Idea...

Now, I don't want to push it, I know that we are all busy, overwhelmed, and tight on cash these days (it is la crisis, after all), but I just wanted to put this out there, for my adoring fans:

Do with it as you will.

Un finde MUY largo

In the version of the "Real World" that English teaching assistants in Madrid live in, there's really not much to complain about and it's easy to think that we really don't work at all. Normally, I would be the first to agree with you, but not this week. No, this week I have nothing to do but complain about having to go back to work. Do you know how hard it is to work 7 hours in one week, have a four-day weekend (after getting a mini-weekend on Tuesday for Constitution Day), and then be expected to go BACK to work!? I have had too good of a weekend (and I didn't even travel like most of the world did) and it's not going to be easy to have a full work week again.


Parts of the weekend were very relaxed with Elf-watching and cooking cozy foods like red-wine risotto while watching Barcelona take down Real Madrid (YEAH!!!), some full of activities like free museum at Museo Sorolla (highly recommended), French markets in really fancy hotels, shopping for winter things, and wandering around to see Christmas lights and Christmas markets with new Spanish friends. And then there were the parts that were just very Madrid, where I got a few hours of sleep and still managed to accomplish all of those other things.

 Plaza Mayor, full of people, tacky Christmas hats, and nativity scene figurines.

 Museo Sorolla gardens

I hope the preparations and sentiments of Christmas are in full swing wherever you may be! I know I am loving the chilly air and thinking of my family being SO close to being here, but I do miss having the annual tree-decorating in Cumberland, shopping in the relative-tranquility of Freeport, and seeing some flakes of snow instead of the rain the Madrid winter holds. 

Que ciudad más genial...

I want to live in Porto. Forever. Or at least Portugal. I would take any small town, any place that I can learn Portuguese, eat and learn to cook food like that, become involved in the port wine-making process, and just live the life that Rachel and I saw in Porto this past weekend. The janitor at my school told me that it's a city that's a bit "descuidada" or "uncared for" and I think that has to be the reason I fell in love with it. 


It was raining when we arrived and took the beautiful and convenient (and cheap!) Metro into the city and found our way - a bit lost, mind you - to the hostel, Magnolia Porto Hostel, right off from the very downtown area. Keep in mind that "downtown" is not a bustling metropolis, but a cute, homey, comfortable little world. 


Our first day we did the walking tour, seeing the blue tiles (azulejos) covering houses and city buildings...

little bakeries with wonderful (and cheap!) treats...

and of course finishing the day with two port wine tastings at the free ones, Taylor's and Croft...

I proudly converted Rachel into a port drinker and we enjoyed an amazing pairing with two types of port and two gourmet chocolates - a tawny port with hazelnut chocolate and a ruby port with a dark-chocolate-covered-strawberry ball. So so so good. We spent as much time as we could manage savoring the delicious experience, and headed back towards the famous sandwich, the francesinha, a very meaty treat (and one without bread, if you're Rachel! Celiac)...

We headed to the Atlantic coast on Saturday, where I waved to my parents across the big pond and ate some delicious fish fresh from the ocean with a new Australian friend we made at our hostel...

We made some good Portuguese friends and experienced a typical bar experience with them, in which you get your drink inside and everyone just stands outside in the street to enjoy it. 


When I got back HOME to Madrid (which was a very exciting feeling, having this be "home"), I stopped in at Kate and Katie's Thanksgiving dinner at their place and hit the hay to prepare for a BIG week...


Monday I worked and didn't have to go to one class thanks to their exam, Tuesday is the national holiday associated with Constitution Day, Wednesday my 8:30am class has an exam so I won't be there and will just work later in the day at school, Thursday is the holiday for the Inmaculada, and Friday is a good ol' puente to connect the holiday to the weekend! I had hoped to go to the beach with Annalisa, but won't be able to make it back for work on Monday and have to learn how to grade exams for when my main teacher leaves for maternity leave in February (she wants me to teach whoever the new teacher is how we do things).


I hope you are all enjoying a good Christmas season! I love the lights, the treats, and the thoughts of all the family that I am going to be seeing in the next month and hope you are all enjoying curling up with a hot beverage and dreaming of some vacation time. Lots of besos!