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Where you read it first | Tuesday, February 24, 2026
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Aperture Abroad: A snowy start to Spain

By Sophia Khan
Published Tuesday, February 24, 2026
Thick flakes of snow fall on Calle de Santa Engracia and turn into slush as they reach the road.

You may know me, or rather my photographs, from “Tufts on 35mm” or post-Halloween pumpkins. Although I’m sorely disappointed that I won’t be able to bring photos of Tufts’ ambiguous architectural identity to the Daily this semester, hopefully photos from my time studying abroad with Tufts in Madrid will suffice. Through this column, I’ll be producing photo stories live (give or take a few weeks) from my adventures throughout the semester, whether the various balcony views around Madrid or grand travels across the continent.

Just as I was getting some serious FOMO seeing photos and videos of the 16 inches of snow that buried Tufts, I awoke to thick snowflakes in Madrid. Storm Kristen, which did hit Portugal and other parts of Spain hard, brought gentle morning snowfall to the city, thankfully lacking the sub-zero temperatures plaguing Medford. Juggling my camera, an umbrella and travel-backpack-turned-schoolbag, I slipped and slid my way down the streets. 

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Francisco de Quevedo, or rather a statue of the 17th century politician, seems to shiver in the cold.
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Madrileños arm themselves with umbrellas, an impromptu defense against the snow.
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One of the entrances to the Iglesia Metro stop, where people hurriedly expand their umbrellas before emerging into the open skies.
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For a morning, Madrid turns into a winter wonderland.
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A motorbike, parked on the sidewalk, gets coated with snow as its owner is likely huddled in a cafe with a warm drink.
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A public bench, usually occupied by smokers, is blanketed with a thin layer of snow.
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Parroquia de Santa Teresa y Santa Isabel stands proud during the snowfall.
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There’s just something about black and white and snow that goes together.
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Snow settles on the Metro sign and will be melted by midday.
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