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I only meant to walk off all those chocolate bars I ate. Perhaps even contemplate a little after visiting a convent. No camera strung around my neck. Today I'm a local enjoying Madrid's gardens and parks. I tried talking to Siri but she just kept misunderstanding every word I said. Have you guys tried this? When I left Manila, my iPhone4S was just a week old. Thought I'd have plenty of time to get acquainted with my new mobile while basing myself in Madrid for the next 10 weeks. Siri and Me
Too old for gadgets? Naaaah. I love new discoveries. Food, places, AND GADGETS. I hate reading manuals...... I just tinker away. (Don't start reminding me about our IKEA do-it-yourself assemblies) What I love about this new phone is its camera. I never owned a DLSR. Too heavy, too big for me. My Canon G12 fits my budget, fits my bag. Besides, I just point and shoot and feel no need for all those other functions and adjustments. Set it on automatic and let the "intelligent" memory catcher do the rest! But this new iPhone version has Siri. Siri who? Well, for someone like me whose human interaction in Madrid was limited to a few hours a day, solo travels are made more pleasurable "talking" to Siri.
Siri would find maps for me. Wake me up. Even play music for me. But I tell you, my Asian accent must be too hard on Siri that it's a "hit or miss" whether she'd get my message or not. Much too often, I end up laughing whenever Siri misunderstands me. Imagine that. Me and my mobile "talking". Siri repeatedly saying "I don't understand you". Or actually misunderstanding me.
An Afternoon With Siri
Many times, I gave up. As with this afternoon. Siri and i stopped talking to each other. 😞
Off to my leisurely stroll around Madrid after one too many chocolate bars. From Atocha Station, I crossed the street towards Prado. As I passed the Botanical Garden, I glimpsed tulips in lively colors and knew I couldn't skip a visit here. Yellow, deep red, pink, even purple! From the flower gardens to the forest of trees surrounding a pond, the tranquility of spending a good hour here is just what I need. I only wish I brought my book! Siri, who couldn't understand a word of what I'm saying proved handy as I snapped photos with my iPhone cam. From the Botanical Garden, I strolled towards the Iglesia de San Jeronimo. A lovely church especially at night when it is illuminated as a perfect background to the Prado Museum. Turning right as I passed the church, I crossed the street to enter Parque de Retiro. This park is more easily accessed from the Metro Line 2 (Red) Retiro Station, but if you're guilty over some chocolate pleasures lately, it's a better, longer stroll from this gate towards the metro station. Rather than walk straight towards the boating lake, I strolled off towards Palacio Cristal. There is a smaller, charming pond here complete with geese hungry for potato chips and cheese curls. I saw some tourists feeding them such and I can't say that's good for these geese. With the same iPhone cam, I took a video of a street artist whose music is so apt for a lazy afternoon like now.
Finally, I passed the boating lake till I reached the Retiro Station for my metro ride home. But not without stopping for a snapshot of Plaza de la Independencia and Puerta de Alcala. Not the best shot as it is against the light. But who's complaining? Siri was such a lovely companion today. Esta bien!
More adventures in Spain here.
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Aries and Rinka
Aristeo Rinka Lucea
10 weeks in Spain Tita Lili, wow! That means I have more than 10 weeks of ooohs and aaahs reading your Spain blogs.