Toledo and Alcalá de Hernanes

So I had a very historically Spanish weekend this weekend. Friday night we went back to the cueva bar that we went to on my birthday. It was kind of cool cause there were some guys playing flamenco music and singing while we drank sangria and ate tapas...I felt so authentically Spanish. haha.

Saturday was the last trip with CEA to Toledo. It's only about 45 minutes away from Madrid, but it's a very different atmosphere there. The city itself is surrounded by a river (of course I forgot the name of it), but it kind of created a natural defense system. According to our tourguide, Toledo is known for three things: priests, nuns, and military. It was also the first capital of Spain, even though it's fairly small.

We took a walking tour through the city and saw the main cathedral. Apparently it was the cathedral where Isabela and Ferdinand went to hear mass. The architecture and decoration was amazing. The church itself took over 200 years to build. It's amazing to me the time and dedication that was put into it. Today if a building project takes more than a few months, people start to complain. Even though I am not Catholic, it was really cool to me to see how much the people of Toledo invested in their house of worship.

In the cathedral there were about 18 original works by El Greco. He is a super famous painter that I remember studying back in high school. I couldn't believe I got to see some of his works (we went to the Prado Museum on Friday too where I got to see some of the more famous ones along with works by Velazquez and Goya too...WOW).

After the main cathedral we saw a smaller church and then went to lunch. After that we had some free time to wander. Toledo is in the part of Spain known as La Mancha, which is where Don Quixote is from. I believe part of the story is in Toledo as well (I should remember this I apologize) because there are signs all over Toledo showing the "route of Don Quixote." If I have learned one thing this weekend it is that Spaniards are very proud of Don Quixote. The author, Cervantes, is many times compared to Shakespeare here.

Speaking of Cervantes, I continued my historical and educational weekend today with a trip to a little city called Alcalá de Hernanes where Cervantes was born. The year is debatable, but it is widely believed that he was born in 1547.



Alacalá is a cute little city about 30 minutes outside of Madrid. There is some Arabic influence, many historical buildings, and some modern buildings as well. Like much of Spain, it's a good mix. We mainly walked around the city and saw the Plaza de Cervantes as well as his childhood home. I really enjoyed the city. It was a good break from the bustling atmosphere in Madrid, but it was still a good taste of the Spanish culture. People were out on the streets, enjoying one another's company, and the streets were decorated with lights for Christmas.

It was a nice little day trip outside of Madrid. As much as I love this city, sometimes the crowds are a lot to take, and it was nice to get away for a few hours. But they lit up the Christmas lights in Madrid this past week, so the city sparkles everywhere you go. It's really cool. I do miss the familiar Christmas preparations and traditions from home, but it's cool to see the way another country does it.

There is definitely not as much emphasis on Santa Clause and shopping here. People actually celebrate the arrival of the three Magi way more than Papa Noel (Santa). To me it is really cool how they have preserved the religious importance of Christmas more so than we have in the United States. Although there are decorations up and merchandise out for Christmas shoppers, I don't feel the same pressure to BUY here as I do at home. It's kind of refreshing. Here, there is way more emphasis on traditions, family, and customs than the gifts under the tree...well many families don't even have a tree anyway. Not gonna lie, the holidays are making me a little homesick, but I am really enjoying seeing Christmas from a Spanish point of view.

ps- I added a bunch of new pics, so check them out! (new additions to Madrid 2 too)

Día de Acción de Gracias

***I want to apologize in advance for a very sappy post***

So I was just sitting in my room finishing up some homework for class this afternoon, and the song "Count Your Blessings" from the movie White Christmas came on. There was also a slide show of all my pictures running as a screen saver on my computer at the same time. As I watched pictures of my friends, family, and travels pass by the screen along with the music, it really made me take a minute to think about everything I am thankful for. Being that tomorrow is Thanksgiving, I thought this might be a good time to reflect.

I can't even begin to describe how thankful I am for everything I have. This opportunity to be in Spain and travel Europe is something many people would never get the chance to do. I have to remind myself everyday how amazing it is that I am even here. I will cherish this experience forever and I cannot begin to thank God and everyone else who made this possible.

I am so blessed to have a family that supports me so completely in everything I do. When I first mentioned this opportunity to my mom, without hesitation she said "go for it!" I didn't realize how cool that was until I started talking to other people here whose parents weren't so unwaveringly supportive. Thanks mom and dad for all of your love and support throughout my whole life. I wouldn't be here without you guys.

The support and love I have received from the rest of my family, friends, and coworkers has been amazing too. Thank you all for your encouraging words and constant support. It's made being so far away a lot easier for me, knowing everyone back home has my back.

It's easy to take everything we have for granted or get discouraged with the economy spinning out of control, that's why I think it's great we have a tradition like Thanksgiving to take pause and recognize all the blessings we do have. It's something no other country has, and, from my experience here, a lot of them do not understand.

I have to admit, it's going to be hard to be in Spain on Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I'll go to class, and life in Madrid will continue like normal. At home, families will gather together to remember what they have to be grateful for. Our program has organized a big turkey dinner for us at a local restaurant to make us feel at home. We're really grateful for the work they did to put it together, but I won't lie, it's not gonna be the same. For the first time since arriving in Spain, I think I will be truly homesick.

That being said, I hope everyone has a VERY Happy Thanksgiving!
I miss and love you all!

La Atuna

So yesterday after class a friend of mine, Ryan, invited me and a few other girls from the program to a "concert" at his host family's house. He said his señora was trying to get about 40 people to come for a guitar concert in her daughter's flat right down the street. We agreed to go, skipping dinner, to see these Spanish guitarists. Well, once we get there Ryan informs us that he will not be allowed to attend the show cause it is only for girls. We had not in fact shown up to a guitar concert, but a traditional Spanish Atuna.

The tradition is from the 16th and 17th century where musicians, called Tunos, where authentic 16th century clothing, and come and sing from the street up to girls awaiting them on the balcony. Today the musicians are mainly college students, from all different areas of study, that have to work in order to join the band. It's kind of like a fraternity cause the rookies have to do whatever the other members tell them, not matter how embarrassing it is.

As surprised as we were when we got there, it was actually a really cool experience. There were about 15 of us girls who waited on the balcony while about 30 Tunos made their way down the street. They all played guitars and sang and danced in the street before bringing the party up to the flat. Then they continued to play songs and dance with the waiting girls.



At one point, the cops showed up to quiet the party down, but it was a lot of fun. Unlike most of the frats I know in the US, the Tunos were very cultured and intelligent guys. All of them were bilingual, and in some cases they spoke 3 or 4 languages. They could all tell us about the history of the Tunos and the traditions it brings. They were all also very talented musicians.

At about 1am, the owner kicked us out of her apartment, so we headed to the street again where they played some more music and we socialized. Then we headed to a local spot to finish the night off. It was really cool to see this little piece of Spanish culture. I had no idea the Tunos even existed before last night, but it was definitely a great experience.

Tonight the plan is to go out for some good Spanish tapas with my intercambio partner from CEA. I haven't met her yet, but she tells me there is a competition for Madrid's best tapa here tonight among all the bars. Afterward I might get to meet some more Spainards at her friend's birthday party as well.

Almost all of my roommates here have gone out of town for the weekend, so I'm enjoying my little piece of Madrid while I still can. Today I went out to explore a few more neighborhoods and do a little bit of shopping. There is always something to see in the city, and everywhere you walk there is history. It's really great. A lot of us are becoming aware of how fast our time is running out here, and I'm trying to make the most of every day I have left. It's really easy to get stuck in a routine, but I know I will never get a chance like this again. Like I've said before, it's going to be SO hard to leave this city, it has definitely captured a piece of my heart. (at least I have my new puppy Chavo waiting for me though...thanks MOM! :) )

Sevilla

Just got back from another weekend trip, this time to Sevilla. What a beautiful city! It's about 5 hours south of Madrid in car. I was amazed at first when we got there to see such a mix between the old and the new. In some parts of the city there are walls of former fortresses still standing among modern architecture. There is also a huge Arab influence from the time Spain was ruled by the Moors. It makes for some really cool architecture and history.

Yesterday we spent the afternoon exploring the city on our own. We saw the Plaza de Toros and the large cathedral of the city (supposedly Christopher Columbus' remains are kept in the cathedral, but there is a rumor that they are really those of his brother since they were stolen...so who knows). Something I noticed right away was how chill the city was. It's not as fast-paced as Madrid, and the people are a lot friendlier. There are also palm trees everywhere and it's close to water, so it kind of seems like a tropical local. Last night we saw a little bit of the night life of Sevilla. Again, nothing like Madrid, but it was still fun.

At one point when we were walking as a group, we stumbled upon some sort of religious parade in the street. There were loud drums and trumpets playing, and the streets were crowded with people. It was actually pretty cool to see. On our way home we saw a group of young people having an impromptu flamenco session by the river. They were keeping rhythm with their hands and formed a circle to dance in. It was really cool to see how the younger generation is keeping such an old tradition alive.

Today we got to see the Alcazar palace. It is a perfect example of the mix of Arab and Spanish influence. Apparently parts of the movie Kingdom of Heaven were filmed there. We also got to see the Plaza de España of Sevilla where they filmed parts of the new Star Wars movies. We had to leave this afternoon to make the long journey home. I really wish I could have had more time in Sevilla, but I'm glad I at least got a little taste. It is bigger than some of the other cities we've visited, but it has its own special charm. The laid-back attitude and gorgeous buildings really draw you in. Hopefully I'll get to go back someday.

Venezia, Italia

So I got back yesterday from a weekend in Venice...WOW. It is such a beautiful city, it's still kind of surreal that I was actually there. I decided to go on the trip from a suggestion from another girl in the program. After reading about the city, I decided I had to go. The island of Venice is actually sinking, and they're not sure if it will even be there in 20 years. If not for that reason alone, I decided I had to go to see everything this great little island had to offer.

Marcela and I headed out before some of the other girls in our group...The first day there, we got lost trying to find our hotel. The good thing is, Spanish is a lot like Italian, so communicating wasn't horribly difficult. I'm pretty sure we stuck out with our suitcases in the middle of a Venetian suburb though...haha. Good memories. That night we chilled at the hotel with an 80 cent bottle of wine and good Italian food we bought at the supermarket down the street.

The next day we headed to the island. We decided to wander around a while, without any real plan in mind and at some point make it to the coast to catch a boat to Murano island to see the glass factories. Venice is a really quaint little island...there are no cars, everybody travels by boat through the canals. The streets are very narrow. The only drawback is that it is a HUGE tourist location, so it is hard to tell what is really authentic and what is just there for tourists to enjoy.

After wandering and shopping and taking pictures, we finally made it to the coast. We got on the first water bus we saw, assuming it would take us to Murano. After asking the lady across from us, we found out the boat was actually going to Burano, where they do a lot of embroidery. We decided, what the heck, and went to Burano. This was probably the best choice we made the whole trip. Burano is a quiet little island with brightly painted houses and quiet canals. It was really beautiful.

After heading back to the mainland, we met the other girls in the Piazze San Marco, where the Basilica is (I KNOW!). What a gorgeous place! There is really no way to describe the atmosphere in San Marco Square...with the lights and the music and the people, it really was something to see. After finding Emilia, Katie, and Griselda, we headed for a quick dinner. We spent the rest of the night exploring the streets of Venice and getting lost in its alleys trying to find Santa Margherita Square, where there is supposedly the best nightlife. We stopped for a drink and continued to wander. After a while, Marcela and I had to catch a bus back to the mainland where our hotel was.



The next day we saw the Basilica and wandered around the island some more. It is a great place just to walk and look around. The best parts were when we strayed away from the main roads and got a little lost. Everywhere you turn there is something beautiful, a quiet canal with a gondola boat passing through, a narrow little street with beautiful terraces overhead, or an ancient church that is amazingly still standing. EVERYTHING there has history, it really is amazing. We spent the rest of Sunday just walking around the island and seeing everything there was to see. Venice is known for its blown glass (made on Murano...which is where Mick Jagger goes to get glass by the way...fun fact for you) and its masks. I definitely had to bring some glass back with me, but the masks kind of freaked me out, so I left them for the other tourists.

All in all, it was a wonderful time. I really enjoyed getting lost in Italy and soaking in everything Venice had to offer. By the end of a couple days, though, I was ready to be back in Madrid. It is amazing how quickly this city began to feel like home for me. It was like a breath of fresh air to hear people speaking Spanish when we got back on the plane, and I welcomed their lisp gratefully. I'm not gonna lie...I love it here.

Elections 2008

Okay, so, being the political junky that I am, I have to say a word about the elections. It is a little weird, because there isn't as much anticipation here about the US elections. I have been watching enough coverage online and in the news and talking about it with enough other students to generate some excitement, though.

To me, it is very interesting being in a European country while all of this is happening (as much as I would DIE to see Obama speak in Chicago today!). From what I've heard, Europe wants Obama to win. I even saw a headline yesterday that said "La gente y el gobierno de España quiere que Obama gane" (The people and government of Spain want Obama to win). They don't mess around.

To be honest, I think a lot of the world sees this election as a new opportunity for the United States. For the past 8 years we have basically isolated ourselves from the rest of the world and ignored the practice of diplomacy...especially with the countries of Europe. As much as we in the states avoid the issue, Obama's race is also being taken in to consideration in a big way here. If he is elected, it is a big sign to the rest of the world that the United States have come a long way. I hear there was a lecture at la Universidad Complutense (my school) about the elections, and there were several comments made that the US is not ready for a black president.

It is also amazing to me how many newspapers here have OUR elections as the frontpage. That would never happen in the United States. Someone was also telling me how she heard two older women comparing John McCain and Obama on the bus this morning.

I will probably have to stay up all night to see the results, but that is a challenge I am willing to face :). Some other students are planning on finding an Irish pub (which really are American) to watch the elections, which might be interesting. If not, I have been able to find live coverage online. Unfortunately, we are 7 hours ahead of all of you.

All of this being said, please VOTE today. No matter who you vote for, too many people have fought for this right for you to pass it up. Take the time, stand in line, and VOTE. I've heard of a lot of things that have been going out trying to intimidate voters or confuse them, and it amazes me that these kinds of things can happen in "the world's greatest democracy." Unfortunately, it's happening. The good news is, we can make it right, we have a VOICE. We just have to VOTE!!!!!

Madrid - My Second Home

I've just been sitting today, reflecting on the weekend. Although a group of students from my program decided to go to Barcelona, I decided to stay in Madrid and get to know the city a little more. We ended up going out for Halloween Friday night, which was an experience.

I was told they didn't really celebrate Halloween here, but when we walked out onto the street, a lot of people were in costume. I've never really been all that into Halloween (except when it meant a lot of candy) but it was really interesting to see the Spanish interpretation of the holiday. What was interesting to me was how they celebrated Halloween Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, costumes and all.

Friday night we did some bar hopping and then met up with our Spanish friends Alejandro and Carlos. At first we didn't recognize Alejandro because he was wearing a blue dress and a wig. We went to another bar and had a good time making fun of our friend in drag. His wig and skirt were pretty popular at the bar too. Saturday night started as girls' night, but later Alejandro and his friends Juanjo and Sebastian came to meet us.

I'm really starting to enjoy living in Spain. I feel more comfortable here everyday, and I'm already getting sad about the thought of leaving. Time has already been flying by, and I know it's just going to go faster from now on.

I love the way they live here. People seem to be able to separate work and fun much better here. Here, work is just something you do, it is not who you are. To most people, it seems like human contact and the social aspects of life are more important. Even on the metro, I've noticed how much more sociable people are. In Chicago, on my way home from work, most people are on their blackberry or reading or whatnot, just trying to avoid talking to the person next to them (I am guilty of this as well), the train is quiet, with maybe one or two conversations here or there. Here, I have not seen one Blackberry, and the train is always bustling with the noise of conversation.

Like I said, everyday I feel more at home here. Last night, at one point I was talking with some of the guys about Chicago and how it differs from Madrid. I told Juanjo that I love Chicago because it's my home. He looked at me and said, "Yes of course, Chicago is your home, but here, here is your home too." I know December is still a little ways off, but I know when I leave here, I will leave a piece of myself behind...as cheesy as that sounds. I've actually already started looking into grad schools in Madrid. I wish I had more time here. I'm not sure where life will take me after I leave Spain in December, but I'm definitely glad I came.