Our third day in Madrid...the alarm never went off and I was frustrated that "we slept the day away" - Dad. Little did we know that Spaniards would be getting up around noon for breakfast too (it seems like we are finally understanding their schedule).
The day has been relatively relaxing, starting with cafes con leche (coffees with milk), a ham & cheese sandwich for lunch (at 5 PM), and ending with a typical tapas dinner - a ham & cheese plate, croquettes, and sangria. As most of you know, Nick loves himself some ham and cheese...so he thinks Madrid is fabulous! :) But seriously, the specialty at every restaurant, cafe, or street vendor is always ham and cheese.
After doing our first wash (pictured above), we walked to the Temple de Debod - one of the most intact Egyptian temples, given to Spain as a gift. We saw a beautiful sunset from the temple over the city of Madrid. Around 10, we finally headed to dinner, again adjusting to the schedule around here (though we still might have been among the first to arrive).
We spent most of our day talking about our visit with the MacNamees the night before...we met them at 9 PM for a 5-course dinner, lasting almost to midnight. They both made a huge impression on us and our dinner with them was a highlight of our time in Madrid. We learned so much about Young Life International - how they reach out to students, different camps and short term programs they provide, and how their ministry changes being in a different culture. It was really encouraging to here how they are training Spanish leaders to take over their positions along the way, so that their ministry becomes fully functional whether they stay in Spain or return to the States. We also enjoyed hearing that they first came to Spain at 50 years old, after retirement! Good to realize that it is never too late to start in ministry overseas...
Happy birthday, Emily! We love you!
Reminds me of our trip to Greece with ham and cheese as an option at EVERY meal! So fun learning about the ministries you're visiting... looking forward to learning more! Love you guys!
ReplyDeleteOK, a 5-course meal, finishing at midnight?? Now that is some reality for you. It sounds fun to be doing things at night...right?? Hope your trip to Barcelona goes well...by the way, can you tell us when and where you are planning on arriving in Oxford, your dad and I can't lay our hands on those particular details...thanks ya'll ~ lots of love, mom...steph
ReplyDeleteOh, this is so exciting!! I'm excited to keep up with your travels. Love to you both!
ReplyDeleteLove you guys! This sounds like so much fun... Jake and I are totally living vicariously... and I have to say the couple that moved overseas to do ministry at 50 is sort of inspiring :) We've laughed about how we're gonna be the crazy 50 year-old retirees doing this trip that you guys are doing.
ReplyDeleteHey you two. Your trip sounds like loads of fun. Glad you got to visit with thd McNamee's. We are excited for you to come to Oxford. Hope you'll have as much fun here...not as much ham and cheese here:-). Love ya much. Dad
ReplyDeleteBrazil had ham and cheese as options with everything!
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you guys are enjoying your time over there! It's so exciting. Take pictures so we can relive your stories