We were in downtown Madrid for one week, our last week.  Our minds were boggled every day at the multifaceted city.  Madrid is the largest city in Spain and the third largest in the European Union.
Our apartment was spacious and clean and only two blocks from a main artery of the city, two blocks from high fashion, two blocks from Starbucks, two blocks from a bakery, two blocks from a grocery store.  I knew from the moment we met we would become fast friends, this city and I.

We arrived on the Tuesday night before Thanksgiving.  The girls found an English speaking channel with a rusty brown western and were so excited to be watching the first bits of t.v. in three months, even Raleigh was taken with it.  While they were en-tranced Dennis and I scooted out for a trip to the grocery store, giddy to see what funny things we could find.  Everything seemed so normal and lovely until the syrup we had longed for during the past 11 weeks was now right in front of us.....under lock and key!

Also in a locked box was canned ham!

We tried to gather up the things needed for a good Thanksgiving meal along with other essentials for the week and jumped in the shortest line.  The little lady ahead of us must have been shopping for the soup kitchen.  We stood in line behind her for 20 minutes but enjoyed watching all that went on around us.  Most people were having their groceries bagged and then put into gray bins with wheels, then the checker would tape the customer's name and number to their bins and wheel them to what appeared to be security personnel.  We did not understand what was happening until we were out on the sidewalk.  Customers leave their groceries in the store while they get their car and then pick them up.  Life without parking lots....it never occurred to us what that might be like. 

We were lucky enough to find a parking space just around the corner from our apartment but would need to plug the meter every two hours or go to a parking garage for an unreasonable amount.  A parking ticket would be 90 Euros if we missed plugging the meter so we opted to turn our car in the next day and take the next week of city by foot and subway.  Little did we know we would walk 45 glorious miles over the next 6 days.

We started our journey to one of the main plazas and were amazed at what seemed to be lots of people.  At the next plaza we took in the bizarre sights of people dressed up in all sorts of get-ups hoping to score a few coins.  It was a Wednesay.  Just another day for these people of the city and for us it seemed to be an extravaganza.

This spiderman lacked the physique of the one I remember in the movies. 

This G.I. Joe stood perfectly still until a coin was tossed in his bucket and then he would move in a mechanical-like state.

Thanksgiving Morning:

 I am sitting in a Starbucks looking out the window as people pass by un-aware of the Thanksgiving holiday that so many Americans are celebrating today.

We are thankful for so much! I watch the man in a nice suit trying to get comfortable in his cardboard box and covering up the best he can with his overcoat. I wonder where his family is and what is his story. He looks like any other normal business man walking down the street. I think of all the cozy blankets mom has made us that are stacked floor to ceiling in the store room and wish I could share.

Our meal was quite lack-luster compared to what we are used to having, but we were all together and feeling very thankful.  Oh, who am I kidding, we were disappointed.  The mashed potatoes were lumpy and of bizarre consistency, the beans were blah because we had no salt, the meat was fine and the wine was good but I felt a little grumbly. 

We know it's time to come back home when Raleigh needs the iPad and a Starbucks to get his day started.

Raleigh loves shopping for accessories.

Raleigh learns to shave with a spoon!

Raleigh has an affection towards foriegn girls.  Blowing kisses and
giving hugs. He is adored by young and old.

What is it about a lock that makes one want to get to the other side?

Undercover agent for the Madrid Police

The bricks of a road can look much like a day in our life; they can all look the same from a distance but when each one is noted for its' special character we can appreciate it much more.