Time Flies When You're Having Fun

30/03/08
I just got back from an incredible fireside focused on the temple. Sister Shumway spoke first about her experiences with the temple and all of the blessings it can bring into your life. There is no excuse to not attend the temple! She also talked about how being married in the temple provides a strong foundation for a marriage, there will still be tough times, but being sealed in the temple will provide strength and support. Then there was a musical number by Erica, Amy, Garrett, and Andrew which was beautiful and then Hermano Lopez spoke about his experiences with the building of the Madrid temple. He did an awesome job and had a lot of neat experiences because he was involved in every step of the process. He has a very strong spirit about him and I could just feel his great love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. He closed by sharing his wish that we would all some day find a righteous person to go to the temple with and that we would raise our children in the church to continue building God’s kingdom here upon the earth. After the closing song and prayer my friends and I turned to each other and were just so sad that our time is coming to a close here in Spain. My feelings are so mixed right now, I am so excited to see my family and friends back in the states, but at the same time I am terribly sad that I have to say goodbye to Ana and my life here in Spain. It will also be sad to not spend so much time with group. I’m going to miss our fabulous trips when we are all together for hours on the bus, then exploring a new city, and hanging out in the hotel at night. I have made some great friends and I am excited to hang out with them when we get back to the school routine in Provo. I feel that I have learned a lot in these past three months, not just the Spanish language and culture, but I’ve learned a great deal about myself. Today in church our group sang “Para Siempre Dios Este Con Vos” or “God Be with You ‘Till We Meet Again” as the closing hymn in sacrament meeting as a musical number. It was very powerful and it made my heart hurt as I looked out and saw all of the amazing members of the ward that I am going to miss. I couldn’t look at Ana or Oscar too much because seeing them was affecting my vocal abilities, and we all know there isn’t much ability to begin with. It was an amazing last Sunday and I am so excited for General Conference next week. After lunch today I went to the plaza behind my school to check email and my mom ended up being on. That is two days in a row when I have signed on the internet and she was on because last night after we got home from Barcelona she was on as well. When I see my parents name highlighted on skype I get all excited inside it is hilarious. Last night I got to talk to the whole fam minus Jana. They were in Santa Cruz enjoying the last weekend of Spring break and it was fun seeing all of their faces and telling them about Barcelona. Today my mom and I talked about our travel plans for when they come and it got me very excited! We are going to have the best time. We also talked about the wedding plans and it sounds like everything is going to be perfect. We are going to have a girls’ day on Thursday and get pedicures which I am stoked about seeing that my poor feet have taken a hard hit with the endless yet glorious walking here in Spain and then the temple and reception is on Friday. Unfortunately my face is going to be a little more round than usual in the thousands of photographs that will be taken, but hopefully it will just remind me of my great life in Spain! Well only one and a half more weeks of classes, I have my Spanish final this Thursday and then my two history finals next Wednesday. I’m going to put in a lot of study hours this week so my grades turn out the way I want them, wow I just can’t believe how fast time has flown.

Barcelona la Bonita

26/03/08
Good morning! I’m on the bus from Zaragoza to Barcelona right now and I think we have about two hours left. We left home at eight yesterday and got into Zaragoza around noon. We spent the day there and had a great time walking around and taking in the city. The Basilica was really pretty, it was different than any other I had seen because it was so bright inside and the walls were light blue. We listened to a little bit of mass and walked around. In most cathedrals there is a place where you can put a coin in a box and it lights up a fake candle in a plastic case, but in this basilica there was a corner where twenty or so three feet candles were flaming bright. The candles represent a prayer and that as long as there is smoke the prayer is being repeated. After the basilica we took a little siesta at a park we found and then at 4:30PM we headed off to the Moorish Palace. We ended up hooking up with a tour group, which helped us learn a lot about the palace. During the Spanish Inquisition Ferdinand and Isabella took over the palace and turned the once beautiful library into a prison. There are still engravings in the walls preserved from the prisoners from over five hundred years ago. Some have made tally marks for each day they were alive, others carved intricate pictures, and others their names. The courtyard of the palace was absolutely beautiful and I have decided that I want to have my wedding reception there; I hope that is okay with my parents! So you walk in over the moat into this courtyard of tons of intricate arches and beneath the arches on one side is a good sized, shiny wood floor, perfect for the dinner and rocking dance party to follow. In the center of the courtyard there are gardens and several orange trees and it is just beautiful. We kept walking around afterwards, the city was really beautiful and we caught the sunset on the bridge a little after seven. We played a few games at the park and then found some giros for dinner. Rachel, Sarah, Erika and I talked for a long time in our room last night and then eventually fell asleep. We went for a good run this morning, had some breakfast at the hotel, and then got on the bus. I am so excited for Barcelona; Professor Shumway says our hotel is two blocks from the beach! Hasta Luego.
27/03/08
Wow Barcelona is amazing! I love this city so much. We headed to the beach as soon as we checked in and it was gorgeous, yet very windy. There were about twenty wind surfers out on the water, which was cool to watch, but that just tells you what the weather was like for us on the shore. After an hour we got on the bus and headed into town for the evening. We started out walking along the Ramblas and grabbed a pita for lunch and just enjoyed taking in the sights, sounds, and smells of the new city. The Ramblas was full of people and lots of pickpocketers, which unfortunately my professor found out when his video camera was stolen off the stroller. We went to the chocolate factory which was interesting, the native people once used it as their currency, how genius! There were big sculptures in the museum made entirely of chocolate, it was incredible, and it smelled heavenly. At the end of the Ramblas was Gaudi’s Batllo apartment which was so sweet, his architecture is crazy weird and I absolutely love it. We also stopped in the Cathedral of Barcelona and it was really beautiful, we had a moment to rest our legs and then we were back on the streets. We stopped in at Carre Four on the way back to the bus and picked up three delicious kinds of cereal, Fruits and Fibres, Croq Moslei, and Chocolate Pillows, milk, and bananas and then headed back to the hotel. Our dinner was delicious and we had a fun dance party afterwards. A group of us woke up early in the morning and went for a run on the beach. It felt so great breathing in the ocean air and looking out on the crashing waves. I ended up running with Sarah and we ran along the beach until we found a cool jungle gym. It was my first time swinging on the beach and I must say it was as incredible as it sounds. We got somewhat lost on the way back, but eventually ended up at our hotel and stumbled into the restaurant where a decadent breakfast buffet awaited us. We definitely felt our sixty minute run later that day when we were hiking around Barcelona all day, but it was so worth it. We started out the day with the temple Sagrada Familia, which was so awesome. It is still under construction because the building is only funded by private donors and sales from tickets because Gaudi didn’t want it to be associated with any corruption from church finances. He wanted to build this people for the people and by the people. The temple is still under construction and is supposed to be completed in fifty years, which will be perfect because I’ll be about seventy and I can come back and visit with my husband. Gaudi was such a unique and talented architect who based all of the aspects of his designs on nature, the staircases were designed after seashells and the ceiling after the canopy of trees in a forest. I usually never read all of the commentary in museums, but I read every comparison he made with nature because it was so interesting. After Sagrada Familia we walked to the hospital designed by the architect Dominique who believed that through bright colors and intriguing designs he could help suffering patients. I’ve never seen such a beautiful hospital; it had awesome exterior architecture, fountains, and bright colored roofs. After the hospital we walked to Gaudi’s park, which was so neat, his style is awesome, unlike anything I’ve ever seen. We had lunch at the park, watched a big group of Spanish teenagers playing futbol for awhile, and then headed off to Casa Mila, another one of Gaudi’s great works. We had to wait in line for about forty minutes to get in, but it was well worth the wait. The casa was incredible! First of all there are no straight walls, it is circular so that each room has natural light, and there are giant chimneys and sculptures covering the roof. The roof was my favorite part, I walked around up there for a long time looking out over the city and taking all of the beauty in. His architecture is just so bizarre I can’t do it justice in words. We walked around afterwards; they have some of the most darling apartment buildings in the world here and eventually found our way to the Cathedral del Mar. We rested our legs for twenty minutes or so and just sat in the dimly lit cathedral taking in the simple yet beautiful ambiance. Erika, Rachel, and I had a great conversation about the Holy Ghost while we were resting and it just made me so thankful to have friends who have strong testimonies of Jesus Christ. After the cathedral the beautiful displays of Gelato ice cream pulled us into an heladería and I enjoyed the tasty treat of Pistachio and chocolate ice cream. Our group broke up and Sarah and I found our way to the dock and sat and watched the boats and talked for the last half hour before the bus picked us up. We had a cereal night again when we got home and then I played a few speed tournaments before I went to bed. Sarah and I got up early to go for a run along the beach and it was incredible once again, I feel like I could run forever when I have the beach next to me. Breakfast was incredible again and we managed to smuggle a sandwich and fruit out for our long day today. Well the bus is about to drop us of for our last day in Barcelona and it is going to be great!
29/03/08
Yesterday was fabulous. A big group of us had an Olympic morning as we took the vinicular up to Mount Jout where the Olympic games of 1992 were held here in Barcelona. We went to the sweetest museum which showed the development and highlights of almost every sport in both the summer and winter games. There were television screens everywhere which were constantly playing highlights of Olympic history throughout the years and then at the end of the tour there were six or so televisions that you could play with and select whichever Olympic event you wanted to watch. I watched a lot of Michael Jordan and the Dream Team and of course some amazing gymnastics routines. We were all getting so excited for the Olympics this summer! After the museum, Sarah, Erika, Rachel, and I left because we wanted to see the Picasso museum. It was located back behind several alleyways and it felt so awesome winding our way to the entrance. The states don’t have anything like these darling alleys where you look up and see terraces with flower pots and clothes hanging dry, or at least I haven’t found them yet. I loved the museum, Picasso started painting when he was thirteen and his work is amazing. It showed the different stages of his work and how he eventually developed into abstract art which we see most of today. The museum was interesting because it shows that Picasso really was a genius artist, although he painted very abstract in his later art, he was a master at painting realistically as well. We all said ice cream at the exact same time when we finished and so we stopped and ate a delicious cone to give us some energy for our next very culturally enriching task: shopping. We browsed around in the darling stores of Barcelona for about two hours and I got a funky pair of sandals which I love. Everything in the stores was so cute, but usually very expensive. We found our way onto a side street when Sarah said that she smelled Indian food. We kept looking and came upon this ultra sheik restaurant lounge with red walls, zebra covered couches, and glowing candles. We looked at the menu and were sold. We split the most delicious appetizer of humus, pita, and vegetables, the humus was the best I have ever eaten and I think I’ve tried almost every kind. Then I ordered fajitas, and you are probably thinking that fajitas are not an Indian food, but the chicken was cooked in curry so it was. The food was absolutely delicious, I had a bite of everyone else’s plates and each was fantastic. We sat and talked in the lounge for a long time and then wound our way back down Las Ramblas to the bus. Barcelona is an incredible town, but to me it doesn’t feel like Spain because there are endless amounts of tourists and everyone speaks English. Barcelona is like an amazing European tourist vacation spot, which I have fallen in love with. I definitely am not ready to leave Barcelona; I could spend another week here and still not see everything, so hopefully I’ll be able to come back some day.
We got back to the hotel and started up a dance party in room 111, which turned into a bridal shower for Brittany when Andrew, one of the four guys from our group, came in as our fully clothed stripper. He danced with her and talked in this hilarious German accent and then left. I could hardly breathe it was so hilarious. We all had pitched in and bought her this cute little Spanish number which she loved and then she had to take off to go chat with her fiancée on the internet. I could never be engaged and be living in a different country! After the dance party around eleven, Dani, Suzie, Erika, Sarah, Natasha, Rachel, and I decided to go take a dip in the Mediterranean. It was exhilarating and the adrenaline rush kept us from feeling the freezing cold water too much. Just thinking about it makes me laugh out loud, it was definitely one of my favorite experiences in Spain. We walked back to our hotel, washed off, put on our pajamas, and topped off the night with two hilarious episodes of The Office. Well I’m going to go get ready to have my last run on the beach and then get on the bus for the eight our drive home! I love Spain!

Pascuas

23/03/08
Happy Easter! It was a normal Sunday here in Spain, but because every Sunday is fantastic, today was an incredible day. Church was great, especially Sacrament meeting where all of the speakers did an incredible job, all testifying of Christ. My professor was one of the speakers and he did a great job, and I especially enjoyed it because I can understand his Spanish perfectly. The pianist was at his prime today, I got the shivers during every song! The intermediary hymn was phenomenal, it was a hymn we don’t have in the English books and so I didn’t know it very well, but the pianist sure did. His hands were flying all over the keys and he would raise his hands high off the keys during dramatic parts as if he was performing in Carnegie Hall. I want to bring him back to my home ward, the man is amazing. After church Amy and I came home and helped Ana a little with lunch and then enjoyed a great meal together. I hurried off to the plaza behind the school afterwards because I had an Easter skype date with the whole family. Jana was home because she and my mom needed to finish her dress and her bridal shower was on Saturday. My mom and dad are doing great, I can’t really explain how awesome it feels to see their faces and hear their voices when I am so far away, I just love it. My parents are amazing and I can’t wait to travel with them after the program is over! Jana came onto the camera wearing a pajama shirt that said ‘Jana loves Joe’ and it made me smile. That girl is so head over heels in love and I can’t help but get excited. Everyone was down in the kitchen eating breakfast and I could almost taste my dad’s honey bunches of oats and bananas, almost… Megan and Emma’s beautiful faces came up on the screen, which made me happy and everyone seems to be doing really well. I love my family so much!
Yesterday during breakfast Ana asked us if we wanted to go visit Chinchón and Arranjuez with her to make the most of the day. Of course we agreed and so we all got ready and I helped her make some bocadillos for our picnic. It wasn’t the best day weather wise, but we had a great time. Ana knew quite a bit about the two towns so we had a personal guide as we walked around. When we were in Chinchón we saw them preparing for the live procession of the last supper, crucifixion of Christ, and resurrection. The people of the town put a lot of work into it and it helped me to remember the great life of my Savior. My testimony of the love of God and his son Jesus Christ has grown immensely since I have been here in Spain. God loves every single one of his children. Living in a different country for the first time has really opened my eyes to how big this world is, how life is going on at this very moment in thousands of other places. There are so many people yet God knows my name, he answers my prayers, and comforts me daily. This phenomenon amazes me and is a great testimony to me of the omnipotence of God, of His endless love and compassion that he has for all of his children. I am so grateful for the gift of prayer; I have used it immensely while living here in Spain and trying to learn Spanish. Although my answers are not always right when I want them, I know that Heavenly Father’s timetable is much more accurate than my own. It has been a great Easter here in Spain, and I will probably never write that sentence again in my life haha… hasta luego!

Semana Santa

What a great Tuesday. I woke up to the beautiful sunshine before the alarm went off fully rested, which is such a great feeling, enjoyed tostadas with Ana and Amy, and then off to school. Spanish class was great, we discussed the play Yerma which we’ve been reading and then moved forward with subjunctive. I absolutely love my teacher Angelica, the only way I can describe her is Spanish, she is so Spanish. She was at her prime today in her tight red pants as she discussed the history of Spain through the eyes of the play writer Garcia Lorca. Angelica told us today that a few days ago in a building not too far from the school that they are discovering skeletons beneath the floor boards. The building housed soldiers during the civil war and the other day they were beginning to change the floor tiles and came upon a skull! They continued to tear up the floor and ended up finding over 150 bodies! Can you imagine?! They still don’t know what side, socialist or nationalist, the soldiers were on, so they investigation continues. She thinks that they were socialists and that Franco had them all killed and then hidden because she said that this happened a great deal after the civil war. I really need to go to the plaza one of these days and talk to an older person about their experiences during that era in Spain.
After school I went on a good run by the river and then came back and talked to Ana for an hour or so while she was making lunch. She went to the discoteca last night and had so much fun. She met a nice man who she said was the most handsome man she had ever seen and that he was also very respectful and kind to her. She has been smiling all day and I love it. She made this really good chicken, potato, vegetable dish in broth for lunch, it was amazing. She said it was a pretty typical dish from Chile and I remember hearing my dad say the same thing about the food in Argentina, that it was a lot of meat and potatoes. After lunch I hurried over to the school for my skype date with my family. I got to talk to my mom, dad, and Emma for awhile which was so fun. They are all doing great and that makes me happy. I can’t believe Emma is turning thirteen in a month, she is growing up so fast! I got to talk to Jana at my professor’s house on Sunday for awhile and she is doing awesome as well, so happy and excited for the big day May 2nd. I love my family so much, now I just need to see my darling Megan. We set up a skype date on Easter so hopefully I will see her then.
Yesterday after institute we had a birthday party for everyone who has had or will have birthdays during our trip/ Saint Patrick’s Day party. We all pitched in a euro and a few girls bought some treats and a delicious tarta. I love the group! We all get along so well and just have a fun time together. Everyone is really chill and enjoyable to be around- it has been so great getting to know each of them.

21/03/08
Ok so Tuesday continued to be a great day because that night after dinner I asked Ana if I could make tortilla for our bocadillos for Valencia the next day and she said claro! So she showed me where everything was: potatoes, onion, green pepper, eggs, salt, and olive oil and I went to work. She watched me, but didn’t say anything and it turned out delicious. We talked the whole time and I just love her so much. Afterwards she cut me a little slice and was like ok you have to try it, so of course I did and I was quite proud and I think she was too. Then she was like do you know what would be so good on this bocadillo with the tortilla, roasted red peppers. I didn’t even have to agree and she was making them, after they cooked she made a kind of sauce for them and she gave me a taster. Holy Hannah! Wow they were the most delicious red peppers I’ve ever had in my life, the flavor was amazing. So then she had me assemble our bocadillos and she kept telling me to put more and more tortilla in them and when I was done they were like four inches thick- and I am not exaggerating. We just had so much fun in the kitchen together, she saw that I loved the peppers so she gave me a little piece of bread and said to eat as much as I want. Then she cut me a piece of a pear for dessert, it was seriously one of the best nights. The next morning we woke up before six and got ready and were at the bus station by seven. The four hour bus drive went by quickly because of my great book and before I knew it we were parking the bus in Valencia. The city was packed with people, literally in some places you couldn’t move at all. We walked around and looked at all of las fallas, floats, and caught the firework show around 4:00 PM. It was awesome, but it would have been a lot better at night in my opinion, but don’t worry there were constant fireworks in the city all day. It was the biggest party ever! There were loud firecrackers going off literally every minute in the street, I thought I was in a war zone or something. I think my eardrum got blown out two or three times when I little kid would light one right by us and then run away. I opened my bocadillo when we were waiting for the fireworks and I was getting some pretty jealous looks as the people around me saw the masterpiece I was eating, it was pretty hilarious. Well we walked around all day, found a really cool park that was like a giant spider web of rope that you could climb on, admired the very detailed floats, and by eight o’clock my feet and legs were feeling the pain, so we found a cute restaurant and had some dinner. I still wasn’t hungry because of my giant lunch, but the other girls were and it just felt good to sit down and relax. We had the best time just talking and laughing about the most random things in the world. I have met some really great people on this trip. We talked for about two hours, bought a delicious ice cream cone (tiramisu and hazelnut) at a heladería, and then went out to wait by our favorite falla until midnight when it was supposed to start burning. We ended up waiting until one thirty before it started, but it was well worth it. It was crazy watching this whole thing go up in flames, it was gigantic! They said they spend all year making them and they cost about 900,000 euros to create and then they all burn in about an hour. It seemed like the whole city was on fire it was crazy. We got back on the bus at 3:00 AM and I was out so fast. We pulled into Alcalá a little after seven and I came right home, took a shower, brushed my teeth, pulled down the amazing Spanish blinds that block out any hint of sunlight and fell asleep.
I woke up two hours later, for some reason my body didn’t want to sleep anymore, and talked with Ana about our adventurous night. Later that day I went into Madrid with a small group to watch the Semana Santa procession. We went to the Caixa museum before and it was really interesting, short and sweet. I’ve realized that I love modern and abstract art. One floor of the museum was dedicated to the life, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. I really enjoyed it, and it helped me to focus my thoughts on my Savior and all that he went through this week thousands of years ago. The procession was a complete contrast to the night before in Valencia. It started a little after eight so it was completely dark and the crowd of hundreds of people was silent. The procession began with men in purple robes with very long, white, pointed hats that also came down over their faces with only two holes for their eyes. They were carrying tall candles and some were barefoot with long, heavy chains attached to their ankles. Then came the men carrying the large crosses and finally a giant float type thing covered in flowers and candles carried by about twenty men. It was very different than anything I’ve ever seen in my life, but I thought that it was very interesting. I need to do some more research on the significance of the various symbols, but I felt that it was supposed to be a very reverent ceremony. I didn’t get home until eleven and Ana was up watching TV, I’m not sure if she was waiting for me, but as soon as I got home she heated up dinner for herself and me and we had a nice talk.
This morning I got up and had a great run by the river and came home to a delicious breakfast of this French toast type food that is traditional during Santa Semana here in Spain. Then I showered and got ready and headed off to Madrid. We walked around downtown and then through the botanical gardens where we sat and ate our lunches. The gardens were beautiful, with flowers, trees, and vegetables from every where in the world. My favorite were the beautiful tulips, I love flowers! There was also a tomato tree from South America and I thought that was pretty crazy. We came home to watch another procession that was going on in Alcalá and it was a lot of the same things that we saw in Madrid, but I enjoyed it just the same. Now I am sitting here in my room getting caught up on this past week. I can’t believe my time is winding down here, it makes me so sad, but I plan on enjoying every moment that I have left.

Today was a fabulous Sunday, church was amazing as usual and lunch was oh so delicious. Friday a group of us went into Madrid to check out the Temple of Debod, an Egyptian museum in the Parque Oeste. We walked around in it and the park for awhile and then headed off to the Gran Via to stroll. We passed by a jazz band in the streets and the young man playing the saxophone held his hand out to me and so I took it and we started dancing! I love Madrid! Before we got on the train on Friday I found Twilight, in Spanish, in a bookstore and started reading it- bad idea seeing that I have lots of history textbooks I should be reading, but oh well its helping my Spanish! Well Saturday we went to Buen Retiro park with our bocadillos and it was a beautiful day in Madrid. The sun felt so good on my skin! I pulled up my pant legs a little bit to try and attempt to get rid of this sock tan I’ve acquired from running midmorning and pulled out my entertainment for the day: Twilight (Crepúsculo) and my Spanish-English dictionary. I read for more than four hours, yet I am only on page 130 or so, but I am loving every page! I got home around 7:30 and I asked Ana if I could help her make dinner. She said it would be the perfect chance for me to learn to make tortilla Espanola on my own. It was fun working and talking with her in the kitchen and I’m not going to lie, my tortilla was pretty tasty. Well this week is Semana Santa, which means there will be lots to do and see! We are going to Valencia on Wednesday to see las Fayas, which is where there is a big parade with all of these floats during the day and then they light everything on fire around midnight. I am so excited! We are leaving early Wednesday morning because it takes about five hours to get there and then leaving Valencia around 3:00AM. We only have class on Monday and Tuesday, how lucky!

Viva Espana

10/03/08
I should be studying for my History midterm right now, but I just have to write about my walk home from institute. Amy had already left to skype her boyfriend so I was walking back by myself. It was about 7:15 PM so the sky still held some light from the day, but the clouds were so dark and ominous, as if it was going to rain. I was listening to my Spanish mix on my ipod and just breathing in the fresh air and staring up at the seemingly endless sky. I decided to walk through the park and all the street lamps were turned on and there were a few older men getting their evening exercise in. The cold wind was blowing through my hair and I just couldn’t help but do a twirl as I was walking. I am living in Spain! I am living in Spain, learning Spanish, living with an amazing madre, and experiencing a completely new and exciting culture!
13/03/08
I was sitting in the plaza behind Alcalingua and it was just full of families and little kids running around, some were eating at the café and others were playing soccer. These two little girls were talking to me for awhile, Carmen and Maria. Carmen asked me “Why do you talk bad?” I didn’t know whether to cry or laugh! I’m just kidding, I was laughing, but it did make me feel a little down on my Spanish speaking efforts. I told Ana when I got home and she tried to convince me that it was because of my accent not because I was saying things wrong. I appreciated this, but I’ve just realized I need to increase my effort in studying Spanish and working on my accent too! I finally got to talk to my mom two days ago and it felt so good to hear her voice, it had almost been two weeks! My morning talks with my parents have been frustrated because Spain’s day lights savings is two weeks later than the time change in the United States. Well it’s almost lunch time and I still want to go looking for Twilight in Spanish in one of the book stores around here. Hasta luego.

Asi es la vida

Wow I have not been as faithful about writing during this trip, here it is Friday and I haven’t written once this whole week! Que terrible. Pues, this trip has been amazing, we left the bus stop at eight Tuesday morning and drove two hours to Avila where the giant walls surrounding the city still remain fully intact. We were able to walk along the walls and have an aerial view of the city. It was really neat, but extremely windy and cold. Avila is the highest point in Spain, and therefore much colder than what I have been used to in Madrid. Every other minute my breath would get taken away because of how intense the wind was. I felt like Pepper when she would put her head out the window in the car and then freak out because she couldn’t catch her breath. We got back on the bus and drove a few hours more to Salamanca. After checking into our hotel we met up with a friend of Professor Shumway’s who had been to Spain over twenty times and was currently staying in Salamanca. He gave us a great tour of the city, and I was able to contribute my small bit of research on the University of Salamanca, which was my site report for Spain. He showed us around the cathedral in Salamanca and was able to give us a lot of information on the architecture and history. On the outside of the cathedral within the very detailed and ancient façade you can spot a small figure of an astronaut. There is no explanation for it, and it is completely crazy that there would be a small carved astronaut in the design, yet there it is plain as day!
It was really neat seeing the University especially because I had studied about it during the preparation class last semester. I loved seeing the old library full of ancient books and old globes. The old staircases in the library are painted with images of bullfights and other cultural activities. In the past it has been a tradition for the students to sign their names on the staircases with bull blood. We were actually able to see some of the blood stains which was really cool. In front of the University of Salamanca there is a statue of Fray Luis de Leon. This man was a very famous Spanish poet and professor at the university who was greatly persecuted by the inquisition. He was put into prison for several years, but after he was let out he resumed his teaching career at the university. He was reported to have commenced his first class after his five year absence by saying, “As I was saying yesterday…” We got to go into the classroom he taught in and it was just fun imagining what life would have been like studying at the university during that time. Christopher Columbus was also known to have visited the University of Salamanca to discuss his voyage plans with the professors. After our tour we walked around the beautiful Salamanca Plaza and Rachel and Erica stopped for dinner, but I had no need to eat because Ana packed me a bocadillo with tortilla Espanola the size of my lower leg- that is no exaggeration. Oh it was so fun Monday night making tortilla with Ana, she taught me how to make it and I just had so much fun talking with her. She told me that I’m going to make it next time so that I can practice it. Well that night we didn’t do much because it was freezing cold, but we did have some great talks. I love our group, we all have so much fun together and everyone is just so great. Wednesday morning Sarah and I went running, which felt amazing even though I thought my lungs might freeze. We had breakfast and then boarded the bus for the very long bus ride to Santiago de Compostela, the holy Catholic city that thousands pilgrimage to each year to see Saint James’ grave the patron saint of Spain. On the way there our bus driver took us to two amazing beaches along the North-west coast of Spain. When I saw the ocean outside of the bus windows I couldn’t stop smiling! The first beach we went to was a quaint port full of small fishing boats, some of us sat on the dock for awhile just taking in the beautiful sights, sounds, and smells of this darling coastal town. There was a beach to the right of the dock with a surprisingly good amount of whole shells, so I collected a handful and then we headed back to the bus to go to the next beach. The second beach was a famous beach that reminded me of Sunset beach just outside of Santa Cruz. We had to walk over a small sand dune on wooden planks and then when we crested the hill the shore was seemingly endless in both directions. It was about four in the afternoon and the sun was shimmering on the water like Jana’s ring in the sunshine. I hadn’t been to the ocean in so long and it felt so good to breathe in the air and have my feet in the sand. It was not warm, but the air was fresh and felt incredible. We danced around on the beach for an hour, we were literally running and twirling and splashing our feet in the chilly Atlantic for our whole break. Unfortunately we had to leave the coast and head inland and we arrived at our hotel that evening around eight. Sarah, Erica, Rachel, and I went to the grocery store and bought cereal, milk, bananas, plastic spoons and cups and enjoyed the most delicious dinner in our hotel lobby. I hadn’t had cereal in two months and it was amazing! The next morning we were out early at 8:30 AM to start our four mile pilgrimage to the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral was beautiful, and it had the most fantastic alter. We went to the pilgrim mass at noon and met a few people who had been walking for a month straight from France to get there. People come from all over to visit the shrine of Apostle James making it the third holiest site in Christendom, after Jerusalem and Rome. We saw the giant rope that holds the five foot three inch, 120 pound incense burner, which is about the same size as me before I started eating all of Ana’s cooking. During the heavy pilgrimage season they break out this giant incense burner and swing it from the ceiling of the cathedral to cover up the stench of the pilgrims who have been traveling for so long without bathing. Afterwards we wandered around the city, visited the pilgrimage museum and a convent and then came upon a Santa Susana Iglesia. We walked around the iglesia and found a grassy field so we laid down and enjoyed the beautiful sunshine. After awhile an old Spanish woman came over and told us we were laying on a cemetery! After our siesta we decided to hike an hour or so up this random hill to watch the sunset over the beautiful cathedral and pueblo. It was so worth it when we got up there. We sat on this ledge and watched the giant sun sink behind the rolling Spanish hills spotted with quaint white houses. We found a restaurant on the way home and enjoyed the tasty Spanish delicacy tortilla Espanola bocadillos, my favorite. Six of us went in on two cartons of ice cream on the way back to the hotel and then watched the movie Meet Joe Black. The movie was different, but I liked it, except the part where Brad Pitt was nailed by two cars within seconds of each other and went flying into the air like Megan on the diving board in the summer. Something like that shouldn’t happen to someone with such a beautiful face! This morning Sarah and Erica and I went for the most amazing run I’ve had so far in Spain. We found our way up this hill and into the countryside, then we started running into this forest, but we saw some tents, probably from some pilgrims, and we got scared so we left. We ran back along this beautiful stream and arrived in time for breakfast at the café next to the hotel. We got ready for the day and then went exploring in this really neat park a little ways outside of the city. I’ve walked so much in the past three days it is unbelievable! My legs keep telling me to stop, but I haven’t succumbed to their pleadings. We bought some fruit, bread, meat, cheese, and digestive crackers and put together bocadillos for the bus ride to Leon. We just stopped in this random town a few minutes ago, which was incredible. I think the population there in the winter is probably 17. All of the buildings are the same color of reddish orange stone with green doors, the city was very small and surrounded by countryside like in Pride and Prejudice. I really cannot capture the charm in words so I am just going to stop trying. Well we are about forty five minutes outside of Leon and Fernando our bus driver is blasting some Spanish disco type music. He usually does this when we start to look tired; well I am excited to see what Leon has in store! Hasta.
08/03/08
Leon was great, we pulled in around eight last night and then a group of us headed out to look for something to eat. We found this restaurant called Pizza Latina and we decided to check it out, the waiter led us downstairs because there was nine of us and we were the only ones in the restaurant. Usually this is a bad sign, but it was still only 8:30 and the Spaniards don’t eat until 9:30 or later. Our waiter saw us dancing to the music while our food was being prepared, so he turned it up and we were dancing the whole time we were eating. After our meal he brought us out nine hot peppers and most of us took the challenge and ate the whole thing, my mouth was on fire, but it was fun. As we were getting up to leave, the song we heard at the institute dance came on over the speakers so we all started dancing and I am sure our Spanish waiter was dying of laughter. Today five us got up early and ran and then were at the bus by nine to go to the cathedral. The cathedral was absolutely gorgeous, probably my favorite up there with the one in Toledo. It was unique in that it had tons of huge windows all with stained glass lining every wall. The sight was amazing! It made the cathedral so much more cheerful and bright, it felt like I was looking through a giant kaleidoscope. After the cathedral we walked to the plaza mayor where there was a huge market in progress. I bought a banana and some apples and had the most pleasant time just looking around at all the vendors with their fruit, vegetables, nuts, honey, and cheese. It reminded me of Thursday nights at the farmers’ market in Lodi, except in Spanish. We walked in a few museums and then spent some time at a cool park before grabbing a kebab for lunch and then heading back to the bus. This week has been so great, I love traveling and seeing other parts of Spain. I am excited to see Ana and Oscar, but I am not looking forward to going back to school, especially because we have our History 202 midterm on Wednesday. It is so hard to be studious here, but Monday and Tuesday I’m going to hit the books hard core and get an A on that test. Well only about five and half more hours on the bus, madre mia!
09/03/07
We stopped at the Coco castle on the way back home and took a half an hour break. It was a beautiful castle, supposedly the most beautiful in Spain, and has been perfectly preserved for centuries. It was fun to explore the grounds and imagine what life would have been like living there hundreds of years ago. The ride home went by surprisingly very fast, I got some studying done and had a good talk with Sarah. We were just talking about our plans for the future with graduating from BYU, graduate school, marriage, and our future families. We have very similar goals and views on life and it was great talking about all of the thoughts that have been going through my head recently. Before we knew it we were back in Alcalá. It felt good to see Ana again and we had a nice conversation about our trip over dinner. Church today was incredible, I just love Sundays here. Relief Society and Sunday school were inspiring, I am going to try my best this week to evaluate my life and improve on those things that I need to work on. Sacrament meeting was also awesome, my institute teacher whom I love spoke and the amazing pianist was at his prime today in the hymns. I understood practically everything today, which is a testimony to me of the help God is giving me with learning and understanding Spanish. We just finished a delicious almuerzo of rice with Ana’s homemade salsa, chicken, salad, and ice cream for dessert. Yum!

guapa

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week I studied Spanish all day because I had my final on Thursday. Wednesday night was unforgettable because Ana made pimientos rellenos and my mouth was in heaven. After dinner I helped, but mostly watched her make her famous tarta for her birthday on Thursday. We got a good laugh out of her making her own birthday cake, but she said it was just so good that she had to make it. So imagine five layers and within each layer nata, peaches, and nuts, then repeat. Thursday I was anxious for the first time since I have been here in Spain, I was nervous for my midterm in Spanish because it is a huge part of my grade. I feel like I did well and went on an incredible run afterwards to top it off. I came home and helped Ana and her sister Elicia make paella. Ana’s sobrina and her two kids came over and Ana’s daughter as well. It was quite the fiesta. As I was sitting down at the table I couldn’t stop smiling! I just love living here, I love being apart of Ana’s family and sharing memories with them. Well the food was incredible, I never thought I’d be enjoying seafood, but here I am in Spain eating the ocean. After lunch I talked with Ana’s niece’s daughter Carina for twenty minutes or so. She is seven years old and so darling, she reminds me of a Spanish Hannah. She even taught me a few steps to one of her salsa dances she is learning at dance class, I am planning go watch one of her practices soon. After everyone left I went to the school to use the internet and Jana was on skype so I got to talk to her for awhile, which was fabulous. I miss seeing her face everyday! Then I went home and got all dressed up to go to Bella y la Bestia with a big group of girls in Madrid. It was AMAZING! Wow, I was not expecting the play to be so fantastic. The actors, orchestra, costumes, everything was absolutely incredible. I understood almost the entire thing and just had the best time enjoying the theatre experience. We had to run to the train station and just barely made the last train into Alcalá for the night. Friday I woke up early and ran and then quickly got ready to go to Madrid at eleven. The girls I went with hadn’t seen the Royal Palace so I waited outside for an hour until they were finished. I was reading the Spanish dictionary, yes I was actually reading the dictionary and a Spanish man came up to me and asked me if I was trying to learn the language (pretty observant huh?) and I said yes and asked if he wanted to help me. Well we ended up talking for a half an hour and I had the best time. I could understand him perfectly and we just had a normal conversation as if I was talking in English. I still know I’m saying stuff wrong, but I have a lot more confidence- that counts for something right? Right, so after that we ate our bocadillos and then went to the Thyssen museum which was fantastic. You start on the third floor and as you make your way down you are moving forward in time through the different periods of art. We were there for three hours or so and I enjoyed every minute, I think I even liked it better than the Prado because its not overwhelmingly massive and it has a little bit of every style. The Thyssen and Reina Sofia museums are tied for first place in my book. Then went to the Buen Retiro Park, my favorite place in Madrid, to people watch and listen to the drummers that are always there. After awhile we went and got dinner it was my second kebab experience and it was almost as incredible as the first. Afterwards we took the metro to the church stake center in Madrid because we had heard of a single adults dance going on. We arrived and there was a surprisingly large number of Spanish singles. It ended up being a formal Valentine’s dance, but we heard music and all of sudden didn’t care that we were all in jeans. We each got a heart with a number on it, walked in to a valentines decorated gym, and started dancing it up American style. It ended up being one of the most fun nights I have had here in Spain. The heart with the number on it matched up with a guy with the same number who was your dance partner. He taught me a little meringue because he was from Venezuela and that is how they dance there. He had just arrived in Madrid six days ago and it was so fun talking to him and learning about his story. I asked him how my Spanish was sounding and he said it was really good, which made me feel happy even though he was probably just being nice. This one song came on and everyone went crazy it was kind of like the songs in English that tell you what dance to move, but one hundred times better. Arriba, abajo, arriba, abajo, derecha, izquierda… and so on, it was a blast. Once again we had to run to the train station to catch the last train into Alcalá. This morning Ana woke us up quite early because Savi our Japanese sister was leaving to go back to Japan. None of us had any idea that she was leaving so soon, Ana found out the night before! Even though it was hard to communicate with her, I love her so much! We had a lot of good charade sessions and she is just the sweetest most sincere girl. So we stumbled to the kitchen table half asleep and ate breakfast with her. She gave Amy and me some Japanese cookies and a cute note saying things like “Erin es guapa.” We said goodbye and I couldn’t fall back asleep so I went for a run. I met some friends at the plaza around noon and we walked and shopped a little bit and then I came back for almuerzo and now I am sitting here. This week has been oh so amazing and I can’t wait for our five day trip to Santiago de Compostela on Tuesday!

P.S. If you ever are feeling down on yourself come to Spain, I get called guapa at least three or four times a day by men of a wide range of ages. Que guapa tu eres!