It rains in Glasgow just about as often as a Kardashian sister makes the tabloids (Kourtney’s pregnant? Khloe’s being sued for assault? Kris seeks an annulment from Kim?). In other words… It rains here all the time. So, I was more than happy to give my umbrella a rest and travel to sunny Lisbon and Madrid last weekend.
Before I left, I stayed up late working on Her Campus American since I had an early flight to catch. Traveling for several days at a time makes it difficult to schedule content, so I really need to plan ahead. I can’t believe our first semester is almost over! I am incredibly thankful for the hard work and support of the HCAU team.
Speaking of being thankful…
I spent Thanksgiving in Madrid this year. After a small mishap (note to self: always double check flight times so you won’t have to pay a $200 change fee), I made it to Spain late in the afternoon. Exhausted, I went straight to my hostel and took a quick nap before meeting my friend Lyndsey after she finished her classes for the day. She is studying in Madrid on an AU sponsored program, and we were going to her program’s Thanksgiving dinner. After meeting in Nuevos Ministerios and walking around the area, we met up with the group to catch a bus to the restaurant. I enjoyed catching up with students from my school and meeting new people as well.
We arrived at the restaurant around 9:30. Dinner was great—we had turkey, potatoes, cranberries, the works! There was singing and dancing, too. Lyndsey had warned me that dinners in Spain start late and last for a long time, and she was right. We both didn’t get home until nearly 2:00 a.m., which wasn’t exactly ideal since we had to be at the airport in a few hours to catch a plane to Portugal. Oh well, why sleep when you’re in Madrid prepping for Lisbon?
My mindset quickly changed as I left my hostel at 4:00 a.m. to get to the airport.
I somehow managed to catch a cab to the bus station to take the shuttle to the airport. I am happy to report that those three years of Spanish in high school really paid off. I barely had trouble communicating in Spanish! After successfully getting to the airport to meet Lyndsey and not missing the flight (hooray for double checking the departure time!), I got on the plane and slept the entire time.
We arrived in Lisbon, bright and early. A little too early… We couldn’t check into our hostel just yet, so we did the first thing on our list: rented a GoCar and toured the city. I’d say it was the best decision of the weekend. Picture this: two American girls in a little yellow car driving through Lisbon (on the road with other cars) with a one page, laminated map and a talking GPS that stopped working halfway through the route. We waved at people on the streets, and some even stopped to take our picture. Our car wasn’t able to reverse, so I had to get out and push it when we needed to turn around (because we were lost…but only for a second!). It was definitely something I’ll never forget.
After that, we hopped on a historical tram on route 28, which several people had recommended. We stayed on until the end, and I’m still not exactly sure where we were… The route was scenic, and it was a great way to see a lot of the city. We ended up at a small park and ate lunch at a local cafe. We headed back to our hostel for a much needed nap. That night, we had a delicious dinner at the hostel and participated in the pub crawl. We had a great time meeting people from all around the world!
The next morning, we traveled to Belém, a small area west of the city center about 20 minutes away by bus. The hostel recommended that we try the famous pastries at Pastéis de Belém, where they have been using the same recipe since the nineteenth century. They were delicious! We spent the rest of the day soaking up the Portuguese sun by relaxing at a nearby park and visiting monuments near the water. I miss the sunshine dearly.
The next day, it was back to Madrid on yet another 7:00 a.m. flight. We dropped off our belongings at Lyndsey’s homestay and set out to tour Madrid in one day. From shopping on Gran Via to eating tortilla espanola in El Retiro, we successfully conquered the city. I bought a scarf at El Rastro market and enjoyed pollo asada at Mercado de San Miguel. We also had tapas at El Tigre for dinner. Hear me out, collegiettes™: No trip to Madrid is complete without going to El Tigre!
It was finally time to say goodbye to Lyndsey and return to my hostel for yes, you guessed it, another early flight back to Glasgow. I had an amazing time in Spain and Portugal and can’t wait to go back someday!