Buildings in Madrid (Teresa Given)
I had the amazing opportunity to attend UMGC’s three-day Field Study in Madrid to study journalist and writer Ernest Hemingway’s experience there. This is the second part of the trip, you can read part one here.
We arrived a little late to our next stop thanks to an Uber fiasco, but luckily, Madrid’s reliable metro is simple to use. We managed to join our class at Las Ventas Bull Ring where we read a passage from “The Sun Also Rises,” reflecting on Hemingway’s depictions of bullfighting, which still occur weekly at Las Ventas.
When asked which location connected her most to Hemingway, Dr. Stock answered:
“I would say the bull ring, because that’s probably the aspect of Hemingway I understand the least. And when I’m there, I understand why he likes it. It’s ritualized slaughter, but there’s also that sense of community with the buzz of all the people talking and being together. So, while I still am not comfortable with the bullfighting. I get it when I’m there.”
— Dr. Jessica Stock
After the bullring, several of us took advantage of our free time to explore more of Madrid together. Mariana and I realized we hadn’t yet visited El Mercado de San Miguel—one of the city’s most iconic historic food markets near Plaza Mayor—so we made a point to visit. I enjoyed some delicious empanadas and a freshly made smoothie, though the prices definitely reflected the market’s appeal to tourists.
Our final day began at 9 a.m., a challenge given the 45-minute commute and my general aversion to mornings. Nonetheless, we persevered and were rewarded with an impeccable tour from my favorite guide, Dr. Almudena Cros, or Almu for short. She was knowledgeable about the Spanish Civil War, the focus of the tour, yet she seamlessly integrated Hemingway-related insights whenever possible. We met her at Ciudad Universitaria, a significant site during the war and key position held by Republican forces.
Throughout our travels, the guided tours offered a rich understanding of Madrid. My classmate Erica explained how tours like these “make the events real versus just a story in a book.” And Dr. Stock added how tours help to “spatialize reality.” Almu was direct, honest and taught the uncensored history of Madrid during the 1930s and 40s. She made the past feel real, which is what a Field Study is all about. Her unfiltered storytelling inspired another creative project by Rahmeik Nicholson whose poem “The Man Who Lived With Fire” interprets Hemingway’s life.
The final location of our trip was the famous Restaurante Botín, often deemed the oldest restaurant in the world and a favorite of Hemingway. Our group received a tour of the restaurant and then ate a traditionally late Spanish dinner with a set menu consisting of tapas, suckling pig, and a dessert platter, featuring a sublime flan.
Our final day was emotional after bonding with everyone. Botín was a wonderful conclusion to the formal trip, and we drew out our goodbyes outside the restaurant. Many of us got to know Madrid together during the Field Study and I think I can say everybody made lifelong memories and gained a deeper understanding about one of the most influential figures in American literature.
Skyline of Madrid with Edificio Metropolis and Gran Via, summer sunny day, cloudscape sky. (emicristea (123RF))
Source
Even so, this is not where the trip ended for most of the group. Many of us went out together after dinner to experience legendary Spanish nightlife and awoke the next day to Madrid without power. On April 28th, the entire Iberian Peninsula lost electricity and mobile reception for an average of 10 hours. All of Spain, Portugal, Andorra and southern France were impacted.
The blackout began at 12:33 p.m. and power did not return until evening in Madrid. Mariana and I struggled to contact our parents in Germany and couldn’t reach our classmates for several hours. There was barely cellular reception, people were lined up outside of grocery stores, trains were stranded and traffic suffered without working traffic lights.
Police were present throughout the city keeping it safe enough that Mariana and I felt comfortable still visiting El Parque De El Retiro, the central park of Madrid, to read. There were groups walking, playing soccer or just lying in the grass; refreshingly, nobody was on their phone.
Despite the loss of the internet, Mariana and I managed to communicate with one classmate through written notes left at hotel receptions and pinched into apartment doors.
Power in our part of the city returned around 8 p.m. and was greeted with cheers. By evening, we had seen a city without modern technology. Most people stayed calm, and many enjoyed the forced digital detox.
Madrid felt indescribably authentic. The funniest part of the blackout was how my class was brought back to Heminway’s time. Communicating through handwritten notes felt like the equivalent of writing letters instead of using the telegram in “The Sun Also Rises” – at least for three Gen Z students. I had a lot in common with several classmates who attended the trip, including two who also attended European high schools. One of my favorite aspects of UMGC is that everyone is in different parts of their lives with different goals. However, everyone had a story and reason for being in Europe, but we were brought together to learn.
Editor’s Note: This article was written by a member of the local military community, not an employee of Stars and Stripes. Neither the organization nor the content is being represented by Stars and Stripes or the Department of Defense.
