds like ham but it is actually much more than that. If you ever go to one of the many museos de jamon or meat markets in Madrid, they have giant pig legs hanging by the hoof from the ceiling. Literally, they take a knife and slice it off the edge of the leg and that is your jamon. No other preparations necessary. Well other than cutting it into smaller bites. We had this at our dinner but with a little date wrapped up inside it to give it a sweet kick. Again, this wasn't my favorite but I am happy that I was brave and tried it. The whole raw pig thing kinda freaks me out. If you are ever here and feeling adventurous though, make sure to get it from a pig that has a black hoof and is fed acorns because apparently that is the best.
After dinner, we decided to try the clubbing scene, which actually turned out to be somewhat of a bust. The key to clubbing in Madrid is that whenever you go out, all of these club representatives try to give you really good deals on cover charges or discounted alcohol but the best we could find all night was a coupon for one pint of beer and one shot of your choice of vodka or tequila for four euros. So naturally, we didn't stay out long but it was good to get an idea of where all the clubs are in case we ever want to try again.
So Sunday, I woke up a little earlier: noon. My host mom said that she was surprised I was sleeping in so late because I have been getting up earlier than her on the days we have class, to which I readily responded that that was only because we had class and that I sleep a lot during the weekends. But I pretty much just had another relaxing day. I read my book for most of the afternoon and then popped over to an H&M to do a little shopping. All in all, a pretty good weekend, which leads me to my palabra del dia, although it's really more of a phrase. Today's palabras are fin de semeana, which literally translates to end of week, but is the equivalent term for weekend here. So I'm glad I had a good first fin de semana in Madrid. Here's to many more!
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