Updates, updates, updates

I haven't been doing very well about updating my blog... Here are some updates from the past week and a half or so!

Friday, November 12th- Visit to the Royal Palace, as well as a tour of the inside. Very cool to see and learn about the places where big political events take place- so much history. Also, my roommate Lindsey's 21st birthday at midnight! Lots of fun celebrating the night away!

Palacio Real

View of the royal gardens

Birthday girl :)

Lots of fun!

Saturday, November 13th- Visit to the Reina Sofia Museum, a modern art museum with an AMAZING Picasso collection. The best was Guernica, one of his most famous and biggest paintings. The building itself is a piece of artwork. After seeing the collections and exhibits, Lindsey, Alex, and I sat in the skydeck area watching the sunset and chatting. Lovely afternoon!

Entrance to the Reina Sofia

Picasso's Guernica

My favorite piece of art at the museum: "Figures by the Sea." This is why modern art is so great ;)

The skydeck-ish place on the top floor of the museum

A picture from that night, after going to the museum. You can't quite read it, but the restaurant I'm standing in front of is called "Nebraska!"

Sunday, November 14th- Made another visit to the huge flea market, the Rastro. I didn't do any buying but a lot of looking! So much to see. Then I took a run back home and spent the rest of my Sunday just relaxing.
Monday, November 15th- Study session with some of the people in my program at the boys' house for the "midterm" exam that we took on Tuesday morning in our DePaul class. It was pretty much the first time I've really sat down and studied since I've been in Spain... Feeling a little nervous about going back to real life school in January!
Tuesday, November 16th- Another birthday celebration for our friend Lauren!
Wednesday, November 17th- Trip to Toledo with the Drs. Boeck (our DePaul professors) for our art history class. Saw three different monuments in the morning then returned in the afternoon for classes at Complutense. Quick but fun trip!
Thursday, November 17th- Yet ANOTHER birthday celebration (so many November birthdays!), this time for our friend Erica. We went to the same place all three times to celebrate- they pretty much know us there by now.
Friday, November 18th- Stayed home and watched the Little Mermaid with Lindsey. Also developed a new addiction to these Spanish sweets that are kind of like Reese's peanut butter cups except almond... I don't know how to explain them, I just know they're GREAT. Yum.
Saturday, November 19th- Another trip to Toledo, this time with CEA. We saw different monuments on Saturday than we did on Wednesday, so it was well worth making another trip there. It's a really interesting place to go because there is so much religious history- it's one of the only places in Spain where the three major religions functioned together, at least for a while. Then we went out at night to watch the soccer game!

Toledo. I have developed an obsession with doors.

One of the two remaining synagogues in the city- Toledo is home to two of the four in all of Spain.

The cloister of a church. Beautiful little courtyard

Outside of San Juan de los Reyes

View of the river that surrounds Toledo on three sides as well as the hills that the city is built into

Street view!

Sunday, November 20th- Morning run then HARRY POTTER with Alex. I forgot how much I liked going to movies! And I fell in love with Harry Potter all over again. Such a great movie!

The theatre!

So much excitement!

Now it's the start of a new week; happy Monday! I only have FOUR WEEKS left in Madrid- crazy how fast time flies!