"Let's just get gelato for dinner"

Day 33
Sunday was our last full day in Spain and I fully intended to squeeze in every last thing that I needed to do. In the morning, we went to the Rastro, the huge, open air market downtown to buy some last minute souvenirs and see one more facet of Madrid. The Rastro was packed with both people and interesting things to be bought. I had already bought all of my souvenirs at this point so it was challenging to control myself and not buy anything. But I avoided the temptation and made it out of the Rastro with my wallet happy. After the Rastro we headed to Sol to grab lunch at a place called Cien Montaditos, a chain restaurant that offers one hundred varieties of small sandwiches. It's kind of like the Spanish equivalent of Jimmy John's but the sandwiches are three inches long and they're filled with Spanish tortillas (egg+potatoes) or chorizo (Spanish sausage in thin slices). One of my friends accidentally ordered the wrong sandwich and got stuck with an anchovy sandwich. I tried it, since apparently anchovies are a delicacy in Spain and because my dad told me to try anchovies while I was here, and it was interesting but I felt like I could have had a similar experience if I had taken the anchovies off and just poured straight salt on the bread. But now I can say that I have tried Spanish anchovies!

After lunch we stopped to buy some flowers for our señora as a thank you gift and headed back home to pack. I was hopping to pack quickly and leave the house to go visit the major park in Madrid one more time, Parque del Retiro, but it ended up taking me about an hour and a half to pack. So after packing I had a little time to take a breather in our apartment before we had to leave for the bullfight. The bullfight started at 7:00, which in America would be the point in the day when it starts to cool down and become comfortable. Not in Spain. So it was a little toasty at the bullfight but it didn't hamper the excitement of the show. At the fight, we saw six bulls, each lasting about 20 minutes. It was rather gruesome since every time, the bullfighter - el torero - kills the bull by stabbing him through the heart with his sword. But before the torero comes out, several others provoke the bull by placing smaller sharp objects in his back between his shoulder blades. It was very interesting to see this antiquated part of Spanish culture but it was shocking as well; it would never be publicly accepted in the States to brutally kill animals for entertainment. It's a testament to the duality of culture: some parts are beautiful and some parts are ugly and are hard to understand.

After the bullfight, we headed to Sol for the very last time to grab some dinner and our last gelato. It was a beautiful evening and I was grateful that the last bit of Spain I got to see was the very heart of the Madrid, a city that sits in the heart of Spain.

Day 34
Time to say goodbye. On Monday we all parted ways with Spain. After twenty or so hours of traveling, I made it back to Katy, finally back at home after an amazing month abroad. Now I'll make a new post for my overall thoughts!

Carrie

"Did that Spanish man just call me Lebron James?"

Day 32
Last Saturday and the beginning of our last weekend. On Saturday morning we took our finals and finished up our classes in Spain. They went pretty well so we had the rest of the day to relish in the fact that we were finished - some of us finished with Spanish classes for good. After lunch, I headed to Sol, the center of Madrid, to explore with one of my friends and buy about a million souvenirs. We meandered over to the Plaza Mayor, the beautiful, large plaza that we saw on our walking tour nearly thirty days ago (woah). The Plaza Mayor was very tranquil, especially because we were there mid-afternoon on a Saturday when most Spaniards are taking it easy, usually with a café con leche. Near the plaza is the world's oldest restaurant : El Botin. Unfortunately we didn't get the chance to eat there because you have to make reservations. But we saw the menu so maybe that counts for something? After walking around this older part of town, we found an interesting little market with many delicious looking sweets; I had to restrain myself from buying anything else. By this time it was after seven so we decided to head home to start packing (nope, didn't do that) and eat dinner before we went out for the night. We decided that for our last real night in Spain - I have to get up at 6:00 AM on Monday so I will be hitting the hay early on Sunday - we would try out a bar that we heard was really cool. The bar is called El Chapandaz and is modeled after a cave: faux stalactites hang from the ceiling and when a song everybody loves comes on, they turn on the mist. It was pretty amazing! Also, when you order the house special, some secret ingredient in the drink is poured from one of the stalactites on the ceiling. Oh, to explain the title of this post, some friendly Spaniards were talking to us in the bar and one noticed that I was very tall so he said I was like Lebron James. He then said I was very pretty but that I was serious and bored...haha, not exactly how I would describe myself! But the bar was definitely unique and a great way to celebrate finishing finals and surviving for a month in a foreign country. But now I actually do have to get back to packing. Boo.

Carrie

"Does just being in Spain count as studying...?"

Day 31
Last Friday and last day of class. That's one last I'm not so sad about! After class ended, I was hit by the realization that I had 21 hours left before my finals began and I had barely started studying. So I hit the metro, rushed through my lunch then sought out the best study spot possible. Of course the weather was perfect on Friday; whenever I have to study, beautiful weather enjoys mocking me. But luck was on my side in my endeavor because our neighborhood in Madrid is very quiet and our apartment building has plenty of courtyards for the stressed out college student to utilize. So I packed up my books, sunglasses and Nutella (can't study without some motivation) and studied for a few hours in the peacefulness of my urban oasis. I also realized - this is random - that this was the first chance I have had in Madrid to be barefoot outdoors! I had forgotten how nice it is to be able to kick off my exhausted sneakers and relax without most of the stresses that characterize city living. The rest of my day was taken over by studying but the fact that I'm currently in Spain eased my stress. Also, my classes are pretty interesting/useful. I'll take a minute to talk about my classes since I don't think I've mentioned them very much.

Grammar Class
One of the classes I'm taking here is an intermediate grammar class. In this class we've learned more thoroughly topics that are covered in the first two years of Spanish. This class was probably one of the most helpful classes when it comes to learning the language. And it was barely a class; it never felt like work. Everyday we would learn one grammar topic, review our homework from the night before then present and discuss articles from Spanish newspapers. And since there were only eight of us, it was very informal and basically just an hour and a half long discussion on things that were actually relevant and interesting to us. If any of you readers are Baylor students and need to take a lower level Spanish class, take Dr. Spinks. You don't have any other options. He is the coolest professor plus he's hilarious. You won't regret it, he's a boss!

Culture Class
Our culture class was also very interesting. I couldn't imagine not taking it in Spain because everything we read about in our textbook we got to see on our trips around Spain. As a big history fan, I always want to study more about the world but learning a very thorough history of a country isn't an everyday opportunity. Learning a very thorough history of a country while being IN that country is even more rare. The class was a lot of work at times but I'm coming away from it with a pretty great knowledge of Spain, a country I knew almost nothing about before coming here. Opportunities like these are so special; I'm very fortunate to have been able to take these two great classes in this great country! If any of you are on the fence about doing a study abroad program, I very highly recommend doing it. I'll never forget my time here in Spain with Baylor in Madrid and I know I'll cherish these memories and experiences for many years.

Now I'm off to explore Madrid some more!!

Carrie

"Wait...it's Thursday??"

For my last few days, I've decided to write a post everyday! Or at least that is my intention. I guess we'll see how that goes!

Day 30
Last Thursday in Spain. But it was a pretty great Thursday. We had perfect weather: sunny, absolutely no humidity and in the lower 80s. I guess the great weather we're having this week and through the weekend is one of Spain's little miracles, one last blessing for our very fortunate Baylor group. After class, we were given one last assignment in the culture class to go visit the third of the three major museums in Madrid, the Thyssen. Once a private collection from the Thyssens, the family that owned the steel company that supplied Hitler and the Nazis, the Thyssen museum is an impressive, eclectic collection of art ranging from 13th century Christian art to 17th-18th century portraits of nobles to the beautiful Impressionist and post-Impressionist pieces of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This museum had a little bit of everything to please everybody. My favorites were by far the Impressionists' works; I could gawk at those Monets for hours. And Van Gogh too, but there were only a few of his paintings there. While browsing the museum, one of my friends brought up how ridiculously wealthy the Thyssens must have been to have owned all of these paintings before they sold them to Spain. I guess supplying steel to Nazis was a well paying job!

After our last museum visit, our small group headed to the center of Madrid to grab some gelato. Now what I should have done after finishing my gelato was get on the metro, go home and study for my finals on Saturday. What I actually did was spend several hours shopping... priorities. I had a lot of success, knocking quite a bit off of my never ending list of souvenirs I need to get. The part I liked most, however, was being on my own in the heart of a heavily populated city, doing whatever I want to do, living life the way I want and having real options for things to do. It's a rare opportunity for me; Waco and the suburbs in Katy are a far stretch from city living. So I wandered around Madrid, got a little lost in the endless shops and street fairs, enjoyed one of my last free afternoons. My most interesting purchase of the day was definitely Dr. Pepper, a thank you gift for my señora for housing us for a month. The little diamond in the rough was found in the gourmet food section of the Spanish mega department store, Corte Inglés. We'll see what our señora thinks of a truly American soda!

After my enjoyably busy afternoon/evening, I hopped on the metro and went home to eat dinner and study a tiny bit for those finals. I definitely don't have the same end-of-semester mentality in Madrid as I do in Waco. Hmm, maybe I should get back to those books...

Carrie

"So little time, so much gelato to be eaten"

Day 27
On Monday, we entered our last week here in Spain. I didn't think the end of our trip would ever come but I guess time flies when you're having fun! Part of me is ready to be back in the States, surrounded by family and familiar foods, places and beds. But I'm still enjoying everything Spain is throwing at me and I will continue to do so until I board that plane in a few days! Now I have to start narrating all of my "lasts" in Spain, oh dear.

Back to Monday. After class, we took our second to last group excursion in Madrid to visit the Palacio Real, the Royal Palace. This palace was beautiful, ornate, elaborate, regal in every sense. Just like the cathedrals in Spain, every palace has its own identity as well even though they serve the same purpose. From the simpler, more modest "palace on a budget" of Aranjuez to the heavily Moorish influenced, tranquil Alhambra, every palace stands out on its own in my mind. The Palacio Real in Madrid felt more European to me than the other palaces with less specifically Spanish details. I guess that goes along with the city; to me, Madrid feels like the most European city as well without a heavy Spanish influence. In southern Spain, the Moorish influence is everywhere. In northern Spain, you can see the French influence in the architecture. Being in the center of Spain, I guess Madrid is just the median on that gradient. After the visit and a quick statue scavenger hunt in downtown Madrid to take pictures for homework in my culture class, I headed home to catch up on homework and prepare for our last trip.

Day 28
On Tuesday, we departed from Madrid and made our way up and to the east to Salamanca. Salamanca, Santander, Segovia, San Sebastián, Sevilla...hard to keep them all straight! We got to Salamanca in the early afternoon, just in time to take an always needed siesta before we went out to tour the city at five. Our first stop in the city was the cathedral. Well actually cathedrals! There are two cathedrals, one built about three hundred years before the other, that are conjoined. First we viewed the older cathedral. You could tell it was older because of the simpler design: less windows for a stronger structure, less elaboration. However still beautiful! The later cathedral was larger, more ornate with more stained glass. After the cathedral, we walked to the adjacent Universidad de Salamanca, the second oldest university in Spain (founded in the 13th century) and we toured the classrooms and looked at the library, one of the most important libraries in Spain. To go inside the library, you have to get permission which is very exclusive and not an easy task. My professor told me today that if you were caught in the library without permission, you were excommunicated from the Catholic Church, meaning you would go to hell when you died. I won't be taking that risk anytime soon! We were let loose after the university to explore Salamanca on our own. After being granted freedom, a few of us decided to go up the tower of the cathedral to see the panoramic view of Salamanca and to see the inside of the cathedral from the upper level. Now I can check being on top of a cathedral off my to-do list. After our cathedral scaling adventure, we hunted down some dinner, walked around Salamanca a bit and headed back to the hotel.

Day 29
On Wednesday, we had our last hotel breakfast - they're always amazing with endless pastries - and left Salamanca to visit Ávila, made famous by Santa Teresa. In Ávila, we first saw the cathedral, the small courtyard where she did all her work and the finger of Santa Teresa. Now I can check seeing a several hundred year old finger off my list too... After the cathedral, we scaled the walls surrounding Ávila. Ávila is a medieval town and is still protected by the ancient walls that were built many centuries ago. It's one of the few preserved medieval towns that still stands in Europe. After the wall, we visited our last cathedral of the trip; this cathedral was very interesting and made unique by the red and white stone on the interior walls and ceilings. Then we had lunch and were surprised by an unexplained fifteen minute blackout. There were no problems, we simply opened the windows to let the sun shine in but everybody was secretly a little frustrated that the wifi in the restaurant went out. College students will be college students. After lunch, we boarded the bus to visit El Escorial, the palace-monastery-boarding school-royal mausoleum on the outskirts of Madrid. The most interesting part of El Escorial was the royal mausoleum. It housed all of the Hapsburg kings and most of the Bourbon kings, so basically ever Spanish monarch since Ferdinand and Isabella. Our tour guide told us that there is a myth that the ghosts of these monarchs leave their tombs at night and dance in the freezing cold, rounded room. So I know where I will NOT be going at night. We left El Escorial to shuttle back to Madrid and we reached the close of our very last trip in Spain. But maybe that's not a bad thing! Now I have an excuse to go explore every last corner of Madrid, which I verymuch intend to do before I leave on Monday.

Carrie

"The Spanish Influenza strikes again"

Day 24
On Friday, we packed our bags and hit the road to make our first group trip to northern Spain! On the way up to Santander, we stopped for a few hours in Burgos to visit what some spaniards consider the most beautiful cathedral in Spain. The cathedral was very beautiful - as they all are - but I hesitate to pick a favorite because they're all so outstanding to me. Overall, the cathedrals have many similarities: soaring ceilings, elaborate altars, beautiful stained glass, an aura of solemnity and peace. But at the same time, each cathedral has its own personality. While they all serve the same purpose, no cathedral is exactly similar to another. I think we may have one or two cathedrals left to visit on our trip and I look forward to them because each time, it's a brand new experience for me. And you'll never see cathedrals like these in the States so you really have to soak it all in while you're there. After the cathedral and another great café con leche, we got back on the bus and made our way to Santander. Santander is a small beach town on the northern coast, similar to San Sebastián but a little more industrial. From the beach, you could always see a barge or a ship in the near distance. But the industrial influence doesn't dominate in any way, it's more of a slight presence that only adds to the personality of Santander. Before we left Madrid, our humorous trip director told us that we were staying in a camp ground about a mile away from the beach. So we all had lowered expectations and were shocked when our bus stops in front of a hotel directly on the beach in Santander. Oh Baylor, how you spoil us! Even better, my roommate and I get up to our room and what do you know, we have a beachfront view. It was an amazing surprise! I still can't believe how fortunate we've been this entire trip; this hotel was an over the top treat! We had a great dinner which for most of us was a pick-a-random-item-on-the-menu-because-I-have-no-idea-what-any-of-this-means game. I got lucky and picked some sort of beans and meat dish that was very rich and tasty. After dinner and a walk on the chilly beach (I would come to regret that...) we went back to the hotel to hang out and relax after a long, busy travel day. I should add at this point that nearly everybody was coming down with sore throats/cold-like symptoms but I had held it off all week. Then my throat started hurting...

Day 25
On Saturday, I woke up with a pretty bad sore throat and I felt a little achy. After eating breakfast, I went back upstairs to rest and was dismayed to find that I still felt sick after my nap. So I bit the bullet and accepted that I would have to pass on this great beach day to recuperate and get better. I'm pretty sure that in that 24 hour period between Saturday morning and Sunday morning, I slept a good 21 hours haha. I don't know how I did it but I definitely needed it! Our trip has been so go-go-go that my body had to tell me to stop! So on Saturday I fought the Spanish influenza (and won, don't worry I'm fine now!) and reenergized for my last week in Spain.

Day 26
On Sunday, we said adios to Santander in the morning and drove directly east to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim, a modern/contemporary art museum. You might recognize the name from the New York museum. I promise there's one in Spain too, we didn't teleport to NYC for the day. Some of the art was really interesting and thought-provoking. I will concede that not all modern art is crazy and nonsensical. But some definitely is! Maybe it just went right over my head but there were a lot of pieces I did not understand or enjoy. It was an experience to say the least. We ended our stop in Bilbao with a picture in front of the giant, 20 foot puppy made of flowers and a delicious lunch. Bilbao is known for its gastronomical delights and I was glad we were able to enjoy some of the food that characterizes this small port town on the northern coast. After Bilbao we got back on the bus to regress back to Madrid. It was quite a long bus ride - we left Santander at 9:00 and got in to Madrid at 8:30, oof - but we don't have any more super long rides left so I won't complain. On Tuesday, we'll take our last trip up to Salamanca and Ávila. I can't believe that we have less than a week left! Our time has flown by so fast. So many things I need to squeeze in with so little time! I better get hopping!

Carrie

"Vale! Vale vale vale!"

Day 20
On Monday, we all begrudgingly went back to class after our amazing free weekend. After class, we all went to the Prado to check another major museum off our list. The Prado was amazing! It was interesting to see what all of the Spanish nobility we've been learning about actually look like. The most interesting paintings were of Carlos III, also know as Carlos el Feo (Charles the Ugly). He was a great king and he did many great things for Spain but his nose looked like it belonged in the Pyrenees. The other interesting painting was Velzquez's Las Meninas. I've seen this painting many times in textbooks and I've even seen Picasso's interpretation of Las Meninas but truly nothing compares to the original. I think I may be turning into a little bit of an art fanatic! After the Prado, I went home to study grammar grammar grammar for my test the next day. I've found it quite a bit harder to find motivation to study while in Spain compared to back in Waco. Hmm I wonder why...!

Day 21
After finishing our grammar test, some of us decided to go celebrate and get lunch at El Tigre, my favorite restaurant in Madrid. El Tigre was showcased on the Travel Channel for its amazing deal: you order any size cider you want then they bring you plate after plate of tapas, including paella, mmm! You get all of this amazing food for 5 €. We all love going there because its the perfect solution for hungry, broke college students. After El Tigre, we got some delicious gelato (I picked cookies and Nutella and it was an excellent choice) and headed on home to take a siesta and prepare for our trip the next day to Segovia!

Day 22
On Wednesday, we left Madrid in the morning to visit a palace and then a castle in Segovia, about an hour and a half north of Madrid. First we went to La Granja, a beautiful palace that was constructed by the Bourbon kings. It is easy to see the difference between the palaces built by the Hapsburg kings and those built by the Bourbons: these French monarchs always choose extravagance and elegance. I noticed that La Granja was very similar to Versailles, right down to the beautiful gardens that took up most of the estate. After La Granja, we drove down to the heart of Segovia to see the Roman aqueduct, the beautiful cathedral and the Alcázar, the castle/fortress. The Alcázar stood in stark contrast to La Granja: cold stone floors and walls, dark shades of tapestries and furniture, an emphasis on protection rather than showing off the wealth of the country. At the Alcázar, we got to see the thrones of Ferdinand and Isabella: they were completely identical, showing the equality of the two monarchs. The more I learn about Ferdinand and Isabella, the more impressed I am. They were definitely very unique, powerful monarchs. After exploring the castle, we climbed up the tower to see the bird's eye view of Segovia. So beautiful, like all of Spain. After we left the castle, I stopped to buy what I thought was a Spanish cupcake. It wasn't! It was a small thing of some kind of cream, sort of like mousse, with sprinkles on top. I was surprised at first but it was delicious so I was glad I got it! Back on the bus and back to Madrid for one last class day before another great weekend trip.

Day 23
On Thursday, we had class again but had the afternoon off! I decided to take a short siesta during my break to catch up on some very needed rest. Then after my nap, I went into the center of Madrid, Sol, to explore with one of my friends and to do some shopping! It was a great afternoon and it was nice to get to see more of Madrid. This next week, since its our last week, I have told myself that I don't need to take any siestas; I'm going to spend all my time soaking up every last bit of Madrid while I can! After shopping, I went home to pack for our weekend trip back up to the northern coast of Spain: Santander!

Carrie