Is there any greater joy than the joy of visitors? I know house guests get a bad rap, but this week I fall firmly on the pro side. Why, you ask? This week, my dad and his girlfriend have been visiting me in Madrid. (Hi, Dad!)
While they’ve been here, I’ve been thinking about the issue of houseguests. It’s a complicated question. Sometimes, it’s difficult to host people. When done correctly, it requires revising a regular schedule, creating interesting diversions and a lot of talking. However, for the right company it’s 100% worth it.
Here’s a short list of the things I did this week while I normally would have been sitting on my couch, slow-watering my plants and admiring my bookshelves:
The Joy of Visitors: Spanish Edition
1. Went to Palma, Mallorca. We ate Mallorcian almonds and finally saw the inside of the Palma cathedral.
(The cathedral is a typical Spanish attraction which means it is open to tourism 9-2 Monday-Friday. HOWEVER, my dad’s girlfriend got us down there during a church service on a Sunday. Highly recommend!)
2. Visited the DocumentaMadrid film festival. We saw short films about life in Aleppo, Buenos Aires and Greece (the depth of the social problems in all those locations is a subject for another time)
3. Visited the RVTE Teatro Monumental for a Beethoven/Puccini concert.
4. Had a party! On a school night! My friends got to see my family AND I learned a new spanish suffix: -azo (look it up).
5. Used my kitchen! (more accurately–my dad’s girlfriend used my kitchen while I watched and exclaimed over her cooking abilities).
What a great visit. Picture of Palma from the Hotel Born below.
Happy Friday!
Thanks to Kelsey Chance for the banner photo