Dad and Patrick arrived in Madrid on Saturday around 11am. We had no trouble finding each other at the airport. After they arrived, we left the airport and went by metro to the hotel to drop off the luggage. It was a bit of a long walk but we made it! Then we went to tour the Royal Palace and the Real Madrid Stadium. We went to supper at the TGIFridays near the stadium. It was good to have American food for a change.
On Sunday we got up and went to Mass at the Basilica near the Atocha Train Station. Mass was only about 40 minutes long and after we got some pastries for breakfast at a bakery. Then we took the metro to el Rastro-the big market. Dad just couldn't get over how big it was and how many people were walking around. We bought some batteries. A very nice policeman recommended a very good restaurant for lunch and Dad and Patrick had their first Spanish bocadillos (similar to sandwiches). After lunch we went back to the hotel, got our luggage, and went to the bus station. Our bus ride to Caceres was about 4.5 hours and we arrived here at 9pm. We took a taxi to the hotel and then found supper at a restaurant down the street.
On Monday, Dad and Patrick slept in while I went to school. I went to the hotel around 1pm and we left shortly after to climb the mountain just outside of the city. It took us about 1 hour to get up the mountain because we climbed at a very leisurely pace. We ate lunch at the restaurant on the top of the mountain. Patrick got a Pepsi to drink and that was the first time I had seen Pepsi in Spain. Most people drink Coke products. We saw a few Catholic priests walking around on the top of the mountain because there is an office for the Diocese up there. One of the priests looked Dad up and down and could hardly believe he saw someone wearing shorts in March. It was close to 60 degrees though! We climbed back down the mountain, took a short siesta, and then walked to the mall. I showed Patrick the stores that were the European versions of Hollister and American Eagle. He wasn't too crazy about it being stylish for men to wear scarves. We ate supper at the mall and then walked back to the hotel.
Today, we got up very early and took the 6:45am train to Merida. I had already been here with my school and I thought it was somewhere Dad and Patrick would enjoy and they did. It is a city about 1 hour from Caceres with a lot of Roman ruins. Dad was amazed at how old everything was...at least 2000 years or so. We returned to Caceres at 4pm and took siestas :) Tonight we are going for tapas with the other American students so they can meet Dad and Patrick and tomorrow they will be going to classes at the university with me.
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