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

Waterpark

1:04am
Sunday, July 4

Happy July 4th! Too bad I had to explain to my family the significance of this day in the USA. I am sure all of you watched fireworks, had some BBQ, and spent time with the fam… Just pretend I was there with you! Our group celebrated the fourth with a trip to the water park and dinner at Tony Roma’s (yes they exist in Spain!!)

The weekend has been one of the most relaxing I’ve had since coming here. On Saturday, it was raining hard and I didn’t feel 100% after the excursion to Cuenca the day before. I skipped out on the amusement park and thus slept in and then spent most of my morning at a small café with my computer allowing me time to finish my homework for Monday and begin my tourism paper due at the end of the semester. I recharged all day and was thus full of energy for the Spain game at 8:30pm.

A group of us met up at a local bar to watch the soccer game against Paraguay. We arrived 5 minutes after the game began and every seat, except 3, by a few 16-year-old boys was open. We thus made some new friends and shared drinks and tapas during the table-quenching, mood changing excitement. There were quite a few yellow cards during the game and each team had penalties inside the goal box resulting in a p-kick (penalty kick). Paraguay had the opportunity first to score on a p-kick; however, our goalie is phenomenal and blocked the kick. Almost two minutes later Spain had a chance at a p-kick. Our first one went in beautifully, and then the referee called it illegitimate as one of our players stepped into the penalty box before goalie touched the ball (or something along those lines). We shot again and missed… still 0-0. Restaurant enraged and on edge of our seats. Spain later has the ball near the goal, first person shoots and ball bounces off a goal post. Second teammate there for the follow up where the ball hits the far goal post but bounces back in for a goal. I’m talking hugs, screams, cheers, dancing, and singing in the bar… The game ended and the score remained 1-0. Spain continues to the semifinals on Wednesday night. 8:30pm here – 1:30pm in US

After the game, the streets consisted of cars driving around the roundabout waving Spain flags out the window and honking horns. Singing, dancing, and yelling were in abundance. I will attempt to attach a video to portray just a small bit of the streets.

This morning we slept in again and headed to the water park around lunch. It took about 4 hours to get there as we used train, metro, and bus. We doubted the existence of the park as after the bus let us off, we walked 10 minutes through neighborhoods and a country club before finding the water park in the distance. The park is located in the country with the most beautiful views of the city surrounding it. We had a million dollar view from every start line of the water slides.

We played for about 5 hours and felt like little kids again. We rode almost every slide at least once and completed a water obstacle course consisting of a zip line into the water, rope monkey bars, and more. I didn’t want to leave the park and the last hour we were there, a few of us kept racing down one of the rides that consisted of 5 slides where you race each other. I must say I have mastered the art of quick sliding and beat a few people… Nonetheless, one of the most enjoyable days I have had in a non-art, history, or educational way. Our ride back home seemed to go by much quicker as I had the chance to sit next to someone in our group I haven’t talked to much in the past. The small group atmosphere is really bringing most of us together.

At the water park, young girls up to four or five years old go without tops, and thongs and extremely cheeky bottoms are completely acceptable for ladies. Speedos were abundant among the guys and almost two out of every three people had a visible tattoo.

Since it is the 4th of July and we had to celebrate, we went to Tony Roma’s. I had BBQ chicken and a baked potato. The menu was in English and the restaurant was full of other students studying abroad. We would have found a local disco for tonight; however, many people in the group have Literature essays due tomorrow. Día triste (sad day)

Headed to bed!
Hasta luego amigos!
Kristina

City of Cuenca

Photos

1. Group at top of mountain in Cuenca

2. Park in Cuenca - rock shaped like a dog

3. Mel & I at Twilight movie

4. On the bridge in Cuenca with famous hanging houses behind me


10:23 pm

Hola!

I am currently enjoying the tranquility of life without electricity. We had a strong but very short 10-minute thunderstorm here, which has resulted in the termination of electricity three times now. When power is out, my family refers to it as “no luz” = no light. I call it no electricity, but since we already live without air condition, I guess light is the main thing lacking. A life of simplicity means easier adaptation when innovations fail you.


CUENCA

(video at the end of post of the city)

We went to Cuenca today; a small town two hours outside of Madrid, known for their hanging houses on the cliffs of mountains. We took a bus; however, this time each person had his own aisle of seats to lie down. However, the AC in the bus was broken and in combination with my lunch, the heat, and the curvy mountain roads, I was a bit pale and under the weather most of the afternoon.

Nonetheless, the sites of Cuenca were some of the most beautiful and unique I have seen since being here in Spain. We had a tour guide the whole day who was witty and guapo (handsome). We rode the bus to the top of the mountain and slowly made our way down on foot while seeing the remnants of walls placed around the city by Jews and Christians centuries ago, the main bridge crossing the gulley between the mountains, and a historic cathedral. There are 13 chapels in the Cathedral. It is told that if someone is to pray in seven of the chapels, that are specifically marked, all their sins will be forgiven and are guaranteed a closer passage into heaven. I may have the story slightly mistaken, but the main point is that all sins will be forgiven. Too bad we were not given time to say a few prayers.

After talking with a few young people in Spain, the general consensus is that church is something that only grandmothers attend on a weekly basis. Many people here say they are Catholic and celebrate weddings, funerals, and baptisms in the church but do not practice it otherwise. What a shame to have such exquisite cathedrals rarely visited. Catholicism has been on a very sharp decrease in Spain for 20 years now.


FREE TIME / FAMILY

We attempted the movie theatre again yesterday and successfully saw Twilight in Spanish. I was surprised at how much I understood. Not having read the books nor seen the second movie, the Eclipse (third movie) nonetheless kept my attention the entire time. I now have a passion to read the books and pray that my Edward is out there somewhere (or that Brice is secretly a vampire…) Go see it! I am going to see it a second time when I return to the states to ensure I understand all the super cheesy teenage love poetry exchanged. (photo above of Mel and I at the movies)

On Wednesday, we traveled to the local town of Colmenar to visit our conversation partners. It is about an hour from here. They showed us around their city, which included the Cathedral, a park with a view of the city, and a local tapas restaurant. The Cathedral is a historical landmark as it was the first church built with the gothic style. Also, the restaurant we visited served the largest tapas I have ever seen FREE with the purchase of any type of drink. A few people had hamburgers, others hotdogs, and I had a mixto (toasted ham and cheese sandwich). It cost 2.20 euro for a drink and tapa – great place for college students!

Additionally, this week Mel and I had political conversations with our family, teachers, and other Spanish speakers. We talked especially about the Franco era in which Spain was under a dictatorship. The dictatorship began after the Civil War, which was a war against the government. Franco was one of the only generals left at the conclusion of the war and thus took over the country. Despite Franco having died in the 1970s and the reinstitution of the government to a republic monarchy, some people still have fear when saying anything negative about his reign.

This week I fulfilled my churros craving as I woke up early one morning and met friends at the local Churro Chocolateria at 7:30 before we walked to class. It was delicious and rich. No more for me! However, we are walking quite a bit since we no longer have a private bus taking us to and from school. Mel and I walk about 45 minutes to school every morning and use the public transportation on the way home, as it is the hottest part of the day.

I believe July will fly by even quicker than June. Now I feel very comfortable with the city and enjoy the people in our group, my family, and the culture here. I have a few things written down that I would like to do before I leave in three weeks. Wish me luck! Also, we are on a mission to find somewhere to celebrate July 4 in Spain without receiving looks of disgust and confusion from the locals.

Here in Spain, or at least my house, they do not flush the toilet every time they use it in order to save money on water.

Tomorrow we head to a water park, if the thunderstorms do not continue.

We are still without power. I am going to get ready for bed and finally get more than 8 hours of sleep – wahoooo!!

Hasta luego!
Kristina

P.S. I really like the name Kristina and will be sad when I drop a syllable on my return to the states.

España Wins!

Tuesday, July 29
1:14am

Hola!

Viva España! We beat Portugal tonight 1-0. Portugal is the third best team in the world. I believe Spain is the second best. A few friends and I found a local bar, had some tapas, and enjoyed the game. Spain had plenty of shots on goal during the game, however only one fell in. The team looked good, though. They play Paraguay on Saturday at 8:30pm (1:30pm your time).

Tonight Melanie, Julia, and I went to the theater for the midnight showing of the Twilight Eclipse movie… Too bad the theater was closed and the movie cannot show here until it premiers in the US. At least we know the bus system a bit better now, right?

I am thoroughly enjoying my classes this semester. I am learning about the government system in Spain, geography, and important festivals here. We also have a 5 page, 1.5 spaced paper (not double space, sad day) the last day of class. Each person has a different topic. My topic is tourism. I believe I can write from many different points of view and speak with the local restaurants and bars, my host family, teachers at the school, and even a travel agent - I think I know someone who could help me. J

In Commercial Spanish, I feel that it is a different version of a conversation class. The teacher is approachable but corrects us when we mispronounce words or use them incorrectly. In English we may say, you need to see the Sears Tower when you are in Chicago. However, in Spanish, need is only used when it is vital. You would say something like, you ought to see the Sears Tower, or I recommend highly you see it.

Heading to bed!
Buenas Noches

Kristina

First Day of School - 2nd part

12:23pm
Monday, July 28

First day of classes in second month

Hola chicos!

Today was my first day of class in the second part of the program. In Civilization we are learning about the history and culture of Spain from the findings of Homo sapiens at the cave of Altamira to today. The class consists of much information packed into 16 days of class. Also I am taking a Spanish commercial class in which I learn the lingo of the business world. Many commercial words came from the English language and are thus very similar. Marketing = Marketing and Administración = Administration

We took the public bus for the first time to and from school. Since we have 22 people in our group, compared to 60, we no longer have the private bus. It takes about 40 minutes to get to school now, in comparison to 30 before. I enjoyed using the bus, and we actually met a few people from Ohio as well by exploring the public transportation.

Today I had a Spanish conversation partner. Due to the private donation to the program, we have conversation partners available for anyone who is interested in talking to natives for two hours in the afternoon. They are about 25 years old and live an hour from here. One of the girls I spoke with today loves Paris. She told me a few things that I have to do when I visit, such as take a boat tour from the Eiffel tower that will give me a view of the city in addition to Notre Dame. We are going to visit the city of our conversation partners this week to see another part of Spain and understand their culture. Today we just met at a local café.

After the conversation partners, I went for my second run here. I cannot explain my feelings of contentment once I ran. It is extremely hot here from 3 to 5 (noon heat in the US). I was a bit nervous about the heat, however, we I ran about 8:30pm, the skies became overcast and a short rain came. Ten minutes later, the temperature dropped 5 degrees Celsius. It was the perfect weather to run, as many other people had the same idea. I ran for about 35 minutes in the park close by. It is a beautiful scene with mountains to the left and children playing to the right.

Due to all of our walking, my feet need a pedicure pronto. I am on the look out for a ped-egg in Spain.. wish me luck! I think I’m going to wear tennis shoes for a few days.

Tomorrow at 8:30pm (1:30pm your time), Spain plays Portugal in the World Cup. The US lost against Ghana this weekend, so you should now show your support to Spain ☺. I look forward to watching the game and donning my new Spain apparel singing “A por ellos, ole” – all for them, oye – this is the theme song for the team.

Also, here the large birthday is 18. At this birthday you can drive, smoke, and drink. It is all in one birthday. Wahoo!

Heading to bed with a full day tomorrow.

Buenas noches,
Kristina

Photos of Trip (cont'd from post below)

Gardens of the Palace in Segovia



Body of water Columbus traveled to reach the Americas



Christopher Columbus' body in Cathedral of Seville

Seville & Cordoba

Sunday, June 27
6:37pm

Photos

- Mosque/Cathedral in Cordoba

- Panorama view of Cordoba

- Our Hotel in Cordoba

- La Mancha - Don Quixote


Andulucía Viaje (Andalusia trip)

Hola chicos!

Just returned “home” from a weekend in Andalusia, a territory in southern Spain. We visited Sevilla (Seville) and Cordoba. These two cities fulfill the stereotypes of Spain. Sevilla is home to the most famous bull-fighting ring in Spain, if not the world, in addition to being the heart of Flamenco dancing. We saw authentic, non-touristy Flamenco dancing in Cordoba, the famous mezquita (Mosque on outer rim, cathedral in the center). I will attach a video to the blog for you to see this amazing phenomena.

We left on Friday morning at 8:00am and had a 6-hour drive to Seville. We stopped at the city of La Mancha on our way, which is popular due to the book by Cervantes, Don Quixote. After we arrived in Seville, we placed our belongings in our 4 star hotel and toured the city. Las Sirpientes (not sure on spelling here) is a world famous street of shopping. We browsed, had some gelato, and enjoyed the narrow streets of the town. I fell in love with Seville and hope to return one day. I took a picture in front of the famous bull-fighting stadium and crossed over the river Columbus sailed to find the Americas.

The next morning we visited the renowned Cathedral in Seville. Christopher Columbus and his son are buried here. In addition, the cathedral is home to the largest alter in the world! After the tour we did a bit of shopping where I finally bought some guy gifts and had a great lunch at a local restaurant.

Many places have a “menu del día” or menu of the day. This includes a drink, bread, an appetizer, main plate, and dessert or coffee. We ordered vino blanco (white wine), paella, chicken, and café con leche (coffee with milk). After eating bread and rice, we began feeling a bit funny. We had only one glass of wine, but it was strong! I told my host family tonight at dinner that I had a glass of wine that was too strong . Mi padre quickly corrected me saying there is no such thing as a wine that is too strong and that this was just a sign of a good wine. I couldn’t help but laugh! If every wine were this potent, many people would save money on their bill.

We then hopped on our 70-person bus with no bathrooms to travel to Cordoba. Cordoba has much of the same atmosphere as Seville but without all the tourists. Since hotels that can hold 60 people are hard to come by, we descended to a 2 or 3 star hotel here. Our room had an interesting stint, a flat screen TV with no way to change the channel, and a roof view. We were lucky in that the air condition worked extremely well and we never had to use our hand-painted fans to find comfort.

NOTE: Hotels in Europe are extremely energy efficient. After 5 minutes of failing to be able to turn on a ceiling light or lamp, we realized our hotel key had to be placed in a holder next to the door in order for electricity to function. This brilliant idea, yet sometimes inconvenient, keeps lights and AC off when guests not present in the room. In addition, in order to use the hair dryer I held down a button the whole time. I guess they had a challenge with people keeping the hair dryer going on at night… Nonetheless, I appreciate the economic consciousness of Europe, and as I adjust to this culture, I want more to have a vacation home here… Maybe one day a second casa 8 hours away will be feasible.

Last night we attended a Flamenco dancing event. We are gracious for the private donation to this program where we were able to take the group to this event, free of charge to us. It took place in a courtyard outdoors with about 150 white fabric covered chairs placed everywhere. Waiters served you drinks as we marveled at the art of this sensual artistic dance. The women’s costumes consisted of long curve fitting dresses with ruffles at the bottom and tap dancing shoes. Men wore dress pants and a button up. At the second half of the show, a guy with long curly hair came on stage to dance. He only became more attractive as the show progressed, as anyone who can dance can woo my heart… J. In addition, not only were the dancers magnificent, the guitar players can move their hands and create sounds I have never heard before. Singers accompanied them with songs resembling what I would imagine as a morning song for those in worship. You can also think of Lion King with the whole, awoooooo akebahh. I hope this provides some auditory example.

This morning we visited the famous Mezquita (mosque) of Cordoba. The mosque, built in the ninth century, is one of the world’s must see sites with vivid expression of both the Muslim and Catholic cultures. During the Inquisition, when the Church slowly took over Spain, the mosque was to be changed into a cathedral. In order to keep the history and magnificence of the mudéjar (Muslim) style and significance, the outer of the mosque remain untouched and the cathedral was built only in the center. The wall facing the Mecca still stands in great condition on the far side of the building. The Muslims built horizontally and thus the building has a large land area. Catholics built vertically and so the center of the building is taller with high, decorative ceilings and gold covered sculptures.

After the visit to the Mezquita, we walked across a bridge that provided a panorama view of the city’s architecture. Cordoba is a beautiful city with a laid back lifestyle. Restaurant service is leisurely and enjoyment of life is top priority. While we waited for our food, that never came, we noticed women and men of all ages dressed as if they were about to attend a high school prom. Long dresses, hair styles from the beauty shop, and tuxes with tales lined the streets. When we asked our waiter the occasion, as we all felt very under dressed in our outfits from H&M, we found out this is the proper dress for weddings. Can you imagine going to the beauty parlor and buying a $100 dress for every wedding you attended… If I take up this tradition in the US, whenever I do get married, the attendance list and thus price of the wedding may reduce significantly... Mom & Dad would like this, right?

We arrived home today around 5:00pm. I went to church at the local cathedral and then uploaded pictures from the trip to Facebook. Heading to bed and going to catch up on some sleep. We do not have AC and the room is quite toasty… I do hope I can buy a fan very soon and that my family will not mind if I run it all night. Before I left home, the AC was out. I believe this prepared me for Spain, unexpectedly.

New classes begin tomorrow. I am taking Spanish Civilization and Spanish Commerce. I expect that commerce will introduce me to the business side of Spain and Civ will provide a background on my new culture. 38 out of 60 people in the group leave tomorrow morning for the states. The group will reduce in size, but I am looking forward to a close group and another awesome month in Europe.

Hasta luego amigos!
Thank you for following me on this journey. I love sharing my experiences with you.

Kristina

Thyssen Museum

7:54pm

Museo de Thyssen

Hola! Today we visited the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum in Madrid. It is located very close to the Prado and Reina Sofia. This museum began as a private collection and has been passed down for two generations. The Thyssen family is part of the bourgeois and have a collection of art envied by many.

We saw original paintings from Pollock, Monet, Dalí, Van Gogh, and many more I cannot remember. The museum houses art that spans many different centuries and from all parts of the world, including North America. The wife of Thyssen played a large part in the opening of the museum to the public with her sizeable collection added to the compilation.

On another note, we take final exams to complete our first semester of classes on Thursday. I will have finished Arts & Museums and Advanced Grammar. New classes begin on Monday. We have about 50 students in our group and about half of them are leaving for the states on Monday to return home. It will be different with less people here but also give us time to do more (free) group activities!

Family has been wonderful. The girls finished school and are now home more often. The other day they were watching the popular show, “Glee”, in Spanish. When Melanie and I come home late, our padre waited for us with dinner on the table. He wants to know that we are safe.

At the beginning of summer in Spain, rebajas begins. Rebajas are huge sales in almost every store. Rebajas run through the month of July. I bought a nice purse that will hold notebooks and perfect to take to interviews for only 6 euros and a black shirt with lace at the top for only 5 euros. I need to hold myself back a bit as I have a trip to Paris planned very soon!

I am finishing my studying
Hasta luego,
Kristina

Spain - Honduras Partido

3:17am
Futbol game

Last night Spain played Honduras and won 2-0! A group of three friends and I traveled to Madrid to see the game in the stadium. It reminded me of Tuscaloosa on game day, but on steroids. Filled with mostly young students ages 15 to 22, everyone donned their red and yellow, face painted, and flags either hanging over their backs similar to batman or raised high with pride. I will try to place a video up to give you an example of this event.

When we arrived, the gates to enter where backed up as we wiggled our way through the line of police checking bolsas (purses) to throw out alcohol. People were drinking out of large coke bottles and smoking everywhere. The large screen was placed on a stage resembling a concert with flags marketing popular companies on the side.

Before the game, everyone jumped up and down singing a repetitive tune and continued this tune after every goal.

After the first goal, we left the stadium and found a nicer bar to watch the game. When we walked by the bar, we thought it was too nice for us, as we had painted faces and Spain scarves. Nonetheless, the waiter, Jesus, told us we may not be dressed in a suit but we were pretty, so we should come in. We watched Spain in its first victory in the World Cup along side many businessmen in suits and Jesus who practiced his English with me. They invited us back for the US game on Wednesday.

We arrived home late last night and caught the final bus back. I am extremely tired; however, it is hard to make time to sleep when there are so many things I want to do!

Hasta luego amigos!
Kristina

Barcelona

21 de Junio
5:24pm

Buenos tardes!

He volvido de Barcelona. I have returned from Barcelona!
The weekend in Barcelona was the best weekend I have had since being in Spain.

We arrived in Barcelona at 10:30pm by airplane on Thursday. Once we took the aerobus into the city, we were not familiar with the transportation to arrive at our hostel. The bus from the airport took us to the incorrect stop and we walked across the populated street called Las Ramblas. This street is known to be a bit peligroso (dangerous) due to the large amounts of robberies. We were a bit nervous but followed the advice of mi madre and walked with an attitude. We found our way to the metro stop and met two girls on our train who were staying in our same hostel. They showed us the way.

When we arrived at our hostel, we thought we made a huge mistake in staying here, as we had never stayed in a place with bunk beds, lockers, and people smoking in the common room. After we got over the initial shock of the hostel, we went to the common room. Within five minutes, a nice guy from Virginia asked us to join him and his friends for a game. We met his friend, a guy from Germany, and a lady backpacking across Europe solo. Melanie told me the night unfolded very similar to the movie “Hostel” with the guys showing us a store near our place; however, they did not abduct us.Nonetheless, by the time we left the hostel, we felt very comfortable with the accommodations and enjoyed the community atmosphere. I met people from Germany, England, Brazil, China, New Zealand, and many cities in the US while in the hostel for only three nights. It is fascinating learning about other people’s culture.

Thursday night we ate at the Hard Rock Café in Barcelona. I didn’t think I missed American food until I had two heads (literally) of romaine lettuce with chicken that tasted better than chocolate cake.. I love Spain, but it will be nice to have cold milk and food that stays in the fridge a bit more often when I return to the States. J

The hostel provided breakfast for us every morning, which consisted of instant coffee, three types of cereals, and bread. During the rest of the day they had an open kitchen where many people would gather and cook meals. We cooked pasta on Friday night in order to save some money.

On Friday, we visited the Sagrada Familia, the unfinished cathedral by the modernist and innovative artist, Antonio Gaudi. Gaudi died in a train accident and his plans for the cathedral were also destroyed; therefore, it was under construction when we visited it and will be completed by 2026. Gaudi is famous for many of his art creations in Barcelona.

After the Sagrada Familia, we visited the beaches of Barcelona to watch the USA game. The beaches were immaculate, a bit windy, and filled with those both clothed and nude - a different atmosphere for me. Yet, it is normal to see women without tops in Europe and no one but tourists are caught looking in awe or disgust. Also on the beach, there were many al fresco style restaurants with flat screen TVs. We sat down next to a few girls from Texas and a group of guys in their mid 20’s who graduated from Notre Dame in order to watch the game.

After the US tied 2-2, we explored the shoreline. The sand was coarser than the gulf beaches; however, the water was blue, oil free, and chilly. We did not overcome the initial chill and resided on the shore when a man selling henna tattoos approached us. I bartered for a butterfly tattoo on my ankle from 7 to 2 euro. People sell everything everywhere from tattoos to beer. The man gave me the tattoo on the beach only feet from the shore. When we were sitting down watching the game, a lady began massaging my shoulder trying to sell me a massage. People with roses and sunglasses visited our table numerous times trying to obtain money from excited tourists.

After the beach, we headed back to the hostel for our homemade dinner. The guys we met from ND called us later that night to see if we were interested in seeing the town with them and a girl they met the day before. One of my good friends, Julia, and I acted on a whim and a bit irresponsible by trusting these guys we met earlier that day. Nonetheless, we met them at a bar later in the night along with a charismatic and extremely intelligent 21-year-old girl named Irene. She knows 7 languages and is studying Physics. I can only hope to be as accomplished as her one day.

The night ended up being one to remember as Julia and I saw the non-tourist nightlife in Barcelona, interacted with locals, and made some new friends. At a few bars in Spain, when you order a drink, you mix it yourself. Thus, you can put as little or as much alcohol in the drink as you would like. A bit dangerous for some, yet no one complains they don’t get their moneys worth. After the bar, meeting Irene’s friends, and eyes a bit glazed over by the smoke, we headed to a local discoteca.

At the disco, people supposedly break their glass drink bottles on the wall or floor in Spain and there were small pieces of glass near our feet. We were fortunate to keep all our toes J. As many of you know, dancing is something I could do all night no matter my energy level. We danced until 6:30am!! I am still trying to catch up on sleep. However, we were able to take the metro back home as it stopped running at 1am and began again at 5am. The night turned out to be one of my best nights since being in Spain and one I will remember for years to come. I love the discos in Spain and hope to find at least one in the states, but will not get my hopes up…

The next day we visited the Picasso Museum. Each room told a different story of his life in chronological order. Picasso’s style was not always the cubism-Guernica-outlandish style that initially comes to mind. He once painted flowers and people! I enjoyed most the room on Picasso’s version of the Velazquez painting, Las Mecenas where you see his rendition of the same image depicted in a less realistic form.

A friend of mine, Kelly, and I walked the streets of Las Ramblas after lunch and visited the street vendors’ booths. We kept our hands on our purses and later found out that one of our friends had her iPhone stolen here. The streets were crowed with shoppers, street performers, and vendors.

Later Saturday night we watched the magic fountain in front of the Barcelona capital. The fountain was coordinated to music and is similar to the fountain in Vegas. I will attempt to attach the video of the fountain for you to see. On the same street as the fountain, there was a Harley-Davidson Barcelona event. Seeing people dressed in leather, helmets on and speaking Spanish was an oxymoron for me. However, bikes here must be just as popular as in the states. Included in this event was a very good Bon Jovi cover band. All the songs were in English but the singer spoke in between songs in Spanish. It constantly amazes me the English influences here in music and fashion. (there is the show Glee in Spanish here – songs in English, words in Spanish!)

We left on Sunday morning and arrived back home safely. What a trip to remember! I hope to return to Barcelona one day to see more work from Guadi and explore what the city has to offer. The city is beautiful, has an extremely efficient metro, and shopping galore! Adios!

Kristina

Reina Sofia Museum

8:24am

Buenos Dias!

The World Cup is underway in Spain and the whole country puts aside their Real Madrid vs. Barcelona animosity to support one team. As I walked the streets of Madrid yesterday during the game, every TV available from the McDonalds to the train station was surrounded with at least five (5) rows of people, eyes glued, anticipating every move. Sadly, Spain did not win. The loss is similar to the feeling Alabama had when we lost to Louisiana Monroe. Our padre joked that we were not having dinner last night due to the upset.

After the game ended, our group went to the Reina Sofia Museum. This museum, located across the street from the popular Atocha train station in Madrid, is home to paintings from Picasso, Dalí, and some modern paintings and sculptures. The museum allowed us to use our cameras “sin flash” (without flash). I was able to get a picture with the Guernica, one of Picasso’s most famous paintings. I have all my photos from the Museum posted on my Facebook and will try to place one on here.

On another note, I ran the streets and parks of my new city yesterday. I made time to exercise about 40 minutes; however, I am out of shape and am sore today like I was after the half-marathon. Now that I have found a route I am comfortable with running and where I feel safe, I plan to reinstate cardio exercise in my life. Everyone here walks there dogs. Many people go to these parks; however, I only saw 2 other runners. Many people do not keep their dog on a leash. The dogs surprisingly do not leave their owners side, even the large rottweilers next to our house...

The other night Melanie and I met up with friends at a local bar after one of the fútbol games. Many of our closest friends left soon thereafter to grab a very late dinner; however, we met up with two guys in our group who were there with some of their Spanish friends. Melanie and I talked with these new “friends” for an hour and a half. What great conversation partners! I could not understand everything they said due to the large amount of slang used by the younger generation, very similar to the US. Nonetheless, we enjoyed meeting some locals and enjoyed a different side of nightlife here.

My family is wonderful as always! The girls (our hermanas – sisters) are going to let Mel and I listen to some of their Spanish music. We want to learn some popular songs here other than Shakira and Juanes. Yesterday, our padre gave us two roses from the bush in the front yard before we headed off to school. Also, we are able to communicate much better with our family and can understand them much better with every passing day.

Hasta luego!
Kristina

Segovia / La Granja

5:01pm

Buenas tardes!
In today’s blog:
- Trip to Segovia and La Granja yesterday
- El Rastro flee market
- Family & Spain

SEGOVIA / LA GRANJA

Yesterday we took a trip to Segovia, popular for the Aqueduct and the Alcazar. The Aqueduct was built around 2000 years ago in order to transport water from one side of the city to another. The structure is fancier than necessary in order to represent power. No cement was used to build the structure, and the rocks are held in place by pressure. The Alcazar, on the other hand, was both a royal palace and a castle for Kings prior to the end of the Reformation in 1492. Segovia was a Catholic city fighting against the Jews and Muslims to make Spain a Catholic country. The name “Alcazar is a combination of the words castle and palace. Ferdinand and Isabel lived here when they sent Christopher Columbus to discover the Americas.

We then visited La Granja, a hunting camp for the king with a royal palace and a breathtaking garden. The gardens consist of a half dozen fountains that naturally go off around 5:30pm each day if there has been sufficient rainfall. Tourists fill the gardens and travel from one fountain to another as the water travels from one fountain to another.
Watching water spray over 100 feet in the air amidst the mythological sculptures centered in the fountain was a phenomenal sight. My camera conveniently died before this visit. Melanie has some pictures I may sneak to show you the beauty of the palace.

The style of the Alcazar in Segovia and La Granja is mudejar. Mudejar means Muslim. The palaces were built by Christians, taken over by Muslims, and then overtaken again. Materials from each reign were recycled and each castle maintains a decorum consiting of both Catholic and Muslim styles.


EL RASTRO

We left for Madrid today around 8:30am to visit the largest flee market in the world, El Rastro. We arrived before the crowds and left once it became unbearable. We had one hand on our purses at all times as El Rastro is notorious for people taking your wallet. No one from our group encountered a pickpocketeer; however, one of our friends had her wallet stolen as she looked at rings.

El Rastro includes a large collection of jewelry, scarves, bolsas (purses), and fútbol paraphernalia. We all bought gifts and took in the enormity of the market. Afterwards, we visited the local H&M and had tapas at a restaurant where our waiter wooed Melanie with a red rose.


FAMILY / SPAIN
According to our family, Melanie and I say thank you much more than is usual for Spain. The culture here is similar to the northern US. Southern hospitality in Spain stands out. I am attempting to say thank you less frequently; however, I then feel a bit rude…

Yesterday when we returned from our trip, the USA vs. England fútbol game was playing. We quickly joined our family in the living room as we watched the game complete with cerveza and papas fritas (beer and chips). One of our sisters had a guy friend over and he helped us learn the Spanish fútbol lingo. New words:

Vamos – come on
Falta – Foul
Goal – goal

Melanie and I are fortunate to feel that we are a member of the family and always enjoy conversations with them on everything from directions, fútbol, and the economy.

When we arrived home from El Rastro today, the older two brothers came to visit. They live in a nearby city and came to play in a fútbol game earlier today. We enjoyed their visit, but I am still getting used to kissing someone on either side of their face when I meet them in lei of a handshake.

Quick fact: In Spain, there are always hand dryers in public restrooms. These dryers are rarely strong and my pants are mastering the towel function.

Went to church at the local Cathedral today. For all the Catholics reading this blog:
- For communion, you go up to the alter when you are ready – a bit of mass chaos in my opinion
- During mass, people walk around if they feel like it. A bit distracting
- At end of Mass, we sang the Hail Mary

Hasta mañana!
Kristina

El Escorial

1. Panteon - Kings bodies kept
2. El Escorial
3. Mel and I in front of the entrance

8:45pm

The World Cup begins today and the U.S. plays tomorrow. Many people donned jerseys and red shirts to celebrate.

Today we visited El Escorial, a “conservative” palace designed by King Charles V. It is similar to a Camp David for the king of Spain. Charles V was a very religious and diplomatic king. He wanted a place with fewer decorations that included a place to pray. He created the monastery at El Escoral for monks to pray daily for the souls of those passed away, especially the souls of the Royal Family. He constructed the palace in a mountainous area above Madrid where no one held residence.

Today, there is a town surrounding the palace, which acts as a retirement community for many people in Spain with wealth. It reminds me of the North Carolina of the US. The houses are beautiful, with most having a red textured ceiling reminding me of a Mediterranean style.

El Escorial is also a school, which began for children of the nobility. When we arrived we encountered numerous children in light blue and khaki Catholic school uniforms at recess in the patio area of the castle. I was a bit envious of the views of the city and mountains these children have daily.

Mountains surrounded the castle and it is truly a masterpiece in itself that a building of this size was created. When the palace was constructed, artists from Italy were hired to complete the decorations. The Italian influence in art from the masterpieces at El Escorial shape the history of Spanish art for centuries to follow.

The family quarters are now a museum with works from famous artists of the century such as el Greco and Velazquez. The king’s bedroom and office space are located to where the king could work and attend Mass by opening his window to the garden area.

The ceiling and walls of other rooms in the castle cannot be described to explain its beauty. Huge murals adorn hallways of the castle and ceilings painted of mythological features make me wonder about the beauty of Versailles.

Two of the highlights of El Escorial is the enormous library with 52 sections of books, most of which are handwritten. I will try to attach a picture above. In addition, the palace is home to the most phenomenal Basilica I have ever visitied. There are 42 alters in the Basilica and most have pieces of art hanging over them. However, the main focus in the wall behind the alter with an ornate mural of photos depicting the life of Maria y Jesús. The gold crucifix is placed above the story.

The last room I will tell you about is the room is called the Panteon, in which all the kings’ bodies are kept. I was in the company of Charles V, Felipe II, Felipe III, etc; today! The room is circular with caskets adorning the walls. The kings’ bodies lie to the left of the alter with their mother’s bodies to the right. The room is made of the finest materials with gold decorations and marble flooring.

The rooms near to the Panteon hold the bodies of other members of the royal family. (see first picture above)

El Escorial is truly an oasis and one of the most important sites in Spain. Today it remains a school, monastery, basilica, and museum. It is the most beautiful place I have visited thus far on my journey.

After our visit to El Escorial we planned to visit Valle de Los Caídos located in the mountains. However, it was closed for “renovations”. However, our teacher believes it closed for political reasons, as it is a symbol of the “party” who won the Spanish Civil War.

In the following blog, there is information about the nightlife of Spain and my family.

Hasta mañana (talk to you tomorrow!)