Day 7 ¡Hola España!

Peña Cortada aqua duct, Chelva Spain

Part of ancient Roman aqua duct and Aunt Mona (not ancient)
Madrid
Madrid street
Plaza Mayor, Madrid

I tried posting something last night when I got here but I was feeling a little like a zombie so it did not go so well. :) My flight arrived in Madrid early yesterday morning so I spent the day touring the city and then caught a 4 hr bus to Valencia where my aunt lives. I have not been to Madrid since my study abroad in 2000 so the random memories sparked by different places I visited was kind of fun. I was carrying my backpack so I all I did was wander around and see the sights from the outside. Generally I won´t have to carry my pack all day like that because I should be able to check into a hostel in the morning. I probably walked 5 miles with it (and learned that Madrid is actually rather hilly)! I am also feeling my age a little as my whole body is aching today...

I had no plan when I got there but I visited the tourist office in the airport and got a map and subway routes and I was off! One of my favorite things is stepping out into a new city and trying to orient myself. It is challenging and exciting! But after about half an hour of walking around by myself I thought, "Uh-oh this is kind of boring. It might be a long summer!" Actually I have felt guilty and selfish many times for taking this trip so I am trying to find meaningful purposes to help myself feel better. So far I have 1)meet many new people and 2)eat ice cream/pastries in every place I visit. Both very important. (Keeping a blog has helped since it is a little way to share my travels with others). I have been to Spain a few times so it was kind of fun to try and see it through new eyes and think about what I would like to share. I enjoyed the beautiful buildings, the plazas and fountains, and wandering along the small cobblestone streets. I´m also intrigued by the hordes of mopeds, tight parking and narrow streets.

My Spanish is terrible! I understand a fair amount when I read but as soon as I try and speak everything gets jumbled up. In fact, yesterday I accidentally said, "No hablo Ingles" (I don´t speak English) to two different people! By mid-afternoon I was totally spent so I made my way to the bus station and slept like a hobo on the floor for a couple of hours. It is funny some of the things I do in foreign countries that I probably would not in my own!

Today we visited an ancient Roman aqua duct in the mountains a little outside of their town. It was great! The topography (I am patting myself on the back for this big word-hope I used it right) around here reminds me a little bit of Austin, kind of dry and hilly. However instead of oak trees the area is covered in olive and orange trees. (Oranges are a big export for Valencia- look for them next time you are in the grocery store)! Also to note- never try to eat a raw olive. I did make this mistake once in the past and the bitter fruit tasted nothing like what we get from jars!

Thank you all for reading and for your fun comments!