A few weeks ago I participated in a 6k road race through Casco Historico (the old neighborhood of Toledo, where I live)! I was a little nervous to do it just because I would be running up and down many many hills and would be running on cobblestone roads. I couldn't pass up the opportunity though! I ended up trying to sign up too late, but after talking with someone (Jose Luis) at my school he pulled some strings, and I was allowed to run the race unattached, or in other words, without a number and a chip. Jose Luis was actually signed up as well for the race and was going to not run the race just so I could run in his spot! He is so thoughtful! I insisted that I was not going to do that, and in the end, all worked out because I was still able to run! Since I was running unattached I don't know and will never know my official time or place but that's okay because I was just doing it for fun anyway! The atmosphere was so much different than in the states. There were SO MANY people everywhere cheering and yelling, "corre, corre!" And "rapida!" I've never seen so many people lining the streets of the entire race route cheering...it was incredible! I was thankful enough to have my host mom cheering me on as well as 3 of my other friends, Elizabeth, Alyssa and Laura! After the race we went and got ice cream in the Plaza de Zocodover to celebrate me not dying during or after the race :)
I, also, went to a program at the local theatre here in Toledo (el teatro de rojas). The program was called "Zona Cuerpo" and was interpretive dancing done by 6 people from Cuba. It was very interesting, to say the least. It definitely made you think, and I found myself relating a lot of the dances to things happening or things that have occurred in my life. The dancers' costumes were very interesting as they were wearing practically nothing. With this being said, I was taken out of my comfort zone a little bit, but reflecting back on my experience after, I am so glad I went and saw the program because I think it affected me in a positive way. Although it took me out of my comfort zone, it expanded my perspective on a lot of things.
In my English class two weeks ago we learned all about Halloween! We learned some vocabulary words and learned more about the American traditions that go along with Halloween, such as dressing up in costumes and going trick-or-treating. The instructor asked me why we say "trick-or-treat" or the significance of the phrase, and I really didn't know what to tell her. To be honest, I have no idea why we say it; we just do!! Before the kids got their snack I made all of them say "trick-or-treat!" They had a lot of fun with that. I also helped them review some vocabulary words for their test in school. It is interesting because a lot of the words they learn, such as granny and grandad, are British words and not American English.
The week of midterms was very stressful! I feel as if I really haven't done much the whole semester (because the classes here are much more relaxed than back at home!) and then bam! Hello studying :) haha I spent a lot of time in the library, and my host mom was very helpful with helping me studying and editing my essays for me. I survived midterms week which meant I could treat myself with trips to Barcelona and Florence, Italy for the next 6 days!!
We (Alyssa, Laura and myself) left Toledo on Thursday night, took a bus to Madrid, and then got on an overnight bus from Madrid to Barcelona. In retrospect the overnight bus idea is a great one, but in reality not so much because we all know how great sleeping on a bus is! Doesn't work out so well for most of us! And if I go deaf within the next couple years I am blaming the lady behind me who was puking the entire 8 hour bus ride. I had my music up all the way, and my travel pillow was acting like earmuffs around my ears. It was terrible, although I did feel slightly bad for the lady. When we arrived in Barcelona around 6:30 in the morning it was dark, cold and pouring rain. And none of us brought umbrellas because there was no room in our backpacks. FAIL #1. After conquering the Barcelona metro we decided to try and check into our hostal so we could dry off a little and take a nap. The staff at our hostal were all very nice and let us sleep/stay dry in the lobby because we weren't able to check in until 2 in the afternoon. We waited for the rain to let up a bit, and then decided to begin our adventures.
Our first stop was the Sagrada Familia. It is a beautiful church with impeccable details! Your eyes just get lost when looking up because there is so much beauty you want to look at all at once. The church was built by Gaudi with a Gaudi style, but sits unfinished because Gaudi never finished it before his death. Right now they are in the process of finishing it, but according to my friend Emily, they haven't made much progress on it since 2007!! There was a huge line rapped around half of the church just to buy tickets, but it went pretty fast. After the Sagrada Familia, we were feeling pretty hungry so we stopped at a small, local cafe. It was very tasty food...I got a tuna sandwich with chips. I love the tuna here!
After that we went and explored the Park Guell which is also Gaudi inspired. Park Guell reminded me a lot of the Alhambra in Granada. It covered a lot of ground with a lot of steps and inclines...making it very tiring to walk with a big backpack on your back! It is always so worth it though to see all the beautiful things! There were incredible views, too, of all of Barcelona and the Mediterranean! My pictures definitely did not give anything justice.
Then we went and visited the FC Barcelona stadium. My most favorite thing that we did/saw in Barcelona!!! And we just so happened to be arriving at the stadium at just the right time because the players were just walking out from the locker room onto the bus to leave town for their game the next day. Pretty sure I even saw #10, Messi! I tried to take as many pictures as I could! We, also, went into the official store next to the stadium, and I was in heaven! Too bad everything there was way out of my price range! It is was fun to look though.
After dinner (I ate a blueberry muffin that night! SO GOOD.) it was time to make our way to our hostal. Our hostal was just off of Las Ramblas (the main street of Barcelona). We were all very nervous to stay in our hostal because we were sharing our room with 7 other girls and also sharing a bathroom/shower with everyone on our floor. Each of us had just stayed in private rooms before with private bathrooms so this was a little different for us. Saved us a lot of money though. I slept with my backpack, purse and my prized possession, my running shoes, because I didn't want them to get stolen by the others in our room. There were lockers available, but you had to provide your own lock and none of us had locks so the last resort was just sleeping with our stuff! Luckily nothing was stolen, and the other girls in our room were nice and pretty respectful, trying to be quiet when coming in for the night and when leaving early in the morning.
On the second day in Barcelona we went and visited the Olympic grounds! My second most favorite thing! The metro did not go very close to the grounds so again we did a lot of walking and climbing! They love stairs in Spain! Maybe that's why everyone is so skinny! haha We saw where the track is and the baseball diamond as well as the swimming pool. I'm not sure if you can run on the track or if it is just strictly for Olympic training athletes, but it is possible to swim in the pool. In fact we saw many people swimming! It kind of reminded me of a YMCA because a lot of families were there. How cool would that be to swim where Olympic swimmers swam? I wish I would have had my swim suit with me!
Next stop was the beach :) We took the metro and the tram to get to the beach, and then walked along the Mediterranean coast! What a sight to see! Even though it was cloudy and quite cold, it was absolutely beautiful. The waves were huge--a surfer's paradise! In fact, we saw quite a few surfers braving the cool temps. It was so relaxing and peaceful. I wish I would have had the time to go for a run along the beach...I saw many runners, and it made me super jealous! It definitely gave me the itch to go running.
By this point, we were very hungry and decided to eat at a restaurant called Pans & Company. I've always wanted to try this place, but turns out that it's nothing special. I think I've wanted to eat here because the name and the atmosphere remind me of Panera, but in actuality, it's nothing like it. I got a tuna salad (with corn!). They put corn in all their salads here...sounds kind of gross, but actually very delicious. Clearly I was obsessed with tuna in Barcelona. haha I am just realizing this now.
After we got some food in our stomachs we walked through the Gaudi neighborhood, which again, elicits the style of Gaudi. That was very interesting, and I am so glad that we had the opportunity to sit on a park bench and just take in the sites. When traveling sometimes I think we forget to relax because as tourists we are trying to see everything that the city has to offer in just a couple of days.
Next, we took a shuttle bus to the airport and were ready (almost!) to fly to Pisa, Italy. I say "almost" because I realized after packing my bag that with the airline that we were flying with you can only take a bag that is 10 kilos. I was almost positive I was over this limit because I brought my laptop along in order to charge my camera. FYI: best investment for travelers is a camera charger that you can plug into the wall. Anyway, I started unpacking my bag and put on 3 shirts along with a sweatshirt. Alyssa and Laura took some of my things as well in order to lighten my load. Everyone near us in the airport got a kick out of my wardrobe...as it included quite the color pallet. After checking in we learned that they really aren't very strict with the weight limit at all and me wearing 3 shirts was not necessary. Oh well, better to be safe than sorry. Also, I had SUBWAY for dinner in the airport. Yum! It's the little things like Subway that I miss.
It was only a one hour flight from Barcelona to Pisa so we arrived before we knew it. We sat in the very front seat of the airplane, almost like first class! We had to run for that seat, mind you, because with Ryan Air they do not have assigned seats. When the gate number comes on the screen at the airport everyone runs to the gate and forms a line, like an hour before boarding. It's crazy!! We then took a bus (eventually...it arrived about an hour late) to Florence. While waiting for the bus Laura realized that she was so infatuated with the cool gadgets in the Florence airport that she forgot she set her purse down (with passport and everything in it!). She ran back to the bathroom, and luckily it was still there with everything in it. Something we can laugh at now, not so much at the time. Also, when arriving in Pisa it was so awesome because there were so many people waiting for family and friends and some even had signs greeting their loved ones. It was so cool to see, but also a little bittersweet at the same time.
Once we got to Florence, it was almost 2am, dark, cold and scary. After getting off the bus at the bus station we all felt like we were in the ghetto, a not-so-good part of Florence. We were planning on meeting another SNC girl who studies in Florence because we were staying at her apartment. Apparently, we did not have the Italian area code right and our Spanish phones were not connecting to the Italian one. After debating about what to do we decided to walk to the McDonald's to see if we could get free wi-fi to see if she was online to get ahold of her that way. Turns out no wi-fi so we walked to a nearby hotel, which looked not as sketch as some others. We asked the guy who worked there what the area code was and he said he didn't know (who doesn't know their own area code?) and said he didn't know where the University was either. This man was a big help... We proceeded to walk to another hotel, and the man working there was much more helpful, told us the right area code, and we got ahold of Brittany, finally, after we were all practically in tears! We were all devising a plan C to check into a hotel for the night and get in touch with Brittany the next day.
The first thing we wanted to do when arriving at the SNC girls' apartment was shower! Take a nice, long, hot shower! It had been awhile since we all showered (Greasy, Slick and Itchy!) since our shower at the hostal consisted of just face wash and water because none of us brought shampoo, conditioner or soap (no room in the backpack!). Also, I had to use my night shirt for a towel because I didn't bring one! Oh, the things you do to get by while traveling! After a good night's rest we woke up the next day and went to a market that is somewhat similar to the market in Madrid. Things were very cheap and vendors were very willing to bargain! Many of the vendors were very pushy though and jumped right on you when going up to their stand. We had a joke that there was a buzzer or light that the vendors could see once someone walked up to their stand because they would be no where to be seen, and then all of a sudden pop out of nowhere!! haha Alyssa and I were models many times for scarves because the vendors would just put them on you, and then of course you're going to like the way it looks on you and then have buy it! Then, we walked around the city some more with Brittany, our tour guide! Along with Brittany I met two other very nice girls from SNC, Megan and Alexis. On Monday the girls had class so Alyssa, Laura and I did some exploring of the city on our own. I ate at Gusta Pizza one night for dinner--I got pizza and it was so tasty! After ordering the man gave me Italian kisses and said, "ciao bella!" (hello/bye beautiful) Ahhh, that will never get old!!
We also saw the duomo which was absolutely beautiful! Another night we ate at Dante's and I ordered ravioli which was to die for, let me tell you what! If I studied in Italy I would, hands down, be 50 pounds (at least) heavier when getting back to the states. For breakfast each day we ate at this really cute cafe, Mamma's Bakery. It was such a cute and cozy place with very nice people! I got a bagel with cinnamon raisin and walnut cream cheese. So delicious...I really miss bagels too.
For Halloween we ended up going to the 99 cents store and buying costumes. Brittany was a witch, Megan was a devil (until her horns were stolen by someone!), Alyssa was a soccer player, and Laura, Alexis and I were kitty cats. We went out to some of the bars and my goodness, Italians love to party even more than Spaniards! I didn't think that was possible. It was a lot of fun though :) At the clubs we saw a lot of American students which was a little different than here in Spain. After the bars and at like 4 in the morning we went to what they call the "secret bakery." They do not advertise that they are a bakery, and you literally have to find the bakery by smelling! AND I WAS FINALLY REUNITED WITH MY FRIEND ASHLEY! She is also from SNC and is on the track team with me. It was so great to finally see a familiar face!!
I, also, saw the house that the Jersey Shore cast lived at as well as the Pizzeria they worked at! That was really cool! And, I hate to admit it, but I definitely ate gelato every day I was in Italy...tried a different flavor each time too. The last day I wasn't going to get any, but then there was mint (for the first time since we arrived!) so I took that as a sign that I needed to get some!
On our last night the girls took us up to a great viewpoint and to where the fake David is located. It was so beautiful up there :) I fell in love instantly. We were able to witness the sun setting up there as well. We went into a very old church too which had mass going on for All Souls Day. It was nice to kind of attend a mass, but also just to sit in the pew and reflect and relax a bit. When we got back to the apartment the girls cooked us dinner. It was so good... I wanted to lick my plate at the end! It was really fun preparing food all together too! Alyssa, Alexis and I did a little photo shoot with our Ciao Bella shirts :) We watched "Sound of Music" after dinner and enjoyed each other's company. Italy was so beautiful; none of us wanted to leave, but the morning quickly approached and we found ourself on the train back to the Pisa airport to head back to Madrid. After arriving back in Toledo on Wednesday afternoon I was pooped! What a week of traveling it had been :) And it was back to the grind with classes as I had my conversation class on Wednesday night. It was kind of nice though because I only had one class Wednesday, and then one class Thursday and it was the start of another weekend again.
On Friday Laura, Elizabeth and I braved the pouring rain to head to the mall and movie theatre. We saw "Las Aventuras de Tin Tin" in the theatre! It was a lot of fun and was pretty easy to understand since it is a cartoon. We weren't the oldest ones in the theatre either...go us! The theaters here are much nicer than in the states! The screens are bigger, the chairs are more comfortable and there is a lot more leg room. After seeing the movie we went and shopped! I got a sweater, a pair of jeans and some hair bows for my hair. I love all their stores here...I wish I had a bigger budget and more room in my suitcases for everything!!
On Saturday I worked on some homework, and then walked around Toledo with Alyssa, Laura and Devan (another SNC girl visiting Toledo from England!). Despite the pouring rain, Toledo was still just as beautiful as ever. We walked part of the wall which was awesome because I have never seen the entire city lit up yet from such a great view. We wanted to go on a hike, but were nervous because it was raining and dark and didn't want to slip on the rocks. I still want to go hiking, though, before I leave so hopefully it stops raining some day! It is so curious because for the first month and a half of being here it was sickening how dry it was, with not a single drop of rain. I thought I was living in a desert. And now, as of late, in pretty much all of Spain it has been raining quite a lot.
Today (Sunday) I went to a Real Madrid futbol game :) Before even coming to Spain I told myself that the one thing I REALLY wanted to do was go to a futbol game so I stuck with this mentality and bought tickets spur of the moment on Thursday. Elizabeth and I went, along with some others from the fundacion. The only down side was that because we bought our tickets so last minute we had to sit alone. It was still A LOT of fun though! Real Madrid won, 7-1. I am watching the news right now with my host mom, and when they were reporting about the game they said it was a "festival of goals!" Cristiano Ronaldo (#7) is like God to them here!! He is ridiculously good....AND ridiculously good looking! ;) He (Ronaldo) also was awarded the gold cleat before the game which, according to my host mom, signifies that he is the best player out of all the teams! The atmosphere in the stadium (every seat was filled...all 85,000 of them) was very similar to that of when I ran in the race here...everyone cheers and has so much compassion for their team. There was a certain section, complete with whistles and a drum, that started all the cheers and then everyone in the stadium (even those in the nose bleed section, including me! haha) would follow along with the cheers. Each person got a flag on their seat and waved it whenever there was a GOOOOOOOLLLL! There was a lot of flag waving at this game!
Just a couple side notes:
-I have failed to mention this as of late, but I am part of a study here at my school. There is a grad student studying here and for her dissertation she is doing a study on the pronunciation and answering of questions in Spanish. Also, she interviews us several times throughout the semester. It is actually really fun, and I will get paid 20 euro when I am done. It will be interesting at the end to hear my pronunciation and how it has (hopefully) gotten better from the beginning to the end.
-My host mom "yelled" at me for eating grapes like a bird. I can't just pick one and eat it...I have to take them off in bunches. haha I don't know...I say what's the difference because she doesn't even like grapes so it's just me eating them! She's so funny!
-The other day people were talking about me at the bus stop and how I wasn't wearing enough clothes for the cold weather. Then, the old man reassured the old lady that I was going to run and that I didn't need to be wearing a lot of clothes because I would be running! And I am from Wisconsin, 60 is not cold!!
-My host Mom taught me a little trick with bananas. She wraps them in newspaper and puts them in the fridge and that helps them stay longer. So far it is working...I am very impressed! I am going to have to do that in the states because you all know I don't like a brown banana.
-I am also still learning so much about the Spanish culture! A couple weeks ago my Mom and I went for a walk on a Sunday and she told me that it is part of tradition for Spaniards to have a cerveza (beer) on Sundays before lunch....so like around 1 or 2. My host Mom knows everyone so we saw some of her friends at a cafe/bar and sat down and had a drink with them, Juan (the lawyer) and another very nice lady that I can't remember her name. Juan smokes 4 packs of cigarettes a day and the lady and my Mom liked to talk about books a lot.
-Ever since coming here my Mom has tried to get me to read. She said that even if you don't like reading you should read at least 10 pages a day then you will have read an entire book in a year. I got the book, "Eat, Pray, Love" from Elizabeth and my Mom saw I was reading a book and I'm pretty sure I made her month :) She was so happy! And then gave me a Spanish novel to read. Woah, a little too far, Isabel! haha
-the weekend before finals Elizabeth, Laura, Elle and myself took a break from studying and went to a small town called Consuegra to see the Don Quijote windmills. It was super fun but we didn't have a lot of time there because on Saturdays there is only 2 buses that return to Toledo, one at 1 and one at 6. We didn't want to return as late as 6 so we kind of had to rush to make the 1 o'clock one. It was kind of like Heritage Hill with a guy dressed up and acting like Don Quijote. For some reason, I got really car sick on the bus ride to and from Consuegra. I think it may have been with all the roundabouts and the stopping, going, and slowing down all the time.
-Laura and I have been getting tapas (appetizers) quite often at Enebro's, a local cafe/bar in Toledo. The tapas are so good and so is the tinto de verano (it is wine with something else...doesn't even taste like alcohol, tastes more like a kiddy cocktail!)
Thanks to all that have sent me cards/ packages! All of my friends here get so jealous of me because I receive cards and packages so often! I really appreciate it :) Thank you, too, for paying as much as it costs to send things...I know it isn't cheap to send packages all the way to Spain.
GO PACK GO! And I hope the Dolphins can pull out a win one of these weekends for my patient who is a Miami fan.
I hope all is well with everyone :) I miss everyone LOTS, but can you all believe I will be home in a little over a month? Where did the time go?
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| Don Quijote windmills |
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| getting ready to run my first 6k in Toledo :) |
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| at the Teatro de Rojas |
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| the tower of the duomo in Italy |
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| beautiful Italy |
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| my delicious pizza from Gusta Pizza |
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| fist pumpin' in front of the Jersey Shore house |
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| Italy, by night |
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| the Spanish SNC girls in Italy |
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| the fake David statue |
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| Elizabeth and Laura ready to see "Tin Tin" in the theatre |
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| gorgeous Toledo |
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| the Alcazar lit up at night |
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| Real Madrid stadium |
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| a full house!! |
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| Real Madrid won! 7-1 |
your hostel experience sounds a lot like mine...you just feel so gross the entire time!
ReplyDeletei love Eat, Pray, Love!! such a great book
your blogs make me want to go back so badly!
yes i agree about the hostal! i ALWAYS feel disgusting...showers are quite pointless when you stay in them haha! And let's go back together someday very soon :)
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