Tuesday morning started early with Robyn trying to pack as much as she could before heading out to work. Once she left, I got everything else packed and ready to go for the move to our apartment. I had to wait for confirmation that the agent had received Robyn's payment before I could call Tiago to set up a time to meet at the apartment. It took a few hours before everything was confirmed so I called Tiago and he said the only time he had available that day was at 2:00 and it was already 1:00. It looked like it was going to be another mad dash to get the last of everything packed and down to a taxi for the trip. We have 3 large suitcases along with 2 laptop cases so it would be tricky. I went downstairs with 1 of the suitcases and asked a taxi driver if he could take 3 siutcases this size in his taxi. He assured me he could so I told him to wait 4 minutes and I would be down with the rest. We got everything in and headed out for the apartment. The driver was very nice and we talked the whole way in spanish with him helping me pronunciate some words correctly. We arrived just a few minutes late and Tiago was kind enough to help me upstairs with our bags. After signing the lease agreement, I realized that I had left my laptop at our hotel room. My computer bag was so heavy with extras I had packed in there that I didn't notice it was not there. We lwft the apartment and I walked down the street and hopped on the Metro back to the hotel. I retrieved the laptop and hopped on the Metro back to the apartment. I got back just in time to meet Robyn at our predetermined spot in the middle of the square of Puerta del Sol. (It's very difficult trying to coordinate things without a cell phone. I have been working off e-mail only for the most part.) We walked up to the apartment and Robyn walked in to see it for the first time. Fortunately, she liked it very much and we started unpacking and learning the little things about the apartment. Unlike in the states, most people here have washing machines but no dryers. That is the case with our apartment. To dry your clothes, you have to put them on a line outside or on a rack inside. Since this is an arid desert-like environment, there is little humidity most of the time and clothes dry quickly when hung outside. After unpacking, we decided to go to the supermarket to get some supplies for the apartment. We walked about 5 minutes to a store here that seems to be everywhere called El Corte de Ingles which is a huge department store. There are 6 floors and on the bottom floor they have a supermarket. The floors are all very large so it is amazing. We picked out the essentials because we could only buy as much as we could carry. We walked back and rested a bit as we were both tired and then headed out for a quick bite to eat in our neighborhood. Just down the street from the apartment is a street with many restaurants so we picked out one and sat outside for a relaxing dinner before calling it a night.
Wednesday I walked Robyn to the Metro and she headed off for a day of work and I went back to start my day. In a way we are living the same life we usually live during the day back home except that we are doing it in one of the largest cities in the world with so much to offer. I started a load of laundry and headed back to the supermarket to get more supplies. I was told by Robyn that we could use gmail from Google to talk on the phone for free or very little money so we had bought an earpiece to use but it was not the correct one so I had to return it. I was a little nervous about returning something to a store where the people do not speak english but I managed fine after looking up how to use the correct phrases by looking on Google Translate. Although sometimes the translations don't work. Several times I have tried to say something and the people had no idea what I was trying to say. So it can be a challenge to phrase things in a way that the locals understand. Sometimes I am using the correct words but they still have trouble understanding me. If you don't pronounce the words just right, they do not know what you are saying. It's either that or my southern accent is getting in the way. The rest of the day was uneventful. I was just trying to get the apartment in order and get the Google phone working which turned out to work great. I cooked my first dinner here for Robyn which was nothing special. We had crackers with assorted cheeses and meats as appetizers and some crab stuffed pasta with sauce and bread as the main course. It was now time for bed.
Thursday started the same as the day before except that it was raining lightly. Robyn set off for another day of work and I did another load of laundry and headed out to see if I could find a quick route to another Metro station for Robyn that would eliminate a train change for her and to get more supplies for the apartment. It was still raining lightly so I took the umbrella I purchased at the Metro that morning from a man selling them on the street. I headed out in the direction of Plaza de Espana which is where the Metro stop is. The map I had was not very detailed and I made one wrong turn and missed my objective. I finally made it there after asking a local directions. I knew where I was now so I walked back toward the apartment in a direct path this time to time the walk. I stopped at our favorite supermarket and picked up some more items before continuing the timed walk back home. It turned out to be a good 20 minute walk so it would not be worth Robyn's time to make the walk in the mornings. That afternoon, I took the Metro to Robyn's work so I would know how to get there. I made it without any problems thanks to her specific and excellent directions. I got to meet some of Robyn's spanish co-workers as well as some old friends from the states, Carole and her daughter Carly. I took some pictures of Robyn's office and the olive trees in the courtyard. The olives here are really good. Robyn, Carole, Carly, & I left to eat dinner in Plaza de Espana and walk around a little. It is abeautiful square with fountains and more sculptures of men on horses. There are a lot of these type sculptures here because the wars are a big part of spanish history. After sightseeing, we walked down the main street to find a place to eat. We stopped at a little place that looked promising and sat at the only table that was available. It's kind of fun just stopping in a restaurant not knowing if the food will be good or not. We figure that if there are a lot of people there then the food must be OK. Robyn and I orderd a paella dish for two, Carly ordered a lamb chop with grilled vegetables, and Carole got the Greek salad. We chose our restaurant wisely. The food was really good. Carly let us have a bite of her lamb and it was amazing. The paella was the best I have had. It was really good to visit with Carole and Carly and hear of their exploits to Granada, Dublin, & Lisbon in the few weeks they have been here. Their trips made got us excited about the trips we have planned. We said our goodbyes and walked back to our apartment to go to bed so we would be rested for the weekend. I can't wait to see Granada and the rest of southern Spain as well as Portugal. We are planning several great excursions for the weekends coming up. This weekend we are staying here to explore the Prado museum and other amazing places within walking distance of our apartment. The first week is almost over and we are finally getting settled with work and the apartment so we can start really exploring this amazing city. I can't wait to see what awaits us. I've include pictures of our apartment, the view of the street from our small balcony, the square at Puerta del Sol, Robyn's work, and Plaza de Espana with Carole and Carly. Remember that you can double click on a picture to see it larger.
Adios amigos.
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