Day 16 and 17!

Day 16:
Yesterday started off with Nacho taking MiLeah and I to a bull ranch where many of the bullfight bulls are raised. It was interesting to see the farm and the different sizes of bull that are used.

After we got finished looking at the bulls, we went back to the house for a quick lunch before the entire family (excluding Ignacio) loaded up in the van to meet Ignacio at the bull fight!

The arena that we went to was really cool! It was built in 1929 and was a lot larger than I expected! Rocio told us that the bullfight that we were going to only occurred during the month of May and was a huge deal. To put this in our terms, we basically saw the major league of bullfighting. The bullfight was extremely interesting! Although it is a controversial subject to perform the bullfight, it was really neat to see that part of Spain's culture.

After the bullfight we went with the family to dinner. I was expecting something quick and cheep because we were eating with the whole family and it was pretty late at night, but this was entirely the opposite. Ignacio had arranged for us to eat at a restaurant whose name translates to "paradise", and let me tell you, its name was not far from the truth. The restaurant sat only a block or so from Spain's  congress building and was the fanciest place I had ever been. There was stained hardwood on the ceilings and walls, crystal chandeliers, and waiters that wore towels over their arm. Ignacio told us later that the Congress members frequently ate there and the past three Spanish presidents ate at the same table that we were eating!! Our waiter confirmed everything that Ignacio told us, so we knew that he wasn't just blowing smoke. MiLeah and I felt like kings even though we were crazy under dressed. I had on a green shirt and white kaki shorts, and MiLeah had on a tank top and Jean shorts. We had never been to a place that fancy, and we felt silly for not being prepared. Although we felt a little embarrassed, we didn't let that stop us from having a great time! We had a lot of tapas for our starters and then came the main dish. I had a steak, and MiLeah had some really interesting meatballs. After our incredible main dish, we ended with a small but refreshing dessert of cake, fruit, and ice cream. We then headed home (at about 1) and went straight to bed.

Day 17:

Today we all got up late because we were so tired. We eventually got around and took Ignacio to the train station so he could go to Barcelona because of his job. After we all said goodbye to him, MiLeah and I were dropped off to shop a little bit before we met Maria (a future exchange student to the USA). Maria was really nice and her English is excellent. She will do great with her future host family.

After we finished with Maria, we were picked up by Rocio and took home to relax. We are currently watching Over the Hedge with Jaime, and are probably going to eat some food pretty soon!

Tomorrow I think we are going to go see some Roman mosaic ruins that are nearby Carranque (the village we are staying in). It will be our last full day here in Spain/Europe and it is very bittersweet. I love being here and experiencing so much, but I really miss my family and country.

Talk to you all later!