The Bear and the Strawberry Tree

June 22

Molli visited El Prado while I wandered the barrio de letras, then we met up for Ricci ice cream, followed by beer for the Austria vs Iceland game which left Vienna out of the competition (sorry, Austria!), then porras with hot chocolate at San Ginés. Basically I didn’t eat any real food after breakfast, but it’s vacation, so it doesn’t count, right? I’m pretending to be like the Viennese, who Molli assures me say that one bad health choice must be followed by a good one to balance it out. To that end, Molli and I walked for an hour or so in Retiro park as the heat became a pleasant nighttime breeze around the pond and through the outdoor photography exhibit on refugees before heading to bed. Molli and Anna found out the history of the symbol of Madrid, which evidently stemmed out of a dispute in 1222 between the council and clergy. When the King determined that the fodder (the ground) would belong to the clergy and the forest (and presumably game) to the Council, the council was so happy with the decision that they immediately changed the coat of arms from a standing bear to one on its hind legs eating from the strawberry tree to reflect the decision.

High: My friends are just good people. We cover all manner of conversation from the mundane to the philosophical, from sports to food, from memories to aspirations. 

Low: The world is intense and sad. We were reading about the teacher protests in Oaxaca that have been going in now for four years, but have been a problem since 2006. Also the House sit-in for gun control reforms is happening. Reform is good, but the fact that something like a sit-in has to happen for change to even be considered is awful.

Glitter: Ricotta and fig gelato is surprisingly tasty, and we got tix for the ballet on Friday.