I'll skip the nitty-gritty details, since writing about a two-week visit would take too long. After a month-long haitus I'm not exactly in blogging form.
First, the low points:
Every travel story has its rough moments. My parents had excellent luck right out the gate, as they opted to take the train to the airport and skip Los Angeles' famed rush hour traffic. To reward them for their forethought, the train decided to arrive 2 hours late. Two. Hours. In comparison, a 15 minute delay in Madrid means that the metro workers are on strike. Thankfully, they caught their plane on time and we had a glorious reunion at the airport. In retrospect, there was only one hiccup in regards to transport. A big hiccup, but manageable nonetheless.
Unfortunately, none of us were in stellar health during the trip. My dad still has some lingering [and unresolved] issues, which meant that we had to take things slowly and frequently stop to rest. In addition, I'd had a lingering cough since the beginning of May, which suddenly worsened just after my parents' arrival. My mom gave me some antibiotics, since Spanish doctors are impossible (open one hour a day and your "office" is in your living room? OK). At one point I almost passed out/threw up in the metro, which was a fun experience. Thank you, random Cercanias worker who bought me a soda. So, I missed out on some valuable time with my mom and dad because I was too dizzy to stand. By the way, cough is resolved and I rescind my judgements on Spanish health care. It isn't all useless old dudes who operate out of their apartment.
Now, to the good stuff:
So much good stuff! First we had good weather for almost the entire trip. It was cold and rainy both the week before and the week after they left, but warm and sunny during their stay. Second, I highly recommend Hostal Gonzalo. The owner upgraded their hotel room to an apartment so that they'd be more comfortable during their stay. So, my parents got to live the European apartment life with a kitchen, living room, and a balcony. Talk about good customer service.
During the trip planning stages, I was the typical over-eager daughter who wanted to recreate a year's worth of exeriences in 13 days. It was their first trip to Europe and I wanted them to see EVERYTHING. I think, considering that I was still working Monday-Thursday during their stay, we managed to see quite a bit.
The Itinerary:
May 23: Arrival in Spain. Showed my parents the main sights (Sol, Plaza Mayor, etc). Ate chocolate con churros.
May 24: More walking around and looking at things. I've been in Spain for almost a year and I'd never gone into Templo de Debod, despite the free entrance, so we did that. We experienced a menu del dia (3 course price-fixed menu) at El Lacon.
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| No, you can't high-five Don Quijote |
May 26: My parents met Álvaro's parents for the first time, and we went to Toledo.Neither had a good grasp of the other's language, so I was the translator. All things considered it went well.
May 27: Back to work. I tried going to the doctor, which was open for only one hour. I arrived 3 minutes after it opened, and his living room already had about 10 people waiting. NOPE.
May 28: Parents went to the Thyseen museum and the Royal Palace. I went to work. We met up in the afternoon for pizza and watched TV.
May 29: Parents went to the Prado. I went to the Prado with my students. Later, I almost fainted in the metro. I didn't see my mom and dad that afternoon.
May 30: Was still feeling dizzy, so I went to urgencias (urgent care) and was given some medicine for my cough. Rested, and that afternoon we went to Café Central for dinner and live jazz.
May 31: An easy day. Walked around the Retiro park. In the evening we met up with Álvaro's family (including his aunt and uncle) for some tapas and Asturian-style cider.
June 1: Day trip to Barcelona. We woke up at 5 A.M. to catch the train and we back in Madrid by midnight. We spent the morning in the Sagrada Familia. My dad wasn't feeling well, so we caught a hop-on/hop-off tour bus and rode around. Having already been to Barcelona twice, I was content to go along for the ride.
June 2: Met up with Álvaro's family again for a trip to La Granja and Segovia. We were treated by his aunt and uncle to cochinillo (roast suckling pig) and judiones (giant white bean stew). In the spring, La Granja turns on its fountains to the public. We drove to Segovia and saw the aqueduct and alcazár.
June 3: I went to work, and hung out with my parents in the afternoon. My mom and I walked around Spain and picked up a few souvenirs.
June 4: Ate lunch at Café Central and enjoyed the terrace views and warm air. Álvaro's parents stopped by to say goodbye to my parents, and Santi (Álvaro's dad) let my dad ride his scooter around the block.
June 5: I accompanied my parents to the airport and we said our goodbyes. They had an uneventful return trip.
Overall, I was glad to have shown them a bit of my adopted country. Our families met and in spite of the language barrier everyone got along swimmingly. I think their trip helped bridge the gap caused by the sheer physical distance between California and Spain. They've seen the home I'm starting to build here, and the wonderful people I'm surrounded by. I've gone from the girl who couldn't do her own laundry to the girl who is living in a foreign country and speaking a different language. I think, having seen the life I've been leading here (albeit in my little dollhouse of an apartment), my parents can more readily accept their eldest daughter living abroad.
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