Wednesday and Thursday

Wednesday was Sina's last day at TANDEM. So after class all of us went out to 100 Montaditos to wish her good luck (she's starting college next Monday), and to say goodbye.  It's weird that people I've made friends with are already leaving and it's only been a week and a half.  After a few montaditos and some drinks (coke for me!) I left so I could make it back to Loli's in time for lunch.  After lunch I worked on homework and relaxed a little bit.  Then at 5:30 I headed out to meet Mikaela in Puerta del Sol so we could go to our cooking class!  We got on the metro and met Katie at the entrance to the metro stop closest to our destination.  After everyone had gathered together we walked to the restaurant we were learning to cook in, Mano a Mano.  Once we were seated in the restaurant we were served a delicious salad with lettuce, mango, apple, and cherries.  Very light and summery. Then we all went back into the kitchen where the chef taught us how to make two different kinds of paella: vegetable and mixed.  Both were delicious, but I enjoyed the mixed one more because it had all kinds of seafood in it: baby shrimp, calamari, some kind of fish, chicken, and scary looking (yet delicious tasting) prawns with the heads and legs still on them.  A dinner party will be in order once I return.  After we ate the paella, we had some coffee (or tea if you're me and don't like coffee).  On my way home I stopped in el Corte Ingles to buy some things for school, and the most important thing of all: peanutbutter. :)

Today after class Katie and I decided to walk to Retiro Park and do some of our homework and eat a snack (apples and PEANUTBUTTER of course).  After we finished our worksheets we went home to each lunch with our families.  At 4:15 we were meeting outside the metro to walk together to the Sorolla Museum.  But when I got out of the metro stop I had no idea where I was. So I had to go back down into the metro and walk all the way to the other end so that I would be at the correct exit. Needless to say, I was a little late.  When we got to the Sorolla Museum, our guide, Sonia, talked about Joaquin Sorolla, his life, inspiration, where he lived, painted, etc.  The museum is one of Sorolla's houses.  The gardens outside (one of his inspirations) were small, yet beautiful, with fountains and beautiful tiles everywhere.  The house has two floors.  On each floor the walls are covered with some of Sorolla's best works, and each room contains different artifacts that were part of the house (when it was still a house).  I think Sorolla is my new favorite painter.  I love the soft lines of his paintings, the blurring of the edges, the subtle changes in color.  I especially love his beach scenes (which shouldn't be surprising).  There was one painting of two young girls holding hands while playing in the ocean. It was my favorite because it reminded me of Carolyn and I at the beach.  I wish they had a museum shop because I would have bought a print of that in an instant.  I will definitely be going back to that museum. On the way home I stopped in at a souvenir shop and picked up some post cards to write out. Expect mail!