Landfall...Madrid!!!!

We made it to Madrid!!! What a surreal experience thinking that just a few short hours ago we were in Minneapolis.

The flight went quick and both of us were glad for the time to rest and take a few momenta think about Clif. He is in our thoughts and his spirit is with us.

We had our first panic attack trying to use an ATM then trying to purchase a Metro ticket. The cards didn't work!!

It wasn't until a guy working for the Metro had us go to another machine that we found out our cards were fine, it was the machine. Then we also discovered the exchange rate meant that we were trying to take out too much from the bank. So after adjusting to smaller amounts of Euros our panic turned to relief and the phrase "The Camino Provides" first started to mean something to us.

We had lunch at Roxy's, a small cafe on the street that normally we would have walk past due to the lack of people inside and dark, barely noticeable entrance except as we walked past we noticed their menu. While reading it a waiter walked out and somehow convinced us we really wanted to eat here.

It was here that I realized I was at a major disadvantage to Jenni. Being at her mercy for her translating skills meant that she could conveniently leave details out when translating for me. I ordered what she was having and when it came out she was laughing so hard tears welled up between her eyes. I ordered Paella not knowing it was loaded with octopus, mussels, clams, boned chicken, whole shrimp, and some other shell fish I could not recognize. I did not know the deviousness that was in the women that sat across from me with the tears of laughter in her eyes that in only a few short months was to become my wife.

After my first look of terror and disgust of what was in front of me I poked at the rice and tasted what the waiter had brought me. The yellow rice was seasoned with saffron and was nothing like I have had before. The sweet flavor tasted delicious but I still was leery of the seafood. Jenni in her very convincing wisdom told me I was in Spain and had she not tricked me knew I would not order this dish. While in Spain I could not hold onto my food pickiness and must try everything. So with these words in my ears and Jenni's beautiful laughter in my heart I opened my first clam and with that symbolic gesture opened myself to a truly cultural experience in Spain.