Que locura (what craziness) would describe well my first two days in Madrid. Last night, my first night here, was a once a year event called Noche en Blanco. What it involved basically was the city of Madrid throwing a huge, night-long party. There were video and music installations everywhere, museums were open all night and free, and according to El País (national newspaper) over 700,000 people filling the downtown streets. It was absolutely gorgeous, so lively, so fun, so creative.
The other crazy part - the mad apartment seeking going on in the hostel I'm staying in. Everyone here is looking for an apartment, or at least a room in a shared apartment. I decided right from the beginning to just ignore their phone calls, to not stress myself out if they were checking out the same apartments I am. But of course, I'm asking for tips! I saw one place today in a neighborhood I really like near the Quevedo metro stop. Two issues, one more easily resolved than the other. First, another person is also interested, so the guy who showed me the apartment has to see what's up with the person his sister showed the apartment. Second, and not so big of a deal (or at least I'm telling myself that) is that there's no oven or even convection oven... I figure I could buy a small convectional one... We'll see... I have three appointments tomorrow - two more studios and one room.
Which hostel did you stay in? I will be arriving in February in preparation for the April MBA intake. I want to make sure I stay somewhere that has a secure place to leave my possessions.
ReplyDeleteDear Mia,
ReplyDeleteI stayed in the Malasaña Traveler's Hostel (http://www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/spain/madrid/58638/). I picked it because it was the cheapest.... and their security works like this: I left my two suitcases locked in their downstairs storage closet the week or so I was apartment hunting. I kept a small backpack with my laptop and other necessities with me. The clothes and toiletries I locked up in a locker next to my bunk bed and I carried the laptop around with me at all times... I think any hostel situation is going to be similar unless you get your own room so at least you can lock your stuff all in one place... I didn't have any problems in the end, but with the nice price of hostels comes the risk of less privacy and security... I guess I would just check out comments online and pick a place near to the neighborhood you want to live in. The Malasaña street has some great restaurants! See you on campus soon!