Puerta Del Sol

Puerta Del Sol seem to be the main point where everyone in Madrid congregates. The big spacious plazas are a juxtaposition to the narrow one way streets that I enjoy exploring. Great place to people watch. There is always something happening at every corner, from people protesting about the current economy to street performers serenading the crowd gathering around them. 

As usual I am on major stalking mode.

Day 4: Madrid

I didn't do much today. Went out with the hostel last night and slept in for most of the day. Strolled around Plaza Sol and did some people watching, which for me means going up to random people and taking their pictures. I use the 24mm so you really need to muster up some courage and get up really close. How close? Close enough that the polite thing is to ask for their permission. One trick I tend to use most of the time is take a picture and pretend that I was taking a picture of something/someone next to or behind the actually subject. Sneaky, but you get to avoid the whole death stare situation.

Day 3: Madrid

I spent the whole day at the Prado, this huge art museum in Madrid. You don't need an art background to be amazed by how amazing the pieces are. Some look almost lifelike with such accurate attention to detail like the direction of light, shadows and texture. I felt like someone peering through a window into the scene captured by the artist.

The artist that really made an impression on me was Claude Lorraine. He does mostly landscape stuff. There is this particular picture of a port at the break of dawn. Being into photography I am amazed by his understanding of light. No doubt a work of a genius. 

Then you have your massive pieces that stretch across the entire room and all the way up to the ceiling. Such a treat wandering through all the corridors, it's easy to spend an entire day there. I even took a lunch break before coming back. Got my exam results back recently (which went pretty well!) so I treated myself to a really nice lunch at Botin, the world's oldest restaurant according to the Guinness World Records.

Entrance to the Prado is free for students, which was a delightful surprise. I tend to spend the bulk of my cash on food. And not just an food, good food. I tend to eat really simple for most meals like one euro cereal and splurge on one nice meal. Muesli and bran cereals are my new best friends this trip.

Went for a run in the park later that evening. Such a beautiful space and bustling with activity. People were jogging, working out or just sitting out in the sun enjoying what seems to be permanent good weather. The place is massive! Took a few random turns and found myself hopelessly lost. I came to this empty area with loads of graffiti and came to the conclusion that I was definitely going the wrong way. But I think running is such a great way to get a feel of the city; the pulse, the neighborhood, and the locals mucking about their daily lives.

Helium Music Festivel 2012: Concert Part 2

More photos from Helium!

First Year Exam Results

Well, I just got my exam results. PASSED FIRST YEAR OF MED SCHOOL. Actually did reasonably well and extremely happy with my results. Such a relief because the first paper I sat for was a complete disaster but looks like I managed to compensate for it in the other papers. I honestly struggled with first term exams because my usual studying methods were obviously incompatible with the university examination settings. Came to a decision to completely overhaul the way I learn. Seems to be working out so far. 20% closer to being a real doctor.

Day 2: Madrid

I spent most of today roaming about randomly to get a feel of the city and figuring out my bearings. First stop in the morning was the Plaza De Mayor. Big spaces like this seem to be the norm and locals can be seen having long lunch breaks while basking in the sun. It gets bright really early in the morning. I have yet to catch the sunrise. Sun sets at about nine in the evening, so the day definitely feels longer. This is probably why the siesta culture (afternoon nap) is very apparent amongst the Spanish. 

Madrid is surprisingly quite walkable, or it could just be a habit I developed from having to walk everywhere in Edinburgh. The hostel I'm staying at is in the Anton Martin area which I find to be a very strategic location. Most of the main attractions are at most a twenty minute walk away. 

In the afternoon, I was at the Plaza De Sol area which is the city hub. Great place to sit around and just watch the world go by. Found this little spot called the Mercado San Miguel, a food court for all things Spanish. Quite touristy but I think it's a great place to sample things like tapas, oysters, and local beers. Expect to pay a slight premium for the convenience.

 

Helium Music Festivel 2012: Concert Part 1

The music scene is pretty much local which I think is pretty awesome. It's nice seeing the local music scene in action. Bands I remember playing are Ash (who opened for Coldplay last weekend) and Duke Special. I definitely stick out like a sore thumb, probably the only Asian to set foot in this music festival or even Ballymahon in general. I was staying with a good friend from Ireland, Noel and most of his friends were down there that weekend. Roughly about thirty of them, such great craic.

Another great thing was the weather. The day I landed I had nothing but rain but the sun decided to come up that weekend. Makes camping much more enjoyable because you get to factor out the mud. Sunlight also makes great photos, I went crazy with the camera.

Day 1: Madrid

First thing I noticed about the city is it's obsession with one way streets and pastry. Buildings are close to each other giving an almost claustrophobic feeling. Walked into a bakery and I see a line of pastries labelled '-diabetos' or something along those lines. I remembered thinking how it sounded like the word diabetes, which is not surprising seeing how much sugar it had. 

I spent the rest of the day studying the city map, figuring out where I was and where I wanted to go. Too tired to actually do any touristy stuff on the first day. Still recovering from Dublin. You can go hard or you can go home!

Travellin

Helium Music Festival 2012: Campsite

Just got back from the Helium Music Festival in Ballymahon which is in the outskirts of Dublin. Never had so much fun before. I really feel like I'm living the life right now; Coldplay last weekeds, Helium and the rest of Europe it next. One of the great things about this festival is that it is relatively undiscovered so it is attended mostly by locals who ship in their big group of friends. 

It has a really nice story to it as well in regards to how it started. Basically a group of friends from that small town decided to raise funds for one of their folks in town who really need it, or something along those lines. The festival is in it's fourth year now. 

More on this another day. Packing for Spain, leaving in the morning. LOVING LIFE AT THE MOMENT. #yolo

Quick Update 10/6

Just had one of the best weekends of my entire life. I was at a local music festival in Dublin, Ireland. Brilliant weather, good music and so much fun. Haven't been able to get access to internet for the past week so that would explain the lack of updates on this page. I think this is probably the longest I've gone without putting stuff up on this page. It will probably be like this over the next month because I won't always have access to the internet. Heading to Madrid tomorrow!

Pre-Eurotrip Planning

I am two nights away from start of my trip around Europe. As usual, I will be up to my pre-travel rituals; making packing lists, packing, sorting out flights, and my favourite part which is research. I love reading up about places before visiting them, getting a flavour of city. It also builds up the excitement and anticipation. Can't wait!

The Royal Mile

Update: I was away at London for the past few day to catch Coldplay. Such an amazing night, apart from the 8 hour bus ride I had to take down and back up. Felt like the seats were made of stone!

The Royal Mile stretches all the way from the castle to Arthurs Seat. It is definitely the tourist hotspot of Edinburgh, with shops selling tartan blasting bagpipe tunes and pubs selling local brews. I like how there's small alleys along the sides where you can explore if you feel adventurous.You feel like a spy trying to shake a tail.