Weekend of Aprovecharing

Aprovechar -- 1. To make the most of 2. To take advantage of

Aprovecharing -- A Spainglish term for making the most of or taking advantage of clearly used as a gerund


So Friday June 6th after running around all morning I took the bus to school and met up with Michelle and Blanca at school for our road trip to Segovia and Madrid. We didn't end up leaving till 3 or so, which was frustrating since I didn't go to the post office so I would be there by 2:30 as specified. Oh well. Then we left and started on our way. So Michelle and I were totally aprovecharing the free car ride. What we didn't think about the free car ride was the fact that our 70 year old teacher would be driving. And no matter how spunky and young she seems, she still is 70 years old and drives pretty bad. We both thought we were going to die, but you get what you pay for. Then we stopped for coffee halfway and I got a coke and chips which was way too expensive. Then we continued on again and got a little lost in Madrid. To get to almost anywhere in Northern Spain from Southern Spain, you usually have to pass through Madrid. There are several ways to do so, on the outside ring of freeways, avoiding more of the city traffic or on the inside. Blanca accidently got on the inside one and we were looking for a way out when my old roommate Alicia called me. We were also going to aprovechar her piso Saturday night when we stayed in Madrid. Unfortunately she called to say that she had to work suddenly as did all of her friends from whom we could get the keys. Soooo that was a problem and once again you get the kind of hotel you pay for. But I had the great idea that since we were lost on the freeway near the airport, by where she lives, to stop by and get the keys. That was a small fiasco with Blanca driving through all the ridiculous streets and freeways of Madrid. Praise the Lord, we finally met up and got the keys, said hello and she showed the house and what was hers to use. Then we continued on our way to Segovia. We got there around 9 and Blanca gave us a little driving tour of this city which was just precious. We got a good overview of all the major sites and visited a magical church where birds don't make nests and toched the rocks of the main tower which Blanca's husband said always gave him strength. Then we went to her house, which turns out was ridiculouly huge for being in the center of Segovia and right in front of the aqueduct and having its own personal pool. We dropped off stuff, unloaded the car and made up our beds. Michelle made me make mine with 2 top sheets and then unmake it when she realized she didn't want to make hers with 2 bottom sheets. Then we went out for a little walk and had some dinner. We ate chorizo, giant white beans and garlic mushrooms. It was good but I was really hungry and would have liked to eat more, but it was 15 bucks as is. Then we walked home and went to bed.



Saturday morning we got up early because I wanted to walk around Segovia as much as possible. But it was chilly, and we were tired, and the front door was locked from the inside. The key was next to the door but we didn't try it, or know if Blanca was going to get up or we were going to get breakfast together or what. So we ended up laying in bed talking for a while untill someone came and rang the doorbell and Blanca woke up. Then we got ready really fast and went out. We stopped by a bakery and I got an apple tart and a juice for breakfast and we walked around. I had to stop in the stores and look at all the magnets and we walked past the aqueduct, cathedral and down to the castle, which apparently Walt Disney used as inspiration for a few castles. We didn't go in because we didn't have much time but walked back up to the cathedral where I bought typical earring from there just like the ones I got in Salamanca but smaller so now I have a nice set, and a sweet magnet. Then I paid to go into the cathedral but Michelle went and walked around elsewhere. Then we headed back home and met up with Blanca, cleaned up and left. We got to Madrid and Blanca went to her sister's house for lunch. We took the Metro to Alicia's house which took like an hour and dropped off our stuff and I showered. Michelle had an unfortunate encounter with Alicia's roommate Carlos, who we met the day before, where she saw him picking his hairy butt. Then we went and got a very overpriced soda and sandwich in a cafe nearby. Madrid is soooooo expensive. Then we headed into the center to Puerta del Sol and went shopping at H&M. I found a bag that I really like and bought it. Michelle found several things to buy but her card got denied when she went to pay for them. That was the only card she had so we went to see if we could take money out of the ATM with it. It didn't work on the first try, so she tried again and the machine ate her card. That was bad news as the bank was already closed for Saturday afternoon, and would not open the next, Sunday, when we were leaving. So she called the bank and more or less got that figured out and I loaned her money for the rest of the weekend. Then we were wandering and got directed to a tourist information office in Plaza Mayor. On our way therein Plaza Mayor, this guy stops us and asks if we speak English. He then explains how he needs to practice English for his job and if we would walk around with him and see the sights. We talked it over, he seemed nice and sincere enough, but Michelle was in a really bad mood because of her card and didn´t want to. So we told him no, but in that persistant Spanish way, he kept talking to us and didn't leave us alone and ended up going with us. We got info at the tourist office and headed towards the Prado and the Retiro park. We got info at the Prado for the next day and then stopped by St. Jeronimo's church. Strangely enough, there isnt a main cathedral in Madrid, which I never realized. Then we went to the park and walked around. I bought Michelle and I and ice cream which Carlos, the Spanish dude didn't want to buy for us. Then we did convince him to rent us a row boat to take out in a big pond in the middle of the park. That was really fun, Michelle rowed and it was really cool. Then after that, Carlos invited us to his house for dinner. We had a conference and decided that since we were together, nothing bad could happen and decided to go. We took a bus to his house, on which my sweet grandparents called me. I felt horrible because I couldn't hear anything they said and I couldn't tell them that I was on a bus going to a complete strangers house for dinner because they would worry. Then we got to his house which is right in the middle of downtown business district really expensive Madrid. We stopped by a store for some drinks and then went up to his place. He first showed us the 17th floor terrace and 18th floor pool. It was a pretty sweet view, but I started feeling nervous because now we were in his territory and he controlled the situation more than when we were out in public. Then we went to his place which he paid 1,000€ in rent for and started making dinner. We had ham and cheese and bread to start, asparragus and tomatoes as a first course and pasta with a salmon cream sauce as a main course. It was pretty good and then we had ice cream for dessert. Then we left. He seemed pretty upset. He said that was the first time he had ever picked up tourists to practice English and I'll take his word for it, but you never know with crazy people. He walked us to the Metro and we went home and went to bed.



Sunday we woke up early and showered and picked up Alicia's room. Then we made eggs and toast for breakfast with an orange and chocolate milk. During breakfast Michelle's phone rang and we figured it was Blanca calling about leaving that day so she answered it. But it was Carlos wondering if we were at the Palacio Royal yet and said to call him when we got there. He called again later and we obviously didn't answer it and he got the point. Then we took the metro to Blanca's and dropped off our stuff and then headed into the center. We went and visited the Royal Palace, which I thought was really cool. It had a lot of furniture and elegante things, really extravagant and beautiful and over the top. One of my favorite parts was the royal pharmacy and imagining them getting the medicines. It was a huge complex with tons of bottles and vases with complex names and a distillery. Then we walked to the Prado museum and saw a cool Goya exhibit. It was rather dark as it focused on 25 years of his carreer when there was a war going on but I liked it since it was different from the typical religious or portrait art that usually seems to be in museums. Then we were really tired and it was about 3:30 and we found a café and got another sandwich and croqueta rip off but it was good. Then we got one more ice cream, walked around and headed back to Blanca's to go home. We watched the end of a tennis game championship which a Spanish guy, Rafa Nadal won. Then we headed back to Granada. I took a little nap but woke up with a jolt of the car and then tried to keep Blanca company the rest of the way as Michelle slept in the back. We listened to old tapes she had in her car and made it back to Granada around 9. We dropped Michelle off and then I got dropped off by Blanca's house, really far from my house. I walked home and talked to Victor on the phone and unpacked and used the internet for a while while watching tv. The house was really messy from a party they had had for Rosa's bithrday, which was really frustrating and I could tell that they had been using my toothpaste, which enfuriated me. Then I tried to buy a ticket to Malaga the next day, but it bought the wrong one so I tried to change it with no luck and so I cancelled it and tried again but still no luck. Then I talked to my mom on the phone and went to bed, rather frustrated.