Before departing for Spain,  I had intended to write a short entry describing a little more about myself, my involvement in the St. Olaf Orchestra, and my excitement for our upcoming Spain tour.  But, with all the chaos of finals, packing, moving, Celebration weekend, etc., it just didn't get done.  However, prior to describing our last two days here, I will mention that I also had the opportunity to go on two international tours with the orchestra during my time at St. Olaf.  There is no better way of traveling than to do so with your friends, while also sharing our gift of music with audiences around the world.  It always amazes me how sharing our gift of music brings individuals of different cultures together, and in our common understanding and love of music, we can share and be united despite our differences. 

Following our tour through Spain, two of my Orchie friends and I will then continue on to see more Spain, including Ibiza, Barcelona, and Pamplona, as well as Belgium and The Netherlands.  So, these two weeks of traveling with the orchestra are just half of this summer's European traveling adventure.  

Thus, we are now in Spain.  Hooray!  It is always such a surreal experience to just jump on a plane, and then in a few hours, be completely immersed in what feels like a completely different planet.  For me, the time change, jet lag, and overall physical exhaustion quickly subsided, and almost immediately upon our arrival at our hotel in Madrid, I was out and about anxiously discovering an unfamiliar place, now our home for the next few days.  

My Iberia flight, which about 12 other deviating Orchies were also on, arrived on Monday morning, shortly before 8am.  We were the first group to arrive in Madrid, so we had a generous amount of time to kill before departing for our hotel.  The other few groups arrived at various times throughout the morning, and by about noon, all students had successfully arrived and loaded two buses.  We then were off to our hotel near the heart of Madrid, where we were to have a short city orientation meeting with our Spanish tour guide, prior to being let loose for an afternoon of free time.  After going over maps, and doing a little impromptu planning, 4 friends and I were off to site-see, exchange money, and find a grocery store (where we found loaf after loaf of fresh, warm French bread and lots of cheap wine!).  

Highlights included strolling through the botanical gardens and Plaza Mayor, which is the city's most impressive public place, and also stopping for ice cream at Haagen Daz, where we watched two men out the window get mobbed by police and arrested!  We also located the Puerta Del Sol, which means "gateway of the sun", where streets radiate in all directions at the heart of the city.  The oversized architecture and cleanliness of the tree and flower-lined streets is as much impressive as it is beautiful, and in first glance, I have instantly fallen in love with Madrid.  Also, Madrid, as well as other cities in Spain, has Starbucks!  I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I have been there several times in the past couple of days, despite their outrageous prices!  But, like most other countries, getting coffee "to-go" is a foreign concept to most people.  However, this is one American habit of mine that is just too difficult to let go, minus my desire to experience full cultural immersion.  In addition, while walking down the sidewalk, I had the unfortunate experience of having a bird poop on my head.  Thankfully, there was a kind American family nearby, and the mother had disinfectant wipes!  Phew...

Ok, I wrote this a few days ago, was going to cut-and-paste, but this program wouldn't let me.  SO, I'm re-typing it, and now I need to go to breakfast in order to load the bus soon!  

Adios!