Last day of school

Aren't last days of school, just your favourite time of the year? They are for me!

And this was an exceptionally good last day of school! I think it could be due to the fact that the math teacher was sick, but don't quote me on that! Or maybe it was because all of the lessons were rather relaxed for once.

We had gym, in which we learnt the art of massage. Next was maths, we played badminton. And in Latin I made some videos of the class!

Badminton was a very productive lesson. Fernando and I went around with my camera and took photos of every one in the class. And of course played badminton! I now have a photo of me and every member of my Spanish class.

I had to leave at break because I had a lot of packing to do and only a day to do it. I have a feeling they missed the bit when I said I was actually coming back again! Because when I left they were all acting like it was the last goodbye.

But it did rather feel like it. I will miss these people!

Outing with Andrea

A few days before I left to go to England, Andrea, her family (Casi, Miguel and Pablo), and I went out together a walked through central Madrid. Seeing all the landmarks. It was really fun! We went to El Plaza Mayor, El Palacio Real, The Temple of Debod - a gift from Egypt to Spain - and various other places, but I forget names! And they pointed out all the historical and famous places that are here.

Half way through the day the boys retired, exhausted, back to the house.

And when I had had the full tour we met with them to have lunch at a little restaurant which is famous for its Paella. It was a very strange experience eating paella in a restaurant for a change, but nice! From there we went home briefly and then to the cinemas. Andrea, Miguel and Pablo opted to see Planet 51, which had been all the rage here because it was written by the Spanish and got dubbed into English.... a big deal apparently. Casi and I however decided to go see what all the hype was with Paranormal Activity. But to be honestly, I still don't understand! I nearly fell asleep. Then to end they day, we got some proper hot chocolate and went home. Then a little later on, I got back on the metro and headed back to Herrera Oria.

Christmas spirit!

December, I think has to be my favourite month of the year. I am either in Australia where it is summer, therefore summer holidays and Christmas. Or in the North, where it is cold and snowy and Christmassy! Fun in every country.

At the beginning of December I was still in Madrid and all the Christmas spirit was beginning to show. So I went into the center of Madrid to have a look at all the lights that had been turned on. Everyone had turned to a craze of wearing hats, with reindeer horns, santa figures and various other things associated with Christmas. It was rather amusing watching them all! The thing I remember most about my night out was however, I don't know why...maybe I am just a bad person! It was a little iceskating rink in the center of Callao, and there were all these little kids on it, and for the life of them they couldn't stand up for more than a minute! Constantly falling over. And I couldn't help laughing at them.... I think all the parents standing around me were a little surprised!

But anyway. In Madrid they have a ridiculous amount of Christmas trees, fake of course, I lost count!

Slacker

Months and months it has been since I last wrote. In fact a new year has begun.

I don't really have any reasonable excuse to tell the truth! But I have never been one for keeping journals, and obviously blogs are like online journals. So there we go!

Many things have happened, I have been to England for Christmas and New Years and now am back in Madrid. Although not for long! In a week I will be off again to join my mum and sister in Morocco.

I am very very excited!

So now I will try and get you up to speed on what you have missed.... it may be challenging as I have also abandoned my diary. But we'll see!

Another long weekend :)

Well, I am exhausted after another long weekend! But I love them anyway. If only life were a weekend!

On Friday after school I was planning on having a quiet one, but Paula invited me out to one of her friends so I thought 'why not, I can sleep later' - little did I know then later was 7 am on Saturday, later - so I went out with Paula. It was a fairly normal little hang, there was one girl there from Latin America so she had the music pumping and was dancing salsa! When at last they got bored of hanging around in that house we went out to a club. But by this time it was already about 5 am. And even though I am a night person by this time I was extremely tired!

So in the end I came and Paula, definitely the partier in the family, went out once more!

On Saturday night I went out with Cathy and her friends to what was called the metro parade. I had assumed it would be, literally, a metro parade! Turned out to be a birthday party in which all the people were dressed up at some metro station in Madrid. I was rather shocked when I found out! But it was fun, really really really different than what I am used to in a party, but fun never the less!

Anyway. In confession it is now January and I honestly don't remember what else I did. I just found this draft on the blog so I thought I should post it!

Segovia & La Granja

The Royal Palace of La Granja

I don't have much to show for this day trip as my camera, which I love and am very thankful for, decided to run out of battery in La Granja, so I have a total of eighteen photos of the whole day!

Not a happy chappy.

But I am sure Google can help me out with memories...

So last weekend I went with my host parents to the countryside, felt I needed to get in contact with nature a little, being a country girl and all....well somewhere deep inside my heart anyway. It was beautiful, the trees all had their autumn leaves and the air was fresh! On Saturday we arrived quite late in the afternoon, Merche (host mother) and I lay out in the sun and got a bit of tanning done. How I had missed sunbaking! And it is even better here because I don't need to worry so much about the whole hole in the ozone layer problem...well so much anyway!

Then for the night they went out to meet some of their friends so I went to bed early, honestly my imagination got the best of me and I could no longer sit alone in the living room! Dexter is not good for girls who stay alone in houses....

Then on Sunday, Raul (host father) and I went on a little outing together to Segovia and La Granja, we drove over the mountains and into the valley. The palace at La Granja is stunning! Well I didn't actually go inside but the gardens were nice!

Then we drove to Segovia, which has a few more things to see...we had lunch first in a cute little tapas bar and went sightseeing.

Now I have cheated and used google as my resource for photos to put here, I know I know, and I am sure this is copyright...but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

First we went to the famous Aqueduct which was built in Roman times and still in use now, it is amazing how they managed to build so well such a thing so long ago.

Then we went to the famous gothic cathedral which was also really beautiful, churches always amaze me. How people put so much effort into every detail. And I am also curious as to how they always have paintings on the roofs!

And lastly to the castle which is now a museum, with lots of old knights clothing, swords, cannons, and normal everyday things they used.

All these things are very interesting for me - and I am sure most Australians - as it is so different to be in a country with so much historic things. All the amazing architecture here really leaves me speechless! I love Australia, but we are only famous for the Oprah House!

Segovia...

The Aqueduct

Gothic Cathedral

Anddddd....the palace!

That's all there is, there isn't anymore.

Germany and beyond!

Me in three countries, Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium!

Lotta!

It is a shame I can never seem to write about my holiday whilst still in the country I am talking about!

I am back in Spain now again and am rather exhausted! I have been back for a week and a bit now actually. Enrolled in evening Spanish classes twice a week right in the center of Madrid which is exciting and hopefully can give me more confidence with my Spanish!

Ok, well...Germany was amazing! I went for one week and it was full of exciting things! Breakfasts consisted of many different cheeses on fresh bread with tomato and cucumber, served with coffee! Yummm.

The train ride there was however quite stressful, after finally getting on the last (or so I thought) train of day I settled down and went to sleep. When I woke up again the train was stopped so I assumed it was my stop. I grabbed my suitcase and jumped off just as the doors were closing, it was freezing outside! Then I realised that no one was there to pick me up and it was one hour earlier than I was supposed to arrive, of course this had to be the day I ended up in the middle of nowhere. After mine and Storms traumatic walk to the train station, which left my hands shaking and heart beating a hundred miles per hour, and our sad goodbye it just really wasn't what I needed! But being a mature young adult I sorted out a train and let everyone know I was going to be late BEFORE I broke down in a corner on the phone to my dad.

So I got a different train, which was somewhat less comfortable than the first, for the rest of the way. Although not before they had to call an ambulance and delay the journey a while longer because some guy on the train didn't want to wake up! I tried writing in my journal on the train but because I was so tired tired it is barely readable and there are little entries where I have dozed off, woken up again and kept on writing about my dreams - I wasn't aware this was happening at the time!

When I arrived in Germany Lotta and her friend Carla were there to pick me up from the train station, for that day I just slept until about four. We drove to the Netherlands (about 5 minutes away) and I stood in three countries at once, then in the night we went out to a restaurant for some drinks. In Germany because the 'no smoking inside' policy has been enforced all the restaurants have now made cute little outdoor areas, with blankets and heaters so it is rather enjoyable!

For the first few days we stayed in Aachen at Lottas parents house, I bought some 'Printen' which is a biscuit thing only made in Aachen, quite yummy too. And we went to the Aachen 'kaiserdom', or if you like cathedral. Which is the oldest cathedral in northern Europe. And did a little shopping!

Then Susi, Lotta and I drove to Holland to meet up with Lottas family who were staying in a house near the beach. We stayed there for two nights, during which we went to the beach, obviously, played 'midget golf', bike rode, ate traditional Holland chips which come with mayonnaise, onion and another sauce, I saw a tiny house and taught them all how to play racing demonds! And Lotta, Susi and I drove to a little village with some really old houses and found to best soap on the planet!

Then it was back to Aachen for a night and from there on to Bonn, where Lotta lives. Where we stayed for the last two days. We went to the Kölner Dom, which was somewhat more impressive than the one in Aachen and climbed to the top, which is about 500 steps or so and worth it for the view! On my last night we went to the concert of a famous German reggae, pop, hip hop, singer called Jan Delay. It was a really fun concert and he was great at entertaining - even though I didn't understand him! And a good way to end my trip.

Although when I look back on it that week passed so quickly!

Now here I am back in Madrid, this weekend is yet another long weekend! It surprises me how many we have. It is highly likely I have had more long weekend here in one and a half months than we do in Australia in a year!

At the beach!

From the left: Me, Lotta, Moni, Susi, Helena, Chico and Crazy Pat!

Jan Delay concert!

Some cool people

Kölner Dom

Chico

Hobbit house!

Susi, me and Lotta

Aachen 'kaiserdom'

At the Kölner Dom in Cologne.

Jan Delay concert!