Lunes - 21.00

Today was a pretty darn good day. I woke up late, but still managed to get to the university twenty minutes early. I guess I'm just that quick at getting ready... Class went pretty well, but we didn't get our midterms or compositions back yet. I'm not sure when we'll get them, but hopefully it's soon! I want to know how I did! After class I sat in the little park across from the departmental building where I have class. (No bird pooped on my bag today!) I finished reading the first chapter of the assignment due for my class tomorrow. Then I decided it was lunch time, and headed to the supermarket across the street from campus. I ended up buying another chicken and cheese wrap, a new jar of Nutella (which is apparently Madagascar collection, three different jars with two characters on each), and two packages of pretzels.

I ate one of the wraps before getting on the metro, and the second on the metro. Instead of going straight home today, I went to the same metro stop where I bought my schoolbooks and my orange dress. I went into the store because I wanted a blue t-shirt. The metro ride was long enough that I was able to read the entire second chapter of my assignment! I was pretty excited. I did some multitasking today haha. At the store, I ended up buying a royal blue tank top and a floral print green/yellow one with lace on the back. After I paid the small total for both, I literally had .06euros left in my purse. That'll keep you from spending too much. I only had a five left from the supermarket, and now I don't. But I'm really happy with my purchases, and I'm not going to spend anymore on clothes! I can't afford it! After I made my way back to the apartment, I took an indoor break. I did my usual email, Facebook, nap combination.

After I woke up I had a snack of Nutella and crackers. I have GOT to learn self-restraint when it comes to Nutella... Then I filled my water bottle, grabbed my sunglasses and my camera, and headed out to Plaza de España, where Karina said there was a good garden and temple for photographs.

I ended up walking around trying to find them for a while, and it turns out I should have left my sunglasses at the apartment and brought an umbrella instead! It was the first time it's rained since I've been here, and I was SO glad to be outside when it happened. I love the rain. I did need to dash under an underpass to wrap my camera in my scarf and carefully place it in my purse, which turns out to be big enough, so that it didn't get wet. I acted fast enough that it didn't even have a drop on it. Then I walked around in the rain for a bit, until it stopped (like ten minutes tops). Then I got my camera back out and found the gardens. 

                              (Palacio Real in the distance)

It was so pretty! One thing about Madrid that I really like is that there are parks everywhere, and most are beautiful. This one had a very picturesque view of the Palacio Real (Royal Palace). It's not used for the royal family anymore, it functions as a museum, but it was still really cool to be able to see it. I made my way to the entrance, and I think I'm going to go back to see it tomorrow, because they close at 20.00, and I got there at about 19.30pm. I got lots of pictures of the park, and then the outside of the Palacio, so it was worth it. I also know where it is, so I won't get lost when I try to find it again, which is a major plus. I headed home about a half hour later, the time it took me to mosey on back to the metro stop.

I also had two people compliment me and tell me that I am "guapa" (beautiful) today. One man said it as I was walking to the metro this morning for school, more to himself than me I think. The other was a man who only looked a bit older than me as we were getting off the metro at Pacífico, my metro stop. He said it to me, and he said something else, but it was in Spanish as he was walking away, so I don't know what it was. I find it very flattering to hear things like that. It brightens my day... unless it's said by an old man, then it just creeps me out. 

I just ate dinner, a delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwich. I was glad it wasn't served with gazpacho, like last time. Pilar was again perplexed by how little I eat. I eat until I'm full though, I guess it just doesn't take too much. She thought I didn't like the food, but I told her I did, which is true. It's all been really good, and the only thing I haven't liked was the gazpacho, which I didn't tell her about. So that's a fun fact I suppose. I had my yogurt dessert again too. It's so yummy. Now I'm planning my day tomorrow. I'm going to go back to Plaza de España and visit the Templo de Debod, which I didn't get to see today, and then Palacio Real, because I won't get there a half hour before it closes. Their website says there's a student discount too!

But I'm about to head to the shower and then bed, because I'm tired! That's another thing I've noticed about being here, I have little to no energy. I always feel like a slug, and I'm very grateful for the escalators in the metro, because stairs seem like such a huge task. I'm not sure why, I'm guessing it's because I walk more here than in the US, and thus use more of my energy more quickly? I had a Gatorade yesterday before/during the bullfight to try and get some energy, but it didn't work. It tasted good though, and it was cold since I had just purchased it, so I guess that was a plus. I think I now understand why coffee is such a big part of the culture here too, people drink it in the morning and after lunch. Too bad caffeine doesn't work for my body. But until tomorrow, adiós!