domingo: El Zoo

              If you know Adam at all, it would be foolish of you to think that we would do anything other than go to the zoo once Adam learned that Madrid Zoo has pandas.  Hence, after seeing a metro advert for Madrid's aquarium and zoo featuring a panda, we investigated location and set forth to the zoo at our usual post-lazy morning hour of 2:00.  Aside from our criticism of certain animal habitats, we had, I think, a thrilling day at the zoo - complete with dolphin show (Adam's first).  Ranking animals in no particular order: panda, gorilla, baboons, dolphin, giraffe.  Unfortunately, I cannot feature any panda photos here because I have yet to copy all Adam's photos. 

Aranjuez y más

sabado, 11 de octubre: Followed by another lazy morning, our day trip commenced at 2:00 as we boarded the Cercanias to Aranjuez.  About 4o minutes later, we arrived the station of this quaint, restful town, venturing to the Palacio Real.  Unfortunately, we could not take pictures inside the palace.  I would have loved to share the eccentric and at times Disney-like design.  Reminiscent of EPCOT, each room reflected its own distinct style or theme, for example: Victorian furnishings with female mythological figures in pastel colors; 2-dimensional, Oriental ceramic reliefs stylized in bold colors; and an Arabic sitting room, meticulously decorated with colorful and intricately painted tiles.  We ate the menú del día at a local restaurant, shopped for shoes, and arrived the gardens to find them prematurely closed.  I enjoyed a snooze on the train before returning home to fix dinner and drinks.  We walked just past Gran Via to a bar called Costello's and later went to El Sol, a nightclub one block further.  We got caught in rain on our way home; following which, Adam marveled at the lightning from my patio while I promptly and comfortably passed out in my bed before he even came back in! 

Adam Arrives for a Long Weekend!

Adam arrived at Barajas Airport, Madrid, where I met him around 11:00.  We took the metro back to my piso in Chueca, and then set out to find food.  Although you can find a beverage at any number of bars or from one of the many "Chinese bazarres," finding food at midnight in Spain presents a surprising challenge.  We finally found a Kebab place only 5min shy of closing.  We ordered "para llevar" and ate gyros at my piso, caught up, and called it an early night.  We enjoyed a very lazy morning, as I prefer my Fridays.  We unsuccessfully shopped for trainers for Adam (silly one broke his before arriving).  In the afternoon we took a walking tour of el Estadio Bernabeu where team  Real Madrid plays.  I personally enjoyed the posh player seats and hot tub in the locker rooms: nice.  In the evening we secured a place in queue for Flamenco tickets: a free concert at the Chamartin metro stop.  While Adam held our place, I retrieved bocadillos and cerveza (sandwiches and beer) from Pans Company nearby.  We watched the first Flamenco performer, La Talegona.  She ranked with us for fastest foot-stomping and most emphatic expressions. 

RASTRO

domingo, 5 de octubre:
Graeham and I went to the Rastro (outdoor flea market) at La Latina this morning.  I bought a handbag, necklace, and earrings for a total of 8 euros.  Ohhh yeah.  A table that sold a variety of rubber bands and large pieces of elastic sincerely puzzled Graeham and me.  

After the Rastro, we sought a manta electrica (heating blanket) with no success at Corte Ingles.  I had a perrito caliente (hot dog) and can of Fanta naranja on the street, which didn't compare to New York even slightly.  We stopped in a few stores on Fuencarral looking for coats and boots to no avail and made plans to meet again for a walk in Retiro at 5:50pm.  We had a splendid walk: Jess Levin, research Fulbrighter, joined us.

sabado, 4 de octubre

SUPER BIEN day: Morgan (fellow auxiliar at Manuel Nuñez de Arenas) and I went to Parque del Retiro where we fed stale bread to ducks and massive fish.  We enjoyed a leisurely walk and a visit to the Crystal Palace.  En route, Morgan received a call from our friend, Meredith (devout Obama supporter), who encouraged us to stop by the Obama rally at the front of the park.  In my state of electoral indecision and morbid curiosity, I acquiesced to "stopping by" the rally.  Both to my amusement (see giant eyeball man) and dismay, a group of Spaniard 9/11 conspiracy theorists took advantage of the large presence of Americans to impose their viewpoints alongside the horrific yet infamous images of the 9/11 attacks.  They had the audacity to claim that NO plane hit the Pentagon - that perhaps a missile had struck it ::boiling blood::  You may ask, what then happened to the plane and it's passengers?  Oh, it probably disappeared into the Bermuda triangle or perhaps it never existed at all.  Well, fortunately our day continued with genuine pleasantry.  We met Fulbright teaching assistant, Claire Gilbert, with whom we ate lunch at an incredible Galician restaurant on Calle Huertas.  So popular, the restaurant is the first I have seen in Spain which requires a waiting list!  As Morgan lives on Huertas, we ate an appetizer of brie and crackers at her piso while waiting the standard 30 minutes.  We indulged in a bottle of white wine with our cuttle fish in octopus ink, pulpo de Gallego (Galician octopus seasoned in olive oil, garlic, and salt), and a stew-like, tomato marinated rice and seafood dish.  Below you will also see a functioning, mechanical "animal" sculpture that Morgan and I visited near El Prado.  Overall: a wonderful day!  I later met with Morgan and company again at a cerveceria called Oldenburg.  I drank a delicious raspberry beer.  Mmm... 

Gathering of Friends

After school, I walk with Charo to her house in Getafe where I tutor her 18-year old daughter, Nuria.  Nuria speaks English fluently after living in San Diego, CA with her family for three years; she studies economics in English at the university.  I enjoyed teaching her thoroughly because we worked primarily on her writing this session.  After tutoring, I returned to my piso briefly before heading to my first Spanish class at C.E.E. Idiomas.  Brilliantly, I got lost.  My brilliant counterpart, Graeham, also got lost on her way to class, making us two American idiots on the phone and lost only blocks away from the school.  I called the school and eventually we both found it.  After class, I hustled back to Chueca to prepare for my company.  A gathering for friends - a gathering of consumption, really - took place with each person contributing an apertivo or vino.  Lucky for us, the fire twirler graced the plaza with his performance.