Too Close for Comfort

Jardines del Buen Retiro

Friday was another low-key day, but we transformed it into a fun adventure once again. Since we didn’t get to see all of Retiro Park the first time, we went again! I am SOOOO glad we did because we saw the pristine gardens and the Crystal Palace. I literally know this park like the back of my hand. One thing I love is the fact that there are street performers everywhere. After Retiro Park, we trekked all the way up through Banco de España, Gran Via, and Sol to get to this churros and chocolate restaurant called San Gines, that is dubbed the best churros and chocolate in the city.

Crystal Palace

Everything was good about this place: taste, price, quantity, service, etc. However, the three of us (Emily, Kristina, and I) were faced with a HUGE wake up call. We were sitting at our outside table minding our own business when two teens rapidly approached us begging for signatures on a piece of paper. One was a boy and one was a girl and they literally got right in our face. We had no idea what they were saying because they were mumbling, but we said no, didn’t even looked at them trying to make them go away. In a second Kristina said she felt like something was wrong so she checked under the piece of paper the boy was holding and quickly grabbed her iPhone out of the boy’s hand. After that she said in a calm but startled manor, “Oh my gosh, he just tried to take my phone.”

These are the gypsies Saint Louis University warned us about with the papers.  The boy tried to cover up Kristina’s phone on the table with the piece of paper and sneakily take it underneath. Emily and I had our hands over our purses in our laps with nothing out thankfully.  We were all like, “Did that really just happen?” I said to Kristina, “I don’t know how you stayed that calm. Adrenaline would have kicked in for me and I would have pushed the kid away.” Anyways, I’m happy nothing happened but this taught us a huge lesson. Because of this I am NEVER eating outside again where the public can approach me whether it’s poor people asking for money or people trying to pickpocket you. Needless to say, the churros and chocolate were delicious. We barely finished them all!