Spain Post #1

Hello from Spain.
After a hellatious time at the Heathrow Airport, I am here. We spent a fabulous weekend in Madrid, a much different experience than being here on a canned tour with students. We did 2 interesting walking tours. One was a tour of the Barrio de las Letras, where we got to see the traditional craftsmen of Madrid who are still working. For example, we saw where they make churros, a guitar maker, a silver smith and an iron works/foundry. Very cool, very ``off the beaten path``. In the evening, we went on a tour of the taverns and learned about how they evolved and the legends and customs surrounding them.
Right now I am in Caceres, a small city in Extremadura, to the west of Madrid. I am living with a delightful older woman and attending classes.
Mas later. We are getting ready to go and I´m paying by the hour.