Ricky arrives!

Mi querido!

Ricky arrived around 5:15pm on Friday. Because he hadn't even bought his train ticket from Madrid to Murcia before he left, I had no idea when he would arrive. After he buzzed me, I found him on the second floor, so I was totally taken off guard. It was so strange seeing him in person for the first time in two months!

It was weirdly awesome to finally have a real, 3D boyfriend with a scruffy beard that I could actually touch!

He unpacked before I made him dinner since he hadn't eaten or slept in quite some time (forty sleepless hours!).

Jenn, Kayla and me

We left around 8:15pm to meet up with some friends for bowling. Since there is a mall with a bowling alley at either end of the Tranvía line, I of course picked the wrong one and we had to back track for over forty minutes to get there.

Snazzy

By the time we had played a game, it was after 10:30pm, so we left the mall and headed to Cafe Ficciones where there was a small concert going on. Natalia, her friend Lauren from NCSU, and Brad were already there. We decided not to go bar-hopping that night because everyone was already super tired.

Saturday, Ricky and I didn't get out until around 3pm. I was productive while he slept late into the afternoon... When he woke up I made him breakfast.

Healthy breakfast for my man! I even got him to like the tea.

After much dilly-dallying, we explored Murcia. We checked out some cool shops and strolled some meandering back roads. Many stores were closed for siesta for the first half of our adventure, so we decided to try some tapas to hold us off until dinner.

My landlady had recommended Plaza de Flores for whenever I might want to tapear. Yes, Spaniards have a verb for "to go for tapas." We found our way there and it was full of gente; little kids running around, a bachelorette party singing along with a Mariachi-type band, couples out for a snack. We settled on a place that had lots of people, but still a few tables: Mesón Murcia.

My current emotion--> :D

Ricky lovin that lomo

"Lomo con chorizo y queso"

Me and my zarangollo

Tarta de chocolate....YUMMM, it even had coffee in it

Tarta de queso, "cheesecake"

We sat outside because it was so nice out--a high of 72F! Ricky ordered "Lomo con chorizo y queso" and I got "Zarangollo," a very typical Murcian tapa (Information about Zarangollo  & Zarangollo Tapa). Lomo is apparently the loin of some animal, chorizo is sausage and there was cheese. It was a very tasty little sandwich!

Where we found ourselves tapeando

I was able to cross Zarangollo off my Spain bucket list! It was on a list of Murcian tapas to try and it was also one of the few without seafood! It is made with a mix of onions, eggs, potatoes and zucchini sauteed in olive oil. It looked kinda weird but it was surprisingly delicious! We tried the staple beer, Alhambra, out of wine glasses (feelin fancy) and each got a yummy dessert! Thanks Ricky :)

For dinner, I "treated" us to Burger King. While it may not sound fancy, the prices are so much higher here than in the US. Most of the meals were between $8-12! We downsized our meals by ordering the menú mediana, which came with a smaller drink and fries. Luckily, the food tastes better here too! Could be the meat?

We waited in line for a long time; we didn't end up eating til almost 11pm! Burger King always has a super long line out front. I wonder if it's the food or the atmosphere? Quintessential American culture covers the walls inside; pictures of baseball and hockey games, city skylines, even a "Howdy Y'all: Come in!" sign. 

I'm slightly terrified.

Ricky at da club

Kayla and Brad met us there as we finished up eating. I was excited that they showed up because I didn't know if anyone had read my facebook message! Ricky shared his "breaking out of the friendzone" story with them and I got to giggle along the whole time.

We showed Ricky around Murcia's nightlife scene...not that we know very many places, since we rarely go out clubbing/bar-hopping. We first took him to Iberos (I think?) a dingy, but always-packed bar right near campus. They have a deal with two "quintos" for one euro!

Next, we went to Plaza de Toros where we enjoyed a concert and the cool ambience. We ended up at Imagine, a club that's pretty near my apartment. We danced until 3:30AM then headed back. I got to hear Ricky profess his love for me several times, before some tipsy reminiscing about South Africa.