The Real Madrid

Churro's Con Chocolate... amazing!





...is a soccer team. I'm aware of that. But let me tell about how REAL Madrid got for Nikki and I.

Where we last left off, Nikki and I jumped on the 8 hour bus to the country capitol to sight-see just the two of us while Sarah and Alex spent some time in the Basque country.

Our travels started out simple enough.

We met up with Nikki's friend from Sonoma State who is studying with our program in Madrid, because she had graciously let us stay with her for our 3 days in the huge city.

After a good nights sleep, we got started in the "Sol", which is the center of the city, with some shopping and warm beverages from Starbucks, while the snow drifted softly outside. We chatted, mapped out some things in the city worth seeing, and were just glad to be warm inside the haven we know and love.

The thing about Madrid (and Spain in general) is that it has a very outdoor feel, so you want to be walking around...but when the snow is really coming down and its like 30 degrees outside, one is a little unsure of what the plan REALLY is.

After we hit all the stores we love, it was late afternoon and the sun was setting, bringing the temp. down to a hearty 25 degrees. Brrr.

Just as we were hopping on the metro we got a text from Nikki's pal insisting we meet her for churros con chocolate at this DARLING restaurant just a few blocks away.

Let me tell you, churros con chocolate is AMAZING! It's churro's dipped in melted baking chocolate. Possibly the best dessert on the planet! The cafe we went to serves almost exclusively cafe con leche (lattes, basically) and churros con chocolate.

The place was rather San Francisco-esque, with green trim and white walls, old lamps with charming round lampshades and old wiry ice cream shop feel chairs. It was the perfect end to a Spanish day.

Tuesday came to us with a torrent of rain and half snow..sort of like sleet. Again, Nikki and I set off for the Sol, to pick up a few items and again map out the day.

During our morning cocoas, we decided to hit up an art museum in a different part of town, because it was free and seemed worth going to.

A hop, skip and jump on the metro later, we arrived at the Sophia Reina, only to find it closed on Tuesdays.

Dejectedly, we walked back to the metro, deciding on a new plan.

As Nikki rummaged in her bag to look for chapstick, horror crossed her face and I saw the panic set in as she realized her wallet was gone.

Frantically she threw the contents of her purse onto the cement floor of the metro station in desperate hope that this was some sort of joke.

The contents of Nikki's wallet was valuable for several reasons. The first and foremost being that her passport was in there. Now it was gone.

We had a 2pm flight from Madrid to Marseille the next day. How on earth was she going to leave Spain?

An hour later we were sitting in the Madrid police station reporting the crime to this sweet Spanish lady, who connected us with the US Embassy in Madrid so she could get an emergency passport before our flight the next day.

I had no IDEA that you could get a passport made in under and hour...legally at least.

It took us roughly 3 hours in the station in Madrid that is reserved only for tourists who have fallen victim to small crimes.

The Spanish officers were so good to Nikki! They let her call and cancel her Bank of America cards, and gave us a map and metro info for the Embassy so we could get there bright and early the next morning.

I was so impressed by the US Embassy, let me tell you.

When Nikki called to let them know what happened, and to ask what to do next, the gal on the other end was so calming and told her not worry and that she would be taken care of. She noted that it happens often, and that they would get her in and out and back to France before she knew it.

When stuff like that happens, it makes me so emotional. I love living abroad, and I love France more and more everyday, but sometimes I forget how kind and chipper Americans can be as a culture.

Often the French are not ones for small talk, and sometimes appear ( to someone used to a smily, friendly culture) surly and rude. It wears on you sometimes, always feeling like no one likes you...but to hear this chipper lady, in her very American English reassure Nikki, nearly brought me to tears it made me so homesick.

So naturally, when we arrived at the Embassy the next morning, I was again positively fighting tears as I saw my very own stars and stripes flying high in such an unfamiliar place. It has been so long since I've seen The United States of America written anywhere but my passport, I just stopped and stared for a minute.

As promised, Nikki and I were in and out of the Embassy in about an hour and 1/2. She got right in (sans appointment may I add) and the 20 something gal who helped us was as wonderful as can be.

With temporary passport in hand, we walked across the lobby with a mosaic of the eagle we all know and love, and I looked to my left to see three pictures hanging elegantly on the wall.

Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Hilary Clinton smiled at me as I grabbed my backpack and headed back onto the streets of Madrid.