This 17 page monstrosity features Madrid's own Tio Pepe's prominently on the front cover (sadly, probably entirely unrelated to our own illustrious River Road institution), as well as a lot of other (some useful, some dumb) information. Highlights include required summer reading (boo, didn't even have summer reading in high school), info on libraries (a top priority for me, let's be honest), news that it is impolite to go barefoot in Spanish homes, an implied judgment that I do not measure up to the fashionable standards of Madrid (but hey, at least I'm no Michelle Macheras), the most welcome news that tipping is not expected in bars, and the insightful description of Madrid as "full of students, tourists, gypsies, flower vendors, bakeries, dogs, and beauty." I'm most excited for the gypsies.
I also checked out a guidebook to Madrid to see what I can expect in my neck of the woods, er, the neck of the woods of my host family? Turns out Avenida General Juan Perón (which is probably the best street name to live on in Madrid, right?) is in Northern Madrid, which the Lonely Planet book tells me is "much more work than play" with a "pervasice sense of money being made" in this "mix of office and suburban quiet" (99 - ahem not plagiarizing). Oh, how fun. On the bright side, Google Maps informs me that its all of a half mile to the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, aka the home of Real Madrid. Sounds a bit like living in on Beacon when the Sox are in town.
On a side note, I did a bit of researching (one of my favorite pastimes) to figure out why Perón gets an Avenida in Madrid. Turns out Good Old Franco was nice enough to let Peron spend some of his exile in Madrid, perhaps as thanks for the nine year Franco-Perón Alliance (characterized by Argentine aid to the isolated dictator, and, interestingly, which was more practical than ideological). And with that I have completely exhausted my stamina for research for the whole summer.
