More from Segovia!

Well, I promised more pictures from Segovia, so here they are!

Inside the Palace...this kind of tiling is seen in historical buildings throughout Spain

A very famous statue portraying Remus and Roma, the twins who founded Rome (according to traditional stories). 

Several of us at the top of the tower at the Palace

The Roman Aqueducts!

Well, this week has certainly been interesting.  I've finally hit the homesick phase of what I've described as the freshman year emotional progression.  My heart has started to realize that I won't be leaving Spain for awhile, and that this isn't just a vacation or camp session.  I have almost three more months here.  My heart isn't the one thing that's started to realize this.  My brain has too.  I guess it's pretty smart for having figured this out, and it's decided to make it very difficult for me to understand Spanish this week.  Funny joke, right?!?!  It feels like my brain is just shutting out all Spanish, and pouting at me like a teenage girl: "No!  I won't do it!  I won't learn Spanish!  You can't make me!"  Well, brain, you're going to have to move on from this little mood swing soon, because we don't have a choice here!  I'm here in Madrid to stay for a while.  What a wonderful, albeit homesickness-inspiring, reality that is.

This week, I've had class and more class, a couple homework assignments that are reminiscent of the work I did in middle school (where they give you packets with questions and boxes in which to answer each question...and then have you ask three random people what they think about the topic...sound familiar to anyone?), emotional downs and emotional ups, some good soul searching, and a wonderful trip to Segovia, Spain.  It is without a doubt my favorite place that I've visited in my time here.  For anyone who's been to or learned about Spain, you might be saying to yourself, "She's crazy.  She likes Segovia better than Sevilla and Granada?  That's not possible."  Even my host mom, when I told her, was shocked and told me that that was unbelievable.  Well, it's just the truth.  Perhaps it's because we only spent a day there and it wasn't part of an exhausting 7 day trip to 3 cities, but regardless, I thought it was the most adorable little city ever.  We got to see the Roman aqueducts, which are really incredible, as well as a small church from the Romanica era, el Alcazar (a royal residence and fort during the medieval period) and the Royal Palace in Segovia.  It was a long day, but it was beautiful!  Segovia is a small city.  You can walk from one end of the urban part to the other in about 20 minutes.  In that 20 minutes, you'll pass the most adorable cafes and the best pastelerías (pastry shops...yum!!!).  It just felt warm and cozy and inviting - homey, almost.  I definitely want to go back one day!  Maybe this semester, maybe down the road in life, but it's certainly on my bucket list.

Other things I've decided are on my bucket list while I've been here:
1. skydiving over the Swiss Alps (come on....how unbelievable would that be????)
2. staying in a Tuscan villa in Italian wine country
3. learn how to make paella and tortilla española
to be continued...

Back to Segovia for a moment: unfortunately, my camera was dead, so I'm currently scouting out pictures from my friends' albums on facebook, but for now, here's one picture of me in front of the Royal Palace in Segovia.  Think this looks beautiful?  This is only the side entrance!

Comida, comida, comida!!!!

Today, all I want to talk about is food.  Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE FOOD.  My body doesn't always love food, but I certainly do, and I love trying new things and experiencing culture through food.  Spain is no exception.  The food culture here is drastically different than in the United States.  First of all, the eating schedule will throw your stomach for a loop.

Exhibit A: typical day in the life of a Spaniard
8:00-10:00 (anywhere in there) - Wake up, eat breakfast
2:00 or 3:00 - lunch *this is usually the biggest meal of the day
2:00-5:00 - Siesta time *during this time, almost all stores in the city are closed, and people go home to have lunch, take a nap, hang out with their family, etc.  It's amazing at times, and utterly frustrating at others
9:00 or 10:00 - Dinner
12:00-2:00 - Bed time

Now, you've probably heard the word "tapas" thrown around a lot when it comes to Spanish food.  Tapas are not what you think they are.  In the US, going to a tapas restaurant means you are going to order several small plates of different things for everyone to share.  In Spain, tapas are the small plates of food that you get (for free) when you order drinks.  So, if you go to a restaurant and order a glass of wine or a beer, you're also going to receive some kind of tapas.  Typical tapas include olives, bread with ham (the ham is AMAZING...I'll get to that later), or a dish that's a cross between french fries and breakfast potatoes.  You don't get to choose what kind of tapas you receive, but if you like all those things, you'll more than likely be happy with what you get!  Unfortunately, I don't like olives, which are a staple food here, so I miss out on the free food sometimes, but that's alright.  These restaurants also have other "tapas" that you can order if you're willing to pay for them.

Olives are EVERYWHERE here.  Everywhere.  I am not exaggerating.  The other staple food in Spain?  Jamón.  Ham.  It's not like ham in the United States.  It's more similar to prosciutto in that it's very thinly cut and is a little salty.  It's also absolutely delicious, and it's in everything.  They don't even consider it a meat sometimes.  I've heard stories of vegetarians asking for no meat in a dish, and then when it comes, they see ham in it.  When they asked the waiter about it, the response they got was somewhere along the lines of, "It's only ham."  Moral of the story?  It's extremely difficult to be a vegetarian here.  The good news?  Bread and cheese is also hugely popular, so if you don't mind sticking to carbs and cheese, you should be good to go :)

Now, I'll address the question: "How is your tummy doing with the change in diet?"  Fortunately, I live with a pregnant host mom who has to eat very well, and I reap the benefits of that!  It's wonderful.  We eat salads galore, homemade garlic hummus (NOM my favorite) and lots of fruit.  Eggs are also a common occurrence, served with other things.  There's very little bread in the apartment, and very few sweets (no worries...we have a few cookies lying around :) ).  Of course, not everyone in my program has been as fortunate as I have been.  A couple of my friends have a host mom who cooks fried fish for almost every meal.  I love fried fish on occasion, but not enough to eat it every day.  Now, to address the water here.  I was told to be careful drinking the water from another country.  Lies.  The tap water here is outstanding.  It tastes better than the bottled water I've bought here.  Madrid may be struggling in other areas, but they're doing something right when it comes to their water.

I eat most of my meals at my apartment with my host mom (it's delicious, healthy, and free...and it's a great time to practice my Spanish...what more could you ask for??), but my friends and I frequently explore Madrid and end up sitting down for a snack.  I now present you with various photos of the wonderful food that I've decided to spend money on in my time here:

At Mallorca - a pasteleria (pastry shop) here that also has wine, cheese, little sandwiches, a chocolates bar...this is what my heaven is going to look like if I get there

Casual coffee with Bailey's at Cafe del Oriente right near Palacio Real

Classic dessert here: picatoste....fried bread coated in butter and sugar, and served with a mug of melted chocolate. Mmmm

Duck with apple compote and balsamic reduction sauce...yum.  At a restaurant in Cadiz with all the girls and J.P!

And this would be the dessert after the duck....I don't even remember what it was, but it was amazing.

I FOUND DOUBLE STUFFED OREOS AND PEANUT BUTTER!!!!  It may have cost me over 5 euro (~$7) for this small thing of peanut butter, but it was so worth it!

I was just trying to be nice

Well, I've officially been introduced to the wonders of living in a city....last night, I was pickpocketed.  I know what you're thinking.  Gee, little, white, clearly American girl pickpocketed??  SHOCKING!  They stole my iPhone (which I just got to start working about 3 days ago) and all my cash (which wasn't too much, thank God).  I can't explain my frustration and shock right now.  I feel so violated.  I was leaving the movie theater with friends, two of my guys friends were walking me home, and we were stopped by a waiter and an Asian man on the sidewalk who wondered if we spoke English.  "The man needed help getting somewhere but didn't speak enough Spanish."  So, the three of us directed him to where he needed to go.  Then, a few minutes later when we reached my apartment building, I looked for my iPhone to use as a flashlight going up the stairs of my apartment building (it's very dark at night!), and I couldn't find.  I sprinted back to the theater, banged on the doors until someone let me back in (they were already closed...after all, it was about 12:30).  We looked for my phone, but couldn't find it.  I figured I would just call back today to see if it was found by the cleaning staff or someone else in the theater.
Then, this morning I woke up and got my things together for school.  I noticed that the things in my wallet were rearranged in a way that I never put them, but figured that I might have moved them when I was paying for the movie last night.  Fast forward a couple hours and I'm at a cafe at school getting coffee.  It was then that I realized that my 40 euros were missing.  The pieces all fell together, and I realized that this was much too much of a coincidence.

So, here's what I think happened:
When we were helping this "tourist in need," I think the waiter dug into my purse and stole my phone, took the cash from my wallet, replaced it in my purse and walked back into the store.  I cannot believe we didn't notice it happening.  I guess these people are pretty damn good at their jobs, huh?  And the whole "find my iPhone" app that seems like such a good idea to get on your computer?  Well it's not very helpful if the person who stole your phone turned the phone off, now is it?  I'm going to call the movie theater to make sure that I didn't lose my phone there, which I suppose is possible since I had my purse on the floor during the movie.  If it wasn't found by the people cleaning, I'll get one of the guys to come with me to the restaurant and talk to the manager about who was working last night and if there are any security tapes from last night that we could watch.  I don't know what else to do.  I doubt we'll recover anything, but it's worth a try.

Oh, the joys of living in a city and blatantly being a foreigner.

Bugs and beaches

...En CÁDIZ!!!!
After our group trip through Andalusia, a good portion of us decided to head south to the beautiful beaches and the adorable city of Cádiz.  I stayed in a hostel for the first time, which was certainly an experience...one that resulted in dozens of awful bugbites (have no fear....pictures follow)
Other than that, the beach was beautiful and after all the extensive tours, it was nice to just be able to relax with everyone and take in some sun!!  Other firsts: taking a train and going on a pub crawl!  I guess this weekend trip was just full of excitement and surprises.

everyone in Cadiz!  Along with the brave soul leading the pub crawl

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Después de nuestro viaje del grupo por Andalucía, la mayoría de nosotros decidimos ir al sur a las playas bellezas y la ciudad preciosa de Cádiz.  Quedé en un hostal por la primera vez, cual fue sin duda una experiencia...uno que resultó en docenas de picaduras horribles (no tiene miedo...hay fotos).
Más de esto, la playa era muy guapa y después de todas las visitas amplias, estaba bien poder relajarse con todos y tomar el sol!!  Otras primeras veces: tomar un tren and participar en un "pub crawl!"  Supongo que este viaje de fin de semana estaba lleno de emoción y sorpresas.

Que bonita es Andalucía!

Warning: long post!!!

This past week, the entire program took a trip to Andalusia, the southern region of Spain.  We visited Granada, Seville and Cadiz.  There were too many tours in too little time for my liking, but we did get to see a lot of very important historical sites.  First, we went to The Royal Chapel, where the Catholic Monarchy (King Fernando II of Aragon, and Queen Isabel of Castilla) are buried.  It was beautiful and fairly small compared to everything else we saw, but it was full of rich history and wonderful stories.  Unfortunately, we couldn't take pictures, but here's a picture I found online of the woodwork behind the altar:

Isn't it unreal???

While we were in Granada, we also visited La Alhambra, which is a palace and fortress with ezpansive gardens.  It was constructed before the end of the reconquest of Spain by the Catholic monarchs, during the reign of Arab kings.  Because of this, the architecture and decor is strongly influenced by Arab culture, which makes it fascinating to see.  I'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

View from afar

GARDENS!

Part of the fort section

The view from the top of the fort

Can we talk about all the amazing detail??

After being in Granada for a very short day 24 hours, we headed to Seville to see even more beautiful buildings!  We visited the Royal Palace, where the Spanish king still stays when he visits Seville, and the Seville Cathedral.  The Royal Palace was by far my favorite site of the entire week.  The decor still had an Arab influence, but showed more of a Spanish influence, with more color and more variation between rooms.  I thought it was absolutely breathtaking.  By the time we got to the Cathedral, I was so exhausted, my knees hurt, and my brain decided that it could handle no more historical information in Spanish, so I remember very little of what was said.  BUT, I do remember how incredible and overwhelming the space was.  Here are a few pictures from both sites:

The Royal Palace:

They casually have peacocks living in the gardens...

AMAZING tile work!

wood inlay

Andddd finally, the Seville Cathedral!  Fun fact: (most of) Christopher Columbus' body is buried there.  The king and queen at one point also had a pet crocodile (they got it as a wedding gift) and it lived in the patio outside the cathedral.

just one of the organs

Talk about a crown

Oh, hello there.

In case you don't believe them, they have it posted: Largest cathedral in the world (of course, the basilicas are bigger...)

WHEW!!!!! It sure was an exhausting week, and I definitely would have preferred less of a history lesson and more time to wander in awe.  I guess I'll just have to go back some day!

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Spanish translation coming....

Bittersweet goodbyes

Going abroad is an exciting, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.  Everyone always says that, but what they don't talk about is how difficult it is to leave your family, your friends, and your home, knowing you won't see them for a few months.  For most of my journey from North Carolina to Spain, I was terrified and upset.  Of course, I was excited too, but other emotions were certainly taking over my thought process. I've wanted to study abroad since I can remember.  I watched my older siblings do it and knew that one day, I just had to partake in this crazy, amazing adventure they all talked about.  Even so, I never really thought about what it would be like to be abroad.  I don't think most people do.  It's hard to believe that you're going to live in another country, potentially speaking a different language, for several months.  It almost feels like I'm a freshman in college again.  I never imagined what college would really be like.  For the first few weeks, it just feels like you're at camp and you'll be going home soon.  Then, you realize that you're not leaving for a while, and the homesickness sets in.  With more time, that too fades away and you start to embrace everything about being away at college.  Right now, I guess I'm in the "camp phase."  It's still hard to believe that I'm going to be here for four whole months!

To help with the potentially impending homesickness, I brought along some pictures of my family and pets that I can look at if I ever need to!

That being said, my fear started falling away when I was flying over Spain and began to realize what a truly beautiful country it is.  Here are some of the pictures from my flight over.  Look at the gorgeous mountains and little towns nestled in between them!

It's amazing and oddly surprising to be smacked in the face with the idea that there's an entire world out there outside of the small spaces that we inhabit every day.  And this semester, I have the unbelievable opportunity to explore the fascinating country of España!!!  YAY!

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Irse al extranjero es una oportunidad emocionante y de una vez en la vida.  Todos siempre lo dicen, pero lo que no se habla es la dificultad de dejar a su familia, sus amigos y su hogar, entiendo que no va a verlos por unos meses.  Durante la mayoría de mi viaje de Carolina de Norte a España, tenía terror y estaba alterada.  No obstante, estaba emocionada también, pero otras emociones ciertamente estaban dominando mi proceso del pensamiento.  He querido estudiar en otro país desde tengo memoria.  Miré a mis hermanos mayors cuando lo hicieron y sabía que un día, necesitaba participar en esta aventura loca y fantástica de que todos ellos hablaban.  Aun así, nunca pensé en que cómo sería ser a estar en el extranjero.  No creo que muchas personas lo hacen.  Es difícil creer que vivirás en otro país, posiblemente hablando otra idioma, por unos meses.  Casi siente como soy una estudiante de primer año otra vez.  Nunca imaginé cómo sería la universidad.  Durante las primeras semanas, siente como estás en un campamento del verano y vas a regresar a casa muy pronto.  Luego, te das cuenta de que no va a salir por algún tiempo, y la morriña comienza.  Con más tiempo, esto también se desvanece y empiezas abrazar a todo que viene con estar en la universidad.  Ahora, supongo que estoy en la "etapa del campamento de verano."  ¡Todavía es difícil creer que voy a estar aquí por cuatro meses enteros!

(foto)

Lo que se dice, mi miedo de empezó a disiparse mientras estaba yendo de avión por encima de España y estaba empezando a darme cuenta de la belleza de este país.  Tengo unos fotos de mi viaje en avión.  ¡Mira a las montañas y los pueblos que están enclavados en ellas!

(foto)

Es increíble y curiosamente sorprendente recibir un golpeo en la cara de la idea que hay un mundo entero afuera de los espacios pequeños en que vivimos cada día.  ¡¡¡Y este semestre, tengo la oportunidad increíble de explorar el país fascinante de España!!!  ¡YAY!

Welcome/Bienvenidos

Hi, and welcome to my blog!  I'm Catharine.  This semester, I'll be studying in Madrid, Spain.  For now, this blog will serve to share my adventures with my friends and family back home.  After this semester, it will be an ongoing journal of my travels and adventures.  Enjoy!

¡Hola y bienvenidos a mi blog!  Soy Catharine.  Este semestre, estoy estudiando en Madrid, España.  Por ahora, este blog servirá para compartir mis aventuras con mi familia y mis amigos en los Estados Unidos.  Después de este semestre, será un diario en curso de mis viajes y aventuras.  ¡Disfruta!