It was so great to see my parents. I was skeptical if I would be able to find my parents (since they do not have cell phones), but the meeting point worked out. The appartment that they rented for a week was in a great location and seemed very new. On Friday, my parents and I met up with Kim and her parents. We walked through Retiro park and the moms and daughters got a row boat on the lake. In early afternoon, my parents had to take a Siesta from their long days of travel.
The next morning we visited Toledo, a city about an hour outside the center of Madrid (only 30 minutes by train). Toledo was the old capital of spain until the 16th century I believe. They’re known for their metallurgy, and more specifically their swords and armor, so the streets are lined with stores that sell swords and knives! The cathedral in the center of the city is gigantic! It took over 250 years to build, and it is insanely intricate outside. We didn’t get to go inside because there was construction/restoration going on, so that was a slight bummer. Toledo was so pretty with lots of hilly, narrow cobblestone streets, but we did a lot of walking up and down hills, making it a very long day on our feet! The views from the top of the city were gorgeous, looking down on the river that surrounds the city! After we finished with touring Toledo, we went back to madrid and got tapas with Kim’s family. The place we went was so much fun, and we got to try a lot of different kinds of spanish bocadillos (sandwhiches) and pints of beer were just one euro! This place ended up being a common hangout for my parents and I.
On Sunday, we slept in pretty late. My parents went to a bull fight and I headed back to Alcala for school the next day. On Monday after my classes, I went back to Madrid. We toured the Palacio Real and then went back to our bocadillo shop. On Wednesday, my family came to Alcala to meet my Spanish family. My house mom cooked homemade Paella and Spanish tortilla. I was worried lunch was going to be awkward because of the language barrier but it went really well. My host mom even brought out the China and we sat in the dining room table (which I have never done before). It was quite funny watching my mother fling her seafood on my dad’s plate when my house mom was not looking. After lunch, I showed them my school and some points of the city that I had been shown on my tour of Alcala. We sat down on Calle Mayor and got tapas, a common occurrence for my friends and I during the week! My parents got to meet a couple of my new friends that I have met in Spain. It was so great for my family to be able to see the city that I have lived in for the last 3 months.
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