Recently in Environment Category
It literally snowed all night long last night but stopped by this morning. Enough fell to cause countless traffic jams and icy roads. I witnessed several cars sliding down hilly streets and people using cardboard to scrape off the snow from their windshields. The sun came out by noon but was still cold enough to keep much of it from melting.
Of course, the topic of the day was the weather. A few people in the bar this morning (where I had breakfast) were saying how they hadn't seen so much snow in 10 years. I didn't want to remind them that twice as much snow fell on Madrid City just January of last year. But the truth is, in my 4 years here I have never seen so many days of snow in one winter - and we're just getting started!
Schools were not closed but students were advised to stay home - although many were seen, by me, in downtown Madrid today throwing snowballs at one another. They were happy to have a free day on the first day back from Christmas vacation.
Seeing snow at any time in Madrid is, for me, refreshing. Back in Ohio, USA right now, surely there are several feet of snow in some places so this little "dusting" doesn't bother me. It does make me miss the snow more from the Midwest. I don't miss, however, the inevitable slushy, grimy aftermath. When I hear Madrileños amazed at this snow I just think, "This ain't nuttin', son." How many dozens of winter days in Ohio (each year!) did I have to walk through snow past my knees just to go get the mail?!
Here are a few of my mobile and normal digital camera photos taken today.
Video Below: Madrid's Retiro Park covered in snow. (video not mine)
Of course, the topic of the day was the weather. A few people in the bar this morning (where I had breakfast) were saying how they hadn't seen so much snow in 10 years. I didn't want to remind them that twice as much snow fell on Madrid City just January of last year. But the truth is, in my 4 years here I have never seen so many days of snow in one winter - and we're just getting started!
Schools were not closed but students were advised to stay home - although many were seen, by me, in downtown Madrid today throwing snowballs at one another. They were happy to have a free day on the first day back from Christmas vacation.
Seeing snow at any time in Madrid is, for me, refreshing. Back in Ohio, USA right now, surely there are several feet of snow in some places so this little "dusting" doesn't bother me. It does make me miss the snow more from the Midwest. I don't miss, however, the inevitable slushy, grimy aftermath. When I hear Madrileños amazed at this snow I just think, "This ain't nuttin', son." How many dozens of winter days in Ohio (each year!) did I have to walk through snow past my knees just to go get the mail?!
Here are a few of my mobile and normal digital camera photos taken today.
Video Below: Madrid's Retiro Park covered in snow. (video not mine)
When I went to bed last night I looked out my balcony window towards the south and saw a long line of thick clouds approaching, slowly covering the otherwise clear skies. Much was said on the radio, TV, and online about this morning's snowfall but I gave it little heed. It SO RARELY snows in Madrid, even in the winter and here we are still in autumn.But sure enough it came. I woke up at 7am to not only see a totally overcast sky but also little snowflakes visible under the street lights as well as some dark-colored cars covered with the powdery stuff. I guess winter is upon us, albeit early.
Little else was discussed on Telemadrid's morning show from 9:30am to noon. In communities like Madrid, where it almost never snows anymore, a few flakes throw the otherwise fair-weather drivers into a panic, causing accidents, traffic jams, and a lot of people late to work.
Sadly, for me, the sun came out late in the morning, revealing the more typically clear, blue Madrid skies and melting what little snow had fallen.
See the EuropaPress YouTube video below of this morning's snowfall in Madrid (in Spanish).
If there's something I love it's cool, fresh air late at night. Sure, it's only about midnight here in Madrid but after the recent time change it seems even later. And now that we're well into autumn the night time low temperatures are lower and the typically nonexistent humidity is even less nonexistent. Say, is it possible to be less than non-existent? Regardless, the skies are clear and the stars are staring down at me as bright as can be.
That's why I love autumn and even winter - particularly when the heat's turned off. In the USA, and many other parts of the world, when the heat's turned on for the autumn/winter it's on until late spring and no one would think to open the windows in order to NOT let the heat out. But since I haven't turned on the heat yet - and don't expect to in the next month or so - I can open my windows at any time I want. Ah yes, freedom from fossil fuels.
During the colder months, most people in Spain whom have the typical radiator heat only turn it on during the day and then turn it off at night. This is in contrast to most Americans whom turn it on during the day but only turn down the thermostat during the nighttime. Here, it's either ON or it's OFF, no thermostat and no timers. Many of the "oldsters" still have the round radiator under the bedspread-covered table, they drape the cover over the legs and keep themselves toasty-warm as they talk, eat, or watch TV. These heaters are becoming less and less common as more and more people have radiators and, in a few cases, central heating throughout their homes.
That's why I love living here, in part. I'm free to experience cool weather. Back when I was living in a my Ohio apartments I was ultra-conscious of retaining my heat. I'd slap those sheets of plastic over my windows, get out the hair dryer to make it taught, and waste away in my recycled air all winter long. Not here, baby. Here, I can open my windows whenever I want for a deep, clear breath.
As I write this I have the windows open in the entire house and it's roughly 55ºC outside, fresh air gently blowing across me. Ahhhh, that's nice. I love it.
Only for a few weeks in the "dead" of winter (late January and early February) do I really feel "cold". These are usually the days when I have the house cleaned and all the windows are open during the morning hours. It's great - but it's cold. As someone once said, you can always put more clothes on to stay warm but you can only take off so much clothing to get cool.
So fresh and crisp, this air. I just love it.
That's why I love autumn and even winter - particularly when the heat's turned off. In the USA, and many other parts of the world, when the heat's turned on for the autumn/winter it's on until late spring and no one would think to open the windows in order to NOT let the heat out. But since I haven't turned on the heat yet - and don't expect to in the next month or so - I can open my windows at any time I want. Ah yes, freedom from fossil fuels.
During the colder months, most people in Spain whom have the typical radiator heat only turn it on during the day and then turn it off at night. This is in contrast to most Americans whom turn it on during the day but only turn down the thermostat during the nighttime. Here, it's either ON or it's OFF, no thermostat and no timers. Many of the "oldsters" still have the round radiator under the bedspread-covered table, they drape the cover over the legs and keep themselves toasty-warm as they talk, eat, or watch TV. These heaters are becoming less and less common as more and more people have radiators and, in a few cases, central heating throughout their homes.
That's why I love living here, in part. I'm free to experience cool weather. Back when I was living in a my Ohio apartments I was ultra-conscious of retaining my heat. I'd slap those sheets of plastic over my windows, get out the hair dryer to make it taught, and waste away in my recycled air all winter long. Not here, baby. Here, I can open my windows whenever I want for a deep, clear breath.
As I write this I have the windows open in the entire house and it's roughly 55ºC outside, fresh air gently blowing across me. Ahhhh, that's nice. I love it.
Only for a few weeks in the "dead" of winter (late January and early February) do I really feel "cold". These are usually the days when I have the house cleaned and all the windows are open during the morning hours. It's great - but it's cold. As someone once said, you can always put more clothes on to stay warm but you can only take off so much clothing to get cool.
So fresh and crisp, this air. I just love it.
Today's Halloween, we've already changed our clocks back 1-hour, and the temperatures are getting a little cooler - but only a little. Some of the leaves have gone from green to brown, seemingly overnight, bypassing the oranges, reds, and yellows we would see in many parts of the USA.
NFL football is in full-swing although it's hard to notice from Madrid. I catch a game or two each week, whether live on Sunday afternoon or as tape-delayed on a weekday, but it's not the same. NCAA football games come and go an there's nary a whisper about them here. I actually had 2 tickets to today's Ohio State University football game against New Mexico State University in Ohio Stadium but sold them to a Columbus friend. I sell my one-game pair of tickets every year as I haven't been in Ohio to see an OSU football game since moving to Spain 4 years ago. I miss my Buckeyes.
By I do love autumn, more so in Ohio than here, but at least the temperatures are cooler since I don't like the heat. Saturdays, one would think, would be a day of rest - but not here. Saturdays are when I sleep only as late as normal (9am), work a little until nearly noon, then go to the market to buy food supplies for my Spanish lunch guests arriving at 2pm. This happens almost every Saturday. I enjoy the company, conversation, and even the cooking - but the lack of house space after the meal prevents a proper siesta, plus there are all those dishes to wash.
October is, by far, my favorite month of the entire year so I'm just a little melancholy to see it go. Growing up in the Midwestern state of Ohio, our autumns are always beautiful with a dozen different leaf colors - both on the trees and as they start to fall to the ground, scattering across the soon-to-be-raked front and back yards. Where I grew up - and where my parents still live - we have several large, mature maple trees surrounding our farm house. The smell of piles of fallen autumn leaves is something one never forgets. By this time of year the fields on two sides of the property have already been harvested of their soy bean or corn plants, providing a clean 100 acre view of field land and exposing the occasional passing deer scavenging for grains.
So autumn is over, although not by the calendar. We'll now turn quickly to winter and a short string of holidays. This is nice to look forward to too. I plan to cook a big Thanksgiving Day feast the weekend before the holiday for Spanish friends just as I did last year - but hope to have learned from that less-than-positive experience. That'll take a good deal of preparation as anyone knows.
Goodbye, October. You'll be missed. But my memories of apple orchards & cider, dressed up Trick-or-Treaters & candy corn, leaf-covered yards & leaf-stuffed scarecrows, and cool, crisp air stay with me.
NFL football is in full-swing although it's hard to notice from Madrid. I catch a game or two each week, whether live on Sunday afternoon or as tape-delayed on a weekday, but it's not the same. NCAA football games come and go an there's nary a whisper about them here. I actually had 2 tickets to today's Ohio State University football game against New Mexico State University in Ohio Stadium but sold them to a Columbus friend. I sell my one-game pair of tickets every year as I haven't been in Ohio to see an OSU football game since moving to Spain 4 years ago. I miss my Buckeyes.
By I do love autumn, more so in Ohio than here, but at least the temperatures are cooler since I don't like the heat. Saturdays, one would think, would be a day of rest - but not here. Saturdays are when I sleep only as late as normal (9am), work a little until nearly noon, then go to the market to buy food supplies for my Spanish lunch guests arriving at 2pm. This happens almost every Saturday. I enjoy the company, conversation, and even the cooking - but the lack of house space after the meal prevents a proper siesta, plus there are all those dishes to wash.
October is, by far, my favorite month of the entire year so I'm just a little melancholy to see it go. Growing up in the Midwestern state of Ohio, our autumns are always beautiful with a dozen different leaf colors - both on the trees and as they start to fall to the ground, scattering across the soon-to-be-raked front and back yards. Where I grew up - and where my parents still live - we have several large, mature maple trees surrounding our farm house. The smell of piles of fallen autumn leaves is something one never forgets. By this time of year the fields on two sides of the property have already been harvested of their soy bean or corn plants, providing a clean 100 acre view of field land and exposing the occasional passing deer scavenging for grains.
So autumn is over, although not by the calendar. We'll now turn quickly to winter and a short string of holidays. This is nice to look forward to too. I plan to cook a big Thanksgiving Day feast the weekend before the holiday for Spanish friends just as I did last year - but hope to have learned from that less-than-positive experience. That'll take a good deal of preparation as anyone knows.
Goodbye, October. You'll be missed. But my memories of apple orchards & cider, dressed up Trick-or-Treaters & candy corn, leaf-covered yards & leaf-stuffed scarecrows, and cool, crisp air stay with me.
Saturday night, before going to bed, I was diligent in turning all my clocks back ONE HOUR to conform to the Daylight Savings rule in MOST of the world (minus the USA which has set its own rules and sets back one hour on November 1st).
On Sunday I was watching some live NFL football on Canal+ satellite and, to no surprise, found the timing "off". Even the satellite's clock was off. How can this be possible in today's technological age? Shouldn't the time change be instantaneous? I'm wondering how long it'll be until the Canal+ clock catches up with the actual clock.So the nights arrive earlier. That's not a big deal. But those first few days, as everyone knows, seem odd. They're getting off work at the same hour and yet it's already SUPER dark outside.
The autumn's back-one-hour schedule isn't as difficult as the springs ahead-one-hour change, in my opinion. How many times did we miss Easter Sunday church services because we forgot to change the clocks ahead one hour and arrived as services ended? Or how many times were we traveling and missed a flight, a bus, or an appointment because we forgot - or didn't realize - the time change? No tellin', Magellan.
But now, it seems, nights fall earlier and earlier, faster and faster. Before you know it it'll be dark by 5pm and we'll feel like we're on the North Pole with 24 hours of nighttime. Madrid has nearly the same longitude as my hometown in north-central Ohio, USA so the hours of light are essentially the same. Fine. But it takes some getting used to with these dark afternoons and early evenings when daylight is short and fleeting.
If you're old enough, you remember how it was to put your bare legs on the summer-sun-drenched vinyl seat upholstery of your parents' station wagon - the one which had been parked outside the mall all afternoon. In short, you grab on to anything in the shade and attempt to "hover" until the car gets going, passing the cooling properties of the roll-down window air over the epidermis-frying seats.
Today's not much different in Madrid. Arguably, my vinyl office chair (or whatever man-made material covers it) has not been sitting in the sun. Be that as it may, the plastic doesn't feel at all comfortable against my bare legs nor on my boxer-short-covered butt. That's bad, sure, but to make matters worse - or better - I "protect" myself by putting a folded beach towel over the seat and under my bum. Sure, it keeps me from sticking, but the sweat soaks into the towel and makes me feel like I peed myself... an hour ago. So when I DO get up and come back again, sitting on that dampness reminds me of putting on still-sweaty football pad pants for the second two-a-day practice. Ugh.
Having the oscillating fan pointing at my torso from 2 feet away helps keep my near-naked body's temperature somewhat in check but doesn't do much for the straining PC fan which, from the way it sounds, is growing ever nearer to committing suicide and ending its suffering.
Don't I have air conditioning? Answer: Yes. So why don't I use it? Answer: I do when I absolutely can't stand it anymore - or when I've just showered and need to put on real clothes to go out. On the hottest days, I'll turn on the A/C only from about 4pm until 8:30pm. It's at this later hour when the sun goes behind the adjacent building's roof and things then begin to cool off considerably.
My only consolation is repeating the mantra, "Summer is reaching its end... Summer is reaching its end...", only to be slapped back into reality when I remember to change my sweaty diaper.... errr... boxer shorts.
Today's not much different in Madrid. Arguably, my vinyl office chair (or whatever man-made material covers it) has not been sitting in the sun. Be that as it may, the plastic doesn't feel at all comfortable against my bare legs nor on my boxer-short-covered butt. That's bad, sure, but to make matters worse - or better - I "protect" myself by putting a folded beach towel over the seat and under my bum. Sure, it keeps me from sticking, but the sweat soaks into the towel and makes me feel like I peed myself... an hour ago. So when I DO get up and come back again, sitting on that dampness reminds me of putting on still-sweaty football pad pants for the second two-a-day practice. Ugh.
Having the oscillating fan pointing at my torso from 2 feet away helps keep my near-naked body's temperature somewhat in check but doesn't do much for the straining PC fan which, from the way it sounds, is growing ever nearer to committing suicide and ending its suffering.
Don't I have air conditioning? Answer: Yes. So why don't I use it? Answer: I do when I absolutely can't stand it anymore - or when I've just showered and need to put on real clothes to go out. On the hottest days, I'll turn on the A/C only from about 4pm until 8:30pm. It's at this later hour when the sun goes behind the adjacent building's roof and things then begin to cool off considerably.
My only consolation is repeating the mantra, "Summer is reaching its end... Summer is reaching its end...", only to be slapped back into reality when I remember to change my sweaty diaper.... errr... boxer shorts.
Tomorrow is the first day of June - and I've already broken out the shorts. I usually put it off until June 1st but a few days ago started a heat-wave which I couldn't stand in jeans. Normally, my "what's socially acceptable" conscience gets the better of me and I literally sweat-it-out, but having already seen a number of Spaniards wearing shorts I thought my wearing them wouldn't bring too many strange looks - but a few older people did give me a glare or two.
"They say" yesterday it hit about 90ºF - and I believe it. Today, "they say", it should be about the same. It's definitely hotter this year at this date than in previous years. Although I remember some VERY HOT "Fiesta de San Isidro's" on May 15th, ones which warranted shorts but I wasn't brave enough to wear them.
Usually June is the first month when people are commonly seen wearing shorts. Of course, July, August, and the first half of September is a given. All bets are off at that time because it's so darn hot. And me, being a hot body, HATE these summer months, my only savior are the shorts and light cotton T-Shirts. And Thank God for His invention of linen pants! Man, those are almost better than wearing shorts - when you have to wear pants.
But in these summer months when it's HOT - and I mean HOT with a capital HOT - my superficial temperature rises as does the core, copious liters of sweat are "spent" daily while climbing my 5 flights of stairs to home, more is spent when carrying groceries, of course. It's odd ARRIVING at the gym already sweating. But it's true what they say, it really is a dry heat. Sounds funny, but it's true. Every night before going to bed I take a as-cold-as-it-gets shower and I'm usually good-to-go to sleep. There's no air conditioning in my bedroom but, in times of heat crisis, I can go to the other bedroom where there is.
Ventilation fans are essential for me. I love them. Many of the Spaniards I know hate them. They say it makes them stuffed-up, gives them colds, or just makes them feel bad. Can't imagine that. I usually have the fan going all night long. Spaniards I know generally feel the same about air conditioners. "They're just not natural". And I'm thinking, "You'd rather stew in a puddle of your own sweat while lying in bed??!" Seems the answer to that question is "yes".
More and more people buy air conditioners in Spain, disregarding the environment. Thankfully, more people are buying these humidifiers, machines which evaporates water and sends the hot air outdoors, thus lowering the inside temperature - something like that. They're odd-looking machines but are cheaper than air conditioners and are much better for the environment apart from the electricity they consume.
Bars and some smaller restaurants will often simply open their windows at night instead of turn on the A/C. Cinemas/Theaters are often under-air-conditioned from my sub-zero-public-space-American perspective. I often find I'm fanning myself with a folded piece of paper while watching the movie. Shopping malls are usually comfortable, but I rarely patronize them.
The terrazas (outdoor/patio bars and cafés) are teaming with people in warmer weather and you always see anxious onlookers waiting for an available table.
So whether or not I like the weather, the heats-a-coming to Madrid and to Spain.
"They say" yesterday it hit about 90ºF - and I believe it. Today, "they say", it should be about the same. It's definitely hotter this year at this date than in previous years. Although I remember some VERY HOT "Fiesta de San Isidro's" on May 15th, ones which warranted shorts but I wasn't brave enough to wear them.
Usually June is the first month when people are commonly seen wearing shorts. Of course, July, August, and the first half of September is a given. All bets are off at that time because it's so darn hot. And me, being a hot body, HATE these summer months, my only savior are the shorts and light cotton T-Shirts. And Thank God for His invention of linen pants! Man, those are almost better than wearing shorts - when you have to wear pants.
But in these summer months when it's HOT - and I mean HOT with a capital HOT - my superficial temperature rises as does the core, copious liters of sweat are "spent" daily while climbing my 5 flights of stairs to home, more is spent when carrying groceries, of course. It's odd ARRIVING at the gym already sweating. But it's true what they say, it really is a dry heat. Sounds funny, but it's true. Every night before going to bed I take a as-cold-as-it-gets shower and I'm usually good-to-go to sleep. There's no air conditioning in my bedroom but, in times of heat crisis, I can go to the other bedroom where there is.
Ventilation fans are essential for me. I love them. Many of the Spaniards I know hate them. They say it makes them stuffed-up, gives them colds, or just makes them feel bad. Can't imagine that. I usually have the fan going all night long. Spaniards I know generally feel the same about air conditioners. "They're just not natural". And I'm thinking, "You'd rather stew in a puddle of your own sweat while lying in bed??!" Seems the answer to that question is "yes".
More and more people buy air conditioners in Spain, disregarding the environment. Thankfully, more people are buying these humidifiers, machines which evaporates water and sends the hot air outdoors, thus lowering the inside temperature - something like that. They're odd-looking machines but are cheaper than air conditioners and are much better for the environment apart from the electricity they consume.
Bars and some smaller restaurants will often simply open their windows at night instead of turn on the A/C. Cinemas/Theaters are often under-air-conditioned from my sub-zero-public-space-American perspective. I often find I'm fanning myself with a folded piece of paper while watching the movie. Shopping malls are usually comfortable, but I rarely patronize them.
The terrazas (outdoor/patio bars and cafés) are teaming with people in warmer weather and you always see anxious onlookers waiting for an available table.
So whether or not I like the weather, the heats-a-coming to Madrid and to Spain.
Last Monday evening I went, yet again, to the Teatros del Canal to see another flamenco performance. This time it was flamenco dance, headlined by Rocio Molina. What surprised me most was that it was a traditional flamenco dance performance but one with ballet and modern dance added to a little traditional flamenco.
Rocio Molina is young. She was born in Málaga in 1984. At just three years old, they say, she started her dancing "career". At 18 years old she graduated with honors at the Real Conservatorio de Danza de Madrid. Wow. So accomplished and still so very young.
Rocio Molina wasn't the only one performing. There was another (very very large) female flamenco dancer in a colorful dress who dances several numbers alone but also performed a kind of "I'm on the bench" sketch with the cast. Two very thin and young men, seeming skilled in ballet, danced several numbers but also assisted in the sketches, wearing clothing from suits, to open button down shirts, to only pants while dancing. It wasn't until the final sketch when the two women danced traditional flamenco onstage at the same time, seemingly "dueling flamenco" on their own half of the stage, which was entertaining.
The dancing was excellent and movements were precise. One could only imagine how much work went into the individual portions of the performance and how much rehearsal was involved. Truly impressive.
Below is a 5:04 video from Rocio Molina's "Oro Viejo", the same performance I saw last Monday. This snippet is near the most "traditional" of the entire performance - and it's quite modern.
Rocio Molina is young. She was born in Málaga in 1984. At just three years old, they say, she started her dancing "career". At 18 years old she graduated with honors at the Real Conservatorio de Danza de Madrid. Wow. So accomplished and still so very young.
Rocio Molina, far right. Photo by the Málaga Regional Government
The performance was a mix of ballet, traditional flamenco, modern dance, and even some performance art thrown in. The music and audio was the same. At times you had no idea what was happening or why and, I must say, I didn't care for it much. At one point, a man went from corner to corner of the stage and filled some small pots with water, after which, pinpoint spotlight illuminated the tiny pots, revealing what appeared to be splashes from above-falling water. It was odd.Rocio Molina wasn't the only one performing. There was another (very very large) female flamenco dancer in a colorful dress who dances several numbers alone but also performed a kind of "I'm on the bench" sketch with the cast. Two very thin and young men, seeming skilled in ballet, danced several numbers but also assisted in the sketches, wearing clothing from suits, to open button down shirts, to only pants while dancing. It wasn't until the final sketch when the two women danced traditional flamenco onstage at the same time, seemingly "dueling flamenco" on their own half of the stage, which was entertaining.
The dancing was excellent and movements were precise. One could only imagine how much work went into the individual portions of the performance and how much rehearsal was involved. Truly impressive.
Below is a 5:04 video from Rocio Molina's "Oro Viejo", the same performance I saw last Monday. This snippet is near the most "traditional" of the entire performance - and it's quite modern.
It rarely snows in Madrid. But it did today - "AND HOW!" (said Spanky to Alfalfa)
I was only 3 hours into my slumber (after staying up all night watching the BCS Championship game for United States university football) when a friend text messaged me at 9:30am, saying it was snowing in Madrid. I couldn't believe it. But sure enough, there it was, falling from the heavens like tiny little pieces of fallout ash - although much less dangerous.
Today was a tough day at work(home) but I enjoyed the scene from my window. Just before lunchtime I had a meeting downtown on Madrid's Gran Via and was excited for the opportunity to see the snow up close and personal in my adopted city. The tree tops were weighed down by big clumps of snow, people carried umbrellas for protection, and dogs tippy-toed while quickly doing their "business" in the white stuff, careful to protect "the goods".
Getting off the bus next to the Royal Palace / Palacio Real, I first walked through the Jardines de Sabatini next to the palace. The grounds were full of adults, most all toting professional-looking cameras and taking photos of the anomaly we were all experiencing. Many of these photos, like mine, would likely wind up in blogs, Facebook pages, Flickr accounts, and on other websites, giving proof to their future exclamations, "I remember when it snowed truckloads in Madrid in January 2009!!" Other adults were obviously there to re-live a bit of their childhood, throwing easily-packable snowballs at their unsuspecting friends. It was all quite a sight, one which gave be great joy after living 3 years "Snowless In Madrid".
I'm an Ohio boy, you see, one who's accustomed to 15-foot snow drifts, ice-skating on frozen farm ponds, and spending many sweaty hours with the snow shovel in sub-zero temperatures, making enough space in our country driveway to "punch" the pickup truck through to the main road. On these latter occasions, I'd invariably return to the house with numb fingers, feet, and face, looking just like the snowmen some of the distant neighbors were making in their back yards. But here in Madrid, I got a fleeting taste of a northern United States, midwestern winter. Just a taste. And it was good. So good it made me smile. So good it made me feel like a kid again too.
After the Sabatini Gardens I walked through the Plaza de Oriente, the place between the Royal Palace and the Opera House, and walked uphill to Gran Vía where I found lots of traffic and lots of people despite the weather.
I understand there were (or still are) several hours of delays on the M-40 near Madrid Barajas Airport due to the weather. The entire local morning television coverage focused on the snow, outdoor interviews with foreigners whom had never seen it before, speaking with older generations stating how it used to snow every winter in downtown Madrid but now it rarely does. All this media coverage, to a midwesterner, makes me shake my head. This, to me/us, is a near-daily event in the winters of Ohio, USA. No big deal. There, in winter, they spend 5 minutes talking about the day's weather forecast and then move on to sports. Here in Madrid and throughout Spain, the news-of-the-day IS the weather.
For 3 years I've been waiting for this day, anxious to see snow in Madrid. And it finally came. I welcome it with open arms, open mouth, and an open spirit. NOW it feels like winter. The great part is, "they say" it'll continue snowing through tomorrow. To that, I SAY, "LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW!!!"
I was only 3 hours into my slumber (after staying up all night watching the BCS Championship game for United States university football) when a friend text messaged me at 9:30am, saying it was snowing in Madrid. I couldn't believe it. But sure enough, there it was, falling from the heavens like tiny little pieces of fallout ash - although much less dangerous.Today was a tough day at work(home) but I enjoyed the scene from my window. Just before lunchtime I had a meeting downtown on Madrid's Gran Via and was excited for the opportunity to see the snow up close and personal in my adopted city. The tree tops were weighed down by big clumps of snow, people carried umbrellas for protection, and dogs tippy-toed while quickly doing their "business" in the white stuff, careful to protect "the goods".
Getting off the bus next to the Royal Palace / Palacio Real, I first walked through the Jardines de Sabatini next to the palace. The grounds were full of adults, most all toting professional-looking cameras and taking photos of the anomaly we were all experiencing. Many of these photos, like mine, would likely wind up in blogs, Facebook pages, Flickr accounts, and on other websites, giving proof to their future exclamations, "I remember when it snowed truckloads in Madrid in January 2009!!" Other adults were obviously there to re-live a bit of their childhood, throwing easily-packable snowballs at their unsuspecting friends. It was all quite a sight, one which gave be great joy after living 3 years "Snowless In Madrid".I'm an Ohio boy, you see, one who's accustomed to 15-foot snow drifts, ice-skating on frozen farm ponds, and spending many sweaty hours with the snow shovel in sub-zero temperatures, making enough space in our country driveway to "punch" the pickup truck through to the main road. On these latter occasions, I'd invariably return to the house with numb fingers, feet, and face, looking just like the snowmen some of the distant neighbors were making in their back yards. But here in Madrid, I got a fleeting taste of a northern United States, midwestern winter. Just a taste. And it was good. So good it made me smile. So good it made me feel like a kid again too.
After the Sabatini Gardens I walked through the Plaza de Oriente, the place between the Royal Palace and the Opera House, and walked uphill to Gran Vía where I found lots of traffic and lots of people despite the weather.I understand there were (or still are) several hours of delays on the M-40 near Madrid Barajas Airport due to the weather. The entire local morning television coverage focused on the snow, outdoor interviews with foreigners whom had never seen it before, speaking with older generations stating how it used to snow every winter in downtown Madrid but now it rarely does. All this media coverage, to a midwesterner, makes me shake my head. This, to me/us, is a near-daily event in the winters of Ohio, USA. No big deal. There, in winter, they spend 5 minutes talking about the day's weather forecast and then move on to sports. Here in Madrid and throughout Spain, the news-of-the-day IS the weather.For 3 years I've been waiting for this day, anxious to see snow in Madrid. And it finally came. I welcome it with open arms, open mouth, and an open spirit. NOW it feels like winter. The great part is, "they say" it'll continue snowing through tomorrow. To that, I SAY, "LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW. LET IT SNOW!!!"
Below: 1-minute video of the Madrid snowfall, overlooking the Royal Palace and Sabatini Gardens.
Every year for the past few years, the Madrid tourist office has organized a "Bus de la Navidad" or Christmas Lights Bus (website only in Spanish). It's a double-decker bus which, this year, only picks up passengers at its one stop at the Plaza de Colón. Tickets are bought on the bus for 1 Euro each. CHEAP! The one-stop idea was a good one. In past years the bus stopped throughout the city as long-suffering would-be passengers were constantly turned away as another full-bus passed them by. The only problem is... and it's a BIG problem.. the lines are SO LONG that you'll likely wait in line 2-4 hours for the 1-hour bus ride.We arrived at 7pm to find a line around 250 meters long, winding back and forth, much of it under surface level UNDER the tower of Christopher Columbus on Plaza de Colón. Children were running and playing everywhere while their parents stood solidly in line, moving when the next bus would come and fill ONLY the top deck of the double-decker bus. I estimate there are no more than 15 rows X 4 persons per row, that's 60 person total per bus.
I'm not sure how many buses run the tour but there are at least 4. And if each bus takes 1-hour to make the loop, that's roughly mean a new bus would come to re-load every 15 minutes. We waited in line for only about 10 minutes and decided not to pay-the-price with our backs, legs, feet, and patience.
So we left. Dejected. We walked down the Paseo de la Castellana and admired the lights on foot to the Plaza de la Cibeles. Down the Paseo del Prado there were pretty lights and at least 3 different Christmas trees. Very nice. We reached the Glorieta de Carlos V (a.k.a. "Plaza de Atocha") where we stopped in to a crowded El Brillante bar for bocadillos de calamares (fried squid sandwhiches), patatas bravas (diced, boiled potatoes in a spicy red sauce), and beers. That was nice. Possibly the highlight of the evening!So much for the Christmas Lights Bus. I doubt we'll even try next year.
Watch the below promotional video, created by the City Madrid, about Madrid's Christmas Lights for 2008.
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