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.