I took a 2:30 am bus to Madrid, and rushed to find the gate exit where Mike and Amy would be getting off their plane. Turns out there was no need to rush as I had to wait 1 1/2 hours for their delayed plane etc. I got to see lots of little couples and families reuniting and for as sweet as it was, it made me really anxious for my two. After all of that waiting and watching for them, they somehow spotted me before I saw them. And as they had previously bet each other, I cried. I think I should get the winnings.
We went to the ATM, and as soon as Mike got his money out, I "tore it away from him" so he says. Really, it was to go in my money belt and it was for his own good, but the poor guy had never seen a euro and I deprived him of his sacred moment with the money. Luckily, he got very cozy with euros throughout the trip, and even cozier with spending them.
So. Although Mike and Amy were super tired and ready for bed as soon as they arrived, I intended to help them stay ahead of the jet lag. This included homeopathic tablets (which are magic) and no sleep, just walking around the entire city. My plan wasn't very foolproof...and this is what it earned me. Two very un-photogenic, half-asleep friends. Although Mike is smiling, his eyes are actually closed and he may or may not be sleeping. While walking through a park and the botanical gardens, they turned to desperate bargaining with me for sleep. Finally I agreed to give them an hour so we could head out and see the city at night.
After a few days apart, I met up again with Meg and Julie. Just finding friend crawling all over Spain. The usual. To take full advantage of our limited time together, I even considered sitting in their hostel room while they each took turns showering. Sounds strange, but it's actually weirder than you think. They had a bathroom in their room, which consisted of three walls blocking in a corner and those walls didn't reach all the way to the ceiling, nor did they have their own makeshift ceiling. So literally, I could have tossed Meg some soap into the shower while sitting on the bed. It made for very easy conversation. Julie even said while in the shower, "Wow, I really feel like you guys are in here!"
I'm posting this simply because I love the picture. I was unreal kinds of happy to have Mike in Spain with me. It's always strange to see people in places you never could have pictured them. I was holding on tight, hoping he wouldn't leave. I even offered him homemade dinners and to take over my private tutoring sessions to make money (this was done semi selfishly)...but apparently my deal wasn't tempting enough. Still left!
I remember Amy being near sleep coma before we found children running around these little mazes made of hedges. She and I had to join. She went straight for the tree and insisted I come over, making for one of our very best pictures together. We should have had a hedge maze at our apartment in Buffalo last year, if only we had known.
Mike and I at the Royal Palace in Madrid (Palacio Real). I ran them back and forth saying "Yes, this is the door, no this is definitely it, oh wait! The one all the way across the plaza- I'm sure this time." We did manage to see everything we wanted to! However, I didn't make any tips as a tour guide for this visit.
Amy and I in Retiro Park in front of one of the little ponds. It's one of my very favorite spots in Madrid. Truly, Madrid has never treated me terribly, but it's never felt comfortable. I am learning bit by bit to like it more but it will never be like my little northern cities. I can say though, that it was my best trip there yet, and I think the city itself had nothing to do with that...
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