Lulu R., 2021 Journalism Intern in Madrid, Spain
I am now nearing the close of my second month in Madrid, and these past few weeks have been largely characterised by the easing of COVID restrictions. Early on in May, the curfew was lifted in Madrid, bars and restaurants were allowed to stay open later, and travel outside of the city was allowed.
I excitedly began my exploration of the wider Community of Madrid with the city of Toledo. About 30 mins away by train and 50 by bus, Toledo makes for a perfect day trip, which I gathered to be a shared feeling based on the number of other people, both tourists, and madrileños, waiting to board the bus on Saturday morning when I arrived at the station.
The day in Toledo was spent in a whirlwind fashion, trying to visit many sites we had already planned on, as well as stumbling upon places coincidentally that ended up being amazing. For a small city, I was definitely aware of how rich it is in history and culture, and the extravagance of Toledo Cathedral was unexpected. One of my favorite finds was the Colección Roberto Polo, a historical building that had been reimagined into a contemporary art gallery; the way in which this space managed to not only hold but celebrate Toledo´s vast history, as well as weaving contemporary pieces into it, gave me an interesting insight into how Spain´s smaller and older towns can stay current.
There are many other interesting towns to visit outside of Madrid, that are still close enough to do in a day. I am excited to branch out more, exploring Segovia with its famous Roman aqueduct, as well as Ávila and Aranjuez. A bit further out from Madrid, I am planning a longer trip to Barcelona in the coming weeks for which I am filled with anticipation. Having spent my first month focused primarily on getting to know Madrid, it has been interesting to explore how my increased understanding of Spanish culture will hold up as I move around the country as a whole.
Views of Toledo, a neighboring city of Madrid.
That being said, my time in Madrid remains as engaging as ever. I have settled more into the routine of my internship, in charge of blog posts and social media content for Eureka Language School. I have enjoyed the freedom of my placement, as I have a lot of space to write about the goings-on of the city for the blog, as well as posting about interesting things that I too am experiencing. This month, there has been a lot to find out and publish about the San Isidro celebrations, as well as the regional Madrid elections at the beginning of the month and the 2nd of May holiday. May is a festival-rich month for Madrid, and my placement allows me to really understand the constantly changing atmosphere of the city around me.
This month has allowed further exploration outside of Madrid as well as getting to know the capital with less COVID restrictions, finding great new evening spots, and most of my days spent enjoying the parks in Madrid´s increasingly hot temperatures. Arriving in April and watching the city shift in May as it gets hotter has allowed me to experience madrileños readying themselves for the long and hot months ahead of them, and I am sure this is something which will only develop further as we move into July, and what will be my final month in Madrid.
-Lulu Rehman
2021 Journalism Intern in Madrid, Spain
Barrio de La Latina, Madrid
Stay tuned for Lulu’s next blog to follow her journey in Madrid for the next three months!
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