I moved to the city, and my social life increased by 200%. I’ve seen more friends in the last few weeks than in the last few months combined, and I couldn’t be happier.
This month has been characterised by adapting and waiting. The first week, we waited for a couch; the second, for a piece of furniture; the third, for my desk… I’m definitely practising patience in all this waiting. I never know at what speed I should be decorating an apartment, or whether I should let things happen naturally (which I have zero patience for). So far, my house looks very basic, but here are some ideas I have for decorating.
February Notes
On the first day of the month, rain was still the backdrop to our stories, grey spreading its tentacles within us, lowering our saturation. Kevin wanted to learn how to make Spanish cocido, so we went back to the countryside to learn straight from the source, my grandma, who’s a great cook.
I was happy to find a free gallery space with an exhibition called Metamorphosis. I love this city; it has so many cultural options. After the exhibition, we took Miles to one of those places with optical illusions and fun activities mostly targeted to tourists called IKONO, but it turned out to be perfect for kids on a rainy day.
It was on February 15th that things started to look up. The sun came out in all its glory and it stayed that way until the end of the month.
Miles got the cutest haircut, and now I’ve gone from having a little boy to a teenager, basically.
We got a lot of time in the park, which usually has the potential to drive me to despair but still, I quite enjoyed organising playdates with his friends and making new friends in different parks across the city.
At the end of the month, just as I was packing for a trip to Bulgaria, I was hit by the cold that had been lingering in our house, so I felt a little sorry for myself about having to pack and travel with a cold (stupid first-world problems…).
Madrid activities and recommendations
We spent sunny days exploring our neighbourhood and discovering parks that we had never seen, such as Campo del Moro. We acted like tourists, taking pictures with giant cartoon characters and watching breakdancers who used the royal palace as their backdrop (Miles had never seen something like that before so he was very impressed). During Valentine’s week, I went with a friend to Federal Cafe in Conde Duque’s neighborhood to toast to “Galentine’s Day” and had a glass of wine while we did some watercolours. Later that week, closer to the official day, Kevin and I had lunch at La Taberna de Peñalver, which specialises in rice and paellas.
A couple of honourable mentions go to this magazine and bookstore/restaurant called El Imparcial, with great decor, delicious food, and atmosphere. We also chose Farah for a date night, a Mediterranean fusion restaurant with delicious food, great service, and beautiful decor. (This monthly updates might become unofficial Madrid guides!)
Exhibitions
I saw Metamorphosis in Serrería Belga and Chez Matisse in Caixaforum, but the one that inspired me the most was “Desenfocado” in Caixaforum, still available until April 12th. Not only does it encourage you to see art from a different perspective, but it also makes an allegory to the “blurry” times we are living in.
Watching
This month, I didn't watch anything that particularly moved me—I tried watching Hamnet but my browser kept buffering, argh!
We watched A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms, on HBO Max which was a great spin-off from the Game of Thrones universe. Funny, witty, surprisingly not too violent (except for episode 5) and entertaining. It was refreshing to see good writing and acting on a TV show again.
Reading
Number 9 Dream is David Mitchell's second novel before his famous novel Cloud Atlas. Just like all of David Mitchell's books, it requires some mental gymnastics that require re-reading to fully grasp the meaning of certain passages. Still, Kevin has made me a loyal fan of his writing. (I've read The Bone Clocks, Utopia Avenue and The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet, which was my favourite.)
Linking you to NOWNESS
I spent the second half of February, working on my portfolio and, in parallel, learning more and more about the effects that AI and social media are currently having on society. (I also went on a whirlwind of emotions regarding my own work and how to come back as a freelance photographer into the workforce, but that’s a story for another time.)
In an effort to become less dependent on the usual apps for inspiration, I reconnected with this platform, which used to be my go-to before YouTube.
I’m starting to see how a month can start one way and end very differently. I’m really enjoying documenting these moments of the month.
Thanks for reading, and see you soon!
Ana.
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