Segovia y La Granja

This past weekend was our first excursion as a class. We went to Segovia and La Granja, about an hour north of Madrid. The areas there are so beautiful!

Side story: So as I was cleaning up my apartment in preparation for leaving to Spain, I came across my BYU sock monkey that my mother had given me for Christmas. In joking I told my roommate that I should take it with me to Spain instead of packing it up in a box. After thinking about it some more, I decided to not make it a joke but actually take my monito (little monkey) with me. At every famous location I am going to try to get a picture with the monkey and the landmark. Of course I will take pictured with me in it as well, but I think this will be fun.

As soon as we got off the bus in Segovia, there was this massive aqueduct that the Romans had built about 2,000 years ago. To think that something so big was made without cement or sealant of any kind and is still standing to me is incredible! Even more crazy was that the city was still using it to transport water until the 1930s. Segovia is this quaint little town/city with narrow streets that are lined with shops all along the bottom. Throughout the town you can see where it was segregated between the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish communities. Each has their own unique architectural features on their buildings. We were taken on a tour with a guide who would explain different sites along the way as we made our way up (literally) to the castle Alcazar. The castle was interesting inside with many medieval suits of armor and tapestries, though much of it was damaged during a fire in the 19^th century. The tour concluded with 152 stair assent in the tower of John II. I could not imagine having to go up in it while wearing armor. The view was outstanding from the top!

During our tour, we were given a break to find a panadería (bakery) to get a snack to eat and to take a picture. One of the girls in our group and I took off in search of some sweets and walked into heaven. It was a pastry shop filled with all sorts of goodies. Her and I each bought a pastry and shared it with the other. They were amazing! They were these croissants with cream or lemon fillings and powdered sugar.  

After Segovia, we took a tour of the Royal Palace of La Granja de San Ildefonso, or just La Granja for short. This palace served as a summer residence for the Kings of Spain. The place was huge!!! It is modeled after the palace in Versailles, which I am told his supposed to be even bigger. We went from one room to the next just looking a furniture and statutes and walls worth millions of dollars. Unfortunately pictures were not allowed inside the building so I cannot show my favorite statute. It was done in marble and is of a woman with a veil on her face. It is so intricate that it looks as if there really was fabric over her face. Outside the palace were gardens and fountains that were probably a lot bigger than those at Thanksgiving Point (in Lehi, UT) or anywhere else I have seen. We found a labyrinth and had fun getting lost in it. Due to time constraints we cheated our way out by using the gardener’s gates, or else we could have spent a long time lost. As we were leaving, we got poured on! So much for nice weather like there was earlier in the week. It was fun though laughing and getting caught in the rain…in Spain…stays mainly in the plains (sorry, I could not resist).

Also, last night I went and saw Los Vengadores (The Avengers) in the theaters. Not to brag or anything, but I happened to see it before it came out in the states. No big deal. Their theater was huge! Every seat has a good view and the seats are very comfortable. The only drawback was that the seats do not recline. The movie was dubbed in Spanish with no subtitles, so there were some parts that I missed but I was able to catch about 85% of what was being said and assume the rest. I noticed the dubbing was done for a Spanish audience and not those from Mexico or South America. There were phrases and words that were specific to the country. I consider watching this earlier than Americans my way of making up seeing Hunger Games two weeks after it came out and everyone saw it.

Overall I love Spain. It has taken some time to get used to but I am getting in the swing of things. The Spanish here is different and so I have to try to adjust, which might be the hardest part. Using and listening to the vosotros form (a way of conjugating "you" in third person)  can be challenging, as well as learning which words are appropriate to say here versus those used in Mexico and S. America (for example: conducir/manejar, coche/carro, calzados/zapatos, ordenador/computadora, etc.)

Well that is all for now. Next time I will write about Burgos and Leon where we are going to Monday and Tuesday. I will also try to put some more of my random observations in for fun.

Los Primeros Días en Alcalá

As it is probably no surprise by the pictures I have posted on my Facebook page, I am in Spain! I decided to finish my undergraduate degree with a bang and finish my Spanish minor half way across the world. I figured when else will I be able to dedicate seven weeks in another country without worrying about work and family responsibilities? Also, since I will be teaching high school Spanish in the East Bay area for the next two years as a corps member with Teach For America, this trip will definitely help me feel more confident with my Spanish speaking abilities.

                I have been in Spain for four days now. We are living with host families in the city of Alcalá de Herenes. The city is about 20 minutes away from the city of Madrid and is the birthplace of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote and considered by many as the father of the modern novel. I live with one other person from our group, Logan, in what I would consider a condominium.  Our host family includes a mother and her 28 year old son, who happens to teach at the university (just a different part than where we attend).  We also have a Frenchman currently living with us who is studying Spanish, but he leaves this weekend. The city looks very old, because much of it is. The buildings in the center part of the city generally have shops on the bottom and living arrangements on top. Some parts actually reminds me of walking down Mission Street in San Francisco.

                The city is has so much history in it. There exists part of a wall that surrounded the city in the Medieval Ages. The Universidad de Alacalá has a beautiful roof that was created by Muslims who converted to Christianity (called Mudejares in Spanish). There is a cathedral where supposedly the voyage of Christopher Columbus was signed. The city is a mixture of so many different cultures and time periods and to this day is continually changing.

                Spain is obviously a first world country, but there are definitely major differences in the culture that makes it seem like a whole other world. I am not sure really how to explain everything I see and experience here, as there is so much that can be said, so I have decided to just list some things I notice. Some things are trivial, and others may pertain only to Alcalá (we go on our first excursion this weekend). Spain is very diverse and has a rich history pertaining to many different types of people so my perceptions may change as I spend more time here.

Stork's nest just right of steeple

Storks – You would think there would be more babies in this city considering how many storks are around. The birds have these huge nests in the rooftops. I have hardly ever seen them come down though, so they are no where a nuisance as pigeons.

Bacon/ham flavored chips – I thought it was just an interesting flavor they have here. I tried it when we were watching the Real Madrid game with the YSA group at the institute building. Pretty good stuff. You would have thought that Americans would have thought this one up first. Also, they have a flavor of Doritos called Tex-Mex which kind of made me laugh a little.

Graffiti – There is graffiti everywhere here. It is sad actually to see all the vandalism. Unfortunately the country is so poor right now that they do not have the funds or the energy to constantly clean it up (at least I am assuming why they have not done something about it). Unemployment here in Spain is upwards of 23%, so some things are just left undone. Obviously America has its own graffiti problems as well, but it just surprised me how abundant it is here.

So much poop – It seems like everyone has a dog here. A little bit of an overstatement but I have seen so many. They have parks everywhere where people walk their pets, and usually these parks are land mines for dog doo. It surprises me how many dogs I have seen considering that no one really has a yard here. The good news is they are very well behaved and put my family’s dogs to shame. I think I have only heard one or two dogs bark while I have been walking.

Bumper cars – All the cars here are compact. I have seen one pick-up truck in thus far. There are Fords and Japanese brands, but they also drive many French models that I have never heard of like Cintroen. Many of the cars have these rubber (or at least I think they are rubber) bumpers on the front and back. This is so when they parallel park they feel comfortable bumping into car in front and behind them. Think Despicable Me but not as aggressive.

Not the most friendly – Okay, so this is probably worded wrong because I am sure the Spaniards are very nice people, but they do not express it in a way that I am used to. Logan and I will occasionally say hi to people on the street and just get a glare. I talked with my host family and apparently the people just do not greet each other on the street unless they know one another. Apparently they are much friendlier when you are with them on the bus or in a crowded room, so I will have to report back on that.

Siesta is serious stuff – So I have heard of this siesta (literally translated nap) before but I thought people exaggerated a bit. But it is the real deal. Between the hours of 2 and 5 pm all the shops are closed and there is hardly anyone in the town center. After 5 the city becomes alive. There are groups of old people and youth alike that hang out outside really doing nothing.

The food – This is usually the question that everyone asks anyone who goes foreign, so I figure I will try to address it now. I have noticed that in general the Spaniards (at least my family) eat fairly healthy. This, along with the fact that many walk everywhere, is probably why I have yet to see anyone morbidly obese here. I have eaten pasta, a lot of soups, and lentils. Occasionally beef or sausage as well. Their milk comes in boxes which are only refrigerated when opened and their eggs can be stored in a cupboard until ready to use.  I imagine this is because they fresh and not covered in chemicals we use to preserve our food. For breakfast we generally do not eat much - just toast and fruit. Lunch, for most Spaniards, starts at the beginning of Siesta, around 2:00 pm. This usually consists of two to three different plates. Dinner is also later than what most Americans are used to. Here, we typically eat at 9:00 pm. This meal is typically about two plates worth of food. 

Like I said, I could put so much more here, but I figured I will add more observations with each post. This has already been such a great experience.  It gives a new perspective to our way of living in the States and is a lot of fun. Coming up in the next week we will be going to Segovia, León, and Barcelona!