Some facts about Spain…

Land Area: 498,980 km2 (California is slightly smaller)

Length of Coastline: 4,964 km (California has slightly more)

I’ll be living in Madrid, which is in the center, which makes it equidistant from all the coasts! Barcelona, Costa del Sol, Valencia, even Portugal are all only about an hour away by plane!

Madrid has the second largest fish market in the world after Tokyo, because it’s so close to dozens and dozens of fishing towns.

Spain is the home of paella, tapas, and Picasso.

Spain has its own version of Hawaii, the Canary Islands, which are wayyy down by Africa, but cheap to get to by plane and sunny year round!

Flights within Europe are so cheap! I can get a round-trip ticket from Madrid to Paris for what it would cost an American to buy a tank of gas for their SUV.

Madrid has a huge central park called the Retiro Park, I can’t wait to see it.

The population of Madrid proper is 3 million people, and including the suburbs it’s 5 million. When I hear suburbs I picture miles and miles of strip malls. Giant stores, even bigger parking lots, 4 lanes of traffic, and then another huge parking lot on the other side and more giant stores. Except in Europe the suburbs are cute little medieval villages with sloped roofs and narrow lanes and old-timey street lamps.

Most large European cities have made their city centers for walkers and bikers only, no cars. I wish American cities would do that. Even Pike Place Market in Seattle is still filled with cars in that tiny little street, it’s ridiculous.

Final fact of the day…

In 3 months I will be in Madrid! Can’t wait!! 🙂