Chapter 3 is Wrapping Up

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Sleeping on a ranch in the middle of nowhere was one of my favorite experiences. I absolutely heart nature and animals. When we woke up, there were new editions. A vibrant puppy came out of nowhere and wanted to play all morning. Leslie went horseback riding while Sheri and I sat overlooking the universe and read our books. I wish we had another day to hang out…but the weather wasn’t so hot so it was probably best that we hit the road.

On the way to Madrid we go. We stopped in a town called Consuega. Here there was nothing but beautiful windmills and an old castle. We decided to have lunch in town. We walked in one place and there were all men who stared at us as if we were aliens. They were out of food. We then went to another tapas bar… where we were directed into the back room. This place was packed. We assumed it was as crowded as it was the only place with food in the village.

So we return the car to the airport. We hop in a taxi to our hotel in Madrid. We are smack in the center of this happening city. We take our late afternoon siesta before heading out for a night on the town. We sit outdoors in one of the squares and eat some eclectic tapas. Following this we start walking. As we were passing a little bar, I see the most gorgeous man in the world. I insisted we had to go in and meet him. Within 2 minutes, my new boyfriend came over to introduce himself. His name was Diego. He is from Buenos Aires. It is rare someone can take my breath away. My friends couldn’t stop laughing at me as I was very red in the face. To say the least, my name for the next few hours was Dora.

Our full day in Madrid was a busy one. I started my morning bright and early and had to do some darn laundry. All the hotels we stayed in charge per item for laundry. This means my laundry can cost 50 Euros - no thanks! I’ll do it myself thanks. I then met the girls at the Prado followed by Real Jardin Botanico (which was lovely). Some shopping took place followed by some of the best Paella in Madrid. Of course we got the tip from Samantha Brown. The restaurant itself was a little stuffy, but the food was excellent. After too much wine, we went down for a proper siesta. I woke up 2 hours later with a hangover. A hot shower and some motivation, we headed back out for some drinks. We then went for some dinner. After a 2 hour wait, we finally ate dinner around 11pm. I almost chewed my hand off. I might as well of been back in NYC at some trendy restaurant. The only difference is that this place was filled with thick cigarette smoke. By 3am I was ready for sleep!

I have had a wonderful time with my friends. I have less than 24 hours before my friend Jen arrives from San Diego. I still feel like the luckiest gal in the world!

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