SPAIN.......FINALLY!!

After a very long trip over the ocean blue I arrived in the Frankfurt airport where I had to wait in a very long line and go through security again. I'm not really sure what I could have received 30,000 ft. I arrived in Madrid at my apartment in late afternoon. It is about 20 either way on the metro to school. It has 8 inhabitants including me. I know this sounds like a lot because it is... there hasn't been too much drama yet though. There are two Italians who were friends before, a French guy, a Peruvian couple and a guy and girl who are friends and I think they're both from England. There is a grocery store next door downstairs and little shops down the street that have specialty stuff like bread and fruit and Churros and Chocolate (freakin' amazing). My room has a terrace and the picture of the tall buildings is what my view is. There is a 'plaza' at the end of the block which has a fountain (see picture). The other picture is of me and two people from Pomona, Gaby and Gladys, who used to live here but now don't!!

Over all things a fantastic!!! I can't eat anything they serve here so I'll probably be a stick when I come back although I may give up trying to avoid pork because it's like the national freakin' animal and it's in everything or is everything they eat really!! I haven't really gotten used to the euro and how ridiculously expensive it is to get your own money!!!

I was seriously missing sweet things that did not involve me gaining like a million pounds/kilos. I was craving nutella and could not for the life of me find it then one day while I was taking a gander at the register I saw it and wanted to jump up and down and hug someone but I couldn't because I already got weird looks for wandering around the store without a purpose. Anyway, the nutella definitely hit the spot and made me super happy.

Orientation is over now but it was a really good intro to the city and to the history of Spain in general. Before it started I walked 40 minutes (should've been shorter but I may have gotten a little lost because the street signs are on the buildings not on poles what is up with that?) to the "Central Park" called Parque del Retiro. It is gorgeous and there were tons of families there and street vendors and performers. There is a lake (see picture) and other fountains and stuff scattered throughout the park. After I walked there I went to find my school but forgot the number of the building....anyway. I then took the metro back because 2 hours of walking a being lost was getting a little old.

The lion is one of two in front of the building the houses congress. That was a walking 'tour' we did with our ayudantes (helpers). The poster was in the Circulo de Bellas Artes exhibit about the rise and decline of Franco (the last dictator of Spain). The guy in the middle was one of the first presidents and I just liked the propaganda of the poster....reaching out to all types of people. The other picture is in the same building and we really aren't looking at anything we were just a little bored. Oh, the last picture is of the entrance into the exhibit and we are all pretending to ride bikes....I know it's really convincing.