Sangria, Roller Blade Boys, and Dancing

Today was fun!! However, it did not start off well at all.  I went to the school to pay for my Morocco trip only to find out that it is full and I won't be able to go on the trip.  I was really looking forward to the trip and exploring a little of Africa in February.  I am on a waiting list to see if there will be another trip to Morocco, but who knows what will happen.  One of my friends and I might plan a trip for the long weekend in February now.  It is all up in the air.

After that disappointment I needed something fun and interesting - I got something interesting but not very fun.  A couple friends and I signed up for seeing El Prado Museum and Thyssen Bornemisza Museum - we thought we were going to get a guided tour in English and understand more of the paintings.  Well first we had to take the metro to the museums, which wasn't a problem, but when we got off on the metro stop we were suppose to there were NO signs for the museum.  We had to ask about 5 people where the museum was until we found it.  That is one thing I do know like about Madrid, is the street signs are on the buildings and there are NO signs indicating where things are.  It is a little frustrating.  We finally find our way to the museum to meet our group to find out that our "tour guide" (a professor from SLU) doesn't speak any English. Great.  She talked really fast and we could understand everything she was saying.  We lost half our group in the first museum and my friends and I lost our "guide" in the second museum.  All in all it was not a good experience.  One thing I did notice about the older paintings in some or another they all related to Jesus Christ.  I found it very very interesting that instead of wanting to paint scenary or abstract they mostly all chose to paint a dipication of Jesus' life.  Also all of the paintings had a different image of Jesus.  It was nice to see.

Friends and me in front of a sculpture outside El Prado.

After the museums my friends and I wanted food – they wanted American food and I wanted meat.  We went done to Sol to an Irish bar we went to last night called Dubliners.  First we ordered two apitizers – chips with guacamole and chicken strips – and we demolished these.  The waiter came back and we were like we are ready to order now.  He was really confused and was like “You want MORE food?!” My two friends and I had hamburgers and our other friend had a chicken sandwich.  It was very nice to have some red meat!! The picture is below :)

After dinner we met up with some people and just walked around the Plaza of Sol.  It was entertaining for sure.  We took pictures with Mickey and Minnie Mouse – yes they are in Madrid.  We watched these amazing guys roller blade.  It was literally one of the closest things I have seen.  Ohh… I also danced in front of a Spanish Band! There were people standing around listening to the music and watching the band play in the plaza and I decided it would be a good idea to dance with my friend!! More and more people started to come and watch us!! It was a great tourist thing to do!! Note for Dad: I did not bust of the sprinkler or the lawn mower - I don't think Madrid can handle that right now!

After dancing and hanging out in the plaza for a while we decided we wanted to go and get some sangria.  We found a nice little restaurant in Sol and I experienced my first sangria.  It was  delicious.  I am a total fan!! I had a really fun time at the restaurant just sitting around and talking with some of the amazing people I have met so far.  I am still amazed I am in Madrid! I love it here so much and I seriously cannot wait to see what the semester has to offer me.  I have not been home sick that much at all – but I know it will come eventually.  Well it is 12:30am here and I have to get up at 7:15am in order to get ready and be at school at 8:45am.  Tomorrow I am going to Segovia – a city in Spain. I believe it’s about 30minutes from Madrid.  Also tomorrow night Maya and I are having dinner with Gloria, Gloria’s daughter and boyfriend and two former host students.  I will be a good time – a lot of Spanish.

Sangria

Paz y amor. God Bless.