Mi Propio Descubrimiento de Madrid

... And so the adventure begins! On Saturday, I arrived here in Madrid and have been in a state of excitement and disbelief ever since.

While each day I have enjoyed touring the city and its surrounding areas with my travel buddy Kelsey and her sister Ashley, the best blessing has been walking through the city on my own. When I first arrived in Madrid, I had basically all of Saturday to do as I pleased until the girls arrived.

With my camera in hand, I strolled down the Calle de San Jerónimo, taking in views of the Museo del Prado, La Fuente de Neptuno and La Iglesia de San Jerónimo. The gem of wandering about the city, however, was my discovery of the Parque del Retiro. A massive park in the middle of bustling Madrid, the Parque was a breath of fresh air from my 16+ hours in airplanes and airports.

After grabbing a sandwich at a local cafetería, I ate on a bench in the park, allowing my mind time and space to process. When finished eating, I started on my way from the entrance to el estanque, a mini-lake with paddle boats to the Palacio Cristal, a large palace made of glass that holds exhibits of contemporary artwork. All of these destinations in the park allowed me to observe all types of Spaniards, from families, to artists to accordion players. Additionally, what was most surprising (for those of you who know me well), I spent my whole 3-hour stroll without speaking a word.

The Lord completely blessed that time of solitude and allowed me to see, through notes that friends had given me before I left and His Word that He is with me always.

I anxiously look forward to seeing how He continues to reveal Himself to me while I am here and what I have yet to learn.

Thank you for those of you that prayed for my safe journey here... God is faithful!

Please enjoy the pictures from el Parque del Retiro and an accordion player's lovely version of "La Vie En Rose"....

The link for the video is here.

* Sorry that the video is sideways!