Got up around 9, showered, dressed and headed for El Rastro, a monster flea market that goes on from 10 am - 2 pm on Sundays. We bought a bunch of scarves -- OK like, 12 -- but they were only 2 euro each and so pretty, they totally make you look like a European (everyone's doing it!) haha! Anyway, the crowd was so heavy that we got tired pretty quickly and decided to get out and head to Centro des Artes Reina Sofia to see Guernica. We got in with just 45 minutes (but free on Sundays, yay!) until closing time and hustled up to the Picasso gallery. I don't think A was very impressed but it was definitely a moment for me... Also saw a few Miro and Dali paintings. Tried to make the bookstore but it closed before we could get there. Very sad.
Walked across the street to Atocha station and since I'd heard it was worth a look we went inside. There's a ton of construction around it -- I don't know if that had anything to do with the bombing there last year or just more Madrid construction -- it's everywhere. Very pretty, has a tropical rainforest in the middle of it. Like our own Union Station it was adandoned and nearly demolished but now it's a Renfe station. It's hard to believe looking at the old pictures and news reports that this place was the scene of so much chaos and death. It's absolutely serene now -- the misters for the rainforest create a soft foggy effect as the sun streams through the windows. It's gorgeous. If Juan had not come to Madrid for A's birthday we would be taking the train from here to Murcia, but Juan is driving us back.
Walked some more and stopped for lunch at VIPS -- just a diner type of place - club sandwich, how very cop-out of me. After VIPS, we went back to the hotel and A proceeded to open up and model every scarf we'd bought. Juan picked us up for the drive back to Murcia which was so great of him-- and until the sun set I was able to watch the scenery roll by. So much desert! I didn't know... very once in a while you'd see a town with an old church or some castle ruins at the top of a hill. Houses are just what you'd imagine, whitewashed with red tile roofs, groves of olive trees everywhere. Juan was listening to Queen -- unexpected but fun, I love Queen. I could never have imagined myself in a million years flying down a Spanish freeway in the back of a Mercedes SUV listening to -- Queen. Life does take it's strange turns.
Came back to Murcia and met all Angie's roommates (there are 4, two Italians, a Belgian and a Canadian) - Natalie, the Belgian, was sick and coughed all night, poor thing. They have these metal blinds on the exteriors of all the homes that roll down and totally block out the sun. Great for sleeping, terrible for my body clock. It feels like I never want to wake up. Right now I'm sitting up in bed looking out over the courtyard and watching a woman hang her clothes on the line outside her window (the apartments have a small washer, no dryer)
... The whole time I've been writing there's been a pack of people outside on a balcony drinking, smoking, eating and talking. Don't these people work??
I can hear Natalie speaking French to someone -- her parents? They and her boyfriend have been visiting and are heading back to Belgium today.
OK, it's 11:30 am, I need to get up and get going! A pointed out El Corte Ingles to me, guess I'll go check that out. I'm off!
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