Los Jinetes de Los Caballos Andaluces!

Yesterday, January 31 I went out for a shopping and exploring expenditure with Michelle, Katie, and Bethany. We met at La Plaza Sol and started our day at the bakery. I got a ham and cheese empanada. It's pretty filling and good for breakfast. Better than starting off with the churros con chocolate that we had that first time with our program. We went to a few craft stores. And I bought my sister a katana envelope opener at El Gato Negro ~the black cat!~ I find that because the Japanese are huge tourists, there's a lot of Asian influence here in Spain. Signs are written in Spanish, English, and Japanese! Jaja. I have to try one of their restaurants sometime. So the main part of this blog is when we went into La Plaza Mayor, and I smelled horses and saw a huge crowd.... We walked up and I saw a dozen or more horses and riders waiting in a smaller ring for the show to begin in a larger ring that I noticed them making the last time I had been to this plaza. The signs advertised horses from Jerez, Andalucia! So I checked that off my list for things I had wanted to do and watched a free show in Madrid! It was literally the best horse show. The first was one jinete de caballo ~horseman~ with a long pole. He drew a lot of circles in the sand as he steered the horse around the ring. The second spectacle was a syncronization of 4 jinetes. They made these horses DANCE! I mean they had them trotting sideways, making formations, and their legs kicked high up in the air! But that was nothing. They left and came back lead the horse and had them do some amazing things, that I never thought a horse could physically do. The horses would jump straight in the air on all fours and do a kick in the air, stand on hind legs and hop across the ring, and buck and you name it! All of us were awed by this show! Afterward we met with Michelle's roommate Sarah, and another Catholic student, Andy at Malaspinas. A great Tasca that the AYA group went to the first night and we ordered 2 half chickens with fries and Sangria. ~love Sangria~ Later on Bethany and I stayed out and I bought Erica, Ashley, my niece, and my mom presents!! I only need to get one more present. Which is great because I have until March 9 when the stores are finished with their Rebajas ~sales~ It's required for all the stores in the winter months, starting January. A side note. Today I went to the Centro Commercial ~mall~ with Susy, my host mom. The malls here are way different. Like the bottom floor is a grocery market and the top is a department mix of clothing, shoes, and all kinds of housewares. Then another level had specific stores and I found the leather boots that I want! I was going to buy them, but they don't carry my size in any of their locations. It really bothered me, because I've been searching since I've gotten here. I've looked all over Sol and Gran Via, and either the price or the style doesn't work for me. I found THE boots I wanted, real leather, buckles and perfect toe width. But only in size 6! Jaja. So the search continues...