Thanksgiving,..CHINCHÓN...winter in Madrid!

OK, so I skipped out on posting last weekend. It was a great Thanksgiving weekend but I am lacking on pics. Let's see, I will start with Thanksgiving. I made pumpkin pies and green bean casseroles, one of each for my host family and for my friends. My host family had never eaten either before and they loved it, especially the pie. As for most of my European friends, it was also their first time to try pumpkin pie and they couldn't stop talking about it! I was happy to be able to share a taste of home with everyone. The Saturday after Thanksgiving my friends and I had our own Thanksgiving at our friends apartment. For many of them this was their first and only Thanksgiving. We each brought something to add to the meal and everything was complete except for the lack of a turkey. The ovens in Spain are small and apparently its hard to find a whole turkey. So we had everything but. We also had this dinner as "Annes going home" party. She's from Montreal, QC and she departed today actually. Her journey in Spain was short but sweet and she is a forever friend in my books!
She did not know we had planned any of this and after we went to see the movie "Body of Lies" we took her on the metro where I blind folded her and told her we were taking her to a "surprise restaurant" for her last dinner out with us girls.



It was really fun and she was a great sport and stayed blind folded all the way from the metro, on the street and all the way to Jessies apartment where everyone was waiting to surprise her. What a success :)







This Saturday we went to a city called Chincon, 45km southeast of Madrid. It is an elegant little town, with a fifteenth-century castle and a famous Plaza Mayor. Not really much else to say about it...just look at the pics :)



After Chincon we came back to Madrid and saw 007 Quantum of Solace. Which was a great action film...but I was lost on the plot. In Madrid they are pretty festive for the holidays. I saw many people wearing red Christmas hats and reindeer hats. They also decorate the streets with lights. Unlike the States where we mostly decorate the buildings and trees, they string lights over the streets and have other beautiful decorations.




Hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season! I miss all the wonderful things about home and Christmas. The list is long but here are a few things I miss: Christmas lights on houses, the Starbucks pumpkin spice lattes, eggnog, Ugly Sweater Christmas parties, the Salvation Army bell ringers(believe it or not), Santa hats, Christmas movies on TV, crowded malls(I know I am strange), Santa Clause, winter ice skating, christmas music, my Moms and Grandmas cookies and candies and most of all family and friends to share the holidays with! Thank goodness I will be in Italy, otherwise I would be sitting around feeling very homesick. XOXO