Back in the Ring

Hello all!

If you couldn't tell from my strange silence, it has been extraordinarily busy on my end since the end of Half-Term break. Student teaching and sleep demanded all of time, then it was traveling again and the wonders of a certain series of books I'll go on about later. So now, let me take you back in time and give you Part 1 of Things That Happened After Wales...

After a blissful Occasional Day (Holiday) on Monday, which I used to finish up my planning and get myself back in the school mindset, the week took off like a gunshot. I had fully taught all of my classes the week before break, but now everything, including the year 10's, was mine and much more me-directed. A little team-teaching for the beginning of commentaries for the year 13's - which apparently still remain challenging, bless them - and then it was up to me to tackle the tail end of non-fiction, academic writing, and scrambling to finish The Crucible.

Before I could believe it, it was the weekend and I had a heap of marking and planning beckoning me away from London's pretty city lights. Before that, however, I had my year team social event! I stayed at school to work before meeting up with a few others. We all met at Covent Garden and headed to an Italian place that was included in our tickets. I had a delicious Cesear Salad and enjoyed relaxing and getting to know everyone better.

Following dinner we walked to the theatre to see the fabulous show Million Dollar Quartet. Through song breaks - jukebox musical? - and events, the musical told the tale of one day when Johnny Cash, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins all got together and played. By the end, everyone was standing, dancing, and singing. From Blue Suede Shoes to Great Balls of Fire, the musical talent of the cast was to die for. I was surprisingly entertained. The night was fabulously exhausting and very worth it!

Nevertheless, my time was rapidly becoming limited, so I wanted to have at least a little break and see something new. It appeared that during the week, the Christmas decorations had begun to spring up around the city. The famous Oxford Street and luxury department store/maze, Harrods, had decked their halls and what could be more fun and cheery than taking a moment to walk about, see the lights, and snap some photos? So Maggie and I hit the streets...

 Decorations floating above Oxford Street.

In front of the entrance to Harrod's Christmas World!

The one, joyous and Christmas-y digression was it for me that weekend as I had lessons to finalize and prepare and essays to read and mark. The 14th ended up being a fun day, despite the busy. My year 12's got to have a debate on John Proctor's confession and they ended up deciding that he should have confessed because then he would have had more time to redeem himself, become an even better person, and help his wife raise their unborn child. The change was an interesting one to me, as it had altered in their minds since they walked into the classroom. They were animated and seemed to enjoy it. I was glad to get everyone talking and arguing, leaving them with a positive impression of the book before they began thinking about their essays on that Friday.

That week overall was a bit of a mixed back. Behaviour issues and planning stress swarmed around me, but it ended my career anxiety. I was flipping my proverbial lid about whether to teach high school or college, grad school and phd's, America or England or somewhere else, and there were some questionably sane moments at the end of my break, bless my mother for dealing with me. But in these two weeks after break I fell in love with kids, my classes, my department, my amazing, amazing school all over again. I felt at home and wished (and still wish) that I didn't have to leave.

When it was once again the weekend, however, I had myself a bit more together and was able to actually go out and see some sights. To feed my inner English major who's a bit too obsessed with Romantic Era poetry, I hopped the tube and London overground to get to John Keats' house. And not any Keats house: the house where we lived nextdoor to (read: in the other half of the house as) Fanny Brawne! The museum even had her engagement ring!

View of the front of the house by a bench and mulberry tree

I was able to explore the common rooms in both his and his friend's side of the house and see where Fanny and her family lived. The house focused more on what the house would have felt like to live in, and while they had quite a few of Fanny's items, they had little else. It was worth a visit, and the grounds were lovely and enchantingly laid out - you could see how he could be inspired there, even on that oddly warm, winter day.

Still desiring to be out and about, and with another literary man on my mind (Thomas Hardy), I went to explore Hampstead Heath, which was right down the road. The expanse of grass, hills, trees, and ponds could have held me captive for days. They preserve the area to conserve some of the region's last remaining heath. I wandered idly and thought of The Return of the Native, with its quirky heath characters and vivid landscape descriptions. I saw how Hardy could take the land as a cue to play with time; it disappeared rapidly as I ambled along in the grass.

View across the heath; the warm weather brought people out that Saturday afternoon.

That night, a group of us took a stroll through Winter Wonderland. School stress and missing Thanksgiving necessitated regular Christmas themed adventures. Recently opened, the fun faire was mobbed but still adorably kitschy with its rides, German food stalls, and fancy Christmas market.

The next morning I was up bright and early to head to the train station to visit my uncle in Milton Keynes. He had been to London, so it was my turn to head out to visit him and meet his daughters. Despite the trains being severely delayed - that allowed me to make it sans bolting through the station - due to problems on the line, I arrived just in time for them to start back up about half an hour later. The train I took had been scheduled for approximately 3 hours previous...Nevertheless, I made it and the day's adventure commenced.

My uncle and I headed to visit Bletchley Park, the location where German coded messages were broken by the Enigma and Bombe machines during WWII! How crazy and exciting was that? It was a phenomenal complex-turned massive museum and he and I were lucky enough to see full working demonstrations of both machines!

 Fully rebuilt Bombe machine for decoding the standard Enigma messages, such as commands, sent to regular Nazi soldiers during the war.

Still working enigma machine! We encoded and decoded "London"!

We explored the complex and got to see the mansion, the world's largest non-private collection of Churchill memorabilia, the office used by Alan Turing, old film equipment, ancient radios, and the world's first computer: Collasus! It was so top-secret, it was destroyed after the war and is being rebuilt based on the two surviving photographs and information from the remaining living engineers that built it. Thus, when we were there, the machine was one and producing/reading/decoding ticker tape!

The man was loading up new paper for the tape. The computer (all of that) took up the entire room.

The Churchill Room! The man who had collected it was there and offered us help. Crazy.

Afterwards, we headed into the town and took a stroll through the mall/entertainment area before grabbing lunch/dinner with my cousins, one of their husbands, and their sons. It was great to meet them all. We had some great food and conversation; I was happy and felt welcomed. The 8 year old was crazy and active while the baby cooed and was adorable - the swimming videos were too cute to handle. Alas, I headed back to the train for I had school in the morning and things to sort before then.

The week called and before I had realized it, the week of Thanksgiving had arrived...

Now, my bed and sleep call. The final two weeks of student teaching and the end of London are all to follow! :)

Best,

Fallon

Surrounded by Beauty: Ancient Scenes in a Modern World

Hello again, everyone!

When we returned to London, I took the few days we had to get as much work done as I could. I also paid a visit to Westminster Abbey, which was slightly less busy during the week. The building was more stunning inside, if that was possible. I was enchanted by all of the nooks and crannies and was fabulously overjoyed and overwhelmed by Poet's Corner. On the hour, there was a moment of silence where the Dean of the chapel said a prayer and warmly invited everyone to attend a service. The church itself was gloriously welcoming, giving it an oddly modern philosophy for such an ancient building.

The front of Westminster Abbey

The end of my two week break was spent in South Wales, where Emily, Piper, Katie, Jess, Saiya, and I had all booked a horseback riding weekend through BU. It would be my first time there, and I was both excited to see the beauty of the area as well as ride a horse, also for the first time. Most of us were, thankfully, in the same boat so the train ride there was filled with nervous and joyous chatter as we anxiously awaited our arrival to Swansea, and then to Parc Le Breos House in Gower.

It was dark by the time we arrived; however, we snagged the six person room and began to settle in. The beds were comfortable, with downy blankets, lots of pillows, and thick mattresses. Our bathroom was giant and so, naturally, we had a bit of a party in the shower space.

Seriously huge shower!

We woke up the next morning and explored the grounds a bit after a charming full Welsh breakfast. The sun was sparkling in the trees and on the dew upon the grass. It was at this moment we realized how big and beautiful the bed and breakfast was. It was an old, stone building with high windows, surrounded by trees and a massive yard.

All of us in the front yard.

We collected our gear and were given instructions on how to ride a horse. They told us to be firm and direct. It was necessary to show the horse, they said, that you were in charge. We were told how to start, stop, and turn and given some advice on how to gallop without too much pain. With that we were assigned our horses and began to rub them down to remove all of the dirt and mud. It was a hard task but allowed me to chat with my horse, Roger.

After that, it was time to head out onto the trail. The day was long and tough work. You didn't just sit there and enjoy, but had to guide and encourage your horse. Sometimes he listened and kept up, galloping to be right behind, and sometimes he didn't and we lagged. I honestly tried and the guides were helpful sometimes with advice and sometimes with chasing. We stopped for lunch at a pub in town and tied our horses to some tasty bushes up the cliffs.

 

Me, with Roger in the background!

After lunch it was time to ride the few hours home, taking in the stunning view of the cliffs, town, and bay below. We took the saddles off the horses and let them go back to one another while we put by our gear then showered and napped before a tasty dinner.

Some of the group, getting ready to head back up the trail.

That night was Guy Fawkes Night and most of us decided to head into town to catch some fireworks. Unfortunately, due to a football game at Swansea, the main display had gone up the night before. Nonetheless, dozens of people and smaller towns around the bay in Mumbles (yes, Mumbles, Wales!) set off small displays of their own. We walked along the beach and sat down for a while on a loading dock to take in the atmosphere. I was tickled pink to discover that Dylan Thomas had spent some time there and had been inspired by the lighthouse.

Sittin' on the dock of the bay...

Seeking warmth, we headed in town to a pub and had some delicious cocktails while we waited for our taxi back to Gower. They were tasty and the locals were charming, albeit a bit flabbergasted by us being in their tiny town! When we made it back to the house, we were thoroughly exhausted and after  some goofiness...

we headed quickly to bed!

After breakfast, we had Sunday morning free to ourselves. The six of us chose to hike the couple of miles to Three Cliffs Bay, which we had only seen from the hills above. These photos encapture only a little of the adventure and beauty we found on the way and once we arrived.

 Hopping the fence to get onto the trail.

Our first view of Three Cliffs Bay from the steep trail down to the beach.

 Me and the bay!

 Everyone eagerly running for the water

Pennard Castle ruins above the bay!

After returning to the house, it was nearly time to go, so we packed up and watched some good, ol' bad tele while waiting for the taxi. Grabbing some lunch and candy across the road from the train station, we munched and waited to depart. The ride back passed slowly as we dozed and dreaded heading back to work. The end of break was bitter sweet: I could be prodcutive again, but I'd also have to work.

All in all, it's seemed to work out!

Hope you enjoyed, ciao!
Fallon x

Oh Flower of Scotland!

Hello all,

Our half-term break adventures continued after we ran some errands after getting home from Madrid. Emily and I gave a valiant effort to walk to Victoria Coach Station; however, time was scarce and we were lost...so we grabbed the tube and made it with spades to spare. It would be my third overnight bus and while I was excited to head to Edinburgh, I was not excited for the bus ride. It was completely mobbed and I barely slept a wink. As per usual, the moment we got out of the bus and into the fresh air, I was woken up and excited to go exploring.

Our arrival corresponded with the sunrise...

We got to our hostel way before check-in, but were able to store our bags and sign in before heading out to do some exploring and hopefully stay awake. What a better way to start a day in Edinburgh than exploring the Royal Mile and all its shops? We stopped for fudge at the bottom and admired all of the tartan along the way. I avoided the temptation of a kilt and admired all of the kitschy Scottish stuff that never ceased to amuse me. Emily got her first taste of Scottish fish and chips; they were hot, filling, and so flavourful. Sitting inside the small chippy, we enjoyed loads of people watching and then headed back out, enjoying the variety of things to look at along the constantly busy road.

Feeling a bit adventurous, we decided to find and climb up Calton Hill to explore the monuments. It decided to rain - we're in Scotland, it had to at least once - after we had made it up to the hilltop. Undeterred and slightly tired, we ignored the rain and took some individual time to wander around. I climbed up the Nelson Monument, which sort of looked like a lighthouse and admired the stunning view.

 Me, in front of the National Monument

I hung out near the National Monument, an amusingly expensive set of Greek columns meant to represent Edinburgh's nickname: the Athens of the North. Then I set out to follow the paths that wove around the hill. It was busy, despite the on and off drizzle, with a healthy mix of tourists and locals enjoying the fresh air and stillness of a hill overlooking the old, proud capital.

 View from the Nelson Monument over Calton Hill and the city.

Feeling cold and tired, Emily and I picked up Scottish lambswool scarves at a cute shop across from our hostel and headed in, finally able to get our keys. We napped and showered to dislodge the grimy feeling of travel then, at the behest of our grumbling tummies, headed for dinner. The guy at reception directed us to The Last Drop - a pub where criminals set to be hung got their last pint before their execution. I happily acquired a pint of Tennet's and a tasty Cesar salad.

 My bed!

After dinner, we went on a stroll up to the castle to see the view of the city at night. It was refreshing, chilly, and utterly lovely.

Declining the Halloween party festivities of the bars that night, even at the best of another crazy Australian, we chose instead to people watch in the common room and get an early night after meeting our kind Toronto roommate, who quickly became another travel friend.

Our common room, at breakfast time.

On Sunday we woke up so early due to the time change, but were rested and ready to go. After enjoying the cheap and filling hostel breakfast, we headed back outside to the Royal Mile to join a walking tour. We were once again surprised by the full, extensive 3 hour tour! Our tour guide, Alan, was fabulously humorous and well informed. The tour was filled with tonnes of history that supplemented my knowledge and entertained with rather gruesome stories and English teasing.

Emily, I, and our scarves on the Walking Tour.

Greyfriar's Church

We picked up some Halloween costume pieces, lunch for the trip, and enjoyed some delicious sausage rolls from Greggs which we had while in Princes Street Gardens. The view up to the castle was stunning and the sun began slowly to set, allowing the trees to sparkle as the faint sounds of bagpipes filled the air. We hiked up the hill / cliff side back to the Royal Mile and the old city.

View of the castle and the path up the cliffs through Prince's Street Gardens.

Wandering about, we enjoyed some chips and people watching followed by meeting up with our Toronto roommate and her friend to play cards and warm up in the common room. We left for a 21:30 ghost tour. Alan continued his historically humorous and gruesome tales while leading us to various graveyards, back up Calton hill, and around a few churches. The city was beautiful at night and we completed our tour in a pub where I was able to try the creamy Belhaven's Best, which I admit not enjoying. Afterwards, we quickly headed to bed and passed out in the firm, warm, and comfy beds.

On Monday we were up a little bit late, but still managed to beat the crowds to the Castle. It was fabulous to explore Edinburgh Castle again. I got to wander around slowly and take a lot of photographs, playing with black and white and different angle. I stopped for a bit of a break to revive myself with some coke before heading out again to see the Scottish National War Museum before re-meeting Emily at the Castle entrance.

View over the city, in front of the Castle.

Winding path within the castle...

View of the Castle and the city...

We continued our very Scottish Monday with a trip to the Scotch Whisky Experience next door after having lunch in the hostel. It was interesting to learn about how whisky was made. The barrel ride was cute and fun. Discovering the scents and flavours was informative and I was able to try Glen Moray, a Speyside scotch that wasn't half bad.

The World's largest collection of whisky...

Heading home, we met up again with our Canadian friends and played more cards - the apparent theme of our trip! Our hostel hosted a Halloween Party, where I became a LOL Cat and subsequently enjoyed teasing from the guys at reception - "What's up Kitty Kat?" - and met more people in the hostel. One of the girls made "everything alcoholic" punch that tasted like apples. We chose to turn in early, but enjoyed the time and getting to dress up.

All dressed up and ready to go...

We were woken up early by the incessant chirping of the fire alarm, which had been set off by the showers. Unable to get back to sleep after the third time, we chose to have an early breakfast. The day was beautiful, chilly, and bright so we climbed up the cliffs by Arthur's Seat. We enjoyed lunch on top of the cliffs and took in the phenomenal views.

View from the cliffs!

I met up with Brigid's sister, Sam, and we headed to the National Gallery. It was filled with lovely examples of impressionism, North American and Scottish landscapes. She headed back to study and I went to read and rest; my ankle was sore thanks to all the walking, but there was a bench in Prince's Street Gardens where I read as a piper played some of my favourite tunes down the road.

I met back up with Emily and Sam at the World's End Pub, where the old city ended/the city gates were. We all enjoyed some tasty steak pie before walking Sam home and enjoying some cocoa and conversation.

Emily and Sam at the World's End Pub!

Collecting our things from the hostel, we walked to the bus station and began our long, overnight journey home to London.

Hope you have enjoyed!

Ciao <3

Fallon x

Siempre Fiesta: Break in Madrid

Hola!

It was finally half term break, and yet Emily and I were crawling awake on Monday morning with the sun barely trickling down light. Splashing into last minute showers and stuffing away some last minute packing, we headed out at 8 am to make it in good time to Heathrow. A quick automated check-in and we were off to find our gate.

Some misinterpretations led us in search of the wrong gate; however, this fruitless quest resulted in us seeing a stream of Virgin Airlines flight attendants holding signs that suspiciously reminded me of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers…followed by the players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers! The irony of me, a Miami fan, seeing the other Florida team…in London…was not entirely lost on me. There was apparently a Chicago versus Tampa Bay American Football game at Wembley Stadium. Astonishment aside, we figured out where our real gate was and managed to have time for a quick snack before boarding even began.

The flight to Madrid was quick and smooth, though the service was rather inattentive. I was completely impressed by the phenomenal landing and was thankful that Madrid’s airport was clear, bright, and open. We headed to the metro and found our way to the hostel with little issue and some Spanish banter with one another.

Common area of Cat's.

Cat’s Hostel is in an 17^th Century palace under historical protection. They’re currently doing further restorations because it shows its ages, but the central area was stunningly beautiful, like a scene out of Aladdin. Our room was brightly lit and clean with toilets, shows, and decent sized lockers all right inside. As I sat on my bunk, resting from traveling before the hostel’s nightly pub-crawl, I thought, and still think, that we made a good choice. I was excited to relax, explore, and live the Spanish way!

Good ol' Atico 5

We headed downstairs after having a reading/nap break and got a recommendation from the girl at reception for a place to eat by Plaza Santa Ana. Delicious sangria – a promise to uphold to my head of department – and two types of tortilla (tortilla con camerones y tortilla Espanola) with bread happily filled us up. Our culinary adventure – we had no idea what we had ordered – resulted in some of the best food I had had and it was very Spanish!

We changed and headed down to the hostel bar and ended up meeting a large group of people from around the world to chat and play drinking games with. They came from places as diverse as Vancouver, Austrailia, California, Brighton, Brazil, and Switzerland. Each had a unique personality from the party girls to the nerdy aussie to the chatty Brazilian. This meet, greet, and hang out lasted until the pub-crawl (which most of us went on) left the bar at 1 am!

Madrid nightlife starts late and, as far as we could tell, doesn’t stop. We headed to two funky bars – Sol y Sombra and Bia – and to one club. Both bars were busy and got busier as the night went on. We all danced to a mix of English and Spanish clubbing music. The club itself, however, was a miss as it was completely empty; however, we made the most of it before all crawling back to the hostel for bed at a ridiculous 4:30 in the morning. The craziest part of it all? We were by no means the last people to come into our room as we found it far more populated when we woke up the next morning.

Somehow – there are miracles – Emily and I were up at 8:45 and breakfasting by 9:15. I was oddly rested despite having slept little and rather poorly. I inhaled my coffee and we headed out to find one of the world’s most famous art museums: El Prado. Several hours slipped by as we were transfixed by the myriad of Spanish and beyond pre-1800 painters. The mix of religious art, mythical story depictions, and the curator’s choice to organize the museum to show the progression and changes of style kept the museum interesting and fresh. While my personal tastes lean towards landscapes, marine, and impressionist painting, I found that El Prado kept me entertained by the information on the styles and how they changed and developed. (For anyone unsure about whether or not to go: it is free for uni students under 26)

El Prado

Dying for coffee, Emily and I headed to the little piece of gold we had spotted on our walk: Dunkin’s! Sitting down with our coffee and noms, we laughed at ourselves and regained our stamina before walking all the way back to go to the Jardin Botanico (Botanical Gardens). The bright sunshine and crisp fall air made the day turn stunningly beautiful. Flowers radiated bold reds and golds while the leaves of other plants glittered green and fell, crunchy and brown, to the pathway.

It was hard to contain our excitement (haha)

We wound through the hedge lined pathways before taking time to journal and read in the warm sun on a bright, white bench by a grand fountain. Choosing to slow down and relax after the bustle of London does a body good. I could feel myself reviving and receiving the nourishment that only a day out in nature can give. Which really only proves my hippiness, I suppose…

After a shower and siesta – the Spanish have it figured out! – we headed downstairs for a tapas tour. Unfortunately it was cancelled because there were not enough people. Shrugging it off, we chatted with the guide, Elly, a bit and ensured her we would be around to attend on Thursday. Instead, Emily and I wandered down the road in search of the famous Plaza Mayor. It’s large enclosing buildings and goya-painted mural were impressively grand. It was easy to tell that plazas are a focal point for Spanish life, made more obvious by the giant tent that would bring a ham festival (feel free to laugh here, I did) to the city.

Our feet followed the twisting cobblestone streets to la Puerta del Sol. I instantly observed that it was busier and edgier, giving the area a more electric, alive feel. Grabbing some pizza from a 24 hour hole in the wall, we sat by the fountain to take in our fill of people watching while we munched to the sounds of mariachi music. There was something infectious about the waking up of the city as the sun began her decent over the roof tops. The drowsy afternoon faded as the night began to wind itself up again.

Mariachi band in Puerta del Sol - They were actually pretty good!

We chose to pass this night inside the hostel and headed to the bar/lounge. Hours passed quickly as hand after hand of asshole (president) and gin rummy were played with our fellow travelers. It was an evening of amusement, insults, and conversation. Sadly we said goodbye to the two Vancouver girls and the pair of Californian gents who were to leave the next morning for home. The night continued to pass amidst laughter and chatter with the one Brazilian, the Swiss guy, and a less drunk Aussie. We met a new Korean girl as well as the cards continued to be played. The hostel was social and so conducive to just forming these easy sort of friendships that made the time pass pleasantly. My love of hostels over hotels continues to grow as I think of the people we met at Cat’s.

As the partiers went out – either on the pub-crawl or to their own choices – Emily and I made our escape to crash at the early hour of 1 am – ay Espana! I don’t know if I could truly keep their schedule…Getting used to my bunk, and being truly tired, however, gave me a better night’s sleep and a natural waking up at half past eight. Clearly, my body is setting itself to future-teacher time and I was losing the old ability to sleep forever.

After breakfast we joined the free walking tour, led by Elly! Three incredible hours later left us content but starving! Elly was knowledgeable, funny, and clearly loved her newly adopted home, Madrid. She was crazy, Mexican, and tons of fun. The second she discovered yo hablo espanol, she chatted away and made me use it – later on telling reception and the bartender that I couldn’t speak English to them either! It was great fun and practice, though. Our Swiss and Brazilian friends were also on the tour, and through it we also met a Dutch girl, Quebec gent, a New Yorker girl who was living in Paris, a girl from Zambia and her three uni companions also from Brazil. As we walked we talked, swapping tales, making jokes, and snapping photographs as we went.

On our tour we were led to:

 A plaza with an old jail turned into a city hall building.

La Catedral

 High alter in La Catedral

 A group of us in front of Palacio Real, the royal palace.

 Changing of the guard outside of el Palacio Real.

 Palace gardens with the palace

 The Egyptian Temple, a "gift" from Egypt to Spain.

Don Quixote y Sancho Panza on the Cervantes Monument in La Plaza de Espana

At the end, Elly heard our tummies grumble and directed us all to 100 Manchidos, a cheap mini-sandwich shop where everything’s 1 euro on Wednesday! We all rushed over to Plaza Santa Ana to place our orders and chow down pre-siesta. I had an interesting beer with lemonade, Caesar chicken sandwich and fries with Spanish sauces. Our Dutch friend, Emily, and I headed back together to take a break before the city restarted for the evening.

 The rest, naturally, consisted of Emily snoring and me with my nose in a book. I did nap after finishing Pride and Prejudice, again, an also took a few moments to check email and reply to texts. It's amazing how simple it is to keep up with things even while traveling about. Despite this rather domestic interlude, fresh and cool fall air called out to our souls and we went out to hit the shops, girls that we are. We took to the streets and back-tracked our way to a few shopping streets where we accordingly people watched and popped in and out of the shops. We headed back as well to the monument honouring Cervantes (Don Quixote) and to our delight found the artisans market still open. The wander through the stalls was as pleasant as such things always are. This led, of course, to further absurd photographs with Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, which I've clearly, out of a desire to embarrass myself apparently, put below.

I'm trying not to fall off the monument, so I was holding on...

Yet again we found our stomachs grumbling at our ignorance, so we were both happy to discover that it was late enough for the tapas places to be busy! Gran Via had a delicious sounding and affordable tapas place that allowed us ample people watching on this New York City style street in addition to the chance to fall even more in love with Spanish food. Seriously, it's to die for! The patatas bravas were just spicy enough to bite pleasantly but not burn; the tortillas con camerones were crisp and well seasoned; the estrelladas were simple and delightful, and the flan! It was so sweet but light, spongy, and fluffy enough to be a charming end.

Tortillas con camerones y patatas bravas

We finished just as the air turned colder and began our walk home to the hostel to relax and hang out before giving the pub crawl another try. We were hoping to find the places busier and more up to dancing than Monday. Thankfully the group that gathered for the crawl involved the people we had been getting to know over the days and seemed to be a lively bunch. 

The crawl started out at a quirky bar with strong drinks called Irreal, followed by the jam packed and super fun club-type bar, Bia, which I loved just as much as Monday, then we topped it off with hours at this British/Irish style bar that had tons of room for sitting, standing, or dancing. While there were several iffy characters there, we mostly stayed together and had a lot of fun with the great music selection. It was a long, rainy walk home but our beds, especially at 5:30 in the morning (and we left earliest of the group!), were a welcome sight.

Thursday was, in addition to being our last full day in Madrid, a crazy, long, adventure of a day. Full of unexpected things, I look back at it and just find myself laughing at everything that was accomplished. Following a nice sleep, shower, and breakfast, Emily and I headed out to an uncommon tourist attraction: the Spanish Armada's Museo Naval (Naval Museum). As a navy brat, I have always really had a fascination with navies and the sea that has really grown in recent years. Anyone who knows me can probably join me in a blaming, at least partially, Jane Austen's Persuasion; however, I digress...*ahem* 

Surprisingly big and beautifully laid out, the museum took you from time period to time period throughout Spanish naval history. There were grand paintings of various subjects from Colombus discovering the Americas to an interesting view of the Battle of Trafalgar. Countless models from small table sized models to grand multi-feet in length models showed off the great war ships from fleets around the world and throughout time, including some modern, steel vessels. In addition there were countless globes and instruments, models of rooms, and collections of various booty, uniforms, and weaponry. Their impressive collection captivated me and I only wish it were close enough to visit again!

Unsurprisingly, Emily and I left the museum in search of lunch and our pockets, wishing to continue the cheap day encouraged us back to 100 Manditos to try some new sandwiches. We split following lunch and I went off to continue my love affair with art. Choosing the more eclectic gallery and the one said to have the better collection of impressionists and due to its collection of more modern art as well, a chance to see some Picasso and Dali, I headed off in search of the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. While critics, according to our guidebook, find its eccentricy a drawback, it was in its variety that I found the strongest appeal. I was over seeing realist Renaissance painting after realist Renaissance painting; I was ready to find my eye drawn from period to period.

I was not disappointed. In addition to the traditional Italian works and a hearty collection of Spanish artists I was greeted by a large collection of Dutch art. A huge fan of marine artwork, I have always enjoyed the sheer amount of seascapes and naval battles painted by the Dutch. Critics of the museum be damned, I was thrilled to pieces by the set of Dutch rooms! There was pre-, during, and post-impressionist artwork that let me both enjoy a few Monets and see where he came from and where he went to. I was thrilled by the chance to see some of Degas' dancers in person and their room of North American art allowed my eyes to absorb some lovely landscapes. I zoomed through the modern art on the ground floor, stopping in search of a couple fabulous Dali and Picasso pieces while not letting the my-cat-could-paint-it-better pieces detract from my enjoyment of the two floors above.

Despite my enjoyment, the museum did what all museums seem to do to me, left me quite exhausted. It was, fortunately, seriously siesta time and my body craved that good ol' Spanish afternoon nap. Emily and I met up downstairs and gathered friends older and a new couple from Germany for the Tapas Tour! Elly and us were thrilled that it was going to go on! Tons of tapas and sangrias for 12 euro? Oh yes! We tried tons of dishes that were exotic, new, and delicious. Each sangria was new and unique as each restaurant in Spain follows their own recipe. We had some strange and interesting conversations, especially as the quiet group warmed up to one another, but it was, all in all, a wonderful time.

We ended up, as tends to be a trend, in the hostel's bar to have a drink and chill out. Emily and I began this event fully intending to have a night in, head to bed early, and be up and ready in good time for our plane the next day. Well...the bar got busier, our friends grew more encouraging, our flight wasn't that early (we didn't need to leave until 11), and a combination of Elly's pleading and the plying of the tour organizer in Spanish pulled me and then Emily into agreeing to the pub-crawl. It was, of course, Thursday, and Thursday meant Kapital night! (The stamp for which has finally come off my wrist.)

Us and our Canadian friend.

After a warm up dance and drink at Sol y Sombra, which was more hopping than Monday and ended up being a blast to dance about in, we headed out to Kapital. This famous club is the largest in Madrid. It's 7 floors of dancing and bars each had their own theme and feel. We saw Miss Spain, a dancing show, hung out on a balcony, and danced to the familiar clubbing tunes. Being out in the big group we had gotten to know, whether it was from day one or just Wednesday or even just the German uni companion of the Brazillians and Zambian who I had met earlier that night, made our last hurrah in Madrid a great time.

Most of the group outside of Kapital!

The next morning made the decision seem a bit sillier - though the decision I refer to is neither the drinking nor the club but the lack of water before bed - but my packing went quickly and without a hitch despite my brain's own personal mariachi band. Having given ourselves time to sleep and pack we left early and got ourselves some delicious Dunkin's for breakfast before catching the metro to the airport. We were checked in thanks to our hostel, so we grabbed some lunch and relaxed before boarding - which involved a faisco of a queue - our plane.

Arriving safely in London and hopping the tube back to our flat, Emily and I had a day full of errands, work, and re-packing ahead of us. These things we accomplished, God only knows how, before we had to head out for Victoria Coach Station. Our attempt to walk there failed utterly; however, we hopped the tube in defeat and made it with plenty of time to, in my case, skype before boarding the bus.

My journey to Spain was over; my Spanish was well used; my party was out; and there I sat, ready and willing to journey on to the homeland.

Stay tuned for the Edinburgh blog post soon!

Hope you enjoyed,

Much love xoxo

Fallon

 Ciao xx