Art week -Day 2 and pictures from my morning walk

Things got a little hectic yesterday so I will post yesterday's finished object for my self-imposed design challenge today. I actually worked on two things, but I think that one is still a work in progress. However, with the caveat that I do not think that it is finished I will post a picture of it too. 

Also for those of you who are hear only to see pictures of Madrid. I took a series of photos on my morning walk today. These are not tourist photos, they are photos of the "true Madrid", a working class neighborhood.

First the walk:

I crossed the M30 for my walk today and is a photo looking back over it. One thing I love about Madrid is that most of the highways have lots of greenery. There is a layer of vegetation which is not only beautiful but probably helps with noise and pollution as well. 

Across the road is Las Ventas, the bull fighting rink.

Now with Las Ventas to my right I am going to cross a road that goes over the highway.

Down a typical backstreet...

And I come to the park that was my destination.

Here I am crossing another, this time pedestrian only, bridge over the highway.

Walking back along this pleasantly tree lined street I found.

OK, Art Challenge, day two: 

I worked for a long time yesterday on this little guy. I am still not happy with the shape, and frankly I am thinking of changing the color as well.

I think that longer legs and a bigger hump on the back would help. I mean, I do not mind that he looks cartoon-eske, there is just something I am not happy about. What do you think that needs fixing?

And here is a piece that was almost finished, and I decided to call it done.

It was part of my monster series.

The goal was to make something unusual and unexpected.

San Isidro

Every providence in Spain has there own Festiva, their own Saint's day. Madrids is today, May 15th San Isidro (Spanish link). This ex-pat's blog goes into way more detail than I will, and is in English, so if you are curious to know more, go have a look.

I am not going to go downtown today, as there is a metro strike. But what I will bring to you are some photos I just went across the street to my park and shyly snapped. There are not up to my usual standards, but this is a very small barrio festival, and while I spotted one other foreigner  I was the only one taking pictures. I am lucky enough to live directly across from a beautiful park, Parque de Calero Where this is taking place. I can not help but to hear the festival music drifting through my balcony door. Oh and did I mention that it smells like sweet roasted nuts and smoked sausage, num.

I went, took some photos, and a small video of the small parade and came home. Maybe later I will venture and try some of the food and buy some crafty things.

There are beer tents

A dragon gards overs the tapas and sausages for sale

Fun for the kids too

Another beer tent with hanging jamón and sausages

Booths with crafts, food, and liquor for sale

Art in Madrid

One of the advantages of living in a big city is the art you can find around you.
While I am without my computer, I will post in more of a "tumbler" fashion and let the images speak for themselves. However, if you have questions about a piece, or where I found it, ask me in the comments.

A walk through my new neighborhood

I live in a more residential neighborhood now, and I prefer it. But maybe it is not as picturesque as the the other one. However before I moved to Spain I was fascinated by "real" photos of Europe. Not the tourist photos, the ones that showed what it would look like to live there. 

So if any of you feel the same, enjoy.

Missing home

I have moved to Spain - for some reason that makes me want to start a blog HAHA. I have lived in Madrid for exactly four weeks as of today, and everything is so new and different here I find myself want to journal my thoughts and experiences.

Maybe blogging in my native tongue will alleviate some of my homes sickness. This is a wonderful city that I live in, but it does not feel like 'home' yet.

How often over the past five years have I burned with desire to move to Europe? How often did I long to be able to use public transportation to get around, to live in a 'greener' city? How often did I long to live in a place where even the grocery store was different, so that simple daily tasks would be fresh and new?

Bienvenidos a Madrid kaystir.