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.