Kirsten goes to Europe: Ha venido el grupo!

The group meets today at five, but I have to be out of my room at noon. I go down to the lobby and start to bother the attendant, Andres, about letting me into a room early. He refuses, citing some garbage about not knowing who goes in what room with these group situations. I tease him about it relentlessly, but he won't yield. So I wait and pull out my computer to busy myself until one, when I hope more people will show up.

I am rewarded and when three other girls arrive Andres says he will let me have a room now. We truck our stuff up and way way in the back of the building. I have no idea it's so huge because my previous room was right at the top of the stairs and it never occurred to me to go exploring the hostel itself. I have a room with three other girls, Mikaila, Rikki, and Megan. We claim beds and then agree to go out. Mikaila decides to stay behind so Rikki and Megan and I head down to meet with some other girls. There is discussion, followed by plans to meet at Starbucks (which I thought was a joke, until I realized they were serious)... Rikki and Megan and I wander around to find some food and then head to Starbucks, running into one of our Professors on the way. He points us in the right direction, after giving us some lip about Starbucks. We never connect with the other girls and head to the Parque del Retiro instead.

I'm thrilled to be back at the park because I get to see much more of it this time. Just as we arrive a gypsy walks up to me and hands me a sprig of rosemary. I ask her what the word for it is Spanish and she all of a sudden takes my face in her hands and starts to talk about the depth of my eyes. She tells me how pretty they are, how pretty I am and then she seizes my right hand and begins to read my palm. I try to snatch it away and explain to her that I'm afraid of her predictions. She wags a finger at me and tells me to not be afraid. I tell her that I think it's dangerous to know too much about your own life to come... she doesn't listen and grips my hand even tighter. Tracing the lines on my palm she tells me all sorts of very wonderful things. That I have already met the man I'm going to fall in love with and marry. That he will be a great man who will treat me well. She tells me I will have two sons who will be strong and very smart. She tells me I will be beautiful all my life because I laugh so much. She says I will have an honest job and earn good money, that I will live to be very old and that I will be healthy until the day I die. She tries to take my other palm, but stops and asks for payment. She wants 20 euro for both palms. I can't believe it. I told her I can't pay that much, I don't have it. She insists that it's 10 euro per palm. I apologize and pull out a fiver, telling her it's all I have. She turns to Megan and says, "your friend will pay the rest." I said, "She doesn't have any money either! She already owes me!" The gypsy is clearly pissed off and snatches back the rosemary sprigs that she's given the other girls. She takes the five and starts muttering things under her breath. I do my best to bat my pretty eyes at her as I say thank you and apologize again for not having the money (to pay her for a service I didn't actually want, that she forced upon me). but then again, how many gypsy stories do I get to tell?

We wander through a wooded garden and then break for refreshments. I try the horchata, which in Spain is made from some sort of plant. It's decidedly not as good as Mexican horchata, but at least I tried it. We decide to head back, but come across a beautiful rose garden that reminds me of the parks in London. It's getting really hot, so we head back towards Sol, stopping for photos along the way.

I take the girls through Sol and across the Plaza Mayor to get bocadillos at Casa Rua. The girls are very complimentary of my Spanish and how well I know the city. It's nice to have some female companionship again. We eat and then return to the hostel in time to join our group. After a quick rules and syllabus meeting, the group heads out together to do a little mini-walking tour of the city. I've already been to most of the places, but the far part of the loop back is all new to me and it was nice to have Tony (Spanish Professor) explain the historical and current significance of the places that I had seen.