first weekend in Madrid

This weekend was full of fun stuff! Friday I slept all day... woops... but then SLU had a Tapas night! We met at the school and then went to a Tapas restaurant with other students. I shared some tapas with a friend. They were so delicious!!! We also met someone who gave us all the in's and out's of life in Madrid and where to travel while we're here. I'm so excited about all the information she gave us!!

Retiro Park... definitely not ugly like my host mom said...

Saturday my friends and I actually woke up at a decent hour. We went out to lunch and then traveled through Retiro Park. The park is absolutely beautiful! Our host mom keeps telling us the park is ugly right now because everything is dead, but I still thought it was fantastic. We walked through the park on our way to the Prado Museum, but when we got there a sign said the museum was closed... then we found out later that night it was actually the wrong building... We'll try again soon to see the Prado. We then wandered around Sol! There were tons of street performers around the plaza. Sol is a great place to just walk around and shop. I bought a pair of boots for really cheap! I kind of have buyer's regret, but they're growing on me a little. After lots of walking we went to Reina Sofia, an art museum with a ton of Picaso artwork. After dinner my friend and I tried to find a jazz club. We walked up and down the street it was supposed to be on for well over an hour and finally gave up finding it. We decided to go to the Hollywood American Restaurant and get dessert instead. I got the most fabulous skillet cookie ever! So our first Saturday night in Madrid we ended up getting ice cream at the American restaurant... good thing that's what I do every weekend in America... We found out when we got home that the jazz club actually closed a while ago and doesn't exist... woops

Sunday was another chill day. We walked around an open air market. It was so crowded, but really cool. A couple of us went to Mass at school in the evening and then out for coffee with the other people at mass afterwards.  We came home for dinner, which was lasagna, and went to bed (after doing some homework). It was a really great, relaxing weekend. I love how interesting the city is.  You can just walk around or take the metro anywhere and not get bored. There's so much to see and enjoy!!

All around Madrid there are these work out areas outside where adults can just work out. They have elliptical type things, stationary bikes, and other things. It's so weird to walk through the park and see people working out outside. It totally makes sense now why everyone here is so healthy and fit though! We walk everywhere!!! My legs have been burning since I arrived here. They also eat a lot healthier. We have toast and some type of cake for breakfast every morning.  A sandwich in the afternoon for lunch. Then soup and another meat or entree for dinner. I really like having soup every night! I never knew there were so many different kinds of soup, but we've had a different one every night. Then there's usually a packaged dessert, like a pudding cup. The food is fabulous, and I'm getting used to the later meal times. Most people actually eat a large lunch and then just a snack in the evening, but since dinner is our provided meal by our host mom and lunch is on ourselves, dinner is our big meal of the day. I have loved every meal I've eaten here so far!! (I do have to say I prefer my mom's lasagna though:)) I think my favorite food so far has been the tortilla de Espana. We had one that was potatoes and onion. It was so good!!

Today is apparently Blue Monday- the most depressing day of the year. It's right after the holidays, no holidays to look forward to soon, half a month until payday for Europeans, and the nights are long and the days are short. It's also really gloomy and rainy here today:( it's the only bad weather we've had since we've been here though, so I can't complain too much! Hope everyone else has a good Monday!