Corpus Christi...And Dinner at Maria Carmen's

Amanda and I took a long walk through the neighborhood morning after sleeping in quite late. We started out in search of  a large flee market called el Rastro which our host mom mentioned at breakfast but we couldn't find it. This walk was the pleasant alternative. We meandered all the way from our house to the grab puerto de Toledo and then back up to el Palacio Real. 

The following series of pictures shows what we saw while walking. 

At the end of our street. 

We then headed across the street and to the left up a slope. Which led us to a church, San Isidro, and another plaza, de Tirso Molina, with a little fountain.

From here we continues left past this mural it was a very pleasant day, a lot of people were out probably due to the holiday.

This was an interesting place, it seemed like a kind of mall but it was closed so it is hard to be sure.

We entered the Latin quarter of the city. 

 

 

Our location across from the theater. From here we went onto Calle de Toledo until we reached Gta Puerta de Toledo... From there we went up Gran Via de San Franscisco until we reached the Palace. The following is on Toledo Street.

 

 

This is part of the Plaza de Toledo, which didn't have much apart from a playground and some benches, and this sculpture:

 

 

The Glorieta de Puerta de Toledo:

Shortly after this on the busy Gran Via you come to the church of San Francisco  el Grande.

It had a lovely garden to the side with such views.

This last section returns us to the Plaza de Oriente where we met Alice around 2.

The views were wonderful. 

 

(Amanda in a little park that we stumbled upon.) 

 

And at last the Palace. 

(This is where we were standing for the previous pics...the Almudena Cathedral)

And more pics from Oriente

 

 

 

 

We took a different way home...

(This is La Encarnación)

 

 

 

(Image above is the Royal Academy of Medicine, in the middle with the flag)

 

 

(The little church next to our road all decorated for Corpus Christi)

 

Lunch today was white rice, fried egg, a little "hot dog," and melon for dessert.

 

Then much later:

Dinner at Maria Carmen's at 6:00....so much food and lots of fun. 

Sierra

Megan

Maria Carman and Ana Pilau (Megan's host)

 Amanda & I

Kyle, Maria Carmen, and Ana

(Very big meal with all kinds of  traditional Spanish food. Starting in the front right corner is a plater of ham, cheese and olives; front middle is a tortilla de patatas, next is the bread. The pink/red drink is Gazpacho with a cucumber wedge. Behind that is a "pedestrian" salad. Next in the way back is a huge paella with rice, veggies, shrimp, and chicken to be topped with an aoli of mayonnaise, evoo, and garlic. And finally you have a Spanish empenada......it was all delicious!!)

 My 1st Plate!

Megan & Tanner

Amanda, Sierra, & Tanner

Kyle & Tanner

Tanner & I with creepy Amanda in the back

Maria Carmen & I

 

 

 

We learned about Spanish food and about Flamenco dancing. There was good food, great company, lots of laughs...maybe some (or a lot) of Sangria shared... A very good evening and we were home by 11:30!

 

Love to all,

Emily