Penalara

The second weekend in October we went on an adventure to the mountains.  We were able to take public transportation the whole way there and back which was amazing since we don't have a car.  It was a wonderful day to get out of the city and enjoy some nature feels.  It seemed like a long track to reach the peak and the weather was rolling in, but we managed to make it to the top :)

Here's a little info on the place that we went: 

The Sierra de Guadarrama is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain rangesat the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located between the Sierra de Gredos in the province ofÁvila, and Sierra de Ayllón in the province of Guadalajara. The range runs southwest - northeast, extending into the province of Madrid to the south, and towards the provinces of Ávila and Segovia to the north. The chain as a whole measures approximately 80 km in length, with its highest peak,Peñalara, reaching 2,428 m above sea level (7,965 ft).

Amsterdam

The first weekend in October we took our first trip outside of Spain to Amsterdam.  It was a city filled with beautiful canals intersecting the city and crooked buildings that are all connected.  We went at the perfect time because all of the leaves were changing and the smell of the air reminded me of my childhood.  We saw mallard ducks swimming in the ponds at the park while we took a couple hours to lay in the soft grass and have a picnic.  Most of the other times we were walking or riding a bus around the city to catch the big sights of the city.

We also had a mixed blessing in our hostel location.  As you all know we try to travel as cheaply as possible so we got a hostel a little ways away from Amsterdam.  This didn't work out in our favor as we spent more time and money on the bus to get to the city, but we got to see more of the Netherlands countryside and go to the beach! That's right, I touched the North Sea.  Overall, if I am ever looking for a laid back place to explore and meet new people, I would go back to Amsterdam.

Things I learned from this trip: book your hostel earlier, study the map before you go, not having a 3G network isn't cool when you are trying to meet up with friends in a foreign country, always go to the bathroom wherever you are because no one believes in public restrooms, and Dutch sounds and looks really funny to me.