Previously on Study Abroad....

So, I've been in Spain for about 3 weeks or so and am on the tail end of my Study Abroad program. As usual, I'm pretty late in trying to document this stuff but I'm going to try anyway. So, here's a recap  of the past 3 or so weeks (up to our trip over the weekend, I'll post another recap for that one.)

RECAP: 

Day 1: Got to Madrid, met some girls in my program who were total strangers, checked-in to a sketchy hostel, and wandered the city in an attempt to fight jet-lag.

MADRID:

We spent 2 days and 3 nights in Madrid and basically ate at a TON of little cafes. The weather was great, the ambience was even better. We strolled through the Reina Sofia and Prado Museum (the highlight being that we got to see the real "Guernica" by Pablo Picasso) and stumbled across a little cathedral.

This park:

was beautiful and something else that we just happened to be walking by. In the center of it is a man-made lake and we didn't even hesitate to jump in a couple of row boats and drift around for more than an hour.

Wednesday morning, we jumped on a train and enjoyed a very scenic ride up to Northern Spain where we would be starting our program.

GIJÓN:

I think when we first got to Gijón, we were a little disappointed. We'd passed some beautiful little Pueblos on the way that were nestled into the mountains and were hoping it would look something like they did but the train station was kind of... ugly. However, when the Taxi took us to our Institute to meet our host families, we felt a little better about it. The institute looks a little bit like Hogwarts when you first walk in and it is literally a block away from the beach.

The beach is what we really fell in love with:

That night, we were all paired up with our host families. It was a little sad to see the other girls go after we'd all gotten so close but I was still excited to see my new home. One by one, the students all met their families and went home. Eventually, it was just me standing awkwardly with our professors and feeling a little like I'd been picked last for kickball. The professor promised to call my host mom and twenty-minutes later, a woman ran in looking really flustered. I saw a paper clutched in her hand with the word "Wenie" written on it. That would be me. I greeted her and told her that I just needed to get my bag. On the way to the house, my host-mom, Maite (short for Maria-Theresa), pointed out all the sights of the city and gave me a bit of background as well as fun things to do. Her Spanish was really rapid and hard to follow at times but we managed to communicate.

When we got to the house, I met her housekeeper and her daughter, Ines who quickly became my shadow. Ines is 8 years old and has a lot more energy than me. After I broke the ice with her, I discovered that is rare for Ines to pass by you without talking your ear off or wanting to show you something (which reminded me a little of a certain sister in the States....). I'm pretty sure I get the best practice by talking to Ines and our conversations are always hilarious. She is sweet and always tells me that I'm one of her best friends.

This was after she stole one of my shirts. And then my computer.

The next day, we started classes and had our first excursion. I, of course, got lost trying to find the meeting point and had the biggest adventure/car chase of my life. Somehow, I had misunderstood the bus schedule and didn't catch a bus in time to get to the Plaza Mayor. So, I ended up taking a bus that went several stops too far and wandered aimlessly looking for a pay-phone before a woman pointed out where to get a taxi. I took the taxi to the meeting point but realized I was too late to get on the double-decker for our tour. I spotted the double-decker and yelled at the taxi to follow. We lost it after a while and I asked him to drop me at the beach instead where I'd seen a pay-phone. He told me not to worry about paying since I seemed so frazzled and to worry about finding my group instead. I called on the payphone and, rather than telling me where to find them, the professor told me my homework was to talk to some locals and get directions on my own. So I did and waited on the steps of the plaza for my group to walk by. I talked a bit with some locals before I spotted some of the other students and ran to catch up. They were all surprised I'd found them. Something I love about having a small group here is that we all watch out for each other and people are rarely left behind (aside from me that first day).

After that, the program has been a bit of a blur. Classes are intense but I'm definitely understanding more and more every day. I've seen enough cathedrals and mosques to last a lifetime and played a TON of beach soccer, ultimate frisbee, and volleyball.

THINGS I'VE LEARNED:


*When you ask a Spaniard to slow down when they talk to you, they talk just as rapidly. They do start waving their hands around though, as if that's going to make Spanish suddenly make sense.

*I know nothing about European history, especially Spain. But I'm more fascinated with it than I thought I'd be.

*Kristen Stewart does a much better performance when she's dubbed.

*The further North you go, the friendlier the people are. And the gents in Gijón are tops. I've had multiple taxistas and elderly people pat me on the shoulder or knee when I'm lost before giving me excellent directions.

*Sometimes when you're talking to someone in Gijón they are actually speaking Bablé or a mix of Bablé and Spanish. This made me a little insecure about my Spanish on more than one occasion when I couldn't understand a word people were saying at church.

CRAP I'VE EATEN:


*Octopus (it wasn't too bad, but definitely looked gross).

*Spanish Tortilla (it's actually more like an omelet with potatoes, even though I avoid eggs, I had to try a bite of it - according to my host mom)

*Blood Pudding (this was a pastry looking thing that I ate without knowing what it was. It tasted a little funny so I only ate half of one. Then I found out what it was. Unless it was fish blood, I've failed at being a vegetarian/pescatarian/whatever).

*Chocolate con Churros - best dessert ever! If you ask for hot chocolate here, you get the first half of this dish which has the same consistency as pudding. It's SUPER thick.

That's it for now, I'll try to put up more pictures, etc. later.

Here are a few:

In Gijón during our tour of the city.

The cathedral at Covadonga. It's said that the virgin appeared here.

This is a tiny sanctuary inside a cave at Covadonga.

I think this is the tomb of Rey Paleyo but I'm not positive. The writing on it is in a really old dialect.

Sidra - one of the drinks we see a lot in Asturias. And, yes, it's supposed to be poured like that.