Hello all

Beach day yesterday was marginal. Purchased tickets at the bus station morning of for the first bus to get us there. We left here around 11, it was nearly 1 by the time we got ourselves situated and laying out.

Typically, we´d pack lunches, but Mercedes was pretty much out of sandwich materials as she wasn´t expecting us for the weekend. There are several cafes along the boardwalk, so we sat down around 2:30, prime lunch hour, for lunch. The two other girls did paella, I ate chicken. It was subpar and not cheap.

Since the paella took awhile, and Spanish lunches are usually long and relaxed, and the waiters don´t earn tips, no one cares about table turnover, but this was especially long.. 2.5 hours! Usually this is a non-issue because I enjoy kicking back and talking to my friends, but 2.:30 to 5 is good sun time.

I just would have liked quick lunch on the beach in the sun. Plus, they don´t do free refills in Spain.

We spent only and hour and a half on the beach again before heading to the bus stop. Our return tickets were open, but a lot of Sevillanos came to the beach that day and we wanted to make sure we got on the bus since we were catching on of the last trips.

Two lane traffic with all cars headed into the city from the beaches made the hour and fifiteen minute trip at least 2.5 hours. I read a book.

Fun day, but long.

Susan, I did read the Counte of Monte Cristo so it´s yours for the taking as long as you bring me something else in return. I´m borrowing a quick read called the Lipstick Jungle by Candace Bushnell (author of Sex and the City) from my neighbor.

Also, remember to pack ibuprophen. I don´t want to buy more here because it´s sketchy. But my toes and my body hurt. Sigh.

My neighbor is coming to Madrid with me. I don´t know why were weren´t on the ball sooner, but we didn´t book a room until Saturday. Spent 2 hours calling different places and looking online and it´s going to cost us each 40 euro for a room still outside the city.

I´m not sure what I´ll do with my suitcase after check out when we are still doing some sight seeing. The Prado museum is supposedly a pretty famous art museum thats free on Sundays. Maybe the train station has lockers I can rent for the afternoon. I need to buy some luggage locks, also.

A 16 year old frech kid who speaks no english or spanish moved into our house last night. Now there are four exchange students (including me) there. I feel bad because my roommate and I were there first, and her stuff takes up a lot of room in the bathroom.

It´s gotta be scary moving into a house with five women. I do think on the housing questionares for my program they should ask how you feel about living with multiple people from other programs. Like, I requested a family, but not a family of other students.... Mercedes just has people from pretty much any place that will let her. I guess she must really need the money. I wouldn´t have been able to stay the extra day had I wanted because she has two more girls moving into my room on Sunday.

She´s been doing this for over 15 years. It kind of makes me feel better because I know I´m certainly not the worst guest she´s had and since I wasn´t there very long she´ll more or less forget about me. Last week I was worrying a bit about if she liked me or not because I know my roommate was talking about me with her. Then I realized it doesn´t matter because I´m leaving and will honestly probably never see her again.

Probably not my roommate, either. After this weekend, I decided she was crazy.

Hope all the bachelorette parties and bridal shower were fun. I really do think you missed out by not being blessed with my presence. I can really make a party.

Have to head to clas....

Miss you, love you!

TTYL :)