Friday

School lets out early every Friday. (No exam results today) In culture class we began talking about the many different regional and national dances of Spain, in addition to flamenco.

Amanda and I went straight home to read, nap, and shower (respectively) before lunch. 

 When Patricia came home she brought her sister Lola who will be preparing lunch for us from Sun-Wed., while Patricia is at Euro Disneyland in Paris with her daughter and granddaughter. 

Amanda was asleep and Alice was on some field trip with her program, so only I ended up meeting her. Then while Patricia was cooking our meal I began asking her questions and talking with her about places to go and things to see, about history and people, etc. I really loved just attempting to talk with her without any stress or pressure. 

We had a fantastic pasta salad today with arugula, cashews, tomatoes, cheese, and pasta with a olive oil and salt dressing; there was also pan fried chicken. A poor, hungry Alice came in late because the excursion had lasted a long time.
Then after lunch Patricia began showing us images of her work...which is amazing.  She uses mostly oil paints and some black and white charcoal.   Her subject matter ranges from family and friends to paintings of the sea and sky.  In several works she incorporates mirrors in order to involve the observer in the piece (She has one which is like a giant family meal/last supper.  1/2 of the table is painted with food and people while the other half is set up right next to the painting...and around this you can sit and interact with the painting.) 

 

....

I went on a late afternoon walk to the exchange place and then around by the palace where I went down into the gardens which lie to the side. It was relaxing on such a beautiful day. 

Eventually I made my way home to relax a little before the evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Alice, Amanda, and I made plans for food and fun later on in the evening. Then Alice took a nap and we two went to Retiro for a walk. It was a beautiful, cool evening and the park was so fun. It is enormous and has so many different parts to it. Open green spaces, a giant pond, wooded walking trails, open garden spaces etc. We had a really good time just wandering through it. 

Towards the end, while looking for the restroom we walked into this crazy book market that was packed. 

 

 

 

 

 

(Bridge in our neighborhood; I have posted pictures taken from on top of it previously)

 

 

 

 

(A garden within a park...was not really curved this is just how the pano turned out.)

 

(Broccoli trees)

(She apparently had never climbed a tree before.)

 

(You can just see the Prado Museum behind this gate)

(The wooded portion of Retiro)

 

At 9:40ish we made it to La Latina where we were meeting Alice and several others to go out for Pinchos week in La Latina...this is a special menu that is put out featuring these small tapas like items...one from 41 different restaurants. The idea is that you chose the pinchos you are interested in trying and then go from restaurant to restaurant finally voting on you favorites. Each pincho is only 2.50€ and is served with a little beer. (same drink at each place). 

Once we found the group we set off to settle on the first place we found. Someone on the street, obviously sent out to shepherd people to a restaurant, caught us and took us to our first stop. This pincho was Salmon TarTar with caviar and sprouts all sitting on a little rice wafer. It was pretty good. 

2nd pincho was a wedge of really yummy tortilla de patatas (potato quiche) on top of a slice of bread. 

3rd was a little chicken wrap... this was the groups favorite.

(The Pinchos)

(Alice)

(These three not so great pics are from pincho stop #1.

Just above is Amanda and Jasmine)

(Pincho #2)

(Alice, Me, Cindy, Genevieve, Amanda... the two "unknowns are also from Hunter College)

 

At 12 we split up and Amanda and I took the 7 minute walk back home for bed.

--EM