Mary: Another week gone by in the good España…

¡Hola!

I can’t believe I’m going on my fourth week in Spain already—the days truly fly by.

Since I last wrote, I have done a few “musts,” in Spain/Madrid, such as a visit to Retiro park. It was a really cold and damp day, and as I was telling Mom, my winter coat is just not that cool according to Madrid style, (even though I love how warm it is), so I’ve been wearing my Portland leather jacket and it just does NOT do the trick. Anways, so I was ill-prepared for a trip to the BIGGEST park in Spain!!

Despite the yucky weather, Retiro is gorgeous. In its grand center it has a huge pool of water where one can rent a boat with friends and paddle around. Lots of gardens to stroll around in, too. I met a girl named Svenja there who is from Germany and who HATES beer and sausage and literally giggles at everything—very sweet. Whenever I say/think of her name, I think of the beginning to the Lion King, (AHHHHHH SVENJAAAA). She did not understand what I was talking about.

On Saturday, the lovely Kirstin and I went to Segovia, a small Spanish town ½ hour from Madrid. It’s so small that we were able to fully sight-see, shop, and eat in four hours. The big attractions there included a spectacular cathedral and a palace, much styled like the Seville Moorish palace, but a little less grand. If you see below, though, there was quite the impressive moat that gave me a sickening case of vertigo. I told Kirstin I wondered if the alligator bones were still at the bottom of the moat and she thought that was a weird thought.

The most memorable part of Segovia was BY FAR the cochina…the most famous cochina dish in Spain. So, Kirstin and I had absolutely no clue what cochina could be, but we were told by both of our host families to try this delectable dish. As recommended by several strolling Segovians, we went to the fanciest restaurant in town for our cochina—it was 24 euro per person! So we decided to split. Good thing we did because when they finally brought the dish out, I was looking at the small hoof of a baby pig, and Kirstin was looking at its ear. We were eating baby whole pig. But ate it we did! I ate skin and all, (minus the hoof/leg), because the skin is apparently part of the dish’s appeal. I mean…it was good! Nothing I would ever crave again, though. Especially when I think about Babe and Wilbur.

We returned Saturday evening and turned around and went out into downtown Madrid for tapas and drinks with a few other girls. A past language assistant of the Gomez’s recommended I try “El Tigre” tapas bar, so that’s where we went. Awesome. Best place EVER. You order a beer, (I was telling Andy, the popular beer here is called una clara—half beer, half lemonade—mmm), for 2.50 € and your beer automatically comes with tapas. So, say you are with six other people, they bring you these heaping plates of tapas with all of your beers! I was in heaven. Please come to Madrid and experience this with me.

After that I went straight home because I didn’t want anything to happen to ruin that perfect dinner.

Yesterday, Kirstin and I went to El Rastro, a huge market that sells everything: food, jewelry, clothes, cheesy souvenirs, etc. Spent some money there, then went to my favorite “Patisserie,” (bakery), and got something that resembled a donut-croissant-almondy thing. I only get things that I don’t recognize! Everything is served warmed and drippy…oh so bad but oh so good. Did I mention it’s right next to where I will be taking classes?

Once we were filled with goodness, we went to the “Museo Nacional del Prado,” which for those of you don’t know, is the biggest art museum in Madrid. Really lovely, reminded me of the Louvre. We only went through the first floor, which was older works from the 14^th-17^th centuries. Not really my eras, so I will most certainly be going back to look at the more modern stuff, such as Goya’s works J

Since then, not much has happened. My Thursday lessons with the girls were unusually rough—both did not want to do work and wanted to play with clay instead. I will be a little firmer with them this week. I think I’m going to focus on punctuation marks—how fun does that sound?!

I have forced myself to stay out of the city today, as I have already gone way beyond my Spain budget—yikes! No huge plans for this week, but over the weekend I will be visiting Keque in Caceres, who once stayed with my family for a few weeks in the summer of 1998 as a foreign exchange student. I am very excited to meet his family and explore his hometown—plus, it’s warmer there!!

Hope everyone enjoyed the weekend back at home, and hope this Monday isn’t too rough. Don’t forget, “rabbit, rabbit, rabbit” on Wednesday!

Love,

Mary