25/02/08
Wow today is the half way point of the program, I don’t want to leave! Starting right now I am going to try even harder to learn and practice Spanish as much as I can. Today was the best Monday ever. I went to school forty minutes early and skyped with Mom and Dad, I love talking to them and seeing their beautiful/tired faces. It is usually close to midnight when we talk, Dad is going strong, but Mom is a little out of it and I love it. I don’t even know what we talked about, but I just love that we can keep in contact even though we are so far away. Class was good this morning, Professor Shumway is a great teacher and I just feel close to him because we spend so much time with him and his family. I love that he knows each of us and is so friendly and helpful. His wife is amazing and his seven kids are all fantastic. Between my two history classes Sarah, Erika, and I went to the market that is held on Mondays and it was awesome. It is similar to the Galt flea market, but they hombres working at the various tables are yelling at you “Guapa, dos por cinco euros!” “Más barato de carne de gato!” One man in the fruit section was yelling guapa at Sarah and I for more than a minute, at the end of the isle I looked back and he was still asking us to buy his fruit, haha it was fantastic. I bought a delicious Fuji apple and enjoyed walking around and seeing what each of them had to sell, we didn’t buy anything, but maybe next week. After the market I went to History 390. We are studying about the Spanish Inquisition right now and examining a specific court case, it is pretty interesting. After class we had a delicious lunch, pastel de patata which is ground meat, eggs, and then papa puree on top and then baked, she usually puts raisins in it, but no fruit surprises this time. I studied Spanish for awhile afterwards and then took off for a great run by the river close to the apartment. I cleaned up a little bit and then went to institute. Mondays we have a devotional at 5:30 and then institute from 6:00 to 7:30. Devotional was really good, Professor Shumway gave the spiritual thought tonight and he talked about how we need to evaluate the first half of our trip and make improvements for the next month and half. It was very motivating and I am excited to improve even more in the next while. Institute class was great, I love our professor Hermano Lopez. Afterwards I came home and did some more homework, then helped Ana get ready for dinner. Dinner was so good and we had the best talk around the table for like an hour afterwards. I just love talking with her, she makes me feel so at home here in Spain. It is her birthday this Thursday and it is going to be a party. Amy and I are making flan for her because she said it’s her favorite dessert, I’ve never tried it, but Amy has a good recipe so vamos a ver! She’s having her sister, cousin, and maybe a few others over for almuerzo and I already know the food will be muy rica so I’m excited. Bueno, I’m going to go study more Spanish!
lunes, 25 de febrero de 2008
domingo, 24 de febrero de 2008
El Valle de los caidos
This past week has been great. Mondays are always busy with school, institute, and FHE, but they are always great days. My institute teacher Hermano Faustino Lopez is great. He has such a great spirit about him and I have learned so much about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints here in Spain. Wednesday I went to Madrid and did one of our assigned walks of the city. I just love walking around Madrid; it is such a beautiful and lively city! Afterwards Sarah, Rachel, and I took the metro to Plaza de España where the ticket office for el teatro is located. We bought tickets to see Bella y la Bestia this next Thursday and I can’t wait! I am so excited to see this play and even better that it is in Spanish. Thursday I discovered a new area behind the
apartments where I live, there is a nice trail by a small river an
d there were lots of runners out. I had the most amazing run, it was sunny and after a few minutes I was just in a tank top and shorts, the weather was great. Ana and I had some great talks this week. I should really write my thoughts down each day because I am not remembering all of the details; I will start that next week. A little just about the routine, we wake up a little before eight and get ready and then eat two tostadas with jam and usually an apple with Ana and then head off to school. Monday and Wednesday I have my two history classes from 9:00-10:15 and then from 12:30-1:45 and then Tuesday Thursday I have Spanish from 9:00-11:00. I usually exercise in between class or after and then we have lunch around 2:30. Lunch is always yummy, Ana is a great cook. Sometimes it is a little fried for my liking, but it’s all good. She makes really yummy albondigas, vegetable dishes which I can’t quite explain but they are good, stuffed avocados, and sometimes we are blessed with crepes for breakfast or dessert. She also makes us her signature postre de la casa sometimes which is fruit with leche condensada, muy rica. The Spaniards are not too big into dessert, which took awhile for me to adjust to, but my frozen yogurt and cookie dough withdrawals have subsided. I am loving life here in Spain and especially living here with Ana. We have become great friends and just love talking and learning from her.
I had no idea what to expect when we went to El Valle de los Caidos yesterday and it ended up being a very neat experience. It is supposed to be a memorial to those who died on both sides during the Spanish Civil War, yet after visiting the site it becomes very clear that it is really glorifying General Franco and his followers. There is a 150 meter cross, the largest cross in the world, on top of the basilica and you can see it several miles away. The basilica is the second largest in the world, carved out of the side of a mountain and designed in the shape of a cross. As you enter the building the immensity of overwhelms you. The architecture was designed to make one feel small and insignificant, to cause the individual to be in awe of the all powerful Catholic Church. Mass had just started when we arrived and so as we walked down the long hallway towards the chapel the music was echoing throughout the building. Along the sides of the basilica were gigantic statues of men wearing cloaks with their heads bowed, and they gave me a very eerie feeling. Halfway through the mass a bell rang and then all of a sudden the lights turned off and the only thing lit up was Christ on the cross, which stood in the middle of the sacrament table where the priests were blessing the sacrament. Since the basilica is carved into a mountain there are no windows for sunlight to come in and when all of the lights turned off it was pure darkness except for the glowing Jesus. Mass ended shortly after and we were able to view the chapel after the priests left. General Franco’s grave lies right behind the sacrament table, which seems so contradictory to me. Here is a man who is responsible for thousands of deaths of innocent people, yet his body lies right behind the figure of Christ. Unlike the peaceful carvings in the choir seats of the cathedrals we have visited, the choir seats in the basilica were engraved with scenes of killing, war, and human suppression. Also outside of the basilica there are ten sets of ten stairs leading up to the entrance, symbolizing the Ten Commandments. This also seems quite contradictory to me because one of those commandments is “Thou shalt not kill.” It is hard for me to think of this basilica as a holy place of worship when there are 40,000 graves of fallen soldiers just outside of its walls. I have talked to Ana about her thoughts about Franco and she thinks terribly of him and as I have talked with other students in the group, most of their parents feel the same way. There is a large number of people that are currently demanding the removal of the fascist insignia on the outside of the building as well as Franco’s grave so that the memorial can serve as a remembrance for both sides of the war, but nothing has been done so far. Although El Valle de los Caidos is very controversial, I thought it was very interesting to visit and I am anxious to learn more about General Franco and the Spanish Civil War very shortly in History 390.
After El Valle de los Caidos we went to visit El Escorial, the palace of King Phillip II, whom we have been reading about for the past week and half. It was neat being able to tour his humongous home, see the bed he slept in, the library he read in, and the gardens he walked around in when he was stressed with the endless paperwork of his vast kingdom. Knowing so much about him going into El Escorial helped me to appreciate and better understand his life and the great power he held during his reign. My favorite part of his mansion is the library. He was a book fanatic and very intelligent. King Phillip II collected thousands of books and could tell when one was missing or out of place! I also enjoyed one of the hallways on the first floor where the walls were lined with paintings of the life of Christ beginning with his birth, continuing with the stories we know about his life and then ending with his death and resurrection. King Phillip II was a very religious man; he even had his bedroom built above the basilica so that he could hear mass from his bed when he was feeling too ill to attend. I loved our trip yesterday, I learned so much and at the same time had such a great day.
Amy and I got home around eight and we had a delicious meal with Ana and then we were off for movie night at Sarah and Erika’s house. We decided we wanted to make ice cream sundaes, so different people brought different toppings and we made a delicious treat. We watched No Reservations on Emily’s ordenador, the moving wasn’t that great, but we just had a great time laughing at it. Today we walk and Ana had made crepes, so amazing! That woman is an angel. Afterwards we went to the other Alcalá campus where there are sports facilities. We got there about a half an hour before the group so that we could run the track and then afterwards I played in the basketball tournament that we had organized. There were six teams and we played four on four half court. It was so much fun; it had been way too long since I had played basketball! Our team got second place with was great and it just felt so good to be playing out in the sun. Afterwards I came home, did some homework, ate a delicious almuerzo and then was off to Madrid to study with a group in the beautiful Buen Retiro Park. We have our Spanish midterm this week and we all got together to study. We had a good study session outside, the park was full of people and street musicians and the lake was full of paddle boats. I love my life.
apartments where I live, there is a nice trail by a small river an
d there were lots of runners out. I had the most amazing run, it was sunny and after a few minutes I was just in a tank top and shorts, the weather was great. Ana and I had some great talks this week. I should really write my thoughts down each day because I am not remembering all of the details; I will start that next week. A little just about the routine, we wake up a little before eight and get ready and then eat two tostadas with jam and usually an apple with Ana and then head off to school. Monday and Wednesday I have my two history classes from 9:00-10:15 and then from 12:30-1:45 and then Tuesday Thursday I have Spanish from 9:00-11:00. I usually exercise in between class or after and then we have lunch around 2:30. Lunch is always yummy, Ana is a great cook. Sometimes it is a little fried for my liking, but it’s all good. She makes really yummy albondigas, vegetable dishes which I can’t quite explain but they are good, stuffed avocados, and sometimes we are blessed with crepes for breakfast or dessert. She also makes us her signature postre de la casa sometimes which is fruit with leche condensada, muy rica. The Spaniards are not too big into dessert, which took awhile for me to adjust to, but my frozen yogurt and cookie dough withdrawals have subsided. I am loving life here in Spain and especially living here with Ana. We have become great friends and just love talking and learning from her.I had no idea what to expect when we went to El Valle de los Caidos yesterday and it ended up being a very neat experience. It is supposed to be a memorial to those who died on both sides during the Spanish Civil War, yet after visiting the site it becomes very clear that it is really glorifying General Franco and his followers. There is a 150 meter cross, the largest cross in the world, on top of the basilica and you can see it several miles away. The basilica is the second largest in the world, carved out of the side of a mountain and designed in the shape of a cross. As you enter the building the immensity of overwhelms you. The architecture was designed to make one feel small and insignificant, to cause the individual to be in awe of the all powerful Catholic Church. Mass had just started when we arrived and so as we walked down the long hallway towards the chapel the music was echoing throughout the building. Along the sides of the basilica were gigantic statues of men wearing cloaks with their heads bowed, and they gave me a very eerie feeling. Halfway through the mass a bell rang and then all of a sudden the lights turned off and the only thing lit up was Christ on the cross, which stood in the middle of the sacrament table where the priests were blessing the sacrament. Since the basilica is carved into a mountain there are no windows for sunlight to come in and when all of the lights turned off it was pure darkness except for the glowing Jesus. Mass ended shortly after and we were able to view the chapel after the priests left. General Franco’s grave lies right behind the sacrament table, which seems so contradictory to me. Here is a man who is responsible for thousands of deaths of innocent people, yet his body lies right behind the figure of Christ. Unlike the peaceful carvings in the choir seats of the cathedrals we have visited, the choir seats in the basilica were engraved with scenes of killing, war, and human suppression. Also outside of the basilica there are ten sets of ten stairs leading up to the entrance, symbolizing the Ten Commandments. This also seems quite contradictory to me because one of those commandments is “Thou shalt not kill.” It is hard for me to think of this basilica as a holy place of worship when there are 40,000 graves of fallen soldiers just outside of its walls. I have talked to Ana about her thoughts about Franco and she thinks terribly of him and as I have talked with other students in the group, most of their parents feel the same way. There is a large number of people that are currently demanding the removal of the fascist insignia on the outside of the building as well as Franco’s grave so that the memorial can serve as a remembrance for both sides of the war, but nothing has been done so far. Although El Valle de los Caidos is very controversial, I thought it was very interesting to visit and I am anxious to learn more about General Franco and the Spanish Civil War very shortly in History 390.
After El Valle de los Caidos we went to visit El Escorial, the palace of King Phillip II, whom we have been reading about for the past week and half. It was neat being able to tour his humongous home, see the bed he slept in, the library he read in, and the gardens he walked around in when he was stressed with the endless paperwork of his vast kingdom. Knowing so much about him going into El Escorial helped me to appreciate and better understand his life and the great power he held during his reign. My favorite part of his mansion is the library. He was a book fanatic and very intelligent. King Phillip II collected thousands of books and could tell when one was missing or out of place! I also enjoyed one of the hallways on the first floor where the walls were lined with paintings of the life of Christ beginning with his birth, continuing with the stories we know about his life and then ending with his death and resurrection. King Phillip II was a very religious man; he even had his bedroom built above the basilica so that he could hear mass from his bed when he was feeling too ill to attend. I loved our trip yesterday, I learned so much and at the same time had such a great day.
Amy and I got home around eight and we had a delicious meal with Ana and then we were off for movie night at Sarah and Erika’s house. We decided we wanted to make ice cream sundaes, so different people brought different toppings and we made a delicious treat. We watched No Reservations on Emily’s ordenador, the moving wasn’t that great, but we just had a great time laughing at it. Today we walk and Ana had made crepes, so amazing! That woman is an angel. Afterwards we went to the other Alcalá campus where there are sports facilities. We got there about a half an hour before the group so that we could run the track and then afterwards I played in the basketball tournament that we had organized. There were six teams and we played four on four half court. It was so much fun; it had been way too long since I had played basketball! Our team got second place with was great and it just felt so good to be playing out in the sun. Afterwards I came home, did some homework, ate a delicious almuerzo and then was off to Madrid to study with a group in the beautiful Buen Retiro Park. We have our Spanish midterm this week and we all got together to study. We had a good study session outside, the park was full of people and street musicians and the lake was full of paddle boats. I love my life.
domingo, 17 de febrero de 2008
16/02/08Yesterday the bus left Alcalá around nine and we arrived in Segovia about noon after taking a few stops for picture opportunities. The first stop for pictures was my favorite because we stopped right beneath the beautiful castle. I felt as if I was in a movie, locked away in the tallest tower awaiting Prince Charming to come slay the dragon and rescue me, sorry we watched Shrek on the bus last night with the Shumway kids. Anyways the castle was just as beautiful on the inside as out. My favorite room had sixty or so figurines of kings and queens in thrones lining the ceiling on a ledge. I have not seen anything quite like that in any other building I’ve been in, so I liked that it was so unique and different. Beneath each royal leader there was a short
biography of their reign, which was helpful to figure out where they fit in with all of the history I have been reading. Another very interesting fact about the castle is that it was the location where Christopher Columbus finally got approval for his first westward journey from King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. I tried to imagine the situation as I walked through the throne room and I just love that I am actually visiting these historical places where great moments in history took place. I have read several different views and opinions about Columbus in the past month and we have also discussed him in class a few times. Although there are many people who do not give him much credit and criticize him for mistreating the indigenous people of new lands, I feel that he was inspired by God to make his various expeditions and I am grateful for all of his discoveries. Also within the castle was a portrait of Philip the II who we have been reading about in great detail in History 390. It was neat being able to make a concrete connection with him as I was standing in a place that he had once resided. Visiting historical places has greatly increased my appreciation and interest in history.Another architectural masterpiece in Segovia was the cathedral. The original cathedral was known as Santa Maria and was designed in a Romanesque style; however, during 1521 it was destroyed in the Comuneros War. Four years later Charles V decided to construct a new cathedral in its place and dedicate it to The Ascension of Maria to Heaven and Saint Frutos, who is the Patron Saint of Segovia. Construction began in 1525, but it was not officially consecrated until 1768. Although the exterior of the original cathedral was thoroughly demolished, the contractors were able to use the original choir, cloister, and baptismal font in the newly completed cathedral. I was glad that I knew this fact while viewing the cathedral because it made the building seem more historic and ancient to me. Unlike the original cathedral, the architects designed it in more of a Gothic style and it stands as the last cathedral built with this type of architecture because the influences of the Renaissance were beginning to felt. It was neat walking around the cathedral because there were about twenty small chapels around the exterior and some were full of paintings of Christ. Viewing so many sculptures and paintings of Christ on the cross suffering so much made my heart ache. I know that his sacrifice was essential in the plan of salvation and that without it I would not be able to repent of the things I do wrong, but I prefer to remember Christ in the moments when he was blessing the needy or teaching the people the words of God. In a book that we just finished for History 202, The Samurai, it talked about these Japanese merchants who sailed to Mexico and Spain in order to open up trade routes between Spain and Japan. These men stayed in monasteries throughout their long journey and in each room the main character stayed in there was a figure of Christ on the cross. He had no knowledge of Christianity and he could not understand how so many people worshiped such a weak and “wretched” man as he called him. As I was walking around the cathedral yesterday I could understand the point of view of this Japanese envoy. He did not know of the great miracles Jesus Christ had performed or the important and inspired lessons he taught, all he saw was this beaten man upon the cross. Eventually this Japanese man is taught that because Christ suffered all of these things he can relate to the sorrows, heartaches, and trials of every person who lives, have lived, or who ever will live. That one can turn to him for not only forgiveness, but also comfort and peace. I am so grateful for my Savior and his love that I feel each day. My favorite part about Segovia were the aqueducts, they are massive and they go on for more than 3 miles!! It was just amazing to me that they were built around 20 AD and they still carry water from the mountains today, the only working one in the world!
After we finished walking around Segovia we boarded the bus and went to a small town called Pedraza for dinner. The city was desolate when we got there; there was literally no one anywhere. We found an old castle and played games outside of it for awhile as the sun was setting and then we headed of for dinner. Segovia is famous for their lamb and suckling big, so a big group decided to pay twenty eight euros for this experience. I, and about ten others, was not apart of this group because I’m not the biggest meat fan and I am also pretty stingy when it comes to money. Some girls and I split a big loaf of bread and called that dinner and I was quite content. I heard the dinner was great and probably the best part was that one of the girls in our group ate a lamb’s testicle. Wow, all the power to her… I could not do that! We arrived home around midnight and everyone had a great time.
17/02/08
Yesterday I woke up pretty early and went for a run at the park by my house. It was about eight and the sun was still behind the mountains. The empty field next to the park was very misty and as the sun began to rise I felt as if I was in Pride and Prejudice at the end when Mr. Darcey and Elizabeth find themselves in that field together at dawn. It was just so beautiful; I can’t describe it in words. I was so glad I had woken up early and been able to experience that. Amy and I met a small group at the train station at 10:30 to go to the temple. We set a goal at the train station to talk in Spanish the whole trip. We were successful and it ended up being a fantastic day. The temple was amazing. I felt such peace and comfort while there, I just love being so close with my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. After the temple we ate our bocadillos outside in the sun. Ana had made us bocadillos with tortilla Espanola, and wow my mouth was in heaven! After that we decided to do a required walk for one of our classes, so we walked around a new party of Madrid and saw various buildings with medieval architecture. We ended up in the Plaza Mayor which was full of people. Some were eating in cafes, others were watching the random people dressed up in costumes, and some were just sitting on the ground enjoying the beautiful sunshine. That night Sarah and Erica had a movie night at there house and we watched A Knights Tale to pay our respects to Heath Ledger who recently passed away from an overdose of sleeping pills, very sad. I love that movie and it was fun just hanging out and watching a movie in English.
Today was Stake Conference which was great. It was broadcasted from Madrid and Elder Scott and President Monson spoke. Elder Scott speaks Spanish, which I didn’t know, and so it was neat to hear him and I was able to understand everything because he spoke so clearly. Today was also so special because it was the first time that I have heard President Monson speak since he had become the new prophet. I definitely received a confirmation that he is a prophet of God and I was very thankful for that. Right now I can hear Ana and her sister making lunch, which I am very excited about, so I think I am going to go see if I can help. Adios!
miércoles, 13 de febrero de 2008
Just Another Tuesday in Spain
Yesterday was such a good day! Spanish was good in the morning and then I went home and went for a good run at the park close to my house and then over to the other park that has some work out equipment. I was on one of the machines when this older woman came over to me and started talking to me. We started talking about where I was from and the various places that she had visited. Her name
was Pilar and she was so sweet. Right in the middle of our conversation about the mountains in Colorado she looked at me and said, “Erin, crees en Jesucristo?” Wow! It was very random, but I enjoyed it because then we got to talk about Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us and for everyone. We talked for about ten minutes, but she had to go home to prepare food for lunch, she was making tortilla Espanola and I was tempted to follow her home because it is so good! She gave me two besos goodbye and I’m hoping I’ll get to talk to her again in the future. I went home and Ana had made a delicious lunch and then arroz con leche for dessert, it was delicious. I went into Madrid after lunch with some friends and we walked around the Buen Retiro Park, which was by far the prettiest park I’ve ever been to. There is a beautiful lake in the middle of it and there were lots of people out boating in it. We are definitely going to rent a paddle boat on the next sunny day. We walked around for a few hours and then went to the Prado because it is free from six to eight. We walked around the 19th Century exhibit and it was neat seeing paintings about the people I’ve been studying about, like Joanna the mad, Philip the fair, Isabella, Ferdinand, and others. I got home around nine and we had a yummy dinner, oh but wait the weirdest thing happened to me on the bus on the way home. There was this older guy sitting across from me that kept smiling at me and doing something with his phone, but I was just looking out the window minding my own business. Well as he got off the bus he took a picture of me and then blew me a kiss! Gross, he was like fifty years old! Anyways, I just finished with classes for today and I’m about to head home for lunch. I love Spain!
was Pilar and she was so sweet. Right in the middle of our conversation about the mountains in Colorado she looked at me and said, “Erin, crees en Jesucristo?” Wow! It was very random, but I enjoyed it because then we got to talk about Jesus Christ and all that he has done for us and for everyone. We talked for about ten minutes, but she had to go home to prepare food for lunch, she was making tortilla Espanola and I was tempted to follow her home because it is so good! She gave me two besos goodbye and I’m hoping I’ll get to talk to her again in the future. I went home and Ana had made a delicious lunch and then arroz con leche for dessert, it was delicious. I went into Madrid after lunch with some friends and we walked around the Buen Retiro Park, which was by far the prettiest park I’ve ever been to. There is a beautiful lake in the middle of it and there were lots of people out boating in it. We are definitely going to rent a paddle boat on the next sunny day. We walked around for a few hours and then went to the Prado because it is free from six to eight. We walked around the 19th Century exhibit and it was neat seeing paintings about the people I’ve been studying about, like Joanna the mad, Philip the fair, Isabella, Ferdinand, and others. I got home around nine and we had a yummy dinner, oh but wait the weirdest thing happened to me on the bus on the way home. There was this older guy sitting across from me that kept smiling at me and doing something with his phone, but I was just looking out the window minding my own business. Well as he got off the bus he took a picture of me and then blew me a kiss! Gross, he was like fifty years old! Anyways, I just finished with classes for today and I’m about to head home for lunch. I love Spain!domingo, 10 de febrero de 2008
Una Semana Fantastica
06/02/08
Bueno, I’m sitting on the bus headed to Cordoba, the past two days in Seville have been amazing! We left Alcalá at eight, and rode about two hours to Mérida, which was once a very Romanized city around 20 B.C. It was so neat being in a city that was so ancient! Spain was home to the second greatest number of Roman citizens behind Italy, so there influence was very strong in certain parts of Spain. My favorite part about the city was visiting the Roman Amphitheatre. The Roman pillars and stage have all been well preserved, which helped me to be able to visualize the plays and performances held there. I just could not get over how old everything was that where I was sitting was built before the time of Christ’s birth. After several hours of exploring the Roman ruins we got back on the bus headed towards Seville. We arrived around ten, checked into the hotel and then walked around the city a little bit. The next morning Sarah, Suzy, Dani, and I went for a run around eight- we didn’t go off the main road too much because we had no idea if we’d be able to get back to our hotel. We came back, got ready for the day, and then enjoyed the amazing continental breakfast! I was so grateful for the yummy food because the hotel in Toledo gave us two sugary muffins. Hotel America definitely delivered for us. Then we headed off to the cathedral, which was beautiful. We were able to climb 35 floors to the top of the church and look out over the whole city, it was breathtaking! After the cathedral we went to the Alcazar, which is my favorite place ever! Some of the walls were the prettiest yellow, contrasting with others that were bleached white. With almost every street lined in orange trees there was the most amazing scent of oranges in the air. Everything about Seville reminded me of being close to the beach, the air, the colors, the palm trees, yet we weren’t, but the Guadalquivir River did run around it. The Alcazar was the royal palace of Seville built in 913, and King Pedro the Cruel was responsible for most of the renovations. Although Christians built the palace, the architecture was Moorish and it was so intricate and fabulous. They used a lot of tile, which made everything more beautiful. Everything was gorgeous, the ceilings, floors, windows, you get the picture. The endless gardens were my favorite, full of fountains, oranges, and the loud chatter of birds. This was definitely my favorite palace so far, everything about it made me smile. I can see why many of the royal families would live there during the summer months. It felt like mid-May in Seville, like 70 degrees beautiful. The sun felt amazing on my skin; I could have laid in one spot all day and been content, well not really, but yes maybe. Underneath the palace Pedro had a gigantic bath built solely filled with rainwater for one of his favorite wives, don’t worry he had about 800 women in his harem! I hung out with mostly Sarah, Rachel, John-Charles, and Erica and we had a great time. During each of the trips the big group somehow splits into smaller ones and then you pretty much hang out with them the whole day. After walking around the palace for a few hours, we ate our sandwich we had made from the food at breakfast- best idea ever. Then we walked along the river, enjoying the brilliant sunshine. I talked to one older Spanish man for awhile about the elections going on in the U.S., it was great being able to talk in Spanish; unfortunately, when we are in a big group it seems like we always talk in English and I don’t like it. We went to a few museums, one full of mudejar artifacts. Mudejars were the Muslims who remained in Seville when they were ordered to leave. The tension between Muslims and Christians was an endless battle in the history of Spain; the two groups found it very difficult to convivencia, or live together. That night we grabbed some dinner and then headed back to the hotel to meet up with the big group going to a flamenco show. The flamenco was amazing! I loved the castanets, the giant flower on top of the women’s heads, the dresses, the clapping, ‘olays’ and the passion of the dancers. It was almost two hours long and we all came out as flamenco wannabes, stomping our feet and clapping our hands, it was great. This morning four of us went for the best run along the river as the sun was rising and then back through the city. The weather is so amazing in Southern Spain! Then we packed up, ate some breakfast, and then shopped around a little bit before the bus arrived.
07/02/08
We arrived in Cordoba, checked into the hotel and then headed off to the Mezquita. It was so beautiful and warm outside as we were walking to the once Islamic mosque built in the 700s, but as we walked in the temperature dropped and the lights went dim. As my eyes adjusted to the lighting I saw the endless red and white arches, they seemed to go on forever! It was absolutely incredible; I could not get over how massive and empty the building was, 85,000 square feet! It was a place of worship for Muslims until the 1200s when Cordoba was taken over by the Christians, and unfortunately during their reign they built a Roman Catholic cathedral right in the middle of the mosque and it looks somewhat random because of the extreme contrast in styles of architecture. Although it was pretty strange to see the cathedral, I thought it was a great representation of the mixing of cultures that occurred as Christianity began to spread throughout Spain. I walked around for quite awhile admiring the architectural feats of the building and then we left to walk the streets of ancient Cordoba. The buildings are all white and most of them have beautiful hanging pots of flowers randomly placed all along the walls. The streets are all cobblestone, like every city in Spain, and oh so narrow! I just love walking around with no destination in mind. We crossed the Roman bridge as the sun was setting and I swear at that moment I could not have been happier. I swear that is like every moment here in Spain though; everyday is the best day ever. For some reason the question came into my head that sometimes people ask, “If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would you be?” and let me tell you that it is the most incredible feeling to say “Right here!” A small group of us walked around all afternoon and evening and around eight we walked into a plaza where there was a group of gypsies dancing around in a circle, one was playing the guitar, another the violin, and a woman was singing along, surprisingly very well. Of course we quickly joined in and they invited us into their group instantly- it was so sweet, I mean you can not beat dancing with gypsies. At this time it was Brock, John-Charles, Rachel, Sarah, and I and we walked to a park and sat down by this pretty fountain and were telling funny instances involving our host families- we were laughing so much, and talking in Spanish, it was great. On the way back to the hotel we saw Professor Shumway and his wife Cathy holding hands going out to dinner, and it made me so happy that they are having some time to themselves here in Spain, I can’t imagine bringing seven kids here! I roomed with Sarah last night, wow I love that girl. She is so funny and we have the best time together. This morning we caught the sunrise again and ran around the city a little bit and then headed back to the hotel for breakfast, yummy bread and hot chocolate. After that we got ready and then went to the Alcazar. Cordoba was one of the chief cities of the inquisition and we actually walked up to the tower of the Inquisition and it felt a bit scary and sad knowing that so many people were tortured and killed in that exact location. I am so grateful that I am able to practice my religion freely. The castle was amazing; I loved exploring through it and the gardens surrounding it- so beautiful! I love all of the fountains here in Spain. After our exploration we found a market, bought some pan, meat, and cheese and made ourselves a bocadillo for the trip to Granada. I am so excited to get there and see the Alhambra, but we still have about another two hours on the bus! Adios.
09/02/08 1:00 PM
We are on the road back home and I’m somewhat sad that I have to get back to classes and studying. I loved my time in Granada, the Alhambra was absolutely gorgeous. We entered around four and spent two glorious hours looking at the palace, the Alcazaba, and my favorite the Generalife gardens. The Moorish architecture in the palace was so intricate; I could not believe the detail! Every wall, ceiling, and ar
chway was so ornate and fabulous. The Alcazaba is another part of the Alhambra. It was the strongest Muslim fortress, until it fell to the Christians in January of 1492. As I was climbing through the castle I tried to imagine what life would have been like for the Moors trying to defend themselves against the powerful Ferdinand and Isabella. I imagine there was a lot of fear amongst the people because their odds of winning were very small, seeing that every other Muslim fortress in Spain had been conquered. As Sarah and I were walking through the gardens outside of the castle we were also trying to imagine the life of the young people during this time. The Alhambra was full of Muslims because when each city was conquered, many would flee to Granada for safety. The city is so beautiful and the gardens and fountains in the Alhambra are enchanting and romantic in every way. I bet there were some great love stories that came out of this city! It is hard to fully capture the magnificence of the gardens in words or pictures. Every time I would take a picture I always felt that the photo did not do justice to what my eyes were seeing. We were walking through the gardens as the sun was setting, the sun was shining on the flowers and shimmering on the water of the ponds and in the distance I could see the outline of the castle walls and towers. Every part of me was smiling! The Alhambra closed at six, so we left and hiked up the steepest street in history for about twenty minutes to watch the sunset over the city. I was sitting up on this very high wall with a guitarist, playing songs with the rhythm of Jack Johnson but in Spanish, to my left and people from the group to my right overlooking the lights of Granada and the glowing Alhambra. I love my life. We walked down the steep hill awhile later and we all stopped in at a Kebab restaurant, which changed my life. I had never had a kebab before. It is a type of sandwich/hamburger/amazing type thing. They have this huge thing of meat rotating on this machine and they cut it off the bone and put it in the yummy bread with lettuce and salsa. Wow, my mouth was so happy! We went back to the hotel after walking around for a bit and we found out that Caitlin had bought a guitar that day so Brock started playing it and we were all singing. It was the perfect ending to the great day. This morning we woke up and had an amazing breakfast at the hotel and then walked around in the city. I bought an awesome bag and some cool head band type things that make me feel like a Moorish princess. I absolutely loved Granada, it is so beautiful and full of history, and every minute was amazing.
09/02/08 10:30 PM
Amy and I are home! Wow what an incredible viaje, it could not have been any better. On the six hour drive home we stopped at the windmills that inspired Cervantes to write Don Quijote. It was so windy, but it felt great to stretch our legs and run around a little bit. We got home about an hour ago and we met the other student who will be here for a month who is from Japan. She is darling, but the poor thing hardly knows any Spanish at all. Ana had an amazing dinner ready for us; it felt so good to see her! I really do love her so much. After dinner she brought out a huge plate of crepes that she and her sister had made earlier today, wow I was in heaven! It feels good to be home!
Bueno, I’m sitting on the bus headed to Cordoba, the past two days in Seville have been amazing! We left Alcalá at eight, and rode about two hours to Mérida, which was once a very Romanized city around 20 B.C. It was so neat being in a city that was so ancient! Spain was home to the second greatest number of Roman citizens behind Italy, so there influence was very strong in certain parts of Spain. My favorite part about the city was visiting the Roman Amphitheatre. The Roman pillars and stage have all been well preserved, which helped me to be able to visualize the plays and performances held there. I just could not get over how old everything was that where I was sitting was built before the time of Christ’s birth. After several hours of exploring the Roman ruins we got back on the bus headed towards Seville. We arrived around ten, checked into the hotel and then walked around the city a little bit. The next morning Sarah, Suzy, Dani, and I went for a run around eight- we didn’t go off the main road too much because we had no idea if we’d be able to get back to our hotel. We came back, got ready for the day, and then enjoyed the amazing continental breakfast! I was so grateful for the yummy food because the hotel in Toledo gave us two sugary muffins. Hotel America definitely delivered for us. Then we headed off to the cathedral, which was beautiful. We were able to climb 35 floors to the top of the church and look out over the whole city, it was breathtaking! After the cathedral we went to the Alcazar, which is my favorite place ever! Some of the walls were the prettiest yellow, contrasting with others that were bleached white. With almost every street lined in orange trees there was the most amazing scent of oranges in the air. Everything about Seville reminded me of being close to the beach, the air, the colors, the palm trees, yet we weren’t, but the Guadalquivir River did run around it. The Alcazar was the royal palace of Seville built in 913, and King Pedro the Cruel was responsible for most of the renovations. Although Christians built the palace, the architecture was Moorish and it was so intricate and fabulous. They used a lot of tile, which made everything more beautiful. Everything was gorgeous, the ceilings, floors, windows, you get the picture. The endless gardens were my favorite, full of fountains, oranges, and the loud chatter of birds. This was definitely my favorite palace so far, everything about it made me smile. I can see why many of the royal families would live there during the summer months. It felt like mid-May in Seville, like 70 degrees beautiful. The sun felt amazing on my skin; I could have laid in one spot all day and been content, well not really, but yes maybe. Underneath the palace Pedro had a gigantic bath built solely filled with rainwater for one of his favorite wives, don’t worry he had about 800 women in his harem! I hung out with mostly Sarah, Rachel, John-Charles, and Erica and we had a great time. During each of the trips the big group somehow splits into smaller ones and then you pretty much hang out with them the whole day. After walking around the palace for a few hours, we ate our sandwich we had made from the food at breakfast- best idea ever. Then we walked along the river, enjoying the brilliant sunshine. I talked to one older Spanish man for awhile about the elections going on in the U.S., it was great being able to talk in Spanish; unfortunately, when we are in a big group it seems like we always talk in English and I don’t like it. We went to a few museums, one full of mudejar artifacts. Mudejars were the Muslims who remained in Seville when they were ordered to leave. The tension between Muslims and Christians was an endless battle in the history of Spain; the two groups found it very difficult to convivencia, or live together. That night we grabbed some dinner and then headed back to the hotel to meet up with the big group going to a flamenco show. The flamenco was amazing! I loved the castanets, the giant flower on top of the women’s heads, the dresses, the clapping, ‘olays’ and the passion of the dancers. It was almost two hours long and we all came out as flamenco wannabes, stomping our feet and clapping our hands, it was great. This morning four of us went for the best run along the river as the sun was rising and then back through the city. The weather is so amazing in Southern Spain! Then we packed up, ate some breakfast, and then shopped around a little bit before the bus arrived.
07/02/08
We arrived in Cordoba, checked into the hotel and then headed off to the Mezquita. It was so beautiful and warm outside as we were walking to the once Islamic mosque built in the 700s, but as we walked in the temperature dropped and the lights went dim. As my eyes adjusted to the lighting I saw the endless red and white arches, they seemed to go on forever! It was absolutely incredible; I could not get over how massive and empty the building was, 85,000 square feet! It was a place of worship for Muslims until the 1200s when Cordoba was taken over by the Christians, and unfortunately during their reign they built a Roman Catholic cathedral right in the middle of the mosque and it looks somewhat random because of the extreme contrast in styles of architecture. Although it was pretty strange to see the cathedral, I thought it was a great representation of the mixing of cultures that occurred as Christianity began to spread throughout Spain. I walked around for quite awhile admiring the architectural feats of the building and then we left to walk the streets of ancient Cordoba. The buildings are all white and most of them have beautiful hanging pots of flowers randomly placed all along the walls. The streets are all cobblestone, like every city in Spain, and oh so narrow! I just love walking around with no destination in mind. We crossed the Roman bridge as the sun was setting and I swear at that moment I could not have been happier. I swear that is like every moment here in Spain though; everyday is the best day ever. For some reason the question came into my head that sometimes people ask, “If you could be anywhere in the world right now where would you be?” and let me tell you that it is the most incredible feeling to say “Right here!” A small group of us walked around all afternoon and evening and around eight we walked into a plaza where there was a group of gypsies dancing around in a circle, one was playing the guitar, another the violin, and a woman was singing along, surprisingly very well. Of course we quickly joined in and they invited us into their group instantly- it was so sweet, I mean you can not beat dancing with gypsies. At this time it was Brock, John-Charles, Rachel, Sarah, and I and we walked to a park and sat down by this pretty fountain and were telling funny instances involving our host families- we were laughing so much, and talking in Spanish, it was great. On the way back to the hotel we saw Professor Shumway and his wife Cathy holding hands going out to dinner, and it made me so happy that they are having some time to themselves here in Spain, I can’t imagine bringing seven kids here! I roomed with Sarah last night, wow I love that girl. She is so funny and we have the best time together. This morning we caught the sunrise again and ran around the city a little bit and then headed back to the hotel for breakfast, yummy bread and hot chocolate. After that we got ready and then went to the Alcazar. Cordoba was one of the chief cities of the inquisition and we actually walked up to the tower of the Inquisition and it felt a bit scary and sad knowing that so many people were tortured and killed in that exact location. I am so grateful that I am able to practice my religion freely. The castle was amazing; I loved exploring through it and the gardens surrounding it- so beautiful! I love all of the fountains here in Spain. After our exploration we found a market, bought some pan, meat, and cheese and made ourselves a bocadillo for the trip to Granada. I am so excited to get there and see the Alhambra, but we still have about another two hours on the bus! Adios.
09/02/08 1:00 PM
We are on the road back home and I’m somewhat sad that I have to get back to classes and studying. I loved my time in Granada, the Alhambra was absolutely gorgeous. We entered around four and spent two glorious hours looking at the palace, the Alcazaba, and my favorite the Generalife gardens. The Moorish architecture in the palace was so intricate; I could not believe the detail! Every wall, ceiling, and ar
chway was so ornate and fabulous. The Alcazaba is another part of the Alhambra. It was the strongest Muslim fortress, until it fell to the Christians in January of 1492. As I was climbing through the castle I tried to imagine what life would have been like for the Moors trying to defend themselves against the powerful Ferdinand and Isabella. I imagine there was a lot of fear amongst the people because their odds of winning were very small, seeing that every other Muslim fortress in Spain had been conquered. As Sarah and I were walking through the gardens outside of the castle we were also trying to imagine the life of the young people during this time. The Alhambra was full of Muslims because when each city was conquered, many would flee to Granada for safety. The city is so beautiful and the gardens and fountains in the Alhambra are enchanting and romantic in every way. I bet there were some great love stories that came out of this city! It is hard to fully capture the magnificence of the gardens in words or pictures. Every time I would take a picture I always felt that the photo did not do justice to what my eyes were seeing. We were walking through the gardens as the sun was setting, the sun was shining on the flowers and shimmering on the water of the ponds and in the distance I could see the outline of the castle walls and towers. Every part of me was smiling! The Alhambra closed at six, so we left and hiked up the steepest street in history for about twenty minutes to watch the sunset over the city. I was sitting up on this very high wall with a guitarist, playing songs with the rhythm of Jack Johnson but in Spanish, to my left and people from the group to my right overlooking the lights of Granada and the glowing Alhambra. I love my life. We walked down the steep hill awhile later and we all stopped in at a Kebab restaurant, which changed my life. I had never had a kebab before. It is a type of sandwich/hamburger/amazing type thing. They have this huge thing of meat rotating on this machine and they cut it off the bone and put it in the yummy bread with lettuce and salsa. Wow, my mouth was so happy! We went back to the hotel after walking around for a bit and we found out that Caitlin had bought a guitar that day so Brock started playing it and we were all singing. It was the perfect ending to the great day. This morning we woke up and had an amazing breakfast at the hotel and then walked around in the city. I bought an awesome bag and some cool head band type things that make me feel like a Moorish princess. I absolutely loved Granada, it is so beautiful and full of history, and every minute was amazing.09/02/08 10:30 PM
Amy and I are home! Wow what an incredible viaje, it could not have been any better. On the six hour drive home we stopped at the windmills that inspired Cervantes to write Don Quijote. It was so windy, but it felt great to stretch our legs and run around a little bit. We got home about an hour ago and we met the other student who will be here for a month who is from Japan. She is darling, but the poor thing hardly knows any Spanish at all. Ana had an amazing dinner ready for us; it felt so good to see her! I really do love her so much. After dinner she brought out a huge plate of crepes that she and her sister had made earlier today, wow I was in heaven! It feels good to be home!
domingo, 3 de febrero de 2008
This week has been so great! School went well; I go to class Monday through Thursday at nine and am done by two. I am really enjoying my classes, but what I really need to do is sit down and really study Spanish! It is hard for me to read so much in English because I feel like with each page my Spanish is getting worse. Que lastima! Wednesday a group of us went to the temple in Madrid and it was amazing! The temple is so beautiful and it was a great experience to do baptisms in Spanish. We met the most amazing woman there, she is currently serving her fourth mission here in Madrid and I had the best time talking with her. She and her husband have served in Argentina, Southern California, Chile, and now Spain- all Spanish speaking and she knew nothing was she was first called to Argentina! I hope to be able to serve as a missionary some day. Monday before History 202 started I found out that President Hinckley had passed away Sunday evening. I could not believe what I heard, my heart hurt all day. I felt so selfish because I should be happy that he is now with his wife whom he missed so much, but I was just so sad that I would not be hearing from him anymore. Even though I do not know him personally, I feel that he knows me and loves me. I know that he was a prophet of God and I am so grateful for all that he has done for the church in his lifetime, especially his zeal for temple work, never ending optimism, and love of learning. The other day as I was walking home from class a couple stopped me and asked me for directions to somewhere I had not heard of. I was so excited that they were asking me for directions because that must mean that I look like I could belong here. Well I did not know what they were looking for, but for some reason a list of directions came out of my mouth, I didn’t want to simply say no sé! Unfortunately this week the wireless network that we had been using here in the apartment became locked. I tried to guess the password, but failed and so now the luxury of having the internet whenever I want no longer exists- que triste. Friday we went to Madrid and visited the Palacio Real. The king still works there and it is only open to the public on certain days. The rooms were so extravagant and massive. I couldn’t help but picture myself in a gorgeous gown entering the royal ball when I was walking down the staircase. The other day Amy and I discovered this park close to our house that has outside exercise machines. They aren’t fancy or anything, the resistance is your body weight, but nonetheless we were quite happy with our find. I went the other day and a man came over and gave me pointers on how to make this one machine a more effective workout. I love the old men here, they are honestly my favorite! Last night we went into Madrid in the evening, we walked through the gardens behind the Royal Palace and also Parque Oeste which was fantastic. The parks here are so beautiful. Then we caught the metro, along with the rest of Spain, to the plaza to watch the parade. This weekend is El Carnaval in Spain and so there are lots of things going on, everyone is in costume and having a good time. The parade was great, from gothic looking people on stilts to older men dressed as cheerleaders; there was so much to see! It seems like the Spanish are always celebrating something and I love it. I got back pretty late, but Ana had just gotten home and Amy as well so we all had dinner together and then watched a movie in Spanish afterwards. Church was especially great today because I understood so much! There were great lessons in Relief Society and Sunday school and then fast and testimony meeting. I bore my testimony, which was very nerve racking because it was my first time ever doing that in Spanish, but I felt the spirit so strong and that gave me comfort. We leave on a week long trip Tuesday morning and I can’t wait!
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