Erin goes to Spain, etc.
Well! It has been quite the crazy week. Erin got here on Monday in the afternoon. I met her at the airport, and we definitely ran towards each other arms outstretched across the room. From that moment on there was nothing but fun to be had. We got the rest of the Strasbourg visitors settled into their hostal, and then she and I went to my house, because my Madre and Padre let her stay with us for free, which was super nice of them. They even cooked her vegetarian soup! They are so nice. That evening we took it pretty easy. We walked from my house to the Egyptian temple where you can overlook all of Madrid, and then on to Plaza de Espana and the Palacio Real, where the king and queen used to live. We grabbed paella for dinner, then we met up with the Strasbourg guys again, at Plaza de Santa Ana, which is my favorite place in Madrid, I am pretty sure. We had some good tapas, and some mediocre beer, and then headed back home, sleepy.
Tuesday I had early class, so Erin went to the Prado, and I met up with her when I was out. After some food, we wandered around a bit, went to the area called Sol, which is super touristy, but they have this AMAZING vegetarian restaurant, called Maoz. You order a pita that is cut open and has falafel in it, and then there is a little buffet of toppings that are incredibly delicious. So we went there and stuffed ourselves, then wandered around some more, and somehow ran into the rest of the people visiting from Strasbourg. So we went to a Chocolateria with them, and had some good treats, then headed home to get ready for Halloween. First we went to this sangria place but we ended up going to this discoteca near my house, for a Halloween party thing. It was packed and crazy, but a lot of fun, and we left about 4, and came home to collapse for a few hours.
Wednesday we slept in a bit because I had no class due to All Saints’ Day, and then did some more walking around. We met up in the Parque do Buen Retiro with the Strasbourg guys and went on boat rides in the little lake there. We went to flamenco that night, which was the first time I’ve done that since being here. It was really close to my house, so I’m hoping to go back, maybe with Brett and/or Lindsay when they come, and most likely my parents and sister too. It was really good, very impressive and intense. I loved it! As did Erin, I’m sure.
Thursday I had class again and the Strasbourgers went to the Reina Sofia for the morning. Erin came with me to my ICRP later that day, to play with children at a NGO that teaches single immigrant women from African countries how to survive in Spain, basically. I was glad she got to experience it with me, because I feel like its going to be a life changing experience, and this way someone else can have a kind of idea of why that is.
Later that night we went to Kapital, which is Madrid’s biggest nightclub. Through some crazy happenings we ended up getting in for free, bypassing the 20 euro cover charge. We also got drinks for 5 euro, instead of the usual 10, so we lucked out pretty well. The other kids from Strasbourg came as well, and Julia too. It was a TON of fun, we danced pretty much for 6 hours straight, met some interesting people, and got home about 7 the next morning, as my family was getting up and eating breakfast before school and work. It was a little awkward to come home then, but I think my madre was actually proud of me, she thinks I don’t go out enough, she’s always trying to convince me to go out longer and more often.
So we get home early Friday, and wake up 5 hours later, and catch a bus to the town Segovia, where I went earlier, in September. It’s the town with the giant aqueduct. Erin really wanted to see it, and also wanted to see something of Spain besides just Madrid. So it worked out really well, though we were tired. That night we came home and had Indian food with most of the K people in Madrid and Strasbourg, and then we came home, fell asleep, and then that morning I left before she was really up, because I had to go to Toledo.
I know I’m forgetting a ton, but that’s the best I can do right now. Overall it was the best week I have had here yet. I was sad to see her go, we had such a blast! It was so great to be able to just talk and talk with someone who knows me so well, I have missed that. But I go to Strasbourg to see her in about a month, so I don’t have to miss her toooo much, I’ll try to just stay positive! I shouldn’t work myself into a hole. And I think we are going to Brussels while I am there, so that should be a ton of fun too. Belgium!
Toledo was really interesting to see, Im glad my parents will get to see it. It has a lot of history, what with being “the city of three cultures,” where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived peacefully for hundreds of years, until the Reconquista de los Catolicos in 1492. There were two synagogues we went to, both of which had at later times been used as churches, and also had definite Arab influence in their styles. It was really cool, because everything for all three cultures really had pieces of the others in them. I will have pictures up on www.flickr.com/anniemb soon; so don’t forget to check that out.
This evening I went to a Real Madrid soccer game with Julia, her housemate Jade, a girl named Erica and a couple german boys. It was a lot of fun, despite the fact that they lost. We somehow had seats in the 14th row, we were incredibly close, and could see everything. Including how beautiful David Beckham is. He really, really, really is.
In two days I leave to go to Erlangen, Germany, to visit Ariel and Danny, who I got to know in the JSO last year. Im looking forward to that, but its going to be a little nerve-wracking, I haven’t yet flown to another country out of Madrid yet. But I think its going to be a lot of fun, I really cant wait, I’m glad I only have to wait two days. It’s a little disappointing that the EU means that I am not going to get my passport stamped for any of this traveling though, its kinda a bummer. I wish my passport could be full of all the countries I am going to! Oh well.
Tuesday I had early class, so Erin went to the Prado, and I met up with her when I was out. After some food, we wandered around a bit, went to the area called Sol, which is super touristy, but they have this AMAZING vegetarian restaurant, called Maoz. You order a pita that is cut open and has falafel in it, and then there is a little buffet of toppings that are incredibly delicious. So we went there and stuffed ourselves, then wandered around some more, and somehow ran into the rest of the people visiting from Strasbourg. So we went to a Chocolateria with them, and had some good treats, then headed home to get ready for Halloween. First we went to this sangria place but we ended up going to this discoteca near my house, for a Halloween party thing. It was packed and crazy, but a lot of fun, and we left about 4, and came home to collapse for a few hours.
Wednesday we slept in a bit because I had no class due to All Saints’ Day, and then did some more walking around. We met up in the Parque do Buen Retiro with the Strasbourg guys and went on boat rides in the little lake there. We went to flamenco that night, which was the first time I’ve done that since being here. It was really close to my house, so I’m hoping to go back, maybe with Brett and/or Lindsay when they come, and most likely my parents and sister too. It was really good, very impressive and intense. I loved it! As did Erin, I’m sure.
Thursday I had class again and the Strasbourgers went to the Reina Sofia for the morning. Erin came with me to my ICRP later that day, to play with children at a NGO that teaches single immigrant women from African countries how to survive in Spain, basically. I was glad she got to experience it with me, because I feel like its going to be a life changing experience, and this way someone else can have a kind of idea of why that is.
Later that night we went to Kapital, which is Madrid’s biggest nightclub. Through some crazy happenings we ended up getting in for free, bypassing the 20 euro cover charge. We also got drinks for 5 euro, instead of the usual 10, so we lucked out pretty well. The other kids from Strasbourg came as well, and Julia too. It was a TON of fun, we danced pretty much for 6 hours straight, met some interesting people, and got home about 7 the next morning, as my family was getting up and eating breakfast before school and work. It was a little awkward to come home then, but I think my madre was actually proud of me, she thinks I don’t go out enough, she’s always trying to convince me to go out longer and more often.
So we get home early Friday, and wake up 5 hours later, and catch a bus to the town Segovia, where I went earlier, in September. It’s the town with the giant aqueduct. Erin really wanted to see it, and also wanted to see something of Spain besides just Madrid. So it worked out really well, though we were tired. That night we came home and had Indian food with most of the K people in Madrid and Strasbourg, and then we came home, fell asleep, and then that morning I left before she was really up, because I had to go to Toledo.
I know I’m forgetting a ton, but that’s the best I can do right now. Overall it was the best week I have had here yet. I was sad to see her go, we had such a blast! It was so great to be able to just talk and talk with someone who knows me so well, I have missed that. But I go to Strasbourg to see her in about a month, so I don’t have to miss her toooo much, I’ll try to just stay positive! I shouldn’t work myself into a hole. And I think we are going to Brussels while I am there, so that should be a ton of fun too. Belgium!
Toledo was really interesting to see, Im glad my parents will get to see it. It has a lot of history, what with being “the city of three cultures,” where Jews, Christians and Muslims lived peacefully for hundreds of years, until the Reconquista de los Catolicos in 1492. There were two synagogues we went to, both of which had at later times been used as churches, and also had definite Arab influence in their styles. It was really cool, because everything for all three cultures really had pieces of the others in them. I will have pictures up on www.flickr.com/anniemb soon; so don’t forget to check that out.
This evening I went to a Real Madrid soccer game with Julia, her housemate Jade, a girl named Erica and a couple german boys. It was a lot of fun, despite the fact that they lost. We somehow had seats in the 14th row, we were incredibly close, and could see everything. Including how beautiful David Beckham is. He really, really, really is.
In two days I leave to go to Erlangen, Germany, to visit Ariel and Danny, who I got to know in the JSO last year. Im looking forward to that, but its going to be a little nerve-wracking, I haven’t yet flown to another country out of Madrid yet. But I think its going to be a lot of fun, I really cant wait, I’m glad I only have to wait two days. It’s a little disappointing that the EU means that I am not going to get my passport stamped for any of this traveling though, its kinda a bummer. I wish my passport could be full of all the countries I am going to! Oh well.
posted by anniegoestospain @ 2:26 PM
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