Wow! Just a few more days and I will be heading back to the States. It's crazy to think that almost 6 weeks have passed since I first stepped foot in Madrid. Also, I should insert here a special "happy fourth of July" to all my friends back in the States. It's weird not spending the Fourth in the US but the Fourth has always been a hit or miss holiday in our family. We are usually traveling around the country-and a few times we have been in areas that don't have fireworks. Tonight though we are having a barbeque with my host parents so that should be a lot of fun!
This week has been rather stressful. The last day of class was today so I was busy writing two essays, a presentation, studying for an exam and finishing up some last minute homework. As stressful as it was, I think that everything turned out just fine. I actually loved going to class here-it was such a different experience from going to classes in Purdue. The art class over the Prado was by far one of my favorites with the exception of my professor for Civilization.
After class I took my siesta and then started packing up to head back to the States. We are going to Granada for the weekend so I need to have everything ready for when I get back. Hopefully my suitcase is still underweight...we shall see! Tomorrow is our goodbye lunch at a local restaurant and then Granada on Friday!
Hasta luego
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Monday, July 2, 2012
A week of crazy!
I realize that I haven't blogged in a while-and I am not sure that I should be blogging right now considering my final projects that need to be done. But everyone needs a break so I am going to take a quick one to update this!
Last week we had a huge heat wave come over Madrid. It was over 100 degrees every day from Sunday until Thursday! I thought we were going to melt here. Tensions also were flaring since no one was sleeping well without A/C. I figured it was probably good practice for when I head back to Purdue in the fall-minus the humidity of course!
On Wednesday, we visited the Botanical Gardens that are outside of the Prado. It was 104 that afternoon which made it a bit difficult to persuade myself to go. I am really glad that I went though because it was very beautiful! There were all kinds of trees and plants and the tour guide had some interesting stories to share. He also thought we were crazy for coming out in the heat of the day (I had to agree with him.) There was a special exhibit on bonsai trees which was interesting-I had never seen one in person before. A cat was sleeping in the shade which made me happy-and made me miss my cat back home.
Thursday was a fairly normal day. I worked a lot on my final projects since Julia was coming up for the weekend. I wrote most of my essay and finished up my presentation so I felt fairly good about that. On Friday morning I got up early to head to the airport to pick up Julia. I took the metro out there which was very interesting experience! I had never taken that line before but it was a fairly nice ride. I was glad I still had my travel pass-otherwise I would have had to pay 3 euros just to get into the airport (a little crazy if you ask me, but they have to make money somehow I guess).
When Julia got in we headed back to the house. I did my best to explain the metro system to her since she was going to be taking it back solo to get back home. When we got back to the house we chilled at the pool and swam for a little while (the water was freezing-but with the heat it felt great!). We ate lunch and then headed to the Prado for the afternoon. It was so cool to go the art museum with someone who is studying art history! When we got done there we went to the Retiro park which is this huge green space in the middle of Madrid. I saw my first squirrel since being here as well! I wish we could have gone out on the row boats but it was still too hot! By the time we got back for dinner we were ready to be done for the day.
Saturday was supposed to start out early-which didn't exactly happen although we did get out at a decent hour. In the morning we visited the Plaza Mayor, Sol, the Royal Palace, the cathedral by the Royal Palace, and a monument park by the Palace! Phew! After lunch we decided to head back to the city again! Julia picked a good weekend to come because the summer sales are just starting here. We shopped the rest of the afternoon and visited some cool stores. I tried on a bunch of clothes but didn't find anything that I really wanted to buy. We came back for dinner and then we were done for the night.
Sunday was actually an early morning at the house. I wanted to take Julia to the Rastro so she could experience the open market in Madrid. I also had a little bit of shopping that I needed to get done as well ;) Afterwards we stopped for a break and drank some coffee before heading back to the house for lunch. We had traditional paella which Julia really loved! We thought about heading out that afternoon but both of us were too tired. Instead, we took a siesta and hung out at the pool. The final game of the Eurocup was last night and we watched the game with the whole family! What a great time! The whole country went nuts after Spain beat Italy and rightfully so!!!
Julia headed out this morning and I have just been working on school stuff. It's crazy that in a week I will be leaving to head back to the States!
Last week we had a huge heat wave come over Madrid. It was over 100 degrees every day from Sunday until Thursday! I thought we were going to melt here. Tensions also were flaring since no one was sleeping well without A/C. I figured it was probably good practice for when I head back to Purdue in the fall-minus the humidity of course!
On Wednesday, we visited the Botanical Gardens that are outside of the Prado. It was 104 that afternoon which made it a bit difficult to persuade myself to go. I am really glad that I went though because it was very beautiful! There were all kinds of trees and plants and the tour guide had some interesting stories to share. He also thought we were crazy for coming out in the heat of the day (I had to agree with him.) There was a special exhibit on bonsai trees which was interesting-I had never seen one in person before. A cat was sleeping in the shade which made me happy-and made me miss my cat back home.
Thursday was a fairly normal day. I worked a lot on my final projects since Julia was coming up for the weekend. I wrote most of my essay and finished up my presentation so I felt fairly good about that. On Friday morning I got up early to head to the airport to pick up Julia. I took the metro out there which was very interesting experience! I had never taken that line before but it was a fairly nice ride. I was glad I still had my travel pass-otherwise I would have had to pay 3 euros just to get into the airport (a little crazy if you ask me, but they have to make money somehow I guess).
When Julia got in we headed back to the house. I did my best to explain the metro system to her since she was going to be taking it back solo to get back home. When we got back to the house we chilled at the pool and swam for a little while (the water was freezing-but with the heat it felt great!). We ate lunch and then headed to the Prado for the afternoon. It was so cool to go the art museum with someone who is studying art history! When we got done there we went to the Retiro park which is this huge green space in the middle of Madrid. I saw my first squirrel since being here as well! I wish we could have gone out on the row boats but it was still too hot! By the time we got back for dinner we were ready to be done for the day.
Saturday was supposed to start out early-which didn't exactly happen although we did get out at a decent hour. In the morning we visited the Plaza Mayor, Sol, the Royal Palace, the cathedral by the Royal Palace, and a monument park by the Palace! Phew! After lunch we decided to head back to the city again! Julia picked a good weekend to come because the summer sales are just starting here. We shopped the rest of the afternoon and visited some cool stores. I tried on a bunch of clothes but didn't find anything that I really wanted to buy. We came back for dinner and then we were done for the night.
Sunday was actually an early morning at the house. I wanted to take Julia to the Rastro so she could experience the open market in Madrid. I also had a little bit of shopping that I needed to get done as well ;) Afterwards we stopped for a break and drank some coffee before heading back to the house for lunch. We had traditional paella which Julia really loved! We thought about heading out that afternoon but both of us were too tired. Instead, we took a siesta and hung out at the pool. The final game of the Eurocup was last night and we watched the game with the whole family! What a great time! The whole country went nuts after Spain beat Italy and rightfully so!!!
Julia headed out this morning and I have just been working on school stuff. It's crazy that in a week I will be leaving to head back to the States!
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Reina Sofia
Yesterday we went to go visit the Reina Sofia after class. It was the last museum that I needed to see of "The Golden Triangle" in Madrid (The Prado, Thyssen and Reina Sofia). I was really excited to go because they have modern art by Picasso and Dali. Also, the Guernica which is one of Picasso's most famous works is there as well. When we got to the museum I knew that it was going to be much different than my other visits. The new entrance of the museum is so modern! Originally, the museum used to be a hospital until they decided to convert it over to a museum.
Our professor who led the tour was very knowledgeable! I was surprised by how much he knew-he didn't even have a paper to help him out. He explained to us the different types of art that we were going to see. He said we needed to have an open mind because this art was all about reflecting the inner conscious. Paintings had to radically change with the invention of photography and cinema because painters were no longer needed to represent human life. Photos could do a better job and cinema could show much more than a painting ever could. The Guernica by Picasso did not disappoint although it is always sad to see the great lengths humans go during war. We also saw propaganda that was used during the Civil War in Spain-it was kind of scary.
After Picasso we looked at some of the works by Dali. He was very obsessed with painting the dream world and the unconscious desires. The paintings definitely needed an open mind to be appreciated. I am not sure if I understand it completely but it was a cool experience.
This week a heat wave has descended upon Spain! It's going to be above 100 degrees all week. I feel like I am back in the Grand Canyon during July. Don't let anyone fool you-a dry heat is still very very hot! Tomorrow we are going to visit the royal gardens after class. I can't believe we only have two more weeks left in Spain! I am trying to take everything in before it's time to head back to the States.
Our professor who led the tour was very knowledgeable! I was surprised by how much he knew-he didn't even have a paper to help him out. He explained to us the different types of art that we were going to see. He said we needed to have an open mind because this art was all about reflecting the inner conscious. Paintings had to radically change with the invention of photography and cinema because painters were no longer needed to represent human life. Photos could do a better job and cinema could show much more than a painting ever could. The Guernica by Picasso did not disappoint although it is always sad to see the great lengths humans go during war. We also saw propaganda that was used during the Civil War in Spain-it was kind of scary.
After Picasso we looked at some of the works by Dali. He was very obsessed with painting the dream world and the unconscious desires. The paintings definitely needed an open mind to be appreciated. I am not sure if I understand it completely but it was a cool experience.
This week a heat wave has descended upon Spain! It's going to be above 100 degrees all week. I feel like I am back in the Grand Canyon during July. Don't let anyone fool you-a dry heat is still very very hot! Tomorrow we are going to visit the royal gardens after class. I can't believe we only have two more weeks left in Spain! I am trying to take everything in before it's time to head back to the States.
Sunday, June 24, 2012
Salamanca
Wow! Things have all started to run together as we are heading into the last two weeks of studying in Spain! I can't believe that I have already been here for a month! I feel like it was just yesterday that I was getting off my plane and heading to my host parent's house.
On Friday, we visited the Congress building. It's the oldest building in Europe that has been used only for that purpose. Everything in the building looks exactly like it did when it was built in 1850. The building was so ornate with all of the rooms (much different from Capitol Hill). We visited a few working rooms-one of which had a cool clock in it! It had all kinds of things going on with it-like the position of the sun and such. After that, we visited the room where the congresspeople actually meet to pass laws. It looked a lot similar to the one in the States-only a little bit smaller (by Constitution, there can only be 400 at any one time). There are special seats for the Ministers and every 4 years, the King and Queen come to visit the parliament. Our Culture and Civilization professor (Juan) led the excursion which was a lot of fun! It was a quick visit and then we headed back. Before we got back to the Metro, we stopped at Starbucks. Although I was really tempted to get a macchiato, I decided to hold out. There were some cute mugs though that I might have to go back and buy though.
Yesterday was our last "official" excursion to Salamanca. The day started out early and we rode on the bus for 2.5 hours. Fortunately I was able to sleep the entire time. When we got there, we had a 30 minute break in the Plaza Mayor to get some breakfast. Todd suggested that we go to the Cafe Novelty-they had some delicious looking muffins! We visited a lot of cool places during our day. We saw a house that was called the house of the dead (a very interesting story, to say the least) and then we visited this cool library. It actually used to be a palace that they then converted. When we were done there, we visited the university. It's one of the 4th oldest universities in Europe! Super awesome! We ate our lunches in the shade and watched a couple of wedding parties (Note: Hats are very popular in Europe!). Afterwards, we found an ice-cream shop that had the best ice-cream I have had in Spain. It was more of a yogurt texture and I got the house specialty (which had cherries and nuts in it). After our ice-cream break, we did a little bit of shopping although I decided not to buy anything (Still need to buy gifts for a few people...). Our last tour was of the cathedral. At first I thought it was going to be like every other church tour we have been on. However, in this tour we got to walk up the towers of the church! The staircases were very narrow and a little scary. We saw the areas where an earthquake and a fire damaged the church. After that, we got to look outside the city! What a great view! We also saw the newer part of the church as well. We had to head out after that because we needed to get back to Madrid.
Last night there was a huge party going on in our backyard! The adults stayed out and partied until 4 AM! I am very impressed by Spanish culture and their willingness to have a good time-even if that means they are tired the next day. Today has been mainly spent studying for my art exam tomorrow over Velazquez. We are also experiencing a heat wave right now, so it is supposed to be 100 degrees almost all week--good swimming weather!
Hasta luego!
On Friday, we visited the Congress building. It's the oldest building in Europe that has been used only for that purpose. Everything in the building looks exactly like it did when it was built in 1850. The building was so ornate with all of the rooms (much different from Capitol Hill). We visited a few working rooms-one of which had a cool clock in it! It had all kinds of things going on with it-like the position of the sun and such. After that, we visited the room where the congresspeople actually meet to pass laws. It looked a lot similar to the one in the States-only a little bit smaller (by Constitution, there can only be 400 at any one time). There are special seats for the Ministers and every 4 years, the King and Queen come to visit the parliament. Our Culture and Civilization professor (Juan) led the excursion which was a lot of fun! It was a quick visit and then we headed back. Before we got back to the Metro, we stopped at Starbucks. Although I was really tempted to get a macchiato, I decided to hold out. There were some cute mugs though that I might have to go back and buy though.
Yesterday was our last "official" excursion to Salamanca. The day started out early and we rode on the bus for 2.5 hours. Fortunately I was able to sleep the entire time. When we got there, we had a 30 minute break in the Plaza Mayor to get some breakfast. Todd suggested that we go to the Cafe Novelty-they had some delicious looking muffins! We visited a lot of cool places during our day. We saw a house that was called the house of the dead (a very interesting story, to say the least) and then we visited this cool library. It actually used to be a palace that they then converted. When we were done there, we visited the university. It's one of the 4th oldest universities in Europe! Super awesome! We ate our lunches in the shade and watched a couple of wedding parties (Note: Hats are very popular in Europe!). Afterwards, we found an ice-cream shop that had the best ice-cream I have had in Spain. It was more of a yogurt texture and I got the house specialty (which had cherries and nuts in it). After our ice-cream break, we did a little bit of shopping although I decided not to buy anything (Still need to buy gifts for a few people...). Our last tour was of the cathedral. At first I thought it was going to be like every other church tour we have been on. However, in this tour we got to walk up the towers of the church! The staircases were very narrow and a little scary. We saw the areas where an earthquake and a fire damaged the church. After that, we got to look outside the city! What a great view! We also saw the newer part of the church as well. We had to head out after that because we needed to get back to Madrid.
Last night there was a huge party going on in our backyard! The adults stayed out and partied until 4 AM! I am very impressed by Spanish culture and their willingness to have a good time-even if that means they are tired the next day. Today has been mainly spent studying for my art exam tomorrow over Velazquez. We are also experiencing a heat wave right now, so it is supposed to be 100 degrees almost all week--good swimming weather!
Hasta luego!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Popcorn!
This week has been fairly normal--that is to say, busy and warm!
On Monday, we visited the Royal Palace after class. It was so huge and awesome! We only saw 24 rooms but our tour guide says that there are hundreds in the palace. The Royal family of Spain doesn't actually live in the palace-and they haven't since the 1930's. When the European Union flag is hanging above the building that means that someone important is visiting and the public can't enter. Fortunately, it was a quiet day at the palace. Some of my favorite rooms were the dining room and the music room. Some of the finest instruments ever created are kept in that room...they are only played a few times a year! It would be so awesome to be present for one of those concerts. After the palace, we visited the armor museum (again, no pictures allowed) and the pharmacy from the 1700's. There were definitely some interesting medicines in the pharmacy-think millipedes and boric acid.
Monday night was also the soccer game--Spain vs. Croatia. I didn't feel like heading out again to watch the game so I decided to watch it at home. Fortunately my host parents had the same idea and provided quite the snack experience-popcorn (my first time since being in Spain!), chips, Doritos, and peanuts! We ate sandwiches during half-time which were delicious! Unfortunately, nothing happened until the last 2 minutes-fortunately Spain won!
Yesterday, Kelly and I decided to head out for a few hours before dinner. It rained for the first time since we have been in Madrid. It was more of a light sprinkle and felt really nice. I ended up getting a cafe con leche--and the milk was steamed! (Also a first since being in Spain). I really enjoyed it but regretted it slightly when I had a hard time sleeping last night. We also did a little bit of shopping around Sol as well.
Tomorrow we are heading to the Prado for class and on Friday the Congress building!
Hasta luego
On Monday, we visited the Royal Palace after class. It was so huge and awesome! We only saw 24 rooms but our tour guide says that there are hundreds in the palace. The Royal family of Spain doesn't actually live in the palace-and they haven't since the 1930's. When the European Union flag is hanging above the building that means that someone important is visiting and the public can't enter. Fortunately, it was a quiet day at the palace. Some of my favorite rooms were the dining room and the music room. Some of the finest instruments ever created are kept in that room...they are only played a few times a year! It would be so awesome to be present for one of those concerts. After the palace, we visited the armor museum (again, no pictures allowed) and the pharmacy from the 1700's. There were definitely some interesting medicines in the pharmacy-think millipedes and boric acid.
Monday night was also the soccer game--Spain vs. Croatia. I didn't feel like heading out again to watch the game so I decided to watch it at home. Fortunately my host parents had the same idea and provided quite the snack experience-popcorn (my first time since being in Spain!), chips, Doritos, and peanuts! We ate sandwiches during half-time which were delicious! Unfortunately, nothing happened until the last 2 minutes-fortunately Spain won!
Yesterday, Kelly and I decided to head out for a few hours before dinner. It rained for the first time since we have been in Madrid. It was more of a light sprinkle and felt really nice. I ended up getting a cafe con leche--and the milk was steamed! (Also a first since being in Spain). I really enjoyed it but regretted it slightly when I had a hard time sleeping last night. We also did a little bit of shopping around Sol as well.
Tomorrow we are heading to the Prado for class and on Friday the Congress building!
Hasta luego
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Soccer, museums, Toledo, shopping!
Thursday night, John, Kelly, the host parents and I went to a local bar to watch the football game. Watching the game is a social event and everyone heads out to take part in the experience. We went to a bar called "El Rey de Las Tapas" (The King of Tapas). Luis had reserved a table so we had a good seat outside to watch the game. A couple of friends of Luis and Maria also joined us. The tapas were very tasty--we tried a lot of things! My favorite was huevos rotos (broken eggs): it consisted of french fries, fried eggs, and ham all mixed up. The other cool thing was that there was a person on site who was slicing ham to eat. Ham in Spain is a specialty and it is NOTHING like the ham in the states. It was very thin and delicious! Spain also won which was very nice:) I posted a few pictures up on Facebook of the fun experience.
On Friday, Kelly and I decided to head to an art museum that is not included in our tour. It's called the "Thyssen-Bornesmiza Museum." In Madrid, the golden triangle of art museums consists of the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen. We visit the Prado every Thursday and are visiting the Reina Sofia later in the month so we figured we needed to get the whole picture. Our host mom told us it wasn't a very big museum so we would only need a few hours. There was so many different types of art! The biggest feature of the museum was their collection of Dutch art. We also saw some art that we recognized--Goya, El Greco, Van Gogh, Tintoretto, Tiziano, Picasso, etc...I really liked this museum because it had a lot of artists that you wouldn't see in the Prado. The art after the 1850's was very interesting and it was a little bit abstract--especially the 20th century art.
Saturday was another excursion day for us. We got up early to take the bus to Toledo-a city that is about an hour south of Madrid. We knew it was going to be a hot day and indeed it was! Toledo is a cool city because Christians, Jews, and Muslims have all lived in the city throughout history. We visited an old mosque that was later turned into a church (a fairly common practice). We also visited one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Spain as well. It was cool to see the way the cathedral changed throughout time. After the church tour, we visited the site of the Greco's painting of "El entierro del conde del Orgaz." I was really excited to see it in person since we had talked about it so much in class. I was surprised that it wasn't bigger than what it was. The tour then continued to a site that used to be Roman baths that was later converted into a Jewish synagogue that was later converted into a church then into a center for persons escaping prostitution to a museum! phew! Apparently the multipurpose building is quite common in Toledo. By this time everyone was tired and hot and ready for lunch. Fortunately our host mom packed us a huge lunch that was delicious (as always)! When we were done eating, some of the guys in the group wanted to go buy a sword. Kelly and I decided to pass and instead bought some famous cookies (toledanas) from a pastry shop. Yum! We got on the bus and got back to Madrid--I called it an early night!
Today has already been eventful and we haven't even eaten lunch yet! We decided to go visit El Rastro which is one of the largest flea markets in Europe! We weren't quite sure what to expect--only that we needed to go early to beat the crowds. When we got there at 10 the market had only been open for an hour and there were already a lot of people. Basically they close off an entire street and vendors just line the entire street. Everywhere you looked there was another booth of things to buy. There was literally everything under the sun--from underwear to jewelry to soccer paraphernalia to authentic fans. The best part? The prices are low and it's easy to get a good bargain! I got almost all of my shopping done for people which was really nice. I also bought myself a Real Madrid scarf to hang in my room.
Tomorrow we are going to visit the Royal Palace after class and on Friday we will be visiting the Congress. It's going to be another busy week!
On Friday, Kelly and I decided to head to an art museum that is not included in our tour. It's called the "Thyssen-Bornesmiza Museum." In Madrid, the golden triangle of art museums consists of the Prado, the Reina Sofia and the Thyssen. We visit the Prado every Thursday and are visiting the Reina Sofia later in the month so we figured we needed to get the whole picture. Our host mom told us it wasn't a very big museum so we would only need a few hours. There was so many different types of art! The biggest feature of the museum was their collection of Dutch art. We also saw some art that we recognized--Goya, El Greco, Van Gogh, Tintoretto, Tiziano, Picasso, etc...I really liked this museum because it had a lot of artists that you wouldn't see in the Prado. The art after the 1850's was very interesting and it was a little bit abstract--especially the 20th century art.
Saturday was another excursion day for us. We got up early to take the bus to Toledo-a city that is about an hour south of Madrid. We knew it was going to be a hot day and indeed it was! Toledo is a cool city because Christians, Jews, and Muslims have all lived in the city throughout history. We visited an old mosque that was later turned into a church (a fairly common practice). We also visited one of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Spain as well. It was cool to see the way the cathedral changed throughout time. After the church tour, we visited the site of the Greco's painting of "El entierro del conde del Orgaz." I was really excited to see it in person since we had talked about it so much in class. I was surprised that it wasn't bigger than what it was. The tour then continued to a site that used to be Roman baths that was later converted into a Jewish synagogue that was later converted into a church then into a center for persons escaping prostitution to a museum! phew! Apparently the multipurpose building is quite common in Toledo. By this time everyone was tired and hot and ready for lunch. Fortunately our host mom packed us a huge lunch that was delicious (as always)! When we were done eating, some of the guys in the group wanted to go buy a sword. Kelly and I decided to pass and instead bought some famous cookies (toledanas) from a pastry shop. Yum! We got on the bus and got back to Madrid--I called it an early night!
Today has already been eventful and we haven't even eaten lunch yet! We decided to go visit El Rastro which is one of the largest flea markets in Europe! We weren't quite sure what to expect--only that we needed to go early to beat the crowds. When we got there at 10 the market had only been open for an hour and there were already a lot of people. Basically they close off an entire street and vendors just line the entire street. Everywhere you looked there was another booth of things to buy. There was literally everything under the sun--from underwear to jewelry to soccer paraphernalia to authentic fans. The best part? The prices are low and it's easy to get a good bargain! I got almost all of my shopping done for people which was really nice. I also bought myself a Real Madrid scarf to hang in my room.
Tomorrow we are going to visit the Royal Palace after class and on Friday we will be visiting the Congress. It's going to be another busy week!
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
Tapas and San Antonio
Wow! What a crazy last few days it has been! On Sunday I went to Mass with Elizabeth and afterwards we made brownies for our host family. They loved them and I didn't mind eating one myself :) We had to take a picture of tapas for our class so our host dad (Luis) decided to make us some. Apparently he is the "king of tapas." Everything was so delicious, but I did not try the tapa with anchovies. Someday maybe...
Monday was a fairly chill day. We got back from class and just hung around the house. Kelly needed to go to the pharmacy so we ventured out that way. The pharmacies are very different than in the States! They aren't very good and almost all of the products are behind the counter. Fortunately the pharmacist was very helpful even though they didn't have what we were looking for.
Yesterday we had to work on our tapas presentation in class today. After the siesta we went to three different stores to buy the ingredients. One of the stores was the open market which is quite the experience! There is a very strong smell since there are butchers everywhere! I saw more fish than I cared to see and there were also rabbits :( We also went to a store that only sold frozen items! I really wanted to buy some ice-cream but decided not to. When we got back to the house we got to working on making our tapas. Kelly and I made empanadillas con atun (it's tuna that is put inside this shell that you bake). It's kind of hard to explain but it was delicious! The other students made a sausage that was soaked in cider and also a seafood mix.
Today we took all of our tapas to class to present.When it was time for our break, we tried everyone's tapas! They were so delicious! I even ate a mussel that was stuffed with shrimp--it was definitely interesting! My favorite was croqueta con jamon...again, hard to explain but delicious! Unfortunately after eating all of that food none of us wanted to pay attention in art class. Our professors were kind enough to let us out 15 minutes early--I think they kind of gave up.
We had to eat a quick lunch after class because we had an excursion this afternoon. Maria makes some delicious sandwiches! Our excursion was "El Paseo de San Antonio de la Florida." San Antonio was a saint from Portugal in the Middle Ages. He resurrected a girl that had been shot to figure out who had killed her. The Spanish people were really impressed by him so they built a little church in honor of him. After two churches collapsed, the third one finally stayed up. Later they built a replica of the church and turned the old one into a museum. It's also the day of San Antonio today so a huge carnival has been going on all week. There were carnival rides and food everywhere.
One of the interesting things about San Antonio is that he is supposedly able to help girls find boyfriends. There is a fountain near the church that has pins in the bottom of it. You are supposed to stick your hand to the bottom and however many pins "stick" is the number of boyfriends you will have. There were a lot of people and I wasn't too interested in pricking myself so I didn't try it out.
Afterward, we went to the Bar Mingo because they have some famous cider from Andalusia. I tried it and I wasn't too impressed but everyone else thought it was delicious. It was really warm outside so we headed back home for the day. Now it's about time for some delicious dinner!
Hasta luego!
Monday was a fairly chill day. We got back from class and just hung around the house. Kelly needed to go to the pharmacy so we ventured out that way. The pharmacies are very different than in the States! They aren't very good and almost all of the products are behind the counter. Fortunately the pharmacist was very helpful even though they didn't have what we were looking for.
Yesterday we had to work on our tapas presentation in class today. After the siesta we went to three different stores to buy the ingredients. One of the stores was the open market which is quite the experience! There is a very strong smell since there are butchers everywhere! I saw more fish than I cared to see and there were also rabbits :( We also went to a store that only sold frozen items! I really wanted to buy some ice-cream but decided not to. When we got back to the house we got to working on making our tapas. Kelly and I made empanadillas con atun (it's tuna that is put inside this shell that you bake). It's kind of hard to explain but it was delicious! The other students made a sausage that was soaked in cider and also a seafood mix.
Today we took all of our tapas to class to present.When it was time for our break, we tried everyone's tapas! They were so delicious! I even ate a mussel that was stuffed with shrimp--it was definitely interesting! My favorite was croqueta con jamon...again, hard to explain but delicious! Unfortunately after eating all of that food none of us wanted to pay attention in art class. Our professors were kind enough to let us out 15 minutes early--I think they kind of gave up.
We had to eat a quick lunch after class because we had an excursion this afternoon. Maria makes some delicious sandwiches! Our excursion was "El Paseo de San Antonio de la Florida." San Antonio was a saint from Portugal in the Middle Ages. He resurrected a girl that had been shot to figure out who had killed her. The Spanish people were really impressed by him so they built a little church in honor of him. After two churches collapsed, the third one finally stayed up. Later they built a replica of the church and turned the old one into a museum. It's also the day of San Antonio today so a huge carnival has been going on all week. There were carnival rides and food everywhere.
One of the interesting things about San Antonio is that he is supposedly able to help girls find boyfriends. There is a fountain near the church that has pins in the bottom of it. You are supposed to stick your hand to the bottom and however many pins "stick" is the number of boyfriends you will have. There were a lot of people and I wasn't too interested in pricking myself so I didn't try it out.
Afterward, we went to the Bar Mingo because they have some famous cider from Andalusia. I tried it and I wasn't too impressed but everyone else thought it was delicious. It was really warm outside so we headed back home for the day. Now it's about time for some delicious dinner!
Hasta luego!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Segovia
I had SO MUCH FUN in Segovia today!
We had to get up super early (6:30) but it was totally worth it! It
only took us about an hour to get to the city and I slept for most of
the trip. When we got there we stopped for breakfast at this cafe that
was right by the aqueduct. Of course, we had to take a lot of pictures
After that, we started walking....a lot. Fortunately the city is fairly
small so it wasn't too bad. We visited a small plaza that is very famous
because a lot of the Royals like to go there. Also, I think that the
battle of the communities started there as well. After we visited there,
we went to the castle! IT IS AWESOME AND HUGE! We walked around and saw
where the Catholic King/Queen (Isabel and Ferdinand) ruled. There were
also some great views of the city as well. When we finished, we started
walking back to the main square. We visited the last Gothic style
cathedral to be built in Spain-also huge and beautiful. Unfortunately,
we couldn't take pictures inside. I can understand why but I was kind of
sad because I really wanted to! It was so gorgeous! By that time it was
almost 1:30 so we stopped for some lunch (our host mom packed us
sandwiches and apples). Later, Todd wanted to visit this pastry shop-we
met a couple from Texas there as well. We also went to a cafe and I
tried horchata-my host parents are always raving about it. It was gross.
Next, we walked back to the aqueduct to take some more pictures from near the top. We had to meet up with the bus at 3:30 so we headed there afterwards. We went to a park where you could see the back of the castle and took-more pictures! We also walked around the escape exit from the moat! Pretty nifty! Then, we went to this cathedral that supposedly has a piece of wood from the cross. It was interesting because apparently there are graves (?!) underneath it and some of the white stones around it are not stone but bone (ick!). Also, there is a story that the army used to hide their arms upstairs in the cathedral back in the day. One night, a guy died so they put him in the church until the next morning when they could bury him. However, overnight some huge birds came and ate his body. So now they are very protective about birds. It was weird! The other weird thing is that apparently water runs underneath the church and has magical powers. You can stand in the middle of the church and feel this "power." I don't know. It was weird.
I loved Segovia so much! It was a quiet little city and it was a lot different from Madrid. It was nice to get away from the big city for a day and enjoy the quieter life. There were a lot of tourists there which was a bummer, but it wasn't too bad. I could definitely go back! I took over 200 pictures today-it was a good feeling. I am loving my parent's digital because it is small and takes great pictures but I am missing my Nikon that is state-side.
Next, we walked back to the aqueduct to take some more pictures from near the top. We had to meet up with the bus at 3:30 so we headed there afterwards. We went to a park where you could see the back of the castle and took-more pictures! We also walked around the escape exit from the moat! Pretty nifty! Then, we went to this cathedral that supposedly has a piece of wood from the cross. It was interesting because apparently there are graves (?!) underneath it and some of the white stones around it are not stone but bone (ick!). Also, there is a story that the army used to hide their arms upstairs in the cathedral back in the day. One night, a guy died so they put him in the church until the next morning when they could bury him. However, overnight some huge birds came and ate his body. So now they are very protective about birds. It was weird! The other weird thing is that apparently water runs underneath the church and has magical powers. You can stand in the middle of the church and feel this "power." I don't know. It was weird.
I loved Segovia so much! It was a quiet little city and it was a lot different from Madrid. It was nice to get away from the big city for a day and enjoy the quieter life. There were a lot of tourists there which was a bummer, but it wasn't too bad. I could definitely go back! I took over 200 pictures today-it was a good feeling. I am loving my parent's digital because it is small and takes great pictures but I am missing my Nikon that is state-side.
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Thankfulness
Before I came to Spain, I was worried that I was going to slack off in my faith. That being in a different country was going to affect my patterns of relating with God. And in a way, it has. In a good way!
Last Sunday, I went to Mass for the first time in years (10+, I am not Catholic). And while I couldn't understand most of what the Priest was saying, God's presence was so real. Instead of being hung up on "oh I don't like this music" or "what is HE WEARING?! (I must admit, that is a thought sometimes)" I was focused on God. Before the service started and during the time of Communion (which I was not able to take part in), I was FINALLY able to still my heart before God. Let me just say, it was a good feeling.
I have also been working on studying the book of 1&2 Thessalonians. I am doing an inductive study on them and it has been really informative. I am working on a chapter each week that I am in Spain and then when I am back home. I chose these books because I a. haven't studied them before and b. didn't know much about them. By reading through them I am really able gain new truths about Christ and how to apply them. When I am not reading out of that book, I read Proverbs every morning (my favorite way to start the day).
In addition, Corey and I are working through a book for newly engaged couples. It's kind of our way of staying connected although we are apart. I read the second chapter that was all about your thought life and how your past memories can affect your present day. I often struggle with letting go of the past and learning to live in the present. By reading through this chapter, I realized that I was allowing myself to be held captive by my negative, self-defeating thoughts. Even though Christ died for my sins and my faults, I fail to give him control over this area of my life. By releasing them to Him, I can truly be free! And that is a good feeling.
I just needed to get these thoughts of my head so I can look back and see where I have been and where I am going. I am so grateful that God has given me this opportunity to study in Spain but also to connect with Him in a very real way.
Last Sunday, I went to Mass for the first time in years (10+, I am not Catholic). And while I couldn't understand most of what the Priest was saying, God's presence was so real. Instead of being hung up on "oh I don't like this music" or "what is HE WEARING?! (I must admit, that is a thought sometimes)" I was focused on God. Before the service started and during the time of Communion (which I was not able to take part in), I was FINALLY able to still my heart before God. Let me just say, it was a good feeling.
I have also been working on studying the book of 1&2 Thessalonians. I am doing an inductive study on them and it has been really informative. I am working on a chapter each week that I am in Spain and then when I am back home. I chose these books because I a. haven't studied them before and b. didn't know much about them. By reading through them I am really able gain new truths about Christ and how to apply them. When I am not reading out of that book, I read Proverbs every morning (my favorite way to start the day).
In addition, Corey and I are working through a book for newly engaged couples. It's kind of our way of staying connected although we are apart. I read the second chapter that was all about your thought life and how your past memories can affect your present day. I often struggle with letting go of the past and learning to live in the present. By reading through this chapter, I realized that I was allowing myself to be held captive by my negative, self-defeating thoughts. Even though Christ died for my sins and my faults, I fail to give him control over this area of my life. By releasing them to Him, I can truly be free! And that is a good feeling.
I just needed to get these thoughts of my head so I can look back and see where I have been and where I am going. I am so grateful that God has given me this opportunity to study in Spain but also to connect with Him in a very real way.
Comida Basura
I know that it has been 3 days since I last blogged and I have kind of been slacking on keeping in contact with people-my apologies. I am going to blame the heat for frying my brain :) Fortunately, the temperature has dropped about 15 degrees so it is gorgeous (and windy!) outside right now!
On Tuesday, we took a walking tour of the central part of Spain. It was a good tour, despite the raging sun during the hottest part of the day and the 93 degrees outside. There were some other students there as well which was a lot of fun! We saw the part of the town where the Royals lived when the Austrians were in power (For funsies someday you should look up the history of the Spanish Monarchy. It's quite fascinating!). After having such a long walk, I didn't really feel like doing much of anything else. I am not sure if I did or not :)
Yesterday, we didn't have any excursions planned. After a large lunch of potato soup and for the second course, fish, we took a well-deserved siesta. I never mean to fall asleep, but it always seems to happen. A big group of us went down to the Puerta del Sol and walked around (Fun fact: This place got its name because in the day, the city used to be a lot smaller. This was the edge of the city where the fortress was. On the door was painted a sun!) We got some ice-cream which was delicious! Some days, you just need some ice-cream! We went to the Cortes Ingles (a huge department store in Spain. There are books, electronics, home goods, clothes, and a grocery!) and then watched a street magician. For dinner, Maria made us pizza-Spanish style. One was carbonara and the other was barbeque. Yummy! Although, today she informed us that pizza is comida basura (trash food-translation: junk food).
Today was our first visit to the Museo del Prado. Instead of having our normal art class, we went to the museum to see the paintings we had been talking about in class. The museum is gigantic! We had a little bit of difficulty trying to find it, but we eventually did. The whole area was beautiful and I wish I would have had my camera with me. Tomorrow I will! We went to go look at the paintings of El Greco. Almost all of his artwork is religious paintings from the 16th century. In person they are so impressive! It is hard to imagine how someone could be that talented and paint something so huge! Tomorrow we are going back with the entire group to take a general visit of the museum. After walking around the museum, we were very hungry! For lunch today we had meat that was made with Coca-Cola sauce...it was really good, but different. There was also tomatoes and onions with it. In addition, we ate some potatoes (I am not sure how this qualifies as "healthy" food but it didn't receive a comida basura label).
Tomorrow, a lady from another exchange program is coming to check out the house to see if they would be interested in using Maria and Luis in the future. I should probably pick up my room a little bit before then :)
Hasta luego!
On Tuesday, we took a walking tour of the central part of Spain. It was a good tour, despite the raging sun during the hottest part of the day and the 93 degrees outside. There were some other students there as well which was a lot of fun! We saw the part of the town where the Royals lived when the Austrians were in power (For funsies someday you should look up the history of the Spanish Monarchy. It's quite fascinating!). After having such a long walk, I didn't really feel like doing much of anything else. I am not sure if I did or not :)
Yesterday, we didn't have any excursions planned. After a large lunch of potato soup and for the second course, fish, we took a well-deserved siesta. I never mean to fall asleep, but it always seems to happen. A big group of us went down to the Puerta del Sol and walked around (Fun fact: This place got its name because in the day, the city used to be a lot smaller. This was the edge of the city where the fortress was. On the door was painted a sun!) We got some ice-cream which was delicious! Some days, you just need some ice-cream! We went to the Cortes Ingles (a huge department store in Spain. There are books, electronics, home goods, clothes, and a grocery!) and then watched a street magician. For dinner, Maria made us pizza-Spanish style. One was carbonara and the other was barbeque. Yummy! Although, today she informed us that pizza is comida basura (trash food-translation: junk food).
Today was our first visit to the Museo del Prado. Instead of having our normal art class, we went to the museum to see the paintings we had been talking about in class. The museum is gigantic! We had a little bit of difficulty trying to find it, but we eventually did. The whole area was beautiful and I wish I would have had my camera with me. Tomorrow I will! We went to go look at the paintings of El Greco. Almost all of his artwork is religious paintings from the 16th century. In person they are so impressive! It is hard to imagine how someone could be that talented and paint something so huge! Tomorrow we are going back with the entire group to take a general visit of the museum. After walking around the museum, we were very hungry! For lunch today we had meat that was made with Coca-Cola sauce...it was really good, but different. There was also tomatoes and onions with it. In addition, we ate some potatoes (I am not sure how this qualifies as "healthy" food but it didn't receive a comida basura label).
Tomorrow, a lady from another exchange program is coming to check out the house to see if they would be interested in using Maria and Luis in the future. I should probably pick up my room a little bit before then :)
Hasta luego!
Monday, June 4, 2012
El Corazon Classic
Last night, I went to my first ever professional soccer game! Former players from Real Madrid and Manchester United came together in a friendly match to raise money for Africa. Getting to the game was a bit of a problem because we left the house a little bit later than we wanted. We missed the first train because it was so full of people that no one could get on (also, a mini fight had just broken out on the train). We managed to get in the next train, although we were squished like sardines. Fortunately, we only had to ride that way for one stop and then we were at the stadium.
The stadium was huge and we were near the top of the stands. Fortunately we were in a part that had an awning so we were in the shade. At the beginning, people came in on parachutes carrying the various flags. It was a lot of fun to see! Next, they introduced all of the players (none of whom I was familiar with). The game was a lot of fun to watch even though everyone looked like ants. Real Madrid won, but we didn't stay until the end of the game. All of the players were really friendly to each other and seemed genuinely sorry if they knocked the other player down. I was really glad that I was able to go (Sorry, there are no pictures from the event. I was afraid to take my camera).
Afterwards, we came back to the house to eat dinner. We had chicken fajitas that were delicious! I probably ate a little bit too much before bedtime, but oh well! We talked to for a little bit and had a really nice time.
Today we are all just hanging around the house working on our studies. All of us are fairly tired from the past weekend and didn't feel like doing much of anything. Tomorrow we are taking a walking tour of the city which should be a lot of fun.
Hasta luego!
The stadium was huge and we were near the top of the stands. Fortunately we were in a part that had an awning so we were in the shade. At the beginning, people came in on parachutes carrying the various flags. It was a lot of fun to see! Next, they introduced all of the players (none of whom I was familiar with). The game was a lot of fun to watch even though everyone looked like ants. Real Madrid won, but we didn't stay until the end of the game. All of the players were really friendly to each other and seemed genuinely sorry if they knocked the other player down. I was really glad that I was able to go (Sorry, there are no pictures from the event. I was afraid to take my camera).
Afterwards, we came back to the house to eat dinner. We had chicken fajitas that were delicious! I probably ate a little bit too much before bedtime, but oh well! We talked to for a little bit and had a really nice time.
Today we are all just hanging around the house working on our studies. All of us are fairly tired from the past weekend and didn't feel like doing much of anything. Tomorrow we are taking a walking tour of the city which should be a lot of fun.
Hasta luego!
Sunday, June 3, 2012
Sunday morning
Today I went to Catholic Mass here in Spain. I haven't been in probably a good 10 years, and that was for a Confirmation service. I was really confused the whole time, so I just kind of looked around to see what was going on. In Spain, it is mostly just old people and immigrants from Latin America that go to Mass. Almost no young people go anymore because the Church fell out of favor when Franco died (During his reign, the only religion allowed was the Catholic Church). The service was also very short, only 35 minutes (which really surprised me). Although I did have a hard time understanding what the Priest was saying, I still enjoyed going.
Today we are going to have Paella for lunch ( a traditional Spanish food) and then it is time for the soccer game!!!
Today we are going to have Paella for lunch ( a traditional Spanish food) and then it is time for the soccer game!!!
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Marcados y IKEA
Hola hola! It is still warm here in Spain, but it is more breezy today. I think there is a good chance that it is going to rain later.
Yesterday, we didn't have school because it was Friday. John and I visited a "mall" that was about 20 minutes away from the house. It was really interesting to see all of the stores that were in the mall. There was a supermarket that had 2 stories worth of goods! There were also some stores that are also in the States like H&M and Hallmark (interesting...) After that, we returned to the house because it was really hot and I just wanted to sleep. We had stuffed eggplant for lunch which was very delicious!
In the evening, we went to a bar called Blanca Paloma that wasn't too far from the house. (Side note: In Spain, bars are not places where people get drunk. They are more like places where people get together to eat appetizers, have a drink and socialize. There are bars everywhere!) There were other Madrilenos there that were trying to learn English. We would talk for 15 minutes in Spanish and then 15 minutes in English. It was an interesting experience...there were a lot of people so it was really hot and really loud. I did enjoy the opportunity to talk to other Spaniards though and I might go back another time. We ate some tapas (appetizers) while we were there as well.
After that, I got back to the house and was able to Skype with my family :) It was kind of late for me, but it was well worth it since I haven't talked to them since I left the States (with the exception of my mom. She has received some emergency phone calls)
Today, Luis and Maria needed to go to IKEA to buy a few things for the house. What an amazing store! I have never been before and I was amazed about everything! Anything you could ever want to buy you can! Maria was getting mad at Luis because he wanted to buy everything, even things that they didn't need. It was kind of comical. :)
After we got done at IKEA, we visited a local market. The market is much different than the supermarkets in the States. There are little places to buy fruit, meat, seafood, etc. You pay the person at each stand. It was a little disconcerting to see an octopus at the seafood stand! We went to another small store to buy things for chocolate chip cookies! (We are going to attempt making them here. It should be interesting because they don't have baking soda or vanilla extract (it's more of a cream). I am excited for this baking adventure!
Tomorrow, a football game and then it is off to classes again!
Hasta luego!
Yesterday, we didn't have school because it was Friday. John and I visited a "mall" that was about 20 minutes away from the house. It was really interesting to see all of the stores that were in the mall. There was a supermarket that had 2 stories worth of goods! There were also some stores that are also in the States like H&M and Hallmark (interesting...) After that, we returned to the house because it was really hot and I just wanted to sleep. We had stuffed eggplant for lunch which was very delicious!
In the evening, we went to a bar called Blanca Paloma that wasn't too far from the house. (Side note: In Spain, bars are not places where people get drunk. They are more like places where people get together to eat appetizers, have a drink and socialize. There are bars everywhere!) There were other Madrilenos there that were trying to learn English. We would talk for 15 minutes in Spanish and then 15 minutes in English. It was an interesting experience...there were a lot of people so it was really hot and really loud. I did enjoy the opportunity to talk to other Spaniards though and I might go back another time. We ate some tapas (appetizers) while we were there as well.
After that, I got back to the house and was able to Skype with my family :) It was kind of late for me, but it was well worth it since I haven't talked to them since I left the States (with the exception of my mom. She has received some emergency phone calls)
Today, Luis and Maria needed to go to IKEA to buy a few things for the house. What an amazing store! I have never been before and I was amazed about everything! Anything you could ever want to buy you can! Maria was getting mad at Luis because he wanted to buy everything, even things that they didn't need. It was kind of comical. :)
After we got done at IKEA, we visited a local market. The market is much different than the supermarkets in the States. There are little places to buy fruit, meat, seafood, etc. You pay the person at each stand. It was a little disconcerting to see an octopus at the seafood stand! We went to another small store to buy things for chocolate chip cookies! (We are going to attempt making them here. It should be interesting because they don't have baking soda or vanilla extract (it's more of a cream). I am excited for this baking adventure!
Tomorrow, a football game and then it is off to classes again!
Hasta luego!
Friday, June 1, 2012
Some observations
During my one week (not even) I have noticed some interesting things that are different in Spain from the United States.
- As I mentioned earlier, the dress is very different. Women usually wear jeans or a dress every day. Shorts are not very common for the women. Also, a lot of women will wear heels everywhere.
- PDA is not a problem here. Many times there are couples making out in the Metro. No one thinks twice about it.
- Students are much more respectful of their professors in class. We aren't supposed to eat, drink or talk during class (probably good rules anyway).
- My host mom has taught me a lot about food customs here. She says that it is bad to eat only 3 meals a day. If you wait too long then you will be ravenous and eat too quickly. Instead, she recommends eating a small meal in between breakfast and lunch and between lunch and dinner.
- The other thing I learned is that there is a perception that air conditioning is bad for your health.
- There are dogs everywhere! People like to take their dogs for walks, without leashes! Fortunately most of the dogs are friendly and well-behaved
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Cafe con leche
Today it is hot. Unusually hot. It is 95 degrees right now, fortunately without humidity. While I do enjoy a warm day, it is rather uncomfortable to be walking around outside. My host mom says that it usually is not this warm until the end of July or beginning of August. What intrigues me the most is that the women always wear jeans. Skinny jeans. I have only seen a handful of women who are in shorts, and I am not sure if they were actually from Spain or if they were tourists. If a woman is not wearing jeans, then it is a skirt or a dress. I do wish to fit in with the crowd, but I don't think jeans are going to happen on a day like today :)
Yesterday was a fairly normal day with classes. A lot of it is reviewing Spanish history, the Monarchy, etc. I enjoy the history part a lot and I understand most of what the professors are saying. I have my first class for 2 hours (with 2 professors) and then we have a half-hour break. I usually eat a piece of fruit during my break because breakfast and lunch are about 8 hours apart. After the break, I have my second class for 2 hours (over art). We also have two professors in that class, both named Marisa. It's a running joke that their names are the same. (I just realized that I posted about yesterday already... :)
I had to run around the city trying to find an ATM yesterday. My card wouldn't work in the Metro and I was worried that I wasn't going to have any money. Fortunately, it was only a problem with the Metro machine and I was able to get a little bit of cash. The exchange rate dropped again...which is good for me. Unfortunately, the euro is still worth more than the dollar so it is still a bit expensive.
After my ATM adventure, I went on a walk with my host mom. We drove a short distance outside of the city to visit where Francisco Franco used to live. His palace was HUGE and it was surrounded by the barracks of the former guard. It is hard to believe that only 40 years ago, Spain was a dictatorship. We then took a walk through the woods. It was really beautiful and nothing like the "city" of Madrid. I like exploring these places that are tucked away and different from the normal.
Today was the last day of class for the week. I am looking forward to being able to sleep in tomorrow! This afternoon, I met up with another student from Purdue who is in Spain for the semester. We had a cafe con leche and talked about things to see in Spain. It's crazy that even though I am over 3000 miles away from Purdue, there are still Purdue people around (outside of our group).
And to end..we had the most fantastic lunch today! it started out with cooked green beans with potatoes and carrots. I thought that was going to be it, but then we had fish with salsa verde. Oh. My. Goodness. It was so delicious!!! The fish was tender and the salsa (sauce) was wonderful! Of course, we had some bread with it as well. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and I definitely think I will be good until dinner around 9:30.
Hasta luego!
Yesterday was a fairly normal day with classes. A lot of it is reviewing Spanish history, the Monarchy, etc. I enjoy the history part a lot and I understand most of what the professors are saying. I have my first class for 2 hours (with 2 professors) and then we have a half-hour break. I usually eat a piece of fruit during my break because breakfast and lunch are about 8 hours apart. After the break, I have my second class for 2 hours (over art). We also have two professors in that class, both named Marisa. It's a running joke that their names are the same. (I just realized that I posted about yesterday already... :)
I had to run around the city trying to find an ATM yesterday. My card wouldn't work in the Metro and I was worried that I wasn't going to have any money. Fortunately, it was only a problem with the Metro machine and I was able to get a little bit of cash. The exchange rate dropped again...which is good for me. Unfortunately, the euro is still worth more than the dollar so it is still a bit expensive.
After my ATM adventure, I went on a walk with my host mom. We drove a short distance outside of the city to visit where Francisco Franco used to live. His palace was HUGE and it was surrounded by the barracks of the former guard. It is hard to believe that only 40 years ago, Spain was a dictatorship. We then took a walk through the woods. It was really beautiful and nothing like the "city" of Madrid. I like exploring these places that are tucked away and different from the normal.
Today was the last day of class for the week. I am looking forward to being able to sleep in tomorrow! This afternoon, I met up with another student from Purdue who is in Spain for the semester. We had a cafe con leche and talked about things to see in Spain. It's crazy that even though I am over 3000 miles away from Purdue, there are still Purdue people around (outside of our group).
And to end..we had the most fantastic lunch today! it started out with cooked green beans with potatoes and carrots. I thought that was going to be it, but then we had fish with salsa verde. Oh. My. Goodness. It was so delicious!!! The fish was tender and the salsa (sauce) was wonderful! Of course, we had some bread with it as well. Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and I definitely think I will be good until dinner around 9:30.
Hasta luego!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Puerta de Sol
I have now survived my second day of classes! I really enjoy my Spanish Culture class...my art class, not so much. It's basically just an art history class and it is difficult to understand all of the terminology. We don't have too much homework which is nice, although we do have a final project in both of my classes.
Last night, I went on a walking tour downtown with some fellow group members. We met in Puerta del Sol which is the hub of Madrid life. There were a lot of people (and tourists) which meant that we had to be careful because there was bound to be a lot of pickpocketers. The Metro that we came out of looked like a big fish bubble-it was awesome! After we met up, we headed to the Plaza Mayor which is a huge open space without traffic. During the Inquisition, they killed people in the square...now it is more peaceful with shops lining it and cafes. We walked along the streets and saw many local sights (see the pictures on Facebook). There are lots of statues everywhere and also fountains. Our last stop was at the Royal Palace which we will be visiting later in the month with our group.
Today after class, I headed with the group to the futbol stadium to buy my ticket for the Corazon Classic on Sunday. It is a charity event for Africa in which former players from both Real Madrid and Manchester United (boo!) will be playing. I am excited to see some futbol action with my fellow travelers!! The Metro was a bit more difficult to navigate because we had to change lines 2 times and there were a lot of people! There were also moving sidewalks which are awesome when you have to go long distances.
Lunch today was great as always! We had a lentil soup that had potatoes, carrots, and sausage (I think...) in it. And of course, we ate bread with it! After not eating since breakfast and walking around the city I was ready for a big lunch. Dinner isn't usually until 9 or 9:30 and it is more of a snack. By the time we are done with dinner, I am ready for bed.
Last night, I went on a walking tour downtown with some fellow group members. We met in Puerta del Sol which is the hub of Madrid life. There were a lot of people (and tourists) which meant that we had to be careful because there was bound to be a lot of pickpocketers. The Metro that we came out of looked like a big fish bubble-it was awesome! After we met up, we headed to the Plaza Mayor which is a huge open space without traffic. During the Inquisition, they killed people in the square...now it is more peaceful with shops lining it and cafes. We walked along the streets and saw many local sights (see the pictures on Facebook). There are lots of statues everywhere and also fountains. Our last stop was at the Royal Palace which we will be visiting later in the month with our group.
Today after class, I headed with the group to the futbol stadium to buy my ticket for the Corazon Classic on Sunday. It is a charity event for Africa in which former players from both Real Madrid and Manchester United (boo!) will be playing. I am excited to see some futbol action with my fellow travelers!! The Metro was a bit more difficult to navigate because we had to change lines 2 times and there were a lot of people! There were also moving sidewalks which are awesome when you have to go long distances.
Lunch today was great as always! We had a lentil soup that had potatoes, carrots, and sausage (I think...) in it. And of course, we ate bread with it! After not eating since breakfast and walking around the city I was ready for a big lunch. Dinner isn't usually until 9 or 9:30 and it is more of a snack. By the time we are done with dinner, I am ready for bed.
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
The first days
I know that I haven't been very good at keeping a blog but I figured that I should at least try to keep one while I am in Spain...so here it goes.
On Saturday morning I got up very early to drive down to Indy with my family and Corey. I ate a HUGE BREAKFAST at Sara's which was delicious :) My flight left at 1:50 from Indianapolis and from there I ended up in Charlotte. There were about 9 other people in Charlotte from Purdue waiting to head to Madrid so we all hung out together. Our flight was delayed a little bit because one of the planes had lost its nose wheel in the middle taxi-way (it was a strange site, indeed). The flight was long and boring and I didn't sleep much. I had almost fallen back asleep when the flight attendants brought around breakfast which consisted of a muffin top and juice (I really wanted coffee, but I am terrified of the condition of the water on planes so I stuck to my juice).
When we arrived in the Madrid airport, everything was good. Customs were not difficult and we quickly found where the baggage claim was. I eagerly watched for my suitcase to come around, only to be disappointed. Somehow, my baggage did not make it. I talked to the people at the counter who said that the baggage man was lying and I needed to wait 5 more minutes. So, I waited 5 more minutes and still, no suitcase. I filled out the necessary paperwork and went to find my host mom.
My host mom's name is Maria and she is wonderful! She is so sweet and she was very helpful with getting me things I needed since I didn't have luggage. She lives with her husband in a nice little house in a quiet neighborhood. After she brought me to the house, she had to go get the other student, John. I slept a lot on Sunday and then Maria and I went on a walk through a park.
Monday was orientation day at the university! Maria helped John and I get to the university which was very nice because the Metro can be confusing. Fortunately, we don't have many stops to go through and it only takes about 15 minutes. Orientation was long but they gave us a lot of good tips and information. Afterwards, we had paella, gazpacho, and sangria! Yummy! Monday night, John and I visited Retiro Park. It is HUGE!! There is a big lake in the center that people can boat on and it was very nice. We got a little confused about where the Metro station was but we quickly found it. For dinner (around 9 PM here...) we had this lovely chicken! Afterwards, I was ready to sleep!
Classes are going well. I am in a culture class and also an art history class. We are going to visit an art museum once a week to help us gain a better appreciation for what we are learning in class. I am super excited!
Tonight I think a group of us are going to visit the center of Madrid which should be a lot of fun! There are so many things to do here!
On Saturday morning I got up very early to drive down to Indy with my family and Corey. I ate a HUGE BREAKFAST at Sara's which was delicious :) My flight left at 1:50 from Indianapolis and from there I ended up in Charlotte. There were about 9 other people in Charlotte from Purdue waiting to head to Madrid so we all hung out together. Our flight was delayed a little bit because one of the planes had lost its nose wheel in the middle taxi-way (it was a strange site, indeed). The flight was long and boring and I didn't sleep much. I had almost fallen back asleep when the flight attendants brought around breakfast which consisted of a muffin top and juice (I really wanted coffee, but I am terrified of the condition of the water on planes so I stuck to my juice).
When we arrived in the Madrid airport, everything was good. Customs were not difficult and we quickly found where the baggage claim was. I eagerly watched for my suitcase to come around, only to be disappointed. Somehow, my baggage did not make it. I talked to the people at the counter who said that the baggage man was lying and I needed to wait 5 more minutes. So, I waited 5 more minutes and still, no suitcase. I filled out the necessary paperwork and went to find my host mom.
My host mom's name is Maria and she is wonderful! She is so sweet and she was very helpful with getting me things I needed since I didn't have luggage. She lives with her husband in a nice little house in a quiet neighborhood. After she brought me to the house, she had to go get the other student, John. I slept a lot on Sunday and then Maria and I went on a walk through a park.
Monday was orientation day at the university! Maria helped John and I get to the university which was very nice because the Metro can be confusing. Fortunately, we don't have many stops to go through and it only takes about 15 minutes. Orientation was long but they gave us a lot of good tips and information. Afterwards, we had paella, gazpacho, and sangria! Yummy! Monday night, John and I visited Retiro Park. It is HUGE!! There is a big lake in the center that people can boat on and it was very nice. We got a little confused about where the Metro station was but we quickly found it. For dinner (around 9 PM here...) we had this lovely chicken! Afterwards, I was ready to sleep!
Classes are going well. I am in a culture class and also an art history class. We are going to visit an art museum once a week to help us gain a better appreciation for what we are learning in class. I am super excited!
Tonight I think a group of us are going to visit the center of Madrid which should be a lot of fun! There are so many things to do here!
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