On Saturday, the 7th of March, I happily welcomed two of my best amigas to Spain. With the arrival of Gillian and Erin, the Three Musketeers were once again reunited and it was a joyful occasion. They travelled all the way to Europe to spend their 8-night Spring Break vacations with me, and we had a great time together. We began our adventures in Retiro Park (of course), and we rented a row boat and set off on a rotic (that’s romantic without 
the man) cruise of the park’s man-made lake. With so many people out enjoying the fine spring weather, at times I thought we were in bumper boats, not row boats! Gillian had some issues rowing, but we took turns navigating our way around the lake until the setting sun and sea breeze cooled us off enough to turn in the oars.
the man) cruise of the park’s man-made lake. With so many people out enjoying the fine spring weather, at times I thought we were in bumper boats, not row boats! Gillian had some issues rowing, but we took turns navigating our way around the lake until the setting sun and sea breeze cooled us off enough to turn in the oars.Sundays are probably my favourite days in Madrid, and my Sunday with G and E was no exception. We all went to the Community Church of Madrid, and I was glad they could see my source for weekly Christian fellowship; plus, I couldn’t let them leave Spain without meeting Pastora Cathy! Through my mom’s generosity, we enjoyed a fabulous lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, La Finca de Susana. Shenning came into town and joined us for lunch and the rest of the day. Not only did 
we share a great meal to celebrate being reunited safely in Spain, but also we celebrated Gillian’s recent engagement and Shenning’s 23rd birthday! After our fine-dining experience, we strolled around the heart of the city, passing through parks, plazas, and palaces. Since we were in the area, we grabbed some seats at Madrid’s most famous churrería, San Gines, and had a supper of churros con chocolate. It was a lovely day.
we share a great meal to celebrate being reunited safely in Spain, but also we celebrated Gillian’s recent engagement and Shenning’s 23rd birthday! After our fine-dining experience, we strolled around the heart of the city, passing through parks, plazas, and palaces. Since we were in the area, we grabbed some seats at Madrid’s most famous churrería, San Gines, and had a supper of churros con chocolate. It was a lovely day.
As I have tried to stress before, I do actually work here in Madrid, and last week was no exception. Since Mondays are now 9:00-9:00 workdays, I sent Gillian and Erin off to Toledo for the day. We caught up with one another at their hostel later on that night when I brought them dinner. (Sometimes, I felt like I was their mother.) On Tuesday, G and E got to get a taste of what my jobs are like. They came to school with me and sat in on a 3rd and 2nd grade class. 3rd grade was preoccupied with preparing for St. Patrick’s Day, and there was little interaction between my guests and the kids… although, the girls were put in charge of the stapler for a time. During 2nd grade, I felt like I was at show-and-tell. My teacher, Cristina, and I made G & E stand up in front of the class and answer the questions each child asked. I thought this was a brilliant and convenient strategy to help the kids practice for their upcoming Trinity College exams, and it was really cute and funny to hear what they asked the girls. Gillian’s name transformed to Julian and then she became just Julie. The kids couldn’t really say Erin’s name very well at all. And this is why I thought it would be a good idea to go by Laura when I first came to Spain six months ago.
We ducked out of school at 12:30 and crossed town to get a taste of typical Spanish food from the north. We went to Casa Mingo (previously mentioned in entries involving Justin and Edward) and 
shared a tasty meal of cider-soaked chicken and sausages, salad, bread, and natural cider. They keep it simple at this Asturias cider house. With time to kill and food to digest, we experienced another common Spanish practice: we lied down on the grassy lawn of a park and took a nap. Refreshed and Vitamin-D induced, we crossed town in order to go to two of my private classes--my classes with the twins and my class with Fer and Belen. Unfortunately, Marcos and Aitor (who turned 4 the day before) were quite shy and played with their new birthday toys in their room. However, their mom, Marisa, talked with us and offered us birthday cake, cokes, and chips. I split my time between having a mini-teaparty on the living room floor and playing with toy cars in the boy´s room. Next we went to class with Fernando and Belén, where we practiced English conversation through get-to-know-you questions and then played Uno. We ended our Day in the Life Laura-Hailey at a cool café near my apartment and their hostel.
shared a tasty meal of cider-soaked chicken and sausages, salad, bread, and natural cider. They keep it simple at this Asturias cider house. With time to kill and food to digest, we experienced another common Spanish practice: we lied down on the grassy lawn of a park and took a nap. Refreshed and Vitamin-D induced, we crossed town in order to go to two of my private classes--my classes with the twins and my class with Fer and Belen. Unfortunately, Marcos and Aitor (who turned 4 the day before) were quite shy and played with their new birthday toys in their room. However, their mom, Marisa, talked with us and offered us birthday cake, cokes, and chips. I split my time between having a mini-teaparty on the living room floor and playing with toy cars in the boy´s room. Next we went to class with Fernando and Belén, where we practiced English conversation through get-to-know-you questions and then played Uno. We ended our Day in the Life Laura-Hailey at a cool café near my apartment and their hostel.Gillian and Erin went to El Escorial on Wednesday, and I met up with them at 8:00 after I finished work and after they visited the Prado Museum. I had planned for us to meet up with 
my Madrid friends in order to see a flamenco show, but we were all disappointed to find it closed for "algunas días por obras." Thus, we settled on talking over glasses of wine at another bar, sans flamenco. Thursday was a different story, and we were not disappointed. After the girls toured the Reina Sofa, the modern art museum, they visited Shenning in Alcalá de Henares. All three came back into Madrid that night, and we met the crew at one of Madrid´s best tapas bars—El Tigre. There, G & E got a real taste of how tapas should be done--drinking vino tinto,
eating Spanish specialties, and throwing elbows in order to have room to breathe (much less stand). We ended up sharing a table with two Spanish guys who, fortunately for the girls, spoke decent broken-English. Next, we moved on to another one of my favourite Madrid hangouts, Sol Y Sombra, the bar-club that plays a lot of fun American music. SK and Yadira joined us, and we had a blast taking over the dance floor. We were out just long enough to catch one of the last metro trains home.
my Madrid friends in order to see a flamenco show, but we were all disappointed to find it closed for "algunas días por obras." Thus, we settled on talking over glasses of wine at another bar, sans flamenco. Thursday was a different story, and we were not disappointed. After the girls toured the Reina Sofa, the modern art museum, they visited Shenning in Alcalá de Henares. All three came back into Madrid that night, and we met the crew at one of Madrid´s best tapas bars—El Tigre. There, G & E got a real taste of how tapas should be done--drinking vino tinto,
eating Spanish specialties, and throwing elbows in order to have room to breathe (much less stand). We ended up sharing a table with two Spanish guys who, fortunately for the girls, spoke decent broken-English. Next, we moved on to another one of my favourite Madrid hangouts, Sol Y Sombra, the bar-club that plays a lot of fun American music. SK and Yadira joined us, and we had a blast taking over the dance floor. We were out just long enough to catch one of the last metro trains home. Erin, Gillian, Shenning, and I spent Friday and Saturday in 
Salamanca. Having been there before, I took them to the more memorable bars to enjoy the delicious tapas of that part of Spain. We spent many hours wandering through the sunny streets and sandstone buildings. This time around, Salamanca was crowded with loads of people; from local high school students to university students to families and tourists, the streets were packed with people. We did a lot of people watching, particularly in Plaza Mayor. We didn’t do much touring, and we only went through the cathedral museum and the Casa Lis-Art Deco 
Museum. The girls did some shopping, and we are all now proud owners of Salamanca's unique jewelry called filigrana charra.
Salamanca. Having been there before, I took them to the more memorable bars to enjoy the delicious tapas of that part of Spain. We spent many hours wandering through the sunny streets and sandstone buildings. This time around, Salamanca was crowded with loads of people; from local high school students to university students to families and tourists, the streets were packed with people. We did a lot of people watching, particularly in Plaza Mayor. We didn’t do much touring, and we only went through the cathedral museum and the Casa Lis-Art Deco 
Museum. The girls did some shopping, and we are all now proud owners of Salamanca's unique jewelry called filigrana charra.We came back to Madrid on Saturday evening.
All four of us ate dinner at mine and Shenning’s absolutely favorite place in Madrid: Maoz—the vegetarian falafel version of Moe’s. The Three Musketeers wandered through Madrid’s city center one last time, stopped at La Soberbia (another regular spot of my crew) for one last glass of vino tinto and some recapping conversation, and then we all spent the night together in their hostel. Early Sunday morning, I walked the girls to the metro stop and said goodbye. 
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