French Onion Soup or Dancing in the Metro

Don't you love how in the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons they give the segments two names? The two parts of this post have nothing to do with each other, but I want to talk about both.

At the beginning of October, Katie (who is my roommate at Stetson) and I went to Paris for the weekend. We had a really nice time. It was cold but great to go through the city at our own pace - we didn't rush around trying to see everything but actually were able to see a good amount.

We got in to Paris on Friday afternoon, took a bus to a train/metro station, and found our way to our "hotel". Being in Paris on our own made me realize, once again, how significant the "language barrier" is. Between the two of us we knew maybe 5 phrases, which is not enough to talk to anyone about anything really. Fortunately, a lot of the people we needed to talk to knew at least a little bit of English.

The hotel room and view



We checked into our hotel, collapsed on the beds, and decided that we wanted to change our plans for the evening. We were too tired (and it was too cold for us Florida girls) to go out to the city center that night so we decided to go look for a place to eat dinner. We found a restaurant that served a variety of good French food and I had...

French onion soup!


After dinner we walked up the street and then up almost 200 stairs to a beautiful cathedral that was close to where we stayed - the Sacre-Couer.



Its name (sacred heart) signifies the sacred heart of Jesus. It was different than other cathedrals I've visited since being in Spain because of the way they lifted up Jesus above all other saints and Mary. We went inside and there were a lot of people there. As we walked around the center we heard singing begin. There were two nuns seated in the center (where the alter and choir area is) who had such beautiful, clear voices.


We decided to stay for a little while and after the two of them stopped singing, a mass began. It all was in French, so we couldn't understand much, but it was so cool to be there while people from various nations, many of them probably tourists like us, were there to pray, sing, listen or watch together. It was really peaceful.


The next morning we headed to Versailles, a town that is only a train ride away where there is a beautiful palace. We didn't get to see the inside because there was a huge line and we had to be back in the center of Paris later that afternoon. So we decided to use the time we had to see what we could of the palace - its outside and gardens. We weren't disappointed. The surroundings look like they have come straight out of the 18th century - the palace is surrounded by mostly undeveloped land, has two big fields in the area off to the sides of it, and has an enormous well-cared-for garden.












We went back to the Eiffel Tower later that afternoon, and managed to squeeze in visiting Notre Dame cathedral, the gardens of the Louvre, and a walk around the center of Paris before dinner.

The picture is a little deceiving. There were actually a lot of people inside (on the sides and in the back). They had the center part closed off for a concert later that night, which I think made it more crowded than usual in the parts where we could walk.

The next morning we, and TONS of other people, spent some time at the Louvre museum, which houses many important works of art (like the Mona Lisa, for example). It is massive, so we were able to see art from different periods in the couple hours we had before it was time to leave Paris.




Finally, dancing in the metro, a thought that came to me today. I was riding the metro home from school and there was a guy sitting about 15 feet away from me who was playing music. Not with instruments or anything; he must have had an ipod with speakers. The music was really good dancing music. And today, for some reason, I wanted to dance. I didn't... Don't worry. But I started thinking, why not? Why don't people just play good music in the Metros sometimes? Then the people riding could have a little dance party and hop off the Metro a few minutes later, probably never to see those who were watching them dance again. Are you with me or am I crazy?

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.

Happy Birthday Katie!

H·A·P·P·Y B·I·R·T·H·D·A·Y to you! Here´s a blog, in your honor...

Well, about three months ago I got here. Oh, I mean three weeks ago. Pheww... I was gonna say, being here three months and not writing a thing! I feel a little better now that I remember it´s only been three weeks.

First some basic info:

• The time difference between Madrid and EST (Florida, NY, etc.) is 6 hours. (Madrid is 6 hours ahead of Florida).
• I have a Skype account, but don´t have internet access at the house where I´m living, so that makes using Skype at hours that are convenient for most everyone in the US difficult.
• The apostrophe´s in this blog look different because keyboards in Spain have different spots for symbols and additional letters. Check out these: ñ ¿ Ç ª. Where our apostrophes are, this little guy ( ´) is located and apostrophes ( ' ) are next to the number zero.
• Pretty much every electronic device I brought with me has broken or not been working in the 3 weeks I´ve been here (laptop, camera, cell phone). This is my excuse for not posting pictures yet and this being my first blog.
• My cell phone was replaced so easily, the camera is working now, and my laptop is close to working. When I tried to plug it in to a new adapter last night there were chispas (sparks), so I'm trying to make sure the adapter I got is the right kind.

Now, onto more interesting things. The lady I am living with is named Carmina and she is in her 60s. She is kind, loves to talk, and loves animals (she and another neighbor take care of some nearby stray kittens). A while ago she retired from being a modista (dressmaker) for a designer who was quite popular in Spain.

I have to switch over to a different computer. Hopefully I'll be back soon.

Remember me?

Yippee! I reset my password and am back in business! There's only one problem - I don't really too much to say about Spain... I guess because I'm not there.

I've been spending the summer in Atlanta with my older sister and her familia. So for now, let's pretend this blog is called Sally's adventures in Atlanta.

To my two committed blog readers (you know who you are), I dedicate this update to you. Enjoy! :0)

Hola

Next semester I am planning on studying abroad in Madrid. I'm pretty excited. I know two other girls who are going; it will be nice to start off knowing a couple people.

My Spanish has improved over the last two semesters of classes, but I'm sure it is going to take a while for my brain to start really functioning in Spanish mode. We'll see how that goes...

We are supposed to arrive in Spain on August 31st, get moved in, and get ready for classes to start. Before classes begin, we will take a Spanish language placement test, sit in on mini-classes to help us decide which ones we want to take, and go on a trip with our group (five of us from Stetson and ?? from another school) and our Resident Director. (The trip might be to Seville, Granada, Barcelona, or somewhere else nearby). I think classes actually begin somewhere between September 10th and 15th.

I hope everyone is doing well and that we'll be able to keep in touch easily. I'm not sure how widespread internet access is going to be (especially at the home I'm staying at), but I plan to update this blog regularly. (Thank you Katie for helping me set it up!)