Madrid

It's been one week and two days since I left Blois. It was really hard, and I miss it loads already. It feels like longer than it has been. I had a proper, movie-style airport goodbye with Nico, and left me very emotional and trying not to cry in front of the other passengers. England seemed very strange when I arrived, as has done the last couple of times. Understanding people's conversations on the train was a surreal experience, and the rain was a not-very-nice welcome back! But after a day or two, and having discovered brioche for sale at the local Tesco, I was getting back into the swing of things. I went up to Royal Holloway for the weekend and saw lots of lovely people, but then it was time to leave for Spain! So now I'm in Madrid staying with Natalie and James, and tomorrow I'll go to Cadiz to stay with Diana.

I arrived Monday afternoon and in the evening we went for a meal at a Bulgarian restaurant (of all places!) with one of the teachers and Lambrina, another assistant. The food was really good, though it felt rather odd to be eating it my first day in Spain! Tuesday was a holiday - the fiesta de San Isidro (Madrid's patron saint) and we heard there were things going on in town, so got the metro and wandered around Plaza Mayor and had lunch there (including the most horrible coffee i've ever drunk... it was so strong I couldn't finish it! Hoping it was a one off and that it isn't representative of all coffee in Spain) All the kids were dressed up (and quite a few adults) in the traditional costumes, which was fun!

I was on my own the next day because Natalie and James had to work, so did some sight-seeing round Madrid. Went to the Palacio Real, which turned out to be free entry for EU citizens on Wednesdays, sweet! It was very magnificent inside, and there was a kind of ceremony going on with the guards as well. After that, took the metro across town to the Museo de Reina Sofia, a modern art museum... only 3 euros to get in with my ISIC card (which was expired, but the man let me in anyway!). Saw loads of stuff by Dali, Picasso and Joan Miro, including Picasso's 'Guernica', which was impressionant. I didn't see the whole museum because I was feeling a bit jaded by that point, so I walked back through the Parquo del Retiro, which was beautiful and quite peaceful. I was rather impressed with my language skills that day, when somebody asked me directions to the Palacio Real... (was also pleased as I figured this meant I wasn't too obviously toursity!) and I managed to say (in Spanish) that I didn't speak Spanish, only English and French. The couple was actually French so I then gave them directions! I felt very multilingual.

Today I was rather unadventurous and just walked around the shops in town... I wasn't really up for visiting more museums, although the Prado is supposedly a must-see. Anyway, I'm getting the train early tomorrow so not much more chance for sight-seeing, but I think i've got a good taste of Madrid and the feel of the city all the same. Cadiz tomorrow, and Cordoba this weekend. Muy bien.