Ali Types Words....: I Am Alive!

Wow, it has been awhile since I last posted. Forgive me - I was in Madrid all last week and have been so slammed playing catch up this week that I have neglected the blogosphere!

Madrid was a good time - busy, but a good time nonetheless. I cannot disclose the product details just yet, but I got to shoot with this guy for an upcoming 2013 product launch here in the U.S. Be on the lookout come January! I was able to snag some quick shots from the shoot here and there though:

My husband was able to travel with me, which was nice. I did feel a bit guilty about how much I was working, but I was there for work after all. Still, he was able to take in a lot of the museums and sights that he had not had the chance to see when we were there the last time. And we did have a couple of days where we were able to enjoy the city and walk around....

We arrived on Sunday, early in the morning Madrid time. It was perfect, because I really have no concept of time when I am on a plane for an extended period of time. So as far as I knew, the plane ride was "overnight" and we had landed to a new day! Once we got settled and checked in to our new digs for the week, we changed and immediately headed out for some cafe con leche! It just tastes so much better in Spain....

And because I was starving (I do not deal well with airplane food - see For Fun page for proof), I was definitely craving some croquetas STAT! I was in Spain, and could think of nothing better than a tinto de verano to wash it down with. Ahh, two of my favorite things.....

Once we had our late morning snack, we were refueled and energized. Ready to take on Madrid for the day! I cannot express to you how much I love this city. Having been there twice prior to this trip, it really has some sort of familiarity to me at this point. I know my way around, where the landmarks are, etc. Although, you would never know it from my husband. He is ALL about the map.....

One thing we always do when we travel to any new (or old) destination is check out any hidden culinary gems that we may not otherwise stumble upon on our own. How do we do this? A few ways.... We always like to talk to locals whenever we can, and we also check out Best Thing I Ever Ate, but we really care most about what Anthony Bourdain has to say. For Madrid, he recommended a handful of places. Among them, a little gastropub called Le Cabrera. Delicioso!

The head chef at Le Cabrera was amazing. A French guy who landed in Madrid a few years prior. He really gave us his thoughts on some awesome local restaurants that we should check out. Turns out, the hotel we were staying in had a pretty awesome Asian restaurant hidden in the very back of the main restaurant. He was not lying. Seriously....best Asian food I have ever had. Who knew?!

Eating lunch in Spain is pretty much the equivalent of an early dinner in the U.S., so it worked out nicely for us timing wise on this first night as we had decided to brave the brutality of a bull fight. Against my better judgement and animal lover instincts, I agreed. I fully understand the cultural play and relevance the pageantry of bull fighting holds in Spain, but if I am being honest....for me, personally.....it was HORRIFIC. I cried after the first fight, because I was so upset....

These poor, helpless animals....Yes, they are aggressive, giant beasts, but to watch them be poked and stabbed repeatedly as they seemingly play with the matadors is simply heartbreaking. I use the word "play," because that is truly the best way to describe what they are doing. It is so similar to the way a dog plays with its owner and you really get the sense that they legitimately think they are having fun, chasing the pink and red flags.

What you do not prepare yourself for is the fact that you find yourself inherently rooting for the bulls. So when I was witness to one of the matadors being speared through the thigh by a bull's horn and lifted into the air, I felt even worse about what I was experiencing. Because on some level, I did want the bulls to level the playing field in some way. Of course, the inevitable still comes and nothing is really leveled at all. But still....the bull in this match up definitely did not go down without a fight.

From Monday through Thursday, it was pretty much work, work, work for me; however, that is not to say it was an uneventful time in Madrid. There was a big manifesto on Tuesday and Wednesday, resulting in a huge city-wide protest. These protests happened to take place right outside of Madrid's Congress and Parliament buildings, which just so happen to be right next door and across the street from the hotel we were staying in.

All access to the streets surrounding the hotel were barricaded and shut down. The only way we were able to get to and from the hotel was by providing proof that we were staying there. Talk about crazy! The policia were shooting off rubber bullets into the crowds on both nights - yikes!

Once the shoot wrapped on Thursday afternoon, my husband and I were able to take one last stroll around the city and enjoyed some last minute tapas at another Anthony Bourdain recommended hole in the wall - Bodega de la Ardosa. One of Madrid's oldest tapas bars, established in 1892! The ambiance of this place is just perfect, much like their tortilla de patatas. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

All in all, a pretty exciting and fun trip, despite the fact that I was working during most of it! When we headed out to the airport on Friday morning it was chilly and raining outside - a perfect departure day! The return flight was 9 hours and 20 minutes, so we had loaded up our iPads with plenty of movies. By time we landed, I had watched three!