Champions League Final

CÓMO NO TE VOY A QUERER: The city went absolutely nuts for the
European soccer championship held between two rival Madrid teams.

This year, two teams from Madrid competed in the European fútbol championship held in Lisbon, Portugal. It’s safe to say that the local intensity level made Clemson vs. USC seem like a little league softball game. This highly-anticipated match fell right in the middle of finals and was a welcome break from the monotony of studying. The entire week leading up to the championship was all about soccer: everyone on campus wore their team’s uniform, there was constant coverage on the TV and in the newspapers, and my professor even started a classroom chant prior to the start of our exam.

    The rivalry between Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid is fierce and bloody- the city refused to play the game on big screens in the city center for fear of violence between fans. We watched the game in a bar just outside of Real Madrid’s stadium, where there was epic rioting and constant chanting, complete with smoke, broken glass, firecrackers, horn-honking and flag-waving. When Real Madrid tied the game with two minutes left, the bar absolutely erupted with fans tackling each other onto the dirty floor in pure ecstasy, embracing one another like long-lost siblings finally reunited.

RIOT IN CIBELES: The plaza was packed with thousands of out-of-control fans.

     In the end, the odds-on favorite Real Madrid prevailed over the low-budget and clearly jinxed Atlético, and the enraptured fans took to the streets. We then walked alongside thousands of people en route to the Plaza de Cibeles, an iconic square where Real Madrid fans go to celebrate their team’s victories. It was an extremely chaotic scene that the hundreds of police stood no chance of controlling, despite their full-on riot gear. At 6AM, the Real Madrid players returned from Lisbon and paraded through the plaza on their bus, proclaiming their tenth Champions League title. It was truly a night to remember.

ESTADIO BERNABÉU: The celebration in Real Madrid's stadium the day after the win

It’s All Greek to Me

MYKONOS: A week of gyros and spectacular ocean views was a welcome getaway.

I took advantage of the time between the end of classes and the start of final exams to explore the Greek Isles with my amigo puertorriqueño, Gabriel. We spent a day and a half in Athens, two in Mykonos, and two in Santorini. While I’ll admit there’s a certain pleasure in touristic trips that revolve around taking pictures in front of old churches, I enjoyed my time in Greece because it was the complete opposite: high adrenaline, action-packed and loaded with adventures you probably won’t tell to your mother.

PARTHENON: A temple dedicated to the goddess Athena located 

atop the Acropolis, the citadel of the Ancient Greeks of Athens.

Καλλιμάρμαρο: The ancient, white marble stadium where Olympic 

athletes used to compete in the nude.

ISLAND HOPPING: This huge ferry is a cheap way to travel and 

provides spectacular views of the archipelago. 

ZOOM ZOOM: The scooter and ATV were perfect for exploring the islands despite the cold. The helmet would have been useful in a crash, but more than anything it kept my ears warm!

WINDMILLS: Built by the Venetians in the 16^th century, 

they are an icon of the Cyclades.

DONKEY RIDE: A novel means of climbing the steep cliffs of 

Santorini and the only way to avoid stepping in their dung.

GYRO: We ate at least a dozen of these, along with Greek salad,

 tzatziki, and moussaka.

ACTIVE VOLCANO: Gabriel and I stand atop a steaming rock shortly 

before swimming in the hot springs heated by the lava.

MISNOMER: Not only did my teeth chatter for an hour after an icy swim 

at “Paradise” Beach, but the sea salt made my back really itchy.

RED BEACH: These soaring lava cliffs surround a beach of Gamecock Garnet sand.

May Jubilance

The University of Carlos III is quite bleak in the first few weeks of the spring semester, but as the sun and humidity set in full force throughout the season, the flowers bloom and the air is rich with spring. The last two weeks have been filled with end-of-the-semester group projects as well as leisure in the scorching sun.

     Regarding schoolwork, lots of classes here at UC3M are designed to be smooth-sailing for the first few months and then really heavy with essays and presentations at the end. Recently, school went from a walk in the park to consisting of consecutive days jam-packed with group meetings and research in the library. Being an foreigner makes finding a good group for projects difficult, so it’s worth investing some time towards developing relationships with the more dedicated students. I ended up putting together our entire oral exposition for Economic History because the hooligans in my group simply didn’t care enough to put forth an effort (and I’m the one who’s taking the class pass/fail!).

     The following are pictures from some of the best local activities I’ve taken part in: playing tennis at the university, attending the Madrid Open, and going to the amusement park.

TENNIS 101: This is only half the class, but the tennis pro who is standing next to
 me, Alberto, is a really cool guy who constantly teases me about America. 

MADRID OPEN: A Masters tournament is going on this week on the local red clay.

LLEYTON HEWITT: I got to see my favorite tennis player live, and
came to the conclusion that he should really just retire already.

FOX SPORTS CHANNEL: Matt's brother took this picture of us on TV in Australia
 pouting after Hewitt failed to hold serve in the deciding third set.

AMUSEMENT PARK: I spent an afternoon waiting in formidable lines,
but it was worth it to hang out with my two Puerto Rican friends.

PARIS: Well, maybe not quite!