theViatrix

I’ve been back in the US for a little over a month, and while I’ve enjoyed placing my cookie order with a neighborhood Girl Scout, slurping noodles in Chinatown after the New Year parade, and watching the Super Bowl with a bunch of new friends, I’m really missing some things from Spain. [...]

No, that’s not Madrid’s skyline. [...]

Disenchanted with the way things have gone in the last few years, Spaniards overwhelmingly voted in a new government last week: the conservative People’s Party (PP). While their victory came as no surprise, it will be interesting to watch how things change, for better or for worse, under the new leadership.

But I’m not here to talk about politics. For me, the most fascinating part of the day was the voting process itself. [...]

The good folks over at Guiri Guide asked me to write about how my attitudes and Spanish experience have changed in the more-than-six years I’ve lived in Madrid. Here’s what I came up with:

1. I eat a lot more
2. Buying things has become an adventure
3. Walking down the street stresses me out
4. I’ve learned how to loosen up
5. Spain has taught me to prioritize

Intrigued? Head over to Guiri Guide to read my post on these five ways Madrid has changed me.

Hello dearies,

Those of you who know me personally know that I’ve been crazy-busy this week getting ready for my honeymoon (!). The bad news is that the giant pumpkins and hobby houses of the Puyallup Fair will have to wait a little longer (Seattlites: yes, I’m behind). The good news is that soon I’ll be posting about Cambodia! I’m really excited for the temples, the food, and even a couple days relaxing on the beach. I’ll get something up asap!

TTFN,
The Viatrix

That’s right, folks, the Smackdown is back! This week: a ham and cheese tortilla recipe. [...]

There’s an old madrileño saying that goes: “Hasta el cuarenta de mayo, no te quites el sallo.” Literally translated as “don’t take off your sweater until May 40th,” it means that you can’t count on good weather here until the middle of June. Interesting, then, that lines start forming outside Casa Hernanz by the end of April. [...]

Finally, a delicious tortilla! [...]

What’s to love about Madrid? This can be a hard question to answer about any city, even more so when daily life blocks your vision. Add the fact that Madrid’s lovable bits aren’t immediately apparent—it’s not as pretty as Paris, as cosmopolitan as London or as old as Rome—and the task can seem near impossible. Unless you’re an insider outsider, like my friend Kelly. She lived here for several years before moving to back to Boston. In Madrid this week for a visit, her simultaneous knowledge and distance give her the perfect perspective. Here, five things she misses when she’s back in the States: [...]

Or, tortilla FAIL [...]