The typical images of Madrid are Gran Via, Sol, El Retiro. I'm not here to show you what everyone else can of Madrid - I want to show you the less visited vantage points and the overlooked neighborhood I live and teach English in - Vallecas. The next couple of photos were taken at Cementerio Municipal Nuestra Señora de la Almudena, a massive, and pretty empty cemetery just east of El Retiro. I had a lot of fun here experimenting with the sunset, statues, and skylines.

Are there parallels between Jesus's crucification and our emerging technologies?

Something here yells to me that we are sacrificing ourselves to capitalism. Gods, religions, temples, used to be the center stage of the world and human activity. Nowadays, atheism has flourished, and the modern day temples we spend our time in is the office. It is the provider - without the office, there is no $, and without $, no way to live. People over the last say 50 years have spent nearly an entire lifetime in corporate offices-  they were told to start work after college, build a family, and retire at 65 to then enjoy life and free time - in a way, their lives were sacrificed in these spaces. 

I now invite you to see things from the perspective of Vallecas. It is a working class neighborhood with a fierce spirit and personality. Anarchists, leftists, immigrants, rebels, yet kind souls, occupy this enthralling, yet ignored district. If you want a great full article on Vallecas, click here: https://madridnofrills.com/val...

Soccer, or sport, is one of the most important things in the world since it brings people together -- regardless of race, social status, language, kids are always able to connect.

Madrid is actually a ton of urban sprawl. 

Hang drying clothes is a lost tradition in the US as we expect driers to be an included amenity (other than NYC). There is something therapeutic about hanging the clothes on the line despite the cortisol spikes when nearly falling out. But to have your clothes dried by wind, the sun, feels a lot more refreshing and comforting than anything a machine can do. And there is no risk of your clothes shrinking. 

The view from outside my apartment in Vallecas

Vallecas is full of these empty lots. No realtors seem to want to build anything here, so the space sits empty yet still "closed off" to the public with high fences. People have obviously made their way into these areas and they mainly serve as a pet relief area. Nature has taken over as these blocks have turned into their own urban garden. It's actually quite charming, to walk outside and be surrounded by wildflowers in such an unexpected place. 

Vallecas is full of fruit & vegetable stands. When I tell people that I live in Vallecas, they may gasp, inquiring about safety, and I respond that it is literally just fruit stands. I've been eating the healthiest I ever have. It's fun to see the seasonal produce that comes and goes. I'll talk to the fruit stand workers for a long time, they become your friends, because unlike a super market, it'll always be the same 1 or 2 faces running the show. I took this photo at my friends fruit stand, his child taking a nap. 

In Vallecas you can find make shift houses or living rooms. Plenty are hidden in plain sight

The boarder of Vallecas and Atocha, the M-30 and a ring of corporate buildings separate Vallecas from being closer to the center of Madrid.

Now we jump quickly to a more central, nicer part of Madrid, maybe just to see the difference (Plaza de España)

Temple del Deadbod- notorious for its sunsets. If you want to see an even better sunset, go to Cerro del Tío Pío in Vallecas (also known as seis tetas)

My view of the mountains and city from the nearest train station to my apartment. 

A quick side quest to a town called Navalcarnero. I wanted to go to a winery and try wine from D.O Madrid (denomination of origin - basically a stamp to guarantee the geographic origin). The wine was good in my opinion (I am new to the wine world so my taste buds for this are also immature), and I managed to take 0 pictures at the winery itself.......

Navalcarnero 

Back to Madrid

Entrevías - a neighborhood within Vallecas. Easiest way to find anything mainstream about Entrevías is the Netflix series that came out about it. The series promotes crime, drugs, etc. These problems exist anywhere if you look for them and I would not say it is a defining part of Entrevías. 

Parque Javier de Miguel - a great park in Vallecas with plenty of city views.

Atocha, one of the largest train stations in Madrid - 1 metro line, 10 commuter lines, and access to travel to all parts of Spain. Atocha has great energy.