madrid, dinner parties, and too much rain

now i remember why i try to update on a weekly basis- this might be a long entry, just as a warning. I am splitting it up into three parts for easy reading.

MADRID:

Last weekend, everyone in the CIEE liberal arts program (plus three smaller programs that CIEE has going on in Barcelona) went to Madrid. We traveled in style, on the ave (high speed train), which makes the ~315 mile journey in a mere two hours, forty-five minutes. upon arrival, we took a few hour walking tour of the city and got a little Madrid history lesson. Pictures of all of this are up on facebook/photobucket, by the way. The rest of the day was more or less uneventful, we got some food, wandered some more, and called it an early night. Saturday was intensely scheduled- we toured the Prado and the Reina Sofia. First, the Prado. As I told my Mom (who scoffed at my pretentiousness), I think I have been dreaming about the Prado for a good five or six years. It was overwhelming and amazing- where else could you find Carvaggio, Velazquez, Goya, El Greco and Raphael basically every time you turned a corner. After that, we grabbed lunch in Retiro park, close to the museum, and then headed over to the Reina Sofia for an abrupt transition to the 20th and 21st centuries. The museum itself is small, but had some of my favorite Dali and Miro...and Guernica is there. Enough said. After the Reina Sofia, we were left to our own devices. I had a long leisurely dinner out with Juniper, Jenny, Kim, and Christine, and then we met up with some other program kids. I got to witness and partake in the custom of "botellon," and then we just hung out at a bar for awhile. Very relaxed and good times. At times like those, I wonder why I even (very occasionally) bother with clubs.

The next day we were mostly on our own, which was great because I spent most of the day with Tara (my friend from Tufts who is studying abroad in Madrid for the year). We went to this ridiculously big flea market, shopped for a little, and then got lunch. It's good to see someone who you know from longer than...two months ago. We got back to Barcelona late that evening. One of the most fun weekends I've had, definitely.

SCHOOL/MIDWEEK MISCELLANEOUS THINGS:

I actually had to put forth some effort in school this past week. It's midterm time, and all that. My intense midterm (Spanish literature) is this Wednesday, but my other tests haven't been too problematic. After I finish this entry, I have a loooot of 20th century Spanish literature to read, and hopefully comprehend.

The highlight of last week was Wednesday night- my friend Christine's mom was in town for the week, and got a short-term rental apartment for her stay here. She went on a trip mid-week to Madrid, so Hannah, Kim and I cooked some delicious pasta and HOMEMADE GUACAMOLE, among other things. That is something you take for granted in the states/at college- being able to cook dinner with friends, hang out, watch TV, etc. I can have people in my residencia room, but it's tiny- and the kitchen is definitely not dinner party material. But anyway, it was good times...oh, and we went to see high school musical three beforehand. don't judge. it fulfilled my long unfulfilled desire to see a movie ACTUALLY in english (not dubbed).

THIS WEEKEND:

well, as everyone knows, friday was halloween- some people (american people) dress up and go out, and some clubs have halloween specials catering to americans. I, for one, never am a major halloween fan, so I relished the opportunity to NOT dress up without feeling like a terrible person. Instead, I spent Friday wandering around. I went with my friend Juniper to get Indian food in Poble Nou, an area of the city to where I had never been. The food was AMAZING, and it is now my new favorite place. I had missed Indian food dearly. The rest of Friday was not too exciting.

Yesterday, Juniper and I wandered some more. First, to a plaza in the old city where artists set up their work on Saturday mornings. Next door, there was also an artisan market that only occurs on the first weekend of the month, with vendors selling cheeses, honey, breads, candles, etc. After that, we had both been talking about how we have hit a point in the semester where we have started missing people and things from home...we addressed this by going to FNAC (a big department store in plaza catalunya) and spending a lot of time in the english literature section. Even though I'm in the middle of my Teddy Roosevelt biography, I bought a Murakami book. It just looked so good, and I hope that Kyle is proud of me. Later, my friend Hannah's cousin is in town, so a few of us went out for tapas at one of our favorite places. We spent awhile at dinner, and then went to a few bars conveniently located close by. Another very fun night- I have very few weekends left here, so I'm trying to make it count. It's weird to think about.

Sidenote: today, yesterday, and for the past five days (since Wednesday)- the weather has been AWFUL. It has rained every day. It really lessens one's motivation to do anything when it is pouring- we're talking like an inch accumulation of rain, not just little showers. I liked barcelona better when there was a drought.

THE FUTURE:

that sounds ominous... anyway, the main thing on my short-term radar screen is tuesday's election. i'm not sure what we'll do here, but we'll probably go somewhere to watch the returns. nerve-wracking. then, my parents are coming this friday! i'll show them around the city, and then we're going to paris the second weekend they are here. which brings me into my travel schedule. I'll be in Paris November 13-17, Lisbon from the 21st to the 24th, and Sevilla/Cordoba (Southern Spain) from the 28th to December 1st. Excitement! Have I mentioned how amazing study abroad is for the travel opportunities alone?

sorry that was so long, happy november, and happy (i sincerely hope) almost election day!