2 weeks down, 11 to go.

I am not overwhelmed by all the new experiences around me, but as I think of trying to describe it all for you I am overwhelmed -- then I remember I have 2 and a half months to describe living in Valladolid to you and I feel better. Even so, I'm not sure where to start so you'll have to bear with me and put together the pieces as they come to you.

The taste for today: I'm sitting in Plaza de Universidad again. It's about 8:00pm here and starting to get dark. Families are out and about--there are several families with young children by me. (A mom is helping her toddler walk across the grass next to me and a Grandma with dark purple hair is playing hide and seek with a little boy. People are sitting on benches around the plaza conversing, or just sitting. It was warmer today, but it's starting to get a little chilly, especially because I'm sitting on the ground. Across the plaza, there were some teenagers asking for 50 centimos for the privilege of cracking an egg on their heads, but they're gone now. And my nose is running because I'm still sick--but doing much better. Thank you for your prayers!

I'm also going to post some of the pictures from our time in Madrid. To be honest, I was very unimpressed with Madrid. Maybe it was because I was tired of traveling and appreciating historically significant buildings, maybe it was because we were mostly in museums, or because Madrid is really touristy--but I didn't find anything particularly special about Madrid. It just seemed like a big city.

So. . .for those of you who don't know, I arrived in Madrid last Sunday to meet up with Cal Poly, because the program starts with five days of sightseeing, etc. in Madrid. An overview of the week in case I don't explain it clearly:

Sunday: Arrive. It's raining, but I am relieved to be in the hotel and no longer in charge of what is happening. Walking tour of the Old parts of the city. In the rain. Dinner at 10 (Gah so hungry!) at what is pretty sure a chain of the same place I went for lunch my first day in Barcelona). Sleep!

Monday: Trip to Toledo and tapas for dinner! And I try going out with everyone to a club, which I find extremely out of my comfort zone and so I leave.

Tuesday: A free day, most of which I spend on the internet either at McDonalds, which is remarkably elegant in Spain--they have a bakery case and serve espresso in ceramic mugs!--or at the hotel, trying to publish blogs etc. We were supposed to have a picnic dinner, but we didn't :(

Wednesday: THE DAY OF MUSEUMS. El Prado, which houses the royal collection of paintings from medieval until Goya, lunch, and then La Reina Sofia, which is more modern stuff. Honestly, I was so tired of walking that I failed to appreciate most of the Reina Sofia, although I can now say I have seen the original Guernica. And original Goya. Such a relief to sleep after that though. Then a tapa dinner where we were supposed to speak only Spanish.

Thursday: La Escorial which was a palace and also a monastery (still is a monastery). Was more interesting than the museums and the chapel was beautiful--wait, it's called a basilica. And then, I played my ukelele in Plaza Espanya until it got too cold. And we have a picnic dinner in one of the girls hotel rooms. And we go to a 7 story club (which I only was going to go to because Sammy promised to be my awkward dancing buddy), but Sammy and I end up accompanying one of our girls back and not going in at all(much to both of our relief I think).

Friday: Bus to Valladolid!!

Actually. . .I think this is enough for today. I'll post pictures with lavish descriptions later. I feel cheesy bidding you goodbye in Spanish, so. . .I won't.