To be honest, I didn't want to do many of the big cities when I came here but it doesn't seem possible to travel to Spain and not go to Madrid. It was one more place checked off the list! I spent a few days in the capital with mom and dad before they flew back home. Unfortunately, it rained 80% of the time so I didn't quite get the full effect of the city but I still feel like I got a nice overview!

First off, we did a tour of the city... on bikes. If that sounds like a dangerous idea it's because it was. Rusty bike riders + pedestrians + narrow European streets + rain = no good. I knocked over barrier gates at one point. Nevertheless, we saw a lot of the city! It also helped that our tour guide was so patient with us.

We also did a tapas tour because what's an Anand trip without a food tour? Our guide was British and so incredibly knowledgeable about not only Spanish cuisine but also Spain's history. We ate and walked and talked and learned. It was also a really great way to see the city at night. I ate some of the best food I've had in Spain yet! My favorites included these delicious mushrooms stuffed with chorizo and tiny garlic shrimps that were served in clay pots.

All in all, Madrid was lovely but I was excited to come back to Sevilla. I think I am quickly becoming very biased toward this city...

Since Sunday was a national holiday in Spain, we didn't have school Monday! When I asked why we had Monday off if the holiday was on Sunday, a Spaniard replied with "because we don't have our day of rest on Sunday, it is on Monday". I could have not translated the Spaniard correctly but either way, you see how important rest is here.

Because we didn't have anything planned for the long weekend, some friends and I spontaneously decided to rent an apartment in another neighborhood in Sevilla for the night. This sounds crazy but it turned out to be so much fun. We explored an area called Arenal and I found really tasty pistachio ice cream. Several other students came over and we drank wine and danced to Spanish music. It was a wonderful staycation!

We are back at it tomorrow -- research papers and all. I nearly forgot I had school work to do. Bye!