Huelga: General Strike

Unemployment in Spain: 23%, or 5.5 million people.  Among the youth, unemployment is almost 50%. That includes my host father, who was a construction worker, and who now spends his days cleaning our apartment and watching television.  He collects money from the government every month in unemployment, but he would prefer to be working.  He explained, quite passionately over dinner Wednesday night, that the workers are going to lose their rights from the government.  His opinion of Spanish politicians is that they are out of touch with the citizens; he thinks it will take about 5 years before things turn around and the economy picks back up.  In the meantime, all we can do is wait.

On Thursday, March 29, a general strike was organized across the country in protest of the expected "impuestos," or taxes, that are going to come into affect after President Rajoy presents the 2012 budget.  The increased taxes come as Spain needs to reach certain "deficit targets" as established by the European Commission. 

Cerrado por Huelga: Closed for strike. 

As my professors explained, the protests were a way of people speaking out against the government and supporting the workers who are going to be affected.  Some teachers cancelled class, others did not.  At the end of my grammar class on Tuesday morning, my teacher explained about the strike that was going to happen and why.  As she lowered her voice and closed the door to the hallway, she told us that she was going to participate because she believed it was not fair that low-paid workers will be most affected; therefore class would be cancelled.

Peaceful protesters making their way up Gran Via

When I woke up Thursday morning (well, afternoon, since my 9am class was cancelled!), things seemed fairly normal.   The streets were a little bit dirtier than usual since nobody has cleaned the streets the night before, and there were huge garbage piles next to dumpsters since nobody has collected the trash.  I noticed there were stickers and signs on shop windows that read "HUELGA," meaning "strike" in Spanish.  Then after my afternoon classes, I noticed the major road by my house was closed off.  Policemen were directing traffic, and groups of people were in the streets.  I turned the corner and suddenly, much to my surprise, there was a huge mass of people carrying red banners, slowly making their way up Gran Via.  To be honest, it made me a bit nervous having heard that there were violent riots in Barcelona earlier that day.  My host mom had told me at lunch "you better not go and take pictures, it's dangerous and your camera will be broken!" Well, I took pictures anyway, and I was fine.

Normally the busiest intersection in the city, Plaza de Espana was blocked off and free from cars around 8:30 pm Thursday evening

How did this affect my friends?  I have a friend trying to fly out of Madrid to go back home to Japan, and he's still waiting for a flight out.  My roommate was supposed to go to Paris this weekend, but because there were no trains or buses to Madrid, she had to stay in Salamanca and will not be refunded for her ticket.  At Atocha, the major train station in Madrid, trains were blocked yesterday and nobody could leave. I have a friend from Italy coming to visit me today (Friday), and she couldn't get a morning train to Salamanca because the train was full and tickets were sold out; the trains are NEVER full.  It is because so many people were stuck yesterday and had to wait until today to leave Madrid.

To read more, watch this video on the BBC website, and read this article by the New York Times.

Today I kept finding little reminders about the day before. These are some of the stickers that still haven't been scraped away, and this is a brochure that my host dad let me read:

Oh, brother

It happened again. That horrible, terribly annoying feeling that comes and goes, like an uncontrollable mood swing: Homesickness.

It is one of those feelings that I KNOW is going to pass, but there is nothing I can do but wait it out.  That, and talk to friends about it and seek comfort in food and shopping. Except that I'm on a really tight budget now, so shopping is no longer an option.  *sigh*

I think this is what sparked it: I LOVED visiting the Netherlands last weekend.  So after getting back from Amsterdam, everything about Salamanca and Spain just bothered me.  Why, I do not know, because this is how it has been all along. But for whatever reason, it all hit me suddenly:  The food is all so b l a n d; my apartment is TEENY-tiny; I walk sooo much everyday just to get to and from class; it's not warm yet, but it's no longer winter; I haven't driven a car in 6 months; my classes are incredibly boring and not stimulating; I MISS MY FRIENDS AND FAMILY!!

I kept telling myself, 53 more days, 52 more days. 7 weeks to go, and it will be over in the blink of an eye.  What else can you tell yourself?  I hate counting down, but that was all I could think about.

This afternoon I got out of the most booooring class of all time and met up with friends in the plaza.  The sunny, sunny plaza, full of people and activity....but instead of making me happy, it bothered me it was so crowded.  Leaving the plaza to go to the river, I was telling a friend about how much I missed my home, and he said "whaddya mean? We are your family! This is your home!"  And that made me feel so much happier.  Lying out in the grass in the afternoon sun alongside the river while snacking on candy and chips: getting better.  Do good things happen in three's? Why, yes.  Because then a friend brought his friends fat, cuddly, grey cat down to the river, and I snuggled with the cat while sharing a bag of spicy Doritos with a friend.  Bliss.

Sad to leave, I had to pull myself away to go back to the plaza to meet with ISA. They offered to take us to see "Hugo" in theaters, and I hadn't seen a movie since my trip to London in December, so how could I say no?  A few girlfriends and I bought a box of popcorn, and as I slid on my black plastic 3D glasses, snuggled into the cushy seat as the lights dimmed, I knew I was going to be okay.

HOMESICKNESS OVERCOME.  Goodbye, see ya later.  I only have 7 weeks left, and there is still SO MUCH I would like to do in this awesome city/country/continent!

AMSTERDAM!

Amsterdam: the city of boat-lined canals, a multitude of restaurants and a variety of food, a destination for laid-back travelers come to enjoy the coffee, and where there are more bikes than there are people. That is a fact.

Here's how it went down: Took a 7am bus from Salamanca to Madrid-Barajas. That was rough, since Carrie and I didn’t really go to bed the night before, we simply took a short nap before a 6am wake up. Made it through security and caught a 1 pm plane from Madrid to Amsterdam. Met Carrie in the airport in Amsterdam since we were on different flights. 

Soon after realized my iPod touch was lost...drats. I called Carrie's hostel in Salamanca (didn’t have it, but they did have my shampoo); called the bus station (didn’t understand my Spanish); and tried calling the cab company (couldn’t find the phone number). Fail. Very frustrated. Because it has my music, email, internet, games, and notes (where I write thoughts, observations, etc), and keeps me entertained when I’m alone, it has been a travel essential. I figured, oh well, better to lose that than my computer, camera, passport. When traveling, I’ve learned it’s best to not get terribly upset when things go wrong, because that can easily ruin a weekend. And I was not about to let anything ruin my weekend in Amsterdam!

Took the train from the airport to Amsterdam Central Station. Took a 16 euro train the completely wrong direction. That was dumb. Retraced our steps and caught the tram (#2) to our hostel. “Amsterdam Hostel Leidseplein,” it was called, right around the corner the pancake house! Yum!

Friday night, Carrie and I enjoyed a cup of coffee from a coffeehouse by our hostel, and fell asleep early in the room, tired from all our traveling. I was supposed to meet my friend Anna that night, who had studied in Salamanca and is from nearby Amsterdam, but, stupid me, I was so tired I missed her phone calls! (No worries Anna, I am sure I will be back again someday!).

Woke up early Saturday morning, left Carrie a note to meet me later that afternoon, ate a toast and coffee breakfast downstairs in the kitchen with some Spaniards from the hostel, and set off. On a side note, I always love meeting Spaniards because it makes me realize how well I understand Spanish. As opposed to Dutch, which, as a guy I met called it, “jumbled English.” After breakfast, camera and notebook in hand, I wandered through a couple parks, admired all the people running and biking, took photos on the bridges over the canals, and eventually made my way to the Anne Frank museum.

The line for the museum was about 40 minutes long, the ticket cost 9 euro, but it was very much worth it. The apartment that hid Anne Frank and her family and friends was unfurnished and simple. On the walls were large quotes (in English), from the writings of Anne Frank. Most striking to me was the size of the apartment. In my middle school mind, when I read the book, I had imagined it as being extremely small, like my attic at home where you have to stay hunched over or crawl around on your knees. Rather, the annex that housed 8 people had multiple rooms with high ceilings, wooden floors, and windows (though they had to stay covered at all times).

Not to say that the accommodations were comfortable. To spend almost two years in that space with 8 people, I cannot imagine how frustrating that must have been!

That evening was another early night, since we wanted to wake up early and enjoy the city before leaving. But first we made sure to visit the Red Light District, a well known area of Amsterdam for prostitution.  We were told that there would be girls advertising themselves in shop windows.  I said, "I won't believe it until I see it!"  Well, I saw it alright.  Girls dancing and posing behind the glass of shop windows in just their underwear and bras while the people stroll by was most certainly a strange sight.  I remember one girl in particular; she must have been about my age, with a friend next to her, both posing practically naked. As I walked by, she stuck her head in the window next to hers and shared a joke with her friend, and they laughed, then went back to dancing.   I wondered to myself, "why are they there? Do they want to be there??"  Interestingly enough, I read that if one does chose to partake in this nighttime activity, that you should be sure to look for stickers on the windows stating that the girls are there by their own will and have not been exploited as part of illegal human trafficking.  

Later that night fell asleep to the soft snoring of my bunkmates...woke up, showered (in the disgusting shower, must remember to bring flip flops on my next trip!!).  After breakfast, we rented a couple bikes, found a coffee shop along the river, and started out our morning seeking adventure.  

Did I mention there are more bikes than people in the Netherlands?? That means that the city is extremely bike friendly.  Melissa, you would love it here! I saw all kinds of bikes: there were mothers with children on the handlebars, obviously confident in their bike riding ability; businessmen with briefcases slung over the back tire; children with adult-sized bikes they will soon grow into; teenagers listening to their ipods and texting on their cellphones while biking (!); tourists with two-man bikes, laughing and enjoying the city.  We saw it all, and it was beautiful.  

Sad to say goodbye to Amsterdam.  I realized, if I were to move back to Europe, I will go to northern Europe.  Don't get me wrong, I LOVE Spain. But not to live more than a few months.  I think I like the lifestyle of the Dutch and the Norwegians.... *sigh.*

Very much enjoyed my KLM flight home (despite being ipod-less).  Reaction to not flying ryanair/easyjet: You mean I get a free drink, two sandwiches, a cookie, and a second drink?! For FREE? You aren’t going to make me stuff my bag into the metal box to PROVE to you that it’s small enough and hassle me when it doesn’t fit perfectly? Ah, the advantages of classy airlines. Quite a plesant change! Worth the extra 50 euros I had to pay? Definitely not....but I didn't have any other choice since ryanair was sold out!!  Not worth 50 euro, but still quite enjoyable :)

Dear Amsterdam, I am sorry I ever doubted how awesome you would be. Turns out, I loved the culture and the people and the variety of FOOD, and especially the bridges that cross over the canals.  Waterways that connect the city, I was not expecting them to be so romantic and beautiful. I cannot forget to mention the houseboats that were along the sides of the canals. It’s hard for me to imagine, but people live in these small, one story barge-like homes, neighbors with the fish and boats that they share their backyard with! The language your people speak is beautiful; it makes absolutely no sense to me, but I love hearing it. I am sure I will return again soon, this time with more time, so I can see the countryside and gaze out at a field of tulips.

***iPod update, for those of you concerned about my IT well being: a woman from Madrid-Barajas emailed me this morning letting me know she has my ipod and will give it back to me next time I am at the airport. Random acts of kindness are the best :)

Here are some pictures from my trip:

Beautiful architecture 

See all the houseboats?!

Bikes everywhere!

People enjoying the warm afternoon along the canal

Carrie & I by the Anne Frank museum

Inspired by the bikers!

Woah, look it's Salamanca :) 

Vending machine where you can get FAST FOOD! Cool.

Evening reflections

About to enter the Red Light District

Italy or Amsterdam?  

The windmill, which we saw on our bike tour

Oh ya know, just biking around

San Sebastian

Finally, I made it to the north of Spain! I honestly never thought I would. Geographically and culturally different than the rest of Spain, the northern coast is a green, lush, mountainous landscape where (in certain parts) Basq is spoken and traditions and food are specific to the region.

When I was debating whether or not I should go, I decided that I would probably look back and kick myself for not going....and I figured I would rather spend my money on train tickets and food in San Sebastian than on clothes and food in Salamanca! My cousin Carrie arrived on March 16th from Florida, so wanting to show her more than just the flat plains of central Spain, we hopped on a train Saturday afternoon and began a 6 hour journey to San Sebastian. PLUS, I didn't have any school on Monday, so it just made sense.

An ariel view of San Sebastian

After a relaxing 6 hour train trip through the green hills and farmland, we arrived in time to see a beautiful sunset over the coast. Seeing the rolling hills of the north made me quite homesick for the nature and mountains of Vermont, my real home! Soon enough, I reminded myself. Because sooner than I realize, the moment that seems to last a lifetime will be a memory. That seems to be a common pattern of my travels so far.

After the sunset, we wandered through the old part of the city, and finally decided to get some of the famous "pintxos," or tapas, that San Sebastian is so well known for. The combination of the rich cheese and meats and fresh bread definitely exceeded my expectations.

For dinner, I reheated a ham and cheese sandwich that Montse had given me and boiled a little bit of rice, and for dessert, had an orange. Basic, but filling, and free! I had tried giving up bread for Lent, which had been going really well in Salamanca. That is, until I was faced with a decision: to take the free sandwiches from home, that my host mom made for me, or spend money on meals? I figured, waste not, want not. I caved in, and decided I would eat my 4 bocadillos in the interest of saving approximately 15 euros.

That night, Sunday night, I tried studying for my grammar exam before bed, but it proved to be impossible. I was way more interested in talking to the friendly German traveler sharing the room with us, who had walked down from France and was spending a few nights in Spain before heading back to France, then onto Germany via train. 2 weeks he was living out of his backpack and exploring; how lucky!

Spent Monday afternoon exploring the coastline while Carrie took a train up to France to get her much desired banana and nutella crepe. I stayed at the top of the hill where we parted, gazing out to the views of the ocean and landscape. Seeing the green rolling countryside against the turquoise water made me miss Vermont’s green mountains and Lake Champlain!!! I never thought I would write this, but

I am getting excited to go home.

I'm excited to be back in green, natural landscape, where there are lots of trees and forests and rivers and lakes! Anyways....

We met up that evening to watch the sunset together. It was beautiful, seeing the sun set into the blue ocean with the mountains in the distance, hugging the coast. It made me so nostalgic for...well, everything! Ireland, home, Michigan, Florida...all places where I have seen magnificent sunsets. To kill time after the sunset and before our overnight train back to Salamanca, Carrie and I spent the evening in a wifi-cafe where we shared a salad, pasta, and a hamburger. I tried eating my 2 day old salami sandwich...but it was bit sticky and squished at that point. After a couple bites in, I decided “not worth it!!” So I splurged and got a hamburger! Sad to leave San Sebastian, we got on a 10:30 pm train back to Salamanca. I slept like a baby, with earplugs, an eye mask, and neck pillow. At 4:15 am our train pulled into the station 15 minutes earlier than scheduled, I was shaken awake, grabbed my bag, and stumbled out of the station.

You might be curious as to how my exam went the next morning? Rough, but I managed. At the end of the day, travel is always worth it!

Beautiful landscapes from the window of the train.

Really excited to see Warren Miller art in a San Sebastian cafe. See the shape of Vermont in the cow? Trademark of his artwork. Oh Vermont, how I miss you!!!

Old, narrow streets of San Sebastian at dusk

Pinxtos of San Sebastian

Despite the cold wind, we very much enjoyed the views.

The basic, but very clean kitchen, in our hostel

My faithful boots, which have seen me through countless cities, countries, and adventures.

How can one go to the beach and not do cartwheels?

Magnificent sunset!

Dusk over San Sebastian

Feliz St Patty's Day!

Tonight, the Plaza Mayor is lit up in green lights, and suddenly, everybody is a little bit Irish. It's awesome!  But what's even more awesome is my cousin is here for the week, visiting from Florida.  Tomorrow we'll head up to San Sebastian for a night and check out northern Spain, since Monday is a holiday.  And since San Sebastian is, according to everyone I know that has visited, the MOST BEAUTIFUL place they have ever seen in Spain.

I'm a little bit worried because it is supposed to rain during our whole time there...but oh well! We will make the best of it, I am sure!

La Plaza Mayor, está verde!

My host mom and I have been getting along better this week. For whatever reason, she's been getting under my skin the past couple weeks. I think it's because I'm ready to have my own apartment, and it's so easy to get fed up living so close to people that aren't family.  As in, I can't come home and tell her to leave me alone if I'm having a bad day, or I can't lie on the couch and watch a movie and eat chocolate if I'm stressed. I can't do that because I would feel uncomfortable and there's a level of respect I try to maintain.  Anyways, she came home today from grocery shopping with a bag full of meat.  She said, "Kelsey, ven aquí, con tu cámara!" Because she knows I like photographing new foods, she showed me something I had never seen before: tongue of a cow.  

And that is what will be for dinner next week! Can't wait to try it!

Whoops!

Spring break 2012: planned and booked.

Madrid-Budapest-Munich-Stolkholm-Madrid.  WOW...ambitious.  This should be interesting.

If youre a little jealous...dont be. Well, be a little jealous. But first listen to what I did:

My spring break is Easter week, right?  So I google search the date of Easter.  It pops up as April 15.  Ok, that's a Sunday, I think to myself, which means I'm going to have the whole next week off, from April 12-April 21.  I start looking for flights, and much to my surprise, they're very cheap. REALLY cheap. By cheap, I mean between 12 to 30 euros (plus taxes and fees).  CHEAP.  The cheapest outgoing Madrid flight I can find is go Budapest, so I figure, aw hell, my friend Matt studied there his junior year and LOVED it, so why not?  I'll be alone, but a night or two won't be so bad. In fact, it's economically responsible! My destination is really Munich, because I have a friend living there, but there are no flights from Madrid-Munich on ryanair.  So I go and book the flight, knowing that flights on ryanair fill up quickly, and sometimes waiting a day or two to book a flight can mean the difference between 10 euros and 50 euros.

I go to class, grinning the whole way, excited that I had finally made plans. I tell my friends about it when I get to class, and they're all jealous and everything, saying how cool it is that i decided to travel by myself. I start scribbling in my assignment-book, BUDAPEST SPRING BREAK in blue pen the week of vacation (becasue who actually pays attention in class?), and I'm flipping around, looking at all the pages, counting down  how many days until my trip.  And i see written in GREEN pen, "spring break!"  But it's written a week earlier than April 15th, on the page before April 15th.  Wait, what? I'm so confused!

And that's the moment when I realized the plane ticket I had just booked was for a week later than what I actually wanted...

UGH. Stupid, stupid, stupid me!

But fixable. After class, I booked it home, ate some lunch, and looked up Ryanair's cancellation policy (essentially non-existent). To change any flight automatically costs 50 euro....

Lesson learned: DOUBLE CHECK, then CHECK AGAIN when making plans. This I will remember.

Number Crunching

I have it memorized like the back of my hand, and know every bump, turn, corner, advertisement, and building on my walk to and from the Plaza Mayor.  I even know what random people I will see, since we walk by each other almost every day.  I wonder sometimes, do they notice me too?  Back to the point; I have done this walk in the sunshine, in the rain, snow, wind, sleet.  I have walked it at 10 am going to class, speed walking so I won't be late; I have walked it at midnight, sometimes (but rarely) in heels, leaving to go out; and I have walked it at 6 am coming home from the fiestas, exhausted and finally ready to go to bed.

Yesterday, annoyed that I was running late, hungry, and just wishing I had a pair of rollerblades to speed home, I thought to myself: at the end of the year, how many times will I have done this walk, and how many miles have I logged? So I started calculating: let's say I walk to the Plaza Mayor, where my classes are, on average, 3 times a day (1=to the plaza and back home again).  Once in the morning to go to class, again in the afternoon after lunch to go back to class, then again at night after dinner, to meet friends.   3x7=21.  21 times a week I do this walk.  Well, I am here, in total, for 34 weeks. But let's subtract 6 weeks for all the time I spent traveling.  34-6=28.  28 weeks I'm here in Salamanca.  28x21= 588.  By the end of the year, I will have walked my beloved sidewalk at least 588 times.

How far is that, distance wise? I wondered.  Well, I google-mapped it, and it's 1.3 km, or .80 miles, one way.  So there and back .80x2=1.6 miles.  1.6x588=940 miles.  940 MILES!!! Ok, ok, but that's in 34 weeks...that's a loooong time.  On a given day, it equates to 4.8 miles.  On average, just to get home and to go to class, I am walking almost 5 miles a day! And that doesn't include all the other walking I do to go to the library, to go to ISA, to the park, shopping...you catch my drift.  I walk a lot.

What other numbers can I use to define my time living in Salamanca and in Europe?

When this semester is finished, I will have spent  240 days abroad, living 3,331 miles from home, and 4,904 miles from my school and most of my friends. I will have seen over 25 new cities, and visited 10 countries. I have taken over 10,000 photographs, and, as of today, have written 64 posts on my blog which has received 4,420 views.  I have learned 1 new language, and took 9 classes at the university.  Most importantly, though, I have made countless new friends and unforgettable memories.

I have 10 weeks to go until I return home, so I better make the most of it because it will be over before I know it!



***My DAD would like me to point out that when he came to visit, I wasn't exactly the most active person on Saturday & Sunday morning. He said, "don't BS me! On Saturday and Sunday, you did not walk 3x per day to/from the Plaza Mayor, unless your boyfriend was waiting for you!"  Ok Dad, fair enough. It's true. I guess I'm kind of a slug on the weekends....so I'll rephrase it: maybe I don't walk 4.8 miles everyday, 7 days a row. But I like to think I make up for it by dancing!

Los Santos Inocentes

Today, instead of studying (whoops), I watched the classic Spanish film "Los Santos Inocentes."  I was so inspired after trying to read the book, seeking a richer understanding of rural Spain during the 20th century.  Well, the book proved to be more challenging than I could handle, and I would rather spend my last 10 weeks here outside, photographing, enjoying the sunshine and company of friends than trying to sort my way through challenging vocabulary and tedious Spanish literature!  It is the kind of book to be read on a long train ride or by a fireplace during a snowstorm, when you are forced to stay in one place for a long time...

Watching the movie, I fell in love with the images of the rural countryside and the idea of simple living, away from the city and away from civilization.  Set in Extremadura, a province between Castilla y Leon and Andalucia, green rolling hills and giant trees represent promises of a simlpe, peaceful live.  An idealistic love affair, because in reality, theirs was not an easy life.  In that regard, it made me grateful for living now, in the year 2012.  Despite all the problems my generation faces...at least I have access to education and healthcare and a better life!

Once confused by the iconic black and white image I reposted below, an image I have seen so many times, I now understand what each character represnts. I understand their expressions and why they look the way they look.  I cried for the father trying to support his family, and my heart broke watching the young girl work instead of going to school.  I admired the hard work of the mother and brave face that she put on for her family.  It makes me think: what would I do if I was in her shoes?

Anyway, the film, made in the 1980s, follows the life of a poor, uneducated family from the countryside who work for a rich Spanish family.  While it may have been exaggerated for film, seeing the disparity between the rich and poor was quite striking.  The senorito, or rich man, the jefe, wore fancy, designer-label outfits, drove a fancy car, and had enough stuff to fill a large house. Meanwhile the family working for him live in a straw-roof home with dirt floors and study at night by candlelight.  The themes represented in the film (freedom, family, love, friendship, "ignorance is bliss," jealousy, hope for a better future, etc) all serve highlight the class divides that were faced by the post-Franco generation. If you have the chance, check it out! If you haven't already seen it, the ending will definitely surprise you!

And it can be justified as an educational and cultural study break, of course!

The main characters of the film. Image from: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-V45jZInH1sw/TwYov9Ens2I/AAAAAAAAAZ0/a-MppIFAOWk/s1600/santos-inocentes-962.jpg  

The Thayers come to Spain!

This past week I spent traveling around the country with my lovely mother, brother, and grandmother. So here it is, longest post yet: a summary of our travels and adventures through Spain!

Day 1- When Mom arrived in Salamanca last Sunday an hour earlier than scheduled (though 24 hours late due to bad weather in the east coast), I practically ran down to their hotel to meet her.  Having not seem my mother since September 21st, it was the longest I had gone not seeing here, other than video chatting on Skype. Which so isn't the same. So needless to say, I spent all my free time hanging out with the fam and showing them around Salamanca. We toured the Cathedral, saw San Esteban's, ate tapas in the Plaza Mayor, and walked around the streets I now call home.  It was surreal, seeing my family walk by all the shops and buildings that I see everyday.

Just by chance we bumped into a group of my friends sitting in the Plaza Mayor, enjoying the sunshine, so everyone was introduced. That's why I love Salamanca; I am always bumping into people I know without trying, because the city is so small, and everybody is so friendly!

Their first night in Spain included a homemade Spanish meal prepared by my host mom, Montse. While it was a tiring night of translating between my mother and host family, I loved seeing my two families meet.  The food was delicious, and Montse did a great job cooking, again.  Despite attempts at communicating in broken Spanish, my mother and grandmother were better off speaking in English.  The whole trip they tried ordering food and asking for directions in Spanish---how embarrassing!

Caleb, Felix, Me, Mom, Montse

Day 2- We spent Monday touring around Salamanca, doing the typical touristy stuff.  Not to mention a bit of shopping...(I love it when family comes to visit!). And I went to class, booooring, and uneventful and impossible to focus knowing that my family was right here with me in 


Day 3- Tuesday we rented a car and headed off to Ávila.  I was sad saying goodbye to Salamanca---I always hate leaving my friends and missing out! Plus it can be stressful missing class...but my stresses eased as we started driving.  Seeing the Spanish countryside from the windows of a car was surprisingly more enjoyable than I thought it would be; we could pull off from the highway (aka AP=autopista) and explore where we wanted, plus there were hardly any other cars on the roads.  Once outside of city centers, there is practically nothing in the countryside here. The emptiness is beautiful, but also strange and so different than America, where suburban sprawl is hard to escape, and strip malls, highways, and development have eaten up most of the countryside.

Ávila, from afar

In Avila, we stayed within the gated city walls in a Parador hotel.  These hotels are all over Spain, established by the government and are found in historical buildings and locations, like castles and fortresses.  Let's just say this is one of the nicer hotels I have ever stayed in....thanks Gram!  So although I had already seen the small city of Avila earlier this semester, I fell back in love with this old fortress; the day was warm and sunny and I could see the countryside and mountains surrounding us.  Slightly frustrated with my family that day, I broke off and wandered around, lost in thought, soaking in the landscape and sunshine that had finally come out!  Weather-wise, it was quite unlike the day in January when I visited in the snow and rain, trying to enjoy the sights despite the bad weather and fog that overtook the city.

Caleb and I, enjoying the views

The Parador hotel we stayed at

Tapas for lunch

Views from the fortress

Posing in front of the ancient city walls

Goodbye sun!

Day 4- Wednesday we packed up again and headed off to Segovia, about 2 hours north.  Again, this was a place I had visited last semester with ISA...but it was still awesome. We spent a few frustrating minutes trying to find parking, and eventually settled for a spot about 10 minutes away from the infamous wall.  Gram almost got hit by a car trying to navigate the streets, but once we figured out where we were going, we set off!  With a bus schedule in hand, Gram was determined to find us the bus that would take us up the hill to the church and castle.  Which we found shortly after arriving at the infamous aqueduct wall! Built by the Romans in the 1st or 2nd century AD, it is still standing after all those years.  

For lunch, I ordered everybody "cochinillo," the delicacy of Segovia, which is roasted baby pig.  And much to our surprise, it was delicious!  Gram, having read up on Spain before visiting, ordered "tinto de verano," a drink that is made up of red wine and lemon soda.  Another drink we all loved, and from then on, that was the drink of choice for lunchtime outings!

After lunch we headed up to the castle, which inspired Walt Disney's "Magic Kingdom" castle in Disney World.  I decided to opt out and wander around the outside since I had already seen it last November.  While waiting for Mom and Caleb, I bumped into Mrs. McNamara, the school nurse from my high school, where my mother also works.  She was on vacation, visiting her daughter who is studying abroad in Madrid for the semester (who I also happened to bump into in Salamanca yesterday).  How crazy is that?! What a small world.  

After a 2 hour drive back to Madrid, we dropped the car off at the airport, took and cab to the Atocha train station and caught a high speed train to Sevilla. I was PUMPED to ride on one again. Traveling on a budget, I always opt for the cheapest option, which is bus or normal-speed trains.  What is normally a 7-8 hour bus ride was instead an smooth 3 hour gliding through the Spanish countryside.  AWESOME.

Spanish castle....Disney castle. Sweet!

Taken from: http://www.visitingdc.com/images/magic-kingdom-address.jpg

Gram, our fearless leader, finding the bus

See the little pig hoof? Kinda sad...but still yummy :)

Gram, the navigator!

Day 5- We woke up early, ate breakfast in our hotel (which, I should mention, was right across from the main Cathedral, aka "Catedral de Santa Maria de la Sede"), and set off!  In the morning we went to the Flamenco museum, followed by a bit of shopping.  For lunch, we ate under the big mushroom dome, Metropol Parasol, or "Las Setas," a giant, 4 story wooden structure that just looks awesome.  I failed at finding a place to eat Paella, so we settled on some small bar, which actually turned out to be one of our favorite meals of the week.  Guess it just shows that when traveling, you should never have expectations or a strict agenda, because it's when you're lost and wandering that is when you find the best places!

Afterwards, I said goodbye to Mom and Caleb and Gram while they toured the Cathedral.  When it came to the cathedrals,  Moms enthusiasm didn't quite match that of Dads (from when he was here in January), so she only needed a couple hours to see the building that Dad had spent literally HOURS studying. But, in her defense we did see all the important landmarks, like the Alcazar, which Dad missed. While they were seeing the cathedral, I met up with a friend from elementary school, Nicole, who is studying abroad in Sevilla for the semester. We walked around, went across the river to Triana, checked out the view from the bridge, ate ice cream, and exchanged our study abroad experiences so far. We hadn't seen each other in...years! So that was fun, catching up and seeing each other in Spain.

For dinner, we had churros con chocolate at Valor (my favorite!), then made our way to the neighborhood of Santa Cruz, the old Jewish quarter of the city where we saw a flamenco show.  Because I liked it so much, I bought us tickets to the same place, La Casa de La Memoria, where Dad and Melissa and I saw a show back in January.  It was beautiful; I was lost in thought, enchanted with the guitar music (unlike anything I have ever heard before) and trying to follow the dancers every move.  

"Las Setas"

Nicole and I on the bridge to Triana

Yum, churros for dinner! 

At Casa de la Memoria

Day 6-  Woke up, grabbed breakfast at the cafe around the corner, did some more shopping (it's just so good in Sevilla!), picked up Gram from the General Archive of the Indies museum, and went to the Alcazar of Sevilla, similar, in a sense, to the Alhambra.  With an old Roman wall encompassing the old castle, it is unmistakably a historic building that has housed many kings and rulers of this old city.  We saw the old, complex gardens, and tried to imagine the royal families that must have enjoyed living here.  The tiles decorating the walls were unmistakable similar in style to the Alhambra, a symbol of the Arab influence in this southern city. 

Next activity: "Aire de Sevilla."  Here, we enjoyed two hours of traditional Roman baths, quite similar to what I did in Granada last November.  However..this one was quite a bit fancier and more complex, with more baths and different rooms.  My favorite was the steam room.  Exploring as soon as I arrived, I pushed open the glass door and stood there for a second, confused because I couldn't see anything, and it hurt to breath in the steam, which smelled like strong mint gum.  Once I got accustomed to the air, I sat on the tile benches and just relaxed, letting my mind wander and worries evaporate like the steam around me.  Oh, how I would give anything to be back there right now!  Of course, I also enjoyed the multiple temperature pools, hot tea, and 15 minute massage that was included.   It was hard to say goodbye....but when the ladies walked around ringing the bells, we knew our time was up.  

My family couldn't come all the way to Sevilla and NOT see Plaza de Espana, so we hailed a cab and made a quick trip to the old, decorative plaza, which now houses government offices.  It was a quick tour, and it was onto the next adventure, because we had a 7pm train to catch to Granada!  A relaxing, beautiful three hour train ride landed us in Granada, where we hailed a cab and rode up the hill to our hotel, Hotel America, where we stayed inside the Alhambra walls. That's right, we stayed inside the Alhambra!!!! I couldn't get over it! Having already toured La Alhambra two times, I was thrilled at staying right there.  We had a late night dinner at the Parador hotel next door (again, another beautiful, old building), and passed out as soon as we made it back to the hotel, exhausted from all our traveling.

Inside the Alcazar 

The beautiful gardens

Plaza de Espana!

Day 7- Woke up in Hotel America up to a cloudy, cool morning in the Alhambra. Kind of a disappointment since we couldn't see the beautiful views, but we still enjoyed our typical Spanish breakfast of cafe con leche, a piece of fruit, some bread, and for me, yogurt. Caleb and I went off and got our pre-bought tickets down at the entrance, then picked up Mom and Gram.  We started off touring the gardens at Generlife, which was once a palace and is now an intricate garden that overlooks the Alhambra.

Our tour of the  scheduled tour of Palacios Nazaries was at 11:30, so of course being with Gram who is notoriously on time, we were there 15 minutes early and waited in line.  Having already seen it two times before, nothing had changed, but the court of the lions was finally open! Not as exciting as I thought it would be....although having learned about it in all of my culture classes this semester and last semester, it was cool to actually see the famous fountain, with lions representing the 12 tribes of Israel (according to the story).  Each one is different, and they have been under reconstruction for the past year.

When we met up at the end, we decided to get a taxi and ride up to Mirador de San Nicolas, where there is an amazing view of the Alhambra and is a great place to enjoy the sunshine, which had decided to come out, finally! If you go, this is a must see!!! For lunch it was warm enough that we could sit outside on a patio, overlooking the Alhambra.  Again...surreal, especially with the snow-capped Sierra Nevada's behind them.   Mom tried buying jewelry from the gypsies that hang out and sell their handicrafts.  I shouldn't say she tried buying anything, because she did walk away with quite a few things.  As far as her bartering skills go? Maybe she should keep on practicing...

Afterwards, we split up, Caleb and I agreeing to meet Mom and Gram at the train station 15 minutes before our train left, with all our suitcases.  We promised we would go back to the hotel, call a taxi, and bring everyone's luggage so that Mom and Gram could spend the afternoon shopping without having to worry. Sounded simple enough.  I pointed them in the right direction (they needed to buy more tile, because Dad, who fell in LOVE with the colors and shapes on the tile, hadn't bought enough, and was insistent that Mom come back with more!).  Side note, my family is so weird!

Well, Caleb and I did a bit of shopping ourselves.  I bought shoes (turned out they're too small! UGH), and we bought some presents.  Before we knew it, it was already 5pm, 45 minutes before we had to be at the train station. "Plenty of time," I figured.  We casually strolled to the plaza to catch a cab and went back up to our hotel at the Alhambra to get the suit cases. When I told our cab driver that we needed to be at the train station for a 6 pm train (it was 5:20 by that point) he looked at me like I was a crazy person, and in Spanish, told me "I'll try my hardest, but I seriously doubt you will make that train!"

Yikes.  He drove as fast as he could up to the Alhambra, and after, I swear, hitting every single red light, we finally made it to the hotel.  Caleb and I sprinted in, grabbed all our luggage (6+ bags) in one trip, said "Adios" to the confused hotel clerk, threw our stuff in the trunk of the cab, and we were off. It was a race against the clock.  5:28.  It had taken us 2 minutes to get our bags. We had 32 minutes to make it to the station. "It's all the way on the other side of the city," the driver explained. "And there's so much traffic from all the people."  I tried not to worry, but my heart was pounding, and I had the same kind of adrenaline rush I used to get in high school before track races.  If we missed our train, Gram would kill us.  After rolling our eyes all week at being early for everything, Caleb and I were ready to live life on the edge. 

But not this close to the edge.  This was too much.  What happened if we missed our train? Would there be another train? Probably not.  Was there a bus? Probably.  But that would be horrible. 5 hours by bus to Madrid?  Ugh. AND I would definitely have to pay for it with my own money, which I so did not want to do.  5:52. We had 8 minutes. I was biting my nails, and the cab driver was doing his best...but would that be enough?

We pulled into the station at 5:58, two minutes to spare. I shoved the money in his hands, kicked open my door, grabbed our bags and we sprinted into the station, where Mom was waiting for us, pacing. But we had made it. We made it! We hopped on the train, hearts still pounding, but relieved we had made it.  We made it! Disaster averted.  So off to Madrid we were, ready for city number 6.  

Hotel America

Caleb and Mom at Generalife 

At Mirador de San Nicolas

Relaxing lunch, with views of the Alhambra

Olive trees flying by and sunset skies from the train...which I am so relieved we didn't miss!

Day 8- Woke up in Madrid, right around the corner from the Plaza Mayor (not to be confused with Salamanca's Plaza Mayor, of course).  We spent the day seeing the Prado museum.  Of course, not before we had afternoon cocktails at the Ritz at the instance of Gram.  That certainly made for a relaxing, enjoyable trip to the museum!  But, because I had missed a weeks worth of classes, I considered my afternoon as studying for my art history midterm, which was just a week away.  In a desperate attempt understand the works of El Greco, I rented one of those plastic phones that tell you about the art you are seeing.  Well, I saw all the paintings I wanted to see...but it didn't quite stick.  When the next Wednesday rolled around, I had studied a bit more, but not enough. Let's just say...good thing I have two more tests before the final in May!

We enjoyed another churro dinner at Valor, then did a bit of shopping. Of course, I had to show Mom and Caleb Corte Ingles, the huge department store that is in Spain.  Then we made our way to Desigual, designer label that comes from Spain; a brand that I didn't know existed until I came here. The clothes are fabulous and colorful---but way too expensive for me! Naturally we headed up to the 5th floor clearance rack, and managed to find a couple things to buy!

To end our vacation, Caleb and I saw a Real Madrid game together my last night in Madrid. We headed over to the stadium around 8pm, excited to get there and see all the crazy fans.  When the doors finally opened, we made our way to gate 43, and began walking up to our seats. Well, we walked and walked and walked, until we were finally at the top of the building, 6 flights up! Walking into the stadium was exciting, seeing a real, professional soccer stadium, in real life, for the first time---I couldn't believe it!  I kept pinching myself!  So our seats weren't exactly up close and center, and we were 3 rows from the very last row, but it was still exciting. And even if Madrid did beat the other team 5-0, seeing Ronaldo and Kaka out there on the field was a high school soccer players dream come true!

Afternoon drinks at the Ritz---feeling fancy!

Hanging out in Madrid's infamous Puerta del Sol

Mom, rocking her new Desigual sweater 

Fans getting rowdy, even up in the nosebleeds

Day 9- Another early morning. I woke up Mom and we ate our final breakfast together before I walked to the subway to Chamartin, then caught a train back to Salamanca.  We both cried saying goodbye, knowing we wouldn't see each other again until mid May, when I will go back to Vermont.  To be honest, while I was waiting for the train in the station, I dreaded going back to Salamanca: back to my small bedroom, back to boring classes, and back to the same old routine.  Man, I hate transitions! By the time I had finally got used to being around family, I was already leaving them again! Sometimes I feel like that is how my life is defined, is through transitions and changes.  It ain't easy...but it certainly makes for fun adventures and an unpredictable life!


To conclude, while it can sometimes be stressful traveling with family, especially in a foreign country, it was definitely worth it! I had such fun showing them all I knew about Spain.  Plus I cannot complain about the hotels we stayed at and and restaurants we visited...it was quite the treat after having traveled on a tight budget! Thanks Mom and Gram, I had a blast!!

Well folks, sorry for the very long, possibly over-detailed post! If you're read this far...you are probably family, right? If not, then cool! Basically this is a way for me to remember all that I saw and did, and this blog is an easy way for me to share it with my family and friends.  Hope you enjoyed it :)