The Bentana-Cho Wedding

21.05.19 — Valencia

Once again I write this post whilst on the move, the difference this time being that I’m not just catching a train to work, rather I’m flying down the coast of Northern Africa and on my way to Tenerife! I’m off to spend a long weekend relaxing on the island’s coast with my friend Cami (who I last saw when she visited Madrid last year), but for now I’ve other delayed updates to share, so let’s get straight to it…

As mentioned in my previous post, when my colleague Soyoung left Erretres, a few of us found ourselves bestowed with an invite to her wedding ceremony. I immediately RSVP’d to let her and Pablo (the groom) know that I would be there, and then as the date grew nearer, organised the final details such as a shirt to wear, a lift down with my two colleagues Blanca and Helena, and an apartment in which to stay just behind the hotel in Alicante where the ceremony was to take place.

At about 10am on Friday 3rd May, I headed along to the car park to help my auntie and uncle pick up their car and wave them off as they began their trip from Madrid northwards, and then I had just a couple of hours to run a wash, pack my bag, and head out to be picked up by Blanca who was to drive us to the south. I did manage to made it on time somehow, and from Madrid we began the car journey down to Villajoyosa, a beautiful little coastal town near Alicante.

Upon arrival, we first picked up the keys to our lodgings, a gorgeous apartment with a balcony and a huge rooftop terrace with views of the sea and the hotel where the wedding would be held the next day. Once we’d decided who’d take which bedroom, we hoped back in the car and headed to Mercadona to pick up some supplies to keep us going for the time that we wouldn’t be at the wedding.

Whilst in the town centre, we also took the opportunity to explore its old centre, a pretty little collection of colourful buildings all squished together along the promenade. Not so pretty, however, was the weather forecast, with a blanket of menacing clouds threatening to linger for quite some time…

Google was reporting that the stormy outlook would clear up by the following day and make way for a lovely sunny wedding afternoon, but with the dense cloud cover and chilly wind, we were convinced that the storm was going to outstay it’s welcome and cast a quite liberal shadow over the beach ceremony.

Not wanting to dwell on such preoccupations, we continued our wander up and down the beach, engaging in a spot of beach-combing whilst Helena took a few candid shots on her camera. Photo credit and thanks, then, go to her for the next couple of shots.

Growing weary and tired, we then hopped back in the car and made our way back to the apartment, whereupon we braved the cold and enjoyed a shared tea (standard English: dinner) on the balcony. The main attraction of the tea, though, has to have been the jamón (cured ham). Provided by Helena’s dad, a jamón producer, we had been munching on the delicious packet since we’d left Madrid!

We then made like very sensible adults and headed off to bed for an early night, with a plan to get up early in order to give us enough time to prepare for the wedding and arrive in good time (which is the least subtle bit of literary foreshadowing I’ve ever written).

The morning started rather tranquilly, as Blanca and Helena had already left to pick up a few more bits for breakfast by the time I finally moved myself out of bed and made an appearance. I grabbed the pastry I’d picked up the night before and headed to the roof to take in the views and get some fresh air, and was overjoyed when I saw that Google had in fact been bang on the money with its forecast, and that the skies had cleared to form a beautifully sunny day.

Quite the way to start the day!

It was only after them two had returned, had breakfast, and had begun to get ready that the clock began to seemingly work against us. Helena came out with that she didn’t know how to iron, Blanca spent ages painting all her nails, and I managed to break the leg of one of the tables by sitting on it. What a group we made!

In the end, however, we made it to the hotel in good time, and descended the gorgeous pathway down to the hotel’s private beach where the ceremony was to take place.

Photos really cannot do the place any justice! The beach was gorgeous, the temperature was just right, and the music playing in the background set the tone perfectly as we milled around and awaited to be asked take up our positions to watch the ceremony.

The wedding party seated on the beach platform.

Before too long, the proceedings began, but I shan’t delve too much into the entire ceremony – just know that it was very personal and absolutely gorgeous. The arrival of both Soyoung and Pablo caused many a tear to be shed, and the gorgeous setting was the perfect backdrop to several fun speeches and cheers of “¡viva la nueva pareja!” (long live the new couple!).

After taking the above photo (which I now highly treasure) with the newly-weds, it was time for us all to head to the beachside terrace for some pre-lunch drinks and canapés.

Once we’d enjoyed some gazpacho (the infamous cold soup) and a few sips of wine, we slowly made our way into the dining room and were seated for a feast which, in true Spanish style, was to carry on throughout pretty much the entire afternoon. We were treated to numerous courses of fresh seafood, rice dishes, and a slice of the lovely wedding cake.

With lunch wrapped up, the music begun, the bar opened, and the party got underway! We danced a selection of universal hits (think YMCA and ABBA) and Spanish classics (like this), and I even tried the waltz – which did not end well after a few gin and tonics…

Before heading back to the apartment for the night, we were sure to take advantage of the location as evening came around, and headed out to a rock formation to sit around and watch the sun set behind the sea.

Once all was over it was time to head home, which we just about managed after having to jump a fence due to having lost our way and a stop at Burger King to soak up the gin!

Now that the weekend’s all over, I’d like to send my thanks once again to Soyoung and Pablo for inviting me along to celebrate their day. It was an honour to be amongst the invitees, we generally had an absolute blast, and their generosity in providing such a lovely meal and drinks thereafter knew no bounds. One of the loveliest touches was a gift for each guest, a pair of ducks as per Korean wedding tradition, which have now taken up residence on top of my fridge.

I am still writing to you on my way to Tenerife, and of course there’ll be a blog on its way soon detailing the shenanigans I’ll inevitably get up to once there, but until then I’m going to disconnect and relax for the next few days!

Update: the inflight WiFi is not working so I guess this will be posted upon my return…

Anyway, and until then: long live the Bentana-Cho’s!

Erretres Moves & Family Visit

16.05.19 — Madrid

To begin, I’m well aware that I’ve left my blog somewhat abandoned for the past month. The standard excuse would be to say that I’ve been way too busy, but in this case I promise – and I’m sure you’ll see just how busy – that this excuse does indeed hold water.

I have, however, found an opportunity to get this blog post on the go, and so today I write to you from the train which forms part of my new and extended commute to our new office – but more on Erretres’ big move in just a bit!

We begin proceedings with a weekend spent in the city, and a trip for some of the city’s best tacos with Bogar. The sun has begun its attack over the last month, and with daytime temperatures now hitting over 30°, I can confidently declare that summer is beginning – this time for real. This meant that we were also able to spend our spare hours wandering the streets of the city, marking the beginning of the era of Madrid’s favourite summer pastime: terraceo, or drinking and eating on tables in the street.

A photo of me sat behind a table full of tacos.

Clothes sit on a rack on the side of a sunny Madrid street.

Another consideration for the weekend of a few weeks ago was the need to buy myself a semi-formal shirt for my friend’s wedding. I may or may not have mentioned it on here before, but if I have, I’ll recap anyway: Soyoung (an ex Erretres colleague) bestowed us with the amazing farewell gift of an invite to her wedding ceremony! This was to actually be the second wedding ceremony to be held, with the first being celebrated in Seoul.

Anyway, there’ll be much more on the wedding (as by time I write this it has actually already happened) coming soon, but at the time to which I’m now referring there was only one priority: finding a nice shirt for a reasonable price.

This search took me to Las Rozas, a fashion outlet in the north of the city, and a place which was definitely only designed to be accessed by car!

After arriving at the nearest train station, I soon found myself walking up pavements which seemed to line slip roads, squelching through boggy ground as I tried to find shortcuts, jumping over fences, and generally feeling like I was going to end up walking to the edge of the city and winding up in another region of Spain.

Where does this terrifying abandoned escalator lead to?

Thankfully I didn’t end up in other territories, but rather I stumbled upon the shopping complex which was rather strangely themed such that it reminded me of the Citywalk at Universal in Florida. There, and after much searching, I settled on a plain linen shirt and headed back home ready for the next day: the first day in our new office!

The morning began with my first run of the new commute, which now consists of an actual train rather than a metro, and then a bus followed by a ten minute walk. It takes a lot longer than before, but I’m hoping that with time I’ll get used to it and figure out how to speed things up.

Anyway, the first day began without any major problems, with the best moment being lunch, during which we were all treated to a delicious paella feast!

Paella, beers, and other food spread out on a table.

An arial shot of the team tucking into a paella lunch.

Once we’d spent a good hour eating, chatting, and drinking a few beers, it was time to crack out some wine. We made good and proper use of the extensive new outdoor space, lying on the grass for a spot of sunbathing and sitting around on the terrace to catch up on all the latest dramas.

A bottle of wine on a table amongst foliage.

An afternoon drinking wine by the pool was very welcome.

The second day at the new office marked a little excuse for a celebration: it was my birthday! My parents had sent over a lovely gift package that I opened in the morning, and which contained a few cards and some excellent Ru Paul memorabilia.

A Ru Paul card and Ru Paul Pocket Wisdom book.

Once at work, it was time for further celebrations, and my colleagues treated me to a trip to my favourite haunt in Spain: Mercadona, a low-cost supermarket! There, I bought some supplies to keep me going whilst in the new office, and a huge chocolate cake to share between everyone after lunch.

Me stood outside Mercadona, holding a cake in one hand and a bag full of shopping in the other.

That same afternoon also marked another bit of excitement, for my auntie and uncle were coming up to visit! We’d planned that they’d stay with me for a few nights on their way north to catch the ferry during their annual return trip to England from their part-time home in Murcia (southern Spain). As they have a car, they made their way straight to the new office, and once reunited with them, they were free to chill outside and soak up the sun whilst I had to get on with all the work that had to be done!

My auntie and uncle stood in the garden of my new office.

That evening, we headed out for a meal and a few drinks in my neighbourhood to celebrate my 24th, and then headed back to my flat for a relatively early night.

The next day marked the start of Easter holidays in Madrid, and so the three of us were free to engage in a bit of light exploration of the city centre. I’d booked us in to have lunch at a secret garden on the roof of a shop – you may even recall that the last time I visited the spot was during my dad’s visit during my internship over three years ago!

A bright pink flowering plant on a green roof terrace.

My auntie and uncle sit with their food at the Secret Garden.

Once we’d enjoyed a lovely meal on the terrace, we proceeded on our way to have a few more drinks and generally take it easy for the next 48 hours, even stumbling upon some street parties which were in full swing in the Malasaña district.

The two-and-a-bit days I spent with my auntie and uncle were absolutely lovely – there’s nothing quite like relaxing with my family in the city I love, and it was especially nice to be able to put them up and act as hostess for a while after years of them selflessly offering up their apartment for use by me and my parents.

All too soon, however, it was time for them to hop back in their car and continue their trip up to Santander and the ferry port, but my Easter holidays weren’t to be over just yet – I had a wedding to go to!

The quantity of photos and anecdotes to be shared from said wedding mean that it is best left for a second post and another day – but I hope not to be too delayed in bringing you all the updates. I guess tomorrow morning’s commute will be spent writing my next instalment!

Until I get round to that one, I shall be back soon…

Wandering & Cooking

18.04.19 — Madrid

In my last post I promised I would try and get a blog post out before the Easter holidays, and as I sit here writing this, there’s 40 minutes left before they officially begin – so I kind-of almost maybe managed…

Anyhow, I’m not here to debate the timings of said posts, but rather to serve up the latest in my collection of photos and little stories. As mentioned previously, I’ve been somewhat under the weather with a cold, but I shall try and refrain from my habitual infinite self pity herein; and I shall instead begin by recounting the first excursion I made to try and pick myself up a little.

I seem to have accidentally built this trip up a lot, but in the end it was just another IKEA trip, this time for some blinds, a new plant pot, and some more towels – for I’ll need a grand total of four when Cake Club come and visit! That’s right – the three of them will be here a few weeks from now for a proper reunion in the city! I cannot put into words how excited I am to see everyone again – I saw Heidi when I visited her home city of Oslo last year, but the last time I saw Loredana and Megan was upon their leaving Madrid last summer.

Stormy clouds gather over the south of Madrid.

The sun shines down a street, reflecting off the wet road surface and the facades of buildings.

The weather during the visit was pretty bizarre.

As you can see, the weather during said outing couldn’t quite decide what it was doing, with warm sun, strong winds, and threatening near-black clouds hanging around all at once. I managed to miss the eventual downpour as it occurred during my train journey back to my flat in the centre, but the weather then meant I didn’t dare venture out that evening, and so a cozy evening in ensued.

During the evening, I cooked myself a delicious (if somewhat spicy) dish of red curry and prawns, and then two carrot cakes. I would have just made one big one, but through some kind of mathematical black magic I wound up with an excessive amount of cake mix and even more cream cheese icing.

A carrot cake topped with cream cheese frosting, grated carrots, cinnamon, and walnuts.

Whilst waiting for the cakes to bake (which I had to do one at once due to the teensy size of my oven), I had a personal grooming crisis which led to a revelation. I noticed that a spot had appeared on my forehead in an area not covered by my fringe, and after being rather cross about it for a bit, I had the (perhaps obvious) idea to change the direction of my fringe to cover it.

Well, this was quite the revelation, and even though said pesky spot has since cleared up, I have decided to place my fringe to this other side from now onwards, so enamoured am I with the new configuration. Here’s a gratuitous vanity selfie, which I shall now justify by complaining that I never seem to appear in any photos on my own blog…

A selfie because it’s my blog so I do what I want.

Anyway, back to the cakes. One was left here at home for friends to try, but the other was – as per tradition – taken into work for everyone’s critiques. This time there were less complaints about the quantity of sugar than usual, so maybe I’m finally tweaking the recipe properly for local tastes! Or maybe it was just the good luck brought by a personal rainbow that appeared on my desk…

A rainbow is formed over my keyboard at work.

Another day in the office marked the moment that I finally had a spare hour to make a rather exciting trip, for, as history repeats itself, Erretres is on the move once more!

The first time I began working at Erretres back in 2016 we were based in the iconic Plaza de España, however, just a few months into my internship, we were packing up our iMacs and moving just one street away into a much bigger space in the form of our current offices.

In a very short while we shall be repeating this process, moving our entire operation to a new location which I shall, for now, maintain undisclosed. It’s a much bigger office once again, but this time we’ll be living a life of luxury with an array of new ameneties and one big surprise which I shall leave for the photos!

That’s right – we’ve got a pool!

So the pool is currently dry, the garden needs a good tending to, and the interior is a bomb site whilst they finish the wiring (hence the total lack of photos taken inside), but I wasn’t going to pass up on the opportunity to see where we’d be moving to – and it did not disappoint!

I am very excited to bring more details about this wildly cool new space, and you shan’t have to wait for all to long, as there’s just one week to go as of the day this post goes live! I’ll be back with more photos as we move and get settled in, but you can also follow me on Instagram, where my stories are the only means by which I communicate what I’m up to in (more or less) real time.

Seeing as it’s now puente (public holidays) for Easter, though, let’s move on from talking about work. This past weekend I really, really needed to get out of my flat and get some fresh air, as I am now so comfortable in my own little space that I sometimes find that I’ve let myself get a little too cosy and cooped up inside.

To this end I decided to go for a long stroll down the river all the way to the lake, which was about an hour and a half from my flat. Descending to the Matadero and riverside park which I often visit, I then began heading off westward, following the river through the centre of the city until reaching the Casa de Campo, a huge green (well, green-ish) plot of land.

I do love a good bridge, and the river provides plenty.

Once I arrived at the lake, which has finally been filled in after being drained and undergoing renovations to rebuild its banks, I grabbed a bottle of water and sat down to sketch some ideas for some personal projects.

After eavesdropping on a trio of old ladies who were debating the upcoming elections and figuring out how to use audio messages on WhatsApp, I was soon wafted with the smell of a barbecue, and headed off to find some cheaper food towards the centre.

Concluding the weekend with some Sunday evening wine and pizza with a friend, I’ve then only had to work three days this week, and I am now enjoying the beginning of a four-day weekend. There’ll be plenty of Easter processions in the city, which I really got into the jive of during my first Easter in Madrid, but this year I don’t think I’ll be attending too many.

I now sleepily conclude this post, and I make a – given my track record – wildly dubious promise to be back soon to either update you all on the office move or my movements during these Easter holidays!

Businesswoman in Barcelona

05.04.19 — Barcelona

It’s been a while since I last dropped by my blog, and that’s due to a combination of things: since Em left I seem to have had a stubborn cold which is refusing to clear up, and I’ve been busy on a project at work which hasn’t left me much time to do all that much – but work and life in Madrid is fun enough in itself, so here we go with the latest…

Outside of the office I’ve managed to sneak in a few little outings, including a couple of evenings with Bogar. The first night I went to check out how he was progressing with the decoration of his new flat, and enjoyed a decent portion of a delicious Spanish omelette he’d made whilst I was there. We then met at my flat another evening, with me only being able to offer some cheese and olives – when I’m all bunged up I don’t feel like cooking all that much!

Wandering around my neighbourhood throws up some lovely spots.

Once I did gather some energy together to partake in a spot of cooking, I decided that there was nothing I fancied more than an Asturias dish known as chorizo a la sidra. This dish just consists of chorizo, which is then boiled in the region’s natural cider, with just a couple of laurel leaves thrown in for good measure.

In the end it turned out rather nicely, although not as nicely as the ones I’ve had whilst up in Oviedo – or indeed the one I tried up in the Basque Country over a year ago! I think that the trick next time will be splashing out a bit more on a proper fresh chorizo – I shall have to report back on how I get on the second time around!

Sometimes it’s worth peeping down some of the side streets of the city.

I have also had the excitement today of a new addition to my kitchen: my oven has finally been delivered! This sounds way more impressive than it actually is, for all it consists of is a small worktop oven which will just about allow me to cook the odd pizza, jacket potato, and, of course, the occasional cake.

Speaking of cake, the topic brings me nicely on to discuss what I can about my current project at work. “How on earth are these two things related?” I hear you ask, and all shall now be revealed…

The project involves a complete rebrand to a company based in Barcelona, and after some research into their office culture by checking out their social media pages, I noticed that they seemed big on parties and celebrating milestones. Whilst working on Photoshopping the logo onto various items to create the presentation for our proposal, I had the idea that we should apply the logo to a cake!

A search online didn’t throw up any templates which we could use to automatically generate a logo on a cake (shockingly), and so I rocked up to work the next day with a 1€ piping bag and a tupperware full of buttercream and then – to the amusement of everyone else in the office – set about piping out the two logos.

The true test of a logo’s effectiveness – will it cake?

After taking photos of the piped patterns, and a bit of Photoshop wizardry, we wound up with two decent-looking cake mockups to present to the client – which once again brings us rather nicely to the next part of the post – my trip to Barcelona to present to the client!

To say it was a visit would be quite the exaggeration as, after an hour delay on the train out from Madrid, we had zero time to see anything other than the inside of two taxis, the client’s office, and a quick five-minute dash around Uniqlo to pick up some t-shirts!

It was, however, a fun trip, and it was refreshing to work directly with clients and be entrusted with the task of pulling an important presentation together – I’m feeling more and more adult every day!

The only sad aspect of work recently has been waving goodbye to Manu, but we were sure to give him a proper send off, and all met in the city centre for a good few drinks and some roaring laughs well into the early hours! Another distressing element to the evening was that, during my walk home, I could not find a single open takeaway or even just a corner shop to grab some chocolate!

All this brings us up to today, and as you can tell, it’s been a rather busy week. This evening, then, I have just turned down the lights, christened my oven by heating up a pizza, popped on some music, and sat down to write this little blog post.

This weekend and next I’ve not got too much planned as my schedule begins to fill up wildly starting around Easter, but I shall attempt to squeeze another post in before I (hopefully) head off somewhere to spend the Easter holidays out of the city. Who knows where I’ll end up?!

Summer Begins & Em Visits

19.03.19 — Madrid

After updating you all with what my flat looks like in my last blog post, I figured I should explore a bit of what’s been occurring outside of said flat in this one! I must warn you though, a lot of it has involved sitting outside, drinking beer, and enjoying the rising temperatures…

A couple of weeks back I had Napo over for a catch up, and we eventually left my flat to head for the river in order to make the most of the suitably sunny Sunday. Just 10 minutes walk from my place sits Madrid Río, an elongated park constructed along the Manzanares River which runs through the city. After strolling through families and dog walkers – and dodging our way through a few close calls with people on roller skates – we sat ourselves down for a drink on one of the terraces.

After wandering back to my flat, during which the sky treated us to a gorgeous pink and purple sunset, said weekend ended and the working week began. It turned out to be a bit of a chilly and damp week, but that didn’t bother me too much, and it certainly didn’t dampen the spirits of all those who turned out for the International Women’s Day march through the centre!

A baroque building lit by the orange sun is reflected in a puddle on a grey pavement.

A blue sky above a graffiti-covered stairwell lit by the setting sun.

The women’s march, I was happy to see, was a huge success – it warmed my heart to see people of all ages and walks of life take to the streets in union against inequality. I would have loved to have joined them, but I was instead held up for much longer than expected when returning a duvet to IKEA – typical. The only bit I managed to catch was the chaotically busy scenes in the main train station, Atocha, as I tried to drag my new duvet back home – needless to say I ended up walking it!

The proceeding weekend saw me wandering down to the river once again, only this time to check out the stalls and music of the Matadero Design Market. There, I met up with Bogar, Filip, and Napo, and we all caught up over some food truck grub and a couple of beers.

Another working week then passed, and the Friday I had been waiting for for weeks finally came around: the day of Em’s visit! After her early flight from London landed, I had her head to the centre, and we were soon reunited after (what I have just calculated by looking back over my blog posts) 10 months! The last time we saw each other now was when I visited London back in May last year. How time flies!

Anyway, we met in the Plaza de España before heading down to the Erretres office to have a snoop around, meet the team, and for Em to leave her bag. As I soon set back to work, she headed off to explore the royal palace and the surrounding area, but we were quickly reunited as I handily finish work at 3pm on Fridays.

After a slap-up menú del día lunch near the office, we hopped on a train to my flat and suddenly it was time: time to premiere the sofa bed!

As you can see from Sleeping Beauty above, the bed went up easily and wasn’t all too bad, but we’d other stuff to check out before it was time to head off for the night!

After checking out the city’s skyline from a rooftop terrace, we set off on a wander around the centre, stopping for churros, a trip to the market, a wander through Plaza Mayor, some sherry in a traditional bar, and eventually a delicious Venezuelan dinner at one of my favourite restaurants. Once back home, we sat chatting for even longer with a drink in hand – the amount we had to catch up on was pretty impressive – and eventually headed to bed.

The following morning began with a trip down to the Matadero to check out the design exhibition space and wander by the river. After working up an appetite during our walk along its banks (stopping for a beer along the way, naturally) we headed northwards and to Casa Dani, one of my favourite spots for a proper Spanish menú del día.

This pink neon crown was one of my favourite finds. I want one.

Once we’d dined on a delicious array of proper Madrid grub, we meandered southwards once more and through the various pretty streets of Chueca and Malasaña. As the sun reached its height in mid-afternoon, we were sure to stop for a cheeky vermouth and sangría on the rooftop terrace of Mercado de San Antón, making the most of the opportunity to take our coats off!

After some retail therapy and further drinks along the way, we wound up down at the Temple of Debod to watch the sun set over the west of the city. We then headed to a favourite taco spot of mine, but that turned out to be absolutely rammed, and so we made spontaneous alternative plans, heading through Lavapiés and eventually grabbing some sharing dishes in a little restaurant along the way.

The next morning all too quickly hailed Em’s last day in the city, but I had some relaxing Sunday plans to keep us moving. After a relaxed breakfast, we headed off on the bus to pick up a bike, and spent what remained of the morning cycling around the picturesque Parque del Retiro – much like what I dragged Ellie & Johanne and my dad into doing when they visited!

I must be getting good at this – I took this photo without falling off my bike!

We followed this with some lovely bao at one of my favourite spots – a firm favourite of our friend Luisa when she visited – and a cheeky ice cream for dessert. Wandering back down to Atocha and its curious indoor tropical gardens, we found ourselves heading back to my flat to pick up Em’s stuff.

We made it back up to the airport in good time – and it was a good job we did, as the check-in process Em had to complete when we got there didn’t make much sense to either of us! Once the hassle was over, I hugged Em off as she headed off through security, and I headed back to my flat alone once more.

Needless to say that I had a blast whilst I had Em with me in the city, and the past few weeks of improving weather have put a further spring in my step. I have to say it – I am really happy to be back here in Madrid once again!

That’s it for updates for now – I shall be back very soon with more from the streets of this dusty old city just as soon as I have the time!