In case you haven’t figured this out already. I love to travel. It is absolutely ridiculous how much time and effort I put into my next travel plans. Usually while on a trip somewhere I will be inspired to plan my next trip the minute I get home.
Does anyone know of any really good travel blogs? I am looking for inspiration for my next adventure. One of my favorite travel blogs is about a young woman’s travel around the world, called, Me-Go. I poured over her blog in early 2007 longing to travel like she does. One thing that I hadn’t made a priority in my life is travel. That changed this year. This summer I embarked on my first adventure out of the country in over 5 years. After that trip I was hooked! Another adventure presented itself this winter which lead me to the most memorable night of 2009. The night I got lost in Madrid.
After several days of roaming around Madrid with my travel partner, we were ready to head our separate ways. I had an amazing evening planned of tapas, beer and flamenco. I made reservations for a flamenco show later in the evening that was rather expensive. I had a feeling that this evening would be a memorable one, though it wasn’t the flamenco show that did it. I ended up at a tapas bar on the way to the show knowing that I had an hour and a half to kill before start time. This evening was the first I’ve had drinking and dining alone in a foreign country, and I was a bit nervous about it. I went to the tapas bar and ordered their beer on tap. With each drink that you order at a tapas bar they bring you a small dish of basically whatever they would like to give you. I don’t remember exactly what I had that evening, it’s not pertinent. The bartender and I didn’t speak the same language but that didn’t stop him from flirting with me. When I closed my tab he even brought me another beer and tapas. I must say, it is definitely fun to be a single woman in Spain.
Saying goodbye to the young bartender, I headed out to find the flamenco show. I had seen a flamenco show in Puerto Rico a year earlier when I traveled with my friend Abby to photograph a wedding in San Juan. I knew that I was in for a treat. It might have been the 3 small glasses of beer and the fact that the flamenco show was in the most confusing part of Madrid, but of course I got lost. After about 30 minutes of not finding the flamenco show, I noticed that I was walking through apparently the hip young downtown area of Madrid. I found a local bar that looked like a small dive bar that maybe would fit 20 people max.
After ordering a drink from the crowded small bar a guy next to me asked me a question in Spanish. I told him that I only spoke English. He got excited and started speaking to me in English and introducing me to all of his friends who were with him at the bar. I learned over the course of the night that this bar was one that only locals go to, and by locals, people who lived on the street where the bar was located. Once one group of my new friends left another new group was introduced. Everyone knew everyone else! It turned into such a great night of laughs and talking about life, culture and values. It was so unexpected and unplanned. The best planning that night would have never led to great conversation with people who were open and friendly.
You never know where life will take you and the people you might meet along the way. I’m thinking my next trip is going to be done solo as I have found that the most enriching experiences have come when I fully immerse myself in the culture. For me it is extremely easy to meet new people, so being alone on my next journey won’t be an issue. I’ll just be more open to strike up a conversation with the person next to me!
Please excuse the I phone Polaroid photos. Sometimes a girl just needs to leave her real camera at home and go out for the night.
Some of my new friends dancing and singing along to the music. They even played the Cure at one point.
yes. That is a dog in the bar.
Share on Facebook
