Salamanca

This trip was really nice. We went with our whole Stetson/Marist group, our resident director and her brother (who are both in their twenties). They have lived in Madrid for most of their lives and usually have been to the places we travel to before, so they can tell us about what we are seeing. I have definitely preferred traveling with people who can tell me about the place I'm in. I get so much more out of it.

We took the train to Salamanca and got to spend the night there. It's about two and a half hours away from Madrid. It was so nice to get to do that because we were able to see a lot of the city in a more relaxed way than is possible when you only have a few hours. So we got there around noon, checked in to our hotel, and walked around the city before lunch.

We saw this Roman bridge on our way to the spot where we ate - a little park with a neat old church on the property and cats. I can't emphasize the cats part. When we got there we all sat down, got our food out, and started to eat. Then somebody pointed out a cute little kitten who was innocently wandering toward us. "Don't feed it," someone said, but who can resist a meowing kitten eyeing their lunch? After we fed the first one, others appear - probably through some high-pitched communication we were oblivious to. Soon, cute little Figaro's brother, mother, cousin, twin.... I'm not kidding, a LOT of other cats show up too. And when we stopped feeding them they got a little aggressive. Eventually someone threw food in the direction they had come from and we left before they came back for more.

There are many old, beautful buildings in Salamanca. The city is known for its university which, like most of the other buildings here, is made out of limestone. This a gargoyle I thought was cool and in the background you can see the cathedral of the University. The actual city has its own cathedral.

The Plaza Mayor.

It looks very similar to the Plaza Mayor of Madrid. These areas were built in the center of old cities and used to be an area where markets were held. Now there are cafes and restaurants around the perimeters of them and they provide a nice spot for people to meet up. In Madrid, there are appartments in some of the upper floors; and in Salamanca, in the fancier part you can see in the picture, the Plaza Mayor houses the city hall.

A few more from Segovia

This is Segovia's castle, the "Alcazar".
I think a lot of cities in Spain have their own alcazar; and I believe that Cinderella's castle got its design from this one.






































It definitely has the traditional castle look.

This little guy greeted us at the door.

The throne





































What a view, huh? This sight is very typical of central Spain. You can interpret it in a number of ways - fields that are dry and dead from lack of rain or that are golden and austere, as Spanish authors who loved their country saw it.

































The view from the roof is awesome too.
That's the cathedral in the background.

If you arrive in Madrid, get off the Metro, and walk towards my house, this is what you'll see. (This is what I see on my walk home from school).

The apartment complex I live in. The center of Madrid is directly to the north of me. You can usually see some buildings from the center if you look in that direction. It takes about 30 minutes on the bus or train to get there.






My room. Small, but comfortable.
The window opens up to the center of the apartment complex. It reminds me of an Alfred Hitchkock movie I saw last year. I can't remember the name of it.

Bed and armoir










In Segovia. The big picture above is from here as well.










Brittany and me in front of the Roman aqueduct in Segovia. It's huge!

Catching up

Hi everybody.

Here's a little summary of what I've been up to since I've been here. (I realize I need to get this blog current!)

Week 1 (August 31st - Sept. 6th): Orientation with our Stetson/Marist College group

• Met the 7 girls and 1 guy from Marist, walked around the city, learned how to use the Metro and buses, went with our Resident Director to the Prado Museum, Retiro Park, and El Rastro (a popular street market that is held each week). Explored Madrid a little bit and took a tour of the University we're studying at here, Universidad Carlos III of Madrid (UC3M). Saw a movie in Spanish; could follow the plot but couldn't understand a lot of the words.
• On Wednesday and Thursday of this week, two of the language professors from the University gave us a "Spanish Crash Course" - teaching us a little about culture, grammar, and practical vocabulary and giving us a chance to get to know them. One of them is my language teacher now.

Week 2:

• Orientation week at UC3M - We all took placement tests to determine what level language class we should be in and what group (A or B) we should be in for our other classes. For example, I am in a language class with about 15 other people who are at about the same Spanish level as me. I am in literature and history with people whose Spanish is either the same, a little lower, or a little higher than mine. And I am in Cine (film) and Environment and Society with people of all different language levels.
• On Friday, Katie, 3 other girls from Marist, and I went to Toledo for the day. We packed our lunches, got on a bus, and got there in about an hour. The city is small, up on a hill, and has narrow streets. It is marked with remnants from various cultures and times - churches, temples, and a mosque; centuries-old architecture, and paintings by El Greco (who lived in Toledo).

Week 3:

• Classes began at school
• I am taking Spanish literature of the 20th century, History of the Present, Language, Spanish Film, and Environment and Society. I've been learning a lot about Spain (and about the subjects themselves) and the classes are definitely complementing each other.
• On Friday or Saturday, about 12 of us went to Segovia for the day.

Week 4:

• 2nd week of classes
• Orientation week with a group that gives students studying abroad a chance to teach English while they're here. I went for two days and decided that the program was not for me. :0)
• On Saturday and Sunday, our whole group went with our Resident Director to Salamanca.
• We took the train since Salamanca is farther away and got to travel through some mountains and open country. (A welcome sight when you are used to living with open space around you and you have been in a city for a while). We stayed in Salamanca for the weekend.

I have to go soon, so why don't I finish up for now with some pictures from Madrid and our second day trip to Segovia.