Fog, Rain, Sun, Snow, and Ice — Switching Countries and Weather Conditions
Week 3 of my life in photos
Before spending months in Madrid with my sister and nephews, I had no idea the city could be so foggy. Mornings, especially, can be blanked in thick fog, often until 11am or after. I’m imagining that’s what living in London must be like.
Fog is what greeted me on the morning of Monday, January 15. It wasn’t as thick as I’ve experienced previously (usually, I can’t even see any of the buildings you can see in the featured photo above), but it still called for a day indoors.
Monday, however, was a federal holiday in the United States, and since all my contract jobs are with American employers, I technically had the day off. I knew it would be rainy and foggy all day, but I also craved a nice long solo walk, so with my umbrella in hand, I hopped on the train to Atocha, the main Madrid railway station.
My plan was to get out and walk until it was time to pick my older nephew from kindergarten, so that’s what I did.
Atocha is close to the Prado Museum, which I was able to visit last winter, so I decided to keep walking beyond it and see where my feet take me. I often do that on long urban walks and have realized that the practice allows me to see and experience much more than if I follow a specific path.
Despite the rain, I enjoyed a pleasant walk and ended up discovering two new locations I hadn’t come across on previous walks in the area: the National Library and Plaza de Colón.
I’ve never passed by a library and not wanted to go in, plus it was a nice break from the rain. Since this is reference library, there aren’t options to sit down and read for a bit, which I’d have loved to do. I also had to get back to the train station, so I guess it was a good thing I couldn’t hide among rows of books.
I spent the rest of the day entertaining my nephews and doing a bit of work after they went to bed. As a contractor with assigned projects, I work when I can work, even if it’s technically a day off. I don’t mind it since I know I won’t be too swamped the next day.
On Tuesday, I spent the morning working and the afternoon taking my nephews for a walk in the neighborhood and for some fun at the local playground. The rain appeared off and on throughout the day, but the sun broke through later in the day, which allowed us to enjoy time outdoors.
I completely forgot to take photos for the challenge but luckily, I noticed that in addition to capturing a few shots of my nephews playing, I’d also taken a few photos of the trees in and around the playground. I love naked tree branches, and I regularly snap them without even thinking much about it. Good thing I do or I’d have to miss a day of the challenge already!
On Wednesday, the rain eased up, but the wind picked up — 40km per hour according to my weather app. My sister decided not to take the boys outside in the chilly wind, so I ventured out around Alcorcon on my own.
As I’ve mentioned before, after sitting for 5 hours in the mornings, trying to squeeze in as much work as I can while my older nephew is at school, I must go out for a walk.
Wind or no wind.
Plus, I survived much stronger winds during hurricane season when I lived in Houston, TX, so 40km/hr (25m/hr) wasn’t going to be a problem for me.
While out and about, I noticed that the Christmas tree on Plaza de los Reyes was still up. This is where the cavalcade celebration for Three Kings Day culminates. Metal trees seem to be popular across Madrid for the holidays — I’m sure they’re easier to maintain than lugging real trees. Probably more sustainable, too. I’m not a fan of their look during the day, though.
I then turned down a side street I hadn’t been on before and passed by a corner market that seemed to be asking for someone to capture it. This is another reason I love slow travel and getting to explore a place by walking. Sure, I get to see what most people travel to Madrid to see, but I get to also experience regular, everyday life in the city and it’s neighborhoods, and that’s even more enjoyable.
The sun came back on Thursday, perhaps thanks to the strong winds that blew the clouds out of the way. It also happened to be a day when I was able to submit all my current work projects and still have time left before picking my nephew up, so I decided to get another solo walk in.
Thirty minutes into my walk, I regretted having my winter jacket on. This was no winter sun! In fact, the temperature reached 13C (55F), and to me it felt even warmer in the sun. I grabbed a treat from a favorite bakery and sat down in a favorite park to enjoy it.
The park includes 12 fountains, one for each month, but I haven’t figured out which fountain is for which month or if that’s even part of the arrangement. Am I supposed to guess by the statue on each fountain?
With thoughts like these running through my head while I was munching on my pastry, I lost track of time and then had to run to my nephew’s school. I was sweating by the time I made it. Should not have worn my winter coat that day!
On Friday, it rained the entire day. The intense kind of rain. The one that cares not that you have an umbrella. Unless you have rain attire on, you’ll be soaked. Luckily, both my nephew and I had rain jackets on.
The above is the only photo I took that day, on the walk back after I picked him up. We stayed in, playing with trains, cars, and trucks; drawing aliens (it’s a phase kids go through, right???); reading; and dancing.
After my baby nephew fell asleep for the night, I got four chairs together and a blanket, making a tent fort for my older nephew. He was thrilled. We grabbed the flashlight I’d gotten him and my headlamp, turned off the lights, and had us a fun adventure.
Despite what some may argue, reading by flashlight is just way more fun.
Saturday was a bittersweet day, as I had to pack my suitcase and head for the airport. I’m trying to split my time between hanging with my sister and nephews and spending time with my aging parents, while working remotely and planning adventures, of course.
When family lives across countries, it’s a challenge, but I’m once again grateful that thanks to remote work, it’s much easier for me to navigate the situation. Plus, Spain is only a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Bulgaria.
The weather situation in both countries, though, couldn’t be more different this weekend. As the temperatures in Madrid are on the rise, up to ~17C (~62F), with the sun out, freezing temperatures and a snowfall greeted me at the airport in Sofia.
I had decided to spend the night in Sofia, and since the hotel I reserved was close to a metro station, I thought, why not just take the metro from the airport? The Sofia metro is pretty convenient to take from the airport, but I hadn’t planned on rolling my suitcase over snow and ice, or up and down slippery stairs.
I made it to the hotel, though, stopping along the way to take a few photos.
Sunday was sunny but freezing — the temperature in the morning was -11C (12F). I had made plans to meet up with a high school friend before leaving Sofia, so after enjoying a delicious Bulgarian breakfast at the hotel, I checked out, left my suitcase at luggage storage, and ventured outside.
I love winter walks, but I had forgotten that in Bulgaria, the sidewalks will very often not be cleaned or treated immediately after a snowfall. Especially on a Sunday morning.
With the sun out, some of the snow was melting, which resulted in muddy, wet sections on one end and icy sections in the shade. Did I mention I had no winter boots or shoes with me? I didn’t need those in Madrid!
I somehow made it to where my friend was waiting for me, and we promptly decided to sit down at a coffee place and enjoy a treat instead of trying to temp fate by walking on the still icy streets.
I did manage to snap a few photos of famous landmarks covered in snow. Without slipping and falling, if I may add.
After a nice long chat with my friend, I grabbed my suitcase, took the metro to the central bus station, and hopped on a bus to my final destination, Plovdiv — which barely received a dusting of snow — just in time to enjoy the sunset from my window.
This was week three of my weekly photo essay, inspired by the works of Dennett and Anne Bonfert. Anyone can join the challenge, and I highly recommend it! I already know this is something I’ll be sticking to in the new year :)