Caitlyn's Studies in Spain '07

Ciao Ciao Italia

2007-05-24T00:26:00.000-07:00

In a few hours we'll be leaving Rome to catch our ferry to Barcelona, España. Our last stop in Italy was hectic and overwhelming at times because there is so much to see and we only had a few days...plus we have grown a bit fatigued from all the travelling and are ready to be in one place for a while. That said, it is still hard to believe our trip is coming to an end. Living and travelling so independently these last few weeks has really opened up my eyes to how much there is to see and experience in the world. Kaela and I can't help but imagine where our next destination should be...

During our first evening in Rome we visited the Pantheon, the most intact Roman building in existence. The next day we tackled Vatican City, where we toured the Vatican museums, saw a lot of incredible art by Raphael and Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. Then we visted St. Peter's Plaza and Basilica and acted like we were on a true pilgrimmage by rubbing St. Peter's foot...the basilica was so overwhelming and lavishly decorated inside. Then we made our way to the Colosseum and it was way sweeter than any picture or movie clip I've ever seen. We also wandered around some Roman ruins but we had no idea what we were looking at and we were tired so we headed back to the campsite. Yesterday was amazing...we decided to take a well deserved break so our day consisted of laying by the pool all morning, heading to the city center around 5, getting Kaela's haircut, shopping for candy and souveniers, trying on gigantic sunglasses at the streetside vendor's tables and going out for dinner...mmm, spaghetti. It was a great way to end our tour of Italy.

Okay, it's time to shower, pack and head to the station and then settle in for our 21 hour boat ride across the Mediterranian! See you soon, ciao ciao!

Rome, Italy

2007-05-21T12:18:00.000-07:00

We have made our way through the Czech Republic, Germany, and three stops in Italy: Venice, Florence and Cinque Terre. After three days in Rome we are taking a ferry back to Barcelona to finish up our trip...I cannot believe how fast the time has gone, yet it feels like more than just a few weeks since we left Madrid.

Prague was a beautiful city and even though it rained on and off all day, we enjoyed walking around the 1,000 year old castle grounds and taking in all the baroque architecture. Munich was incredible. Clean, great public transportation and beautiful public parks everywhere...not to mention the delicious wursts, giant pretzels and beer! We also enjoyed our tour of Venice and exploring all the canals. Sadly, we did not have time nor money to ride in any gondolas. Florence consisted of waiting in many lines for many hours...but I must say the wait to see Michelangelo's David was well worth it. What a magnificent piece of art! Yesterday we were hiking throughout the five villages that make up Cinque Terre which are situated along the Mediterranian coastline and the views were breathtaking.

I have to run but I'm counting down the days until I'm back home. Until then, ciao ciao!

Prague, Czech Republic

2007-05-11T14:54:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Prague after a 9 hour train ride from Frankfurt this morning. Somehow Kaela and I failed to take into account time for traveling across entire countries during our trip which has definitely cut into our sightseeing time. We don't mind too much though because it has been an incredible experience to see the countryside from these trains...although this attitude may begin to fade as our journey continues :) We've been able to pass the long hours on the trains by making lists of all the things we miss from home and reading ahead about the cities we have yet to explore.

Yesterday we were in Heidelberg, Germany and we were amazed as to how similar the people and the scenery in the country is to Wisconsin...we felt a bit closer to home, despite the fact that we stayed in a smelly hostel where we were expected to pay 5 euro for a pillow and blanket-yeah right! The 5 euros were better spent that evening on my first liter of authentic German beer...and I am proud to say I finished every drop, in the plaza that once held the haunting witch trials of the city.

The view of the famous Heidelberg castle was amazing during the day when we arrived and even more stunning at night. On our way out of the city we grabbed a few delicious (and cheap) apple streudels to give us a little boost for our daytrip by train to the Czech Republic. Now here we are at the eastern-most point of our journey, ready for a full day of touring tomorrow. The exchange rate is incredible here...we should be able to have a full course meal and a beer for less than 3 euros! Plus our hostel is sweet...free breakfast, free internet (hence the long entry) and a free welcome beer from the tap that is located at the reception desk! Sadly we are only spending one night in this lovely city. Okay, better get some sleep for our day tomorrow.

Next stop: Munich

Paris, France

2007-05-08T08:39:00.000-07:00

So we survived the 13.5 hour train ride from Madrid to Paris and have been soaking up as much French culture as we can before heading to Heidelburg, Germany on Thursday. Today we saw the Eiffel tower up close (which believe me, looks much more romantic in the movies) as well as the Hotel de Invalides where Napoleon is buried. Yesterday we saw Notre Dame and walked along the Seine River. Tomorrow is the big one: we're taking on the Louvre! Hopefully it won't be too draining because we still have to make our way to the Arc de Triumphe and hunt down some crepes and cafe au laite after the museum! Gotta run-more to come later.

2007-05-03T05:08:00.000-07:00

Has it been four months already? I can´t believe classes are over and I´m packing to leave Granada! Tonight is the farewell dinner with all the students in the program and tomorrow I have to be really creative and pack for my three week excursion...which seems a bit impossible at this point. I´ll be spending the weekend in Madrid to visit the Reina Sofia and Prado museums and then to meet Kaela to catch our train-first stop: Paris!

Well, today is Day of the Cross in Spain and in every plaza there are large crosses constructed with beautiful flowers. Today many women wear flamenco dresses, dance in the streets and almost everyone has the afternoon off from work. That said, I´m going to la calle to enjoy the rest of the day. I hope to while I´m traveling...until then, hasta luego!

2007-04-23T08:29:00.000-07:00

Things are busier than ever here in Granada with final projects, exams and papers but I´ve been able to spend my last few weekends traveling a bit. Two weeks ago I went to Morocco-a trip I´ve been longing to make for some time now-and toured three different cities. First we crossed the Strait of Gibraltar in a ferry and docked in Ceuta, one of the two Spanish cities on the northern coast of Africa, and took a bus to Tetouan where our hotel was located. Crossing the border was really interesting because I had never experienced a crossing with such high security like that before. There were long retractable strips of metal on the ground with large spikes near the openings in the border gate to blow out the tires of illegal entries. We also spotted several of these contraptions along the main highways on our way to the hotel. Apparently they are needed quite often because when we were waiting to cross, a car flew by going the wrong way and all of the police immediately halted all traffic and started reaching for their guns...quite a way to start off the excursion.

Throughout the weekend we visited an outdoor market that offered a variety of foods, from fresh vegetables and fruits to freshly slaughtered chicken and raw legs of animals. Needless to say I didn´t make any purchases during this shopping trip. We also made a stop where we had the opportunity to ride camels but I wasn´t up for taking a lap around a parking lot for 15 seconds on a worn-out looking animal so I passed on this opportunity. My favorite part of the trip was the point we visited in Tanger where the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean meet, or besan, according to our tourguide. Other highlights were bargaining with the locals at various markets for some gifts to take home, seeing all of the mosques with speaker-phones in the minarets to call the Muslims to prayer and our visit to Chefchaouen. This small pueblo, located in the mountains, had beautiful scenery and blue doors are found on nearly every building. When we were climbing up to see the source of the town´s drinkable water, which comes from an underground lake in the mountains, we learned that the Andalucían government has given this town money to promote sustainable lifestyles, such as removing the marijuana plants from the land.

This past weekend I stayed in Andalucía and toured two cities to the west of Granada: Arcos de la Frontera and Ronda. Both cities are situated on elevated terrain with dramatic cliffs, bridges and old architecture. Pictures say more than words so hopefully some will be posted soon...

Today is National Day of Books in Spain because it is the day both Cervantes and Shakespeare died. To celebrate in Granada they are holding booksales in various plazas and in Cataluña it is tradition to bring books and roses to your teacher. We tried to talk our literature professor into taking us out for some coffee to celebrate this monumental occasion but considering we have an exam on Thursday, this idea didn´t fly with her. I did, however, contribute to literacy in Spain today; every Monday I tutor at a colegio for about an hour in a classroom that attempts to function as a study hall. Although the students ask me more questions concerning whether or not they can go to the bathroom than concerning academics, I try to help them with their language homework. I think what ends up happening is that I learn more Spanish than they learn English! Anyways, today was my last day and it is getting weird to think that I have to start saying goodbye to all the people I have met here.

I hope everyone is enjoying the warming weather in Wisconsin as much as I am here in Granada. Hasta luego y nos vemos pronto, un besito!

Después de La Pascua

2007-04-10T10:51:00.000-07:00

After a daytrip to Madrid and Toledo, a week in Lisboa, Portugal and Easter weekend in Granada, I´ve collected lots of pictures and stories to share. The picture to the left is a view of the ancient city of Toledo, a historically important city during the rule of the Muslim caliphate in Spain, where Jews, Muslims and Christians lived together. Kaela and I rode a sweet little Zoco-tren along the outskirts of the city...a mode of transportation that reminded me a lot of the train rides at the Milwaukee County Zoo-but on a much bigger scale! We also toured two of the last three remaining synagogues in Spain, located in Toledo. The other, which I have already visited, is located in Córdoba. After a day in Toledo, we spent the night before our flight to Portugal in a roomy two-bedroom hostel in Madrid.

Arriving in Portugal was a bit odd, as there was no type of security to pass through and I didn´t even have to show my passport! I suppose traveling from Spain is much different than arriving from the United States but it was still an intersting experience. The picture on the right is a view at the top of a long lawn, looking down into the city center. You can also see the Castle of Sao Jorge at the top of the hill on the left-hand side and the river Tagus below, that flows into the Atlantic. The city was really vibrant and more touristy than I was expecting, but the people there were friendly and helpful. We went out for a traditional Portuguese dinner the first night and probably spent more time trying to translate the menu and attemping to order than actually eating. Our waiter helped us with the language barrier by bringing out a platter of fresh (raw) fish to demonstrate was was available for dinner that night! And when half the table ordered chicken for dinner, we were informed that there was only one available and that we would have to order something else...I guess I never really thought that restaurants would run out of something like chicken but it does make sense that fish would be their most popular dish, as they are situated right on the water.

Lisboa consists of several different barrios that offer unique sights and experiences. My favorite place we visited during the week was the barrio closest to our hostel, called Alfama. This is the oldest disctrict of Lisboa and derives from the Arabic word Al-hamma, meaning fountains or baths. Here we hiked up the steep and twisty streets to visit a street market, admired the National Pantheon (an overpowering building that was situated almost directly above our hostel location) and several historical churches. The Castle of Sao Jorge is also in the Alfama and we had a fun time taking in the amazing view from the towers and pretending to fire the cannons from the castle walls. The Alfama was also where we went out for dinner to a restaurant that offered Fado, a traditional emotionally-charged musical performance in Portugal that consists of a singer/singers and guitar accompaniment. It was quiet an experience, as our waitress, hostess and even the guy who had to make a fish-run to replenish the kitchen performed-and were all phenomenal singers.

We also toured Sintra, a beautiful city only about 30 minutes from Lisboa by train. Although we accidently hopped on the wrong train (due to poor communication at the ticket window) we were eventually pointed in the right direction by the ticket-checker on the train going the wrong way (who, by the way, had to write notes on the backs of our tickets explaining that we wanted to get to Sintra and to allow the punched tickets to be valid for our second attempt navigating the railway). We finally arrived in Sintra after noon. Despite our rough start, we had plenty of time to tour the Palacio de Pena as well as the Muslim Castle that was "probably" built in the 8th century, according to the not-very-informative sign posted near the entrance. The castle walls reminded me a bit of the Great Wall of China images I have seen, but on a much smaller scale! Scaling them were a challenge but the view made it all worth while.

My favorite stop in Portugal was our daytrip to Belém, a small city just outside of downtown Lisboa. It has the famous Torre de Belém that we encountered on just about every postcard we saw, as well as their famous pastries...yum! This was also an important site for the famous Portugal explorers such as Prince Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama. It was a perfect day for sight-seeing from the tops of these monuments and for sitting in the grassy park (something I really miss here in Spain) for lunch. Riding back to our hostel in an old streetcar was also fun, although not as spacious or smooth as the public bus system. Since we took our pastries to go, we had a little treat from Belém that evening after dinner. Now I´m looking into the cost of ordering and shipping these treats back home...for future reference :) All in all, the trip to Portugal was stressful at times, due to an unexpected visit to the U.S. Embassy and transportation bloopers, but Kaela and I still had a great time touring such a diverse and world-influenced city.

I´ve posted a few pictures from my weekend in Granada during Semana Santa on the upper right. The procession I saw on Saturday began at the doors of the Alhambra and made its way throughout the city, ending up at the Catedral. I enjoyed the processions on Sunday because they represented the resurrection of Jesus and there was also an amazing float of Mary that contained over 100 lit candles. The traditional wardrobes worn by the processioners are a bit repulsive because they simbolize something much different in the United States but it was really neat to see such an elaborate display of a religious celebration within the very city I live in now.

That´s it for now...check below for more pictures from my trip to Portugal. Ciao!

Semana Santa (Holy Week) en España

2007-03-29T08:41:00.000-07:00

This coming week will bring tons of travelers and tourists from around the world to the streets of Anadalucía to view the religious processions, which are parades of religiously decorated floats to mourn and celebrate this time of year. The processions are more than a Catholic practice, they are an important part of the tradition and culture in Spain. Although I won´t be in Granada for most of Semana Santa, I hope to catch the end of the week´s events when I return next Friday evening.

During the majority of Semana Santa I will be in Lisboa, Portugal! I´m meeting Kaela in Madrid tomorrow morning, spending the day in Toledo (which is about an hour outside of Madrid) and then flying to Lisboa on Saturday. I haven´t brushed up on my Portugese (and by brushing up I mean learning some basic words) yet but hopefully I´ll be able to understand a bit here and there with my knowledge of Spanish...we´ll see. Since Portugal is also a country heavily influenced by Catholicism, it will be interesting to see what kind of events will take place and how they compare to Spain.

The floats for the processions in Spain are a bit different than those we see in parades in the U.S. during the 4th of July. These floats are carried by men, called costaleros, throughout the streets of Andalucía. They are elaborately decorated and display religious figures and artifacts. When Marja and I were making our way back to the bus station after touring Sevilla by foot a few weeks ago, we encountered a church practicing with their float for the processions and it was incredible to witness. There were about 25-30 men (strong, strong men...the kind you wouldn´t want to mess with in a bar) carrying a large metal platform with wooden planks on top making their way through a narrow street. They were moving at at agonizingly slow pace, practically a crawl, and it was necessary for each person to be in step with the others to avoid tripping and falling.

The processions in Sevilla are the most popular in Spain and attract the biggest crowds from around the world. In Granada, temporary grandstands, which form an aisle for the processions to pass through, have been set up in the plaza in front of the city hall to prepare for the coming week. Although I haven´t seen any practicing costaleros here in Granada, I have caught glimpses of a few nearly-completed floats that are stored in garages on my walks home from school and they look incredible.

Well, I´m off to Portugal now! More to come when I return to España...hasta luego!

Living under an Ultra-Conservative Roof

2007-03-26T11:07:00.000-07:00

After living with my señora for more than two months, I have started to put together bits and pieces of her life story...and it turns out that her conservative beliefs run much deeper than I realized. We had the most fascinating conversation last week about the reign of Franco (the dictator who ruled Spain after the Civil War in 1939 until his death in 1975). I was interested in what her life was like during this era, since we are learning about this in my culture class right now. What she told me was surprising.

Apparently, her life was best during Franco´s rule for several reasons. The cost of living was much lower than it is today...one explination for this may be due to the inflation in prices Spain has suffered with the conversion to the Euro in 2002. Also, she told me that it was much safer in the streets during this time and women did not have to fear being out late at night, like they do today...this is probably because nobody had rights in Spain during the dictatorship because all of the power was in the hands of the military. Finally, I assume that Franco´s ultra-conservative rule and declaration of Catholicism as the State´s only religion was also appealing to my señora, who goes to mass every day and is very involved in her church´s community.

I too enjoy attending mass, but my señora has taken this one step further and has started to give me all sorts of religious items...to supplement my religiosity, I suppose. For example, I now have not one but two poster-sized lamenated calendars that display the Virgin Mary and other religious figures. She has also passed on multiple pieces of Catholic literature she´s received from her church groups...as if I don´t have enough to read for my classes! Despite the rarity of these unexpected gifts, I am flattered by her thoughtfulness.

Mi abuela española, Juana (my Spanish grandmother), is very religious as well; my señora told me that when Juana was living in Madrid during the Civil War, a sacerdote (a priest) lived with her family and held daily mass in their home for the entire town! This was incredible to hear because I can now understand more easily how an entire population falls under the leadership of someone like Franco, who maintained the support of the Catholic Church by making it the State´s religion.

After this part of our conversation, I only asked a few more questions because the older conservative generation in Spain definitely do not see the same picture as those who grew up under the oppression of Franco or who have learned about the real history of his dictatorship. When I asked about how she felt about the people who were oppressed during his reign, such as the people from Galicia, País Vasco and Cataluña (autonomous communities within Spain) who speak different languages than Spanish due to their very distinct histories, she exclaimed (translated) "Spain had one official language!". Although Spain now has four official languages, she still feels very strongly about the more liberal changes that have taken place in the country under the present liberal government. She went as far as to say that Spain doesn´t have a true democracy right now, under the leadership of Zapatero and the political party PSOE...even though I´m pretty sure elections with ballots are valid in this country...

So in conclusion, I don´t think I will be having much trouble going back to my own household and having political conversations with mi padre now :) Haha, ciao!

2007-03-19T10:46:00.000-07:00

These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of events, traveling, and important learning experiences here in Spain...this is the first time since my last entry I´ve had time to blog so there´s much too share!

The weekend after Kaela´s visit in Granada, I went on a daytrip with CEGRI to Córdoba, which is a city located in Andalucía, on the Guadalquivir river. Today it has a population well over 300,000 but during the peak of the Muslim caliphate in Spain in the 10th century, Córdoba, the capital of Al-Andalus (the name for Spain according to the Muslims) reached 500,000 inhabitants-the second largest city in the world. The main attraction in the city is the Mezquita, or what is now called the Catedral. After the Reyes Católicos pushed the Muslim caliphate out of Spain, this world-famous mosque, an incredible piece of history, art, and architecture, was converted into a cathedral with the use of horrific gothic architecture within the mosque. Despite this attempt to Christianize this Muslim site, the Mezquita remains today one of the most exquisite reminders of Islamic history and culture in Spain. We also toured the remains of the palace where the Caliph (the "king" of the dynasty) and his servants lived. Although over 90% of these remains are buried underground, it was really interesting to see because much of these significant historical discoveries are still being made today.

Last Monday, my friend Marja from the U.S. came to visit me in Granada for her spring break and it was a lot of fun. She left yesterday (tugging my huge suitcase full of every possible piece of winter clothing we could squish into the thing) to return to classes at Marquette and it was really hard to say goodbye at the airport. We had such a great week together and it was wonderful to have a little reminder of home, here in Spain.

Even though I had class during the day, she enjoyed spending time getting to know my host family (as she is a Spanish major and speaks better Spanish than me!), doing a little sight-seeing on her own, and of course shopping! We toured the Albaycin, the Alhambra, the Catedral, various parks, and yes...tapas bars! She was introduced to the famous FREE tapas (delicious appetizers that come complimentary with the order of a drink) as well as churros con chocolate and chawarmas, which are delicious wraps made with shaved meat, spices and vegetables. This food derives from the Middle East and is a favorite among people here eating on a budget. We also had our fill of the always satisfying cafe con leche and bocadillos made by my señora.

Unfortunately, the aforementioned learning experience also took place during Marja´s trip. During one of our shopping excursions Wednesday night, my purse was stolen in a shoe store when I was trying on a pair of flats. Although it was probably the most terrible experience I´ve ever gone through, I am grateful that no violence was involved and that it did not happen to Marja, who was carrying her passport! It´s still hard to think how foolish I was to not have my purse on my shoulder for those few minutes when I was in the store and how I should have known better, after living in such a busy city for two months but I have had some good (and somewhat comical) learning opportunities and "first-time" experiences...

1) First time filing a police report-I remained fairly calm, considering it was in a second language and the police officer, realizing how difficult the language was for me at that moment, only seemed to talk faster. I was very particular to have the (male) officer include the designer name Vera Bradley in the police report, and not just "wallet" (as it was my first piece I ever owned). I then attempted-due to my lack of vocabulary-to explain to him what a paisley pattern looks like... On a side-note, it was quite funny to listen to him attempt to say my last name and proceed to ask my about my Russian heritage-guess again sir!

2) First time going to a motorcyle repair shop to request to have someone cut through the Craftsman lock on my suitcase-The key to the lock on my suitcase was in my purse so after trying to pick the lock with a hairpin (not so easy as the movies make it look) Marja and I toted the massive piece of luggage to a local moto repair shop, where a nice worker from Columbia used a metal-cutter to bust the lock (sorry Grandma!) and proceeded to strike up conversation about how close our homelands were...right.

There were many other firsts, not quite as interesting, such as buying a cell phone on my own and calling my mom with the horrifying news and to "cancel my credit cards." Now the only thing I have left to do is to decipher the text messages I am receiving in order to figure out who´s who and rebuild my phonebook.

Thursday night, Marja and I went out for tapas with my intercambio Jesús and his friend. We went to one Italian-themed bar called D´Cuadros, where we got a heaping plate of tortellini with our glasses of wine...MMM! After that we headed to a more typical Andalucían bar that was decked out in the hand-crafted pottery specific to Granada and other rustic/farm decoration. There we had cervezas con patatas fritas and a delicious potato-pancake.

Friday we left around noon for Sevilla, where we spent most of the weekend sight-seeing. There we saw the world famous Catedral; it is the third-largest in the world and took over a century to build. Supposedly it holds the remains of Christopher Columbus, but who knows for sure. We also saw the Plaza de España, the Plaza de Toros and an incredible Flamenco show. All in all, the trip was successful and I hope to return before the end of my stay here because there was so much I wasn´t able to see.

Now I am busy with schoolwork again and preparing for my trip with Kaela to Portugal in only two weeks! Oh yes, before I forget, today is Father´s Day here, so to all the fathers at home, Happy Father´s Day from Spain! Until next time, hasta luego!

My Weekend in Granada

2007-03-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

This weekend my friend Kaela came to visit me here. She is studying in Alcala, a town about the size of Granada, located to the east of Madrid. We toured much of the city by foot on Friday, such at La Catedral, La Capilla Real (the Royal Chapel where the tombs of the famous Catholic king and queen-Isabel and Fernando-are located) and various other historic sites. Before eating lunch with my host family, we had some café con leche in Plaza Nueva because it was so nice and sunny. After lunch we headed up to the Albaycin and ended up at the Mirador de San Nicolas at dusk, which overlooks the Alhambra, to watch the sunset.

Saturday we traveled to Salobreña, a small city on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea with a beautiful beach only 45 minutes away from Granada. The weather was gorgeous and it was warm enought to lay out in our swimsuits. One thing I wasn´t ready for in Europe was the lack of inhibition many women have about sunbathing topless! I think this may be one cultural aspect I´ll avoid incorporating into my lifestyle.

After three or four hours on the beach we hiked around to get a better view of the coastline. This was my first time on the Mediterranian Coast and the view was incredible because the water was several shades of blue and the coast jutted in and out, shifting from flat beaches to more montainous terrain. There was also an old Moorish castle build on the hill a few miles off the coast that was equally impressive to see from a distance. We weren´t quite ambitious enough to hike up the hill to view this castle up close but it was probably a good call because we had a long night ahead of us!

We returned to Granada that evening and took a little siesta before getting ready to go out. After eating dinner around 10:30p (which is a time I´m still getting used to and about 2 hours later than Kaela´s dinner time with her señora!) we went out for some tapas and drinks. Our first tapa was Tortilla Española with these delicious peppers. Then I tried one with mussels and tomato on bread-not the most appetizing but definitely interesting! For their second round, my girlfriends tried tasty tapas with bacon-yum!

We then headed to Tantra Bar, where we found free admission passes for Granada 10, a popular discoteca here, which was awesome. Here´s a picture of Natalie, me and Kaela at the discoteca-we danced for an hour or two but didn´t stay too long because since it was Saturday night, it was jam-packed and practically impossible to move...also, I was taking Kaela to the Alhambra the next day and didn´t want to be horribly tired for the walking tour.

On Sunday we had another day of great weather-perfect for touring the Alhambra. It was so much fun to see the place again because a lot of the trees and flowers are starting to bloom now. It has completely transformed since the last time I was there in January and I can´t imagine how beautiful it will be in May or June...unfortunately I won´t be in Granada at this time! My señora packed us bocadillos (which are gigantic sandwiches) with fried eggs and freshly sliced tomatos on them, oranges and some delicious chocolate-I think she is really starting to discover some of my favorite foods!

We spent the majority of the afternoon touring various sites within the Alhambra (the picture to the right is my favorite palace-The Generalife) but by 4p it was time to head back to pack her bags. Sending Kaela off on the train was difficult because we had such a great time visiting with each other but we´ll be meeting up again for our trip to Lisboa, Portugal in less than a month-I can´t believe it!

Okay, well that is it for now. I have to head home soon to do my readings on País Vasco and journal a bit in my diary for Composición before eating dinner and going to bed. I´ve posted a few pictures from my trip to Guadix (the place with all the caves) last weekend so enjoy the sights of the Catedral and the great views of the Sierra Nevada-ciao!

2007-02-26T10:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings from España! I can´t believe it has been over a week since my return from Ireland. Getting back into the swing of things at school was a bit difficult since I wasn´t speaking much Spanish while traveling (unless Natalie and I didn´t want people to know what we were talking about...) but last week my señora´s daughter and family were visiting from Sevilla and I had many opportunities to practice with them. They have a one and a half year old son named Oscar (such a cutie!) and I learned a bunch of names for various animals after reading him a children´s book-what a great way for me to learn vocab, right?

Last Thursday I went out for a few glasses of wine (vino tinto) and tapas with some of my classmates before heading to a small dance club called Afrodisia, which played groovy music from the 60´s. It had been a long week so by the time people were heading to the discotecas, I decided to head home for a good night´s rest. Friday I went shopping and found some great deals at Zara, a popular clothing store here. The sales (or rebajas) here only last for another week so I´m taking advantage of the time I have left! Saturday Natalie and I traveled to a city about 45 minutes east of Granada, called Guadix. Here we saw a beautiful cathedral, visited the market that sells everything from spices and fruit to beads and hand-made African carvings. Then we headed up the mountains/hills where a large portion of the population lives in caves! Their dwellings are actually built right into the sides of the hilly land and there was a spectacular sight of the Sierra Nevadas from the highest look-out point in El Barrio de las Cuevas. That night after having a few sangrias and tapas, we headed to Kapital, a smaller and less expensive discoteca that had really good music. I didn´t get home until 4:45am (a bit early to call it a night in Spain but hey, it was a long day) and Sunday was a day for rest and relaxation. I went for a run in the early afternoon and watched the end of Gladiator (dubbed, of course...just not the same) before meeting Jesús (mi intercambio) for café con leche. We hadn´t seen each other since before my trip to Ireland so there was a lot to talk about and since we lost track of time I was a bit late for the evening mass at San Francisco.

All in all, my weekend was really fun and I´ve enjoyed staying around Granada and practicing my Spanish. I´m getting really excited for this weekend because my friend Kaela, who is studying near Madrid this semester, is coming to Granada to visit! I´ll have a lot to show her in just a few days but maybe we´ll head down to the beach for a day if the weather is nice. Okay, check out the Ireland pictures at the bottom of the page and I´ll post again soon! Ciao.

Ireland

2007-02-19T09:40:00.000-08:00

I´ve returned from my trip to Ireland and have so much to tell...the country was unlike anywhere I have ever visited and although my pictures will say more than I´ll ever be able to explain (for example this photo taken in Dublin at dusk overlooking the Liffey) I´ll try my best to recount the adventure I had with Natalie, my travel buddy.

Our departure flight was located in Málaga, a southern city in Spain near the Costa del Sol, where we spent the day visiting the Picasso Museum, La Alcazaba (a Muslim military building built on the coast of the Mediterranian-think "mini-Alhambra") and a beautiful cathedral. After a day in the sun, it was time to go to the airport to catch our late-night flight to Dublin; we arrived in Ireland after midnight and since we hadn´t booked any hostels for the weekend we decided to head to Galway as soon as possible. And so our adventure began...with an overnight stay in Dublin´s airport, attempting to sleep in the cold plastic chairs with a recording of a very angry-sounding woman going off every 10 minutes reminding travelers to never leave their bags unattended.

Sunday, 11 Feb

Despite this seemingly bad start to our trip, we caught a 6:15am bus and headed west. We arrived in Galway, the third largest city in Ireland (although after walked the "downtown" you´d never believe this fact), around 9am and checked in to a hostel for showers and some shut-eye. After resting a bit and then making some pasta with groceries from a local store down the road from our hostel, we toured the city by foot and went out for a drink later that night. Here we got a taste of traditional Irish music, which was mesmorizing...the band consisted of two violinists and an accordian player. At one point there was a solo on the accordian and a hush fell over the entire pub...a local citizen explained to me that this song was an example of the Irish heritage and represented something not of this world. It was a perfect way to begin our tour of the island.

Monday, 12 Feb

Today we took a ferry from a city west of Galway to the Aran Islands. We rented bikes and despite the cold, rainy, windy weather, we were able to tour much of the countryside. It was such a great experience because much of the land remains untouched by development and it felt like we were visiting a place untouched by modern influences. Most of the pastures created by rock fences still divide the land and there are a few sites on Inishmore, the largest of the three islands, that reflect years of early Celtic Christianity influences. Here´s a picture of the cliffs near a historical site built by Celtic tribesmen where the Atlantic Ocean abruptly meets jagged rock-this place was one of the highlights of my trip!

Tuesday, 13 Feb

Today after tourning the St. Nicholas Cathedral and the University of Galway, we decided to escape the bleak, rainy weather by catching a bus and returning to Dublin. Since it arrived later in the evening we checked in to our hostel, walked around a bit to familiarize ourselves with the city and bought groceries for dinner. After dinner we headed to Temple Bar with an Australian friend we met at the hostel. This is the most well-known pub and the biggest "touristy" spot to grab a Guinness and hear live music...and it´s where I tasted my first glass of this famous brew!

Wednesday, 14 Feb

After getting a late start due to fellow hostel-mates abusing their time in the community bathroom, we took a tour of Dublin Castle, inside and out. There were some beautiful Waterford crystal chandelliers, murals and French Victorian furninture scattered throughout the castle. We were also shown a buried part of a tower that was nearly destroyed due to a fire a few hundred years ago. It wasn´t discovered until the 1980´s when water from the old moat flooded one of the building built on top of the tower! Here´s a view of the church connected to the tower (in the upper left-hand corner)-this tower is the only part of the original castle that survived the fire.

We also toured a part of the National Gallery and Trinity College. Later that night we went to a pub called the Porter House and I tasted a locally-brewed stout that was actually enjoyable! Natalie and I also tried a fruity beer from Belgium (compliments of a random Hungarian guy) that tasted more like wine than beer. I think I may be spoiled now and will find it difficult to go back to the Madison brews this summer :)

Thursday, 15 Feb

Today we toured the Guinness Storehouse and learned all about what goes on in a brewery...although I can´t really keep everything straight with the barley, malt, yeast, etc., the complimentary Guinness at the end in the Gravity Bar (which provides an amazing view of the city of Dublin) was well worth the confusing info session.

After the Guiness Storehouse we made our way to Collins Barracks where they used to hold military drills. Near the barracks is the National Museum of Ireland, where we visited a few really interesting historical exhibitions on the Easter Rising of 1916 and Irish military history including the IRA. After taking an Irish history course on Revolt and Revolution, these exhibits were awesome to see.

Friday, 16 Feb

Our last full day in Ireland consisted of touring St. Patrick´s Cathedral. The picture to the right is a bit blurry but it´s a side view of the altar and if you look closely you can see the row of knight´s helmets above the seats. After the cathedral we took a stroll in St. Stephen´s Green, a beautiful park with lots of open grassy area, ponds, trees and benches right in the heart of Dublin.

After lunch (homemade mac & cheese made with spaghetti noodles, with baked potatoes on the side...since we were trying to use up all our accumulated groceries from the week...) we did a bit of shopping and I nearly bought a set of Waterford Crystal wine glasses. After I weighed the option of going to Portugal next month and sipping from real crystal at home (and believe me, it was a hard decision) I decided to go for the traveling option. I guess I know what´s first on my wedding registry down the road!

Our last night in Dublin took us first to a four-story bar/club where I had an outrageously expensive Irish Coffee. Next we headed to The Mezz, a bar with live music and lots of locals. We met a group of Irish gents who were celebrating their graduation from Trinity College and after chatting for a few hours, one of them talked us into seeing Croke Park the the next day before our flight home. He insisted our trip would not be complete without a tour of the largest Gaelic football stadium in Ireland-and I suppose this can be justified.

Saturday, 17 Feb

Here´s a view of Croke Park which is located on the north side of Dublin. Although we weren´t suppose to view the field without a guided tour, Naill (our Irish friend) talked to the info desk and we were able to catch a glimpse of the turf! It was fun to get a tour from a local because it was probably the most authentic thing Natalie and I experienced all week. On the way to the park we also learned a lot about the sports in Ireland. Soccer (as we know it) is not nearly as big as Gaelic Football, which is similar to a game in the US called Speedball (middle school gymclass anyone?). The only sports that are usually played in Croke Park are rugby and Gaelic football...soccer is also allowed but many die-hard Irish fans are not happy with this because soccer is a "European/English" sport that doesn´t have a place in Irish history.

After this we went for a delicious piece of carrot cake and coffee (mmmm) before booking it to the city bus we needed in order to catch our flight back to Spain. I believe this last tour was a perfect way to finish our visit in Ireland. Now I´m back in Granada planning my upcoming trips and getting back into the swing of things at school. It´s almost time for dinner so I´ve gotta run but hopefully more pictures from Ireland will be posted soon. Ciao!

Festival of San Cecilio

2007-02-07T10:49:00.000-08:00

Hola amigos, que tal? This past weekend I attended the Festival of San Cecilio, a celebration in Granada that includes a taste of local foods (for example, beans, salted fish and bread), flamenco dance and music (gratis, of course) as well as a concert and sweet constumes, which you can see in this picture! I uploaded more pics on the bottom of the page so check them out...and see if you can spot the dog on the roof!

The festival was located in the Albaicín, a district in Granada that historically was the medieval Muslim quarters. Many of the roads are extremely narrow and windy, and the trek up the Albaicín is always a good workout because it is established on the side of a mountain. Restaurants, bars and night clubs are scattered within this district, making it a prime tourist spot.

Today I visited the Monasterio de La Cartuja with my art class to study the gothic, renaissance and baroque art/architecture. The actual church was decorated in baroque style, which included more color, gold, molding and other detail than I could take in but I really enjoyed it. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed so I can´t share them with you but if you have seen any baroque churches before I think you´d get the picture.

Okay, I have to head home for a light dinner and a bit of studying, but after tomorrow I have my first spring break...and I´m off to Dublin! Hopefully I´ll be in touch but if you don´t hear from me, don´t worry because I´ll have plenty of pictures and stories when I return :)

Un abrazo fuerte

2007-02-01T08:49:00.000-08:00

Here´s a picture of a building a few steps away from where I study. There is a lot of graffiti around certain parts of Granada, but as you can see, some of it is rather artistic and interesting to look at. I´ve also posted a few pictures of my school, which is located in the heart of Granada, close to fresh fruit stands, various cafés and privately owned stores such as La Olivia. This tienda sells local and regional produce like olive oils, vinegars and sweets. CEGRI consists of three floors and there is an open patio in the center. We have two computer labs, a biblioteca and several classroom that are warmed by small portable heaters that give off surprisingly large amounts of heat.

My week here has gone by very quickly...again. I can´t believe I will be departing for Dublin in only nine days! I am becoming more comfortable speaking in my conversation class but I still fumble a lot of my words. For example, the other day in my culure of Spain class, instead of saying many Spaniards enjoy going out for a drink after work, I accidently stated that they spend time drinking babies! (Spanish majors, please forgive me...) Anyways, after this horrible blunder, we moved on and had a discussion about the differences between Spanish and U.S. schedules. In Spain it is not uncommon to see young children (in strollers even) as well as older citizens walking in the streets at 10 or 11p for an evening stroll on the weekends. Bedtime for children here (hopefully my little cousins hear this and start appealing to their parents) are not until 9:30 or 10p on weeknights! I don´t mind this too much but when I went to bed at 11:00p a few nights ago, the next morning Alfonso seemed genuinely concerned that something was wrong with me! (Tricia, how does this sound to you?)

Well, I have to run to class but I have another long weekend ahead of me so stay tuned!

2007-01-29T08:06:00.000-08:00

On Friday I went to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and they were gorgeous! As you can see from the picture here (and there are more at the bottom of the page...check them out!) that the view is incredibly clear. The climb up (by bus) took about an hour and we drove through several layers of clouds. It was neat to see all of the small communities scattered within the range and there was also a large amount of cattle roaming around too. We got a late start so we didn´t rent ski equipment but we hiked up as high as we could to get a better view. As the day went on the lighting changed and I got some great photos. At around 1 or 2 in the afternoon it began to snow; the visibility became so bad that the skiers had to stay off the slopes until it stopped. Luckily it let up before we had to depart and drive back down the mountain!

This weekend I met with Jesús, my intercambio. Luckily he speaks English fairly well so when I am really confused about something he says in Spanish, I can ask him to explain it. He graduated from the University of Granada with a degree in psychology and is currently looking for employment. He lives with his parents and is an only child. Jesús had done the intercambio program before with CEGRI and other study abroad programs so he is really good about speaking slowly and more clearly than the typcial Andalucian. We talked a bit about our studies, politics, family, etc...actually, he did most of the talking and I mainly asked questions because that is what I´m good at now.

On Saturday night I met Natalie´s intercambio, Javier, and some of his friends. The nightlife in Granada (and a lot of Europe) is much different than what I am used to in the States. We were at a bar until 2a, which is about the time I would go home in Madison...but not here! At this time the discotecas are just opening their doors so we made our way to Mae West, an insanely huge and popular discoteca in Granada. It is only five minutes away from my house so it is really convenient at the end of the night. There were several different rooms in the club, including one featuring 80´s music! The entire club is decked out in old Western movie posters and has an American theme. We ended up in the largest room, which featured pop music from the States as well as Spanish reggae and old Spanish flamenco songs that have a hip-hop twist. I won´t post how late (or early) I was out for my mom´s sake but it was definitely the latest I´ve ever been out! Sunday was a day of sleeping and doing homework (what little I have). I also went to the youth mass at 9p and I am starting to pick up some of the words to the prayers.

I have a busy week ahead of me so I´ll fill you in when I have some time to spare. Hasta luego!

2007-01-23T07:04:00.000-08:00

After just a week of classes, it has become easier to make my way to and from school. Not only can I fight the urge to stop at every shoe store I pass, I am beginning to feel comfortable crossing European streets. The drivers here are not bashful or timid when they drive...I don´t even think my dad would be comfortable driving here and that´s saying a lot! Besides aggressively driven cars (most of which are manual compact two-door economy cars), there are many other dangers to watch out for, such as mopeds, motorcycles and four-wheelers!

Yesterday I attempted to have my first phone conversation in Spanish...which was very interesting. Through my program at CEGRI, we have the opportunity to work with intercambios, native Spanish speakers who are willing to help us with our Spanish while we help them improve their English skills. My intercambio´s name is Jesús and when I called I was hoping for a voicemail because I was nervous to talk but once he picked up we had a fairly decent coversation (although until he said "suburbia" I had no idea what part of town he lived in!). Anyways, I have merengue and salsa dance lessons tonight but hopefully we will be able to meet tomorrow for coffee after my classes-this way I can stumble through a conversation in person and use hand gestures!

I just purchased my round-trip ticket to Dublin. I am visiting Ireland with Natalie during our first break which is only a few weeks away. I have always wanted to visit and I can´t wait to share the pictures and experiences with you. I have posted more pictures from my apartment but I have to run to class now-hasta luego!

2007-01-20T04:12:00.000-08:00

It has been exactly one week since I have moved into my señora´s house and I thought it was time to show you around the apartment. Here is the leg of the pig I was telling you about...it´s a little difficult to see but if you look closely you can make out the hoof. Luckily I have not had to slice meat for a sandwich yet!

My host brother Alfonso has left for a business trip in Valencia and will be back on Thursday. He travels frequently but when he is around we usually talk about music or tapas bars in Granada. He likes to watch MTV (which we get at the apartment) and Spanish music videos. They´re really into techno and electronic music here but at the clubs they play a lot of reggae. Alfonso knows most of the words to the pop songs from America so now I´m trying to pick up the words to songs here! I figure this will be a good way to improve my vocabulary.

The daily routine in Granada is a lot different than the rountine in the United States. At around 1:30 or 2 in the afternoon, every shop in the city (except a few necessity stores) shut down. At this time parents and children come home from work and school to have el almuerzo (lunch) which is their biggest and most important meal of the day. This siesta is a southern tradition because, unlike the north, there are very few industries in this part of the country. There are usually two or three courses to the meal and it is a great time to spend time with family and watch the daily news.

I hope you enjoy the pictures of my apartment-hasta luego!

2007-01-17T09:30:00.000-08:00

Hola mis amigos. I am almost done with my first week of classes and the teachers here are really nice and supportive. I have decided to sign up for Oral Spanish instead of Composition to improve my speaking skills. Although this will probably be my most challenging class, I hope to get a lot out of it! Anyways, this week has been full of more new foods, uncomfortable situations with my host family and...shopping!

Today I had a version of spaghetti with some kind of tomato sauce with pork and I thought it was pretty tasty. Yesterday for lunch my señora made a delicious lentil soup with carrots and potatoes-followed by hotdogs! She fried them in a pan and gave me some barbeque sauce to dip them which was awesome. I´m not sure if that is a staple food here in the Andalucía or if she prepared them for me but it was a nice reminder of a meal in the States :)

I´ve been doing a lot of window shopping for shoes and purses. I haven´t found any heels yet that look possible for me to walk in (especially on the stone-paved roads here) but somehow Spanish women make it happen. I guess I´ll have to give them a try sooner or later...I hope my international insurance covers sprained ankles! Anyways, everyone here is super-stylish, but I have seen an abundance of mullets on a lot of the guys here and I hope this is one trend that does not make it across the Atlantic.

As for my living situation, I enjoy talking to my señora when I can understand what she is saying, but her accent is extremely thick. The accent here consists of dropping consonants and speaking with a lisp. In other words, my education in Spanish listening comprehension up to this point is pretty much useless when it comes to conversing with natives. Luckily, I know the key phrases such as "please slow down" and "I don´t understand" which are frequently used in our daily conversations. Today I learned the word for dishwasher which is fun to say (when I can remember it) and she helped me with my Spanish Culture homework. This morning she showed me how to turn on the hot water in the house-unfortunately this demonstration was AFTER I took an ice cold shower!

I have posted some photos (bottom of page) from our trip to the Alhambra last weekend so I hope you have time to check them out-hasta luego.

Host Family & Food

2007-01-14T08:26:00.000-08:00

Saturday morning I met Teresa, my señora. She lives with Juana, her mother as well as Alfonso, her son. We took a cab to her house, located on Calle de las Flores, which was a bit uncomfortable because she kept looking out the windown mumbling some Spanish to the cab driver. Things improved a bit when we arrived at her apartment. She gave me the tour of the place and explained where I was sleeping; my room is bigger than I expected but when I walked in there was no bed and I was nervous I would have to sleep on a couch or something. She then proceeded to open these doors that looked as if they belonged to a closet and pulled down my bed! It is definitely small but cozy nonetheless....The bathroom is a nice size too (much bigger than my bathroom back at Madison!) and I had hot water this morning for my shower-yay! One thing that was a bit startling at first was when I walked into the kitchen and saw an entire hind leg of a pig (hoof and all) placed on a metal meat stand on the counter. The meat, called "jamón serrano," is cured and ready to eat...I know because that is what I had for lunch today!

I still am not too comfortable around the house because I don´t know the daily routine very well. My señora took me to a food market so she could prepare "paella," a common rice and seafood dish eaten at lunch. I had some yesterday and it was good, despite the beady little eyes of the shrimp looking at me from my plate. Yep, you guessed it. They cook up the entire thing-antenna and all! That was okay but I steered clear of the whole squid.

After lunch we rested a bit and then went shopping. My señora showed me all the stores with the best discounts for shoes and clothes (Aunt Val, I´m sure you can appreciate this!). It was a pretty long day yesterday and I had to get up early for an excursion so I didn´t check out any tapas bars near my house yet. Today we went to La Alhambra and it was beautiful beyond words. I hope to have pictures posted soon so stick around! Hasta luego.

I´m Finally Here!

2007-01-12T00:02:00.000-08:00

So I finally made it to Granada. The eight hour flight from O´Hare to Madrid was exhausting but I´ve almost slept off the jet-lag. I´m staying at La Hostal Atenas for a few days, right in the heart of the city, before moving in with my señora this Sunday. I´ve already seen a lot of the city and it is incredible. There are buildings from the 14th and 15th centuries and I will be studying in a neighborhood that used to be a Jewish settlement before their expulsion in 1492. Actually, there is a law in Granada that does not allow for the original structures of the buildings to be altered so much of the history of the city is retained. I am only a few minutes away from the old Muslim silk markets. They are now filled with shops for tourists but the original features are still present. I can practically touch both sides of the buildings when I am walking down these streets...that is how narrow the alleys are!

The view from Granada is breathtaking. The snow-capped Sierra Nevada Mountains are visible in the distance and there are amazing palace-like houses elevated above the main city that I can see from the streets. There are also several plazas around the entire city that people use to describe their residential locations (instead of street names). For example, our hostel is close to the Plaza Isabel la Católica. This is the place where we are meeting each day for our excursions around the city. The night life in Granada is so energetic...don´t worry mom, I only had a few sangrias so far! I also tried my first taste of fried pulpo-look it up...you know you are jealous. Today we have more orientation and another tour but hopefully I can rest up because tomorrow is my big day. I am finally meeting my host family-adios!

Still in the States

2007-01-08T11:32:00.000-08:00

Today is my final day for packing and I can't believe how spacious my luggage looked only a few days ago. Now I'm attempting to cram a wardrobe for winter, spring and summer into only a suitcase and a backpack! Not to mention my books, shoes, toiletries, umbrellas, pictures-I know they tell us to pack lightly, but seriously....

I've seen a lot of old friends and family over break so that has been wonderful. Even though I'm still really nervous and anxious to live in another country for five months and leave all the familiar faces, I am also becoming more and more excited about this coming semester. I don't think everything will actually sink in until I am on my plane tomorrow. Well, better get back to packing. I still don't know where I'm going to fit all my shoes.

Welcome!

2007-01-04T11:41:00.000-08:00

Thanks for visiting my blog. I will attempt to keep it updated as much as possible while I am abroad in Granada, Spain and traveling throughout Western Europe. Check it out if you are interested in my adventures this spring...let's keep in touch!