Happy Birthday to me!

Argh!  I got sick again last night from something I ate and have been in bed most of the day today.  Yesterday was my birthday and Chris and I went out exploring the city.  Thanks to everyone for the happy birthday wishes!  We stopped in for supper and there was a table of Brits next to us, also celebrating someone's birthday.  After they sang "Happy Birthday", a light bulb went on and I looked up at Chris and said: "that was English!".  So we started chatting with them and they offered me a piece of the enormous cake that they had gotten ... I think that's what made me sick, because Chris didn't have a piece and he didn't get sick.

So instead of reading about our trip to Segovia and Ávila, you´re reading about yet another bout of sickness for me.  This makes four different times that I have gotten sick here.  One time I was in bed for three days with a cold.  But enough levity!

I am copy-catting Chris' blog and posting a photo that we took yesterday at his favorite pub.  He's on a first-name basis with everyone there now, and as you might guess, that has it's rewards.  So here's a photo of Chris and I with one of the bartenders, Patricia.  There are a lot of latinos in Madrid and she's from Ecuador.  She teaches Chris some Spanish and he teaches her some English.  The other day he taught her what "a taste" of something means.  Then yesterday, a British man walked in to the bar and asked if he could have "a taste" of the draft beer.  At first she didn't understand, then she remembered what Chris had taught her and she gave him a small sample.  And that folks, is how you learn a language:  bit-by-bit.

As I sit here, something's going on in the Puerta del Sol.  I can see the edge of the plaza from the balcony, but can't make out what it is.  The police vans are lined up again and they're out in force, so it must be a protest of some sort.  I don't feel well, so I'm not going down there to see what it is  The other day, Syrians were protesting there, demanding that Spain expel Syria's ambassador from the country.  They were very passionate, and it was sad to see them desperately doing whatever they could for their fellow countrymen, while for everyone else the events in Syria are just a news item on the evening news.

Oh!  And by the way, I topped 1,000 views on blog yesterday!  It's so much fun to have a "public"!