I have so many ideas and photos from I have visited to show you. I still have more Áviala and this last weekend I went to Chincón for the very first time. I also have some new ideas on the crafting front to share, and I have done a lot of spinning for the Tour De Fleece (a fun international spinning activity).
But today I am going to share some photos I took during my morning run and the thoughts I had during it. It is very hot in Madrid right now and it was already getting warm around 9:30 when I was out. The heat wave has no end in sight, and in a city where a/c is optional (even in homes) it can be a struggle to get through the hot afternoon. The best times of the day are early morning and late evening. At those times anyone who can is going to be in the park.
My thoughts this morning were that I still remember those times when I would google street viewed a European city to pretend that I lived there. I remember looking at photos of different European monuments and looking past the glorious buildings to the background, looking at the street, the traffic, the people to see what life was like. I wanted to see if I could pretend that I lived there.
Now that I have lived here over two years, the times when I look something here and experience its foreignness come less and less often. OK when I am on a medieval wall, that is a different story, but the commonplace scenes from my neighborhood, are just that now, common.
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| the playground fence in most Spanish playgrounds. |
However, to this day, I still do not go through a park without that little thrill of knowing that I am in a foreign land.
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| Wide walkways with plenty of benches |
Even the park right in front of my house. The park that I walk through, most times, to get to the metro station. The park where I go walking or jogging.
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| I call this "ode to the olive tree" (in the center ring) |
I do not know why this is. Maybe it is because the plants are different, and the arrangement of them if different from American parks. Maybe it is because the parks are always full of people. I feel like parks are more used here.
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| Behold, the almighty olive! |
Can you tell me the difference?
I have to say that I don't go often to parks due to my allergies but I agree that even in those places you can see the differences from country to country. Sometimes things are completely different and some others it's just some tiny details. What I missed most when I was living in Belgium was the noise of children in the street. It's much colder there and people tend to live more inside. I just love the noise of children in parks and squares.
ReplyDelete:) You would love my place we hear it almost constantly, being right on the park. Too bad you can't come over. :(
ReplyDeleteI could be if it's not for long :D I can hear them also from my place, living close to a pedestrian square and a school.
ReplyDeleteI remember walking in El Parque del Retiro in Madrid and being fascinated by how different the trees are from back home in Minnesota. I completely understand why you feel that way!
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