Last Week in Spain

20 de Julio
12:54am

Last Week in Spain

Hola chicos!

Only 4 days left in Europe – this summer is one that I will always remember.

I will miss my family, walking everywhere, my friends here, and the proximity to Madrid. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Two months is a perfect amount of time to visit. As I finish up papers, projects and exams this week, a small amount of nostalgia for my lifestyle in the US slips into my thoughts.

This week has been more school focused; however, Monday afternoon I went shopping in Madrid for a few hours. I truly feel like I walk out into Times Square every time I leave the Metro and enter “Sol” – one of the main plazas. I only bought an overpriced coffee drink from Starbucks and then stopped by the grocery store to buy some snacks for the plane.

Last Thursday I spent the afternoon/night in Madrid. We went after comida (lunch) and started with some shopping. I bought a Longchamp purse, some gifts, and a nice dinner. After dinner we met another group and had tapas and drinks. We then explored the nightlife of Madrid. Visiting a local Irish Bar and I tried cider for the first time and actually liked it. I also enjoyed the atmosphere and made some new Spanish friends who both work in jobs that require them to know English. They spoke to me in Spanish for the most part in order for me to get some practice in. One of the guys tested my salsa dancing skills – I passed!

Today, when I came back from my favorite local café, I was talking to my parents about the work I had completed. They told me that I am becoming more Spanish every day in how I look and speak. It was the best compliment I have received since being here! I am very happy to say my Spanish has increased – I now have to find ways in the US to continue the practice. I can only eat at Mexican restaurants so many times..

Our father has gone 5 days without smoking. He is attempting to quit, as he knows it is bad for his health. Wahoo! However, the rest of Spain is going strong with their puffs. Every day as I walk home from the café, I smell my 4 hours ago clean hair now resembling an ash tray…

A new food to try: Melon and ham
Yes, it sounds weird, but it is actually the perfect combination of sweet and salty. My grandmother always says this duo is necessary. In Spain, ham is extremely popular and a delicacy. Some of the nicer hams are very caro (expensive). I have gained an appreciation for jamon after spending some time with my family.

This weekend when Mel and I returned from the Asturias, we had gifts waiting for us from our parents. They bought us shirts from one of the popular shops in town. We are extremely lucky with our family, especially as I hear stories of other students living situation. We are allowed to take showers at any time of the day, we are never hungry, our laundry is done as frequently as we would like, and our family takes time to talk to us at every meal. I will miss them and hope to keep in touch somehow.

I need sleep and am hitting the cama (bed).
See some of you very soon!

Thanks for continuing on this journey with me.

Kristina

North of Spain - The Austrias

1. View from the cliffs of the northern coast of Spain

2. Place where Virgin appeared to someone many years ago

3. National Park (Parque Nacional de Covadonga) in North of Spain with mountains and cattle


18 de Julio
3:07am

Hola amigos!

Arrived back to my “casa” today as we adventured to the north of Spain for the weekend. This part of the country is vastly different than the south as we almost forgot we were in Spain as we hiked up mountains, wore jackets, and had breath taking views of the ocean from high cliffs.

FRIDAY
We drove 6 hours to the Asturias on a bus that had air condition and comfortable orange seats that reclined extra far back. Even though the trip seemed to last a bit longer than it should, the drive included post card scenery as we arrived closer to the final destination. That afternoon, we visited the Cathedral de Salvador and walked a small part of the Trail of Santiago. The trail is traveled year round by many people to remember the pilgrims’ journey to religious freedom. At the end of the camino is the Cathedral de Santiago, which we were unable to see but is supposedly unbelievable.

SATURDAY
When looking back, I wonder how we accomplished everything on this day. We began with a trip to one of Spain’s national parks in the mountains. We drove to the top of mountain in a small bus, as our large tour bus was unable to make the sharp turns and steep hills. We saw cattle grazing around us and at one point we had stopped in the middle of the road as a herd of sheep meandered across. I enjoyed looking out my window and seeing a cow grazing nearly two feet from the asphalt.

As we arrived at the mountain peak, we took a walkway up to the highest landing while dodging “kaka” (poop). Side note: There is a soccer player for the Real Madrid team whose last name is Kaka. Can you imagine the jokes!

My camera is broken, so I bought an overpriced 8 euro camera to attempt and capture the beauty of the place. Once I return to the states, I will have the film developed. I feel that I am returning to my middle school days as I am counting down the pictures I have remaining and occasionally forgetting to crank the camera before another picture can be taken. I have 2 photos left – can I make it?

Afterward, we traveled to the oldest prehistoric cave open to the public. The prehistoric times represent those times before history was written down. These caves and the art and collections inside provide some of the only history we have of these ancient humans. The cave is open 6 mouths out of the year in order to keep it preserved. The cave was dark, cold, and wet. The tour lasted an hour as we adventured through the small alley ways into the inner most room where the paintings were drawn. These paintings explain their religious beliefs and were drawn in order to be faithful to the gods. The paintings are remarkable in how they are so realistic and yet were drawn on rocks without much luz (light). Horses and deer were the majority of these two-toned paintings (black and red were the only colors used).

For lunch we visited a small town that has both a beach and a great view of the mountains. We literally stood on the beach walk watching the waves roll heavily on shore (red flag) and then turned our backs and saw the mountain tops smudged in the clouds. There were some illegal vendors selling fake Ray Bans, Burberry watches, and purses openly on the streets.. We may or may not have taken a look.

The last place we visited was an area where Mary had appeared to someone many years ago. Now a chapel is set in the mountainside in her honor and Mass was going on while we visited. Below the chapel ran a river complete with a small waterfall with water melting from the mountain top and fish swimming near the shore.

We ended the night with an authentic dinner from the north of Spain consisting of white beans, bacon, and sausage. I didn’t eat much but my stomach still bothered me a bit. The meal was heavy, and thus a group of us decided to take an adventure of the city. We climbed an arch built by the Romans and then scrambled across rocks along the river. We crossed some bridges along, one of which could only 20 people. It was a fun night to explore without a timeline.

SUNDAY
We headed to a part of the Austrias on a lake adorned with boats anchored around the pier and mountains in al fonda (background) with ice caps.

We then visited the city of Burgos, which is home to one of the most important, and largest, Cathedrals in the world. We only had one and half hours at this stop to grab lunch and view the cathedral. We had horrible service and I paid 10 euro for the worst salad of my life consisting of four pieces of lettuce shaped like a cross adorned with anchovies and kiwi and pineapple on the outskirts of the plate. After quickly removing the anchovies and eating the fruit, I became disgusted and frustrated – an unusual mood for me that was quickly changed with a simple and inexpensive mixto (ham and cheese sandwich).

We arrived back home around 6:30 as Melanie and I unpacked and headed to Calle Mayor for our last minute shopping. After we returned, Mel helped me pack all of my gifs into one suitcase – this is truly a miracle if you could see how much I have bought to bring back with me. We stayed up late doing homework to prepare for the intense week of work ahead. Only 4 more days of school and then we head back to the states on Saturday. Time has flown but I will be ready to return home once the weekend arrives.

Hasta luego for now,
Kristina

Spanish Doctor

Spanish Doctor
12:03am

Buenos Dias!

Had my first experience with Spanish health care today. My throat has been hurting me for a few days and I wanted to confirm that I did not have strep. I went with one of the helpers from our group to el medico, walked in, said my throat hurt, and was immediately taken into a room and seen by the doctor. No paper work, waiting, or paying! She asked for my name, age, and address. Then she asked if I had any allergies and how many times a day I ate. She looked at my throat and told me it was inflamed and said it was because I am drinking cold liquids when it is extremely hot outside. I got a prescription, went to the pharmacy next door, and paid only 6 euro for a 40 pack of 600 mg Ibuprofeno and some fancy lozenges. The quickest, least expensive, and stress free doctor visit I have ever had! Go Spain.

It’s been a bit toasty in our house at night and Mel is having an extremely hard time sleeping and has continued to wake up on the hour. We keep our window and door open to help the air circulate. It will be nice to have AC again, but thinking of leaving in about a week is making me triste (sad).

As I was buying last minute gifts at one of the local stores, I began speaking with the young girl at the counter. We talked for a few minutes and she then asked if I was from France! I guess Paris rubbed off on me more than I realized. I took it as a complement. She is from Santa Domingo and has family in the US. She is in Spain with her mom but would like to live in a different place and travel while she is still young. I told her we are only this independent and able to travel now, so do it! Maybe one day we’ll reunite while backpacking across Europe.

Mel and I watched Disney channel after dinner; it is a bit more promiscuous here. I was a bit surprised but then realized that the Spain culture of showing affection is also a bit more accepting.

Heading to bed!

Besas,
Kristina

Spain Wins World Cup

Hola!

Flying home solo from París, I realized that I am capable of being more independent than I initially thought. The flight was smooth and I could not have been happier to be around Spanish speakers again. Not knowing the French language made me feel more like a tourist, and I prefer to experience a more authentic view of places I visit. I must be spoiled in Spain with my opportunity to live with a host family and know the language.

Once arriving in Madrid, I went straight to Recoletas – the main plaza in Madrid where the World Cup game was taking place. I met up with a few friends and we made our way through the crowd of almost 1 million people, I assume. With my backpack on my stomach, I am sure I bothered many people as I made my way around the streets. I felt like I was at a concert on steroids. As we left the train station to enter the streets, there was a fire hose shot into the air with people dancing and singing Spanish songs. We quickly joined the action and cooled off before the intense crowd walking began. After about 20 minutes of pushing through stationary people with my grandísimo backpack, we found a spot further back with less people to watch the first half.

Not being able to see the game clearly, we found a dance club turned into the hot spot to watch the game. It cost 8 euro to enter and included a drink. At this point air condition, sitting down, and a glass of water satisfied all of my senses. My throat had been hurting me all weekend and the screaming of the night has only elongated my recovery. After the first goal of the game by Spain in the second overtime, the town was ALIVE. We quickly ran to the streets to experience the celebration. People were climbing light posts, singing “A por ellos, ole”, and setting off something resembling a firework that you throw on the ground.

At 11:00pm, we decided to head to the metro station to go ahead and make it home before the last train left at midnight. This usually takes about 10 to 15 minutes to get the last train… After squeezing past at least 200 people to buy a metro pass, run through the station and get on the first of two trains to get home, we found that we missed the last train by only two minutes in the large metro station of Atocha.

We accepted the fact that we would pay about $30 each for a taxi and walked outside expecting to find one quickly. Needless to say, we parked outside of Atocha for two hours waiting for an open taxi to find its way to us. The city was paralyzed with celebration with teenagers dancing in the streets, car horns, and singing from every direction.

When I finally made it home, I just wanted to eat dinner and go to bed. Our father was waiting up for me as I walked in the door at 2:00am to ensure that I had even returned from Paris safely. He made me dinner and then I crashed. Despite the transportation challenges, experiencing Madrid when Spain won their first World Cup is a feeling I will never forget. I think I choose a good year to study here!

On Monday, the players returned to Madrid and there was a huge parade in the streets. 2 million people flooded the city to see the players holding the cup riding on top of a bus. The royal family attended as well. A few people from our group made it into the city but Mel and I had been fighting a cold all day and didn’t know if our bodies could handle waiting for 3.5 hours in 90 degree weather. Nonetheless, we watched the parade on TV and felt such loyalty and patriotism to a country where we have resided for only two months.

FAMILY

We will miss our Spanish family when we leave. We have only one and half more weeks in Europe until we return to the states for a whole new type of football season. (I think we are good luck charms as both UA and Spain won championships this year… we ought to be paid for this!) The general consensus is that we miss our families back home and will be ready to see them again, but at the same time we love Spain and are enjoying every last day here. What an experience.

After having learned that Spanish stereotypes are not always correct, we asked our family their opinions of Americans. The image in their head is a large person with a big-mac crammed into their mouths accompanied by a tall cup of coffee. Oh man, maybe this is why they feed us so much food… Melanie and I have already decided to start cutting back on our portions so we don’t return to the states surprising our family too much with our increased portions and abnormal hours of hunger.

(next posts gives details of my Paris trip with Brice!)

París & World Cup Champions

Photos

1. View from a bridge in Paris

2. Zeus - my new man

3. In front of the Louvre

4. Mona Lisa

5. Eiffel Tower


13 de Julio

I had a 3 day long dream in Paris this past weekend consisting of seeing the Mono Lisa, the Eiffel Tower, a prayer in Notre Dame, and a night boat tour of the city. The cuisine was delicious as we savored the immense flavor and small portions of a Parisian appetite. Everyone we encountered spoke at least a small bit of English and was personable and of good humor - the stereotype of rude Parisians is incorrect. Further, I believe anyone in the tourist industry here spoke at least three languages – impressive.

I did not realize how little about the French culture I knew until I arrived. I knew only three words – hello, thank you, and my name is Kristin. The latter never came in handy and the most common phrase of the weekend turned out being, “Do you speak English?” I did not know what time they ate dinner here nor the culture of how often they say excuse me or thank you. I want to learn a bit of their language and culture before I revisit, even though the experience could not have gone more smoothly for a 72-hour trip.

Now, how the weekend unfolded:

After booking a second flight out of Madrid into Charles De Gaulle, I arrived in the romantic city around 9:30am. With help from Saint Anthony (Saint of helping you find things), I saw Brice meandering by the flight arrivals board as I walked out of my terminal. When we saw each other, we didn’t know if appropriate to run or walk; we resulted to a quick gallop of excitement, as we were both in the same country for the first time in almost two months.

We then proceeded to the information desk where the lady spoke broken English. She directed us to a bus taking us into the city – one-hour wait, one-hour ride. We then had our first French meal at a local restaurant not filled with many tourists. We both went healthy with a chicken salad topped with light vinaigrette. After lunch, walked around Paris and found our way at the Louvre.

LOUVRE

When I first saw the famous triangle, greenhouse, contraption in the middle of the Louvre Square, I squealed. I wanted to be a character in the Da Vinci Code… To our delight, the museum was free after 6:00pm for anyone under 26 years old. Yay for saving 9 Euros, especially when a cup of coffee costs at least 3. We saw the Mono Lisa, The Code of Hummurabi, the famous armless statue of Aphrodite, and a painting that was on my first diary. The diary painting was found by chance and completed my trip to the Louvre on a great note. As we were leaving, we saw an Egyptian exhibit giving me a stronger desire to remember everything I learned in history class.

We spent about three hours viewing a museum that could take two weeks to explore. The museum is at least three stories high and shaped in a horseshoe with different wings of the building dedicated to a certain style or culture. We found that it was easy to get lost as we became great friends with the green light up signs on the wall with arrows pointing to the closest exit. I promise one of these signs pointed into a wall with no stairs or doorway. We did find fresh air, finally.

EIFFEL TOWER

After the Louvre, we took a short walk over the river to an al fresco style restaurant. We looked back over the river and people watched as we enjoyed a glass of wine and a nice dinner. Having extra energy, we took the thirty-minute hike to the Eiffel Tower at dusk. The tower lights up at night and flashes at every hour. I don’t think I ever realized that I was actually at the Eiffel Tower in Paris until I arrived back in Spain. We took pictures and considered taking an elevator up but decided against it. Maybe one day I’ll make it back and explore a bit more.

As we were leaving, someone handed me a rose and waited for my reaction. As I said thank you, the guy quickly turned to Brice asking for 2 Euros… these people are smart. You would have to be very stingy to make your happy Eiffel Tower partner give back her rose. The rest of the night Brice interjected with a quick mom-hand in front of me as anyone approached me with some type of “gift”. J

BUS TOUR

The next morning we bought a full day bus tour pass around Paris allowing us to ride around the city and get off and sightsee at any location we pleased. We began the tour with a view of the gardens near the Louvre. People were napping, enjoying lunch, and taking in the atmosphere in every direction. After I took one picture of a statue in the garden, my camera broke. The pictures for the rest of the trip will be found on Brice’s Facebook page.

Our next stop was Notre Dame, the gigantic gothic style cathedral built over 800 years ago. Entrance was free but the line stretched over 200 people long, yet it moved quickly. I had the pleasure of saying a prayer once inside in addition to admiring the stained glass, high arches, and the sanctuary. Some people lit candles in memory of loved ones for 2 euros and other climbed the top of the building to see a view of the city. We didn’t realize the roof option until we left and were eating sandwiches in the patio next to the cathedral.

Our final stop was the Arc de Triomphe and Paris’ most famous avenue, Champs-Élysées. We walked the streets admiring the over priced stores and crowed cafés and ended our journey at the Arc, which is the located in the middle of roundabout. The only way to reach the arc is through the underground metro or walkway. In 1806, Napoleon commissioned the construction of the arc in memory of the French Army. It is gigantic and beautiful!

After our full day of travels and a bit of rain, we enjoyed dinner at a truly authentic French restaurant. We were one of two tables occupied and the other group knew the owners. Our waiter only spoke a small amount of English and we proceeded to order by pointing at our menu. This was the best meal I have had since being in Europe. The portions were small, but the food exquisite. We had chicken, rice, and vegetables. I have never tasted the flavor that was on the chicken but I could definitely go back again. If I ever return to Paris, I will be sure to return. With our check, they not only brought us a business card but also homemade muffins in the shape of cookies with small marshmallows covered with pink sugar.

We then hurried from the restaurant to make it to the river in time for a night boat tour of the city. We used the very efficient metro, and arrived at the river ten minutes before embarking. The sites were beautiful as we saw the city illuminated at night including the sites of Notre Dame, the Eiffel tower, at least 22 bridges, and the nightlife of Paris. We went under the “most romantic” bridge in Spain were everyone was told to kiss their significant other. What fun! Ten minutes into the ride, a proposal took place behind us. The ring was beautiful and the girl was beside herself the rest of the trip. All of her friends and family had joined them on this trip and were giddy for a few minutes.

FAREWELL

The next morning we stopped at a local café on the way to the bus stop. We ordered a cup of coffee and ham & cheese warm sandwiches. It came out as a ham sandwich with melted cheese on top. I have noticed this is the style here in many places. I must say I turned the top piece over and ate it the American way. After breakfast, we made it to the bus stop just as a bus arrived. We were glad to not wait after the experience coming into town. Our flights left out of two different terminals and thus had separate security stations. The happy ending took place in the romantic city as I headed on a plane to Madrid and Brice back to Austria. I feel extremely blessed to have had this opportunity to be in Paris for a weekend, but three days is not sufficient. When will I return? My bucket list is only growing with every trip I take.

Viva la Roja!

7 de Julio
6:22pm

Buenas tardes!

Tonight Spain played Germany in the semi-finals for the World Cup. SPAIN WON!!!!!! Many of us sadly have a test tomorrow, but we did make it to one of our favorite local bars to watch the game, join the locals, and sing “A por ellos, ole” a few times. Germany is a great team and the outcome was unclear, but we won 1-0 after scoring on a header from a corner kick. Everyone in the bar jumped out of their seats, someone broke a glass, others banged on the counters, and cheers abounded. After the game, the streets of the city arose from the dead with car horns, songs, and screaming. It is 1:18am and I just heard a car horn outside still celebrating. What a night..

After the game, Mel and I grabbed a quick dinner. When we arrive home after dinnertime (dinner is usually at 9:30pm), our padre waits up for us with food on the table. They do not believe in refrigeration like we do in the states, so yes, my meat had been on the counter for over an hour. I don’t want to know how long my chicken was left out, but it did taste good. I am increasing my tolerance to a new kind of “leftovers.” On another note, we always have a carbohydrate with lunch and dinner, which is usually pasta or rice. Our father made a type of fried rice for lunch. In my determination to be healthy, I initially filled my plate with lettuce and then gave it to him to fill with rice. Do not forget, there is always a second course. We had salmon! It was delicious, but I did have to be careful of las espinas (spine = small bones).

After lunch, in lei of a siesta, I continued studying for my test in Civilization tomorrow. It’s hard to have a test after such a big game, no matter the outcome. Since I was able to complete most of my studying before hand, I did a review after the game and I am now about to go to bed. However, it is extremely hot in our house tonight. Almost all the windows are open, but when it is still about 85/90 degrees outside, it is a bit difficult to find comfort. Two days ago it was 107! I ended up going to the fridge and finding an ice pack for my neck – it will be my bed buddy tonight. The first time I took it out of the freezer my padre quickly told me that this was not ice that I could drink. Ha – they must not think we have these in the states. Nonetheless, he is always looking out for us!

Note: Mel and I found two fans upstairs… We have not been offered these and the family does not use them in order to save electricity. I am learning how much simpler life can be and understanding more what I can tolerate. Energy and water are much more expensive here, but I can only imagine how much less our bills in the US would be if we were to adapt these strategies.

We are still enjoying homemade orange juice every morning. Our padre goes to the local market every Monday to buy fruit and brings home about 30 lbs of oranges each week. I am completely spoiled with the amount of fruit around me at all times! I am still getting used to the milk, though. It does not need to be refrigerated before it is opened, and thus every morning I pray that there is a sufficient amount in the already opened, cold carton and we do not have to open a new one.

Vacations in Spain take place during August. Schools finish the first week of June and begin in September. Our mother has a month long vacation each year in August. They usually travel to see their grandparents, the city of Cuenca (hanging houses) or take a trip to the beach. Spain has around 2,000 beaches and ALL of them are public!

When my madre grew up, her mom would keep live chickens outside and kill them when they were ready to eat them. Hum…

Grades are up from first semester of classes. I received two A’s! Wahooo

MY THOUGHTS:

Not traveling is like reading only one page of the book of life

We are half way done with the second semester and head home in a little over two weeks! I have a rotating background on my computer of all the photos from the trip and looking back I realize how time has truly sped by and there are so many things to still do here. You get this feeling after only a short time.

Brice just arrived in Austria and is already planning to return next summer. Go abroad! It is expensive and sometimes stressful to plan; however, when you arrive at your destination you forget the nervous tension you once held onto. Once you begin traveling, you are filled with a rush of adrenaline in feeling that you have to keep exploring. Traveling is an eye opening, and humbling, experience. Go see that everyone does not live like us! You will not regret it.

Hasta luego!!
Kristina

Second Week of Classes (2nd semester)

2:39am

Hola!

Today began the second week of classes. Melanie and I are continuing to walk to school in the mornings and ride the public bus back home. We leave about 8:00am and school begins at 9:00am. We usually run into other people in our group in the mornings as we all make the trek to save a bit of money. I also buy a 10 trip bus pass for 6.50 instead of 1 euro per ride.

After school Mel and I watched some TV and then when the stores reopened at 5:00pm, we went shopping and explored some new tiendas here. We have a new obsession with an Indian store tucked a few feet behind the main road. One of our friends found a very cute elephant purses there, and with Mel’s elephant obsession, we decided to stop by. My hippie style must have surfaced, as I wanted at least ten items in the store, 8 of which were too big to carry back to the US. Nonetheless, I found great presents for friends that do not weight a lot and will not take up too much room in the suitcase. I already have to buy a second suitcase for my gifts. It’s just too much fun buying gifts for people.

We had a true American dinner tonight consisting of chicken thighs, patatas fritas (French fries) and cut up tomatoes with olive oil. Mel and I felt like we were back in the states and continued to celebrate the fourth of July with our US menu. We are going to cook our family an American meal the day before we leave. The tentative menu so far is dirty rice (a famous recipe of my mom) and apple pie, which is our madre’s favorite. Our padre mentioned bourbon, yes it came from left field. If you have any suggestions on classic US dishes that we should make our family, respond to this post or send me an e-mail.

My Spanish skills are going in waves. Today I could not get a word out it seemed as at lunch I was saying a story about having a wife when I meant to say husband. The words are similar (esposo or esposa). At dinner, when talking about my boyfriend, the padre quickly corrected me saying that I have a girlfriend in remembrance of my mistake earlier. I will not let the incorrect gender be spoken from now on.

After dinner I went out with a group of friends to a Spanish restaurant here and then to the local Panaderia, which is a small bar with many locals that stays open late. One of the girls in our group was fortunate to have her boyfriend come visit her while she is here. He is being shown the Madrid and Amsterdam area in one week! Good luck…

It’s late and I’m heading to bed. Tomorrow we meet with our conversation partners again. I hope to have my Spanish back. We also have midterms on Thursday, already! I look forward to having them behind me so I can enjoy the weekend.

Hasta luego amigos!
Kristina