I feel like I should start with this in chronological order (ish). So mid bus ride to Salamanca, we stopped in Ávila, where there was apparently a castle, or old wall, or something cool that we were supposed to see. We had breakfast in a hotel (not a castle like they said...) and I don't think we did the walk around like we were supposed to because it was so cold. There was a cool wall and this cool part of the wall that we walked past, but that was about all we saw of Ávila. Ávila is also at a higher elevation than both Madrid and Salamanca, so it was really really cold, and it even started snowing as we were leaving!
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| Me and Kelly in the snow at Ávila. |
Our hotel was right off the Plaza Mayor...Salamanca has a Plaza Mayor that looks very similar, but definitely not as cool as Madrid's. It was our central meeting point for everything over the weekend. We split up in groups to go on tours, and my friends and I quickly snagged Raul, our favorite tour guide. He has taken us on a lot of the tours around Spain, and he is just the funniest, nicest guy ever. He even offered to take us on private tours of the Prado (a big art museum in Madrid) if we want, and he said he would tour mom and dad around when they come to Madrid, (but I would have to be the translator). Raul showed us all the spots Friday and Saturday in Salamanca...the library, cathedral, museums, etc...
Salamanca is a university town, and the university is its main selling point. Obvy we took a tour of the university...not really what I was expecting. I don't really know if this building is still used for much, some of the rooms are, but to me it just seemed like an empty museum. It was founded....well a long time ago, somewhere around the 14/15th century, maybe by Ferdinand and Isabella, since the main entrance has their pictures on it. The main entrance is so pretty, as are all the buildings there. With gingerbread details up the wazzoo! The rooms don't really look like 'classrooms' most are big open spaces, some have desks or tables in them, but they all have a big table in front with at least 5 red velvet chairs, like some sort of committee or tribunal sits up there. So it made me wonder what class was like with 5 scary Spanish professors (not wearing robes and white wigs, but thats how I pictured it) staring out you.
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| Gingerbread on the University. (Ferdinand and Isabella) |
We also toured the Cathedral, the other big attraction in Salamanca. It was....a cathedral. The cool parts; 1. There is an older roman part and an older gothic part, so it was interesting to compare the architecture of both. 2. One day we did the upper tour, so we got to climb through the top of the cathedral, close to the high ceiling and also see a great view of the city and all the rooftops. 3. There was a relic of some dead guy's left forearm and hand. I probably sound like a snob saying this, and I think I've said it before, but after you've seen 10 European cathedrals, you've kind of seen em all. And they are all beautiful, with different interesting stories, but thats about it.
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| The most interesting part of the cathedral... |
Salamanca also has a river, which was pretty beautiful. I went there during our free time with some friends and we explored around the bank. We were under one of the main bridges to cross it. I just love rivers!
Saturday night was fun...Since it is a university town, the going out life is a little different. Mainly shot bars that are a a lot cheaper than Madrid. My friends and I went out a little too early... 11:30 pm. We ended up at an empty shot bar that was playing great music, so we just started dancing. There were two people in there when we arrived, and as a few more people trickled in we were getting some entertained looks...Anyway, short part of it, as I left at around 2 the place was completely packed and more people were still coming in. I guess I still haven't quite got the Spain schedule down 100% yet...but I did have to wake up at 9 on Saturday for more touring.
Saturday it was cold again. But the biting wind and freezing temperature felt really refreshing (at least for a little bit). We did the lower part of the Cathedral tour....as described above. We also went to an Art Deco museum which was one of my favorite parts! It was in a converted house, with a beautiful view of the city, and had exhibits on Art Deco pieces, from bronze/ivory dancer figurines (with so much detail on their muscle tone and costumes, it was absolutely fabulous, awesome, and impressive), to thousands of porcelain dolls (which I really liked since I used to collect them...), fans, jewelry, paintings, etc... We also went to a a garden that was really beautiful.
One of the most exciting parts of Salamanca for me is that that it is the location of a lot of Spanish stories, since it is one of the oldest cities in Spain. The garden we went to was called the "Huerto of Calisto and Melibea,"Calisto and Melibea are like the Romeo and Juliet of Spain, a story which I've read in class. There was a well with a bajillion love-locks, kind of flowing off the well in an irony mass that looks a lot more fluid that it is. Also the garden had another gorgeous view, both out onto the river and also back at the looming roof tops and points of the cathedral. Also, there is a statue down by the river of another character from a Spanish story I've read, Lazarillo de Tormes, so that was exciting too because I guess that also has some Salamancan history.
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| Love locks in Huerto de Calisto and Melibea |
We left and headed to have lunch at a castle, which apparently is now a hotel, restaurant, wedding spot, etc...because castles are too expensive to maintain in the 21st century. (Wonder why...?)It was also a sheep farm, since there were a bunch of little sheepies running around when our giant buses rolled in. The castle was definitely a castle...with old remnants of a moat, towers made of stone, little windows...Inside was really cool, and I sat at a giant rectangular banquet table. The pathway up to the bathroom was like a secret passage way up some little stairs (it was really steep and had really low ceilings. So cool!) We had jamon, chorizo, and salchica appetizers, as well as some of the best croquettes I've had yet in Spain. We also had salad, and some beef with potatoes as our main course, and a yummy dessert (which didn't have any chocolate on it :(
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| Castilla de Buen Amor |
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| It just wouldn't be an broadcast blog post without a picture of food... |
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| Chocolate-less Dessert. |
Usually we are supposed to get wine, but since some of the kids in my program are irresponsible middle schoolers, the directors pulled the plug on that right when we came in. (I'll explain in a second my sentiments on that). After lunch, I was so full, and tired (we didn't leave the castle until 5 pm) and we got to hop back on the bus back to Madrid.
Last night, I was so tired, any thoughts of going out or doing something fun were completely expelled immediately after coming home and laying down in my bed. Yup...I was a Spanish lame-o once again. However, I can tell I really needed it after sleeping until 11 am today...If you know me at all, you know that I do not do such things lightly.
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| Candid laughing shot (in the Huerto de Calisto and Melibea) so that you all believe me when I say I really am having a great time here! |
Anyway, its nice to be home, in my own 'spot.' Salamanca was fun, but its always more tiring to travel with a group....especially when there are over 100 American students, most of which have zero understanding of respect or responsibility. I am really glad that I chose Spain, and I like IES a lot (as in the directors and programs, etc...) but some of the people on the program are just so not my style. We got yelled at like middle schoolers because people were running around and being loud in the hotel on Saturday morning, which is just so irresponsible for 20/21 year olds its baffles me. I have met some really cool people on this trip, and not everyone sucks like an entitled bratty 12 year old, but it is really nice to be able to come 'home' and separate myself from all of that anyway.
Next on the list...make some Spanish friends! Which maybe will happen once I start my class at the Spanish university this week, or when I start my intercambio (exchange) with a Spanish student to practice my Spanish and his/her English.
Dos Besitos!
Lily
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