Survey of Spain

Sorry it’s been so long since I’ve written – this month has gone by so quickly I can’t believe it! I have a lot to catch up on, so unfortunately it’s going to be a long one. Ready?

Last time I wrote I was just beginning class in Salamanca. And now it’s over! Summer school was awesome because the teachers teach a little differently over here…it’s a lot more interactive and the classes are pretty small. By the end of the month I really didn’t have to study for my finals because I remembered everything we went over! Also I think ISA knows that, yes, we’re here to learn a new language and to experience a new culture, but everyone also wants to have a good time…so maybe they don’t make school very hard on purpose :) My classes in Salamanca were kind of scattered all around the little city so it was fun to get to walk around between each class. Most of the time, everywhere I went I saw people that I knew. We got to experience the history, language, and school in Salamanca, but we didn’t really get to experience much of the ‘people of Spain’ (other than our host families) because most people that normally live there leave in the hot summer months for vacation and such. The city was full of study abroad students and I made tons of friends from all over the world – but sadly not many from Spain. In my next program in Sevilla all of my classes are in the ISA office and not in an actual school, which is kind of a bummer, but at least the city will be bigger and filled with more Spanish people!

Our excursions last month included a weekend in Aveiro, Portugal and some time in Ávila and Segovia (Spain). When we got to Portugal it was rainy and kind of dreary outside, but it cleared up pretty quickly and we went on a beautiful gondola ride along the canal. Portugal is sometimes called the “Little Portuguese Venice” because the canals and buildings have an Italian-like feel. The second day that we were there was spent on the beach swimming in the freezing cold water and watching the boys in our group play soccer. It was so much fun – such a great relaxing day. 

Ávila is a city in Spain that’s pretty close to Salamanca and is also located in the Castilla y León community. It has beautiful and famous complete Romanesque medieval city walls and has many churches and cathedrals and a big statue of Santa Teresa. We spent the day walking around the city and had lunch at a little restaurant that had barrels for tables.

Segovia was our last excursion site for the Salamanca program and is very close to Ávila. In 1985 Segovia and its Roman Aqueduct were declared to be a part of World Heritage, which signifies a site of special cultural or historical significance. In such places as these, the community is asked to preserve the site, as they are “sites that belong to all the peoples of the world.” The Aqueduct was constructed around the early 2^nd century and its granite blocks are miraculously held together without mortar. We also visited the Alcázar of Segovia which is one of the most distinctive castles in Spain due to its unique shape. It is one of the most popular historical sites in Spain. Someone told me that the castle was used by Disney to model the Magic Kingdom castle at Disney World. They look very similar so I believe it! We walked up to the top of one of the towers – a spiral staircase that was NEVER ending – and at the top was the most beautiful view of the city. We also got to see the Segovia Cathedral, in the city square, which was built in late Gothic style and dedicated to the Virgin Mary. It is a magnificent building. 

The same day we went to see The Royal Palace of La Granja, located in the small town of San Ildefonso, which is not far from Segovia. The palace was built in a “restrained baroque style” and is surrounded by extensive French gardens with incredible decorative fountains that represent different mythological themes. The palace used to be used by the Kings of Spain as a summer residence and housed many events such as weddings, political events and state treaties, but it is now open to the public as a museum. We toured the building and then had free time to roam throughout the gardens. Only a couple of the fountains are currently active - all of them are turned on only twice a year during holidays. When they are, I was told that the gardens are filled with people and it’s an unforgettable show.

We had a farewell dinner the night before our last night in Salamanca with our group and with our directors. I had such a wonderful month getting to know everyone, both in my group and in my classes. I met some really incredible people that will forever be in my memory and hopefully some that will forever be in my life. I miss you guys all so much already and it wouldn’t have been such a great experience if it weren’t for each and everyone one of you. I wish you all the best of luck! :)

Our bus left Salamanca at 2am and we had a long overnight bus ride back to the airport in Madrid where I met my PARENTS! They flew up for a week to visit me in Spain and experience a little of the culture I’ve been living in. We went straight to the train station and caught a train to Sevilla (the trip is about 2.5 hrs by train / 6 hours by bus). Sevilla is the financial, artistic, historical and cultural capital of southern Spain, and is also where I will be living for the next 3 months. As soon as we got there we saw big signs that said “Welcome to the South!” (in Spanish, of course). That’s what I like to see!! We stayed in Santa Cruz, a big time touristy area, and got to see a Flamenco dance (which was spectacular) and tour the Alcázar. Sevilla is beautiful!! It has a very distinct culture and personality due to the multiple influences over the years – heavy Arabic influence and Moorish designs, lots of Jewish history (Santa Cruz area), Christian influence and of course, the Spanish Castillian influence. We took a long walk around the city and ate at a cute little restaurant by our hotel and took a paseo along the Guadalquivir River (the second longest in Spain, its name is Arabic and means “The Great River). 

After Sevilla we headed to Barcelona for a couple of days. The city of Barcelona is FILLED with tourists and touristy things and all the signs are first in Catalán, second in Spanish and third in English. The culture seems to be more “European” rather than really Spanish.  It was tons of fun and is a beautiful and exciting city, but I’m very glad I decided to study in Sevilla instead (for a place to live, I like the feel of Sevilla a lot better). We stayed at the Hotel Continental which is right on Las Ramblas, a stretch of multiple streets that lead you from the central Plaça de Catalunya to the giant Columbus monument at the harbor. According to Rick Steves’ it is supposed to be one of the best places to people watch in the world. We definitely enjoyed sitting high up on our hotel balcony and looking at all the strange outfits, hairstyles, costumes, performers, and our never ending quest to find someone being pick-pocketed (and we DID find a pick-pocketer, I know it, but we didn’t get to catch him in the act). While there we visited some of Antoni Gaudí’s famous works, including Park Güell and the giant Sagrada Família Temple, which is one of the most visited monuments in Spain. Both have such a unique style and perspective and I enjoyed every minute exploring them. Gaudí took a lot of his inspiration from nature, so both the park and the temple have great curvature, beautiful stained glass and vibrant colors, and giant arching and sloping ceilings. We spent our last night eating pizza and drinking a little wine and talking and watching the tangle of people sweep down Las Ramblas – it was one of my favorite nights of the trip thus far :)

After Barcelona we went back to Madrid for a few days so my parents could see a little bit of the capital of Spain. I have really enjoyed both times I have been in Madrid. It is a very big city but parts of it have a small town feel…if anyone is looking for a place to study in Spain, Madrid is definitely one of the places I would recommend. There is so much history and beauty there. My parents went to see the Royal Palace the day after we arrived but I had already been there (and am going again in a couple of weeks) so I decided to stay behind and sleep in a little. Later we went and saw the Temple Debod (but missed the open hours so we just walked around it) and walked through the Almudena Cathedral, which is right next to the Palace. This was the second time I had seen the Cathedral (but first time I had been in it) and I noticed this time that they had recently added some Moorish-style rounded sculptures to the top of the steeples on part of the building. It was easy to tell that they were new because they were pure white and stood out compared to the rest of the building. This begs the question – How different are these buildings that we’re seeing now than they were when they were actually built? So many have been remodeled time and time again with different influence and different creative ideas. The perspective of history is ever changing.

My parents left early Saturday morning to catch their flight and I got to sleep in a little and eat breakfast and then I took the Metro to the train station and caught a train back to Sevilla to meet my host family. With map in hand, I walked from the train station to the home. What an adorable home it is!! And the family is incredible. They’re so kind and welcoming and make me feel so comfortable here. I have been here for 5 days now and my Sevilla program doesn’t start for two more weeks, so I get to sleep in every day and take long walks and I have plenty of time to relax. There’s a lot more to see here than in Salamanca and often times I’ll just walk and walk and get myself lost and then use the map to find my way back. I’m actually learning the city quite well that way! Today I bought a train ticket to go to the beach on Saturday (a round trip ticket is surprisingly inexpensive) and then next week I’m going to stay with some friends for a few days at the Costa del Sol in Málaga. It’s going to be a great couple weeks of vacation :)

Now that I am around internet I should be able to update this a little more frequently. I miss everyone back home and hope all is well!

<3 Ariel