From Morristown to Spain, Part 8: Adiós, mis amigos

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In this eighth and final chapter of her summer vacation series, ‘From Morristown to Spain,’ Morristown High School student Nayna Shah celebrates a birthday with her Spanish hosts…and then must say goodbye. Happy Birthday, Nanya–and thanks for sharing your wonderful experiences with us!

By Nayna Shah

Today was a bittersweet day as it was both my 17th birthday and my last day to tour Madrid.  Because the Gardens of Sabatini were closed the first time we visited, we decided to visit today since they would be open.

The Gardens of Sabatini were designed by the Italian architect Francesco Sabatini to display symmetric geometrical patterns.  In other words, the gardens were a bit like mazes.  We made mental notes of the entrances and exits before embarking on our epic journey through Sabatini’s puzzle, every now and then stopping when a photo-op presented itself.

Los Jardines de Sabatini (the equivalent of a royal corn maze!) Photo by Nayna Shah
Los Jardines de Sabatini (the equivalent of a royal corn maze!) Photo by Nayna Shah

Because it was unbearably hot outside, we opted for a cooler place to visit and went with the Temple of Debod.  I’m sure many of you, like me, would be surprised to know that an authentic Egyptian temple exists in Madrid.  During the 1960s, when Egypt began the construction of the Aswan Dam near the Nile River, some of its most historical archaeological sites were at risk of destruction.

Inside the arches of the Temple of Debod

Many countries, including Spain, offered to become a new site for such monuments.  In 1969, the stone temple was dismantled and shipped to the Spanish port of Valencia, where it was taken by train to Madrid and reconstructed.

The temple dates back to the second century BC and is made of one two-story building and two separate arches surrounded by water.  Inside the temple, the walls are covered in hieroglyphics and certain rooms are highlighted for being places where ceremonial sacrifices took place.  The top floor of the temple holds a diagram of the world, displaying all the cities which also house Egyptian ruins (including the Metropolitan Museum in New York City).

Los Cuatro Torres: the four tallest buildings in Madrid

After some ice cream, we walked a couple blocks to Los Cuatro Torres (The Four Towers), the only skyscrapers in Madrid.  The towers are used for office buildings and hotels– the tallest standing at a little over 800 feet tall (still tiny in comparison to the Empire State Building).

To our disappointment, we could not enter any of the four towers, but standing next to them for however short of a time made me feel like I was in New York City.

According to Belen, we had accomplished almost our entire checklist of Madrid tourist sites, the only remaining spots being two puertas or doors in different parts of Madrid.

Puertas look like big arches or gates that stand in various places in Madrid.  The first one we visited was La Puerta de Alcala.  Interestingly enough, La Puerta de Alcala was also designed by Francesco Sabatini in the late 18th century.  It was commissioned by  King Charles III who felt that Madrid needed to be beautified a bit more.

After a quick Metro ride, we arrived at the second puerta, called La Puerta de Toledo.  This one, like the other, had three arches, with angels on the top.  Construction on La Puerta de Toledo finished in 1827; it is the most recently built of all the gates in Madrid.

La Puerta de Alcala. Photo by Nayna Shah
La Puerta de Alcala. Photo by Nayna Shah
La Puerta de Toledo. Photo by Nayna Shah
La Puerta de Toledo. Photo by Nayna Shah

It was only about 8:30 when we finished our final Madrid day, but Belen told me that we had to be home for some reason.  When we arrived back home, I immediately knew why.  Her family had prepared a strawberry cheesecake for me for my birthday! As I blew out my candles and sat around the kitchen table with my second family, I knew that this exchange had been well worth it, and that there was nothing cooler than a 17th birthday in Spain.

Feliz Cumpleaños!!
Feliz Cumpleaños!!

The next morning as Belen and I packed our suitcases and headed to the Madrid International Airport to catch our flight back, I reflected on my month in Spain: The food, the touring, the parties, the shopping, my new friends, my family, the SLEEP, the weather… and realized there was no part of my trip that I disliked.

I would like to thank Rotary International for giving me the opportunity to explore a new and unique culture; I could not have had a better experience!  So yes, yes, yes, 100 percent yes, I recommend Spain to any person, couple, or family looking for an exciting and enriching vacation spot.

I was told that when you make a Spanish friend, you make a friend for life.  This is most definitely true!
I was told that when you make a Spanish friend, you make a friend for life. This is most definitely true!

The whole time I was leaving Spain I could only think about when I could come back!  When our plane took off from Madrid, I only hoped that I could give Belen as tremendous of an experience in the United States as I had had in Spain.

‘FROM MORRISTOWN TO SPAIN,’ THE SERIES:

Summer vacation: From Morristown to Spain, Part 1

From Morristown to Spain, Part 2: Roller coasters and schools

From Morristown to Spain, Part 3: Tasty tortillas, towering viaducts

From Morristown to Spain, Part 4: Kilometer 0 and the Madrid sun

From Morristown to Spain, Part 5: Goya and real churros

From Morristown to Spain, Part 6: Hamming it up in Salamanca

From Morristown to Spain, Part 7: Holy Toledo, it’s El Greco!

From Morristown to Spain, Part 8: Adiós, mis amigos

 NAYNA SHAH’S ENTIRE SERIES

 

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