As most of you know, we spent June in Europe. It was a wonderful, inspiring holiday, relaxing and energising all at once. This is the second in a series of posts sharing some peeks at the places we visited, as well as some of the lessons I brought home to my writing.
In London, we lived without a plan.
In Madrid, we tried someone else’s routine.
In Seville, we opened ourselves to inspiration.
In Granada, we looked at things from a different angle.
In Barcelona, we explored extraordinary art.
In Nice, we trusted the advice of the experts.
In Rome, we listened to local stories.
In Vernazza, we remembered to rest.
In Pisa, we took advantage of the unexpected.
In Florence, we soaked up rich detail.
This week, Madrid!
You know what the Spanish do really well? Lots of things probably, but the two we noticed first were meals and naps. Possibly because these are two things dear to our hearts.
It was in Madrid that we both crashed down with terrible colds–you know that dive that comes after a frantic time at work, or exams, or some great stress? In the end, those colds turned out to be a blessing, because they forced us to take it easy, slow down and look around, really seeing what was going on around us. Also, I learned that medicinal throat gargle is “gargarismo” in Spanish, and you can’t put a value on that kind of knowledge. Especially when your throat hurts.
We liked what we saw, so we tried out a few Spanish habits for ourselves. In Spain, it’s not unusual to find some or all shops closed for a couple of hours in the afternoon. We decided to close down as well. We napped in el Retiro, the beautifully landscaped park that adds an oasis of green to Madrid. We lay by the lake, read books, dozed, listened to music drifting across the water from a saxaphonist on the other side, and just soaked it all up. Without that slow-down, we would have missed all the nuances of the park.
Then we ate ice cream. See how happy I am?
The other habit we adopted? Tapas! We’re used to sitting down at a restaurant, ordering our dish each, then eating it. Tapas is a totally different way of eating–we’d order a little plate or two, grab a drink, chat, order another plate, another drink, chat some more. It changed the quality of our mealtimes into times to really talk and reflect, rather than a chance to refuel. Definitely a habit we’ve brought back home to Australia.
Below, the start of a long tapas fuelled lunch. Note also the large glass of sangria, and me in the background reading the Lonely Planet guide on my Kindle.
The Kindle was also useful for repeatedly refreshing emails when I was waiting on one from a certain agent… as demonstrated here at the Palazzo Real. (I promise that ten seconds later I looked up and continued admiring the view.)
Then we went for more tapas.
The writing lesson:Who says the way we’ve always done it is best? Who says we should keep doing things that way, and why? In Madrid we slowed down, looked around, and tried a different way of doing things based on the experience of those around us. Is there a habit you could challenge or change? Do you think it’s worth asking a few people you admire how they go about things, and trying that way out for yourself? If so, which area might you try that in?
I love this idea of slowing down. That’s something I definitely need to do a lot more of. And in Spain wouldn’t hurt either! LOL! Have fun girl, and I hope you hear great news from that agent!
I lived in Sevilla for 6 months during college, and you’ve got me dying for tapas!
Sounds fun; well except the illness part.
I have always been a fan of the siesta, but have had no luck at all implementing it at the workplaces where I have toiled.
Love the naps, love the tapas, love the ice cream, love the constant refreshing of the Kindle.
Your lesson is fantastic… I think my goal for this week will be to slow down and pay more attention to what’s around me. Thanks for the reminder, Amie!
Meals and naps sound wonderful.
I’ve seen a few restaurants in my area advertising tapas, and now I’d like to try them.
You brought back memories of our family rowing on the pond at Retiro Park!
Sometimes switching things around in writing can bring a completely different perspective. My thought for today will be how I might accomplish that. Thanks!
This looks absolutely amazing. Getting sick actually seemed to be a blessing rather than a curse! I always wish I had enough motivation when I’m traveling to stop seeing the sights for a bit and just live. When I’m with my family, that never happens. When I’m alone, I try.
Can’t wait for your next adventures!
Slowing things down like that is definitely something I appreciate in other cultures. We’re often too rushed to get all the little things done, whereas most of it could wait. I’m actually trying to slow my life down a little right now. Not easy! But worth it.
Living a slowed-down life is key for me. Americans (I can’t speak for Aussies or Europeans) =) hurry much too much and fill their every hour with….something. So taking time to absorb life rather than rush through it focuses each part of my life clearly.
The way you’re weaving your holiday with writing is marvelous! Thank you. And asking writers how they go about their writing business is something I’m good at. I enjoy hearing the process of others and often change what I’m doing based on the feedback I get.
Yummmmm Tapas…
Glad you slowed down and enjoyed yourselves. Sorry you had to be sick though!
Oh this post made me homesick for Spain! We go each spring and fall and so love the slowed pace, the tapas, the lovely musical Spanish language, and home-made wine. We go to Galicia.
I love Spain. One of the most beautiful places I’ve been (especially if you count the Canary Islands). My husband wants to retire in Marbella.
What an amazing time you had there! Sounds like a truly memorable slow-down for you, despite the sickness.
Sigh I’m dying to go to Spain.
In fact, part of me really wants to just stop and take a deep breath. Just slowing down and remember what it’s like not to have anything pushing me anywhere.
When it comes to writing, I almost constantly ask readers about their methods. There’s always something for me to learn and try.
Food, naps and I noticed the camera man almost missed that ice cream. Tapas I discovered in Savannah, GA and I too fell in love with the idea. I think with all this techno stuff we forget the personal part.
Jules @ Trying To Get Over The Rainbow
I love Madrid! And I love tapas!
Sorry about the colds – glad you had some great food to help you feel better.
That all sounds great (minus the colds, of course). I love the idea of tapas! I’d never heard of that before, but I love to eat, talk, and drink, so right up my alley it sounds. I’m not really a nap person though. They always seem to wreck me for the rest of the day.
I would love to visit Spain one day! I love Spanish dancing, did you get to watch any?
The photos are lovely, thanks for sharing.
ooh Tapas.
And yes it’s definitely worth trying new things and experimenting. My critique partner is a very careful outliner and I’m going to try her approach next time
And thanks for your comment, you may be hearing from me if I ever finish
A friend of mine just returned from a month in Spain. She’s one of those people who can’t stand to do nothing, and the downtime every afternoon drove her nuts. Sounds like heaven to me, though!
oh how wonderful it sounds! meals and napping… I likey
It must have been Retiro Park where my best friend and I lazed around and ate ice cream in Madrid. There were also a lot of people kissing.
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