Afternoon in the City

My morning commenced with a very sweet wake-up call from this little guy...

(it's really hard not to laugh at his angry face)

Alvaro and I spent the morning together again, coloring, speaking English (well, I was speaking English), and of course, kicking the soccer ball. Soon after lunch, Solete left to run errands and pick up the older two from school. Alvaro and I kept ourselves busy, first with a trip to the park and then to the store to buy bread and a special chocolate treat for eating all of his chicken at lunch (bribery goes a long way with this one). The plan after lunch is that Alvaro naps, but for the past 2 days, he hasn't exactly kept his end of the deal. He stays up in his room with the door closed and thinks he's fooling me or something--as if I can't hear toy cars and books crashing down from the bookshelves every five minutes. Anyways, we're working on it, but it makes for a very fussy afternoon.

This afternoon, Sergio had a birthday party in Boadilla del Monte to attend, while Alvaro and Ale planned to attend their cousin, Daniela's, birthday party in the city (Madrid). These kids put my social life to shame. What this meant for me, however, was a free afternoon in the city! This was honestly the best thing that Solete could've done for me. She dropped me off at Plaza Mayor and let me roam free for almost two hours. I didn't have a plan, but that was the best part. I just wanted to walk around and bask in the ambiance of all my fond, familiar places. The funny thing is that I get lost almost everywhere I go in the States, and yet I know my way around the largest, craziest city in Spain like the back of my hand.

I perused through the Plaza, made my way over to the Palacio Real...

...headed back up Calle Mayor before paying my respects to La Plaza de Santo Domingo, where my mom, sister, and I stayed spring break of last year. Soaking it all in and trying not to cry like a fool, I sauntered up Gran Via, one of my absolute favorite shopping spots:

Unfortunately, I had only just withdrawn cash, put minutes on my phone, and poked around in one clothing store before it was already time to meet Solete back at the Plaza. I am contented to know that I still have until August to spend more time in my beloved city.

When we picked up Alvaro and Ale from the birthday party at a nearby park, I had the privilege of meeting 3 of Solete's 4 siblings. Stopping on the way back to have the car inspected, we arrived home just before 10pm and as the sun was setting. It's true, it doesn't get dark here until almost 10pm during the summer, which makes the Spanish lifestyle of late dinners and later bedtimes for small children slightly more understandable.

Off to Galicia tomorrow! That is, if Sergio's stomach bug goes away...:/