First full day in Madrid, which began with a phone call from my dearest Melissa at 6:30am. Her water broke! Some time today there may be a new baby boy in the world. No news yet, but I've heard it can take days before contractions begin. Keeping my cell phone on for the happy news.

The apartment is very comfortable. People in Spain know how to design a blind. No light sneaks past these window dressings, which keeps the house cool. Good thing because it was 98F today. I had to be at the Suffolk Madrid campus at 10am. It was an easy metro ride, with no transfers. Sort of like my commute on the red line in Boston. And yes, their metro puts the T to a shame in terms of cleanliness. The Suffolk campus here is quite nice and near a very large university so it feels like a college area. Everything is in one building which has THREE computer labs. The staff is wonderful, and my office is nice though a bit warm. No AC in most buildings in Europe. My body is slowly adjusting to the heat.

We (the students and faculty) took a bus tour of the city, which was fantastic because the bus WAS air conditioned. The history teacher here lead the tour. If only I could mimic his sense of humor. He goes off on tangents that usually involve him saying something like "but that is just my humble opinion" after trashing the monarchy or cursing people against bull fighting (he is from Seville). Great guy, and his name is Angel.

I am pleasantly surprised by my Spanish. In four weeks I just might not sound like a complete American idiot. I was able to ask directions and buy 1/4 kilo of Gouda! I am dying for some veggies. Lots of bread and meat here. Tonight I'm hunting down a vegetarian restaurant near the apartment that Lonely Planet tells me has "big salads". Remember the Seinfeld episode?

Pictures below: My bedroom; Plaza de Toros; and a billboard I couldn't resist.