Apartment Hunting

Since arriving, I've been exploring the city and using my Spanish. Today, I started the search for "un piso" or apartment. Actually, I'm searching for a room within an apartment. Real estate is at a premium in Madrid and any available place gets swept up quickly. I'm using websites and I also have a list from the university with numbers to call. I'm discovering it's one thing to try and speak and understand a native when you're face to face and a complete different animal on the phone. This morning, I was trying to call Miguel, a man from the list, and the guy who answered was also called Miguel (what are the chances, really?) Unfortunately, I had dialed the wrong number and it took me a few tries to understand the guy was telling me he was not THE Miguel. I'm finding that many activities here, including the apartment search, are both, a lesson in humility and one perseverance.

Universidad Pontificia Comillas

My feet are starting to hurt from all the walking, so this afternoon I found a great park, called Templo de Debod, about a 15 minute walk from my university.

The park has an awesome view of the palace and the cathedral of the patron saint of Madrid.


Proof that the world is, indeed, small: Yesterday, while eating breakfast at the hostel, I met a man who used to live in Milwaukee (until he decided, only a few weeks ago, he wanted to move to Madrid.)