The time is passing so quickly here in Spain, I somehow managed to get through February without blogging...oops! Here is a quick update on what I've been up to for the past month in wonderful España!
The first week of February we took a day trip to Segovia, Spain to see the Roman Aqueducts and were also able to tour a castle and a palace. The preservation of historical building, streets, walls, and other structures completely amazes me. History in Spain is on a whole other level in comparison to history in the United States.
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| My CIEE group and I in Segovia. Love them all! |
They do celebrate Valentine's Day here in Spain, but much like the US it is very commercialized. Nonetheless, those of us who were not in Paris (I know, doesn't Paris for Valentine's Day sound romantic??) ordered in pizza, made a chocolate and dutifully ate our Valentine's Day chocolate. Afterwards we headed to one of our favorite "discotecas" in Alcalá and enjoyed a night of dancing (without boyfriends!).
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| The Valentine's Day crew! |
My friend Diana and I spent the following Sunday skiing in Segovia! I was a bit rusty since I have not been on skis for about two years, but it was still a great day. Diana has been skiing practically since she could walk and is AMAZING! She was so patient with me while I got back into it, thanks D! I underestimated my abilities and we decided to try out a red run for our second run of the day. (IMPORTANT: Red indicates the most difficult runs) It was a struggle to say the least. I spent more time horizontal in the snow than I did skiing down that hill, but it made for a few good laughs and was a great test of my determination. The views of the mountains were absolutely breathtaking and totally worth the bruises I had all over my body for the next week.
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| ^How I spent a large portion of the day |
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| The lovely Diana and I! |
We spend the weekend of the 21st-23rd in Sevilla, Spain with my CIEE group. It was 65° and sunny the entire weekend, which felt so warm in comparison to Alcalá and especially to Madison and Waconia. I definitely do not miss the snow and cold and from what I hear, I picked a great winter to be abroad! We were able to visit a lot of historical sites in Sevilla and do a little exploring of our own. The most interesting part was learning about the
Spanish Inquisition and seeing where many of the events associated with this period took place. Sevilla is without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities in Spain and I would highly recommend visiting if you are ever in Spain!
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| Jess and I in Sevilla |
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| Also, a bird pooped on me. Good luck? |
Right after we returned from Sevilla we jumped in midterms week. Naturally, I did not do much other than study study study, so the past week was not very eventful. On Friday I had a class trip to Toledo for my Spanish Literature class and, of course, I loved Toledo as well! We visited several historical sites and tried
mazapan, which is a traditional sweet from Toledo. I loved it. Luckily we had lots to celebrate this weekend between the conclusion of midterms and Nancy's birthday! We surprised Nancy with a cake earlier in the day and then headed out for a night in Madrid to celebrate at a mexican restaurant. The staff at the restaurant were so sweet and played some special mexican music for Nancy as they brought out her cake with a candle; she was so excited!! Even though the food was not as good as her mother's authentic mexican cooking, it was still delicious. Afterwards we spent the rest of the night (and morning*) in Madrid partying to celebrate her 22nd birthday! ¡Feliz cumpleaños, Nancy!
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| Nancy's birthday dinner |
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| Toledo! |
*The "party" schedule is Spain is very different from that in the US. Most college-aged people do not head out until around 11pm or midnight to spend a couple hours at a bar before heading to a "discoteca" (club) at 2 or 3 am and then spend the rest of the morning dancing until about 6 am when they, finally, return home. It is definitely a different schedule than the US and takes a little getting used to, but I like it!
I think that brings us up to speed! I don't have too much on the schedule for the next two weeks, but later this month I will be traveling with my CIEE group to Valencia! I've been in Spain for just about two months now and it feels like I arrived just yesterday. My spanish has been greatly improving and I am learning new things every day. Study abroad is proving to be just as good and even better than everyone tells you it will be. As always, if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask!
Besos,
Victoria
