Hola, Hola.

Spain is the one place you can be white and still sound like Jay-Z with dignity. For example, just check the title of this post. Hola!

As Grace has mentioned, we´ve been travelling through Barcelona, Sevilla and Ronda and have recently ended up in Madrid. We´re excited to be here as Madrid is proving to be the breeding grounds for all things Spanish.

For anyone that has been to Spain before, you will know what I am talking about when I say that Spain is a collision of all sorts of things. Culturally, Spain is intriquing due to its dual Moorish and Roman Catholic influences. Even Madrid is showing itself to be a city split between the Bourbon empire and the Hapsburgs.

Even more amazing has been the diversity that exists from east to west (and I am sure north to south as well). Experiencing Barcelona first was both captivating and somewhat misleading with regard to what we have both decided Spain is really about. Grace put it best when she said that Barcelona seems like Spain's second child. Don't get me wrong, its an amazing city, with a very unique cultural heritage, and an incredibly vibrant social fabric, but it is certainly unique unto itself. And, like the stereotype of second children, it has certain freedoms to do what it wants that are not accorded to the other children.

Madrid, then, seems to be Spain´s first child, the capital nd the heart of the country. It´s a bustling city that on first impressions would give both London and New York a run for their money. Delving deeper, Madrid is showing itself to be a unique blend of culture, class, and history that has us drawing comparisons (I know, comparisons are silly when it comes to cities) to our time in Paris.

We are here for another two full days before heading back to the Hague to set up our apartment. I think it is safe to say that we are both anxious to get back to Hollland and begin our life there. At the same time, we will be sad to leave this truly amazing country as it feels like we have only scratched its surface.