Why you ask? Lets see what does one do with no furniture, no lamp, no bedding.
Target?
No, they don't have Targets here in Spain. I had no choice but to venture to land of IKEA. Which really is a separate land here in Madrid. It is not close to anything.
But seeing as how there are no other viable options, I went to IKEA, for the first time ever in my entire life. Ok fine, pick your jaws up off the floor. How have I missed this culture- phenomenon? Easily, I had furniture and I had Target. However, Target is across the ocean, so off to IKEA I went.
IKEA is located towards the very end of the Metro line. I mean, lets face it, there is simply not room for in the center. This is not very appealing for those whom have left their Buicks at home, those whom rely on the Metro as their source of transportation. I mean, I love the Madrid Metro, but sometimes I really just need to drop the heavy stuff in the trunk and go straight home- minus the stopping every 10 feet with the endless stares of the Spainards.
Anyways, it is a lovely Saturday morning when I go to the Metro and prepare myself for a nice long Metro ride. The ride starts off with a full car, until it eventually thins out to a few teens enjoying some tunes on their cell phones, and a grocery toting woman who was staring at the ground. Needless to say, not making friends on the metro ride.
34 minutes later, I get off the metro and note that I am one of two people left on the train. I am rather confused by this, wouldn't more people want to go to IKEA? I walk up the stairs and pass one of the security men doing Sudoku. He doesn't look up as I pass, despite my attempt at a smile. I was feeling good, I was on my way to IKEA!
I knew IKEA was not in the center, but I was not prepared for what I found upon leaving the Metro. I walk up the stairs, and was surrounded by large, empty plazas with a few apartment buildings. Absolutely nobody outside, no happy IKEA shoppers, completely desolate.
Where is IKEA?
In this huge area, there is one other person outside, that being the other security guard, smoking a cigarette, hard at work. I look around for a while, honestly not aware that it was even possible to BE this quiet in Spain. I think, this must be a joke, how could it be deserted in the middle of a lovely Saturday afternoon?
Where is IKEA?
I wander around the block, looking for the Bright Blue IKEA sign. I may have been an IKEA virgin, but I certainly knew to look for the Bright Blue and Yellow. I circle the block, look off into the distance, only to see what appears to be some sore of highway with a smattering of trees.
As I look into the sunny horizon, I sneeze. I hear it echo off the buildings. I just have a feeling that this isn't right, it couldn't POSSIBLY be that quiet at IKEA. I head back to the Metro stop. The smoking guard is now on the phone so I continue on Sudoku man. He looks up at me this time, and I ask him "Donde esta I-KEY-A?"
He responds: "Eh?"
Me:"I-Cay-A?"
He then scrunches his face up and tells me that it was the previous metro stop. He shakes his head at me and asks me if I had a ticket. I told him I had my Abono, and I go off on my merry way. Of course I was at the wrong place! People shouldn't exaggerate and say its at the last stop on the metro if it is actually the SECOND to last stop. That is a big difference.
I then get back on the Metro and go back to the previous stop. This time, I have company on the train, ONE other person. It was really a good time.
I get off the metro, Las Suertes (of course), and get ready to go to IKEA. However, I get off the Metro again, to find myself in a very similar situation. Big empty plazas, streets, few people. And NO signs or Bright Blue/Yellow. I take a deep breath, and turn to approach somebody for assistance. This person was actually thinking the same thing about me, and we ended up both asking each other for directions.
We did not get very far, but we found someone who actually did know where they were going.
THERE is IKEA!
And I made to IKEA. Since most of you have already been there, I will not go into details about the experience itself, I will just share some highlights.
1) I do not love shopping at IKEA. I will probably stick to the catalogue in the future.
2) I am not very good at determining sheet sizes, I had to stand there for a while figuring out what I actually needed. I am very grateful for the pictures on the sheets themselves of people sleeping (1 person, 2 people,etc..)
3) I will steal a shopping cart if I need to come back to IKEA in the future. The items you buy there are simply not meant to be carried.
However, after accumulating many random items, I ran into a friend from last year- someone who was also car-less and also needed a ton of stuff. Together, plus her roommate, we managed to each have two heavy bags- plus associated shower poles, a garbage can, and a plant. Off we went, through the mall, out the doors, and down the streets, a very classy trio with our bright blue IKEA bags. During this hike, one of my students apparently saw me. Awesome. I didn't see her, she claims she was frantically waving at me. That is quite probable scenario considering the weight of those blue bags. I am very glad that a student saw me during my IKEA adventure.
After many pit-stops at benches and other associated leaning spots, we finally made it to the Metro.
Where we sat.
For 34 minutes.
This time, I knew what stop to get off at.
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