I decided I want a mountain house. I spent two days in El Escorial, in a house nestled in the mountain, and I think I need one. Said house belongs to my wonderful host parents who welcomed me for a night. They chose the location for the views and the proximity to Madrid. Those were great and all, but the calm really grabbed me. Since we set our clocks back last night, I woke up early enough to see the sunrise. As I sat reading and enjoying the amanecer (sunrise), I noticed the silence. Hold on, what is that again? Don’t get me wrong, I love living in the city center of Madrid. If anything, it taught me to appreciate quiet, but nothing rivals the power of complete stillness.

From the deck. Can anyone tell me this doesn’t look perfect?

As if I wasn’t already prepared to start construction on my new house, we spent the rest of the morning hiking up the mountain. Maybe I should consider living in my mountain house full time…

We ran into a few cows towards the top.

As if this wasn’t enough, my host parents insisted on making squid for lunch, which they know is my favorite. My mountain house lust cannot get any worse!

In the end I suppose I should focus on finding my first house, and then move on the my mountain house. Still, I can dream!