Welcome and Bienvenidos!

As I am writing this, I am sitting in Syracuse's computer lab in the heart of Madrid. It is the day before classes start, two weeks after the start of an amazing, incredibly informative and exciting travel seminar through the south of Spain. There is so much I've been thinking about--what types of food I want to try, where the good pubs are, how caring and wonderful my host mother is. But one thing I haven't had to worry about so far is getting from point A to point B.

And that is exactly what this blog will be about--getting from point A to point B. If I couldn't get around Madrid and from country to country in Europe, I wouldn't have much of a semester. So what better subject to blog about than modes of transportation themselves. From the fast Ave train that takes travelers to cities throughout Spain, to the Spanish metro and bus system that is easier to navigate than any public transportation I have ever seen to the government-owned taxi system, where there is never a chance of being cheated out of money by an illegal taxi driver.

I've only been in Madrid for four days now, and I am already overwhelmed by how easy it is to navigate the city. While I am still directionally-challenged when it comes to walking or driving from one place to another, the easy-to-read numbers and colors of the Metro station enable people of all ages and sobriety levels to find their way. And the prices: a little less than one Euro for every trip (regardless of the number of transfers) if you buy a 10-day pass ("un billete por diez viajes"). Monthly pass-holders can ride both the Metro and bus systems unlimited amounts of times. For individual rides, each one costs one Euro--a small price to pay for such a competent and clean transportation city. There is no graffiti and dirt piles like you may find throughout New York City's subway system, though there is the occasional musician in the walkways or on the train itself.

The one dangerous thing in the stations (at least for me) is the plethora of clothes stores and vending machines. A great idea for the vendors, a terrible idea for a student on an attempted budget. But even the clothes aren't too expensive. I bought an adorable black and white patterned blouse for 12 euros the other day. A little shopping on the way home does a body good. And why not? During January and February almost everything in this city is 50% off or more. Pull out the credits cards and put away the guilt!!