La Noche Vieja!

La Noche Vieja, or what we call New Years Eve, is really exciting in Madrid. Everyone gets dressed up in crazy wigs and wears bright makeup. Most people in Madrid pile into the plaza, SOL, where they have the countdown. It is a long-standing Spanish tradition not only to toast with cava, or champagne, but also to eat 12 grapes, uvas, one at each stoke of midnight. My roommates and I were a few of thousands who gathered to celebrate 2009. When the clock struck 12 the crowd exploded with cheers, and there was a continuous shower of champagne, so the task of eating the 12 grapes was quite a feat, especially while trying to avoid the sticky aftermath of the cava. It was such a cool thing to see, by far the best New Years countdown I've ever had. It got pretty hectic afterward, trying to get out of the crowd...people were everywhere and it was scary at times trying to maneuver through the sea. But alas we survived! Since most of the bars had drink specials that required entrance with prepaid tickets (really expensive!), which we didn't get in time, the girls and I went out to a little bar that was the least expensive and turned out to be lots of fun!