The jet lag was non-existent today, which completely changed our outlook on
Madrid. Instead of first day comatose that made even buying bread seem difficult, we experienced our neighborhood with much increased enthusiasm. Madrid is actually a beautiful city with lovely architecture, parks, and city streets. We have only scraped the surface of course, but is appears we have chosen wisely in terms of a two month residence.
Today was day one at our language school. Our school is called Eureka and is down the block from our apartment. Like many of the places in Madrid, finding the location was like looking for a speakeasy. There aren’t an abundance of signs advertising what’s inside a building, but we found it in time. The school is modern and clean with nice people working inside. Our first task was taking a placement test. My two years of high school Spanish and subsequent courses for my credential did me little good, as I was placed in Spanish level 1 class. It’s okay since I’m around my type of people….the slow Spanish learners. Actually the level 1 class is quite challenging, as the instructors use no English and move at a steady pace. Three of my classmates are German, two English, and one from Italy. I actually know a bit more than these other Europeans, so that makes me feel good. Trisha faired a little better on her test (of course) and was put into the next level. Her class was also is filled with a cornucopia of students ranging from Turkey to Texas. Her class began with more advanced grammar like using future tenses in conversation. Fun! Our class ran from 9:00 to 1:00. Afterward we shot over to the local grocery to stock up for the day, and then headed out to explore the giant Retiro Park. Later on we enjoyed afternoon drinks on a patio restaurant in near the Royal Palace and gardens. Ahh, and to think that if I were at home, tomorrow would be my first day of teaching.
-Travis
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Spain
Excursion to Toledo
The Toldeo Cathedral
....supposedly one of the most beautiful in all of Europe
The city (the former capital of Spain) is on top of a hill, surrounded by a stone wall
the narrow city streets were an adventure to walk on
lovely city streets...
The top of a mosque
The "Bullet Train"
This high speed train runs over 200 miles an hour! We traveled a distance of 100 miles in 30 minutes flat. Amazing.
Excited for our first trip outside of Madrid
Another typical plaza in the center of the city. As usual, late in the day all the folks gather together and sit and catch up on their days. Very pleasant!
I loved watching this sweet elderly man pacing the square. Looks like he might have benefited from drinking more milk though in his younger days!
Our first "Menu of the Dia." This is my 1st course of their famous gaspacho- served more pureed and smooth here than how we make it in CA...
a view from on top of the city
love the flowers and shadows
The Packing Nightmare!
We actually lived amongst this for several days!
Down to the last load...
Goodbye to our apartment... now we're homeless!
2 comments:
Ah, no fair rubbing it in, Travis (re: teaching)! Just kidding. I am actually feeling positive about the upcoming school year for a change, though not looking forward to waking up at 6 am. How's the money conversion going? What kinds of things are you eating? Does your class assign homework? Have another fantastic day tomorrow! Irene
Money conversion is okay... although it's sad how little the dollar stands to the euro. As far as food, we're cooking most meals right now- very basic and simple since we only have a stove and microwave... although we've been quite creative and have cooked some tasty things! Not to mention we only have 2 spices, olive oil, balsamic and soy sauce. These are all the basics we've purchased, so our diet is very "medeternian" right now. It gives you a great appreciation for the flavors of fresh food. As far as homework- yes! I just spent the last 1 1/2 hours working on it! We sat outside on a bench in a Plaza- it's very typical here to gather at the plazas (there are many) any time after 8pm through the evening. We headed there at 9pm, just returned at 10:30pm, and most Madridelanos are just sitting down for dinner in nearby restaurants & tapas bars. The city is coming to life. It's so fun- there's always something going on outside, especially late in the evening.
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