Mom's Visit: domingo, 2 de noviembre

We made up for my pitiful efforts at sightseeing earlier in the week by packing our day with the sites of Madrid.  First, I took the ladies to the RASTRO (remember, that's the Sunday flea market at La Latina).  We attempted to visit the church of San Francisco, but it was closed.  We moved onto the Palacio Real, passing a magnificent view with snow-capped mountains in the distance - you better believe it!  We also passed the imposing Almudena Cathedral.  Audio guides for an additional two euros enhanced our visit to the Palacio, however, the obnoxiously loud Italian tour guide on our tails did not.  We lunched at a restaurante argentino where mom and I started with a chorizo.  I ate a warm, rich vegetable salad with goat cheese.  After lunch we walked in Retiro till dark.  We had dinner at Bazaar, and after dinner, mom and Joan walked arm in arm to the mojito bar while I talked to my favorite Spanish-speaker on the phone.  Knowing I had to wake up early for work, I failed to maintain my role as a gracious hostess and got a bit cranky with mom and Joan who were giddy like school girls after their mojitos.  Sorry ladies.  Note: the picture of mom and Joan is from their wild night on the town, jeje.

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...