Perdida en una Tierra Desconocida: Some Gentle Physical Activity

Perhaps you are wondering what I have been doing for the past two weeks. Perhaps you are wondering if I recovered from my double bout of pink eye (the left eye has recovered, thank you for your concern, Danielle Touhey, Laura Bennett, Loren Heinbach, and Mom). Most likely, you are wondering why the f you receive an email with my blog as the text. If this last clause applies to you, it is because a) I have my doubts that you can navigate your way to this page (sorry, Daddy, but you KNOW this applies to you), or b) I thought you needed to be alerted instantaneously when I posted something new so you could mock me.

Well besides abandoning my homeland, that of the free and the brave, I have also almost completely abandoned physical exercise. Long gone are the days of beautiful jogs, prisoner squats, hip circuit and casual swings of the tennis racket. Instead I walk to the metro in uncomfortable shoes or Euro sneaks, and I have no idea what else I do with my time but you can be sure it does not resemble working out in any sort of way.

For the past two weekends though, I have taken day trips to beautiful towns, Cercedilla and Manzanares for some hiking.

Here are some unflattering pictures from Cercedilla, a tranquil town an hour outside of Madrid full of hiking and bike trails.

This is what Cercedilla looks like after you have hiked to the top of a mountain.

These pictures portray two activities at which Vicki, Michael and I excel: napping and eating.

The following weekend, I went to Manzanares, another town close to Madrid for hiking, napping, and observing.

These people are huge.

Fording the river.

Guesses as to why Miguel "Lone Wolf" Leyes refuses to look at the camera yet again? Perhaps he has spent time male modeling and knows his best angle? As of yet, undetermined.

In conclusion, two pictures of friends whose absences from my daily life make me sad:

Internationally renowned food blogger and former phys ed teacher, Loren Heinbach: