Spain Experiences

I have never been anywhere in Spain, however a few of my closest friends have been there and have absolutely loved it. I have had 4 guy friends, all 18 years old, and 2 girl friends, both 18 years old as well, that have traveled to parts of Spain. In fact, the reason they have gone there is either to visit the exchange student that we hosted in our hometown, or to be an exchange student there themselves.

The boys that went there could not get over how different the daily lifestyle is. They all said that, compared to the United States, it is much more lively. Everyone walks to where they want to go. In fact, one of my friends (who is very athletic to begin with) lost 10 pounds just from walking everywhere. Also, at night everyone gets together and parties in the streets of the city. The teenagers there act a lot older and do many more “adult activities” there than they do in the majority of the parts of the United States. One of the boy’s favorite nights was when everyone gathered along the beach in Madrid and there was a concert. He said that he couldn’t see the end of the people because there were so many within the crowd. In my opinion, that would be a really fun thing to see. Besides the concert and parties in the streets, here are some of the other favorite things they did:

Las Ventas Bullring: Here they went and saw authentic bullfighting. This place, called La Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas was actually built in 1929 and the first bullfight was in 1931. This place holds a maximum capacity of 25,000 people. It is located in the east of Madrid. A lot of people, including them, usually get there by using the metro. In their opinion, it is sad to see the bulls get hurt, or worse yet the masters get hurt, but it is a real art and it is a tradition. From research, I found that the best time of year to go there and see a bullfight in Madrid is during the months of May and June. This is when San Isidro takes place, which is the worlds most famous bullfighting festival. In my opinion, it would be a little too gaudy for me to take in, but if you don’t mind that stuff then I think it would be a great thing to do to take in part of the culture in Spain.

Santiago Bernabéu Stadium: This stadium is known as Real Madrid’s home ground. It is an Elite Stadium that is known for hosting Spain’s premier football team. If you’re not at the stadium to watch an actual game, then there are tours that are given of the stadium because it is so magnificent. Besides the tours and the games, the stadium is also known for a stage ground. For example, Bruce Springsteen played in the stadium in the summer of 2007 and 2008. If you are not going there for a tour, then I would suggest buying tickets ahead of time because depending on who is entertaining for the day/night, they may sell out fast.

The Corral de la Morería: This is the oldest flameno show restaurant in Madrid. It has an air-conditioned premise that features a real Castilian style setting. They have a maximum capacity of 150 people so it would be best to make reservations before hand in order to make sure you have a seat. They have shows on Friday and Saturday and the cost of going is 36 euros. During the week, they also have featured shows but they only cost 34 euros. Both prices do not include dinner. Their show features 8 well known prestigious artists that perform for approximately one hour. The friends of mine that went were both females and they loved it.