Hey there. Sorry that it has been forever since my last update. There has been an unfortunate combination of lack of Internet and lack of motivation for the past few days.
On Friday we left for Nerja. As usual we took a bus from Segovia to Madrid, then waited for the long bus ride at the station in Madrid. While there, we sat and talked with a 70-year-old American expatriate who we later called Bill. Bill was a simple guy; after talking to him, you got the feeling that he was the kind of guy who enjoyed the simple things in life. He told us a series of stories that seemed to make up the vast majority of his life. I felt like I was in Forrest Gump.
We talked to him for about an hour and a half. He would later return and give us some of the bottle of the water that he had just purchased. I think he realized A: how expensive water is B: that we were college kids that were poor by reputation and C: that he probably wasn’t going to be able to finish an entire liter and a half bottle by himself. We thanked him, and wished him safe travels. Its kind of interesting to think that we won’t ever see him again.
After that we took off for Nerja. We had a bus transfer in Malaga, and we were able to see the sun rise over the Andalucía Mountains as we drove through them. I was listening to “Quiet Houses” by Fleet Foxes while this event unfolded. What a beautiful amalgamation of audio and visual.
Anyways we grabbed a quick nap at our hostel/apartment, and then went to the beach. We had a fun day at the beach, but we had some unfinished business to attend to. We needed to find some Spanish speakers to talk to about the subject of apologizing for our linguistics class.
Alejandro and I scoped though the busy plaza in Nerja and happened upon two girls that seemed, by visual observation, nice enough to talk with us. Unfortunately, when I asked them if they could help us in Spanish, one of the girls responded with, “Where?” I let out an expletive. Nerja is filled with Englishmen and Scottsmen (its like the Cancun or Cozumel of The United Kingdom); if you ever need to find a hispanohablante, don’t go to Nerja.
Fortunately, these girls were on an exchange trip and their sponsors both spoke fluent Spanish. After a quick dinner, we agreed to meet them back at the plaza at 10:30. They didn’t make fools out of us; they showed up, and we were able to get that incredible monkey off our backs.
After that, we celebrated. We mixed some “cuba libres” (coke and rums), took them to the beach, and watched the tide, and reflected on the trip that is quickly coming to a close. It was a little warm, we were all admittedly sweaty, and the full moon was casting a sufficient amount of light on the wake, so we went back to the room, changed into our swimsuits, and went for a midnight dip in the Mediterranean. This was probably the highlight of the weekend.
Another beach day came and went with sun and more swimming. I’m sorry if I’m rushing through this a little. Truthfully nothing really eventful happened… that is until we returned to the room where a note was on the door explaining to us that checkout was at 12, and that our bags were up in the apartment owner’s room. So we scurried up there, and after being told very sternly that she had to put someone (who was checking in that day; a Sunday. Who in their right mind checks into a room on a Sunday?) in a different room. She told us that the only way we were getting our bags back was if we paid for the next night. A cool 60 Euros. That’s right, this heartless wench was holding our bags for ransom. So like those poor train passengers that are propositioned at gun-point in those old Western films, we emptied our pockets and fished out the necessary means. I was pissed. I felt victimized; like she was stealing from me. She didn’t tell us when checkout was. We were promised air-conditioning, Internet, and a fridge before the weekend started. These promises weren’t fulfilled and I would’ve looked the other way had this not happened to us. This is a family owned and operated business. If this woman had any tact or anything that even resembled character or manners, she would have allowed us to get our bags and leave, but she decided to take advantage of the unknowing college-age tourists. Life has a crazy way of sorting things out though. I chuckle at the fact this woman has to live 365 days of the year in this air-condition-internetless shanty that she calls an apartment building. What goes around comes around, señora. Hope that extra 60 Euros that you now possess, buys you a nice jetski lesson that ends tragically and causes your ultimate demise. (JK but seriously I needed to get this anger out.)
We took the red-eye bus back to Madrid where we arrived somewhere around 6 AM. We got on the first bus to Segovia, and Nate and I were able to take a nap that surprisingly, and abruptly ended at 10:30, when we both realized that we had 20 minutes to walk a distance that normally takes us close to 25 minutes to cover. We made it; covered in sweat, no less, but we made it on time.
Class was quite all right. Today was the first of the final three days, and I’m starting to feel closure. We did class evals and we read the last article for linguistics today. I’m excited to go back home, but I’m going to miss the people that I hung out with here and seeing the cool places that we have been able to visit.
I have 4 more days here. Can’t wait to see everyone. Until next time…¡Adios!
Alcazar
I less spectacular view of Alcazar, but its remains something that we simply don't have in the States.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Going through the motions
Not a whole lot happened today. We seem to be running ourselves into a little bit of a rut. This especially happens during the work-week because we have 3 hours of class each day followed by lunch, which is subsequently followed by homework for said classes, and by the time that is done, the only thing we can really do is activities within the town. Nate and I went on another run today. That’s two days in a row for us, and I think that my endurance is starting to come back. We ran across the river that starts near la casa and winds down adjacent to what I’m going to call la vista de alcazar; a little field that sits underneath the cliff that the famous castle sits on. After stopping to talk with some friends from our group that we ran into, we continued up the path that we normally run down. Down is the keyword. A 1 mile run down a very consistent down-slope is a lot easier to run down than up. It was tough, but I made it up near the beginning of the path. A small victory for myself; a little confidence booster in an element where I’m in perpetual need of confidence. Not traveling anywhere has kind of allowed things to settle around me. I have found comfort in and out of the classroom without the constant reminder that I’m not as good of a Spanish speaker as some people in this group. I have made exponential growth in my understanding of both the language and the culture, and if this had to start 9 days before the end of the trip, so be it. At the very least, it happened, and I’m sure that my parents and my sister will be happy to hear this.
Anyways, back to what I was saying before I went into reflection mode, we ran about 2 ½ miles. We returned to la casa, did a little more homework, took showers, then had a spectacular cena; one of the best of the trip.
After dinner, we watched the movie Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox story, and now we are sitting here, scratching our heads trying to think of something to blog about. I’m thinking that what I have so far will have to suffice.
Anyways, were taking a trip, after class tomorrow, to tour a castle, which will be a nice vacation from old churches. I think I’ve seen enough of those for this trip at least .
Hope that everything is super cool across the pond. Love you all. ¡Adios!
Anyways, back to what I was saying before I went into reflection mode, we ran about 2 ½ miles. We returned to la casa, did a little more homework, took showers, then had a spectacular cena; one of the best of the trip.
After dinner, we watched the movie Walk Hard: the Dewey Cox story, and now we are sitting here, scratching our heads trying to think of something to blog about. I’m thinking that what I have so far will have to suffice.
Anyways, were taking a trip, after class tomorrow, to tour a castle, which will be a nice vacation from old churches. I think I’ve seen enough of those for this trip at least .
Hope that everything is super cool across the pond. Love you all. ¡Adios!
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Update
If you look at the time stamps from the last post to now, you will probably realize that I haven’t blogged in a couple of days. I have been a little busy with class work and have spent most of the last few days mentally exhausted. I know that I’m not taking a full work load, but I guess I’m not used to putting my brain under this much duress during the summer months. Anyways, I’m back at it for the time being.
The last day hanging with my parents (Sunday) was, as expected, a blast. The otros dos toros took an early morning bus to Madrid, and met us at our hotel. We spent the day checking out the sights again. We spent the morning at an open-air market; the biggest in Spains, and one of the biggest ones in the world. I got something for Meghan and Dave there, so the visit was fruitful. We then went to Mcdonald’s and had American fast food for the first time in god knows how long. My dad was very pleasantly surprised that they served beer at this particular McDonald’s, so he was much obliged in enjoying a cold one during lunch. After lunch, we made a visit to El Museo de Prado, where we took advantage of our ISIC cards, got a discount on our admission, and took in some priceless art including paintings by Goya, Greco, Velasquez, and Rembrandt. After sitting down with the rest of the group for late afternoon sangria and tapas, and walking around for more gift shopping, we said goodbye to my parents and headed back to Segovia. My parents are now safely back in the U.S. I am so glad that they stopped by for a little bit. I was missing home, but now I miss it a little less thanks to their visit.
That was everything of note that happened on Sunday.
We accomplished a lot in the homework department on Monday afternoon. Let’s just say that I only have to write one more paper for Cultures class while I’m here. Late classes were monotonous, and that is part of the reason I didn’t feel the need to write last night.
Today, classes were a bit more interesting. In linguistics, Nate volunteered himself and I to play out a scenario in front of the class. This practice of Spanish seemed to buoy my confidence, and I was very active for the rest of the school day. In fact, today was probably the best day of classes for me, if were going by participation. It was a pretty satisfying feeling. Hopefully, I can carry this confidence over to tomorrow.
After class, we had lunch, then hit the books hard for yet some more homework. Thank you, Lisa Kuriscak. After homework, Nate and I went out for a much-awaited, much-needed run. We took the route to Alcazar, and then sprinted through the park that is adjacent to the cliff face that the castle is perched on. We walked home; it had been a while since the last time we ran, and I kind of took the pace a little too quickly. I’m also hoping that we can become a little more regular with our runs.
After we returned, a quick shower was in order, followed by cena. Since Nate and I didn’t have any more homework to do, we watched a movie. Alejandro would join us a little later. I’m so glad that I’m not taking the conversation class that he is taking. For every one assignment that Nate and me have in our cultures class, I think Alejandro has like 3. I feel bad for the guy. This is a one-month course in a place that we’re expected to explore thoroughly during our free time. Once again, thanks, Lisa Kuriscak. (Don’t get me wrong; she’s an excellent teacher. I’m just giving her a hard time because we’ve been getting more homework than I expected to get.)
Anyways, were finally somewhat back to normal here with our routine. Nate and I are both writing our blogs and listening to music. I’m trying to get Nate into Jazz Fusion. I don’t think its working.
To Jenna Smith, Amanda Kasem, and Zach Arnett: I’ll see you guys in Cincy in 10 days!
We watched The Big Lebowski last night. In honor of that movie: Goodnight, sweet prince. (lol.)
The last day hanging with my parents (Sunday) was, as expected, a blast. The otros dos toros took an early morning bus to Madrid, and met us at our hotel. We spent the day checking out the sights again. We spent the morning at an open-air market; the biggest in Spains, and one of the biggest ones in the world. I got something for Meghan and Dave there, so the visit was fruitful. We then went to Mcdonald’s and had American fast food for the first time in god knows how long. My dad was very pleasantly surprised that they served beer at this particular McDonald’s, so he was much obliged in enjoying a cold one during lunch. After lunch, we made a visit to El Museo de Prado, where we took advantage of our ISIC cards, got a discount on our admission, and took in some priceless art including paintings by Goya, Greco, Velasquez, and Rembrandt. After sitting down with the rest of the group for late afternoon sangria and tapas, and walking around for more gift shopping, we said goodbye to my parents and headed back to Segovia. My parents are now safely back in the U.S. I am so glad that they stopped by for a little bit. I was missing home, but now I miss it a little less thanks to their visit.
That was everything of note that happened on Sunday.
We accomplished a lot in the homework department on Monday afternoon. Let’s just say that I only have to write one more paper for Cultures class while I’m here. Late classes were monotonous, and that is part of the reason I didn’t feel the need to write last night.
Today, classes were a bit more interesting. In linguistics, Nate volunteered himself and I to play out a scenario in front of the class. This practice of Spanish seemed to buoy my confidence, and I was very active for the rest of the school day. In fact, today was probably the best day of classes for me, if were going by participation. It was a pretty satisfying feeling. Hopefully, I can carry this confidence over to tomorrow.
After class, we had lunch, then hit the books hard for yet some more homework. Thank you, Lisa Kuriscak. After homework, Nate and I went out for a much-awaited, much-needed run. We took the route to Alcazar, and then sprinted through the park that is adjacent to the cliff face that the castle is perched on. We walked home; it had been a while since the last time we ran, and I kind of took the pace a little too quickly. I’m also hoping that we can become a little more regular with our runs.
After we returned, a quick shower was in order, followed by cena. Since Nate and I didn’t have any more homework to do, we watched a movie. Alejandro would join us a little later. I’m so glad that I’m not taking the conversation class that he is taking. For every one assignment that Nate and me have in our cultures class, I think Alejandro has like 3. I feel bad for the guy. This is a one-month course in a place that we’re expected to explore thoroughly during our free time. Once again, thanks, Lisa Kuriscak. (Don’t get me wrong; she’s an excellent teacher. I’m just giving her a hard time because we’ve been getting more homework than I expected to get.)
Anyways, were finally somewhat back to normal here with our routine. Nate and I are both writing our blogs and listening to music. I’m trying to get Nate into Jazz Fusion. I don’t think its working.
To Jenna Smith, Amanda Kasem, and Zach Arnett: I’ll see you guys in Cincy in 10 days!
We watched The Big Lebowski last night. In honor of that movie: Goodnight, sweet prince. (lol.)
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Family Matters
I had such a hectic day yesterday that I was completely exhausted before I was able to get to my computer to blog, so I'm going to give a quick recap of the past two days for you:
Yesterday morning: I woke up an hour before we were planning on waking up, and I couldn't fall back to sleep because of excitement/nervousness for the day ahead. This was the day that I would get on a bus to Madrid, get on the Metro, find my parents hotel, and meet up with them and their companions (two of my mom's fellow autism educators and their husbands).
But first, I had an interesting day planned with the Bulls. Upon Nate's faint recollection of his trip the year before, he had gone to the twon of Granja and had a lovely time in some sort of park. Granja, which is a quick ten minute bus ride from Segovia, is also the home to the Summer Royal Palace and a magnificent botanical gardens. We visited the former and the latter before we went searching for this mythical park. The bulls hadn't eaten yet, so we decided to sit down at a restaurant with outdoor seating. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, we finally flagged the attention of a waiter, got menus, then realized that this place was ridiculously expensive. So we bailed; Alex and I went one way, and for some reason, Nate went a different way. we lost him for about ten minutes, but we were eventually reunited.
After that mini-adventure, we found a much more reasonably priced restaurant and had hamburguesas there. They were awesome!! By far one of the best meals that I have had thus far.
After that, we went searching for the park. Nate's directional instincts took us down a winding path that seemed to take us completely out of Granja and out into the middle of nowhere. After about 30 minutes and finally conceeding that Nate didn't really know where the park was, we all sat down on a foothill that was perched close to a ravine and a couple of mountains. There we took several pictures and even played UNO.
After the walk back, we got on a bus that took us back to Segovia, where I subsequently packed my things for a short weekend visit with my parents.
After the bus ride to Madrid, I took the metro. I got off at the station that I was told would be the best one to get off at; everything was falling into place. All except for the fact that I didn't know where the hotel was. I must have done several laps up and down Gran Via looking for the street was on. I even had the location narrowed down to within a blocks distance from the Plaza de Santo Domingo. Still no luck. After about 50 minutes of failure, I went into a competing hotel and asked the desk clerk if her knew where the hotel was. He told me that it was in a place that I'm sure I passed at least 3 times. My back was completely covered in sweat from the heat that was held in by my backpack. I was dejected but relieved.
I met the weary travellers at the Metro stop, escorted them to the hotel, and then took them to a tapas bar nearby. This group of six adults were very hard to interpret for at first, but as time has elapsed it has gotten progressively easier. The tapas were a hit, and thereafter we called it a night.
Today: we woke up early, got some breakfast, then took a double-decker bus tour around town to get our bearings. i had seen most of the stuff on the tour before, but it was nice to get a better understanding of where everything is geographically.
We had lunch near the puerta del sol. Bocadillos and sandwiches that were the same size but were doubled in price when toasted, were served to us by a very confused, disgruntled waiter.
After lunch, we took a different bus tour, then came back to the room for naps.
Dinner was at a restaurant that the hotel recommended. El Labriego. There we had a very sweet waitress who was very easy to understand and talk to in Spanish, and my dad and I shared a dish of paella that was probably meant for 4 people instead of 2. It was absolutely scrumtrelescent.
After dinner, we decided to take the bus tour again to maybe catch a glimpse of the city under a cloak of darkness, and see the buildings lit up. This was enjoyed by all. It was another one of those moments where I have been to unwind and just lose myself in whats around me; this time it was great architecture and my parents. I can't believe that, in between the hustle and bustle of a six credit study abroad program, I get to hang out with my parents for 2 days in Europe. I love having them here, and I'm glad that made this stop before they head back to the states. After more than two weeks of being in a different country, this was exactly what the doctor ordered; a little piece of home. This'll surely get me through the rest of the trip without any troubles.
Anyways, that has been the last two days of my life. Hope that everything at home is fantabulous!! ¡Hasta luego!
Yesterday morning: I woke up an hour before we were planning on waking up, and I couldn't fall back to sleep because of excitement/nervousness for the day ahead. This was the day that I would get on a bus to Madrid, get on the Metro, find my parents hotel, and meet up with them and their companions (two of my mom's fellow autism educators and their husbands).
But first, I had an interesting day planned with the Bulls. Upon Nate's faint recollection of his trip the year before, he had gone to the twon of Granja and had a lovely time in some sort of park. Granja, which is a quick ten minute bus ride from Segovia, is also the home to the Summer Royal Palace and a magnificent botanical gardens. We visited the former and the latter before we went searching for this mythical park. The bulls hadn't eaten yet, so we decided to sit down at a restaurant with outdoor seating. After about fifteen minutes of waiting, we finally flagged the attention of a waiter, got menus, then realized that this place was ridiculously expensive. So we bailed; Alex and I went one way, and for some reason, Nate went a different way. we lost him for about ten minutes, but we were eventually reunited.
After that mini-adventure, we found a much more reasonably priced restaurant and had hamburguesas there. They were awesome!! By far one of the best meals that I have had thus far.
After that, we went searching for the park. Nate's directional instincts took us down a winding path that seemed to take us completely out of Granja and out into the middle of nowhere. After about 30 minutes and finally conceeding that Nate didn't really know where the park was, we all sat down on a foothill that was perched close to a ravine and a couple of mountains. There we took several pictures and even played UNO.
After the walk back, we got on a bus that took us back to Segovia, where I subsequently packed my things for a short weekend visit with my parents.
After the bus ride to Madrid, I took the metro. I got off at the station that I was told would be the best one to get off at; everything was falling into place. All except for the fact that I didn't know where the hotel was. I must have done several laps up and down Gran Via looking for the street was on. I even had the location narrowed down to within a blocks distance from the Plaza de Santo Domingo. Still no luck. After about 50 minutes of failure, I went into a competing hotel and asked the desk clerk if her knew where the hotel was. He told me that it was in a place that I'm sure I passed at least 3 times. My back was completely covered in sweat from the heat that was held in by my backpack. I was dejected but relieved.
I met the weary travellers at the Metro stop, escorted them to the hotel, and then took them to a tapas bar nearby. This group of six adults were very hard to interpret for at first, but as time has elapsed it has gotten progressively easier. The tapas were a hit, and thereafter we called it a night.
Today: we woke up early, got some breakfast, then took a double-decker bus tour around town to get our bearings. i had seen most of the stuff on the tour before, but it was nice to get a better understanding of where everything is geographically.
We had lunch near the puerta del sol. Bocadillos and sandwiches that were the same size but were doubled in price when toasted, were served to us by a very confused, disgruntled waiter.
After lunch, we took a different bus tour, then came back to the room for naps.
Dinner was at a restaurant that the hotel recommended. El Labriego. There we had a very sweet waitress who was very easy to understand and talk to in Spanish, and my dad and I shared a dish of paella that was probably meant for 4 people instead of 2. It was absolutely scrumtrelescent.
After dinner, we decided to take the bus tour again to maybe catch a glimpse of the city under a cloak of darkness, and see the buildings lit up. This was enjoyed by all. It was another one of those moments where I have been to unwind and just lose myself in whats around me; this time it was great architecture and my parents. I can't believe that, in between the hustle and bustle of a six credit study abroad program, I get to hang out with my parents for 2 days in Europe. I love having them here, and I'm glad that made this stop before they head back to the states. After more than two weeks of being in a different country, this was exactly what the doctor ordered; a little piece of home. This'll surely get me through the rest of the trip without any troubles.
Anyways, that has been the last two days of my life. Hope that everything at home is fantabulous!! ¡Hasta luego!
Thursday, July 15, 2010
“Gypsy Camp of Death”-Alex Clary
So today was rather uneventful. We went about our normal business; a cup of tea and mini muffins smothered with nutella for breakfast. When arriving at class, the only seats available were those in the very front row. I was reminded of why I normally take one of the seats in the front of the class; I’m forced to focus, and I’m actually able to learn a thing or two. I’m not saying that my ability to learn is completely removed if I don’t sit in front. I just feel like more is accomplished when I sit in front. Such was the case today. You would be surprised, but 400 level classes that are fit into a hour and a half period don’t go by very quickly. Today was definitely different, and I liked it.
Anyways after class, we ran into some Texans that were visiting Segovia as a part of their family vacation. The matriarch of the family was a teacher, and after a conversation with her that lasted about 20 minutes, Nate and Alejandro were all but employed in a small school district in suburban Austin, Texas.
Lunch was next on our agenda. A quick nap ensued followed by homework, which has become one half of the bane of my existence on this trip. The other half is attending the classes that I’m assigned said homework in. I swear this trip would be absolutely amazing if I didn’t have to do 6 credits of coursework during it.
After homework, I talked with Jenna for a little bit. Her family was headed to the beach so she couldn’t talk for very long. How about for an oxymoron? Being in a hurry to relax at the beach. Oh well, I’m over it now. I’m really glad that she’s having a splendid time with her family, and I know that it won’t be long until the next time I get to talk to her.
After that, Nate did some research on the destination for our final weekend here. Originally we wanted to pay a visit to San Sebastian; a small, beautiful beach town in the northern Basque region of Spain. But this destination isn’t very popular to come back from, so with only one bus available, the chances of all of us getting a ticket weren’t favorable. Nate looked up another destination, and another beach town trip that was affordable materialized on the screen in front of him. The town is called Nerja, its on the southern side of Spain, its about 8 hours away, and it looks like it will be at least 20 Euros cheaper than our trip to Barcelona. We’ll be making the bus ticket transactions tomorrow, so please keep your fingers crossed for us.
The clock struck 9:15 before, Maricarmen had returned to the house. The Bulls were beginning to wonder if we were going to be fed. As quickly as she returned, she had dinner on the table. It was pollo y arroz con ajo. The dish was pretty tasty.
After dinner we went out to a bar. I can’t remember the name of the bar, but we stood around at a table inside, drinking sangria and playing Uno. I know, this sounds kinda lame, but the Tres Toros know how to make something out of nothing. After that, we decided to go visit Alcazar at night. It was absolutely beautiful, but in order to get there, we had to walk down a dark treacherous path. We passed some patches of abysmal blackness, and Alejandro was a little paranoid about what lurked in the depths of the darkness. Because we had talked about Spain’s rather large gypsy population, and then subsequently met one last night, Alejandro was under the impression that we were going to be mugged. Long story short, we got out of the path alive, and had a few more stories and laughs to look back on when we reminisce about this trip.
Once again, we are blogging in the room. I’m ready for this short week of classes to conclude, so the long weekend can start and bring my parents and I together again. Can’t wait to see them. Hope everything is sweet back in the States. ¡Hasta luego!
P.S. I want to send my condolences to the Shaw family. I just received the news of Pastor Shaw’s passing, and am understandably empathetic for them. A nicer family would be hard to find. My heart goes out to you guys.
Anyways after class, we ran into some Texans that were visiting Segovia as a part of their family vacation. The matriarch of the family was a teacher, and after a conversation with her that lasted about 20 minutes, Nate and Alejandro were all but employed in a small school district in suburban Austin, Texas.
Lunch was next on our agenda. A quick nap ensued followed by homework, which has become one half of the bane of my existence on this trip. The other half is attending the classes that I’m assigned said homework in. I swear this trip would be absolutely amazing if I didn’t have to do 6 credits of coursework during it.
After homework, I talked with Jenna for a little bit. Her family was headed to the beach so she couldn’t talk for very long. How about for an oxymoron? Being in a hurry to relax at the beach. Oh well, I’m over it now. I’m really glad that she’s having a splendid time with her family, and I know that it won’t be long until the next time I get to talk to her.
After that, Nate did some research on the destination for our final weekend here. Originally we wanted to pay a visit to San Sebastian; a small, beautiful beach town in the northern Basque region of Spain. But this destination isn’t very popular to come back from, so with only one bus available, the chances of all of us getting a ticket weren’t favorable. Nate looked up another destination, and another beach town trip that was affordable materialized on the screen in front of him. The town is called Nerja, its on the southern side of Spain, its about 8 hours away, and it looks like it will be at least 20 Euros cheaper than our trip to Barcelona. We’ll be making the bus ticket transactions tomorrow, so please keep your fingers crossed for us.
The clock struck 9:15 before, Maricarmen had returned to the house. The Bulls were beginning to wonder if we were going to be fed. As quickly as she returned, she had dinner on the table. It was pollo y arroz con ajo. The dish was pretty tasty.
After dinner we went out to a bar. I can’t remember the name of the bar, but we stood around at a table inside, drinking sangria and playing Uno. I know, this sounds kinda lame, but the Tres Toros know how to make something out of nothing. After that, we decided to go visit Alcazar at night. It was absolutely beautiful, but in order to get there, we had to walk down a dark treacherous path. We passed some patches of abysmal blackness, and Alejandro was a little paranoid about what lurked in the depths of the darkness. Because we had talked about Spain’s rather large gypsy population, and then subsequently met one last night, Alejandro was under the impression that we were going to be mugged. Long story short, we got out of the path alive, and had a few more stories and laughs to look back on when we reminisce about this trip.
Once again, we are blogging in the room. I’m ready for this short week of classes to conclude, so the long weekend can start and bring my parents and I together again. Can’t wait to see them. Hope everything is sweet back in the States. ¡Hasta luego!
P.S. I want to send my condolences to the Shaw family. I just received the news of Pastor Shaw’s passing, and am understandably empathetic for them. A nicer family would be hard to find. My heart goes out to you guys.
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Salamanca, Ávila, early mornings, and late nights
We woke up muy temprano this morning. 6:30 to be exact. I grabbed some pop-tarts, put them in my backpack for later use, and we sauntered over to the bus stop at around 7:10.
Thereafter, the bus rolled, and I and most of my companions lost consciousness. We woke up about 2 hours later in Salamanca. We were met up promptly with out tour guide, who was wearing a much-appreciated megaphone around her waist.
She took us through one of the more prominent and ancient cathedrals in Salamanca. I can’t remember its name but part of it was built in the 14th century and the other part was constructed in the 17th century. The edifice was spectacular! One part that really impressed me was the rotunda that hung over 100 feet above the floor. It contained several beautiful and detailed frescos that were lost for a few centuries under a layer of dust.
The next place that our guide took us was the Universidad Salamanca; the oldest institution of higher learning in Spain and most of Europe and alma mater to none other than Christopher Columbus. We searched for the famous frog in the rather large wall in the front of the University, and learned that students in the early years of the school had to sit on the floor for class, so they hired servants to warm their seats before attending class.
After Universidad Salamanca, we headed to La Plaza De Oro, Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, and were given an ungodly 4 hours to do what ever we felt like doing. Luckily, I was on a mission to by some gifts. Since this was a college town, I was able to find some great gifts for practically nothing. My mission for the day was complete. Unfortunately, that only took us an hour, and we still had plenty of time before the bus was to leave Salamanca, so the three bulls, still zombified by lack of sleep, dragged ourselves around town. We happened upon a tapas bar so Alejandro, who had left his bocadillo on the bus, could get something to eat. That was about as exciting as our trip to Salamanca got.
4 o’ clock arrived with great approval from our group and the bus moved on to Ávila. An hour nap later, we found ourselves looking at the ancient defensive wall that surrounds the city of Ávila, AKA the only thing to really do in Ávila. I had gotten a call from the parents, so I decided to call them back. This was the first time I had heard their voices in like five days, so it was really nice. My dad could not stop talking about St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican; it was apparent that their short trip to Rome was fruitful. I was very happy for them. I’m really excited to see them on Friday when they come to Madrid, which BTW, is the party capital of the world right now, thanks to the World Cup victory. This weekend should be an interesting one.
After I got off the phone with them, Los Tres Toros decided that we had enough wth walking around for one day, so we went to a bar to steal their internet for a little while before the busses left Ávila.
On the way home, I took yet another nap. I think everyone on the bus agreed that ever since we flew into Madrid on July 1st, we’ve been in a perpetual state of mild exhaustion.
Cena couldn’t have come quicker this evening; on top of being deprived of sleep, we were also famished. Dinner was fantastic, but unfortunately, I have no idea what the dish was called. It involved a lot of cheese and what appeared to be tortillas stuffed with chicken.
At around 11 we met up with some of the girls in the group to maybe go to a club that Nate had been talking up all day. The club was closed though, so we ended up going to another barn and an Irish pub in that order. This was nice because it didn’t involve walking around, sight seeing, or anything that could possibly pass for academic. This was just a bunch of young people, getting to know each other a little better, and enjoying each other’s company at the same time.
Now I am sitting here blogging while Nate and I share more music. I’m still very tired. I am poised to get a better night sleep tonight, and I think I will. Classes tomorrow and Thursday, and then its time to see mis padres in Madrid. ¡Adios!
Thereafter, the bus rolled, and I and most of my companions lost consciousness. We woke up about 2 hours later in Salamanca. We were met up promptly with out tour guide, who was wearing a much-appreciated megaphone around her waist.
She took us through one of the more prominent and ancient cathedrals in Salamanca. I can’t remember its name but part of it was built in the 14th century and the other part was constructed in the 17th century. The edifice was spectacular! One part that really impressed me was the rotunda that hung over 100 feet above the floor. It contained several beautiful and detailed frescos that were lost for a few centuries under a layer of dust.
The next place that our guide took us was the Universidad Salamanca; the oldest institution of higher learning in Spain and most of Europe and alma mater to none other than Christopher Columbus. We searched for the famous frog in the rather large wall in the front of the University, and learned that students in the early years of the school had to sit on the floor for class, so they hired servants to warm their seats before attending class.
After Universidad Salamanca, we headed to La Plaza De Oro, Salamanca’s Plaza Mayor, and were given an ungodly 4 hours to do what ever we felt like doing. Luckily, I was on a mission to by some gifts. Since this was a college town, I was able to find some great gifts for practically nothing. My mission for the day was complete. Unfortunately, that only took us an hour, and we still had plenty of time before the bus was to leave Salamanca, so the three bulls, still zombified by lack of sleep, dragged ourselves around town. We happened upon a tapas bar so Alejandro, who had left his bocadillo on the bus, could get something to eat. That was about as exciting as our trip to Salamanca got.
4 o’ clock arrived with great approval from our group and the bus moved on to Ávila. An hour nap later, we found ourselves looking at the ancient defensive wall that surrounds the city of Ávila, AKA the only thing to really do in Ávila. I had gotten a call from the parents, so I decided to call them back. This was the first time I had heard their voices in like five days, so it was really nice. My dad could not stop talking about St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican; it was apparent that their short trip to Rome was fruitful. I was very happy for them. I’m really excited to see them on Friday when they come to Madrid, which BTW, is the party capital of the world right now, thanks to the World Cup victory. This weekend should be an interesting one.
After I got off the phone with them, Los Tres Toros decided that we had enough wth walking around for one day, so we went to a bar to steal their internet for a little while before the busses left Ávila.
On the way home, I took yet another nap. I think everyone on the bus agreed that ever since we flew into Madrid on July 1st, we’ve been in a perpetual state of mild exhaustion.
Cena couldn’t have come quicker this evening; on top of being deprived of sleep, we were also famished. Dinner was fantastic, but unfortunately, I have no idea what the dish was called. It involved a lot of cheese and what appeared to be tortillas stuffed with chicken.
At around 11 we met up with some of the girls in the group to maybe go to a club that Nate had been talking up all day. The club was closed though, so we ended up going to another barn and an Irish pub in that order. This was nice because it didn’t involve walking around, sight seeing, or anything that could possibly pass for academic. This was just a bunch of young people, getting to know each other a little better, and enjoying each other’s company at the same time.
Now I am sitting here blogging while Nate and I share more music. I’m still very tired. I am poised to get a better night sleep tonight, and I think I will. Classes tomorrow and Thursday, and then its time to see mis padres in Madrid. ¡Adios!
Barcelona Beaches, Spanish Victory
Sunday morning, we had plans to wake up to watch the sunrise over the Mediterranean. Unfortunately we had no idea when the sun was supposed to come up, so our 6:00 alarm was rendered completely useless when we awoke to see daylight peering in through the window curtains of our hostel room. We promptly went back to sleep and awoke at a more reasonable time.
When we did finally get up, we headed downstairs to the lobby for another nice complimentary breakfast. I had a mixture of corn flakes and cocoa pebbles and a glass of zumo de naranja (O.J.).
After breakfast, we got our stuff together quickly to check out, and put our swim suits on, poised for a sweet day of catching rays and swimming in the sea.
The girls decided to go do their own thing, so it was just Los Tres Toros at the beach. Other than acquiring a minor abrasion on the bottom of my foot from a jagged rock on the sea floor, the day was pretty solid. We did some laps, did some people watching from the water, shared some stories, and laid out on the beach for a little while to get some color.
After that, we headed back to the hostel lobby where most of our belongings were. There we changed into our street clothes, brushed our teeth, and went out on another excursion. This time to find a Barcelona Harley Davidson t-shirt for Nate’s mother. A metro ride and a mile and a half walk later, we arrived at a very desolate, very closed Harley Davidson storefront. Nate was defeated, but he seemed to have the right idea very soon after; though it was kind of a waste of time to walk all the way over there, we still got to see a part of Barcelona that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. Jesse Eisenberg’s rule number 32 from the movie Zombieland: Enjoy the little things.
Upon returning to the Hostel, we met up with the girls. We told them that we were famished, so we set out to find some food. Our futile search for an open restaurant found us back at telepizza where we found ourselves too impatient to wait for the pizza to cool down. I mused that our feeding frenzy must’ve resembled something out of an episode of Jackass.
After dinner, we picked up our bags and returned to Arc de Triomphe station to hopefully watch the better part of the World Cup Finale between the Spanish and the Dutch before we had to get on our bus. We were able to do just that, but, unfortunately the game was so evenly matched that the score was tied 0-0 at the end of regulation, and our 10:15 bus was leaving the station before the first 15 minute overtime period started, so we were understandably unsettled as we boarded our bus.
By the way, interesting game, right? I have to provide a little bit of my own analysis because I want to know if anyone else was thinking what I was thinking. First of all, I’m a huge Chicago sports fan, and I have been following the “courting of the king” for the past week. I know that I’m not the first one to say this, but I just need to get it out; I can guarantee that the only people in America that were happy with the epic signing of Chris Bosh and Lebron James to the Miami Heat were a collective group of fair-weather, rich snobs from South Beach. This move did nothing for anybody, but make the rich (athletes) richer and leave a city like Cleveland scratching its head wondering what they did to deserve their rare history of sucking miserably at sports.
With that being said, I wanted to establish that Spain was not only the favorites to win based on pure skill, but they were the sentimental favorites, and if they had lost it would be reminiscent to the Miami Heat situation. The only people that would’ve been happy with a Holland victory would have been people in Holland. The world was ready for a Spanish victory. We just had to wait 116 minutes for Andres Iniesta to draw first and only blood. I had found a plug-in on the bus seat in front of me to listen the game on the radio. The broadcast was in rapid-fire Español, which is getting easier and easier for me understand, especially since I knew every player’s name, and the emotion of the announcers was apparent. When Iniesta put the winning goal into the net, the bus went crazy. Thereafter, I had a nice text convo (sorry Mom and Dad) with my sister about the game, Barcelona, and the delicious sounding tapas and croquetas that her and Dave were planning on having that evening.
The bus ride back was a lot better than the one that we took to Barcelona. There was a lot more room between each seat, and our friend Savannah was all by her lonesome in front of us, so there wasn’t anyone to recline their chair into my lap this time. Needless to say, I slept quite soundly, and before I knew it, we were back in Madrid ready to get on yet another bus to return to Segovia. As we sifted through the Madrid transit system, we ran into several pockets of sobered yet somewhat still enthusiastic red and yellow clad youths that were still out celebrating last night’s victory.
When we returned to Segovia, Alejandro went to class, and Nate and I returned to La Casa where we found that Maricarmen was not there, so Nate made some tea and I took that opportunity to take another quick nap.
We then proceeded to walk to class, where I’m starting to get the even-flow of the material and acquiring comfort.
After class, we had a much-needed almuerzo followed by an even more necessary siesta (that lasted 3 hours). By the time we had woken up it was almost dinnertime, so we did some of our tarea, and then ate. After dinner, we watched another segment of the Tenth kingdom, and now were blogging and getting ready to wake up nice and early again tomorrow. We’re taking a bus to Ávila and Salamanca. I’m pretty pumped about the former, and very excited about the latter. Hope that everything is fantastic at home. Miss you all. ¡Hasta luego!
When we did finally get up, we headed downstairs to the lobby for another nice complimentary breakfast. I had a mixture of corn flakes and cocoa pebbles and a glass of zumo de naranja (O.J.).
After breakfast, we got our stuff together quickly to check out, and put our swim suits on, poised for a sweet day of catching rays and swimming in the sea.
The girls decided to go do their own thing, so it was just Los Tres Toros at the beach. Other than acquiring a minor abrasion on the bottom of my foot from a jagged rock on the sea floor, the day was pretty solid. We did some laps, did some people watching from the water, shared some stories, and laid out on the beach for a little while to get some color.
After that, we headed back to the hostel lobby where most of our belongings were. There we changed into our street clothes, brushed our teeth, and went out on another excursion. This time to find a Barcelona Harley Davidson t-shirt for Nate’s mother. A metro ride and a mile and a half walk later, we arrived at a very desolate, very closed Harley Davidson storefront. Nate was defeated, but he seemed to have the right idea very soon after; though it was kind of a waste of time to walk all the way over there, we still got to see a part of Barcelona that we wouldn’t have otherwise seen. Jesse Eisenberg’s rule number 32 from the movie Zombieland: Enjoy the little things.
Upon returning to the Hostel, we met up with the girls. We told them that we were famished, so we set out to find some food. Our futile search for an open restaurant found us back at telepizza where we found ourselves too impatient to wait for the pizza to cool down. I mused that our feeding frenzy must’ve resembled something out of an episode of Jackass.
After dinner, we picked up our bags and returned to Arc de Triomphe station to hopefully watch the better part of the World Cup Finale between the Spanish and the Dutch before we had to get on our bus. We were able to do just that, but, unfortunately the game was so evenly matched that the score was tied 0-0 at the end of regulation, and our 10:15 bus was leaving the station before the first 15 minute overtime period started, so we were understandably unsettled as we boarded our bus.
By the way, interesting game, right? I have to provide a little bit of my own analysis because I want to know if anyone else was thinking what I was thinking. First of all, I’m a huge Chicago sports fan, and I have been following the “courting of the king” for the past week. I know that I’m not the first one to say this, but I just need to get it out; I can guarantee that the only people in America that were happy with the epic signing of Chris Bosh and Lebron James to the Miami Heat were a collective group of fair-weather, rich snobs from South Beach. This move did nothing for anybody, but make the rich (athletes) richer and leave a city like Cleveland scratching its head wondering what they did to deserve their rare history of sucking miserably at sports.
With that being said, I wanted to establish that Spain was not only the favorites to win based on pure skill, but they were the sentimental favorites, and if they had lost it would be reminiscent to the Miami Heat situation. The only people that would’ve been happy with a Holland victory would have been people in Holland. The world was ready for a Spanish victory. We just had to wait 116 minutes for Andres Iniesta to draw first and only blood. I had found a plug-in on the bus seat in front of me to listen the game on the radio. The broadcast was in rapid-fire Español, which is getting easier and easier for me understand, especially since I knew every player’s name, and the emotion of the announcers was apparent. When Iniesta put the winning goal into the net, the bus went crazy. Thereafter, I had a nice text convo (sorry Mom and Dad) with my sister about the game, Barcelona, and the delicious sounding tapas and croquetas that her and Dave were planning on having that evening.
The bus ride back was a lot better than the one that we took to Barcelona. There was a lot more room between each seat, and our friend Savannah was all by her lonesome in front of us, so there wasn’t anyone to recline their chair into my lap this time. Needless to say, I slept quite soundly, and before I knew it, we were back in Madrid ready to get on yet another bus to return to Segovia. As we sifted through the Madrid transit system, we ran into several pockets of sobered yet somewhat still enthusiastic red and yellow clad youths that were still out celebrating last night’s victory.
When we returned to Segovia, Alejandro went to class, and Nate and I returned to La Casa where we found that Maricarmen was not there, so Nate made some tea and I took that opportunity to take another quick nap.
We then proceeded to walk to class, where I’m starting to get the even-flow of the material and acquiring comfort.
After class, we had a much-needed almuerzo followed by an even more necessary siesta (that lasted 3 hours). By the time we had woken up it was almost dinnertime, so we did some of our tarea, and then ate. After dinner, we watched another segment of the Tenth kingdom, and now were blogging and getting ready to wake up nice and early again tomorrow. We’re taking a bus to Ávila and Salamanca. I’m pretty pumped about the former, and very excited about the latter. Hope that everything is fantastic at home. Miss you all. ¡Hasta luego!
Monday, July 12, 2010
¡Estamos En Barcelona! (Written on Saturday)
Man oh man. What a Day!!!!! We left Segovia yesterday at around 6:30, took another poorly air-conditioned bus ride to Madrid, waited for our 10:30 bus to leave, ate some bocadillos, and talked for awhile. Through the course of the past two days, this small, independent group that I’m with has developed quite a personality. I guess that’s what happens when you spend a lot of time with one another.
Eight hours after we left Madrid, we arrived in Barcelona. In comparison to Madrid, this town is a lot different. For instance, they speak a different language here; Catalan, which is a combination of French and Español. The temperature here is a full 10 degrees cooler than it has been the duration of the trip in Segovia, and the city is perched ever so perfectly on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. I never thought that I would be able to say that I’ve been to the Mediterranean, but here I am, 20 years old, and I just spent a good 3 hours walking the beach, sticking my feet in the water, and taking several pictures.
A quick Metro ride after our arrival at the bus station, and we were at our hostel; a very nice, very spiffed-up former college dorm building. Each room has AC (about time), its own bathroom where you can take as long of a shower as you desire, two beds, and were only paying 34 Euros a person to stay here.
We each took showers after we were all checked in because, needless to say, the bus made us uncomfortably gross feeling. Nate commented that he felt greasier than a McDonald’s hamburger. After showers, we rested for a few moments, then headed back out to do some sight-seeing.
Cameras in tow, we took the metro to perhaps the most famous building in Barcelona. La Segrada Familia; a church so immense and intricate that even after 130 years of construction is still incomplete. I had seen pictures of this building and marveled at mear screen shots, but nothing even comes close to the real thing. Our group was so taken by the outside of the building that we just had to get inside to take more pictures, so that is exactly what we did. La Segrada Familia seemed even more massive from the inside with all of its sudo-flying buttresses and rotundas and other architectural terms that I either can’t think of or don’t exist because the architect, Antoní Gaudí, invented them. The design of the building, despite being drawn out over 130 years ago, is way ahead of its time. Gaudí was a genius. I’ll have some pictures up on my facebook as soon as I have the time and the internet to post them.
After La Segrada Familia, we went searching for another one of Gaudí’s masterpieces, the Parc Güell. Hunger struck us before we could find it though, so we stopped at a place called Pan y Sabor, which was a quaint little Spanish panadería. The woman behind the counter gave us a sample of their pan con queso, and that was enough to hook us. I got two empanadas, one with carne and one with pollo, and a Fanta naranja. The soft drinks here are so much better than they are back in the states. They use actual sugar. None of that artificial sweetener crap. After we all ordered “para llegar”, or to-go, we took our food to a park bench and chowed down. We then lay down in the grass for a little while, and I think that’s when we all realized how tired we really were, but we still wanted to see the other Gaudí work. We decided that we would take a nap once we returned from seeing the “Parc.”
We took another Metro ride, walked up a very steep hill, and came down the other side to find the Parc, an absolutely beautiful and immediately recognizable architectural wonder. After telling everyone and their cousins that this Parc was in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, I set out to take several artsy photos with my newfound interest in photography thanks to my new friend Nate.
So as I said earlier, we were really tired before we went to the Parc, so obviously after the fact, we weren’t any better. We promptly returned to the hostel for some afternoon z’s.
When we awoke from our naps, I had no idea what day it was, and where I was. All I knew was that I needed another shower and that I was incredibly hungry. After another shower, the group reunited and we decided that we had a taste for some pizza. We went to a place down the street called Telepizza, got two large pizzas for practically nothing para llegar, and took them to the beach. There we ate and enjoyed the indescribable scenery. I feel like I’m currently on a mini-vacation. This is one of the nicest cities that I have ever been to, and I still cannot believe that I get to be in a place like this for the chump change that I paid to get here. What a great deal!
I wish I could fully express how much I am enjoying our visit to Barcelona, but I am having the toughest time coming up with the right words. Perhaps sometimes that’s all you need in order to know that you are having a tremendous time. I should go now. We have aspirations of watching the sunrise over the Mediterranean tomorrow morning. Hope everything is great at home. ¡Adios!
Eight hours after we left Madrid, we arrived in Barcelona. In comparison to Madrid, this town is a lot different. For instance, they speak a different language here; Catalan, which is a combination of French and Español. The temperature here is a full 10 degrees cooler than it has been the duration of the trip in Segovia, and the city is perched ever so perfectly on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. I never thought that I would be able to say that I’ve been to the Mediterranean, but here I am, 20 years old, and I just spent a good 3 hours walking the beach, sticking my feet in the water, and taking several pictures.
A quick Metro ride after our arrival at the bus station, and we were at our hostel; a very nice, very spiffed-up former college dorm building. Each room has AC (about time), its own bathroom where you can take as long of a shower as you desire, two beds, and were only paying 34 Euros a person to stay here.
We each took showers after we were all checked in because, needless to say, the bus made us uncomfortably gross feeling. Nate commented that he felt greasier than a McDonald’s hamburger. After showers, we rested for a few moments, then headed back out to do some sight-seeing.
Cameras in tow, we took the metro to perhaps the most famous building in Barcelona. La Segrada Familia; a church so immense and intricate that even after 130 years of construction is still incomplete. I had seen pictures of this building and marveled at mear screen shots, but nothing even comes close to the real thing. Our group was so taken by the outside of the building that we just had to get inside to take more pictures, so that is exactly what we did. La Segrada Familia seemed even more massive from the inside with all of its sudo-flying buttresses and rotundas and other architectural terms that I either can’t think of or don’t exist because the architect, Antoní Gaudí, invented them. The design of the building, despite being drawn out over 130 years ago, is way ahead of its time. Gaudí was a genius. I’ll have some pictures up on my facebook as soon as I have the time and the internet to post them.
After La Segrada Familia, we went searching for another one of Gaudí’s masterpieces, the Parc Güell. Hunger struck us before we could find it though, so we stopped at a place called Pan y Sabor, which was a quaint little Spanish panadería. The woman behind the counter gave us a sample of their pan con queso, and that was enough to hook us. I got two empanadas, one with carne and one with pollo, and a Fanta naranja. The soft drinks here are so much better than they are back in the states. They use actual sugar. None of that artificial sweetener crap. After we all ordered “para llegar”, or to-go, we took our food to a park bench and chowed down. We then lay down in the grass for a little while, and I think that’s when we all realized how tired we really were, but we still wanted to see the other Gaudí work. We decided that we would take a nap once we returned from seeing the “Parc.”
We took another Metro ride, walked up a very steep hill, and came down the other side to find the Parc, an absolutely beautiful and immediately recognizable architectural wonder. After telling everyone and their cousins that this Parc was in Tony Hawk’s Underground 2, I set out to take several artsy photos with my newfound interest in photography thanks to my new friend Nate.
So as I said earlier, we were really tired before we went to the Parc, so obviously after the fact, we weren’t any better. We promptly returned to the hostel for some afternoon z’s.
When we awoke from our naps, I had no idea what day it was, and where I was. All I knew was that I needed another shower and that I was incredibly hungry. After another shower, the group reunited and we decided that we had a taste for some pizza. We went to a place down the street called Telepizza, got two large pizzas for practically nothing para llegar, and took them to the beach. There we ate and enjoyed the indescribable scenery. I feel like I’m currently on a mini-vacation. This is one of the nicest cities that I have ever been to, and I still cannot believe that I get to be in a place like this for the chump change that I paid to get here. What a great deal!
I wish I could fully express how much I am enjoying our visit to Barcelona, but I am having the toughest time coming up with the right words. Perhaps sometimes that’s all you need in order to know that you are having a tremendous time. I should go now. We have aspirations of watching the sunrise over the Mediterranean tomorrow morning. Hope everything is great at home. ¡Adios!
Friday, July 9, 2010
¡Vamos a llegar a la Barcelona! (We’re going to Barcelona)
This day was anything but eventful, but some things of note did take place. For instance we finally got out bus tickets to Barcelona, so we will officially be leaving Segovia tomorrow evening at around 6:30, making a quick stop-over at Madrid and then taking an 8 hour bus ride to Barcelona. I want to extend a thank you to my sister, Meghan, for sending me a quick message with things to do in Barcelona. I really appreciate it.
Anyways, class was much better today than it had been the day before. We took a quick tour of the governmental building in the center of La Plaza Mayor, which took most of the time away from our Linguistics class, but also required me to wear long pants on the long, hot, up-hill walk to class. (We were told to dress nice for this tour.) Nate noticed a salt stain in the shape of my pinche backpack on my back.
I participated a lot more in Cultures class today. I’m happy with my contributions for now, but I am aiming to make small improvements every day. Today’s improvements were promising in my opinion.
After class we tried to buy our bus tickets using a phone because we were told that this would be the best way to get them after trying every method in the book to get them. Nate was seconds away from giving the operator the number to one of our companion’s debit card when the phone call cut out. I encouraged him to use skype to make the call. Unfortunatley, you need internet to use skype, our professor’s weren’t in a particularly benevolent mood and they didn’t want to stay at el Centro to wait for us, and Maricarmen had lunch waiting for us back home, so we had to leave, once again, empty-handed.
As we left, Nate was uncharacteristically quiet, so me and Alejandro did the best we could to reassure him that everything would work out and that these trials and tribulations were nothing but tests of our resolve.
After almuerzo, we returned to La Plaza to make the last ditch phone call with Nate’s skype. Nate couldn’t reach an English-speaking operator, so he had to make the entire call in Spanish. Needless to say, this was quite impressive, and reminded me of how crucial not losing your cool is to making something that you want to happen happen. Nate had every right to be in hysterics after all of the failed attempts to buy the bus tickets, but he decided that it wasn’t worth it, kept his cool, and made the final purchase. It was something to behold.
While he made that call, I talked to the lovely Jenna Smith. This is two days in a row that I have made some sort of contact with her; only one word comes to mind; Magnificence!! I always enjoy talking with her immensely.
Anyways, after that, we returned to la casa, and did some homework that took a little bit longer than I expected us to take. We may have gotten off track a few times. NBD (No Big Deal).
We then ate dinner, which was a Spanish tortilla (made with potatoes) and frijoles verdes. After dinner, we met up with one of our classmates, Brittany, to go see a storyteller. Alejandro needed to see this for his clase de conversación. We met up with two others, Savannah and Lauren, and the storyteller began. The guy didn’t use a microphone, so it was hard to hear what he was saying, especially since he was speaking exclusively in español. I did a quick census after each story to see how many of us actually understood him. It was interesting to say the least.
After that, our group went to a bar called La Ménora, which was right behind La Catedral in La Plaza Mayor. A Bar with the name of a piece of Jewish regala placed right behind a Catholic church. Go figure. Anyway, I got a very nice glass of vino blanco. I think I commanded some respect from the rest of the group for getting something different this evening. Atleast, I would like to think that was the case.
After that, we returned to la casa, and now we are performing our daily ritual of reflecting on the day and listening to some terrific tunes. After going through this process, I now realize that this day was a little more eventful than I had earlier perceived. Such is life in an interesting place like this. Mis padres did some mad touring in Rome today, which included a visit to the famous Coliseum. I hope that everything is great back home. Be good to yourselves. Next time I’ll be blogging from Barcelona! ¡Adios!
Anyways, class was much better today than it had been the day before. We took a quick tour of the governmental building in the center of La Plaza Mayor, which took most of the time away from our Linguistics class, but also required me to wear long pants on the long, hot, up-hill walk to class. (We were told to dress nice for this tour.) Nate noticed a salt stain in the shape of my pinche backpack on my back.
I participated a lot more in Cultures class today. I’m happy with my contributions for now, but I am aiming to make small improvements every day. Today’s improvements were promising in my opinion.
After class we tried to buy our bus tickets using a phone because we were told that this would be the best way to get them after trying every method in the book to get them. Nate was seconds away from giving the operator the number to one of our companion’s debit card when the phone call cut out. I encouraged him to use skype to make the call. Unfortunatley, you need internet to use skype, our professor’s weren’t in a particularly benevolent mood and they didn’t want to stay at el Centro to wait for us, and Maricarmen had lunch waiting for us back home, so we had to leave, once again, empty-handed.
As we left, Nate was uncharacteristically quiet, so me and Alejandro did the best we could to reassure him that everything would work out and that these trials and tribulations were nothing but tests of our resolve.
After almuerzo, we returned to La Plaza to make the last ditch phone call with Nate’s skype. Nate couldn’t reach an English-speaking operator, so he had to make the entire call in Spanish. Needless to say, this was quite impressive, and reminded me of how crucial not losing your cool is to making something that you want to happen happen. Nate had every right to be in hysterics after all of the failed attempts to buy the bus tickets, but he decided that it wasn’t worth it, kept his cool, and made the final purchase. It was something to behold.
While he made that call, I talked to the lovely Jenna Smith. This is two days in a row that I have made some sort of contact with her; only one word comes to mind; Magnificence!! I always enjoy talking with her immensely.
Anyways, after that, we returned to la casa, and did some homework that took a little bit longer than I expected us to take. We may have gotten off track a few times. NBD (No Big Deal).
We then ate dinner, which was a Spanish tortilla (made with potatoes) and frijoles verdes. After dinner, we met up with one of our classmates, Brittany, to go see a storyteller. Alejandro needed to see this for his clase de conversación. We met up with two others, Savannah and Lauren, and the storyteller began. The guy didn’t use a microphone, so it was hard to hear what he was saying, especially since he was speaking exclusively in español. I did a quick census after each story to see how many of us actually understood him. It was interesting to say the least.
After that, our group went to a bar called La Ménora, which was right behind La Catedral in La Plaza Mayor. A Bar with the name of a piece of Jewish regala placed right behind a Catholic church. Go figure. Anyway, I got a very nice glass of vino blanco. I think I commanded some respect from the rest of the group for getting something different this evening. Atleast, I would like to think that was the case.
After that, we returned to la casa, and now we are performing our daily ritual of reflecting on the day and listening to some terrific tunes. After going through this process, I now realize that this day was a little more eventful than I had earlier perceived. Such is life in an interesting place like this. Mis padres did some mad touring in Rome today, which included a visit to the famous Coliseum. I hope that everything is great back home. Be good to yourselves. Next time I’ll be blogging from Barcelona! ¡Adios!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
¡Vamos España!
Once again, it was a game day. The excitement was building throughout the day, and you could tell that this town and this country was ready for something great to happen this evening. But I had to through the motions of the day before I could get to the game.
We started this day with a phone call from our amiga Rebecca Borchert. Remember her? She’s the one who went to the hospital yesterday because she thought that she had a fracture in her knee. She wanted me and Nate to come over to her house right away because the medicine that she had been given from the Segovian doctors turned out to be hallucinogens, so we got up, got dressed, and without a hardy breakfast in our stomachs, we abruptly left la casa.
We met up with Rebecca and her señora at the café that we ended the day at the other day. We were informed that Rebecca needed to eat in order to relieve her brain from the trip that it was on. We then took Rebecca to class, but first did some Internet browsing. During class, Rebecca kept on thinking that the professor was talking about her, and that the sky outside had transformed into something that it wasn’t. I tried to assure her that none of this was happening and that she should think about something else. Me and Nate gave her some of our water; she thought she was drinking orange juice. Rebecca, I’m sorry if you’re reading this, but it sure made for an interesting story. Lo siento.
Anyways, after class, we returned to our casa for lunch, which was a tasty combination of pork, potatoes, and, believe it not, egg rolls. They were actually some of the best egg rolls I have ever had. Go figure. After lunch, we did our homework, and then took a mini-siesta.
After our little nap, we decided to venture back to El centro because we needed to buy our bus tickets for Barcelona, and I really really really wanted to talk to Jenna, so we got our stuff ready to go, and headed out. Unfortunately, as our nap was taking place, some very large rain clouds had moved into the area, so we made sure we had some paraguas (umbrellas), and then headed out. The rain came quicker than we thought it would; it was a torrential downpour, and we had about a mile and a quarter walk ahead of us. So we waited until the storm settled down. This didn’t really make much of a difference; still got socked pretty hard as we walked towards our destination. We decided to stop under the aqueduct’s visitor’s center where we waited, with some 16-year-old smokers, for the storm to die, which it eventually did.
After that, we made it to El centro, and I immediately got my computer out. I was prepared this time; I had made sure that I charged it substantially before I went, so my plan couldn’t fail. I had told Jenna to get online at around 5 my time, which I think is 10 or 11 AM EST. When I logged on to AIM, she was there. We video chatted for about 30 minutes. I was very happy to see her and hear about her wonderful day that she had had at Warped Tour the day before. After we stopped talking, I began the process of trying to buy my bus ticket. No dice, so we went to the bus station to try and buy bus tickets that would be for a bus from Madrid to Barcelona. Once again, no dice, so we are hoping that we can find a way to buy them tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for us, please.
After we returned from el centro, it was time for showers, then dinner. After quickly eating dinner to assure our punctual arrival at Oso Blanco, we left the house, donned in our camisetas rojas and other Spanish apparel.
Oso Blanco was completely packed with people from our group and the regulars. It just sort of dawned on me that that place must suffer a bit of let down when there aren’t any Americans in town. Anyways, the game started and immediately became a beautiful game to watch from a Spanish perspective. España controlled the ball for most of the first half and had done everything right except for putting the one into the back of the net. The second half rolled along in a similar fashion, and it was only a matter of time before one of Spain’s numerous attacks would prove fatal to the German side. It came around the 75th minute, when a corner kick off the foot of Xabi ricocheted off the eager forehead of Puyol and past the desperate fingertips of Neuer. (I’m sorry, but I don’t know any of their first names. Luckily Xabi doesn’t have one.) The place lit up, and it was all over but the celebrating.
Nate, Alejandro, and I walked around the city for a little while to see how the celebrations were going. Once again, there were several red and yellow clad adolescents partying in the streets, singing songs about La Furia Roja, and dancing the night away. We started to head back when we happened upon a traditional Spanish dance troupe performing in front of the Aqueduct. To say that this situation was picturesque would be an understatement. The Aqueducts were lit up, the costumes that the dancers wore were extravagant, and this all mixed together to become a little piece of perfection. I got lost in the moment, and I’m sure that I appeared to be ignoring my companions for a few minutes, but I really wanted to just sit back, gaze in awe at this presentation of rich history, and enjoy the beautiful things that life has to offer.
After the performance was over we returned to our house. We have to wake up on the early side again because we are apparently going to watch the running of the bulls on TV with Maricarmen. My parents are in Rome; probably one of the coolest cities in the world. I’m jealous. Once again, I hope everything is great at home. Paz y amor.
P.S. I was wearing my Cubs hat as I got off the bus from Toledo yesterday, and this guy came up to me and said,”Hey, you’re in Sox country.” I responded with a well deserved,”Que?” before he walked away. I chuckled at the thought that even on a different continent, the Cubs-Sox rivalry is still heated.
We started this day with a phone call from our amiga Rebecca Borchert. Remember her? She’s the one who went to the hospital yesterday because she thought that she had a fracture in her knee. She wanted me and Nate to come over to her house right away because the medicine that she had been given from the Segovian doctors turned out to be hallucinogens, so we got up, got dressed, and without a hardy breakfast in our stomachs, we abruptly left la casa.
We met up with Rebecca and her señora at the café that we ended the day at the other day. We were informed that Rebecca needed to eat in order to relieve her brain from the trip that it was on. We then took Rebecca to class, but first did some Internet browsing. During class, Rebecca kept on thinking that the professor was talking about her, and that the sky outside had transformed into something that it wasn’t. I tried to assure her that none of this was happening and that she should think about something else. Me and Nate gave her some of our water; she thought she was drinking orange juice. Rebecca, I’m sorry if you’re reading this, but it sure made for an interesting story. Lo siento.
Anyways, after class, we returned to our casa for lunch, which was a tasty combination of pork, potatoes, and, believe it not, egg rolls. They were actually some of the best egg rolls I have ever had. Go figure. After lunch, we did our homework, and then took a mini-siesta.
After our little nap, we decided to venture back to El centro because we needed to buy our bus tickets for Barcelona, and I really really really wanted to talk to Jenna, so we got our stuff ready to go, and headed out. Unfortunately, as our nap was taking place, some very large rain clouds had moved into the area, so we made sure we had some paraguas (umbrellas), and then headed out. The rain came quicker than we thought it would; it was a torrential downpour, and we had about a mile and a quarter walk ahead of us. So we waited until the storm settled down. This didn’t really make much of a difference; still got socked pretty hard as we walked towards our destination. We decided to stop under the aqueduct’s visitor’s center where we waited, with some 16-year-old smokers, for the storm to die, which it eventually did.
After that, we made it to El centro, and I immediately got my computer out. I was prepared this time; I had made sure that I charged it substantially before I went, so my plan couldn’t fail. I had told Jenna to get online at around 5 my time, which I think is 10 or 11 AM EST. When I logged on to AIM, she was there. We video chatted for about 30 minutes. I was very happy to see her and hear about her wonderful day that she had had at Warped Tour the day before. After we stopped talking, I began the process of trying to buy my bus ticket. No dice, so we went to the bus station to try and buy bus tickets that would be for a bus from Madrid to Barcelona. Once again, no dice, so we are hoping that we can find a way to buy them tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed for us, please.
After we returned from el centro, it was time for showers, then dinner. After quickly eating dinner to assure our punctual arrival at Oso Blanco, we left the house, donned in our camisetas rojas and other Spanish apparel.
Oso Blanco was completely packed with people from our group and the regulars. It just sort of dawned on me that that place must suffer a bit of let down when there aren’t any Americans in town. Anyways, the game started and immediately became a beautiful game to watch from a Spanish perspective. España controlled the ball for most of the first half and had done everything right except for putting the one into the back of the net. The second half rolled along in a similar fashion, and it was only a matter of time before one of Spain’s numerous attacks would prove fatal to the German side. It came around the 75th minute, when a corner kick off the foot of Xabi ricocheted off the eager forehead of Puyol and past the desperate fingertips of Neuer. (I’m sorry, but I don’t know any of their first names. Luckily Xabi doesn’t have one.) The place lit up, and it was all over but the celebrating.
Nate, Alejandro, and I walked around the city for a little while to see how the celebrations were going. Once again, there were several red and yellow clad adolescents partying in the streets, singing songs about La Furia Roja, and dancing the night away. We started to head back when we happened upon a traditional Spanish dance troupe performing in front of the Aqueduct. To say that this situation was picturesque would be an understatement. The Aqueducts were lit up, the costumes that the dancers wore were extravagant, and this all mixed together to become a little piece of perfection. I got lost in the moment, and I’m sure that I appeared to be ignoring my companions for a few minutes, but I really wanted to just sit back, gaze in awe at this presentation of rich history, and enjoy the beautiful things that life has to offer.
After the performance was over we returned to our house. We have to wake up on the early side again because we are apparently going to watch the running of the bulls on TV with Maricarmen. My parents are in Rome; probably one of the coolest cities in the world. I’m jealous. Once again, I hope everything is great at home. Paz y amor.
P.S. I was wearing my Cubs hat as I got off the bus from Toledo yesterday, and this guy came up to me and said,”Hey, you’re in Sox country.” I responded with a well deserved,”Que?” before he walked away. I chuckled at the thought that even on a different continent, the Cubs-Sox rivalry is still heated.
Wednesday, July 7, 2010
An early morning for the 3 bulls
We had to wake up at 6:30 this morning to catch a bus to Toledo. Since we had taken Siesta the afternoon before, it wasn’t very easy to fall asleep, so Nate and I stayed up until 3 AM shooting the breeze and telling stories about our lives in an attempt to make ourselves tired. It worked, but at the expense of a good night sleep. I really don’t care though; life is about the journey not the destination. I may not have gotten a good night of sleep, but Nate and I had a nice talk.
When we woke up, we had a quick cup of tea and some muffins with nutella spread. Nutella is starting to grow on me, especially since we have it every day.
After that, we grabbed our bags and walked to the bus. The bus ride was long enough to take a substantial nap both to and from Toledo.
When we arrived in Toledo, we picked up a tour guide that would guide us through the most famous parts of the city. She immediately took us to a tremendous look-out perched on top of a hill across the river from the city. This point is called La Vista De Toledo, and it is exactly what it sounds like. You can see the entire city of Toledo from it, and this is the same view that provided inspiration for a young painter by the name of Greco over four hundred years ago.
After snapping off a few pictures, the bus rolled on to our next destination in the city. We were taken through a church that was erected in the 1200’s and took over 200 years to build. It was simply magnificent. The building contained a various mixture of architectural styles including neo-classic, gothic, and others. (This isn’t really my thing, but I had to know this for an assignment in my Cultures class.)
The church had several chapels, a crypt, and display rooms chalk full of priceless religious regalia. (I felt like I was in a Dan Brown book.) One such room had an incredible collection of religious paintings done by the aforementioned Greco; next to Pablo Picasso, this guy is the most famous artist Spain has ever produced. It was, as expected, pretty neat to see these priceless works that I had seen countless times in my textbooks and on web searches for religious studies last semester, up close and personal.
We were then taken to La Sinagoga to once again marvel at ancient architecture and its ever-fickle ways of mixing styles and influences. This building was built by Muslims but never operated as a mosque, yet it resembled, both inside and outside, a sight of which someone practicing Islam would come to prostrate and pray 5 times a day. This building was actually a church for a while, then a Jewish synagogue, and now a museum. Funny that it operated under those two religions when the only proof that it had been either of them is an old, mangled cross hanging from the ceiling and a single Star of David that could easily get lost in the shuffle surrounded by the plethora of Muslim symbols.
After that, we said good bye to our guide, took some lunch, which was a bocadillo jamón made by Maricarmen.(Dave, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that it was magnificent. Thanks, man.) Then we walked around and looked through the shops.
The bus took us back to Segovia at around 4:30, and a bunch of us were poised to go to La Plaza to use their Internet because the possibility for a visit to Barcelona this weekend seemed realistic. Unfortunately, the person who proposed that idea was wearing a bit of a battle-scar with her the entire day. Rebecca Borchert had stayed in Madrid over the weekend, and hurt her knee during her stay. She believed that she had a fracture and needed an MRI to make sure that everything was fine. She had gotten an x-ray the day before, but that did not yield any refutable evidence to the contrary, so the nursing major in her had made herself worried beyond belief. To add to her frustration, she didn’t think that she was getting sufficient support from the professors, and she had to with walk around with us all day. When we returned to Segovia, she had finally convinced the professors to take her to the hospital, and they gave her the option of bringing a companion along, to calm her down a little. She chose me, and I went with her to pick up what she needed to get from her room in order to make a visit to the hospital. Needless to say, that taxi ride was quite an adventure, but I could tell, despite my horrible effort to help, that Rebecca appreciated me coming with her. After we got her stuff, one of the professors and I took her to the aqueduct to get another taxi to get her to the hospital. I bid her farewell and good luck from there, and then rushed back to La Plaza to meet up with the others who were in the middle of planning the weekend trip to Barcelona.
As soon as I got there, I went on facebook looking for you-know-who (you know who you are.), but she wasn’t on. Another friend of mine, Eamonn Prizy, was online, so I talked with him for a little while. It was great hearing from him.
Anyways, the trip was planned out while I screwed around on the Internet and it appears that all the plans are in place; Los tres toros and several others will be going to Barcelona this weekend!
After that we crashed for a little while back at la casa de Maricarmen, took showers, ate cena, then sat down to take on a bit of homework that we had to do for class tomorrow.
After we tediously sifted through our homework, we chilled again for a little while with the beginning of a movie that Nate suggested called The Tenth Kingdom. Were now doing our daily ritual of blogging and sharing the gift of music with one another.
P.S. Los Tres Toros or the Three Bulls is the name that we have given the three of us that live in this house; Nate, Alejandro, and me. Inspiration for the name comes from a Seinfeld character named J. Peterman.
When we woke up, we had a quick cup of tea and some muffins with nutella spread. Nutella is starting to grow on me, especially since we have it every day.
After that, we grabbed our bags and walked to the bus. The bus ride was long enough to take a substantial nap both to and from Toledo.
When we arrived in Toledo, we picked up a tour guide that would guide us through the most famous parts of the city. She immediately took us to a tremendous look-out perched on top of a hill across the river from the city. This point is called La Vista De Toledo, and it is exactly what it sounds like. You can see the entire city of Toledo from it, and this is the same view that provided inspiration for a young painter by the name of Greco over four hundred years ago.
After snapping off a few pictures, the bus rolled on to our next destination in the city. We were taken through a church that was erected in the 1200’s and took over 200 years to build. It was simply magnificent. The building contained a various mixture of architectural styles including neo-classic, gothic, and others. (This isn’t really my thing, but I had to know this for an assignment in my Cultures class.)
The church had several chapels, a crypt, and display rooms chalk full of priceless religious regalia. (I felt like I was in a Dan Brown book.) One such room had an incredible collection of religious paintings done by the aforementioned Greco; next to Pablo Picasso, this guy is the most famous artist Spain has ever produced. It was, as expected, pretty neat to see these priceless works that I had seen countless times in my textbooks and on web searches for religious studies last semester, up close and personal.
We were then taken to La Sinagoga to once again marvel at ancient architecture and its ever-fickle ways of mixing styles and influences. This building was built by Muslims but never operated as a mosque, yet it resembled, both inside and outside, a sight of which someone practicing Islam would come to prostrate and pray 5 times a day. This building was actually a church for a while, then a Jewish synagogue, and now a museum. Funny that it operated under those two religions when the only proof that it had been either of them is an old, mangled cross hanging from the ceiling and a single Star of David that could easily get lost in the shuffle surrounded by the plethora of Muslim symbols.
After that, we said good bye to our guide, took some lunch, which was a bocadillo jamón made by Maricarmen.(Dave, if you’re reading this, I want you to know that it was magnificent. Thanks, man.) Then we walked around and looked through the shops.
The bus took us back to Segovia at around 4:30, and a bunch of us were poised to go to La Plaza to use their Internet because the possibility for a visit to Barcelona this weekend seemed realistic. Unfortunately, the person who proposed that idea was wearing a bit of a battle-scar with her the entire day. Rebecca Borchert had stayed in Madrid over the weekend, and hurt her knee during her stay. She believed that she had a fracture and needed an MRI to make sure that everything was fine. She had gotten an x-ray the day before, but that did not yield any refutable evidence to the contrary, so the nursing major in her had made herself worried beyond belief. To add to her frustration, she didn’t think that she was getting sufficient support from the professors, and she had to with walk around with us all day. When we returned to Segovia, she had finally convinced the professors to take her to the hospital, and they gave her the option of bringing a companion along, to calm her down a little. She chose me, and I went with her to pick up what she needed to get from her room in order to make a visit to the hospital. Needless to say, that taxi ride was quite an adventure, but I could tell, despite my horrible effort to help, that Rebecca appreciated me coming with her. After we got her stuff, one of the professors and I took her to the aqueduct to get another taxi to get her to the hospital. I bid her farewell and good luck from there, and then rushed back to La Plaza to meet up with the others who were in the middle of planning the weekend trip to Barcelona.
As soon as I got there, I went on facebook looking for you-know-who (you know who you are.), but she wasn’t on. Another friend of mine, Eamonn Prizy, was online, so I talked with him for a little while. It was great hearing from him.
Anyways, the trip was planned out while I screwed around on the Internet and it appears that all the plans are in place; Los tres toros and several others will be going to Barcelona this weekend!
After that we crashed for a little while back at la casa de Maricarmen, took showers, ate cena, then sat down to take on a bit of homework that we had to do for class tomorrow.
After we tediously sifted through our homework, we chilled again for a little while with the beginning of a movie that Nate suggested called The Tenth Kingdom. Were now doing our daily ritual of blogging and sharing the gift of music with one another.
P.S. Los Tres Toros or the Three Bulls is the name that we have given the three of us that live in this house; Nate, Alejandro, and me. Inspiration for the name comes from a Seinfeld character named J. Peterman.
Estoy construido confidencia (I’m building my confidence)
Today we woke up super early for our classes because we wanted to have enough time to update our blogs and check facebook beforehand. We had a quick cup of tea on la terraza (an outside patio in the back of la casa de Maricarmen, that has a pretty amazing view of the city.)
After that, we walked to el centro for classes. Hacía mucha mucha calor. It was really hot with our customary uphill walk and my backpack, but it was well worth it to be able to use the Internet.
When we got to el centro, I facebook chatted with Jenna, checked my notations, my emails, and a couple of other things that I have not been able to do without regular possession of the Internet. Talking to Jenna was very nice; It obviously hadn’t happened for a few days, and I’m missing her pretty badly right now.
Classes were, admittedly, pretty lame, and I don’t really feel like talking about them. After class we returned to la casa, where I found that I had a brand new text on my phone from my father. The text assured me that my parents had landed safely in Italy and were now at their Venice hotel, where the scenery is apparently reminiscent to what might be found in a James Bond movie. I breathed a quick sigh of relief for my parent’s safety, and chuckled at my dad’s everlasting flair for humor.
After almuerzo, we took a much-needed siesta. I didn’t want to get up, but I needed to because we had some homework that needed to be done. We quickly read through our text book for our linguistics class and decided that we needed to get the other part of the assignment done today as well; asking a native speaker where the post office is, and secretly recording the conversation. So we headed back near the aqueduct to, first, stop off for some churros con chocolate (they’re even better than they sound.), and some coffee. Nate did his interview with the waitress, who would eventually become the bane of my existence. When we paid for the churros the smallest bill I had was a five, so I set that down, and Nate and Alejandro set down the money that they owed. The amount sitting on the tray was about two euros more than we needed to pay, but I was expecting change. After collecting our money, this conniving woman never returned with our change. Lesson learned: if you are thinking about eating at Valor in Segovia, pay with exact change.
So, we decided the change wasn’t worth waiting for, so we left and searched for our victims. I found an old man sitting by himself, and asked him where the post office was while pretending my recorder was my mp3 player. I know. Not very clever, but it got the job done, and even though I messed up a little, he gave me a pretty good sound bite.
Dinner was next. Maricarmen made us another wonderful dish that was reminiscent to pasta. I have to admit that I’m starting to become more comfortable around Maricarmen, and it seems to be working both ways because it appears that she has become pretty fond of us.
After dinner, we finished Zombieland and now I’m blogging. I have to wake up mås temprano por la mañana. The buses roll for Toledo at 7:30 tomorrow. ¡Ádios.!
After that, we walked to el centro for classes. Hacía mucha mucha calor. It was really hot with our customary uphill walk and my backpack, but it was well worth it to be able to use the Internet.
When we got to el centro, I facebook chatted with Jenna, checked my notations, my emails, and a couple of other things that I have not been able to do without regular possession of the Internet. Talking to Jenna was very nice; It obviously hadn’t happened for a few days, and I’m missing her pretty badly right now.
Classes were, admittedly, pretty lame, and I don’t really feel like talking about them. After class we returned to la casa, where I found that I had a brand new text on my phone from my father. The text assured me that my parents had landed safely in Italy and were now at their Venice hotel, where the scenery is apparently reminiscent to what might be found in a James Bond movie. I breathed a quick sigh of relief for my parent’s safety, and chuckled at my dad’s everlasting flair for humor.
After almuerzo, we took a much-needed siesta. I didn’t want to get up, but I needed to because we had some homework that needed to be done. We quickly read through our text book for our linguistics class and decided that we needed to get the other part of the assignment done today as well; asking a native speaker where the post office is, and secretly recording the conversation. So we headed back near the aqueduct to, first, stop off for some churros con chocolate (they’re even better than they sound.), and some coffee. Nate did his interview with the waitress, who would eventually become the bane of my existence. When we paid for the churros the smallest bill I had was a five, so I set that down, and Nate and Alejandro set down the money that they owed. The amount sitting on the tray was about two euros more than we needed to pay, but I was expecting change. After collecting our money, this conniving woman never returned with our change. Lesson learned: if you are thinking about eating at Valor in Segovia, pay with exact change.
So, we decided the change wasn’t worth waiting for, so we left and searched for our victims. I found an old man sitting by himself, and asked him where the post office was while pretending my recorder was my mp3 player. I know. Not very clever, but it got the job done, and even though I messed up a little, he gave me a pretty good sound bite.
Dinner was next. Maricarmen made us another wonderful dish that was reminiscent to pasta. I have to admit that I’m starting to become more comfortable around Maricarmen, and it seems to be working both ways because it appears that she has become pretty fond of us.
After dinner, we finished Zombieland and now I’m blogging. I have to wake up mås temprano por la mañana. The buses roll for Toledo at 7:30 tomorrow. ¡Ádios.!
Monday, July 5, 2010
Un Domingo Perizoso (Lazy Sunday)
There was absolutely nothing on the to-do list for today, so we slept in until 2. The first thing we did was have lunch. Almuerzo was pollo y pattatas fritas y ensalada con vinagre y aceite (chicken. fries, and salad with vinegar and oil). The chicken was so good that I had to ask for more. We told Maricarmen how our night was, and together we shared our thoughts on last night’s game.
After lunch we made a quick trip over to La Plaza Mayor because that is the only place that we currently know has Internet. Me, being the dumb person that I am, forgot to charge my computer enough to update my blog. This is the reason why there are three new posts today.
Anyway, after that frustrating little endeavor, we headed back to la casa, where Nate and I got ready for a run. As we headed out, we decided to take a different path, and our adventure officially began.
We took a sort of back roads path that took us along the small river that runs through the city. It took us back to the path that we had run on the other day. Somewhere between there and sanity, we missed a turn and ended up on a road that was no longer paved that scaled the side of a pretty steep hill. We hoofed it up the hill when we started to realize that this path was going to end without putting us back on a road, so we found our bearings and started climbing through the brush and thorn bushes that lay between us and what we believed was the road.
We finally reached the apex of our climb and burst through the barriers to find that we were indeed back on the road. This road took us back to alcazar where we got some water before we finished our run.
The thing that you need to know about Segovia is that the streets wind in an out every which way, and the hills really throw you off, too. Somehow I lost Nate as I was rounding the backside of La catedral into La Plaza Mayor, so I stopped and waited in front of El Centro where a couple of my classmates were using the internet. When ten minutes had elapsed and Nate still wasn’t there, I started to wonder how this situation was going to resolve itself. I had no worries about Nate getting himself back home; he had been here last year and he is probably the most proficient Spanish speaker in our group. I didn’t have my keys with me, so quite frankly, I was a little more worried for myself, but I knew where I was and how to get home, so I started to head back. I ran into several of my classmates on the way back and I asked them if they had seen Nate. Nada. So I just decided to run back home and hope that he was there. Sure enough he was, and everything was fine.
But Cena was in 2 minutes, so I had to sit at the dinner table a sweaty mess. Dinner was juevos con arroz (eggs and rice), which was pretty good. After that, I took a much-needed shower.
After Cena we hung out in Alejandro’s room and watched the movie Zombieland. Now I’m writing this blog, and hoping that I can get this up tomorrow before class. Thank you to you all for reading thus far. I hope everything is as great for everyone back home as it is for me here. ¡Adios!
After lunch we made a quick trip over to La Plaza Mayor because that is the only place that we currently know has Internet. Me, being the dumb person that I am, forgot to charge my computer enough to update my blog. This is the reason why there are three new posts today.
Anyway, after that frustrating little endeavor, we headed back to la casa, where Nate and I got ready for a run. As we headed out, we decided to take a different path, and our adventure officially began.
We took a sort of back roads path that took us along the small river that runs through the city. It took us back to the path that we had run on the other day. Somewhere between there and sanity, we missed a turn and ended up on a road that was no longer paved that scaled the side of a pretty steep hill. We hoofed it up the hill when we started to realize that this path was going to end without putting us back on a road, so we found our bearings and started climbing through the brush and thorn bushes that lay between us and what we believed was the road.
We finally reached the apex of our climb and burst through the barriers to find that we were indeed back on the road. This road took us back to alcazar where we got some water before we finished our run.
The thing that you need to know about Segovia is that the streets wind in an out every which way, and the hills really throw you off, too. Somehow I lost Nate as I was rounding the backside of La catedral into La Plaza Mayor, so I stopped and waited in front of El Centro where a couple of my classmates were using the internet. When ten minutes had elapsed and Nate still wasn’t there, I started to wonder how this situation was going to resolve itself. I had no worries about Nate getting himself back home; he had been here last year and he is probably the most proficient Spanish speaker in our group. I didn’t have my keys with me, so quite frankly, I was a little more worried for myself, but I knew where I was and how to get home, so I started to head back. I ran into several of my classmates on the way back and I asked them if they had seen Nate. Nada. So I just decided to run back home and hope that he was there. Sure enough he was, and everything was fine.
But Cena was in 2 minutes, so I had to sit at the dinner table a sweaty mess. Dinner was juevos con arroz (eggs and rice), which was pretty good. After that, I took a much-needed shower.
After Cena we hung out in Alejandro’s room and watched the movie Zombieland. Now I’m writing this blog, and hoping that I can get this up tomorrow before class. Thank you to you all for reading thus far. I hope everything is as great for everyone back home as it is for me here. ¡Adios!
Fútbol, Helado, y Madrid (y otras cosas)
So something must have shut off in my brain sometime last night because when I awoke today, I had a very tough time putting Spanish sentences together. Factor in 5 hours of sleep and an empty stomach well into the early afternoon, and you have yourself a recipe for disaster.
So while I was dealing with this problem, I was riding a bus to Madrid. It looked as if, the powers that be would not grant us a break for the day; we didn’t get a reservation at the hostel in Madrid so we couldn’t stay there to watch the world cup game and do other things around the city, and storm clouds were ominously hovering over the mountains that we were driving through to get to Madrid. Luckily things would change for the better. I just had to wait a little while for that to happen.
The first thing I wanted to do when we arrived in Madrid, besides take lots of pictures, was find a knock-off brand Spain soccer jersey. But before we could do that, we had to go with the rest of the KIIS group to get our bearings in the city. For the first couple of hours, we toured the Plaza Mayor and the surrounding areas, I took several pictures at this time, and that would later pay off.
Nate, Alejandro, and I were released from the group with an hour to do whatever we felt like doing before lunch, and the search for the camiseta de fútbol commenced. (BTW before I go any further, I want to thank Alejandro and Nate for having the patience to come along on this search with me.) Even though the rain had cleared the area, my Spanish was still rough at best, my eyelids were heavy with fatigue, and for the life of me, we could not find a jersey in my size. After scouring virtually every souvenir shop we could with the time given, we were still empty-handed, and it was time for lunch.
We met the group in this square that resembles the structural template of Time Square in New York without all of the technology. We went to this quaint little restaurant , and had yet another great meal. Macaroni con chorizo, hamburguesa con papas fritas (hamburger with French fries.), and chocolate ice cream. While I was waiting between courses, I checked the pictures that I had taken, and realized that I happened upon a store earlier in the day that had a very wide variety of Spanish soccer jerseys, so that was the obvious next stop.
After lunch was over, we trekked over to the store and I was able to find my size and the player I wanted (the hero of this evening’s game, David Villa.) So from this point on, my day changed; My Spanish was getting better and I was happy because I had the prize that I was looking for.
The rest of the trip through Madrid consisted of more picture-taking, more shopping, and more ooing and awing at the wonderful architecture that the city has to offer.
We returned to Segovia at around 7:00, took quick showers, and ate the bocadillos that Maricarmen made for us.
Then it was out to Oso Blanco to watch the soccer game. I have always liked soccer; I played the sport for close to 14 years of my life, but never have I watched it with people that have such a passion for it. The crowd hung on every waking moment of that game, and when the final whistle blew, and Spain was on top, the place went up for grabs.
We left Oso Blanco and headed over to the Plaza Mayor, where thousands of Segovians had gathered to watch the game on a giant screen. The place was clearing out, but there were still several hundred people left celebrating, and the enthusiasm of the crowd was contagious.
Later on, we watched people celebrating outside the bars and spilling into the streets. It was a celebration reminiscent to when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. This game, however, was only a quarterfinal. I can’t imagine how big the celebration will be if they win the whole thing.
After the people-watching was done, we sat down outside of a café and had ice cream and horchata. This would be where our day would finally end, but not before a newly-wedded bride and her friends came down the street dancing to music played by two drummers and two oboe players.
Anyways, my feet hurt, I’m a little tired, and I may or may not still be hungry, but I am very satisfied with how the day went, and hope that tomorrow can live up to it.
So while I was dealing with this problem, I was riding a bus to Madrid. It looked as if, the powers that be would not grant us a break for the day; we didn’t get a reservation at the hostel in Madrid so we couldn’t stay there to watch the world cup game and do other things around the city, and storm clouds were ominously hovering over the mountains that we were driving through to get to Madrid. Luckily things would change for the better. I just had to wait a little while for that to happen.
The first thing I wanted to do when we arrived in Madrid, besides take lots of pictures, was find a knock-off brand Spain soccer jersey. But before we could do that, we had to go with the rest of the KIIS group to get our bearings in the city. For the first couple of hours, we toured the Plaza Mayor and the surrounding areas, I took several pictures at this time, and that would later pay off.
Nate, Alejandro, and I were released from the group with an hour to do whatever we felt like doing before lunch, and the search for the camiseta de fútbol commenced. (BTW before I go any further, I want to thank Alejandro and Nate for having the patience to come along on this search with me.) Even though the rain had cleared the area, my Spanish was still rough at best, my eyelids were heavy with fatigue, and for the life of me, we could not find a jersey in my size. After scouring virtually every souvenir shop we could with the time given, we were still empty-handed, and it was time for lunch.
We met the group in this square that resembles the structural template of Time Square in New York without all of the technology. We went to this quaint little restaurant , and had yet another great meal. Macaroni con chorizo, hamburguesa con papas fritas (hamburger with French fries.), and chocolate ice cream. While I was waiting between courses, I checked the pictures that I had taken, and realized that I happened upon a store earlier in the day that had a very wide variety of Spanish soccer jerseys, so that was the obvious next stop.
After lunch was over, we trekked over to the store and I was able to find my size and the player I wanted (the hero of this evening’s game, David Villa.) So from this point on, my day changed; My Spanish was getting better and I was happy because I had the prize that I was looking for.
The rest of the trip through Madrid consisted of more picture-taking, more shopping, and more ooing and awing at the wonderful architecture that the city has to offer.
We returned to Segovia at around 7:00, took quick showers, and ate the bocadillos that Maricarmen made for us.
Then it was out to Oso Blanco to watch the soccer game. I have always liked soccer; I played the sport for close to 14 years of my life, but never have I watched it with people that have such a passion for it. The crowd hung on every waking moment of that game, and when the final whistle blew, and Spain was on top, the place went up for grabs.
We left Oso Blanco and headed over to the Plaza Mayor, where thousands of Segovians had gathered to watch the game on a giant screen. The place was clearing out, but there were still several hundred people left celebrating, and the enthusiasm of the crowd was contagious.
Later on, we watched people celebrating outside the bars and spilling into the streets. It was a celebration reminiscent to when the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup. This game, however, was only a quarterfinal. I can’t imagine how big the celebration will be if they win the whole thing.
After the people-watching was done, we sat down outside of a café and had ice cream and horchata. This would be where our day would finally end, but not before a newly-wedded bride and her friends came down the street dancing to music played by two drummers and two oboe players.
Anyways, my feet hurt, I’m a little tired, and I may or may not still be hungry, but I am very satisfied with how the day went, and hope that tomorrow can live up to it.
La Según Día (este día fue más corto de ayer)
I want to start off by saying that I got a great night of sleep. I’m not necessarily sure what time I went to bed, but I woke up at 9:30, and I think that I got a good nine and a half hours. It was great!!
After I woke up, I got dressed, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and went upstairs to have breakfast with Nate in la cocina. Breakfast was coffee and galletas de desayuno. We ate on the outside patio. The view from the patio is muy bonita. From the apartment we can see the Roman aqueducts, many churches, and other points of interest. A picture of the scenery will be posted shortly.
After breakfast and beholding the glory of this small metropolis, Nate and I proceeded to class.
My two classes were somewhat uneventful and not worthy for me to post anything about. Just know that I now have homework. Yada Yada Yada….
After Classes, Alejandro, Nate, and me returned to la casa de Maricarmen for almuerzo. Lunch was soup, pescado (fish), and papas fritas (fries). It rained for about an hour, so we waited until it was over to go for a run. Me and Nate walked to this really nice path that they have here in Segovia, but on the way we stopped at a store to look for Spanish soccer jerseys. I had my first real interaction with a native speaker without help. He told me that the jersey, without names and numbers, was 64€. After I told him that I wasn’t interested, we continued on our way to the running path.
We took the path and ran past Alcazar; yet another picture that needs to be posted, pero ahora no puedo usar el internet en mi casa … Okay… I’m really sorry, but I was having a tough time wording this in English because I’m starting to think in Spanish. It might also be because I’m starting to get tired.
We explored the north side of Segovia, a place that Nate told me Americans seldom venture out to.
After the run, we returned to la casa, and found that the Internet was working, so I quickly got on my computer to check the ol’ facebook and my email and ichat with Jenna.
After a quick shower it was time for Cena. After dinner we spent a few hours hanging out in the room, listening to music and starting our homework that isn’t due until Monday.
At about 11:45 PM, we decided that it was time to go out. We met up with another group of KIIS kids underneath the aqueducts and headed back to Oso Blanco.
After Oso Blanco, we headed to La Plaza Mayor because I wanted to take some nighttime pictures of it.
After a few snapshots and a couple of 17 year old Spanish kids asking us if we wanted to take shots with them, we were headed back home for good.
I should probably go to bed now. We’re taking a bus to Madrid at 8:45 in the morning. ¡Hasta Mañana!
After I woke up, I got dressed, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and went upstairs to have breakfast with Nate in la cocina. Breakfast was coffee and galletas de desayuno. We ate on the outside patio. The view from the patio is muy bonita. From the apartment we can see the Roman aqueducts, many churches, and other points of interest. A picture of the scenery will be posted shortly.
After breakfast and beholding the glory of this small metropolis, Nate and I proceeded to class.
My two classes were somewhat uneventful and not worthy for me to post anything about. Just know that I now have homework. Yada Yada Yada….
After Classes, Alejandro, Nate, and me returned to la casa de Maricarmen for almuerzo. Lunch was soup, pescado (fish), and papas fritas (fries). It rained for about an hour, so we waited until it was over to go for a run. Me and Nate walked to this really nice path that they have here in Segovia, but on the way we stopped at a store to look for Spanish soccer jerseys. I had my first real interaction with a native speaker without help. He told me that the jersey, without names and numbers, was 64€. After I told him that I wasn’t interested, we continued on our way to the running path.
We took the path and ran past Alcazar; yet another picture that needs to be posted, pero ahora no puedo usar el internet en mi casa … Okay… I’m really sorry, but I was having a tough time wording this in English because I’m starting to think in Spanish. It might also be because I’m starting to get tired.
We explored the north side of Segovia, a place that Nate told me Americans seldom venture out to.
After the run, we returned to la casa, and found that the Internet was working, so I quickly got on my computer to check the ol’ facebook and my email and ichat with Jenna.
After a quick shower it was time for Cena. After dinner we spent a few hours hanging out in the room, listening to music and starting our homework that isn’t due until Monday.
At about 11:45 PM, we decided that it was time to go out. We met up with another group of KIIS kids underneath the aqueducts and headed back to Oso Blanco.
After Oso Blanco, we headed to La Plaza Mayor because I wanted to take some nighttime pictures of it.
After a few snapshots and a couple of 17 year old Spanish kids asking us if we wanted to take shots with them, we were headed back home for good.
I should probably go to bed now. We’re taking a bus to Madrid at 8:45 in the morning. ¡Hasta Mañana!
Friday, July 2, 2010
Primera Día
HOLA! Today was officially my first day in a country other than the one I was born in. It all started yesterday in the basement of the Smith residence. My alarm was set for 7:30, but nerves woke me/kept me up from 6 till then. I proceeded to get dressed, get in the car with Zach Arnett, Amanda Kasem, and the one and only Jenna Smith. We grabbed a much-hyped McDonald’s breakfast and headed out on the first leg of what turned out to be the longest travel day of my life. (Not necessarily catching me by surprise.) After getting lost a few times due to a mixture of Tom-Tom failures and human errors, we made it to the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport.
12:00 PM EST.
The next leg would commence after a very heartfelt and bittersweet farewell to Jenna and company. The weight limit for the checked baggage is 50 pounds. Enter my second dilemma. After taking some things out of my bag and making my carry-on a super carry-on, I was heading through the security check-point where I met one of my companions for the flight. Quick phone call to my mother and a couple of hours later we were boarding the first of two flights.
5:30 PM EST.
The connecting flight was in Washington D.C. on the biggest plane I think I have ever been on. (Corey, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry, but I don’t remember the number or make or model.) The six-hour flight was shortened by the personal entertainment center built into head of the seat in front of me, Dan Brown novels, FIFA 10 iPod App., and 3 failed attempts at sleeping.
6:57 AM Madrid Time
Our flight lands in Madrid. We go through customs, which allows me to say my first two Spanish words to a native Spaniard. (Those two words were,”hola” and,”gracias.”) After customs, my companions and I go to the terminal gate to wait for the other flight to come in. In the mean time, I get my first taste of freshly squeezed orange juice and being identified as an American in a foreign country. In line to buy said orange juice, everybody ahead of me was checked out in Español. As I approached the cash register, the teller was on the phone with what appeared to be a friend. As the items were scanned and the numbers popped up on the screen, he paused for a brief moment from his conversation to tell me, in perfect English,” Five Seventy-Five.” In hindsight, I guess I should have expected this; I was wearing a baseball cap and a zip-up hooded sweatshirt. If I wanted to look any more American than I already did, I could’ve draped the stars and stripes over my shoulders. Disappointment was my initial reaction, but this isolated event would provide no indication to the rest of the day.
11:30AM Madrid
After being at the airport for what felt like 10 eternities, the second flight group finally showed up and it was time to go Segovia. The bus ride gave me an opportunity to get a much needed power nap before I was to meet my Señora. I woke up to some fantastic things; the Roman Aqueducts, brilliant rolling hills, and several archaic buildings. We got out of “el autobus” and were greeted by several happy middle-aged women. These were our Señora’s. My heart was pounding when I met mine. I had no idea if I was supposed to strike up a conversation or something with her; the only thing that I was instructed to do was give her a hug, a kiss on each cheek, and a warm Spanish greeting. I did just that and was introduced to two of her friends. These two friends took me to her house. This was it, the experience I came for; being put into a car with two complete strangers that speak no English. Even though I was a little slow in the beginning, I was able to have a somewhat flowing conversation with the two.
2:00 PM Segovia
After a quick trip from the bus stop to la casa de Maricarmen, I took my first European shower. They like to conserve water here, so I was given a 5 minute limit. After that, we had almuerzo which was sopa verdura which contained rice, chorizo, beans, ham, carrots, among other things. It was delicious!!! After almuerzo it was time for what is sure to become my favorite part of the day; la siesta. Two hours later, my body thought that it was the night time, so for the next couple of hours, I was about as brain dead as I could be.
4:00 PM Segovia
We then trekked out to meet up with the rest of the group to do some sightseeing in Segovia. I took plenty of pictures and spoke plenty of Spanish with my new roommates, Alex “Alejandro” Clary and Nate Dale. Two people, of whom have helped me become ten times more confident in my Spanish speaking abilities, and I have only been here for one day. We went to Nate’s favorite bar for drinks and tapas; my first legally bought alcoholic beverage. After that, we returned to the house for la cena.
8:45 PM Segovia
Cena consists of chicken and a vegetable sauce; another huge hit! Our Señora is not only an excellent cook, but a brilliantly versed and talkative person that carries an certain undefined confidence with her wherever she goes. After one day with her and my roommates, I already know that this is going to be a very enjoyable stay, and I cannot wait for everything to start up again tomorrow. I have to go now though; I’m currently on 3 hours of sleep. ¡Hasta Mañana!
12:00 PM EST.
The next leg would commence after a very heartfelt and bittersweet farewell to Jenna and company. The weight limit for the checked baggage is 50 pounds. Enter my second dilemma. After taking some things out of my bag and making my carry-on a super carry-on, I was heading through the security check-point where I met one of my companions for the flight. Quick phone call to my mother and a couple of hours later we were boarding the first of two flights.
5:30 PM EST.
The connecting flight was in Washington D.C. on the biggest plane I think I have ever been on. (Corey, if you’re reading this, I’m sorry, but I don’t remember the number or make or model.) The six-hour flight was shortened by the personal entertainment center built into head of the seat in front of me, Dan Brown novels, FIFA 10 iPod App., and 3 failed attempts at sleeping.
6:57 AM Madrid Time
Our flight lands in Madrid. We go through customs, which allows me to say my first two Spanish words to a native Spaniard. (Those two words were,”hola” and,”gracias.”) After customs, my companions and I go to the terminal gate to wait for the other flight to come in. In the mean time, I get my first taste of freshly squeezed orange juice and being identified as an American in a foreign country. In line to buy said orange juice, everybody ahead of me was checked out in Español. As I approached the cash register, the teller was on the phone with what appeared to be a friend. As the items were scanned and the numbers popped up on the screen, he paused for a brief moment from his conversation to tell me, in perfect English,” Five Seventy-Five.” In hindsight, I guess I should have expected this; I was wearing a baseball cap and a zip-up hooded sweatshirt. If I wanted to look any more American than I already did, I could’ve draped the stars and stripes over my shoulders. Disappointment was my initial reaction, but this isolated event would provide no indication to the rest of the day.
11:30AM Madrid
After being at the airport for what felt like 10 eternities, the second flight group finally showed up and it was time to go Segovia. The bus ride gave me an opportunity to get a much needed power nap before I was to meet my Señora. I woke up to some fantastic things; the Roman Aqueducts, brilliant rolling hills, and several archaic buildings. We got out of “el autobus” and were greeted by several happy middle-aged women. These were our Señora’s. My heart was pounding when I met mine. I had no idea if I was supposed to strike up a conversation or something with her; the only thing that I was instructed to do was give her a hug, a kiss on each cheek, and a warm Spanish greeting. I did just that and was introduced to two of her friends. These two friends took me to her house. This was it, the experience I came for; being put into a car with two complete strangers that speak no English. Even though I was a little slow in the beginning, I was able to have a somewhat flowing conversation with the two.
2:00 PM Segovia
After a quick trip from the bus stop to la casa de Maricarmen, I took my first European shower. They like to conserve water here, so I was given a 5 minute limit. After that, we had almuerzo which was sopa verdura which contained rice, chorizo, beans, ham, carrots, among other things. It was delicious!!! After almuerzo it was time for what is sure to become my favorite part of the day; la siesta. Two hours later, my body thought that it was the night time, so for the next couple of hours, I was about as brain dead as I could be.
4:00 PM Segovia
We then trekked out to meet up with the rest of the group to do some sightseeing in Segovia. I took plenty of pictures and spoke plenty of Spanish with my new roommates, Alex “Alejandro” Clary and Nate Dale. Two people, of whom have helped me become ten times more confident in my Spanish speaking abilities, and I have only been here for one day. We went to Nate’s favorite bar for drinks and tapas; my first legally bought alcoholic beverage. After that, we returned to the house for la cena.
8:45 PM Segovia
Cena consists of chicken and a vegetable sauce; another huge hit! Our Señora is not only an excellent cook, but a brilliantly versed and talkative person that carries an certain undefined confidence with her wherever she goes. After one day with her and my roommates, I already know that this is going to be a very enjoyable stay, and I cannot wait for everything to start up again tomorrow. I have to go now though; I’m currently on 3 hours of sleep. ¡Hasta Mañana!
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