My First Weekend

This weekend was my first free weekend in Spain so I decided to do a little exploring.

I caught the 622 bus from Las Rozas which took about 40 minutes to arrive into the Moncola station in the Madrid city center. From there I walked down Calle de la Princesa, passing the Plaza de España. When I reached Calle Gran Vía I stopped into a book store for a guide to Spain. I walked along Calle Gran Vía and eventually reached La Plaza Mayor. There I sat at a cafe, enjoyed a café con leche and dove into my book. It would have been handy to read this book before my travels as I had to learn the hard way that "eta" is not just a designation for my sorority chapter but also a terrorist organization in Spain. I could have saved myself a lot of embarrassment had I done a little reading first (more on that later). The book I got is by Rick Stevens and has proven very informative and very digestible. I read for a while and when I noticed a storm seemed to be moving in a decided to head back.

On my way back I walked through El Corte Ingles. There is so much shopping to do in Madrid, especially in this area. After looking into some stores I continued on my way, stopping at La Plaza de España. I sat by the fountain and people watched for a little bit. Then I walked around to the various booths set up along the plaza. I stumbled upon this one little booth with some great pants so I decided to treat myself and get a pair. Then I worked by way back up Calle de la Princesa to the Moncloa station. I took the 625 bus back which after a 40 minute ride left me just a short three minute walk from my new home.

I'm really enjoying Spain. Although I didn't do too much this weekend I have plenty of time to experience all Madrid has to offer. I look forward to learning about some of Spain's other major cities and the deciding which ones to visit. I enjoyed having the afternoon to myself and liked that I could set the pace for the day. I look forward to getting Madrid well enough that I can act as a tour guide when my family visits next summer.