pretty much having papa' here has been fabuloso and i don't want him to leave! i can't believe i leave for MOROCCO tomorrow night...so wild. monday after i blogged it ended up clearing up for a bit (miraculously), so we were able to go to el retiro and walk around! it was beaautiful. it felt very much like fall, and we got to spend some time watching the ducks and fish and birds, and the way cute kids feeding them with breadcrumbs. we ended up walking back in ther rain which was enjoyable nonetheless, and headed out to cenar at el botin with jenny & katy, which was a lot of fun.
papa' and jenny talked acid reflux the whole time because jenny is just faaascinated. we talked and sat for such a good while, it was really nice. that's been my favorite part of this trip--obviously there have been great meals, but even better has been the time at the table...the waiters don't bring la cuenta until you ask, and even then it takes a good 45 minutes til the bill actually gets to you. so different from the rushed service we get in the states--it's like they actually want you to spend some time there.
tuesday after school i met papa' at the hotel, and we got a bite at pans & company, which i thought was just delicious, then headed out on el autobus for el escorial--the beautiful monastery/palace/basilica that sits on a hill 45 minutes outside of madrid. it was raining and raining, which sort of put a damper on things, but it was a fun trip nonetheless. we ended up paying for the guided tour instead of the audioguide, but it was only a group of 4 so it was pretty personal and interesting. the room with the marble caskets blew my mind--i couldn't believe there were real kings and queens in there... and the basilica was just beautiful. we sat in there for a good while and just took in the walls and images and the thoughts they provoked. it was really beautiful. it was pouring as we left, and we got back to madrid and got ready for dinner.
after looking for some free internet for a while, we met up with jonathan, nicole & jen for dinner (which was eventful, as well--some confusion with metro stops!) and ended up at a mexican restaurant near plaza espana. it was pretty good, and a lot of fun to be in that kind of setting with friends...talked about home a lot, things we were used to, how much we love mexican food, etc. another long meal and really great conversation and company. after such an unsuccessful night of finding a free internet cafe we got back to the hotel and i decided to call the front desk and ask about their internet (the computer just wouldn't connect to the wireless) and they said sure! come down for a cable. awesome... can't believe we didn't ask the first day.
wednesday (today) papa' came to school with me! sooo great. it was fun having him see what it was all like, and get a better picture of what i'm really learning over here! he LOVED my international relations class (as do i) & enjoyed teatro espanol as well. i gave him a little tour and he even had a cafe con leche and pastry in our cafeteria. it was pooouring while we were at school, but the walk back to the metro was really beautiful with all the green trees in the park near the school & the clean air.
lunch with marina, ana & jenny today since papa' hadn't met marina (my host mom) yet because she was out of town this weekend and they have such a crazy work schedule. lunch was really enjoyable, and i'm glad papa' had a chance to meet them. we walked around for a while after that and then went to ISA for a bit for a meeting. back to the hotel at 7 and took a 2 hour nap...we were just sooo tired. papa' slept until 10, when i woke him up to see if we were going to get dinner! we headed out like true madrilenos at 11pm for a bite to eat and got a small plate of paella and manchego queso with pan. delicious. we're back at the hotel now at 115 and i should get ready for bed. tomorrow's my last day with papa' and i'm off to morocco. i don't really want him to go home. i suppose less than 2 months left til i'm hooome. but obviously i'm having a great time, and i've loved re-discovering madrid with papa' here. wish you were here, too.
<3
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