Huespedes Amanda 2 Madrid

Our apartment in Madrid is at #5 Calle de Jesus close to pretty much everything, bars, cafes, restaurants, the Museo de Prado. The owner, a lovely guy called Caesare, described the area as "bohemian", which is true – and it rocks on very late every night. Fortunately the apartment is on the 4th floor and insulated from the street noise.

Like most Madrilenos we have taken to dining late, not quite as late as the ...

... door I look around not one empty seat, I am sitting in the correct seat as my ticket too. hmmm? wierd maybe whoever was in my seat sat somewhere else or maybe we are going to pick up more people or one person the person in seat 37 i don´t put anything in the overhead compartment yet i clutch it ready to either move out of my spot or get kicked off. After I realize we really are on the motor way and not stopping I put my stuff away. I really made it on the bus ...

... over there. They called me in right away. Thank the good Lord I had Steph with me to translate. I had no idea what was going on. The male nurse was So nice though. He took some blood and made me pee in a cup and stuff. Steph thought the whole situation was hilarious so she even got a picture. I'll put it up once I get it. We went back to the waiting room again. The second time they called my name (the only way I knew it was me was when they said Chloann-A) I went in (again with ...

... could find the party. We went to a couple of very packed bars (the Dubliner, Black and White, El Sitio), before ending up at El Tigre. The bar had stuffed game on the wall, octopus and other unprocessed meats in a deli-style serving line, and alcohol to accompany it all. I was really shocked when I saw it, but we all ordered drinks and they gave us a free appetizer to go ...

... an incredible experience as well. I've fulfilled one of my lifelong dreams, seeing the Guggenheim in Bilbao, the Alhambra in Granada, Gaudi in Barcelona, Paris, Amsterdam, Prague, the list goes on!! This year abroad has also taught me how much I take for granted back home. Things like fresh air, nice(r) people, a car, dryer, etc., though seemingly trivial, make life so much easier back in ...

... the Thomson Destiny called "Colourful Coasts (Tenerife)" that's our itinerary. The girls are all soooo excited for the cruise!! I'm so glad we decided to do this for spring break, as opposed to all the rest of the kids from school who still don't even know what they're doing, and will probably end up spending double the money and backpacking somewhere with half the safety. So, that's really all I have for today. Once again, missing lots of details I wish I could give every last one.....

... coming soon). Now skipping ahead to about 10pm, we are usually just finishing cena (dinner) and it is time to go out, and meet with friends, and hopefully make new friends. This process is especially difficult for me as my common phrase is ¨soy habla español un poco¨(I speak only a little spanish); however it gives me extra incentive to learn mas espanol muy rapido (more spanish quickly). So now it is ...

... out. Most of the nights we went out dancing, though the night life there (for me at least) did not live up to its reputation, though it was still fun. This was another port where I was out al night and up early in the morning, almost never sleeping. I don't know how that works but I think I am going to need to hibernate when I get back to make up for all the lost sleep. Barcelona was a really fun town. It was always busy and full of local people rushing around. It was cool ...

... almost four months now, and realize that I have taken about one photo per month of the city so far. It's quite typical I think. You go on a weekend break to Rome for four days, running around like a "skadeskutt" hyena while snapping about a zillion photos. Being a tourist in your "hometown" however, is typically a bit more difficult. Having an "infinite" amount of time makes it very easy to postpone things. I remember when living in Stockholm a ...

... cafe and the London and Madrid airports. Just as a note, rap in Spanish is every bit as annoying as in English. My time is running out and I must go to dinner. I will make every effort to update regularly. Tomorrow is Toledo and Madrid. Best to all!