After a long flight where NOBODY clapped when the plane landed, we arrived to Madrid! We met our tour guide Mark (who is Israeli) and our security guard who would soon become an icon. Then we briefly stepped into the hot Madrid sun before going back into the air-conditioned bus! The vibes on the bus were incredible — music was blasting in both Spanish and English. Integration — our word for combining groups of people who don’t know each other as well — was happening left and right. We then arrived at the San Juan Reservoir where we enjoyed paella and helado (ice cream) before dipping into the water. The water was refreshing after the heat. It really fulfilled the promise of the popular song “Vamos a la Playa!” Then, after we were refreshed slightly from our jet lag, we properly entered Madrid. Our hotel is in the center of the city near Puerta del Sol with balconies overlooking the beautiful streets. However, we didn’t rest long because we had a delicious dinner at La Hummuseria, a vegetarian middle Eastern restaurant; dishes of shakshouka, watermelon, pita, and more were served alongside fresh lemon. Yum!