Special Day

ALSO, and more importantly, today is the mark of one year with my lovely boyfriend. Although he can't be here and I can't be there it's nice to know we made it this far and only 3 weeks until we can celebrate properly. Thanks for putting up with me even though I'm so far away (although maybe that's made it easier for you?!) I love you :) x

Two birds one stone

This is somewhat of a sad post as I'm feeling right now that my blog has come to a complete standstill at the moment but I feel the need to explain why. Some of you will already know this (most likely because of my attention seeking Facebook status) but I got my beautiful little iPhone NICKED during a lovely weekend with my sister, but for full dramatic effect I'm going to tell the story one more time in the hope it might also save someone else from suffering the same dreadful fate!

So there we were, sitting outside the Reina Sofia, basking in a ray of sunlight, something which has been few and far between of late, when we were approached by two hombres asking for money. This is a regular occurrence in Madrid, though is especially annoying when you're sitting in a restaurant enjoying your lunch! They did the usual trick of handing us a piece of paper with their sad story on but, knowing full well we had been targeted for our English voices and touristy feats, we firmly said no. These pesky hombres were persistent though and simply would not leave, my sister, being the braver of the two of us, employed the use of an icy glare whilst I sat trying my best to avoid eye contact. Still persistent in their quest for change one of them actually dropped the paper into our food at which point Lizzie's eyes almost popped out her head and we assumed that this was the reason he took his cue to leave.

Distressed by our experience we decided to leave the cafe and head into the museum and after waiting in line and going through security we proceeded happily into one of the exhibition rooms. With me having the most technologically advanced mobile phone of the two, Lizzie asked if I could write some artists names in my notes and send them to her later but when I went to do so my heart sank as I searched frantically for my better half to no avail. I ran back to security hoping it had got lost in the security scanner, as my bag had ddecided to do a roly poly on it's way through but I was told no and sent to Lost Property. Coming from a line of women who don't do well under pressure and who panic A LOT we ended up running in and out of the museum like headless chickens, resulting in us having to go through security no less than three times!

After it dawned on us that the last time I'd seen my phone was at the restaurant before we were approached we soon realised I'd fallen victim to the Spanish Mafia. I was a bit down but like a trooper I carried on with my day determined not to let it be spoilt by this.

The next day we went to the Police station to report the crime (so I can hopefully claim it on my insurance) which we presumed would be a long and tedious process but was actually made much more interesting by the fact Spanish police look like they've stepped out of an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie. England definitely cannot compare. As I explained what had happened my action man began to finish my sentences for me; while I'm almost sure this must mean we're soul mates it could also have something to do with the fact that I had been conned with the oldest trick in the book. My phone had clearly been on the table with my view of it obstructed by the dirty piece of paper the thief so generously placed on our dins! There is no other possible explanation because, as I'm sure my mother will agree, my phone does NOT leave my site ever and is, in fact, most of the time glued to my hand. 

So, fellow year abroaders please watch out for this trick because I honestly had no idea until about half an hour later! Anyway, going back to the start, this is the reason my blog has been so quiet of late; my trusty iPhone was the perfect blogging companion - always with me, ready for action, perfect for taking snaps of the sights. I will attempt to find some alternative as soon as possible but if you don't hear from me for a while it's probably because I think posts without pictures and like tea without biscuits...just not right!

It's disappointing this has happened right at the peak of my blogging game as I can proudly say I've finally reached over 1000 views so thank you for everyone reading and I hope you'll patiently stick around for more!

Donjuan x

Cafe y Tapas

Just a short post this evening, partly because I want to review this tapas bar and partly because I'm determined to reach 1000 visitors (i'm currently standing at around 960) so be prepared for lots of self promotion coming your way!

If you're familiar with Madrid you will probably have noticed the prevalence of a chain called Cafe y Té. I discovered it on my first week here when I went for breakfast with Teesha before our flat hunt began; I was delighted to see they did English and American style breakfast as I thought that might provide some comfort on really hungover days when I was missing home. 

Anyway, whilst strolling down through the red light district one day I noticed Cafe y Tapas, a   slightly more sophisticated looking spot but nonetheless linked to the Cafe y Té chain. Thankfully, it is positioned more towards the police station end of the street than the prostitute patrolling end of the street(clearly, the police are not doing a very good job)  so me and Aleesha decided to go there for a coffee. 

Our coffee quickly turned into Tinto de Verano as it normally does in Spain at 4o'clock in the afternoon but we decided that it was practically happy hour and it was really rainy and cold so we deserved it. We ordered some Tapas to accompany our drinks and this is what we got

Albondigas (Meatballs) in curry sauce with mini patatas fritas (chips) which came in this adorable little dish which I was really tempted to steal. 

Calamares (calamari) with a really tasty garlicy dip and then Aleesha got a Pincho of crab in some saucy dressing 

Although a couple of the dishes are quite expensive (as is the norm in Sol) I have to say they were the best Calamari I have had since I have been here so definitely worth it! The interior of the bar is really rustic with big wooden dining tables and warm neutral colours. They also have an outside area which is thankfully covered and we even noticed they provide blankets for people who might be a bit chilly come November time! 

I will definitely be taking a trip back here to try some more of the dishes, they have something for everyone whether you want a quick drink with some nibbles or a few tapas or even a paella to share. Also I think this is one of the first places where the staff actually took an interest in us and weren't hovering around waiting to swipe the plates from under us as soon as we'd finished in an attempt to kindly remind us not to stay too long! 

I'll try upload some pictures of the inside next time I go :)
Also, I realise I said this would be short but I'm trying to procrastinate until Young Apprentice is up on iPlayer so you'll just have to deal with it...if you made it this far, congrats and thankyou!

Donjuan x

Bienvenido a mi piso

So, only about two months after moving in I decided it's finally time to reveal to you all what my humble little abode is looking like right now! Here's my weak attempt at some kind of virtual tour...

First is our lovely little entrance, I absolutely love our front door. Although it doesn't feel exactly safe or secure it is definitely pretty, and that's all that matters, right? It has a pretty useless peephole (that big gold circle) because when you open the little door the other person can see you, not so good if you then decide you don't want to invite them in! Then we have that cute little tartan thing...not quite sure what it is but useful for sitting on nonetheless.

To the right is the lounge area. Looking a bit bare at the moment so I'll upload a picture when we sort it out, we're hoping to get another sofa/some bean bags to fill it up and maybe a few posters! The lounge has a little balcony which is actually quite scary because it feels a lot higher than it is and it also kind of slopes downwards which I'm not entirely sure was an intended feature. Here's some pictures of the view

Next we proceed down the green mile, otherwise known as our corridor. The flat is quite a quirky shape it's really unusual, also very stressful as there's a bit of a trek to the kitchen/toilet for me. When Aleesha's around you can hear her slippers scuffling along the corridor for what seems like an eternity. If you're interested in the shiny floor I can confirm it is the perfect surface for a running sock slide (generally makes the trek to the kitchen/toilet much more amusing).

Anyway, some months after embarking down the corridor you reach the kitchen, all relatively newly renovated so pretty nice if you ask me. The only issue is our table and chairs. Both perfectly adequate when considered individually, but together require a deadly combination of hunching and twisting. The chairs are for a breakfast bar and the table is definitely not breakfast bar height. Fortunately you can get a back massage for pretty cheap around these parts, may have to be a future investment if I don't want to end up like Quasimodo. 

Just off the kitchen is a little utility room and, strangely, our shower. I'm starting to think it's more of a wet room though as every time you step out the shower you're greeted by a nice little puddle of water on the floor, we haven't quite managed to find a way around this yet. 

Finally, slide back down the corridor towards the front door to find my little pink room. Although it bears a striking resemblance to a page out of the Ikea catalogue I think it's pretty damn cosy. I really like the tiles on the floor, despite their dusty topcoat. 

Watching Gray's Anatomy there, sorry. 

I tried to make my room more homely because it looked a bit bare so I've added some pictures but I still need to print a couple more off. I even managed to make it nice and cheesy by adding this picture of Azzedine next to my bed so now it feels like I'm never sleeping alone (I bet my Dad just went 'pass the sick bucket' or 'ohhhh isn't that nice' very sarcastically or something)

However, I think Spaniards already thought of a solution to this problem by creating the monopillow. It's like two pillows in one, pretty much like having an extra comfy bed time companion. 

So there you have it, our beautiful little piso. Can truly say I am very happy with it except for the one minor issue of the man on the floor below who appears to be dying and very rudely plagues my ears and nose with his farting (non-ashamedly and full of pride I might add) and what appears to be him coughing up his guts. Sometimes at night I can hear him breathing, rather unsettling not going to lie, have to close my window and listen to some music to forget about it. 

Special thanks go to my lovely Mum for spending a very stressful three days negotiating with my horrible thieving old landlord and helping me find this flat which is much much nicer! Love you mummy xxxxxxxxx

Donjuan x