There are many things that I miss about the USA. First, of course, is my family and friends, but a close second is my laundry room.
Let me tell you about laundry in Spain. When you want to wash your clothes, you must first schedule your laundry time, since there are only three functioning washers to serve a dorm complex of hundreds of students. You get one hour. If you show up 5 minutes late, you miss your chance. However, if you show up on time, you will always have to wait to start your load, because the washers take more than an hour to run a cycle.
So you get to the laundry room with your clothes, ready to wait to start your load. You then find the laundry ladies, who are usually hiding somewhere in the back, smoking or talking on the phone. They will silently glare at you the first few times you say "Perdon" until eventually one of them will get up to come sign your card, which gives you permission to do three loads of laundry per month (no drying included).
When your washer opens up, you put in their nasty soap, which may or may not stain your clothes blue, and start your load. Careful not to turn your back, or the lady may start the load before you put your clothes in, without asking you whether you have colors or whites or what size load you have.
When your washer is done, if you want to use a dryer (which I have to do if I want my jeans to continue fitting), you pay 2 euros and get a dryer coin, which gives you an hour of drying time. There are two dryers: one, which you have to kick to start, makes a horrible screeching sound. The second, as I found out today, does not dry your clothes at all, but rather heats them up to a lukewarm, wet state. Heaven forbid you should ask for a refund or another dryer coin. The unfriendly lady's only response will be (in Spanish, obviously) "It's not my problem if the dryers don't work. I'm leaving."
I hate it! I hate it I hate it I hate it! I can't wait to go home where things and people WORK and I can do my laundry without any "help" from anyone else.
Okay, rant over.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Cordoba
On Saturday afternoon, I took a bus from Granada to Cordoba, with the objective of seeing the grand Mezquita. Upon my arrival, I was struck by two things: first, Cordoba is very compact, and second, everything in Cordoba seems to be under construction. It's like Spain is trying to create jobs or something. I didn't do much sight seeing, as it was already dark, but I did get some dinner and headed to bed early so I could get up at the crack of dawn.
In the morning, I was greeted with rain. And not just rain. A driving, Noah's ark, Tapico-style inundation.
Now, the rain wasn't all bad. Some positives:
1. I got to see some gargoyles doing their job.
2. Free food! Cordoba is absolutely filled with orange trees, and the rain was heavy enough to knock off some of the ripe ones, which I pocketed and ate with lunch. Yum.
3. My shoes got a bath.
Determined to still see the city, I went ahead and slogged over to the Alcazar of the Christian Kings, which turned out to be pretty cool. They had a large collection of Roman mosaics, as well as more Arabic baths and a small dungeon.
After that visit, I went to the Mezquita-Catedral to hear Mass, which put everything in perspective. It was the first Sunday of Advent, so the cathedral was decked out in purple, and just splendid. I could finally understand everything the priest was saying, and he gave a nice sermon about how we should let the weather remind us to stay awake and always be watching out for the ways God touches our lives. He also told us not to be concerned with the little petty problems of this world, like the rain, since they don't matter in the scheme of things. And he was right - who cares about the rain when I'm SO LUCKY to get to be here at all?
The old Mezquita part of the cathedral is amazing as well. I knew there were arches, but I didn't realize there would be so many; it is a veritable forest in there! I can't wait to get the pictures unstuck from my camera's internal memory so I can show you.
After Mass, the rain had mostly subsided, so I made a quick jaunt to some of the city's historical attractions: a Roman temple and bridge and some really old water mills, which were pretty neat. I didn't have a whole lot of time, though, before I had to get on the bus for the long ride home.
Good weekend.
In the morning, I was greeted with rain. And not just rain. A driving, Noah's ark, Tapico-style inundation.Now, the rain wasn't all bad. Some positives:
1. I got to see some gargoyles doing their job.
2. Free food! Cordoba is absolutely filled with orange trees, and the rain was heavy enough to knock off some of the ripe ones, which I pocketed and ate with lunch. Yum.
3. My shoes got a bath.
Determined to still see the city, I went ahead and slogged over to the Alcazar of the Christian Kings, which turned out to be pretty cool. They had a large collection of Roman mosaics, as well as more Arabic baths and a small dungeon.
After that visit, I went to the Mezquita-Catedral to hear Mass, which put everything in perspective. It was the first Sunday of Advent, so the cathedral was decked out in purple, and just splendid. I could finally understand everything the priest was saying, and he gave a nice sermon about how we should let the weather remind us to stay awake and always be watching out for the ways God touches our lives. He also told us not to be concerned with the little petty problems of this world, like the rain, since they don't matter in the scheme of things. And he was right - who cares about the rain when I'm SO LUCKY to get to be here at all?The old Mezquita part of the cathedral is amazing as well. I knew there were arches, but I didn't realize there would be so many; it is a veritable forest in there! I can't wait to get the pictures unstuck from my camera's internal memory so I can show you.
After Mass, the rain had mostly subsided, so I made a quick jaunt to some of the city's historical attractions: a Roman temple and bridge and some really old water mills, which were pretty neat. I didn't have a whole lot of time, though, before I had to get on the bus for the long ride home.
Good weekend.
Granada
This weekend, Ashley and I headed off to Granada to see some Muslim-influenced culture firsthand.
We got up SUPER early on Friday morning to take a train to a five-hour bus ride. Since I had just finished my giant research paper the day before, I was pretty tired already. When I got there, though, I wasn't sleepy anymore. Granada is soooo beautiful!
It's right in the midst of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. And when I say "in" the mountains, I mean that the city is literally built on top of the mountains and in some cases built into the rock. Like basically all cities in Spain, Granada is historic and pretty, but it just has something special about it, something extra. Maybe it's the mix of cultures, or maybe it's all the street markets. In any case, I loved it.
Once we managed to find our hostel (the directions were actually right!), we settled in and headed over to our first destination: the Arabic baths. The Arabic bathhouse, or Granada Hammam, is fairly famous, and I think I can see why. It may have been a little pricey, but it was really nice and relaxing. They had various rooms with baths, which were basically like small swimming pools filled with different temperatures of water: ice cold, hot, and medium. The bathhouse itself was quite pretty, as it was based on the original Moorish bathhouses in the city (and we went to an old bathhouse at the Alhambra; it really does look a lot alike). There were columns, tile designs, and lots of candles. The two hour bath also came with a fifteen minute massage and lots of mint tea. Mmmmmm...
After the baths, we went back to our hostel to take a siesta, and then went out for a light dinner. That night's activities included Gypsy hunting. We walked over to the Sacromonte, the barrio where the Gypsies live. (NOTE: I say Gypsies because the Spaniards refer to the Romanians as "gitanos", but they're not nomads or anything, they're just not very popular.) We mostly found a lot of dogs and cats, but we did see some cool houses and flamenco bars built into the cuevas, or caves, and we heard/saw some Gypsies singing to the moon! One man we just heard from a distance, and then we saw some kids singing flamenco and clapping around a small campfire they had built on the sidewalk. The whole experience was a bit surreal.
On Saturday morning, we woke up before dawn to head over to the Alhambra, since we were (mis)informed that the tickets always sell out. The Alhambra is a pain to get to, and a pain to enter, but it is definitely worth it. Not only do you get to see the fabulous palace where the Muslim Nazari rulers of Granada lived for 200 years, you get to see the beautiful gardens of the Generalife, another palace where Carlos V lived, an old bathhouse, a church, and an art museum. It is like a whole little city inside the city. The palace was neat to see, especially after writing so much about those darn musulmanes. The architecture is so distinctive; parts of it almost make me think it inspired Gaudi when he was making his drippy sandcastle buildings. The Alhambra took about four hours to tour completely. Awesome.
For lunch we cooked up some leftover pasta and powdered tomato soup we found on the free shelf of our hostel's kitchen (yay for free food) and then walked over to the Mirador de San Nicolas to see a beautiful panoramic view and see and hear some more flamenco.
After that, though, it was time for me to catch my bus to Cordoba, so I left Ashley to finish up her visit.
We got up SUPER early on Friday morning to take a train to a five-hour bus ride. Since I had just finished my giant research paper the day before, I was pretty tired already. When I got there, though, I wasn't sleepy anymore. Granada is soooo beautiful!
It's right in the midst of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. And when I say "in" the mountains, I mean that the city is literally built on top of the mountains and in some cases built into the rock. Like basically all cities in Spain, Granada is historic and pretty, but it just has something special about it, something extra. Maybe it's the mix of cultures, or maybe it's all the street markets. In any case, I loved it.Once we managed to find our hostel (the directions were actually right!), we settled in and headed over to our first destination: the Arabic baths. The Arabic bathhouse, or Granada Hammam, is fairly famous, and I think I can see why. It may have been a little pricey, but it was really nice and relaxing. They had various rooms with baths, which were basically like small swimming pools filled with different temperatures of water: ice cold, hot, and medium. The bathhouse itself was quite pretty, as it was based on the original Moorish bathhouses in the city (and we went to an old bathhouse at the Alhambra; it really does look a lot alike). There were columns, tile designs, and lots of candles. The two hour bath also came with a fifteen minute massage and lots of mint tea. Mmmmmm...
After the baths, we went back to our hostel to take a siesta, and then went out for a light dinner. That night's activities included Gypsy hunting. We walked over to the Sacromonte, the barrio where the Gypsies live. (NOTE: I say Gypsies because the Spaniards refer to the Romanians as "gitanos", but they're not nomads or anything, they're just not very popular.) We mostly found a lot of dogs and cats, but we did see some cool houses and flamenco bars built into the cuevas, or caves, and we heard/saw some Gypsies singing to the moon! One man we just heard from a distance, and then we saw some kids singing flamenco and clapping around a small campfire they had built on the sidewalk. The whole experience was a bit surreal.
On Saturday morning, we woke up before dawn to head over to the Alhambra, since we were (mis)informed that the tickets always sell out. The Alhambra is a pain to get to, and a pain to enter, but it is definitely worth it. Not only do you get to see the fabulous palace where the Muslim Nazari rulers of Granada lived for 200 years, you get to see the beautiful gardens of the Generalife, another palace where Carlos V lived, an old bathhouse, a church, and an art museum. It is like a whole little city inside the city. The palace was neat to see, especially after writing so much about those darn musulmanes. The architecture is so distinctive; parts of it almost make me think it inspired Gaudi when he was making his drippy sandcastle buildings. The Alhambra took about four hours to tour completely. Awesome.For lunch we cooked up some leftover pasta and powdered tomato soup we found on the free shelf of our hostel's kitchen (yay for free food) and then walked over to the Mirador de San Nicolas to see a beautiful panoramic view and see and hear some more flamenco.
After that, though, it was time for me to catch my bus to Cordoba, so I left Ashley to finish up her visit.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving
Today, my americanas and I made ourselves a Thanksgiving feast. I am quite proud of what we managed to scrounge together. I made turkey-and-stuffing roll-ups in our toaster oven, Ashley made baked sweet potatoes, Morgan made mashed potatoes and gravy, and the rest of the girls pitched in to bring salad, veggies, rolls, and dessert. The only things we didn't manage to find were cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.And now, my Thankful List:
1. Family. I don't think I've ever missed you guys quite so much. I love you and can't wait to see everyone in a couple of weeks!
2. Friends. I am thankful to have made new friends, and even more cognizant than before of what wonderful friends I have always had.
3. Spain. I am grateful to have had the chance to come here and have adventures. I can't believe how fast it has gone by.
4. The USA. Spain is great and all, but it has made me really thankful to be an American.
5. RyanAir, OU, Mercadona, and hostelworld.com. Without these businesses, I would not have been able to afford this semester.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Our Gay Apparel
Funniest pair of culture shocks today:While walking to choir, I nearly bumped into a man wearing stiletto heels, plaid pajama pants, a leopard print shirt, a fur vest, and sparkly purple eyeshadow. No one else on the street batted an eye at this ensemble.
During rehearsal, we sang Christmas songs from around the world. One of these was Deck the Hall, which, due to its Olde-English lyrics, was a bit difficult for the Spaniards. When we got to "Don we now our gay apparel," what came out was "Don't we know our gay apparel?"
Why, yes you do, Spain. Yes you do. I can only assume what they must think Christmas is like in America...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mountains
Yesterday, my intercambio partner, Ana, and her husband, Yuogo (I'm not sure about the spelling, as he is Brazilian and his name is Portuguese) took me to the Sierra de Madrid to see the mountains.
Wow.
I love mountains. I love how many mountains Spain has, and I love that they're close enough to go for an afternoon to study and hike.
The river Manzanares that is so pitiful in Madrid is much prettier in the mountains, and the trees were gorgeous. I didn't ever want to leave, but eventually we got too cold to study and headed home. It was a lovely day.
One other interesting thing: in the car ride on the way home, I got to try yerba mate, a South American drink. It's kind of like a tea, but they crush the herbs into a paste and then pour hot water into it. You then drink the resulting liquid through a special filter so that you won't get a mouthful of plants. It was bitter, but good, and it was fun to try something I had to read and write about on one of my practice AP exams. Also, I learned from the AP exam that sharing yerba mate is a sign of goodwill and frienship, so I guess Ana, Yuogo and I are all friends now. :-)
Wow.
I love mountains. I love how many mountains Spain has, and I love that they're close enough to go for an afternoon to study and hike.The river Manzanares that is so pitiful in Madrid is much prettier in the mountains, and the trees were gorgeous. I didn't ever want to leave, but eventually we got too cold to study and headed home. It was a lovely day.
One other interesting thing: in the car ride on the way home, I got to try yerba mate, a South American drink. It's kind of like a tea, but they crush the herbs into a paste and then pour hot water into it. You then drink the resulting liquid through a special filter so that you won't get a mouthful of plants. It was bitter, but good, and it was fun to try something I had to read and write about on one of my practice AP exams. Also, I learned from the AP exam that sharing yerba mate is a sign of goodwill and frienship, so I guess Ana, Yuogo and I are all friends now. :-)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Toledo
Today our Spanish Civilization class took a trip to Toledo, home of mazapan (marzipan) and Spanish steel. When we arrived, we first took in a beautiful view of the city from across the Tajo river. We crossed a Roman bridge into the city, where we began our exciting learning adventure.Now, I really do like history, and I really do like Carlos. But our trip was an awful lot of both. We visited el Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, which was quite beautiful, and learned about the different crests of Spain (pre-Reyes Catolicos, post-Reyes Catolicos). Next we headed over to a converted synagogue. This was actually interesting because the Catholics did a really abysmal job of redecorating when they moved in. You can see a clear division between the original synagogue and the new Catholic altar.
From there, we visited the door of la Posada de la Hermandad. Let me show you how enthralling it was to sit and listen to Carlos talk outside the door of la Posada de la Hermandad.
At least Antonio looks happy.
We then had some free time, which my friends and I used to go see the Alcazar. It was pretty sweet, and on the way we went shopping to find mazapan (marzipan) and swords! I didn't try the marzipan, but I did have an interesting discussion about knives with the owner of one of the sword shops.
Weirdest happening of the day: after free time, Antonio was excited about a "treat" he bought for us. It turned out to be Eucharist bread. I did not eat any. I just don't think that it belongs out of church, and it's not exactly a tasty snack. However, it did seem to represent rather well the way the Spaniards feel about religion. Hardly anybody really practices anymore, but it's a strong part of the country's collective memory.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Intercambios
A snippet of life in Spain: today, I met with my intercambio partner so that we could practice our Spanish and English together. On our way to a cafe, she met a friend that she hadn't seen in years. Then, inside the cafe, her friend found one of his friends, whom I had met before at a book club meeting. Delighted to have reunited in such a lucky way, they decided to share a hookah, and we all sat around for hours drinking tea and discussing nature and music.
:-) I like how everyone in Spain gets to know each other a little because they are always outside in the streets walking around and talking. It's fun!
:-) I like how everyone in Spain gets to know each other a little because they are always outside in the streets walking around and talking. It's fun!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tim's Visit to Spain
This weekend was a blast. Tim came to visit me in Spain, and I had a lot of fun showing him around. Plus, I finally got to see all the stuff in Madrid that I hadn't gotten around to.
The weekend started out on a bad note, as Tim's flight landed late and caused a chain reaction of problems that ended with him spending the night in a bus station and me spending the night worrying about him. When he finally made it to Alcala in the morning, we ate some tortilla (my first time making it by myself!) and took a much-needed nap.
In the afternoon, we explored Alcala. I took him to the botanical gardens, which have gotten a lot prettier since the weather has cooled down. In town, we walked around the historic buildings, ate some kebabs (still probably my favorite food in Spain) and visited la Casa de Cervantes, where we saw some neat old and foreign editions of el Quixote. We also tried Rosquillas de Alcala, a sort of tiny layered donut smothered in orange frosting. Apparently they are only made here, and I've been meaning to try them for weeks. In the evening, we visited the medieval Murallas and the Museo del Toro Bravo, one of my favorite places in town. There, this old man with a mile-long beard has filled a shop floor to ceiling with hundreds of his own colorful paintings.
Friday night, we came home and played Hoteles with my roommates. They are such fun kids. It's a pretty fun game, very much like Monopoly, and I won! Muahahahaha...
Saturday morning we took a train to Madrid and set out to run the gamut of historical sights, all of the various Puertas and Plazas and Iglesias. Some highlights: la Catedral de Almudena, where we climbed up in la cupula for a spectacular view of Madrid; la Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, a HUGE domed church; and el Rio Manzanares, which turns out to be a very sad trickle of water. We also visited el Palacio Real, which is mind-blowing. Much of the palace is decorated in the Rococo style, which means that everything is decorated, opulent, shiny, and overdone. It is also absolutely enormous.
In the evening we walked up to el Templo de Debod, which was pretty neat. How often do you get to see an Egyptian Temple in Spain? (Also, no, the Spanish did not steal it. It was a gift in return for aid.) After walking all across the city, we were pretty tired, so we decided just to have a quiet evening in and get up early the next day.
On Sunday, I was thrilled to return to both la Reina Sofia (in the morning) and el Prado (in the evening), where we spent hours poring over paintings. It was fun to see how much I could remember from art class, and even more fun to see beautiful masterworks in person.
In the afternoon, we headed to el Parque de Buen Retiro, which was decked out in some splendid fall foliage. We took a rowboat out on the lake to enjoy the scenery and watch the park-goers. I even got to row for a while! :-) We also stumbled upon la Rosaleda, a large round rose garden that I had completely missed on previous visits. It seems like every time I go to the park I discover new things to like about it. It's still my favorite place in Madrid.
That night, after some tostas, we headed up to the Nuevos Ministerios station to go our separate ways. It's always a little sad to say goodbye, but it was a great weekend!
The weekend started out on a bad note, as Tim's flight landed late and caused a chain reaction of problems that ended with him spending the night in a bus station and me spending the night worrying about him. When he finally made it to Alcala in the morning, we ate some tortilla (my first time making it by myself!) and took a much-needed nap.
In the afternoon, we explored Alcala. I took him to the botanical gardens, which have gotten a lot prettier since the weather has cooled down. In town, we walked around the historic buildings, ate some kebabs (still probably my favorite food in Spain) and visited la Casa de Cervantes, where we saw some neat old and foreign editions of el Quixote. We also tried Rosquillas de Alcala, a sort of tiny layered donut smothered in orange frosting. Apparently they are only made here, and I've been meaning to try them for weeks. In the evening, we visited the medieval Murallas and the Museo del Toro Bravo, one of my favorite places in town. There, this old man with a mile-long beard has filled a shop floor to ceiling with hundreds of his own colorful paintings.Friday night, we came home and played Hoteles with my roommates. They are such fun kids. It's a pretty fun game, very much like Monopoly, and I won! Muahahahaha...
Saturday morning we took a train to Madrid and set out to run the gamut of historical sights, all of the various Puertas and Plazas and Iglesias. Some highlights: la Catedral de Almudena, where we climbed up in la cupula for a spectacular view of Madrid; la Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, a HUGE domed church; and el Rio Manzanares, which turns out to be a very sad trickle of water. We also visited el Palacio Real, which is mind-blowing. Much of the palace is decorated in the Rococo style, which means that everything is decorated, opulent, shiny, and overdone. It is also absolutely enormous.In the evening we walked up to el Templo de Debod, which was pretty neat. How often do you get to see an Egyptian Temple in Spain? (Also, no, the Spanish did not steal it. It was a gift in return for aid.) After walking all across the city, we were pretty tired, so we decided just to have a quiet evening in and get up early the next day.
On Sunday, I was thrilled to return to both la Reina Sofia (in the morning) and el Prado (in the evening), where we spent hours poring over paintings. It was fun to see how much I could remember from art class, and even more fun to see beautiful masterworks in person.
In the afternoon, we headed to el Parque de Buen Retiro, which was decked out in some splendid fall foliage. We took a rowboat out on the lake to enjoy the scenery and watch the park-goers. I even got to row for a while! :-) We also stumbled upon la Rosaleda, a large round rose garden that I had completely missed on previous visits. It seems like every time I go to the park I discover new things to like about it. It's still my favorite place in Madrid.That night, after some tostas, we headed up to the Nuevos Ministerios station to go our separate ways. It's always a little sad to say goodbye, but it was a great weekend!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
La Ruta de los Castillos
Yesterday, our Civilizacion y Cultura class went to see two Spanish castles. We left at 9:00 am on a bus and set off for Manzanares el Real, a tiny town in the mountains with a large medieval castle. The countryside reminded me of Scotland; it even had heather on the hills!
As we pulled up to the castle, a huge arco iris (rainbow) appeared in the sky and didn't go away until after we left over an hour later. It was magical!
After spending a little time wandering around the outside of the castle, we went inside, where we saw old tapestries, suits of armor, and a giant "king sized" bed. However, it was never a royal castle; only lesser nobility lived there. After a tour of the inside, we climbed up to the roof, where we had a great close-up view of the towers. It was also cool to see the slits used to shoot arrows and the holes that allowed boiling oil to be poured on intruders.
Bidding the rainbow goodbye, we climbed back on the bus and set off for Segovia. When we arrived, we saw the giant Roman Aqueduct, which was built 2000 years ago. The aqueduct was absolutely mind-blowing. This structure is immense, and it is held together entirely by the force of gravity - not an ounce of mortar was used. The stones were leveled and balanced perfectly in an amazing feat of engineering.
After the aqueduct, we split up for lunch. Mark and I went into a pastry shop to grab something to eat, but when we came out everyone else had left. That turned out to be okay, though, as we had a good time wandering around the small city's narrow streets, pretty parks, and old churches. We also saw the Cathedral, which is a bit busy but still very beautiful.
When we met up with everyone in the Plaza Mayor, it was time to head over to the Alcazar (fortified palace). This palace dates from the Reconquista and was home to Ferdinand and Isabel, los Reyes Catolicos. It also served as inspiration for the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty! It was cool to wander around the inside and see the thrones, weapons, armor, and tapestries from the Middle Ages. In the Sala de los Reyes, there were about 50 statues of all the Catholic Kings during the Reconquista up to Juana la Loca, the mother of Carlos V.
However, the best treat was still to come. We climbed the 156 winding steps to the top of the main tower for a fantastic view of Segovia and the surrounding countryside. Up there, we noticed graffiti from 1936, the year of the Spanish Civil War. I kept moving from one side to the other, as all the views were equally beautiful. No one really wanted to go down, but eventually we had to get back on the bus to Alcala. All in all, it was another great trip.
As we pulled up to the castle, a huge arco iris (rainbow) appeared in the sky and didn't go away until after we left over an hour later. It was magical!
After spending a little time wandering around the outside of the castle, we went inside, where we saw old tapestries, suits of armor, and a giant "king sized" bed. However, it was never a royal castle; only lesser nobility lived there. After a tour of the inside, we climbed up to the roof, where we had a great close-up view of the towers. It was also cool to see the slits used to shoot arrows and the holes that allowed boiling oil to be poured on intruders.Bidding the rainbow goodbye, we climbed back on the bus and set off for Segovia. When we arrived, we saw the giant Roman Aqueduct, which was built 2000 years ago. The aqueduct was absolutely mind-blowing. This structure is immense, and it is held together entirely by the force of gravity - not an ounce of mortar was used. The stones were leveled and balanced perfectly in an amazing feat of engineering.
After the aqueduct, we split up for lunch. Mark and I went into a pastry shop to grab something to eat, but when we came out everyone else had left. That turned out to be okay, though, as we had a good time wandering around the small city's narrow streets, pretty parks, and old churches. We also saw the Cathedral, which is a bit busy but still very beautiful.
When we met up with everyone in the Plaza Mayor, it was time to head over to the Alcazar (fortified palace). This palace dates from the Reconquista and was home to Ferdinand and Isabel, los Reyes Catolicos. It also served as inspiration for the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty! It was cool to wander around the inside and see the thrones, weapons, armor, and tapestries from the Middle Ages. In the Sala de los Reyes, there were about 50 statues of all the Catholic Kings during the Reconquista up to Juana la Loca, the mother of Carlos V.However, the best treat was still to come. We climbed the 156 winding steps to the top of the main tower for a fantastic view of Segovia and the surrounding countryside. Up there, we noticed graffiti from 1936, the year of the Spanish Civil War. I kept moving from one side to the other, as all the views were equally beautiful. No one really wanted to go down, but eventually we had to get back on the bus to Alcala. All in all, it was another great trip.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween
Last night I had a small Halloween (here it is pronounced HALLoween) party for my roommates and some friends. They don't really do Halloween here in Spain, so it was fun to show my roommates how we celebrate it.
I bought a calabaza (pumpkin), so we made a Jack-o-lantern and roasted some pumpkin seeds. Mary was so excited - "It's just like a movie!" she said (in Spanish). Then we colored Halloween pictures and Mary made some paper chains for decorations.
We also had fun coming up with costumes. I went as a zebra, Ashley was a cat, Mary and Saray used their scrubs and my face paint to become "zombie nurses," and Juan went as a sunburnt tourist.
When the rest of my friends came over, a full-out dance party broke out. Juan played DJ, and we had a great time dancing and drinking "pocion de calabaza" (orange soda) and "sangre" (sangria).
I bought a calabaza (pumpkin), so we made a Jack-o-lantern and roasted some pumpkin seeds. Mary was so excited - "It's just like a movie!" she said (in Spanish). Then we colored Halloween pictures and Mary made some paper chains for decorations. We also had fun coming up with costumes. I went as a zebra, Ashley was a cat, Mary and Saray used their scrubs and my face paint to become "zombie nurses," and Juan went as a sunburnt tourist.
When the rest of my friends came over, a full-out dance party broke out. Juan played DJ, and we had a great time dancing and drinking "pocion de calabaza" (orange soda) and "sangre" (sangria).
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