Life Lessons and Photographs (installation one)

I am of the school of "You Learn Something Every Day." Today I had ear-marked in my schedule to be my Start Studying for the Boards Because I Only Have Ten Days Until I Take It Day. So I went out to Barnes and Noble, my old studying friend, to get my study on. And what did I learn today? I learned that when the weather report calls for "Wind" - not sun, not rain, but Wind - you shouldn't wear a skirt. Yeah. I totally flashed the Barnes and Noble parking lot. Ah well.

In other news, here are some Spain pictures!


First picture (of many) of the trip! This is Gran Via in Madrid. Apparently is a big and very bustling street. This was the only time I was there (until my last night, which was when I figured out what it was!)... I kept getting lost in Madrid, but not here apparently.


This was one thing I stumbled upon in my (lost) ramblings. I actually knew where I was at this point - Plaza Mayor. It is a big plaza (duh). They used to have bog city-wide things here like bullfights and public court hearings (like during the Spanish Inquisition. For real! No one expects it...) This was some street mime/opera production going on. It was really neat! They kept pulling people from the audience to do things - thank GOD they didn't pick me!


These are the crazy purple people that I stood for hours and hours waiting to see. Aren't they crazy?!?


And the culmination of the hours-long procession (note that it is dark now) was the for-lack-of-a-better-term Jesus Float. I think I heard someone call it a 'chandelier.' Tons of real candles, and real gold, surrounding the lifesize Jesus with real human hair blowing in the breeze. It weighed over half a ton, and took about 72 men to carry it.


My second day in Madrid was less sunny. In fact, it was incredibly rainy. I toured the Royal Palace (I have pictures, but they're mostly of chandeliers. I was chandelier-obsessed that morning), and then wandered around (mostly lost) some more. Then, it started raining. Shortly after I took this picture (a bear pawing at a madreno berry tree - a symbol of Madrid), I bought an ice cream cone - a madreno berry flavored ice cream cone in fact (I think), and stood under a small awning to survery the passers-by. Then it started raining harder. And harder. Then it was pouring. Then, it started hailing. My awning was... less than adequate, so I ran through the hail to the Metro station to go to...


The train station! Isn't it beautiful? There was actually a wedding party there, taking photos with this as the background.


This is the memorial built after the bombing at this train station on March 11, 2004.

I took the train Friday to Sevilla where I met my lovely sister, Lindsay. I'm tired of posting pictures now (and aren't you tired of looking at them? Really?), so I'll do more later!