I Have Arrived

I will update this entry later with some pictures after I go out for some lunch (added some video instead). The house is an apartment near the center of town. This place is about half midevial archetecture and the remaining mix seems to be turn of the century and more recent.

countless tapas

I am here, safe and unpacking.

I walked around for about 5 hours once I had a siesta. Got lost and decided to hold off on eating until I had retuned home incase Peptia had cooked dinner. I grew increasingly hungry as the tapas tavernas slowly passed to my left and right in a blur of chorizo, red wine, and ocotopus (pulpo). I stopped for a coffee at what looked to be the busiest shop surrounding the old city. I accidentally ordered something full of whipped cream, with a cookie in it, and straws (lol) but at least it tasted like it was 40% alchohol. I think im done pointing at the most expansive thing on the menu and just hoping it is amazing. It seems that money buys fat, and the cheap items are often the closest to source.

The center of Santiago is basically a medeival city, where each house has been replaced with some sort of shop, or bar or museum. The vendors are forced to wear period clothing; loose overcoats and tabards with embroidered crests on them. All the vendor stands are wooden huts, hocking wares as local as salami, chorizo and artisan breads, to leatherworkers, and calligraphers. I can forsee some spending in this series of cobblestone concentric circles gilded with gargoyles and tabards.

I aparently look italian, 2 people have asked me if I was from italy when I tried to speak spanish. I geuss that is a start, that they think i’m from Europe! No one assumes I am American, which is a heroic leap as far as I am concerned.

After I returned home to #42 Romero (I think) Rios, I was given a key to the house, that looks downright mideival as well. I think I have seen nearly half the city by mistake today. I must admit I was looking for the way back about half the time I walked. I wasn’t really worried tho, this place seems rediculously safe and high class.

Papita’s sons met me at the house once I had returned, and took me away to their house, where we enjoyed some empenianas and tortal espania (a baked pie of minces meat and fish). They weren’t drinking any wine or beer, so afterwards I decieded to go for another walk to get a bit drunk before bed. I found an outdoor bar thing inside the old city, where they were chargrilling some chorizo and ribs, and pouring cider at arms length into cups while chanting the names of saints. The cider was sharp, tasted of grannysmith apples mixed with Rum and really took the edge off the whole experience of not knowing how the fuck to say anything.

Its funny, after a few drinks it seems as if the whole world can understand what I want to say: “another one of these please”

I leave you with some final ion mages from my hotel area in Madrid.

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First Post

This Blog will be the evidence of my adventures from this moment onward; though I do hope this will never be used as actual evidence in a trial.

The format I will begin with should go as follows:

Each post will begin with a poem (possibly a Haiku, since they are easy to write)
I will try to take at least one picture for a post.
I aim to discuss food and culture during my travels. Possibly sharing recipes or techniques I may gather in my travels.
I hope to generate discussion on this blog, so I would love to see your feedback on this page in response form.

I’m making this post from an email so that I can save the strange post address this thingy generated for me, so we will see how this looks once it is online.
Consider this my “Hello World”

Arm falling asleep
Before the rest of me does
It wakes up late too