Well, as I said last week, the parents arrived on Monday. I went over there briefly to say hi and to get the suitcase full of winter clothes (and some general favorites I was convinced not to bring aka my lovely flannel shirt and hiking boots). We went to the grocery store, which consisted of me explaining all of the food that was there. They went back to the apartment (in the rich area of town) and I returned to my own. I ate dinner with my roommates and put away my clothes, collecting the ones I was going to send home with them.
Tuesday was still uneventful. I skipped lunch with some girls from my art history class and met Mom and Dad downtown for lunch instead, then walked around and subsequently returned to our apartments to meet for dinner. We ate at a tapas bar called Toma Jamon, drawn in by the pig's leg outside the door. We walked around a bit more, then returned to our respective apartments.
Wednesday, I woke up early to go to the gym. After that, I did some work and the went to class at 4. After my last one, I met my parents at the metro to bring them home to meet my host parents. Maite speaks a little English, where Ricardo speaks none. Watching my parents try to communicate was a little funny, but translation is hard. While communicating in either language is easy, transitioning between the two is getting easier, but translation remains difficult. Not everything has a direct translation and eventually I was just communicating basic ideas to each. We then went to an Italian restaurant by Ricardo's recommendation, which was delicious.
Thursday, we met for dinner, eating at a 300 year old restaurant that Hemingway frequented when he lived in Spain (Circa "The Sun Also Rises"). While the food was good, it was more the atmosphere. I, however, was really excited to be able to say that night with my friends that I had eaten at a restaurant frequented by Hemingway. Yeah, as in Hemingway the author. After dinner, I joined up with some friends to head out. Again, we got into a club for free. I left early, especially by Spanish standards (got called an Abuelita and Viejita for leaving at 3 - little grandma and old lady), to wake up for Toledo with the parents.
Thursday, we met for dinner, eating at a 300 year old restaurant that Hemingway frequented when he lived in Spain (Circa "The Sun Also Rises"). While the food was good, it was more the atmosphere. I, however, was really excited to be able to say that night with my friends that I had eaten at a restaurant frequented by Hemingway. Yeah, as in Hemingway the author. After dinner, I joined up with some friends to head out. Again, we got into a club for free. I left early, especially by Spanish standards (got called an Abuelita and Viejita for leaving at 3 - little grandma and old lady), to wake up for Toledo with the parents.
We met at the Atocha station around 10, bought our tickets for the 12:20 train and went to the Reina Sofia to kill time. We then spent entirely too much time in Toledo for our own good, took the train back around 7:00 and ate dinner back at Mom and Dad's apartment.
Saturday morning, we drove up to San Sebastian, where our efforts to make it to our apartment were thwarted by a protest caused by the arrest of a banned Spanish political party that calls for the independence of the Basque region. Thus, streets were closed and we had to leave the city to get to the Parte Antiguo, or the old part of town. Our apartment was along the beach. Unfortunately, it was a little too cold to go to the beach.
On Sunday, we got into the Bilbao Guggenheim for free, as they were celebrating their 12th anniversary. I enjoyed myself thoroughly, seeing more of the artwork we're studying in my class. Then Monday (yesterday), I boarded a train to return to Madrid to return to the real world. Or at least as real as it can get.
No comments:
Post a Comment