Sunday was a study day for everyone in the program. Kara and I studied at a cafe for a while where I learned that pan tostado con marmalda de fresos (toast with strawberry jelly) would be my "go to" breakfast item. It was like Texas Toast with jam. It was awesome! We then ate lunch with Ana before it was back to studying (this time with Kristie and Sam) at the same cafe. All in all, it was pretty relaxing, and we got just the right amount of study time in before our exam Monday (this) morning.
The exam went pretty well. To reward ourselves, Kara, Kristie and I went to eat churros and chocolate (again). It was delicious - like a funnel cake that you dip in chocolate. Yum. Ironically, it was the exact same study-cafe as the day before! :) At least we are starting to get some local favorites. After lunch, we attempted to go to the river, but there wasn't really a shoreline. So, we hiked it all the way back to a park where we could lay out in the sun. It was fantastic! (don't worry Mom, I used sunscreen. But that tiny little travel tube is about empty!!). I read about Rome in a travel book which is our free-weekend trip in two weeks, and read thru an entire wedding book. This got ideas floating in my head! And I just love it. THEN, we drank sangria, shopped, and returned home for dinner.
They were two great days. Everything is becoming a bit more comfortable here in Alcala. However, I still can't decide if I feel like we've been here forever or for a short while. It is very strange. In Norman, it seems like the days are long, but the weeks fly by. Here, the days fly by, but the weeks are long - very strange. Anyhow, tomorrow Kara and I are off to shop in Madrid after class! Zara, H&M, S-fera, and more.... can't wait!
P.S. - It is absolutely amazing how much the Spaniards LOVE pigs! They eat everything..... Ham (first and foremost with anything and everything), bacon (but not the kind of bacon I so love), pig ears!! (no joke), lomo (the back part of a pig), lacon (I have no idea what this is), and chorizo (pig sausage). It's plain crazy... like shirmp gumpo, shrimp cocktail, shrimp bisque.....fried shrimp, boiled shrimp....(you get the picture)....
Monday, May 31, 2010
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Toledo
Today we traveled to Toledo. It used to be the capital of Spain and is known as the city of three cultures - Arabic, Jewish, and Christian. We visited 3 churches including the Holy Church Cathedral - the major church of Spain. It was huge and beautiful! It took over 200 years to finish.
The landscape of Toledo was also magnificent! many hills, the longest river in Spain, and an awesome bridge leading people into the city. One church we visited was in Arabic style architecture, was used as a Jewish Synagogue many years ago, and was later converted to a Catholic Church during Spain's Catholic monarch period. All three cultures where in one building. Outside the synagogue/church I saw the funniest nun. In full habit attire, greying hair, glasses, and a back pack she was leading this group of kids and parents around this city shouting and flay-ling her arms about. She even jumped up and down and danced as she led them in a little song-chat-ditty. It was wild. I was trying to snap a photo of her when she wasn't looking, but the kids were surrounding her. :) A children's festival was going on around the Holy Cathedral, so I suppose she was there for it.
A huge holiday in Spain, Corpus Christi, is coming up on Thursday so the city was in full preparation for the celebration. The main part of the celebration is to carry the tabernacle (which the Catholics believe holds Christ's body) around the town in a parade. The tabernacle is pure gold with rubies and is massive. There were narrow tarps hanging between buildings in some of the streets - this is so that the Corpus Christi will not be exposed to sunlight during the parade. Interesting happenings.
Interesting fact: Spain's monarchy - King and Queen - ruled together with absolute equal power (even centuries ago). Fascinating (and way ahead of their time). Likewise they are buried together in Escorial!
The landscape of Toledo was also magnificent! many hills, the longest river in Spain, and an awesome bridge leading people into the city. One church we visited was in Arabic style architecture, was used as a Jewish Synagogue many years ago, and was later converted to a Catholic Church during Spain's Catholic monarch period. All three cultures where in one building. Outside the synagogue/church I saw the funniest nun. In full habit attire, greying hair, glasses, and a back pack she was leading this group of kids and parents around this city shouting and flay-ling her arms about. She even jumped up and down and danced as she led them in a little song-chat-ditty. It was wild. I was trying to snap a photo of her when she wasn't looking, but the kids were surrounding her. :) A children's festival was going on around the Holy Cathedral, so I suppose she was there for it.
A huge holiday in Spain, Corpus Christi, is coming up on Thursday so the city was in full preparation for the celebration. The main part of the celebration is to carry the tabernacle (which the Catholics believe holds Christ's body) around the town in a parade. The tabernacle is pure gold with rubies and is massive. There were narrow tarps hanging between buildings in some of the streets - this is so that the Corpus Christi will not be exposed to sunlight during the parade. Interesting happenings.
Interesting fact: Spain's monarchy - King and Queen - ruled together with absolute equal power (even centuries ago). Fascinating (and way ahead of their time). Likewise they are buried together in Escorial!
Ding, Ding Ding!!
I will tell you all about my day a little later tonight after studying; however, I must tell you about this...
So, Ana our host mom is always skyping someone - while she cooks, after dinner, etc. And, Kara and I have been speculating about who it is the whole time we've been here. We had a lot of scenarios about possible boyfriends (for example this guy who works with her at the University), but today we got the whole scoop.
So, background info: there is this certificate in our room of her undergraduate degree, and on it is a different last name than her current one. I saw it was like "No way, Kara, you think she was married before?" She's only 30 so we weren't sure. Well, when I told her about me being engaged, she said that she also was engaged at age 22. She also said she got divorced after 3 years, but she hopes to marry again! (I thought that was so sad!!) But mystery solved, about the certificate. So then we were on to the skype companion. She also mentioned to us that she will be traveling to the U.S. in August. She is going to New York, Washington D.C., and Colorado. Then another night she mentioned that she wanted to her second PhD in the U.S.! Whoa.
Well, tonight the cat was out of the bag. She asked us if we wanted "strawberries and milk." Kara said "Um, no thanks" and I said, "Uh sure, I'll try it please" even though I was a bit apprehensive. So Ana heads back to the kitchen, for kind of a long time. We could hear her stirring up something, cutting things, etc, and I started feeling kinda bad about making her do all this work. So, Kara and I just sat there whispering about conversation topics for when she came back to the table. THEN, we hear this loud blender start!! And, we busted out laughing!! What in the world... I guess I asked for a milkshake. Finally, we gained our composure as she walked back in. We asked her what she would want to study in the U.S. and where. She answered, "Virginia." And she paused and said, "Well... I have a...a.. um.. how do you say... boyfriend, novio... in Virginia." Kara and I were like "Ahhhhhhhhh" (her skype dude). So we will no longer be dreaming up her possible boyfriends with Sam and Kristie. Apparently, he is Argentinian and came to study in Alcala a few months ago. Ah! So crazy. But, she was cute about it. (His name is Jose :) And, the milkshake was pretty good too.
So, Ana our host mom is always skyping someone - while she cooks, after dinner, etc. And, Kara and I have been speculating about who it is the whole time we've been here. We had a lot of scenarios about possible boyfriends (for example this guy who works with her at the University), but today we got the whole scoop.
So, background info: there is this certificate in our room of her undergraduate degree, and on it is a different last name than her current one. I saw it was like "No way, Kara, you think she was married before?" She's only 30 so we weren't sure. Well, when I told her about me being engaged, she said that she also was engaged at age 22. She also said she got divorced after 3 years, but she hopes to marry again! (I thought that was so sad!!) But mystery solved, about the certificate. So then we were on to the skype companion. She also mentioned to us that she will be traveling to the U.S. in August. She is going to New York, Washington D.C., and Colorado. Then another night she mentioned that she wanted to her second PhD in the U.S.! Whoa.
Well, tonight the cat was out of the bag. She asked us if we wanted "strawberries and milk." Kara said "Um, no thanks" and I said, "Uh sure, I'll try it please" even though I was a bit apprehensive. So Ana heads back to the kitchen, for kind of a long time. We could hear her stirring up something, cutting things, etc, and I started feeling kinda bad about making her do all this work. So, Kara and I just sat there whispering about conversation topics for when she came back to the table. THEN, we hear this loud blender start!! And, we busted out laughing!! What in the world... I guess I asked for a milkshake. Finally, we gained our composure as she walked back in. We asked her what she would want to study in the U.S. and where. She answered, "Virginia." And she paused and said, "Well... I have a...a.. um.. how do you say... boyfriend, novio... in Virginia." Kara and I were like "Ahhhhhhhhh" (her skype dude). So we will no longer be dreaming up her possible boyfriends with Sam and Kristie. Apparently, he is Argentinian and came to study in Alcala a few months ago. Ah! So crazy. But, she was cute about it. (His name is Jose :) And, the milkshake was pretty good too.
Friday, May 28, 2010
Take the Key and Lock Her Up, Lock Her Up, Lock Her Up...
Today, we went to a Spanish fortress, Alcazar, in Segovia. It was a really beautiful city and an amazing fortress. The original fortress was built in the 13th century and was the King's Academy of Artillery. Interestingly, the Spanish treasury (all gold) was kept in this fortress. So, Christopher Columbus came to Segovia in search of his New World sponsorship. I am coming to like good ole Columbo more and more. The best part of the fortress was the famous tower. After a trip up the European stairmaster (aka 152 winding stair-steps) we arrived at the top of the fortress overlooking the beautiful hills of Segovia. We took in the beautiful sights huffing and puffing but it was SO worth it. I love Segovia.
We also saw the best preserved first-century aqueduct of the Roman Empire in Segovia. It was incredible. Complete with arches and statues, the entire structure was built without cement or any kind of mortar. The monstrous stones are just placed upon each other. It was amazing.
Later we traveled to Escorial and visited an old monastery built in the 16th century under Phillip II. It is actually the burial place of all Kings and Royal families in Spain. The cathedral of the monastery is breath-taking. Unbelievably high ceilings and amazingly ornate. When we entered the cathedral, it was silent but for the beautiful voices of a visiting choir. Their voices filled the church, and it was chilling! I absolutely loved it. I took time to sit in the pews, and just take it all in. God was truly there. [This reminded me much of my choir trips to Europe in high school where we often sang in the churches around Europe.]
This evening, Kara and I just had dinner with Ana. We had an assortment of 3 fried...things. I'm not sure what was in them, so I ate really slowly. Thankfully we had the usual side item of Ghardetto-like crunchy bread snacks. As we helped pick up the table, Ana had gone to the kitchen before us. We quickly scooped some of the bread sticks into our pockets before she could notice!! Yikes.
Tomorrow we are off to Toledo, which I hear is even more beautiful than Segovia. I can't wait.
Interesting Fact: The King of France discouraged the King of Spain from building the massive monastery in Escorial because he claimed the Spanish Kingdom did not have enough money for the desired plan. After 20 years of construction, the amazing monastery was finished to its exact specifications. Just to prove the kingdom's grandeur, the King of Spain order one brick completely made of gold to be placed in the cathedral steeple. It disproved the French King's doubts and made a bold statement about Spain's riches.
We also saw the best preserved first-century aqueduct of the Roman Empire in Segovia. It was incredible. Complete with arches and statues, the entire structure was built without cement or any kind of mortar. The monstrous stones are just placed upon each other. It was amazing.
Later we traveled to Escorial and visited an old monastery built in the 16th century under Phillip II. It is actually the burial place of all Kings and Royal families in Spain. The cathedral of the monastery is breath-taking. Unbelievably high ceilings and amazingly ornate. When we entered the cathedral, it was silent but for the beautiful voices of a visiting choir. Their voices filled the church, and it was chilling! I absolutely loved it. I took time to sit in the pews, and just take it all in. God was truly there. [This reminded me much of my choir trips to Europe in high school where we often sang in the churches around Europe.]
This evening, Kara and I just had dinner with Ana. We had an assortment of 3 fried...things. I'm not sure what was in them, so I ate really slowly. Thankfully we had the usual side item of Ghardetto-like crunchy bread snacks. As we helped pick up the table, Ana had gone to the kitchen before us. We quickly scooped some of the bread sticks into our pockets before she could notice!! Yikes.
Tomorrow we are off to Toledo, which I hear is even more beautiful than Segovia. I can't wait.
Interesting Fact: The King of France discouraged the King of Spain from building the massive monastery in Escorial because he claimed the Spanish Kingdom did not have enough money for the desired plan. After 20 years of construction, the amazing monastery was finished to its exact specifications. Just to prove the kingdom's grandeur, the King of Spain order one brick completely made of gold to be placed in the cathedral steeple. It disproved the French King's doubts and made a bold statement about Spain's riches.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
The Rain in Spain ...
Currently it is thunderstorming in Spain, and it makes me very sleepy. Our group had to lead class discussion this morning, and it went very well. We are glad for it to be over! After class, Kristi, Kara, and I ate lunch in the Plaze de Cervantes in Alcala. (tuna sandwich - very good!)
This afternoon we took a 20 minute trip to "Toys R Us" -- We actually went to Spain and Portugal's sole distribution center in Alcala. Take a Sam's Club and add one short conveyor belt and you have yourself a Toys R Us country distribution channel. We did get a free toy out of the deal though.
A couple days ago Sam found this awesome coffee shop. We studied there this evening. It was so relaxing and just perfect. I had chocolate cream coffee, and all the coffees come with a delicious little cookie. Perfecto! Tomorrow we travel to El Escorial and Segovia on a day trip! I am looking forward to it!
This afternoon we took a 20 minute trip to "Toys R Us" -- We actually went to Spain and Portugal's sole distribution center in Alcala. Take a Sam's Club and add one short conveyor belt and you have yourself a Toys R Us country distribution channel. We did get a free toy out of the deal though.
A couple days ago Sam found this awesome coffee shop. We studied there this evening. It was so relaxing and just perfect. I had chocolate cream coffee, and all the coffees come with a delicious little cookie. Perfecto! Tomorrow we travel to El Escorial and Segovia on a day trip! I am looking forward to it!
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Random Happenings
I never thought that I would actually enjoy the smell of McDonalds. After Kara and I finished picking through our sack lunch, we took a little trip to good ole MickeyD's. Kara got ice cream, and I had a Diet Coke. We didn't even get food, but it was just great to be there :) All of the restaurants, cafes, stores (and bathrooms) are so tiny and cramped here. But unsurprisingly, McDonalds was spacious and wonderful. Of course the menu was a bit different (including a "Euro Menu" instead of the "Dollar Menu"), but it was just great. Kara and I laughed when we saw the kids playplace --- a simple colorful corner with books in it! ha ha. Much different than our megatunnels and new video game playplaces.
Kristi and Sam moved houses today. They talked to Prof. Ana this morning, and by 1:30 they already had new arrangements. They said it was SUPER awkward when a lady from the university informed their Mormon mother of the move while they packed up their bags. But, they are quite happy in the new home. So we are all glad for them!
Over at our apartment, it is great. The only hard thing right now is trying to keep conversation up at meals. :S Yesterday morning, Kara and I literally sat in silence at breakfast whispering to each other, "So.... should we wait for her to come eat with us?" "Um... I don't know...". After quite some time, we just took our coffee to the kitchen and went back to our room to get ready. That night however we got smarter... We managed to tell her that I am engaged. It took her a while to understand that we weren't talking about our friend. Kara said, "No no. Her!" as she pointed to me. And Ana screamed "ohh!" and she was so excited. It was great. She asked where the ring was, if my parents liked him, how long we had been together and everything. So we started off on a great conversation. Now starts the brainstorming for the rest of the week...
Today we visited the Prado Museum. It is a HUGE art museum. I've never seen so many paintings of Jesus depicting in over 100 ways all in one building. The information was very interesting. My favorite artist was Velazquez.
Lastly, it seems that there are wedding dress shops on almost every corner in both Alcala and Madrid! It is crazy. I always gaze into the windows. Sometimes the dresses are beautiful, and others are just odd. But, it makes me eager to be back and makes me miss Scooter even more. There is much to look forward to here as well, so I try to concentrate on those things too.
Kristi and Sam moved houses today. They talked to Prof. Ana this morning, and by 1:30 they already had new arrangements. They said it was SUPER awkward when a lady from the university informed their Mormon mother of the move while they packed up their bags. But, they are quite happy in the new home. So we are all glad for them!
Over at our apartment, it is great. The only hard thing right now is trying to keep conversation up at meals. :S Yesterday morning, Kara and I literally sat in silence at breakfast whispering to each other, "So.... should we wait for her to come eat with us?" "Um... I don't know...". After quite some time, we just took our coffee to the kitchen and went back to our room to get ready. That night however we got smarter... We managed to tell her that I am engaged. It took her a while to understand that we weren't talking about our friend. Kara said, "No no. Her!" as she pointed to me. And Ana screamed "ohh!" and she was so excited. It was great. She asked where the ring was, if my parents liked him, how long we had been together and everything. So we started off on a great conversation. Now starts the brainstorming for the rest of the week...
Today we visited the Prado Museum. It is a HUGE art museum. I've never seen so many paintings of Jesus depicting in over 100 ways all in one building. The information was very interesting. My favorite artist was Velazquez.
Lastly, it seems that there are wedding dress shops on almost every corner in both Alcala and Madrid! It is crazy. I always gaze into the windows. Sometimes the dresses are beautiful, and others are just odd. But, it makes me eager to be back and makes me miss Scooter even more. There is much to look forward to here as well, so I try to concentrate on those things too.
Thankful Tuesdays
I am thankful for many things today, but I will highlight two of them for you.
One: I'm thankful that class is going well. I am caught up on reading; we (Kara, Kristi, Sam, Laura, and I) were placed in the group we requested; we were assigned the case study assignment we wanted; and, we are basically ready to lead the group discussion on Thursday. Yay. And momentarily, I will be taking a siesta :)
Two: I am SO thankful for my living situation. Whoa. Today, Kristi and Sam thought it would be a great idea for all of us to work on our project at their house. We had heard horror stories from them about their crazy family, but we weren't sure how much of it was slightly exaggerated to get a good laugh. So... we take off from the University and walk (literally) 2 miles to their house - past Kara's and my house, past the train station, past a ton of graffiti, over a bridge, and about oh... 1 mile longer until you arrive at their house! It is so far away. It took almost an hour. I mean the weather was nice and the walk was great, so no complaints there, but I feel so bad for them having to walk it everyday!! Once we arrived at the house, their Mormon house mom answers the door. Yea, Mormon - I think this family must single-handedly make up the 2% non-Catholic population in all of Spain. Everyone else in the country is Catholic. So the first thing she says is not "Hola chicas" as you're expecting. In Spanish (the only way she will communicate with them even though we all suspect she knows English because her husband speaks perfect English), she says to Kristi "You said four amigas, and now I see five amigas." Eeeeek! Then Kristi attempted to explain to her in spanglish, but everytime she uttered about two English words the mom would say "No! En Espanol!" She is kinda mean... Finally, we escaped to their surprisingly spacious room in the attic and laughed for about 45 minutes before starting to do our project! It was basically pretty funny!
On the way out, we had a similar encounter with her again. A 50 minute walk back to our apartment, and I am in need of a nap!
Hasta Luego!
One: I'm thankful that class is going well. I am caught up on reading; we (Kara, Kristi, Sam, Laura, and I) were placed in the group we requested; we were assigned the case study assignment we wanted; and, we are basically ready to lead the group discussion on Thursday. Yay. And momentarily, I will be taking a siesta :)
Two: I am SO thankful for my living situation. Whoa. Today, Kristi and Sam thought it would be a great idea for all of us to work on our project at their house. We had heard horror stories from them about their crazy family, but we weren't sure how much of it was slightly exaggerated to get a good laugh. So... we take off from the University and walk (literally) 2 miles to their house - past Kara's and my house, past the train station, past a ton of graffiti, over a bridge, and about oh... 1 mile longer until you arrive at their house! It is so far away. It took almost an hour. I mean the weather was nice and the walk was great, so no complaints there, but I feel so bad for them having to walk it everyday!! Once we arrived at the house, their Mormon house mom answers the door. Yea, Mormon - I think this family must single-handedly make up the 2% non-Catholic population in all of Spain. Everyone else in the country is Catholic. So the first thing she says is not "Hola chicas" as you're expecting. In Spanish (the only way she will communicate with them even though we all suspect she knows English because her husband speaks perfect English), she says to Kristi "You said four amigas, and now I see five amigas." Eeeeek! Then Kristi attempted to explain to her in spanglish, but everytime she uttered about two English words the mom would say "No! En Espanol!" She is kinda mean... Finally, we escaped to their surprisingly spacious room in the attic and laughed for about 45 minutes before starting to do our project! It was basically pretty funny!
On the way out, we had a similar encounter with her again. A 50 minute walk back to our apartment, and I am in need of a nap!
Hasta Luego!
Monday, May 24, 2010
HAMburgesas and School
Today was our first day of actual school! Kara and I woke up a bit early because we had to decide what to do about the food. We were blasted with the smell of the ham-burgers (literally ham) when we opened the refrigerator. So, we decided to stuff our school bags with an apple and a banana each, oh and a strange sweet bread roll to eat after class. And the ham-burgers were "eaten" on the way to school...
Class was pretty good. Our Professor, Ana Bolino (not to be confused with our housemom, Ana) is also so sweet. We had quite a bit of reading to do, so we traveled to the beautiful Retiro Park in Madrid to study. The 30 minute train ride was definitely worth it. We ate pizza for dinner back in Alcala with housemom Ana, and (sort of) finished up our reading.
Today the weather was beautiful - sunshine and a breeze. There was a thunderstorm last night, so maybe that brought in the breeze. I can't wait for tomorrow.
Adios.
Class was pretty good. Our Professor, Ana Bolino (not to be confused with our housemom, Ana) is also so sweet. We had quite a bit of reading to do, so we traveled to the beautiful Retiro Park in Madrid to study. The 30 minute train ride was definitely worth it. We ate pizza for dinner back in Alcala with housemom Ana, and (sort of) finished up our reading.
Today the weather was beautiful - sunshine and a breeze. There was a thunderstorm last night, so maybe that brought in the breeze. I can't wait for tomorrow.
Adios.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Sit Back in the Sun on Sunday
Today was the most relaxing day we have had! We decided not to meet at the train station until late morning at 11:00 AM. Which was wonderful! [And disclaimer: "we" usually means me, Kara, Samantha, Kristi, and Laura]
In Madrid, we wanted to go to the famous Sunday Morning Flee Market - El Rastro. On our way to the place where some of the girls thought it would be, Samantha decided to stop in this pastry shop to grab a croissant . When the rest of us looked in the window at the beautiful pastries - cupcakes, chocolates, donuts, croissants, and more - we quickly followed her inside. This was the best croissant I have ever had! It was flaky, soft, sweet deliciousness. A perfect breakfast.
After we realized that the flee market was not in the Plaza, we asked someone to show us on the map where we could find it. After we walked in the opposite direction of the flee market for about 30 minutes, I forced them to stop while I actually looked at the map for them. So then I used my master map skills to get us directly to the flee market which was about a mile of little tents adorned with an unbelievable array of... stuff. Honestly, it was just like a Mexican flee market that we are all used to seeing in our visits to Cancun, complete with knock-off wallets and colorful plastic magnets. Only it was 20 times larger with 30 times more people. It was a sight to see!
We walked all the way down the hill and back up it without getting pick-pocketed, and we decided we would get on a "Madrid Vision" tour bus - yes, the double decker ones screaming "tourist". Kara and I were dying to go on one, and Sam came too. And it was awesome! There was sunshine, a breeze on the top of the bus, an English tour guide recording, and music from the Nutcracker! The tour took us through the Historical District and through the Modern District. Highlights were the Barrio de Salamanco (the prestigious Spanish neighborhood, apparently with the best upscale shopping), the statue to Christopher Columbus, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (where the soccer club plays and where the 2010 Finals were held just the day before. The stadium seats about 87,000 people - not too much bigger than the OU Stadium!), and of course the U.S. Embassy.
Afterwords, the three of us browsed the bookstore and were in serious need of Starbucks! Yes, they actually have a couple in Madrid. The baristas even asked for our names to write on the cups. Even though Sam, Kara, and Alissa came out as "Sem," "Clara," and "Elisa" in writing on the plastic cups, the frappacinos were as delicious as if they were from Norman! We enjoyed dinner in the Plaza Mayor, and it was the best meal we have had yet! The three of us split margareta pizzas and sangria. The food was great. The weather and people-watching were also fantastic. We arrived back at the Alcala apartment and should be rested for the start of school tomorrow!
Only one problem. Ana (our housemom) made/bought all this food for us for the weekend... and we haven't eaten any of it. eek. She comes back tomorrow afternoon, so we are either having hamburgesas for breakfast, or on the way to school tomorrow morning we are going to make some random dog really happy. I'll keep you posted.
In Madrid, we wanted to go to the famous Sunday Morning Flee Market - El Rastro. On our way to the place where some of the girls thought it would be, Samantha decided to stop in this pastry shop to grab a croissant . When the rest of us looked in the window at the beautiful pastries - cupcakes, chocolates, donuts, croissants, and more - we quickly followed her inside. This was the best croissant I have ever had! It was flaky, soft, sweet deliciousness. A perfect breakfast.
After we realized that the flee market was not in the Plaza, we asked someone to show us on the map where we could find it. After we walked in the opposite direction of the flee market for about 30 minutes, I forced them to stop while I actually looked at the map for them. So then I used my master map skills to get us directly to the flee market which was about a mile of little tents adorned with an unbelievable array of... stuff. Honestly, it was just like a Mexican flee market that we are all used to seeing in our visits to Cancun, complete with knock-off wallets and colorful plastic magnets. Only it was 20 times larger with 30 times more people. It was a sight to see!
We walked all the way down the hill and back up it without getting pick-pocketed, and we decided we would get on a "Madrid Vision" tour bus - yes, the double decker ones screaming "tourist". Kara and I were dying to go on one, and Sam came too. And it was awesome! There was sunshine, a breeze on the top of the bus, an English tour guide recording, and music from the Nutcracker! The tour took us through the Historical District and through the Modern District. Highlights were the Barrio de Salamanco (the prestigious Spanish neighborhood, apparently with the best upscale shopping), the statue to Christopher Columbus, Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (where the soccer club plays and where the 2010 Finals were held just the day before. The stadium seats about 87,000 people - not too much bigger than the OU Stadium!), and of course the U.S. Embassy.
Afterwords, the three of us browsed the bookstore and were in serious need of Starbucks! Yes, they actually have a couple in Madrid. The baristas even asked for our names to write on the cups. Even though Sam, Kara, and Alissa came out as "Sem," "Clara," and "Elisa" in writing on the plastic cups, the frappacinos were as delicious as if they were from Norman! We enjoyed dinner in the Plaza Mayor, and it was the best meal we have had yet! The three of us split margareta pizzas and sangria. The food was great. The weather and people-watching were also fantastic. We arrived back at the Alcala apartment and should be rested for the start of school tomorrow!
Only one problem. Ana (our housemom) made/bought all this food for us for the weekend... and we haven't eaten any of it. eek. She comes back tomorrow afternoon, so we are either having hamburgesas for breakfast, or on the way to school tomorrow morning we are going to make some random dog really happy. I'll keep you posted.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
12 hours in Madrid during the European "Superbowl"
Yesterday we visited the Palacio Real in Madrid. While it is no longer occupied by a monarch, it is still decorated as it was centuries ago. My favorite room was the dinning room. It was ornate and absolutely beautiful. The extremely long table seats more than 140 guests, and the fresco on the ceiling depicts Christopher Columbus offering the goods of the New World to the King of Spain.
My favorite area of Spain is Retiro Park. It is like Madrid's Central Park. It is huge, complete with fountains, paddle boats, gardens, and statues. Kara and I will be going there to study often. :) We've decided that we need to find a spot where she will be in the shade and I can be in the sun.
Later we are churros at the famous Chocolateria Sin Ginas. They were very good, but the chocolate was not as sweet as we are used to having. The restaurant was set up like an old soda parlor we see in the U.S. It also reminded me Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans but with churros instead of beniets.
The Germans were playing the Italians in the soccer finals, so it was wild in Madrid. We decided that we did not want to be there at night. Besides, the hotels were completely booked of course. It is like our superbowl!! (A lady at one hotel I called said, "Yes, we just had a cancellation. It will now be 250 Euro for one night (up from 100 euro)." ha ha ha. Needless to say, we passed on the hotel, but it ended up being a blessing. We needed some good sleep in our somewhat familiar beds.
After a near mishap with the train logistics on our way back to Alcala, we finally made it back to the apartment. We were exhausted! Today we will be back in Madrid for a more low key day. hopefully.
My favorite area of Spain is Retiro Park. It is like Madrid's Central Park. It is huge, complete with fountains, paddle boats, gardens, and statues. Kara and I will be going there to study often. :) We've decided that we need to find a spot where she will be in the shade and I can be in the sun.
Later we are churros at the famous Chocolateria Sin Ginas. They were very good, but the chocolate was not as sweet as we are used to having. The restaurant was set up like an old soda parlor we see in the U.S. It also reminded me Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans but with churros instead of beniets.
The Germans were playing the Italians in the soccer finals, so it was wild in Madrid. We decided that we did not want to be there at night. Besides, the hotels were completely booked of course. It is like our superbowl!! (A lady at one hotel I called said, "Yes, we just had a cancellation. It will now be 250 Euro for one night (up from 100 euro)." ha ha ha. Needless to say, we passed on the hotel, but it ended up being a blessing. We needed some good sleep in our somewhat familiar beds.
After a near mishap with the train logistics on our way back to Alcala, we finally made it back to the apartment. We were exhausted! Today we will be back in Madrid for a more low key day. hopefully.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Living the Life
Today was very busy. It started at 8:00 AM breakfast with Ana. We convinced her that coffee and a banana were okay to eat together for breakfast. She laughed at us and conceded. After a 3 hour orientation at the University - rules and regulations, insurance, and transportation - we took a tour of Alcala. It was very interesting information...at least the parts that I could take in from Carlos' (university staffperson's) broken English.
After the tour, we were quite tired and decided to eat at an outdoor cafe for lunch. The rather chubby middle-aged waiter spoke no English, and the abbreviated menu during the time we wanted to eat was all in Spanish. So (after about 15 minutes of trying to communicate with him and then getting our food) I ended up with two fried eggs over a bed of soft-crouton-like-bread-pieces! But, it was actually not that bad. Kara and Kristi however ended up with clam soup AND another course of a huge fish fillet. While it was not what they had imagined and far more food than they bargained for, they both said that it was tasty. Samantha on the other hand ended up with whole fish (sardine type things) with heads intact and eyes looking at us!!! This was their rendition of the "vegetarian" dish. Thankfully, there was delicious bread - free and plentiful :)
Next we were off to Madrid where we went on a walking tour of the city. It is very beautiful. We passed the Royal Palace, Puerto del Sol, and the Plaza Mayor. The Plaza Mayor was my favorite! Plazas like it have been in many American movies. The first scene in Vantage Point looked exactly like this one! There were about one hundred tables in the outdoor plaza surrounded by beautiful buildings and white tents for shopping. I can't wait to go back.
Tonight we went ate with Ana and went out for a glass of Sangria with other Price kids - at an Irish bar called The Black Clover. It was super fun!
On the table for tomorrow: Back to Madrid for churros and chocolate, Prado Museum, and inside the Palace. At night we will be watching the soccer finals in Madrid. I'm sure it will be an adventure.
Today's Interesting Fact: We are studying at Instituto Franklin of the University of Alcala. It is the "College of North American Studies" and was named after good ole Ben Franklin. The university as a whole was established centuries ago. Back then, if students passed their final exams, a three-day party was thrown for them. If students failed their final exams, they were spit on in the city as people hurled tomatoes at them!
After the tour, we were quite tired and decided to eat at an outdoor cafe for lunch. The rather chubby middle-aged waiter spoke no English, and the abbreviated menu during the time we wanted to eat was all in Spanish. So (after about 15 minutes of trying to communicate with him and then getting our food) I ended up with two fried eggs over a bed of soft-crouton-like-bread-pieces! But, it was actually not that bad. Kara and Kristi however ended up with clam soup AND another course of a huge fish fillet. While it was not what they had imagined and far more food than they bargained for, they both said that it was tasty. Samantha on the other hand ended up with whole fish (sardine type things) with heads intact and eyes looking at us!!! This was their rendition of the "vegetarian" dish. Thankfully, there was delicious bread - free and plentiful :)
Next we were off to Madrid where we went on a walking tour of the city. It is very beautiful. We passed the Royal Palace, Puerto del Sol, and the Plaza Mayor. The Plaza Mayor was my favorite! Plazas like it have been in many American movies. The first scene in Vantage Point looked exactly like this one! There were about one hundred tables in the outdoor plaza surrounded by beautiful buildings and white tents for shopping. I can't wait to go back.
Tonight we went ate with Ana and went out for a glass of Sangria with other Price kids - at an Irish bar called The Black Clover. It was super fun!
On the table for tomorrow: Back to Madrid for churros and chocolate, Prado Museum, and inside the Palace. At night we will be watching the soccer finals in Madrid. I'm sure it will be an adventure.
Today's Interesting Fact: We are studying at Instituto Franklin of the University of Alcala. It is the "College of North American Studies" and was named after good ole Ben Franklin. The university as a whole was established centuries ago. Back then, if students passed their final exams, a three-day party was thrown for them. If students failed their final exams, they were spit on in the city as people hurled tomatoes at them!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
What's your ETA?
I can't believe we are actually in Spain! I have dreamed about it for years, and we are actually here. I decided to write a blog about my escapades in Spain... about 5 minutes ago. So allow me to set up the scene:
I am studying with Price business school and finishing my "senior capstone" - arguably a student's most important undergraduate course. Naturally, Kara and I decide to make that as difficult as possible. Do it in Spain. After graduation. However, the class is rumored to be not nearly as difficult as it is in Oklahoma. Updates coming soon about the actual class.
Kara and I flew to Madrid without any problems, only a short delay. Two glasses of (free!) red wine on the plane, and I was out. Thanks to Jennifer's advice before I left. As the first round of airplane food came down the LONG aisle of the plane, Kara and I opened up a nice spread of food that we had purchased before we got on the plane. A brilliant idea. I'm sure everyone around us hated us for filling the cabin with the smell of pesto pasta, but it was worth it! I also got to flip through wedding magazines and my Ultimate Wedding Planning book. I am super excited about starting to plan with Scooty once I get back.
We arrived in Madrid, went through customs (attempting a sorry "gracias" here and there in hopes of bypassing security), and were able to spot some fellow Pricers headed for Alcala. This young-looking lady wearing jeans was helping direct our group. She mentioned her name was Ana, and I began nudging Kara joking, "Oh that's her, that's totally our house mom! ha ha ha." About ... 10 seconds later, the lady asks who are Kara and Alissa! She introduces herself as none other than our house mom! So we got the really awkward first meeting over early... in front of everyone. It was classic. However, she is AWESOME. Ana is very nice, and speaks excellent English! Most house moms don't speak any! We are very blessed!
A short bus ride EAST of Madrid to Alcala and I attempted to drag my suitcases down the cobble-stone streets to this lady's apartment. It was a somewhat lengthy 10 minute trip. Yes, I over packed. I had three giant bags. I'm sure your getting a visual of that goofy person in the airport who's bag keeps toppling over in front of you. Yep, that was totally me but in the middle of the street. [Mom, finally I decided to forget the side-rolly motion, and I just drug the thing like a normal suitcase - with the folding bag around my neck. It worked great actually!] The apartment is very nice. Our room has twin beds and is decorated quite cute! It's just like bunking up in the Theta House again. The one bathroom and kitchen are both tinny-tiny. I think that's typically for Europe however.
Later we met up with Sam and Kristi who had a slew of crazy stories to tell us about their interesting house family, who lives oh about a 3o minute hike away from campus. For now, Kara and I downplayed how great ours apartment turned out. And, we of course did not rub in the fact that it has WIFI!! Another huge blessing. The rest of the day was spent at a Mexican cafe drinking a delicious Margarita and on a nice walk to the "central comercial" - translation: Alacala's mall. I know, I know. It took about 2 hours for me to find the mall. But Dad, have no fear. I didn't purchase anything (yet). The sun is shining, and it was a beautiful day. We even got to take a little siesta!! I am overjoyed to be in Spain. I'm looking forward to a great month. I miss Scooter like crazy. I am constantly thinking you!
What does tomorrow have in store? Orientation in the morning and possible trip to Madrid. Updates and maybe photos soon.
I am studying with Price business school and finishing my "senior capstone" - arguably a student's most important undergraduate course. Naturally, Kara and I decide to make that as difficult as possible. Do it in Spain. After graduation. However, the class is rumored to be not nearly as difficult as it is in Oklahoma. Updates coming soon about the actual class.
Kara and I flew to Madrid without any problems, only a short delay. Two glasses of (free!) red wine on the plane, and I was out. Thanks to Jennifer's advice before I left. As the first round of airplane food came down the LONG aisle of the plane, Kara and I opened up a nice spread of food that we had purchased before we got on the plane. A brilliant idea. I'm sure everyone around us hated us for filling the cabin with the smell of pesto pasta, but it was worth it! I also got to flip through wedding magazines and my Ultimate Wedding Planning book. I am super excited about starting to plan with Scooty once I get back.
We arrived in Madrid, went through customs (attempting a sorry "gracias" here and there in hopes of bypassing security), and were able to spot some fellow Pricers headed for Alcala. This young-looking lady wearing jeans was helping direct our group. She mentioned her name was Ana, and I began nudging Kara joking, "Oh that's her, that's totally our house mom! ha ha ha." About ... 10 seconds later, the lady asks who are Kara and Alissa! She introduces herself as none other than our house mom! So we got the really awkward first meeting over early... in front of everyone. It was classic. However, she is AWESOME. Ana is very nice, and speaks excellent English! Most house moms don't speak any! We are very blessed!
A short bus ride EAST of Madrid to Alcala and I attempted to drag my suitcases down the cobble-stone streets to this lady's apartment. It was a somewhat lengthy 10 minute trip. Yes, I over packed. I had three giant bags. I'm sure your getting a visual of that goofy person in the airport who's bag keeps toppling over in front of you. Yep, that was totally me but in the middle of the street. [Mom, finally I decided to forget the side-rolly motion, and I just drug the thing like a normal suitcase - with the folding bag around my neck. It worked great actually!] The apartment is very nice. Our room has twin beds and is decorated quite cute! It's just like bunking up in the Theta House again. The one bathroom and kitchen are both tinny-tiny. I think that's typically for Europe however.
Later we met up with Sam and Kristi who had a slew of crazy stories to tell us about their interesting house family, who lives oh about a 3o minute hike away from campus. For now, Kara and I downplayed how great ours apartment turned out. And, we of course did not rub in the fact that it has WIFI!! Another huge blessing. The rest of the day was spent at a Mexican cafe drinking a delicious Margarita and on a nice walk to the "central comercial" - translation: Alacala's mall. I know, I know. It took about 2 hours for me to find the mall. But Dad, have no fear. I didn't purchase anything (yet). The sun is shining, and it was a beautiful day. We even got to take a little siesta!! I am overjoyed to be in Spain. I'm looking forward to a great month. I miss Scooter like crazy. I am constantly thinking you!
What does tomorrow have in store? Orientation in the morning and possible trip to Madrid. Updates and maybe photos soon.
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