#IshaVenkatesh

[umichenginabroad]

Week 5: Groceries, Madrid Musts, and Barcelona

The thing no one tells you about moving to a different country is that grocery shopping is exhausting. There are no brands you recognize, everything’s in different packaging, and even if you know the language, your food vocab probably isn’t extensive enough to know the difference between different types of milks or oils. Now in my fourth week of grocery shopping here. I thought I had the hang of things, but it still takes me like an hour to get two weeks worth of groceries. I have to walk around and figure out where what I need is, then sift through the twenty different options of the same thing by turning each item over and pretending that I understand the ingredients list enough to help me make a decision. I guess one perk of not knowing anything about the grocery store is that you get to discover new foods. Back home, my family’s always gotten the same bread, milk, eggs my whole life. So I have no idea if there’s a better brand out there. But here, I get to pick and explore. Last week, when buying cheese for sandwiches, I picked a random one and oh my gosh it’s the best cheese I ever had. Maybe when I get home, I’ll start being more adventurous with my grocery shopping. But yeah, mini rant over, and to summarize, if you’re going abroad and reading this, get mentally prepared to go grocery shopping.

In other news, this week, I went to see the sunset at Templo de Debod and also went to see Museo Sorolla. Both are musts in Madrid. Templo de Debod is an Egyptian temple that was moved to Madrid in order to be preserved. It’s a super cool piece of Egyptian history with a small museum inside, and it’s on top of a hill, so it makes for one of the most popular sunset spots. I really enjoyed watching the sunset here this week and will definitely be back! 

Even if you’re someone who doesn’t quite enjoy the big art museums (like the Prado), I can almost guarantee that Museo Sorolla will still be enjoyable. Joaquin Sorolla is a famous Spanish Impressionism-esque painter. His house in Madrid is turned into a museum, so you get to walk through his house while looking at his original paintings, furniture, gardens, etc. It really feels like more of a tour through someone’s life than an art museum. And it’s a small museum, so you can finish in about an hour, or two with the audio guide (which I loved so much and definitely recommend). I loved the gardens out front and how beautifully everything was preserved in the house. It really is a lesser known gem in Madrid. 

Another rather unconventional must in my opinion is Flying Tiger. Flying Tiger is a Danish chain of stores that sell things I can only describe as “things you didn’t know you needed until you see them”. I think it’s pretty aptly named because you’ve probably never thought of a flying tiger before, but now that I’ve said it- how cool would a flying tiger be? That’s exactly what everything in the store is like. Little knickknacks that you don’t really need, but are so interesting you’ll just need to have it. One of my favorite things were these little balloon clips that let you reuse the balloon instead of tying it. Like how cool is that??? It’s a dangerous shop to go into for sure, and you’ll probably end up buying something. But embrace it and go visit Flying Tiger for yourself. 

This weekend, I took a quick trip to Barcelona. Having already been there with my family back in 2019, I took the time to walk around, explore the more artsy districts, re-visit the Sagrada Familia since it’s just that beautiful, and went to the flea market. We also went to the Bunkers of Carmel which had gorgeous 360° views of the city. I remember liking Barcelona better than Madrid when I first visited with my family, but now that I’ve been living in Madrid for almost a month, going to Barcelona has made me realize how much I appreciate Madrid. Both are beautiful cities, but there’s just something about the liveliness and deep history and culture in Madrid that’s unmatched. 

So…you probably noticed there’s no drawing of the week today. Basically, I got my first Fluid Dynamics homework assigned and the time I would’ve spent drawing was spent on that. But I’m going to go ahead and say maybe there’ll be two drawings next week. 

You’ll have to wait and see :)

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 14: Reflections

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my last blog post of this semester! It’s definitely bittersweet. I’m going to miss a lot about Madrid, but I’m also looking forward to starting my internship back in the US. It’s going to be hard to capture all that these last four months have been, but I’ll try to start with some things I’m going to miss about Madrid. 

Easily the thing I’m going to miss the most is the bustle of the streets. Not only are there people walking the streets everywhere, but there’s also always people sitting outside at the tables eating, drinking, and chatting with each other. Especially when the weather’s warm out, everyone will be outside and the vibes are just so happy and carefree. Life is slower here, and the streets are a perfect example of that (even the slow walking). One of my favorite experiences this summer has been watching El Clásico on the street outside a restaurant just around the corner from my house. They put up a TV on the outside, and there were so many people huddled together watching and cheering. Here’s a video from when Madrid beat Barcelona on penalty kicks. Seriously unreal.

Something about Spain in general that I’ve really enjoyed is the eating culture here. Eating lunch or dinner is always a social event, taking hours to just eat and chat with friends or family. Every meal is an excuse to hang out, and I really enjoyed that. I feel like a lot of the time, I’m really trying to get through lunch or dinner and move on to the next thing, but here, everyone always treats it like a true break. At first, I was a little annoyed at how long the waiters took to bring the check, but I’ve definitely grown to love spending hours at the table.

Also, the ease of travel has been actually insane. Like it’s on average less than $100 to travel two hours by flight. And the train system is so remarkable too. Plus, hostels make it so easy to travel without breaking the bank. They’re about $20-$40/night and are everything you need from a place to stay, plus they often have cool activities and are social if you’re traveling alone. I really wish there was more of a travel infrastructure in the US, like trains connecting major cities and hostels, or more affordable accommodations.

I’m also going to miss wandering around and just stumbling upon different shops, restaurants, and events. Being in such a walkable city has been amazing. When I have a few hours with nothing to do, I’ll just head outside and wander around. I’ve found some pretty cool shops and free exhibitions this way, and it’s been a great way for me to explore the city while staying active. I've also really enjoyed the painted shop doors all around the city that I get to see during some of my long walks.

Another uniquely Madrid experience I’ll miss is going to see the sunset at Templo de Debod. I’ve gone a handful of times now, and sitting on the grass with like 50 other people, gazing over the city while there’s some live guitar and singing in the background is just such an amazing feeling. I love to just sit there, look out, and people watch until the sun goes down. 

Now, as honorable mentions: I’ll miss Primark, the Ale-Hop across the street, Flying Tiger, the freshly squeezed orange juice from Dia, my local grocery store, and Danone yogurt (apparently this is the cheap kind, but it’s my favorite).

On the other hand, there are some things I’m really looking forward to when I get back to the US. We seriously take Target for granted, and I’m weirdly excited to be back in the presence of a Target. I also really miss driving. Driving with some music on in the background is one of the first things I’m going to do when I get back. Out of everything though, I’m most excited to be back in yoga pants and sweatshirts. Even though I’ve gotten used to dressing up here, there’s nothing like being in comfy clothes all day. 

Being abroad for these past few months has definitely made me want to bring certain things from the Spanish lifestyle here back with me to the US and make changes in my own life. I think I’ll try to be a tourist in my own city a little bit more. Traveling quite a bit has made me realize all there is to discover in every place, and I feel like I never do the places where I actually live enough justice. Even just thinking about Ann Arbor, there are so many restaurants and shops downtown that I’ve yet to explore, as well as markets and other festivals I feel like I could seek out a little more. Going off of that, I think I’m going to try to be more than a student when I go back to school in the fall. Usually, school consumes my life, and there’s not much time to do anything else, but I’m going to try to walk around to the parks in Ann Arbor and maybe just get lost in the streets of downtown a little more often. Another big one is scheduling more social time and chilling time into my life. I want to be able to read a book or draw after work on the weekdays, and now that I’ve seen it be possible for so many people, I’m going to try to make an effort to incorporate that into my own life.

Reflecting on classes this semester, I would say that they have definitely been easier than Michigan classes, but not really as easy as everyone says study abroad is. I’ve really liked my professors, and am especially thankful to have been able to do research here. I’ve learned a lot just from that this semester in terms of working in a global setting. My Spanish class has definitely increased my confidence in speaking, and I’ve learned how to say things in a more conversational way instead of in a more academic way like I’ve learned before. Taking Fluid Mechanics here has been nice too. Even though it’s my hardest class, there’s a lab component that has really helped me understand the more theoretical parts of it. And my Numerical Methods class has been so much fun too! It was so chill and I enjoyed learning more Matlab. 

Overall, this semester has been a nice break from everything, and I’m glad to have had this opportunity to grow and experience a different lifestyle from what I’m used to. I’m also thankful to have had this opportunity to document my time here with these blogs that have made me think more deeply about my time in Madrid. And thank you for following along!

Here are some pictures of the flowers finally blooming in Madrid and some other cool pictures :)

Signing off,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 13: Ávila, El Escorial, Trains, and Final Week of Classes

This week, I took a day trip to Ávila, a city just under 2 hours outside of Madrid. It’s a city known for its medieval walls, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Something unique about this city is that it’s actually possible to walk long stretches of the wall! It was really cool to see a completely walled-in city, and it looked like it was out of an old fairytale.

Ávila is also known for its pork, and rightfully so, because the pork loins I had there were probably the best I’ve ever had. They were so perfectly juicy and seasoned, and I would 100% go back just for that.

I also visited El Escorial on a trip through school. Comillas has these events of guided visits or tours to places, and I’ve been to a few this semester and have really enjoyed them! This trip to El Escorial was so nice because I was able to learn a lot more about the history of the building and the city. The main sight is a monastery built by King Philip II. It's also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and in addition to the beautiful architecture and art throughout the building, it also serves as the resting place for the Spanish royal family since the 1500s. It was a great half-day trip, and you could even see the views of Madrid from the monastery!

Back in Madrid, every second weekend of the month, there’s a market called Mercado de Motores hosted in the railway museum. The museum opens up for free, and there’s vendors selling items as well as food. I enjoyed looking around at all the handmade things, and I had some of the best homemade bread baked in with tomato.  It was super cool to be able to see all the trains! As a Mechanical Engineering major, I definitely geeked out about the trains :) 

My favorite vehicle in the museum was a car that was built to drive on regular roads as well as train tracks! 

Walking outside, they also had a swing that can generate power for kids to play on. I thought that was a great way to get people, especially children, thinking about energy consumption in a fun way.

I also had a picnic with some of my roommates this weekend in a park called El Parque de la Fuente del Berro. This park had a beautiful waterfall in the middle! And it was a great way to   unwind. Originally, I was going to bring some homework to do, but when I told my roommate she jokingly said “That’s so American of you, just come and relax for a few hours!” And you know what, she was right. I couldn’t even think about going to a park for a few hours on a weekend without thinking about all the work I had. She was telling me that in Austria, where she’s from, people don’t do any work on Sundays. And even here in Spain, there’s signs on most cafes that say laptops or other work aren’t allowed on weekends and holidays. I’m realizing that as different as this culture is from what I’m used to in the US, it works. It wasn’t the end of the world that I didn’t do any homework for four hours on a Sunday. And I think going forward, I’ll start thinking more actively about just taking some time off.

Speaking of homework… this week was the last week of classes. I know, crazy. Next week is finals, and then I’m done??? Can’t believe it. Somehow, these four months have flown by, but I guess I’ll talk about that more in next week’s blog. 

For the last time, see you next week,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 12: Las Ventas, Escaping the Busy City, and a Concert

This week, I went to see a bullfight at the Madrid bullring, Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas. Now while this wasn’t really something that was top of my list for things to do, I decided to go and see one since I was spending so much time here in Madrid, and bullfighting is such a big part of Spanish culture. It was interesting to see how artistic and graceful the movements were, but it was definitely shocking to see an animal killed like that. I was also surprised to see a pretty even mix of local Madrileños and tourists, and the side of the stands that we were on was all full. Ultimately, I’m glad I went to experience that part of Spanish culture, but I don’t think it’s something I would go see again. 

I also went around some parks in the area this week. I went to Quinta de los Molinos and Parque del Oeste. Quinta de los Molinos is known for their abundant almond trees and flowers in the early spring, and while I missed the flowering period, walking into the park, I could immediately smell the almond blossoms. It was amazing. The park wasn’t too big, but it had a lot of small trails to get lost around. After walking around a bit, I just sat down to do a crossword and take in all the green around me. I think this is my favorite park I’ve been to so far in Madrid, and would definitely recommend a trip to it for anyone who visits and has some extra time.

The second park I went to was Paque del Oeste. This one was a lot bigger, and took some time to walk through. It was also really beautiful though, with tons of grass and some small springs hidden in between the trees. I just sat and did some homework after exploring the park a bit. The park was so big that walking around, you could completely escape the loud and bustling city, and was such a nice time. 

I also went to a concert this week! When we were in Brussels, we met a band who was touring and they invited us to come see their show in Madrid. At the time, we didn’t know who the band was, but looking them up afterwards, we realized they were actually pretty famous and played for Tom Odell, a popular artist. The concert was super cool, and it was pretty interesting observing concert culture in Madrid vs. the US. I feel like they were definitely less phones out, and more people were just dancing and enjoying themselves. Overall, this week was pretty relaxed as I got back into the routine of classes and enjoyed the amazing weather.

See you next week,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 11: Easter Break, Short Sleeves, and The Royal Palace

I’m back in Madrid after my Easter break travels! With a week off for Easter, I went around to some nearby countries and visited Brussels, Bruges, Amsterdam, Berlin, Copenhagen, and Verona. I definitely enjoyed my time going around, and it was really nice to see the similarities and differences between Madrid and all the cities. Just as a quick recap, here were my favorite things about each city.

Brussels: The waffles. Oh my gosh the waffles were so good I would go back just for that. They were so good, I didn’t take any pictures of them, so enjoy this Tin Tin mural instead.

Bruges: The brick architecture along with the beautiful canals. Seriously looked straight out of a painting.

Amsterdam: Houseboats and tulips!! It was so cool to see the different houseboats, and the flower fields we saw for the tulip festival were absolutely breathtaking.

Berlin: The city did a fantastic job with all their museums and memorials. I especially liked the East Side Gallery, which is a long section of the Berlin Wall that’s painted by different artists around the world. A lot of the artists painted their section when they were right out of school and just starting to become established artists, so the art is very unique there. I really think it’s been one of my favorite art exhibitions/galleries I’ve seen.

Copenhagen: The general Danish culture and Copenhill. Everyone and everything was so orderly here. Like the lines were perfect, no one pushed, and everyone was so respectful of public places. Also people really do leave their babies in strollers outside buildings! It was really interesting to observe the norms here and see how well put-together everyone was. Also, the architecture around the city was just gorgeous. Especially Copenhill, a building that’s a trash processing facility and only outputs water vapor. And, you can ski on top of it! I learned about this building from one of my favorite documentaries, Abstract: The Art of Design, and I highly recommend looking up the building!

Verona: The small, Italian city vibes were amazing. So easy to just sit and chill and people-watch. 

After going around all these places, I was definitely happy to be back in Madrid. The familiarity and the bustling people everywhere felt comforting to come back to. 

Coming back to Madrid, I finally went to see the Royal Palace. I don’t know why it’s taken me so long to see the palace that’s a literally five minute walk from my house, but I guess that sometimes happens when you live somewhere. I’ve seen quite a few palaces during my time here, but I was actually really impressed by this one! It was one of the prettiest palaces I’ve seen, with all the rooms curated and decorated really well. I think it’s even cooler that the palace actually gets used today, and I’m glad I went even if it did take me this long.

Some of my favorite things were this conversation couch where you can speak into the little microphones to talk to people around the couch, these gorgeous hand-painted plates, and the horse armor. I’d never seen such elaborate armor for horses before.

I also spent a lot of time this week walking around and soaking up the sun. I’m seriously going to miss the vibes of everyone out on the terrace and on the streets when it’s nice outside. Walking out and seeing everyone having a good time is just an immediate boost of happiness, and I really want to try to incorporate some of that into my life back in the US. While there might not be as much of a culture that lends easily to that, I think I can at least take some time to go to a park and read or grab a smoothie or something in the evenings.

While I was wandering around Madrid this weekend, I walked through Justicia, a neighborhood I had never really been to before. It felt pretty upscale compared to the city center, and I came across a small market with hand-made jewelry, clothes, prints and other artisanal things. Everything was so beautiful there and the craftsmanship was amazing. I also stumbled upon a dance exhibition with dresses from Spanish dance from the last 100 years. It was pretty cool to see the evolution of the dresses, and the building itself was so gorgeous. 

Hasta la próxima semana,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 10: Sun ☀️ & St. Patrick's Day

This week, we finally got the much-missed sun I’ve been hoping for! To kick off the week, I went walking around Palacio Real and then to Retiro Park. I had been to Retiro twice before, but this time when I went, I discovered a whole new part of the park I had never seen before! That just goes to show how big the park really is. Retiro’s a really interesting park to go to because it’s simultaneously bustling with people while also being someplace you can go just to be by yourself. Around the main lake, there’s always people around, but the second you go deeper into the park, it’s quiet and still. I like that I can both people-watch and relax with just myself and some trees.

The part of Retiro I stumbled upon was a gorgeous garden with fountains and statues. At the entrance, there were some super cool trees pruned in a unique bubbly shape. There was also a guy playing some beautiful violin, and looking around, I could see parents playing with their children and people just relaxing on the benches. It was really nice to see and just be out to enjoy the sun.

Also, during my regular stop at the Crystal Palace in Retiro, I saw all these turtles just chilling on the grass. They were all so still I actually thought they were fake at first!

Walking back home from Retiro, I started craving some ice cream. Now back home, if I wanted ice cream, I would look up an ice cream place and walk to it, but here, I found myself just walking home and trusting that I’ll probably find an ice cream place on my way back. 

This made me realize that that’s one of my favorite things about living in Madrid. Just walking around, you’re bound to cross multiple bakeries, ice cream shops, or little restaurants or snack shops. And many of them are small, family owned places instead of chains. Thinking back, on my daily walk home from school, I often stop at different supermarkets for fruit or ingredients for dinner, sometimes also grabbing a little after school snack. I also always take different routes on my way home, exploring different streets and discovering new stores along the way. That’s how I found an Asian supermarket with the best dumplings, and a fruitería with cherimoya and some of the best mangoes I’ve ever had. It’s nice how integrated these things are within the rest of the city, and the variety of options scattered throughout. 

This weekend, I took another much anticipated trip to Dublin for St. Patrick’s day. Funnily enough, I had actually booked these tickets before even getting my tickets to Madrid to study abroad. Going to Dublin for St. Patrick’s day was definitely a bucket list item for me, and I’m so happy it worked out and I was able to take advantage of being in Spain in March to visit Dublin! 

Walking around the city, I quickly noticed how nice people were. In fact, it felt a lot like the midwestern nice, and it was comforting to be around that familiar feeling. The landscape was also very similar to the Midwest, and in some places, if it weren’t for the cars driving on the left side of the road, I would’ve thought I was back in Michigan. 

At first, it was funny to see the cars with the driver’s seat on the right side, because every time I would look into a car, it would look like it was driving itself with an empty seat on the left. I can imagine that’s not too far in the future…

Also, it was my first time since coming to Madrid that I was in an English-speaking country, which was pretty comforting as well. Conversation came easier, and I missed that extra level of friendliness and small talk.

For the St. Patrick's Day parade, I was surprised to see all the hand-made costumes and floats, and how well done all the themes were!

Being in Dublin was a nice reset, and it also made me appreciate the culture and big city feel that Madrid has a little more. While I enjoyed my weekend here, I’m definitely glad I picked studying in Madrid to experience living in a place much different from back home, and I’ve definitely grown as a result. Overall, this trip was an amazing time, and next time, I want to explore the beautiful green countryside!

Cheers,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 9: When is it Going to be Spring Already???

No one told me it would be so rainy, windy, and cold in March. Like I was getting jealous of Ann Arbor weather. I seriously had to pull out my sweaters and puffer again.

But, there are two positives things about this rainy, windy, and cold week. First, look at how beautiful the buildings get. This is the plaza I live right off of.

Second, this weather is perfect, what I call, “Museum weather.” If you haven’t caught on already, one of my favorite things about living in Madrid is the huge variety of museums. But, I can never justify spending hours inside a museum if it’s sunny out, because then it’s perfect park weather. So, I had been saving the Reina Sofía for a weekend exactly like this, and I also took the opportunity to go visit the Museum of Illusions, Palacio de Cibeles, and the Chamberí Ghost Station this week.

Similar to the Robot Museum from last week, the Museum of Illusions was a small, lesser known museum. It’s actually in a few major cities around the world, and it was another good way to spend a couple hours after school. My favorite exhibit was a vortex tunnel where you had to walk on a bridge that was stationary while the screens lining the tunnel spun. Even though I knew that the bridge was stationary, it still made me feel like the bridge was spinning, and it was hard to walk straight. It was super cool!!

After we visited the museum, I tried a pastry filled with Lotus-flavored cream. I had never seen that flavor before back home, but I’ve been seeing it everywhere here, so I decided to try it and it was sooo good!! It was the flavor of the Delta Biscoff cookies, which I normally don’t love, but there was something about it being a cream that made it so much better. I really should’ve taken a picture of it…

Hosted by Comillas, I also went to Palacio de Cibeles this week to see an exhibition on a collection of old Madrid street signs and learn more about the building. I feel like when you think of Madrid, Palacio de Cibeles is one of the most iconic buildings that represent the city. The ornate outside and its grand size definitely makes it one of the most recognizable symbols of the city. It was super cool to learn that the building was originally built as a central post office for telegrams, and later letters. People could come from all over the city and deposit their mail into boxes for specific cities, allowing them to call someone over in the morning from Barcelona for dinner the same day! Now, it’s used as a City Hall. I love that the building has free entry for people to go inside and view rotating exhibitions or grab a bite to eat. I'm including a picture of Palacio de Cibeles on in the sun too, since the clouds really don't do it justice.

Over the weekend, I went to explore Estación Chamberí, an old station in the Madrid metro station that has since been abandoned. Although the tour is free, tickets only release every month, and they sell out pretty quickly, so I had been waiting for this visit for a while. I didn’t know that the whole tour would be in Spanish, but I was surprised that I was able to understand about 95% of it. I guess my Spanish is getting better!

Walking into the station, everything was so well preserved that it felt like I time traveled back into the late 1900s. White tiles lined the walls, and tiled art and paper line routes and ticket fare charts were right at the entrance. Opened in 1919, I learned that the Madrid metro was modeled after the one in Paris. The station, however, closed in 1966 because the station was curved and sloped, so when they expanded the city and consequently the metro, from 4 cars in a train to 6, the bend radius was too large, and the last two cars snapped. So, it was then abandoned. It’s funny though because getting to the station was kind of a hike, and I couldn’t help but think how nice it would be to have a metro station in the area. The Chamberí station is also widely known as the “Ghost Station,” since people used to sleep in the station after it was abandoned. When line 1 goes past it, passengers would see people moving around and thought there were ghosts. 

The next day, I went to the Reina Sofía. This was the last museum I had to visit in the Golden Triangle of Art in Madrid (which consists of the Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza). I knew this museum was more contemporary and modern than the Prado, so I was excited for the visit. I was lucky to visit during a special exhibition about Picasso’s works during the year 1906, which was when he started developing his unique style. They also had pieces from other artists that showed where Picasso’s inspiration came from, which was really cool to see. Something I learned was that his works were heavily influenced by African art, which was seen as more primitive than European art at the time, and Picasso started introducing it as a part of European art. Obviously, a highlight was seeing the Guernica in real life, and I spent a while digesting everything going on in the painting. It was also cool to see the planning for the painting and how it changed from the first iteration to the final that’s now in the museum.

While the Reina Sofía was definitely more contemporary, it was almost a little too modern for my liking compared to other museums of contemporary and modern art. Having gone to all three museums now, I think the Thyssen-Bornemisza is my favorite since it has works from the 1300s all the way to the 2000s, with really amazing explanations of each era. So if I had to recommend one, it would be that one. But, I still enjoyed it a lot! Here are some of my favorite pieces from my visit by Dalí (first two) and Juan Gris.

And, on Wednesday after my second Fluids exam, I decided to walk home since it was the one slightly less cold and cloudy day we had. On my way home, I went to Templo de Debod again for the sunset, and it ended up being so beautiful! Here are some pictures of the gorgeous sky. This is seriously one of my favorite spots in Madrid, and I’ll definitely miss it when I leave. 

Overall, this week was definitely more relaxed (much needed), and it gave me a good chance to go out and explore things that were on my tourist list for my time here in Madrid.

Seriously hoping for some sun soon,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 8: Robots and Morocco

This week, I went on my long-awaited trip to Morocco! But first, Robots.

As a STEM student and a sci-fi enthusiast, there was no way I was going to be able to leave Madrid without visiting the robot museum. Located in a mall, the museum was a small collection of robots throughout popular culture. I had never been to the neighborhood where the museum was before, and as soon as I exited the metro station, I seriously felt like I was in a different city. The museum is in a neighborhood east of the center called Salamanca, and it was probably the most upscale part of Madrid I have been in so far. Gran Vía with all its stores, didn’t even come close. It was cool to look around that part of the city, and I definitely want to come back to walk around more and maybe grab a cup of coffee.

In the museum, we saw some of the first robots used in sci-fi movies. They were human-sized to allow people to stand inside and control them, since they didn’t have CGI or VFX back then. They also had a pretty big display of dancing and singing robots throughout history, like Pepper, the white humanoid robot below. We also saw reproductions of robots in popular films, like Star Wars and Iron Man.

Some of my favorite robots we saw were PLEO, the Honda Asimo replica, and a completely open-source robot that can be built at home with a 3D printer!

PLEO is kind of like a physical Tamagotchi- it needs you to take care of it, it gets hungry, angry, etc., and you can feed it food. Something interesting is that the original versions of PLEO were able to “die,” meaning they would turn off and not have a way to power on again. But, it also cost hundreds of dollars, and buyers were quick to complain about an expensive toy that could be rendered useless in a few months. So, they decided to allow it to power back on for future generations.

The Honda Asimo is a humanoid robot released in 2000. More than the picture below, I highly recommend clicking this and at least watching a few seconds of the robot (I recommend the 2:00 timestamp). When I saw it, I couldn’t believe the first version was unveiled in 2000! It can do so many cool things and definitely felt ahead of its time.

This robot was my favorite. Created by InMoov (click for another video) . It’s an open source 3D printed robot that can be printed by anyone! I thought it was an amazing idea to create a robot that can be made in such an accessible way. Something like this, even on a smaller scale, would be awesome to get people excited about robotics and engineering from the comfort of their own home. I know I would definitely love creating something like this in my free time!

Overall, I really enjoyed the museum and it was a great way to spend a couple hours in the city after school.

Now, onto the big one of this week: Morocco!!! Since it was such an influential trip, I’ll be describing it a little more in detail, but if you want to just look at the pictures of places and read my thoughts, skip over the parts highlighted in blue.

I knew before even coming to Madrid that I wouldn’t let myself go back to the US without visiting Morocco. It’s seriously so close! With it being just a 2 hour flight, I swear it took longer in the Morocco airport going through all the checks than it did to actually fly there (more on this later). 

This was the first trip I’ve taken that was through another company who planned it all, and it was really nice to not have to really think about the itinerary. There were about 70 people, which also made it a lot of fun to meet everyone throughout the trip. This was also my first time in Africa, so I was really excited to see what the people, food, culture, etc. was like. Landing and driving into Marrakech, it was immediately clear why Marrakech is called “The Red City.” All the houses, buildings, walls of the old city, are this vivid terracotta red color. We landed in the morning, so we immediately started going around Marrakech to knock out a lot of the main sights before we started our trip into the Sahara desert the next morning. Walking around, I was reminded a lot of my trips to India. The biggest similarities were the people all over the streets, the honking, and the lack of crosswalks. To cross, you kinda just had to walk and not stop until you reached the other side. 

We walked through the city to first visit the Jardin Majorelle, a garden designed by a French painter which actually ended up making him more famous than his paintings. It was absolutely gorgeous, and I could see the amount of thought that went into designing the buildings, fountains, ponds, and the meticulous planning of where and how each flower and plant was planted. It was clear that every choice was intentional, and I definitely understand why he became famous for this garden. 

Then, we stopped by the Secret Garden, a quiet oasis in the middle of the otherwise bustling Medina. It seemingly appeared out of nowhere in the middle of the city, and was such a beautiful place to see. Throughout the garden, there were small canals of water flowing to cool down the garden in the summer, and they had little explanations of how the flow was constructed which I definitely nerded out about.

Our next stop was the Bahia Palace, where we saw the traditional Moroccan tiling and colors decorating the palace. It was massive, and was such a beautiful place to sit and take in the atmosphere. Walking through this palace, I recognized just how much of Spanish architecture borrows from the islamic architecture of Morocco. More in the south of Spain, but still apparent in other places, the patterned tiling and floral detailing was clearly influenced by Moroccan architecture. Even in Madrid souvenir shops around the city, you can see tiles being sold with colorful geometric patterns, and I learned that those patterns are actually Moroccan.

Our last stop was the Saadian Tombs, where we saw tombs housed in an elaborately carved white stone building. 

The next morning, we started our journey into the desert. We split the journey into two days, stopping by Ait Benhaddou, an old clay city that’s a UNESCO World Heritage site, and is where a ton of movies were filmed, including Game of Thrones and Gladiator. In fact, when we visited, we couldn’t really go all the way up since they were filming Outer Banks Season 4. I learned that until recently, the village didn’t have any electricity, and currently, the only form of current electricity comes from solar panels. Most of the residents have since moved out, but there are surprisingly still some people who live there. It really was a place unlike any I’ve ever been to! We then spent the night in the Rose valley before continuing on.

Next, we stopped at the Todgha Gorge, a huge rock formation. It was so beautiful to walk through with the sun hitting it just right in the morning light. Then, we dressed in traditional Berber attire, learning a little bit about the Berber culture. Something interesting about Morocco is that they actually have three main languages: Berber, Arabic, and French. Berbers are the people who lived in Northern Africa before Arabic influence, and Morocco was under French rule for a while, so that’s where the language influences come from. It was interesting to learn that their everyday language included words from all three languages, resulting in a dialect called Darija. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of English people spoke, but I think one change from studying abroad is that I tried to pick up a few common words in Arabic like thank you, hello, please, and use them whenever I can. Before studying abroad in Madrid where I had to use Spanish, I probably wouldn’t have tried to make an effort. But, recognizing how much local people appreciate it when you try from my experiences here, I decided to try, and I think I will continue to do that whenever I can.

As soon as we reached the desert, the first thing we did was ride ATVs. It was my first time driving an ATV, and it was so much fun! One time, a bunch of us got stuck on an uphill, and a local boy, not more than 6 years old, masterfully got us out of the sand. I was really impressed, and it made me think about what it might be like to grow up in the area. Definitely different from anything I’m used to, but judging by the big smile on his face and his pro driving skills, even more adventurous and carefree. 

Then, we took a camel into the middle of the Sahara to stay the night. Weirdly enough, it was my second time on a camel, but I have still never ridden a horse. We then sandboarded a little before heading to our tents. We stayed at a little camp with tents that were more like “Glamping.” The camp had a firewall to block all data signals, so it was a completely disconnected evening. That night, we had a little bonfire party with traditional Berber dancing and music, as well as a DJ who played some of the more familiar music. It was really fun to be out in the desert among the stars, surrounded by the vastness of the dunes. The Sahara is just so beautiful with its reddish desert sand. Sitting on the top of a sand dune and peering out into the distance was such a relaxing feeling.

The next morning, we headed back out to Marrakech on a long 13 hour drive, which put us into Marrakech around 10pm. We made a few scenic stops along the way. At one of our many rest stops, we stopped at a place that made Argan oil by hand, peeling the nuts and using a stone grinder to produce the oil. As a regular buyer of the Moroccan Argan Oil from Trader Joes, it was super cool to see how it was made traditionally. By the end of the drive, I was so happy to be out of a bus and off the road. 

The next day, we were given a tour of the markets, Jemaa el-Fna, and we went inside a local pharmacy that explained about herbs and other natural remedies used in Moroccan culture. It was interesting to recognize that a lot of the natural remedies we learned about were things my parents had given me growing up. Like cumin for stomach aches, for example.

One thing I recommend trying if you ever visit Morocco is embracing the local cuisine by trying things like couscous, tagine (pictured below), and Moroccan mint tea. It’s quite different from other foods I’ve tried, and they’re pretty good, so even if it doesn’t look like it’s something you might like, I’d still recommend going out of your comfort zone a little to give it a little taste!

Now, about the airport. First, there was a line for security before even entering the airport. Then, I had to go to the desk with a piece of paper to get a stamp on it to validate it as my boarding pass. The most surprising part was that to check in, they had a paper list of all the passengers with their seats on a chart and they manually checked it off with a pen. I had never seen that in any airport before! Then, there was another line for actual airport security, then passport check, then another to check the passport check, and then finally, for boarding. And these lines took their own sweet time. So you could imagine how it took two hours to get through everything. Pro tip: get there 2-3 hours before your flight for a stress free experience.

Reflecting on my time in Marrakech walking through the streets and around the market , I felt like the chaos and “danger” of it all is a little overplayed by the "Western World". I’ve heard multiple times that the amount of people in the Medina, the old city, can be chaotic and overwhelming, and to watch out everywhere for people trying to sell you things and scam you. But to be honest, I think if you’re just basic city smart, it isn’t as bad as people make it out to be. Yes, it’s not going to be as comfortable as the United States, or Europe, or other countries in the “Western World”, but I definitely don’t think it’s anything to be afraid of. In fact, I’d say embrace the freedom of being able to cross the street whenever, because you can trust that the people that drive in Marrakesh are pros in their own streets. Embrace the hustle and bustle of people everywhere: take some time to eat in one of the main squares and just observe how many people make their livelihoods in the city. Embrace the people on the street if they approach you to buy something: politely say no, and understand that tourism is Morocco’s largest income. So it’s really just an everyday hustle too. While this may seem like an overly positive view, I feel like if you go into situations like those with that kind of mindset, there'll be nothing to worry about. 

Overall, I absolutely loved this trip and would highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Thanks for sticking around for this longer post :)

Signing out for now,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

P.S. I know, I’m pretty behind on my drawings… life’s picking up a bit, and I’m reminded of why I usually don’t crank out a drawing a week in my normal life. I can’t promise anything, but since this was a New Year’s resolution, I’m doing my best to catch up.

[umichenginabroad]

Week 7: A Whole Lotta Spain!

This week, I spent some time checking off some of the more tourist-y stuff around Madrid. I visited Mercado de San Miguel, a famous covered market in Madrid. Although it’s a market, it felt a little bit more like a large restaurant. There were many gourmet vendors selling things from fresh meat to gourmet tapas and dessert. There are also tables for people to sit and eat or grab a drink, and it was bustling with tourists and locals alike. I really liked people-watching in such a busy area with so many different types of people going in and out. I can’t wait to come back and spend some more time here!

I also visited the Thyssen-Bornemisza museum, one of the museums in the “Golden Triangle of Art” in Madrid. The Prado, Reina Sofía, and Thyssen-Bornemisza are known as the Golden Triangle of Art since they’re three amazing art museums all located in Madrid. I haven’t visited the Reina Sofía yet, but I enjoyed the Thyssen-Bornemisza more than the Prado so far. It covered more modern and contemporary art, which is more interesting in my opinion. They also had thorough and informative descriptions of all the eras of art and their influences and major contributing artists. I learned a lot at this museum, and I’m really loving living in such close proximity to all these wonderful museums! Here’s a picture of a piece that reminded me of Michigan :)

As a part of Comillas, we get to sign up for some tours of places around Madrid, and this week, there was a tour of Capricho park. It’s a not very well known park about thirty minutes out from the center of the city, but it was so beautiful! On the tour, I learned that this park’s gardens imitate different styles. Walking around, some parts of the park feel like you’re in the gardens of Western European palaces, while others feel like you’re in the geometric french gardens and there’s even parts that imitate Roman ones. The park also has a bunker that was used during the Spanish Civil War. I wandered around and just kept bumping into different things! I really liked the mix of styles and the intentional flower and plant choices. It just made it so beautiful to walk through and I’m looking forward to coming back closer to springtime when everything’s at peak bloom!

After the park tour, I headed to find a coffee shop and grab a cup with my friends. Just outside the park, there was a soccer game with a little concession stand outside. We decided to grab a cup there and watch the game. What started as a short coffee break turned into watching two-and-a-half games of soccer and eating a tortilla for lunch! It really was the quintessential Spanish afternoon: a café con leche and tortilla while watching fútbol. Out of all the sports I watch, I’ve never really been extremely into soccer, but watching a casual league of boys play, I couldn’t help but understand why it’s so big in Spain and other parts of the world. It’s so accessible-—all you need is some land and a ball—and when there’s a goal, it's a big deal which makes it all the more exciting. Seeing families come out to see the game was also really nice to be around. Parents were invested in the game yelling encouraging words while the little children were playing nearby, often with another soccer ball. It was really nice to be around more families and a more suburban lifestyle just outside the hustle and bustle of the city that I see everyday. I’m definitely embracing the relaxed Spanish lifestyle more! 

This past weekend, I visited another part of Spain: Gran Canaria. Gran Canaria is an island in the Canary Islands, which are still part of Spain. They’re a little further south, kind of off the coast of the Sahara desert, which makes the weather much warmer than anywhere else in Spain. Although part of Spain, it was easy to make out differences from Madrid. Their Spanish accent is different from typical Spain Spanish, since they regularly drop the “s” at the end of words, and some words are different too. They call buses Gauguas instead of Autobús, which comes from a bit of a Caribbean influence, and is also now my favorite word. I had to use my Spanish a lot traveling here, and I can definitely see that it’s gotten way better. I’ve gone from having to think about what I say before I say it, to being comfortable with small talk with taxi drivers and store clerks, and even understanding casual banter and having conversations that go beyond just typical subjects. 

This was the longest trip I’d taken so far, spending four days on the island. I had never really heard of Gran Canaria before coming here, but I wanted to go around other parts of Spain, and I’m so glad I decided to. The island was so, so beautiful with its mountains, rock formations, and perfect beaches. The island was built from volcanic activity, which made the terrain so interesting. The first two days, we stayed at a place in the mountains and did hikes into a volcanic crater and to the top of the most famous rock formation on the island, Roque Nublo. I’ve never seen volcanic rock everywhere like there was in the mountains before, and there were so many cacti and other desert plants throughout the hikes. It was the first time I had seen a cactus and the ocean at the same time! One of the biggest challenges was transportation, but we ended up finding a really nice taxi driver who was so sweet and helpful. He really went above and beyond and drove us to different places the first two days, basically giving us our own tour of the island. It’s not often I come across someone who’s so genuinely willing to help without expecting anything in return, and I was extremely thankful to be the recipient of such genuine friendliness. Although our hike to Roque Nublo wasn’t at the highest point of the island, it was still high enough that we could see the neighboring island, Tenerife, from the top! It was such a cool view.

We also went to Tejeda, a small village in the mountains given the title of one of the most beautiful villages in Spain. And it did not disappoint! It felt a little bit like if Santorini, Greece, was nestled in the mountains. The white buildings surrounded by the towering layers of mountains were so picturesque. Tejeda is also known for their sweets, especially almond ones, so we had to make sure to stop and grab some local desserts like bienmesabe and mazapán.

The next two days, we stayed at a house by the beach on the northside of the island and did beach-y things. It was around 80º at the beaches, which was so perfect to go in the water. From the beach, you couldn’t really see the volcanic part of the island, and I was in disbelief that it was just an hour away from where we were before. It almost felt like I was on two different vacations! The beaches were a lot more touristy, and it was much easier to get around. This was my favorite trip so far since coming here, and it was really hard to leave and think about going to school the next morning—especially after relaxing on the beach and soaking in the sun. I’d really recommend the Canary Islands for a visit!

Overall, this week was a really relaxing week, and had some much needed downtime after going around a lot the first few weeks of the month! 

Next week, I’m going on my much anticipated trip to Morocco! So stay tuned for some big updates!!

Hasta la próxima semana,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 6: School, Carnival, and (American) Football

This week, school picked up with my first exam I had to take since coming here. Back in Michigan, I pretty much have a formula down for how to study/prepare for exams, but the style of teaching is different here, so I had to re-adjust and spend a little extra time than I normally would have needed. That’s partially why this post is being written a few days later than usual…

In addition to my classes, I’m also doing research here at Comillas. We’re researching a new type of 3D printing resin to see if it’s biocompatible and can be used to help support bone regeneration. I’m really enjoying it, and I’m glad this is something I decided to pursue. It’s teaching me a lot about global engineering and what it might be like to work in a place outside of the US in industry. Here, I have to navigate small things that I wouldn't have imagined could be different. Most things are in Spanish, like when recording data or setting up a machine, the computers have different keyboards so symbols take a little longer to find, and the biggest thing: with numbers, decimal points are commas and commas are decimal points. The first time I had to put measurements into an excel sheet, I broke all the formulas because I didn’t realize that I had to type 12,67 for 12.67. I’m really glad I learned this now, since mistaking a number like 137,234 for one hundred and thirty seven thousand instead of 137 point 234 would have been a massive mistake to make. It’s also made me more aware of documenting things or just labeling things in a way that’s more universal. For example, back in Michigan, if I had to label a test with the date, I’d just write mm/dd/yy, but here, it’s flipped, so now I label everything with the month spelled out to remove any potential confusion. I can imagine how these small differences could create big challenges working with coworkers from around the world in a global engineering company. 

This past week was also a very special week in most of Europe— it was Carnival! I really wanted to take advantage of the fact that I was here in February for Carnival, and I went to Venice this weekend. Venice’s carnival is the oldest, and it was so amazing to see the whole city coming together to celebrate with their extravagant handmade costumes and street shows. I think it was the first time I had seen that many people collectively celebrate something together. It was really amazing to see and be a part of, and I think this tradition and culture is something that’s pretty rare to see in the United States just because of how relatively young it is.

I also was able to see some Carnival performances in Madrid. A little different from Venice’s elegant and grand costumes, the people in Madrid dressed up in traditional and more folk-like clothing, playing simple instruments and singing popular songs that everyone knew. A popular event during Carnival in Madrid is the Burial of the Sardine on Ash Wednesday, indicating the end of Carnival. There was a big parade/funeral procession throughout the streets, and it ended in a symbolic burning at Casa de Campo. Learning about traditions such as this and seeing everyone participating and coming together for it has been one of my favorite parts of living in Madrid so far. 

And a side note about Venice: going to Venice was my first time in Italy, and I immediately loved being there! The mountains surrounding Italy were absolutely gorgeous, and my flight out was probably the most beautiful flight I’ve ever been on. I can’t wait to go back!!

This week was also the Super Bowl! Probably my favorite sporting event of the whole year, I was really excited for this game since the 49ers were playing in it :) It was definitely a different experience watching it here in Madrid. The game started at 12:30am and went until around 5:30am, which was absolutely brutal. I somehow stayed awake, and went to a club to watch it, since most other places don’t stay open until 5:30 in the morning. They had a big screen up, and there were so many people there. On the theme of community and coming together, watching the Super Bowl felt a little comforting— we were all there feeling the emotions of the sport together. Even with people rooting for different teams, it still felt nice to be surrounded by everyone collectively watching the game, and it was the first time since being here that I was around that many Americans. Now, as for the game itself, iykyk :(, but I was still glad I watched it all. 

To make up for last week’s missed drawing, here’s a drawing of the sunset over Templo de Debod!

Chao,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 4: Slowing Down, Sunshine!, and Valencia

Hey everyone!

This week, I’ve been thinking a bit more about how I’ve been feeling about living here in Madrid. Basically a month in now, I’ve really settled in and gotten used to the general routine of things. I have my set days to do laundry, go grocery shopping, I have my favorite coffee shops, quick places to grab a bite, and I don’t really need maps to know which metro line to take or which stop to get off at. It’s a pretty interesting feeling when I think about how I just live here now. As I spend more time doing more everyday things around the city, I find myself in more places with locals as opposed to tourists, and I’ve realized that Spanish people don’t really hurry. There’s small things like there not being an elevator close door button anywhere (yes, I’m a chronic elevator close door button pusher). People also don’t really walk on one side of the street, they stop randomly in the middle everywhere, and they walk pretty slow. People also take their time coming off the metro, and when there’s a line to get in somewhere, there’s no pushing or meandering through the crowd to get to the front (I was super pleasantly surprised by this one). Everyone just simply accepts that they are where they are and that they’ll get where they need to go when they get there. I’m going to be completely honest, this was a little annoying at first. My friends back in Ann Arbor will tell you that I always look like I’m on a mission when I walk places. And to some extent that’s right. If I’m walking, it’s usually to get somewhere, and why not get there faster if I can? But, that’s not how it works here in Madrid. I’ve had to slow down and accept that I’m going to have to wait the extra seconds for the elevator door to close on its own. And with that, I’ve been using it as an opportunity to enjoy the fact that I’m here in Madrid and really take in every moment—even the mundane ones. I’m learning to enjoy the fact that my commute will probably take a few extra minutes than I planned for. 

In other news, it’s getting sunnier here in Madrid! I explored Casa de Campo this week, a huge park with hiking trails, a zoo and aquarium, a beautiful lake, and plenty of open space, grass, and trees. Casa de Campo looked almost exactly like back home in California with the grass, trees, and mountains, and I loved it! I spent three hours walking around, and barely even got through a fourth of the park. So I’ll definitely be coming back! With the warmer weather, I also woke up early to go to El Rastro this weekend, the weekly flea market in Madrid. I was totally not prepared for how big it was. I didn’t get through everything, but almost anything you can imagine was being sold here for very cheap. Think: thrift store on steroids. There were so many cute little decorations and antique things, as well as clothes, toys, electronics, and much, much more. I can’t wait to go back for another look!

I also visited Valencia, Spain this past weekend. A cute little coastal town on the eastern coast of Spain, Valencia has some beautiful architecture and such a relaxed and joyful atmosphere. Walking into the city center, the first thing I saw was the streets lined with orange trees. As an orange lover, I immediately looked up if I could eat them. Google said no, but they were the juiciest looking oranges I'd ever seen. I resisted for a day and half, but halfway through my second day, I caved. I picked an orange that was so vividly orange and perfectly ripe off a tree. It looked like the perfect orange. With the first peel, the sweet citrus aroma filled the air around me and the juice started dripping down my hands. It almost felt too good to be true—the orange was so perfectly fragrant and juicy. Was this going to be the best orange I’ve ever had in my life? With high expectations, I plopped a little piece in my mouth. It was the worst orange I’ve ever had in my life. In case you’re ever curious about the oranges like I was, let me tell you: those oranges are the most bitter, salty, and sour thing you’ll ever eat. They look so amazing, but taste so, so bad. So save yourself the trouble and just buy some from the market–which I obviously did, and those were the best oranges I've ever had. I also bought fresitas, little wild strawberries, from the market, and those were definitely the best strawberries I've had too. Overall, I really loved the laid back and happy energy of the city. We walked around and saw some historical buildings, saw the architectural campus of the City of Arts and Sciences, and went to the beach for the sunrise and sunset. There wasn't too much to do and see, but the city felt very homey and comfortable. This was also my first time staying at a hostel, and it was great! I really think they should be more of a thing in the US because it’s such a cost effective way to travel, making places more accessible to more people. Here are some pictures and my drawing of the silk exchange surrounded by the iconic Valencia orange trees!

Looking forward to next week!

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 3: Fútbol, Art, and Day Trips

Well...I'm an Atlético fan now. We bought tickets to the Atlético vs. Real Madrid game this week, because what better game to go to than that one??? It was at the Atlético stadium, and coming in, I didn't really have any particular loyalty to any team and was there mostly for the vibes. But about 5 minutes into entering the stadium and hearing the Atlético fans, their energy was so contagious, I couldn't help but cheer just as passionately for them. I love my college football, but watching soccer at a European stadium—and at the energetic Atlético stadium—was an experience that doesn't even come close, and one that I'll never forget. While the Big House is bigger, the fans here were cheering so loud, that the stadium felt just as big, if not bigger. It was also amazing that Atlético ended up winning! 

The next day, I went to a Monet exhibition, and WOW!! I've been to many art museums in my life, and have even seen many Monet pieces before, but this exhibition is definitely in my top 3 I've seen. It focused on Monet's life and progression of his work, and I even got to see the actual paint palette that he used! Seeing that was kind of like a window into his artist brain. I learned that Monet grew most of the flowers and plants he painted in his garden specifically to paint them, which I find super cool!!

Over the weekend, I traveled to Segovia and Toledo, two cities about an hour from Madrid, for a day trip. They're both historical and older cities, and it was so cool to see all the old buildings and structures that have been there for centuries! The aqueduct in Segovia was actually breathtaking, and I can’t believe it was built in the 1st century AD by the Romans. The aqueduct doesn’t have any cement or anything holding the stone together, so the fact that it’s still standing centuries later truly is an engineering marvel. I was so amazed by the aqueduct, that that’s what I did my drawing of the week on! Another fun fact is that the castle there is what inspired Walt Disney and Disneyland, and it really did feel like it was straight out of a medieval fairytale. 

In Toledo, we saw the huge fortress as well as a beautiful monastery and cathedral, but my favorite part by far was the gorgeous sunset we saw overlooking the city. After the sunset, we walked around the city in the dark, and somehow it got even better. The lights illuminating the walls were gorgeous, and thinking about how many centuries ago everything was built really gave me a lot of perspective into the rich history of the country. One of the coolest things about Toledo was that it has Moorish, Christian, and Jewish influences in its architecture and history. The way they preserved everything was also amazing to see. Inside the Alcázar in Toledo, they created raised platforms over the ruins so visitors could view the real formations without disturbing them. 

Every time I go to an old city, I can’t help but think about just how old everything is. Like things are older than the entire country of the United States, and that’s just crazy to me. Anything we have in the US is newer than the history from the ancient civilizations here, and I’m always super grateful and humbled when I see all the buildings built by the Romans and others that still stand today. As an engineer, it also makes me think about the lasting impact I have the potential to have when I create things for society, and it makes me think: how do we build things for society today that can last in a way that’s beneficial to everyone? Like being intentional with the materials we use especially from the earth. How do we minimally disturb the community to build what we need to? Like building around people’s lives instead of displacing them. 

I highly, highly recommend everyone to go see the Roman ruins here, or anywhere else in the world at least once. And just think about what it might have been like to build it centuries ago.

This was a long one, but that’s it for now!

See y’all next week :)

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 2: Settling into School

This week I started classes! It was kind of nice to start back up with routine after having a week to explore. This semester, I’m taking Fluid Mechanics, Numerical Methods, a Spanish class, and doing research. It’s quite a busy semester, but I like my professors so far, and I’m excited to see what school is like here! Some differences so far is that lectures are not recorded and they have a mandatory 75% attendance requirement for every class. Classes here are also a lot smaller, with about 30-40 people for every class. I’m liking that a lot better since I don’t know anyone in my classes, and it’s easier to make friends. It kind of feels like freshman year of college all over again! 

And as promised, here’s my drawing of the week! I sat outside the Palacio Real, saw these orange and purple buildings, and absolutely had to draw them. One of my favorite things about Madrid so far is that the buildings are so colorful and unique and it’s exciting to just walk around.

While I was sitting by the palace, a special procession started for the arrival of an ambassador, and I got to see the royal band play and a parade of horses and important looking vehicles enter the palace. A fun fact I learned is that both flags are up on top of the palace, it means the king is currently inside the palace. So basically I was a few feet away from the King of Spain! 

I didn’t really do much else this week than settle in and sleep (needed to get back into school schedule), but I’ll definitely have more updates next week!

Hasta Luego,

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spain

[umichenginabroad]

Week 1

¡Hola todos!

I’ve now been in Madrid for 4 days, and am starting to get settled in. My first introduction to Spain was my super sweet Uber driver who explained to me that the day I arrived was Día de Los Reyes, a huge holiday in Spain that’s basically like Christmas in the United States. One thing I wish I had known is that everything shuts down for Día de Los Reyes- like EVERYTHING. I couldn’t really go shopping for anything I needed that day, so I had to wait for the next day to grab essentials like groceries and bedding. So if any of you are reading this before going abroad for the winter, double check that you’re coming into Madrid either the day before or after Día de Los Reyes!  But, I’m still glad I got here then to see the whole city lit up for the holidays! I’ve never seen any city so vibrant with lights and Christmas trees everywhere, and I’m a little sad they’re taking it down soon.

Logistics wise, I had to pick up my keys and then go to my flat in Sol, which is the central neighborhood of Madrid. A little like New York City, Madrid has a lot of neighborhoods that each have a different feel and vibe. I’d recommend looking into them a little when you think about where to live, but personally, I love Sol because of how central it is! As soon as I got to my flat, my roommates welcomed me and I learned that I was living with mostly other European students on exchange. My roommates were from all over- the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, and it was so cool hearing about their background and experiences in Madrid so far! I still have some more roommates yet to move in for the new semester, but I’m really looking forward to meeting them too! 

I’ve also been using my Spanish whenever I’m out, and this is something I totally recommend doing for anyone thinking of studying here. Even if you don’t know any Spanish, knowing basic phrases like “I would like…” or “please, thank you, sorry,” etc. I feel like goes a long way. Plus, if you’re going to be here for 4 months, you’re going to pick some Spanish up for sure so might as well start trying to learn from the start! 

Something I absolutely love and will totally be taking advantage of during my time here is the Spanish culture of dining or going to a cafe for hours and being able to stay and chat even after paying the bill. Usually in the US, once you pay, you’re expected to leave; but here, I’ve stayed for 2 or 3 hours chatting with friends or reading a book. Life is also much slower and laid back here, and I’m especially excited to have some time to draw more. I brought my sketchbook and my New Year’s resolution is finishing one drawing a week during school, so stay tuned for some sketches of Madrid! (Really hoping I can stick to this). That’s it for now! Enjoy some pictures of the city lit up!

¡Chao!

Isha Venkatesh

Mechanical Engineering

Comillas — Madrid, Spai