Last Week in Salamanca

My days in Salamanca are drawing to a close...as are most likely my days in Spain itself. Although our initial plan was to move to Zaragoza following the cessation of Kent's classes, it looks like we are more than likely headed to Orange County. Ha! Who would have guessed? Not me!

Unfortunately, (and fortunately) I have become very accustomed to frequent changes in plan recently. Kent was told, with only 4 days notice, that he would have an extra two weeks of classes which he (and his fellow classmates) had no idea about. So we all had to cancel our hostel reservations and plane flights for the trips we had planned to take during those two weeks. It was a bummer, but at least the classes are good, and we can still take weekend trips.

Our getaway to Portugal on Wednesday could not have been planned worse. With no map and no directions, it took us 45 min. to find the highway that would take us out of Salamanca. Along the way, all of us realized that nobody knew the name of the hostel we had reserved in Figuera da Foz, and Kent "thought" he might know the address. To top it off, we accidently drove right past the ticket station on a toll road, so when we got to the end and didn't have a ticket, we were informed that we would have to pay a "tax" of almost 20 euro! Lesson learned...if you ever end up on a toll road to Portual, stop at the station labeled "Manual". Yes...manual. That's all it said, it's no wonder we passed it.

The frustrations of getting to Portugal, however, were definitely surpassed by the beautiful day that we spent there. The weather was perfect, sunny and warm. We all got a bit of a tan playing a contrived game that we now officially call 'sandball', involving 3 balls and 6 holes dug in the sand. We had an awesome lunch and a good long stroll through the city. It was really a wonderful escape from landlocked city of Salamanca. And with lessons learned, the trip home was achieved with much more grace and simplicity.

Over the weekend we crammed in a trip to San Sebastian to chill on the beach some more and do a little hiking to see views of the city. San Sebastian is easily one of the most beautiful cities in the world. With 3 beaches within walking distance, fabulous mountain scenery, and more bars and restaurants per area than any other city in Spain, this place really does have it all.
We also swung through Madrid on the way home to see Real Madrid play against Almeria. Real Madrid won the game 3-0. It was really invigorating to be in a stadium of that size. Soccer is so much more exciting in person!

Back in Salamanca we have decided to make it a point to try as much food as possible before we leave. Originally we had been avoiding the tapas bars, because we're just not used to eating...well...tapas! Being from a culture that eats a large dinner every night, we just weren't so keen on the idea of picking at a couple of appetizers and considering it a meal! But after having some of the best tapas I've ever eaten in San Sebastian, and having enough to actually fill me up, I thought we ought to give Salamanca another chance.

For this last week I'm aiming to try and soak up every last bit of every day here, trying new restaurants, sitting in the plaza soaking up the rays, drinking tinto veranos and calimochos, and playing my guitar...sounds good to me.

The falling of the Berlin wall was an accident?!

Berlin is a fabulous city. The hostels are all cheap and clean. The food and beer are delicious. The people all speak English, no German required! And they are super friendly. The subway takes you anywhere you wanna go (tickets are encouraged, but not required if you're lucky). The city tours are free. And the hot chocolate is made of real chocolate chunks melted in steamed milk...mmmm. You can walk anywhere in the city with a beer in your hand, this includes the subway. And there are no cats and the streets are made of cheese!

Ok, so I made up that last one, but really, we all had a great time there. I have only a few small complaints...we sat through a couple of not so interesting films, the weather was frightfully cold, and we witnessed an intoxicated and/or crazy girl piss on the floor of the train station only moments before sitting down to eat our fish and chips that we were purchasing only 2 meters away from her when it happened. Ugh...I don't think I can ever eat fish and chips again!

But anyway, let's change the subject!
The Reichstag is a really cool building. It now houses the parliament of Germany. When they rebuilt it after the war they added a dome on top of the room where members of parliament gather to...do whatever it is they do. The dome is open to the public from 9am to 10pm. So at any given moment during the day there are people walking around the ramp that leads to the top of the dome. I love the idea of it because it is a metaphor that is supposed to remind parliament that the people are "above" them, that they are there to serve the people.

Here are some photos of the the Reichstag, now and in the past:



This is what the building looked like after the war...not pretty.



This is what it looks like now.



And this is what it looked like after Christo and Jean-Claude got their hands on it...only for two weeks, but that's quite an accomplishment!



Now, our tour guide told us a really interesting story about how the Berlin wall fell. Apparently, it was not supposed to come down when it did. Unfortunately, for the DDR, their spokesperson got their facts mixed up and accidentally told a bunch of reporters (on live TV) that they were lifting all travel restrictions between east and west Berlin...effective immediately. Obviously, upon hearing this, the public was ecstatic, and the DDR was not happy. The people of east Berlin rushed to the wall and demanded to be let through. After a lot of pushing and bickering with the guards, they finally got through...they were greeted with hugs and kisses and free drinks from all the local pubs! There is a great video on youtube of this spectacular event...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSnkJXBq_dk

Check out the videos of people running through the gates and tearing down the wall too...there is so much emotion in these videos...so much happiness. This story reminds me of the power of words, and how they shape our history.



Here is a pic of Kent and I in front of a piece of the wall.

Segovia looks like a fairytale

Well, not much new going on, so I'll just post a few pictures. These are from our trip to Segovia...



The image that Segovia is known for, it's ancient Roman aqueduct. It really is very awesome in person.




I like this picture taken at the Palacio la Granja. The palace is like a miniature version of Versailles. And it is the definition of gaudy and excessive on the inside, but it was really cool to see.



Here is a picture of the palace itself.



We happened upon a group of Palestinian supporters protesting the Gaza conflict.



I still can't believe how beautiful this shot turned out. I gotta give props to Kent (my hubby). The lighting was so surreal, like something out of a fairytale. This is the cathedral in Segovia, by the way. It was quite a hike to get this view, but well worth it.



Another shot in the surrealist lighting, this one of the castle Alcazar.

Rebajas and Siestas

They say that the 'siesta' is dying out in Spain. Well, if it is, I haven't seen any signs of it in Salamanca. Yes, the siesta is alive and well in Salamanca, sometimes to my utmost annoyance and frustration. I am slowly becoming accustomed, but being an American who has never had to deal with the complete cessation of activity in the middle of the day, I feel the need to complain about this tradition.
Here are some examples of stores that close for siesta for 3 hours in the middle of the day (usually from 2pm-5pm):

Grocery stores
All retail shops including clothing, bargain stores, art supply stores, home goods, book stores...etc
Tobacco stores
Real estate offices
Cell phone stores
Banks
A lot(but not all) of restaurants

Now imagine that you are accustomed to running all your errands in the middle of the day, as I'm sure a lot of Americans are. This can become quite an obstacle. As I said, I'm getting used to it, but today I was particularly annoyed because I couldn't recharge my prepaid cell phone. I wasn't able to do it on their website because apparently you have to use your credit card to recharge your phone at an ATM first (for security reasons). So I went to the ATM, which denied me! I went to another one...denied there too. I couldn't figure out why, so I went on a search for a Vodafone store and yep, you guessed it...it was closed. So defeated, I went home, to wait. Half an hour later the Spaniards had finished eating and resting and went back to work. I think it should be mentioned that not many people actually sleep during siesta, they just take a little break.

Anyway, I finally got my phone charged, after a two hour long adventure. The nice man behind the counter informed me that I would not be able to use my American debit card to recharge my phone on the internet or at an ATM, I would have to get a Spanish one. Well, I don't know if I want to do that. I guess I'll just have to plan my phone recharges around 'siesta time'.


If they don't have a job to go back to after siesta, it seems like the typical Spaniard goes shopping instead, especially right now. It is a special time here in Spain. It is the season of Rebajas! Rebaja (which means markdown) season begins after the Dia de los Reyes and typically ends the first week of March. That's two months! That's like...two months of Black Friday! The deals are awesome. Well, they would be more awesome if the doller were stronger, but they're still pretty damn good. Every evening, from about 5pm to 9pm the streets are crowded with people lugging around large bags of purchases. They like to get all their shopping done before dinner starts at 10pm.
The best part about Rebajas is that they just keeping getting better with time. As the season wears on the prices get lower and lower and by the end, all the sale items are discounted by 70%-90%. Oh yeah, that's what I'm waiting for!

Vignettes

Well, it's been a while since I've written, and a lot has happened. Therefore, in order to avoid creating a long and drawn out description of the events that have taken place (which would be a waste of your time and mine), I've elected to just write some brief summaries. So first of all...

"The World Really IS Small!"
I never believed this until I met Morgan Campbell at Medievo in Salamanca, Spain. Medievo is an awesome spot btw--for four nights a week they have a special where you can drink as much cerveza, sangria, or calimocho as you want for only 4€!!
But anyway, that's not the point. What I'm getting at is that Morgan is from Camden, SC! A town with a population of about 7,000. And in case you didn't know, I grew up in Camden as well. Now what are the odds of us being in Salamanca at the same time?! I would really like to know that!

"Don't Take the Night Train"
Well, this title speaks for itself...unless of course you like pay an extra 25€ to (try to) sleep on the hardest mattress(?) you've ever slept on in your life with the flattest pillow(?) you've ever encountered. Unless you like to be forced into a horizontal position due to the fact that if you try and sit up, you'll hit your head on the bunk above you. Unless you like to be cramped into a cabin with 5 other people who snore, and talk, and come in and out, and eat smelly salami sandwiches. Unless you like to be freezing cold one minute and sweating bullets 5 minutes later. Unless you would like to live in these conditions for a total of 9 hours (3 hours more than you thought because your train is running late)...then please...heed my advice...take the day train.

"SALUD is awesome!"
'Salud' is the word that you will see on the side of a building that is one of many state-run hospitals and clinics. The only reason I have experience with a Salud hospital is because upon boarding the train to Zaragoza, I made the unfortunate discovery that I had left my antidepressants at home. We would only be gone for 2 days, but it worried me still. I normally don't disclose my medical history to strangers, but most of the people reading this blog already know my situation. The problem with taking antidepressants is that if you stop suddenly, the side effects can be very uncomfortable and range from headaches, dizziness, fatigue, and irritability.

So Kent, knowing that he would be the one who would have to deal with it, kindly suggested that we try and get a couple of pills just to tie me over until I got home. I agreed, so we went to a pharmacy. The friendly woman behind the counter pointed us in the direction of the 'Salud' emergency room. Wait...emergency room? "Wow" I thought, picturing a waiting room full of wounded people...I don't know if this is really that big of a deal. But our curiosity compelled us and we went anyway. To our relief, there was only one other person waiting. The woman at reception took my name, address, phone number and asked to see my passport. Not five minutes later I was talking to a doctor. I told him my situation and he said he would give me a couple to tie me over until I got home...and that was that! No charge. And I'm not even a citizen! The whole deal took about 30 minutes, and then we just walked out. Wow! And how much is an emergency room visit in the states again?


Well, I have more to write, but I will save it for another time. Thanks for reading everyone! Until next time...

Spanish children don't get excited for Christmas

Today was yet more proof that the Spaniards love their festivities. On the 6th of January Spain celebrates Three Kings Day, which is really just another continuation of the Christmas/New Year's Celebration.

On the night of the 5th Spaniards gather for a huge parade throughout their city to welcome the three wise men who brought gifts to baby Jesus. As the elaborately decorated floats pass by, children dressed up like middle eastern royalty throw handfuls of candy into the crowds. The children in the crowds then rush forward to gather up the goodies, which they quickly stash into large plastic bags as if they were trick-or-treating. Some of the adults did the same.

After the procession of 'Arabian nights vs. Willy Wonka' floats, the three wise men appear, each of whom looks like a cross between Aladdin and Santa Claus. They throw out yet even more candy leaving a trail of kids behind them, who pick at the ground like hungry chickens.

Fireworks and a balloon release ensue and then at around 9pm everyone is off to eat dinner, in true Spanish form.

What's so great about these kings is that they are the ones who bring the gifts to the Children of Spain. Saint Nick is just another jolly guy in a red suit. On Christmas day, children might receive a little 'stocking-stuffer' or the like, but the real gifts come after the kings arrive. Tonight they will put milk and biscuits under the Christmas tree for the wise men, and water for their camels. Supposedly they even put out their best pair of shoes to be filled with presents. Hmm...interesting.

I may have to put this little tradition to the test. Maybe the wise men will leave me a shoe full of the only gift that I think would fit into a shoe...euros!

Ringing in the New Year like Spaniards...or like tourists in Madrid

New Years in Madrid consists of a large mass of bodies that convenes in the Puerta del Sol in the city’s Centro area. If you happen to be within the midst of this ocean of people, you might see flashes of blue light-up sun glasses, the glow of rainbow jedi swords, and the reflection of these on the metallic multi-colored wig of the person standing in front of you. You will struggle to see over huge afro-wigs or bright orange Mohawks, all turned toward the tiny clock in the center of the plaza. Everyone around you will be holding in one hand, a little cup or bag of 12 grapes, to be eaten at the appropriate moment, in the other they will have a gargantuan plastic cup of champagne or beer (they don’t allow cans or bottles into the plaza). This may be your second, or third, time celebrating the New Year. You may have celebrated last night with the rest of the locals, or maybe at 12pm in the afternoon earlier that day, or maybe you have been celebrating the whole time, non-stop!
When the clock finally strikes twelve, you will hear 12 chimes, and after each you pop a grape into your mouth and wish for good luck in the new year. Or, if you’re like us, you will not hear the first 6 chimes and you’ll just start stuffing the grapes in your mouth 2 at a time. After this ritual is performed there is a great cheer, complete with confetti, fireworks, and a shower of grapes and champagne. If you’re lucky, you won’t be pushed to the ground by the river of Spaniards trying to leave the plaza after all is said and done.
Then you might buy a couple beers for a euro a pop from a little Chinese man selling them from a bag on the street and make your way over to the drum circle that has formed in the little plaza a couple blocks away. And maybe, if you’re like Kent, a team of 3 guys might surround you and start dancing weirdly; one of them shaking your pants legs while the other tries to steal your wallet from your back pocket. But you will breathe a sigh of relief because your wallet is in your front pocket and the fools ran off with your map of the city. But, you will be reminded to watch your back…and your front.