Contemplating...

Today I don't have class until the afternoon so I thought I would do a quick little blog post.  Yesterday was our first day of semester classes and it went so well.  I love my Phonetics professor and I think the class is going to be so enjoyable.  It'll get challenging, I know, but our first day was so much fun.  I felt like such a goof when he had us practice making Spanish vowels sounds!  We did a bunch of silly exercises to create the mouth shapes and sounds that are necessary when learning to speak Spanish.  I could not stop laughing!  That class, combined with seeing the pictures from my sweet little nephew's baptism, receiving a letter from a friend back home, watching "Aguila Roja" with my Spanish family, and getting some great news from my dad made for a wonderful Monday.  At the same time, I have been feeling a little homesick.  I guess that's normal after being away for almost a month.  Don't get me wrong...I am so happy here.  But there are some difficult circumstances, here but mostly at home, that I have had to deal with alone.  I wish more than anything that I could have my parents physically here to talk to.  I wish my best friend was here too, so that we could have each other to lean on.  I miss seeing movies with my group of girls in DeKalb.  I tend to think about these things when I'm just relaxing here at home or wandering through the city in the afternoon.  I keep myself busy by spending time with my friends in Salamanca.  On Sunday I went to El Rastro with a few other girls from my program.  El Rastro is Salamanca's flea market.  We had a good time and it kept my mind off of things.  And this weekend a group of us are thinking of going out for chocolate fondue.  I'm also looking forward to booking my trip to Prague very shortly.  I have so many exciting things going on but I'm not afraid to admit that I have been a little nostalgic and lonely lately.  My time here is going by so quickly.  Sooner that I can imagine, I will be home for Christmas.  I have been sitting in the kitchen this morning, watching Angelita cook.   I told her about being homesick and how much I wish I could just hug my folks.  It was as if we were sharing some sort of parallel experience.  She told me about how much she cried when her son, Javier, left to study in France for a year.  And I told her about how I didn't want to let go of my mom at O'Hare.  She told me about the girls she has had in her home and that it was difficult for every single one.  All the while, Angelita's eyes were tearing up from the onions she was chopping and mine were tearing up because I miss home.  Maybe Angelita was tearing up from all of the happy memories she has and maybe I was tearing up because she makes us feel so loved here.  Estoy tranquila ahora.  Muchisimos besos y abrazos.

A day in Avila...

Yesterday, I visited the pequeñita ciudad of Avila with my friends Julia, Vania, and Meredith.  In about seven hours we were able to see all of the most important sights and walk around the entire city.  It genuinely was an adorable little city.  Avila reminded me of a toned-down version of Salamanca.  Both cities are the epitome of old Spain but Avila is more quaint and less outstanding.  You won't find towering cathedrals or an impressive plaza there, but it was beautiful in its own way.  Avila is right in the middle of Salamanca and Madrid and takes about an hour and a half to reach by bus.  Not too bad for a day trip.  Angelita, my Spanish mom, told us that we had to try the "Yemas de Santa Teresa" while in Avila.  "Yema" translates to egg yolk...and that is precisely what these candies were.  Basically, it was candied egg yolk rolled in sugar.  Sounds tasty, right?  Wrong.  I'm glad that I tried it but one was more than enough.  It was very, very rich.  We girls saw the Avila Cathedral, the Basilica of San Vicente, and the Convent of Santa Teresa during our afternoon in this little city, which is surrounded on all sides by the Murallas.  The Murallas of Avila are splendid twelfth-century defensive walls and are among the best-preserved perimeters in the world.  The four of us walked atop these walls for a couple of hours.  The views were beautiful during the day and even more so after nightfall. 

I leaned against those walls, looking out across the landscape, and thought to myself, "I'm on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, but I could be in Iowa right now."  When we were in Consuegra earlier in the week, I had a similar thought.  Farms and fields dominate the landscape of western and central Spain.  Sometimes I forget that we live so close to a city as big as Madrid, and that on the other side of the country the Barcelones probably haven't even gone to bed yet after a night of fiestas.  I am so happy to be living in Salamanca.  This city is a perfect fit for me.  But I do really miss being home every once in a while.  This semester is going by so quickly.  I am incredibly grateful that I get to come back in the Spring.  The regular semester begins on Monday for me so I might not have anything very exciting to write about for a little while.  I will keep everyone updated on daily life here, but for now we have a break from busy weekend excursions.  I'm excited for things to settle down.  New pictures are up on Facebook!  Besos y abrazos.                         

Granada

Third city:  Granada, my favorite city of the three we visited and the home of La Alhambra.  This city was magical and sultry.  We were there for less than twenty-four hours but I will never forget what I saw and experienced.  After arriving at our swanky hotel, we left almost immediately for a tour of La Alhambra.  This fortress was built on top of a hill known as La Sabika and the towering Sierra Nevada mountains form the backdrop.  It was truly amazing to witness this view.  Our professional tour guide took us through the sprawling pathways and gardens that wind throughout La Alhambra's complex and we were also able to see several of the most important rooms in the fortress.  The palace-fortress was actually abandoned during the Napoleonic occupation of the eighteenth-century and just barely escaped being destroyed.  That alone made me appreciate this building even more.  Words cannot do La Alhambra justice.  The intricately carved facades and delicate pillars looked as if they had come out of a fairy tale...too perfect to be real.  

     

After the tour of La Alhambra, everyone from our program returned to the hotel to rest.  We walked so much during this trip!  In the evening, we had the option to see a Flamenco show.  Only about fifteen people decided to go because of the extra cost.  But honestly, I would have spent twice as much to see what we were lucky enough to see.  We took our bus to the Sacromonte, Granada's centuries-old "gitano" quarter, located near the Albayzin neighborhood.  I don't even know how to describe the environment in which we watched the Flamenco dancers.  We drove through narrow and winding streets to the crest of a hill, on which were several bars and dimly lit rooms.  The room where the Flamenco dancers and singers performed was essentially a cave.  It was definitely not what I was expecting but I think our experience was better than if we had seen a performance in a theater or arena.  We walked into a long rectangular room of whitewashed walls and rustic lights with chairs lined up along the edges.  I want to mention quickly that Michelle Obama actually visited the exact Flamenco tablao that I am describing.  Her picture is hanging on the wall at the end of the room.  Pretty cool!  I should also apologize for the lack of pictures from the show.  I got a few photos of the dancers but it was so mesmerizing to watch that eventually I just put my camera away.  The dancers were literally right in front of us.  I could feel the breeze as their skirts twirled past me.  I could see the potent expressions on their faces so clearly.  I could feel the vibrations in the floor as they stomped their feet to the rhythm of the music.  And I could not stop smiling.  I can't stop smiling now, just remembering it.  

  

Believe it or not, I actually got up and danced with them!  A few of us were chosen from the audience to dance for a few moments with the beautiful Flamenco dancers.  It was so much fun!  I even got some compliments from mis amigas guapas, which means "my pretty girl friends," on my dancing.  In a word:  Unforgettable.  After the Flamenco show, we were given a tour of the Albayzin neighborhood.  I saw breathtaking views of La Alhambra at night from the edge of the cliff.  That evening was magical.  I wish we could have had another night in Granada.  Lucky for me, I get to go back next semester.  We spent the night in Granada and left in the morning to return to Salamanca.  Even though it was outside of the Granada province, I want to mention the windmills that we stopped to see in Consuegra.  These windmills were referenced in Don Quixote, the famous story by Miguel de Cervantes.  The protagonist of this story, Don Quixote himself, was ill and believed that these windmills were giants.  He battled these "giants," but unfortunately I can't remember who won.  On top of that hill, standing in the shadows of the windmills, I felt so at peace.  It was perfect...the quintessential Spanish landscape.  

                 

Seville

Second city:  Seville, home of the world's greatest Gothic cathedral, La Giralda tower, and the Alcazar complex.  I'm going to be honest right now.  My first impression of Seville was not that great.  We spent two nights in the capital city of Andalucia.  Our first night was fairly uneventful because there weren't any planned excursions until the following morning and our hotel was not near any major tourist attractions.  As a result, I wandered the streets with a few other students, not knowing exactly where we were.  If you know me at all, you know that I don't like that sort of thing.  I got very anxious and nervous because we were in the third largest city in Spain, a place none of us had ever been to before.  Thank goodness we had a second day in Seville.  Otherwise, I think I would have had an unfavorable impression of this city forever.  Our second day, however, was great.  In the morning we took a professional coach tour of the city, stopping at several places along the way.  Among these were the Plaza de España and the Alcazar complex.  

The Plaza de España, pictured above on the left, is incredibly large and grand.  We did not spend much time here but this plaza made a lasting impression.  The same can be said for the Alcazar complex, pictured above on the right.  As we walked through its tropical gardens, I felt like I couldn't possibly still be in Spain.  It was so different than the region we live in.  Much of the Alcazar is in the Mudejar style, similar to La Mezquita of Cordoba and La Alhambra of Granada.  The Alcazar is the oldest royal palace still in use today.  More than anything else, I wanted to climb La Giralda tower while we were in Seville.  After lunch and a short siesta, Meredith and I, along with our friend Cary, walked back to the cathedral.  La Giralda is the original minaret of the mosque that once stood on the site of the present-day Gothic cathedral.  It is considered Spain's most perfect Islamic building.  Atop La Giralda is El Giraldillo, a sixteenth-century weathervane, which represents Faith and is the symbol of Seville.  

While the cathedral itself was breathtaking, the views from the top of this Islamic tower were unforgettable and definitely worth the climb.  Our second day in Seville, September 18th, was also our good friend Tristan's birthday.  So that night we went out for pizza and drinks at a restaurant along the Guadalquivir River.  We got some ice cream on our walk home and it was truly one of the best nights I've had in Spain.  Good food and good company make for a great night.  It was so nice to spend that time with a group of friends that I've grown to care about.  On to Granada!

      

Cordoba

First city:  Cordoba, home of La Mezquita.  We only spent a few hours in this very, very hot city but it was well worth the stop.  La Mezquita is a hybrid of two architectural styles and religions.  This mosque, built in the Mudejar style after the original Christian Visigoth church was destroyed, now has a sixteenth-century cathedral plonked right in the middle of it.  This is because Cordoba and the surrounding region changed hands between Muslim and Christian monarchs over the course of several centuries.  As with all of the monuments and cities that I will describe in these next few blog posts, it is hard to capture the beauty of La Mezquita in words or photos.  It was amazing to see the combination of seemingly opposing architectural styles in one outstanding building.

A professional guide gave us a tour of this incredible building and afterwards we visited the Juderia neighborhood, the Jewish quarter.  While there is no longer a prominent Jewish population in Cordoba, this neighborhood is known for its whitewashed buildings and window boxes full of flowers.  After our tour, several of us students took a break from the heat in a local tapas restaurant and sipped tinto de verano, a popular drink that is similar to sangria and is very refreshing.  I would have loved to spend more time in this quaint city, meandering through its narrow streets.  On to Seville! 

Back in Salamanca!

I am so happy to be back home in this beautiful city!  As we drove toward Salamanca this afternoon on our way home from Andalucia, I felt a sense of relief that I was going to be back with my host family, eating home-cooked meals, and walking through the streets I've come to love.  Our four-day trip to the south of Spain was wonderful but I'm definitely excited to have things settle down a bit.  It was a whirlwind excursion.  I think the best way to tell you all about Andalucia is to break it down by city.  Tomorrow I'll do a separate blog post for each city that we visited...Cordoba, Seville, and Granada.  Look for pictures to be up on Facebook within the next few days from this trip.  Also, a few friends and I are planning to take a day-trip to Avila on Friday so I'll write a blog post and put up pictures from this little city over the weekend.

Meredith, Me, and Cary

Getting ready for Andalucia!

I'm sorry for the delay, everyone.  There hasn't been a whole lot going on this week except for our exams so I didn't have much to write about.  Let's see...my last post was on Sunday.  On Monday and Tuesday afternoon I spent a lot of time studying for the exams we took yesterday.  The tests were meant to gauge our progress in our four orientation classes.  I'm happy to say that orientation is done tomorrow.  I'm just excited to get into the semester routine and for things to settle down a little bit.  After studying on Tuesday, Tristan, Meredith, and I met up in the Plaza Mayor for drinks.  A few of the girls that live in the student residence joined us later with their ice cream.  It was so relaxing to just sit in the Plaza, sip a delicious cup of coffee, and watch people pass by for a few hours.  The Plaza Mayor changes drastically depending on the time of day you pass through it.  In broad daylight, it is a light sandstone color under the bright blue Spanish sky.  But at night, every facade is brilliantly illuminated against the darkness of evening.  

 

   

A quick side note:  You know how in the U.S. we have "Friday the Thirteenth?"  Well, here it is "Martes el Trece."  Tuesday the thirteenth is bad luck, at least in Salamanca.  I thought that was sort of interesting and wanted to squeeze it into this blog post somewhere.  On Wednesday, we had our exams and everyone seemed to do really well on them.  While the exams may have been the most important part of yesterday, the most exciting part of the day was the Corrida de Toros.  I won't share all of the gory details but I'm so glad that I went to the bullfight.  It was an amazing cultural experience.  A lot of AIFS students went last night and we couldn't have picked a better day to go.  We all sat in the cheap seats, or nosebleed sections if you like baseball, which they call "sol" seats here.  This is because we sat in the sun without any shade.  However, last night was perfect because it wasn't very sunny to begin with, plus we were under a roof.  So when it started raining, we were so happy to have the seats that we did.  The bullfight itself was amazing to see.  Yes, it was violent.  But I saw some of the best toreros from Spain and Mexico and I don't regret the experience at all.  I know that a lot of people have a problem with bullfights and animal cruelty in general.  But it is important to remember that in Spain and Mexico the Corrida de Toros is an art, not a sport.  Additionally, the bulls live like kings until their day in the arena.  That may not change many opinions out there, but I appreciated the event for its cultural significance and history. 

That brings us to today, Thursday.  I've been pretty tired just because yesterday was so busy and long.  I'm settling very well into daily life here.  Everyday I feel more comfortable.  I feel like this is a second home now.  I actually think it is a really good thing that it already feels normal to me.  That doesn't mean it's boring by any means, because I discover something new each day.  It just feels...right.  I probably could have said that more eloquently but it is what it is.  It's a good feeling.  Salamanca is a dichotomy of sorts.  The same building can look so different at different times of day.  The city seems so big yet is so intimate.   People appear to have so many things to do and so many people to see but there is always time for siesta in the middle of the afternoon.  The week goes by quickly but the pace of each individual day is relaxed and tranquil.  Salamanca is antique and contemporary all at once.  I feel incredibly lucky to be in such a place.  This weekend AIFS is taking us on a trip to Andalucia.  We'll be down south Saturday through Tuesday.  I can't wait to see the Alhambra, which is a palace in Granada, and the windmills made famous in Don Quixote.  It should be a really fun trip.  It's silly but I can't wait to take a nice long shower in the hotel Saturday night.  While living in a homestay was absolutely the best decision for me, there are certain things that I have to be conscious of.  Showers would be a good example.  In Spain, it's important to conserve water and electricity.  So, we take really quick showers...no more than five to ten minutes.  And we unplug all of of electronic devices during the day when we aren't home.  Anyway, it will be nice to be a little extravagant in the hotel...maybe an eleven minute shower instead.  On that note, I think that's all for now.  I won't write again until we return from Seville, Cordoba, and Granada on Tuesday.  But I'm sure I'll have a lot to write about and a lot of pictures to post as well.  I can't wait to share this upcoming weekend with everyone back home!  New pictures are up on Facebook from the last few days.  But don't worry, nothing too gruesome from the bullfight last night.  I'll post again soon.  Besos y abrazos.  Kisses and hugs.   

I know it sounds crazy, but...

So last night for dinner, Angelita prepared something that I never would have thought could taste good.  And it wasn't just good...it was delicious.  I should remind everyone back home that dinner is a relatively small meal since lunch is so big.  Lunch usually consists of two courses and fruit for dessert.  Okay, ready for it?  Honeydew melon with cold cured ham.  Yes...together in one bite.  We told Angelita that it seemed a little strange but she and Fabian told us it is important to mix flavors.  They were completely right!  The ham is called "jamon serrano" and it is very expensive here.  I would never have guessed that it would taste so good but it is one of my favorite things I've had here.  Give it a try!    

At the market...

Here are the pictures I promised in my earlier post.  I went for a walk on my own today all over the city and got some great pictures of the market.  Enjoy!

Dulces

Frutos secos

Ropa y tejido

"Romanos"

Lazy morning...

I can't believe I have been in Salamanca for a week.  It's 11:00 on Saturday morning and I haven't done a single thing yet.  A bunch of us girls went out for pinchos last night .  By my standards it was a late night but I'm sure most of the group was out until very early this morning.  Meredith and I might go out with them again tonight.  I'm just not used to the nightlife here.  I'm getting used to the daily routine though.  During the week I usually wake up around 7:30 to get ready for class and eat breakfast, after which we walk to class at San Boal.  However, since it's the weekend, I let myself indulge a little bit and I didn't get out of bed until about 9:45.  Looking out my bedroom window right now, I can see the colegio across the street and the beautiful blue sky.  Little kids in Salamanca started colegio yesterday...Angelita's grandsons were not excited.  They told us that their favorite part of the day is "patio," or recess.  After classes and lunch yesterday, I met up with some other students to start planning trips for this semester.  Our original idea was to go to Prague in about two weeks, right after we get back from Andalucia.  But now it looks like we're going to wait until December to go to Prague.  That means we'll miss a day or two of class, but I'm okay with that since it's the very end of the semester.  We're allowed to miss three days but any more than that means you will automatically fail the class.  I know that sounds like a gamble.  But I'll just need to keep myself healthy and be responsible this semester.  I'm actually happy that we're waiting on this trip because if we did it at the end of the month, it would have been a crazy week.  We leave for Andalucia (Cordoba, Seville, and Granada) on September 17th and get back to Salamanca on the 20th.  Then we would have left for Prague on the 22nd and not returned home until the 25th, with classes starting on the 26th.  Instead, now we have a little more time to plan and the flights will be cheaper booking this far ahead of time.  I think it will all work out just fine.  AIFS took us on a tour of the Museo Taurino, or bullfighting museum, yesterday and it got everyone really excited to go to a bullfight.  Well, not everyone.  Some of us are meeting this afternoon to buy our tickets for next week's fights.  I'm not sure if I'll like it, but I can't miss out on something that is this important in Spain.  This is especially true since bullfighting is a controversial topic in Spain and the Catalunya region is actually outlawing bullfights in a year or so.  Anyway, I haven't even said anything yet about the best part of my day on Friday.  Meredith and I walked to the famous Puente Romano where there is a huge market during Feria.  I'll have to go back today and take a picture of it.  You wouldn't believe how many tents were set up to sell anything from chocolate, spices, and cheese to jewelry, bowls, and children's toys.  I was pretty proud of myself...I didn't buy any of the delicious-looking cakes or anything for myself.  But I did get some gifts for a few lucky people (wink wink).  Almost everything was handmade and it was all from different countries like Italy, Turkey, Germany, and countless others.  As I said, it's been a pretty lazy morning for me.  But we've had so much going on that it's nice to just relax for a bit.  I've gotten to explore the city and every single day I find something new.  Everyone can look forward to pictures of the bullfight soon, as well as pictures from Andalucia in a couple of weeks.  I'm looking forward to a Skype date with my folks this evening.  I hope everyone is doing well.  Hasta luego.  Oh!  And congratulations to my favorite crooner, Neil Diamond, on his recent engagement!  And to all those who were affected by the events of September 11th, 2001, my thoughts go out to you and our entire country.  It has been ten years, but I don't think anyone will forget that day.


         

Las Ferias de Salamanca

New pictures of Salamanca are up on Facebook!  So, I have a lot of catching up to do!  My last blog post was on Monday.  Monday night after dinner, Meredith and I met up with one of our friends here, Tristan, for ice cream.  We went to the most popular shop in the Plaza Mayor and it was definitely worth the wait.  I had two scoops of "dulce de leche de Argentina," which is like caramel.  SO GOOD!  Monday wasn't a late night because all of us had our first day of orientation classes the next morning.  Class started on Tuesday and I feel really good about how they are going so far.  We have two hours of Spanish grammar, one hour of conversation, one hour of Spanish culture, and one hour of Spanish art history...it makes for a long morning.  But I am enjoying the classes, especially our culture class.  Despite the long mornings, days go by very fast here.  Once we're done with class, Meredith and I walk straight back to Angelita's home and have lunch with her and Fabian.  And then before you know it, it's 3:30 in the afternoon.  Siesta!  Usually we don't sleep during siesta.  Instead, we use that time to catch up with friends on Facebook and update our blogs.  We have been researching a guided trip to Prague in a couple of weeks so this free time has helped a lot.  On Tuesday afternoon we met with Carlos Cabrera, the academic coordinator for AIFS.  Below is a picture of his name on the wall of the Palacio de Anaya.  Only people who have received their doctorate from the Universidad de Salamanca have their names on this wall.

All of us AIFS students selected our classes on Tuesday and we should know our schedules relatively soon.  Carlos seems like a really cool person and is very eager to help us.  He has been with this program for at least 20 years.  And I should mention that AIFS is one of the longest standing programs for study abroad.  It has been around for more than thirty years.  It is very well respected.  If it works out that I get to take the phonetics class I signed up for, Carlos would most likely be the professor.  I think that Meredith and I both feel that our Spanish speaking abilities are already improving by having constant interaction with our family, store owners, and our professors.  Wednesday was a very exciting day for all of us.  We had class in the morning until 2:00 in the afternoon as usual.  But at 5:00 last night, our whole program went to the river, Rio Tormes, and rode paddle boats for a couple of hours.  I got some breathtaking pictures of the cityscape, if I do say so myself.  It was unbelievable!  We had so much fun.  Meredith and I, Tristan, Amanda, and Julia all rode together.  Julia is from Alaska and is also a full year student so we talked a lot about how excited we are that we have so much time in this city.  We both kept saying, "I can't believe I'm here!"  

We had tapas and drinks on the banks of the river before Meredith and I left the group to follow the parade.  Wednesday was the beginning of "Feria" in Salamanca.  It is an annual celebration for the city to celebrate their patron saint, the Virgen de la Vega.  The men and women in the parade were dressed in traditional clothing and carried flowers to honor the Virgen de la Vega.  The parade took us to the Convento de San Esteban in the Plaza de Anaya where the women placed their flowers for the remainder of Feria.  It is so beautiful.  After dinner last night, there were fireworks, or "fuegos artificiales," to mark the start of Feria and the fiestas.  They were honestly the best fireworks I have seen...ever.  We met up with other students at the residence hall and walked to the river to watch them.  Afterwards, we walked back to the Plaza Mayor and listened to a little bit of the free concert being held there.  Every one was out last night.  And I mean everyone.  Salamanca has about 170,000 people, which seems like a lot.  But the city isn't actually that big.  We can walk from our house in Jardines to the other side of the city at the Parque de San Francisco in about twenty or thirty minutes.  It's good exercise.  We walk everywhere!  Anyway, I bet 167,250 people out of 170,000 were out last night at the Plaza, the bars, or the casetas.  Casetas are little shacks that the bars have permission to set up in the streets during Feria.  They sell many things but you can get a drink and a pincho, or tapa, for a set price of 1.80 euros at any caseta.  We got back home around 12:30 this morning, which isn't very late for people here.  Most Salmantinos are out until 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning!  Today is a fiesta so most stores are closed and there are no classes.  Sweet!  I slept pretty late today, for me.  I got up around 9:30 and got ready for the day.  Around midday, Meredith and I left to walk around the city.  We went inside the Catedral Vieja and listed to the service for a little while.  The music and the surroundings were...I'm running out of synonyms for "beautiful."  Awe-inspiring.  On another day, later this Fall perhaps, we are going to get a group of students together to go on a tour of another church, El Convento de San Esteban.  Fabian has told us that it is the most beautiful church in the city.  There are so many things to do today so I'm not sure what's in store for us later this afternoon.  I do know, however, that it won't be a late night because we have class tomorrow.  A few of us girls are trying to go on a weekend trip to Prague.  Hopefully that gets finalized later this week!  It's 2:30 and almost time for lunch.  I'll post again soon.  I send love to everyone back home.


   

   

Hace buen tiempo ahora...

Hello all.  It is Labor Day in the U.S. but today is any old Monday (lunes) in Salamanca.  This morning, all AIFS students along with students from other programs studying here took a placement exam for orientation classes.  The exam wasn't too terrible.  Part of the exam was oral and I thought that went really well for me.  The professor seemed to understand what I was saying and we conversed easily.  After the exam, a large group from AIFS explored the city together, looking for cell phone companies, grocery stores, places to buy stamps, and a reliable bank.  It is very warm here today but Angelita and Fabian think it is a little chilly for Salamanca.  It really is a beautiful day though. 

Meredith and I came home for lunch and met "los nietos," or grandchildren.  Angelita has two grandsons and their names are Fernando and Antonio.  Son preciosos.  Angelita is a very good cook.  Lunch time in Spain is around 2:30 in the afternoon and it consists of two courses and a dessert.  Today we had sopa de calabaza y cerdo con queso.  That translates to "gourd soup and pork chops with cheese."  For dessert, Angelita always has fruit.  The Mediterranean diet is actually very healthy because most people cook with a lot of vegetables and fruit.  Even if food is fried, it is fried in olive oil.  I can't say enough about how gorgeous this city is.  I enjoy just walking around with friends and taking in the surroundings.  I think that tonight after dinner, which is around 9:00, Meredith and I are going to the Plaza Mayor to get some ice cream.  The Plaza is supposed to be beautiful at night and there are ice cream shops all around it.  I hope that everyone is enjoying reading this blog.  It is really important to me to try and stay in touch with my friends and family.  As the semester begins and our schedules are set in stone, rather than different every day, I hope it will be easier to talk to my folks on the phone and hopefully others on Skype as well.  Hasta pronto amigos.     

First night in Salamanca!

This city is beautiful.  Cobblestone streets, sandstone buildings, history all around us.  I just woke up from my first real night's sleep since I've been in Europe.  Right now I can hear Angelita, the mother in my homestay, making breakfast.  She is so kind and warm and calls me and my roommate her "hijas," which means "daughters."  We live in an apartment with her and her husband, Fabian.  Their apartment is very nice and comfortable, located in a tranquil part of town and about a five minute walk to the Plaza Mayor.  Angelita has two grown children.  Meredith and I met their son, Javier, last night.  He lives in Madrid and comes home every weekend.  They are all so friendly and accommodating.  They also have a daughter with two young children of her own, who we will probably meet later on this month.  I will post some pictures from Salamanca on my Facebook soon.  Pictures from London are already online!  Last night we had a "fiesta de bienvenida," which means "a welcome party."  We went to a local bar and I had my first taste of authentic Sangria.  It was really good but one was plenty for me.  Most people know that I'm not much into the whole partying aspect of college but I still look forward to going out to spend time with the other students here.  Meredith and I walked back home and spent the remainder of the night with the family, watching TV and talking about our families back home.  I think that my Spanish is coming across well.  Fabian even told me last night that my accent was very good.  That felt great!  Today we are meeting the other students at the residence hall to have an orientation meeting and go over practical things like the locations of various offices, information about our living arrangements, and so on.  Tomorrow we have our placement exam and afterwards we will start an intensive language course.  I really do love it here, but I still have a lot of nervous energy running through me.  Angelita is doing everything she can to make us feel welcome and comfortable.  I should get up for breakfast now.  Adios.

Simply amazing...

It is already becoming pretty clear that there is no way I can even skim the surface of what I have been up to in Europe…and I’ve only been here for three days!  Today is my first day in Salamanca and it is absolutely beautiful.  But before I get to that, I need to fill everyone in on our second day in London.  On Friday, we went on a professional tour around the city and got off at some of the main tourist spots like Buckingham Palace and Westminster Abbey.  Afterwards, we were dropped off at Covent Garden, which is a main square and market in London.  From there we split off into groups and wandered around the city for literally the entire afternoon.  I was so tired when we got back to our hotel.  My group of students meandered along the river for a while until we reached the Tate Modern Museum of Art.  We spent an hour or so there, then went to Harrod’s, and then walked around Hyde Park for a while.  Hype Park is stunning.  Then we jumped on the Tube, yet another name for the Underground, and rode to the London Eye.  We got on the Ferris wheel at about 8 o’clock in the evening and the view was unbelievable.  I got some amazing pictures. 

After the London Eye, we went back to our hotel, since we knew we would have an early morning the next day.   I should note now that I am writing this up in Word and will post this blog as soon as we have an internet connection.  The homestay I live in, with my roommate Meredith, is adorable and very comfortable.  And they have an internet connection!  Score!  We’re just waiting to get the password.  We’re heading out now.  More to come!

Down time in London...

Hey there everybody!  Well, I made it across the pond safely.  Right now it is 3:33 in the afternoon, which makes it 9:33 in the morning at home.  My flight arrived at Heathrow around 6:30 this morning, London time, and we got to our hotel about two hours after that.  Upon arriving at the Copthorne Hotel near the Chelsea Football Club, we were basically told to go explore for the following five hours until our rooms were ready.  As tired as we all were, those of us who arrived from Chicago together spent the day riding the Underground and walking around the city.

 

London is beautiful and we had a perfect day to meander through the shops and see some things on our own.  We went to King's Cross Station in search of the famous Platform 9 3/4 from the Harry Potter series, visited the London Tower, and walked across the Tower Bridge. 

Right now, I am just relaxing in the hotel room that I share with a fellow student named Ciera.  We have some down time until our meet-and-greet with the other students at 6:00.  If we have time, a lot of us want to go to the London Eye tonight.  However, we have tomorrow afternoon free after our coach tour so we have the option of riding the Ferris wheel that night as well.  As I'm sitting here, jet lag is starting to set in.  I have been awake for more than 24 hours and the tiredness is just starting to hit me.  I got a little bit of sleep on the plane, but not for more than an hour at a time.  Saying good-bye to my parents yesterday was so hard.  I already miss them and everyone else I had to say good-bye to.  But I have been trying to be a bit more outgoing and less shy.  I know that that is the only way I will adjust to this huge change...opening up to new people and experiences.  By the way, everyone in London is so friendly!  The man who checked my passport at the UK Border talked to me about my trip and gave me some advice about things to do in London.  And even the taxi drivers are friendly.  I haven't ridden in one yet, but almost every driver let us walk through the crosswalks today without honking or nearly running us over.  That certainly wouldn't happen in Chicago!...I just took a break from blogging to talk to my folks on Skype.  Whoever came up with that idea is a genius.  I need to charge up the battery on my laptop so this is it for now.  I probably won't do another blog post until after I've gotten settled in Salamanca because I have a feeling those first few days will be a little stressful.  Look for pictures from London on Facebook!