Looking for things in Madrid

"I decided to come to Spain. In fact, this was a romantic choice rather than a rational choice. I always have a special love for Spain in my heart, and the almost nostalgia pulls me back." ——Sanmao

Except for the knowledge in geography and history classes, all the other special feelings in my mind about Spain come from my favorite Sanmao. My university life was filled with Sanmao’s writings. This trip started in July 2019. Before departure, I reread San Mao's "Wandering Through Thousands of Rivers and Mountains". This trip to Spain and Portugal feels like a promise made in my heart a long time ago. In addition, the special thing about this trip to Western Europe is that I chose to be a backpacker for the first time. All the luggage was a small backpack. My family and friends all advised me to bring a suitcase! But I still stubbornly chose to be a backpacker. Because I want a completely free and easy trip.

On a hot July day, my best friend and I took off at Shenzhen Baoan Airport. After about 13 hours of long-distance flight, we arrived in Madrid. To me, Madrid is not just the capital of Spain, it is the city where Sanmao went to university, and it is also the city where Sanmao and Jose met. Madrid, which I have read about countless times in San Mao’s books, I finally meet you.

It was early morning in Madrid when we arrived. We two girls each carried a backpack and walked through the airport hall very elegantly. It feels really good to see a lot of people queuing up there waiting for their luggage and to pass by quickly. There is an airport shuttle bus from Madrid Airport all night long. We got on the shuttle bus and quickly arrived at the hotel near the airport. I don't actually speak Spanish, so I confirmed everything in English. The hotel on the first night was very exquisite, but the buffet breakfast on the second day was very expensive. We chose to go to the McDonald's restaurant next to the hotel. Sometimes we have to make do with money. After breakfast, we took the subway into the city.

The style of the hotel I stayed in in the center of Madrid was my favorite. We stayed near the Grand Palace. The hotel was located on an old street full of history. Shimi Road was a bit narrow, and there were orange-pink Spanish-style houses along the slope. The hotel room is not big, but it has a tall window sill. When you open the window, you can see the cute little balcony of the building opposite. Some balconies have small green plants, and some small balconies have bright flowers. There are some cafes and restaurants on the first floor of the street, and beautiful music can be heard from time to time.

Walking through the streets of Madrid, I am not in a hurry to go to any tourist attractions, I just want to take my time and experience them. I couldn't help but imagine how Jose, who looked like a high school student, fell in love with Sanmao here. The 17-year-old boy begged Sanmao to wait for him for 6 years. Sanmao did not expect that they would meet again in Madrid 6 years later. The young boy would grow up to be a handsome and elegant man. The passionate Jose made the emotionally traumatized Sanmao finally accept the proposal. Is it the six-year commitment made on this bench in the garden? Jose has deep and pure eyes, which heal Sanmao's paranoid soul.

Besides visiting the streets of Madrid, what foodies care about most is eating. I feel like I have eaten the most delicious food in Europe in Madrid. For our Chinese stomachs, Northern European food is the hardest to swallow, while Western European food will satisfy even the pickiest Cantonese stomach. We found a spacious and beautiful cafe on the busy street. It had a variety of delicious breakfasts. We ordered a latte and the fish sandwich was very delicious. The morning sunlight penetrated through the floor-to-ceiling windows and we looked out at the streets on the way to work. , full of life and leisurely enjoyment.

The fried fish steak in the Spanish restaurant is really addictive. The whole big fish is salty and crispy, with grilled onions and pesto added. The pan-fried lamb leg steak was generous in portion and served with roasted green peppers. We all had bulging bellies before we were willing to stop.

We live within walking distance of Puerta del Sol. Puerta del Sol is the most important square in Madrid and the city center. There are so many people here, and there are very few oriental faces except for tourist groups, so it is easy to become the foreign race that attracts attention. The square is not particularly large, but it contains several famous attractions. One of them is Madrid’s landmark: the Bear and Raspberry statue. This cute city emblem makes people curious, and there are several different versions of the legend. One of them is this. In 1085, Madrid, as an important town north of the capital Toledo, was symbolized by the Big Dipper in the Ursa Major constellation. This is also the origin of the seven stars and the bear in the city emblem.

Later, the city council and the church had a dispute over the ownership of the forests and pastures around Madrid. The two parties reached an agreement that the forest belonged to the city council and the pastures belonged to the church. After that, the city emblem was changed to a bear hugging a tree as a symbol, and the church responded with a bear treading grass symbol. In the middle of the square is an equestrian statue of Carlos III, who is considered the most beloved king by the citizens of Madrid.

There is a small landmark on the roadside of the square, the "Zero Kilometer" landmark. Inside the semicircle is a map of the Iberian Peninsula. Madrid is exactly in the center of the map. Spain uses this as a starting point to calculate the mileage of the country's roads. Standing on it gives you the feeling of standing in the center of the entire Iberian Peninsula.

The zero starting point represents a new beginning, just like the starting point on a long-distance running track. Our lives also need new beginnings again and again, trying to clear away all the hardships and pains we have experienced in our hearts. However, Sanmao couldn't do it. The loss of her lover made her collapse. She agreed to survive for the sake of her parents and family. She tried hard to start over, but the deep despair in her heart made her choose to leave at the age of 48. Mortals like us, completely forgetting the pain we have suffered is just deceiving ourselves and others. Accept everything completely. Even with scars and regrets, we will continue to fly as hard as we can and penetrate this life with this attitude.