Need I say more about the mullets in Spain???
Some girls and I at the tapas bar in Toledo
Cathedral in Toledo
The tomb/monument to Francisco Franco
It has been a while since I have updated and I have so much to share. After leaving Madrid, we made a few stops on our way to Barcelona. First we visited the tomb of the infamous Francisco Franco where he had basically and entire mountainside build and dedicated to himself. It was very weird visiting a place that commemorates such an awful person (imagine visiting a monument to Hitler). There is a cathedral inside of the mountain where his few remaining followers come daily for mass. We were actually there during a service and it was pretty unbelievable.
Next, we stopped at El Escorial which is a small town famous for its churches, schools and mostly an Augustinian Monestary where all of Spain's royalty is buried. We saw caskets/tombs of people from the 16th century up until the current era (the reigning King Juan Carlos' brother is buried there). It was crazy to stand in one single room and look up and see 25 of the King's and Queens I have read about in text books including Carlos V, Phillip II and Reina Sophia.
That evening we finally arrived in Toledo, the religious capitol of España. We stayed at a very luxurious hotel/resort outside of the town with a huge pool and lounge area. The first night the whole group went into town and we split up to have dinner and hang out. We ate paella in a local place and it was wonderful, of course. A few girls and I went to an Irish pub for the rest of the evening where many other people from our group joined us. While sitting in this pub, the song "Wonderwall" by Oasis came on and a huge group of French army men busted out in song and it was so hilarious. We met some of these interesting guys, later in the night and even had conversations about the U.S., Bush, and the War in Iraq. You can imagine how interesting that was.
The second day in Toledo was one of the best so far. We woke up and took a walking tour of the entire city for about half a day. Because it has been the religious capitol for thousands of years, it has so many different influences. We saw the very first synagogue built outside of Jerusalem that was turned into a mosque and is now a cathedral. The city is surrounded by giant walls and the streets are narrow and curvy. Funny Sidenote: I ran into a girl that lived at SRD with me last year in a random alley. It really is a small world. That afternoon we went back to the hotel and layed out by the pool for several hours and then went back to town for dinner. We ate at a great tapas bar and then went to a Disco that used to be a cathedral. It looked so awesome on the inside! The funny part is that the party didn't start until around 1:30 a.m. when the 50 and 60 year old adults showed up!
The next morning we packed up and got on a bus to drive 9 hours to Barcelona. Without going into detail, I have taken LOTS of 24 hour bus rides to Colorado that were better than this. Upon arrival in Barcelona, our host families were waiting in the Plaza Universidad to take us back to our homes. I found out that I actually had one more roommate, Nikki, who is from Iowa. She and I share a room in the apartment and Julia has our own room. My house mom is a 77 year old single woman. She has 5 kids who are married and have families of their own. Her husband passed away 2 years ago and she has students come because she does not like living by herself. She is really nice and hospitable, but she talks soooo fast! It's been a good way to practice speaking to a native. She gives us food for breakfast, packs us a sandwich for lunch and then cooks us a good dinner! So far, I have enjoyed the food, but you wait so long in between eating that I find myself hungry all the time.
Yesterday morning (Monday) we went to our school for the first time and took a placement test to figure out what class we would be in. I tested into advanced spanish and met my teacher and other classmates in the afternoon. So far I love everything about school. It is part language and part culture so it is very interactive and we even get to take field trips like in elementary school! We go everyday from 10-2 and my maestra is a 30 year old doctoral student who seems to really love teaching.
Yesterday in the afternoon after getting lost for a couple of hours, I met a few girls at the beach. I feel like a pro at taking the metro now! The beach was pretty crowded but it was really pretty! On our way back we walked around one of the main streets called La Rambla where there is tons of restaurants, shopping, street vendors and entertainment. We found a famous market where they sell tons of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and meat. The hanging animals I saw in the market confirmed the reasons I choose not to eat most of it!
I came home for dinner and had a restful night, only to start all over this morning. I got lost on my way to class but the teacher was nice about it knowing that it was the first day. I loved class today and am so excited to go back! After class, I met my friend Cheryl from UT who has been here since May and she showed me around a little bit. The entire group took a bus tour of the city this evening and it was helpful to get a better understanding of the city and where things are. I am overwhelmed with all that there is to see and do in this city! I am so excited to continue exploring! Señora is calling us for dinner so I will finish here. Hasta luego....
