Mí última fin de :(

It's so unbelievably unimaginable to think that this is already my last weekend in Cáceres. I've been so blessed throughout this whole semester with wonderful Iowa Staters, a sweet-as-pie host mom, and great and very compatible roommate, passionate instructors, amazing Spanish friends, and an internship with the best boss I could ask for and wonderful residents for whom to care.
This last week of classes flew by, and Friday morning found me in my last Spanish 330 literature class. Profesor Bernal has been so great to have class with. He is so passionate about teaching, and his love for what he does radiates through the classroom and spreads to all of it. Only the best teachers can take pieces of Spanish literature that are hundreds of years old and make them understandable, relatable, and even enjoyable. He ended class on Friday morning with a beautifully written story about a mother taking her oldest daughter to her first day of school. The story ends with the mother leaving her daughter in the classroom, with a big A written on the board-- the beginning of learning, of literature, of education. He related it to us coming here, and to that with this last class comes an end to our studies in Spain, but a beginning to our relationship with each other and with him.
Friday afternoon was spent at la Trufa, studying with Angélica, Luke, Taylor Anne, and Hannah. With the end of the semester comes ungodly amounts of essays due, as well as making arrangements and getting ready to leave. Friday night found me absolutely unable to sleep and in the midst of one of my rare, but intense anxiety attacks. I was overwhelmed by the sadness of leaving, the amount of work I have left to do before I go, the thought of packing and dragging all my crap through five countries, and the thought of coming home to my real life; coming back home to school, to work, to early morning fitness class, to family drama, and to facing my future. After about two hours of sleep I gave up, got up out of bed, and started doing homework. As I crossed things of my page-long to-do list, I started to feel better and capable of dealing with life. Angélica and I took a break from studying and went to take advantage of some salon services while we're still here-- most services, like waxing, cost less then half of what they do back home, so we pampered ourselves a little bit while we could afford to do. We headed over to Manometro, our favorite bar, for a drink before heading home. As always, our favorite waiter, Pepe, was there to welcome us. I'm going to miss him, his signature wink, and all of the free drinks we end up with thanks to him! After going home for homework and lunch, I ended up back at Manometro again to study with other people in our group, and then we decided we'd had enough and went to Chocolat for some delicious goodness and some fun group time. On the way home we ran across a march protesting racism. I didn't realize that was a problem here-- there's not really a whole lot of diversity here in Cáceres-- but I've learned that Spaniards will raise their voices in protest at any chance they get. After getting home last night it was time to settle back in for some studying. Sadly, we had absolutely no plans to do anything but study and write papers on our last Saturday night in Spain. That didn't last long though. My phone started ringing with calls from Andrew and Jess, imploring us to come out, and next thing you know, it's midnight and Angélica and I are getting dressed and heading out to the bars to meet up with some of the others who were out. I'm so glad we did! We started off at Divina Comedia and ended up at la Habana, dancing into the morning. You know it's been a good night if I wind up on the dance floor!
Today brings more homework to do and papers to write-- I have two to go and one test to study for before I am done with all scholarly obligations here. Tonight we're headed out for churros and then a goodbye dinner with our favorite Spanish girls. Tears will be shed, without a doubt. I can't express how much these girls mean to me and how good they've been to us while we've been here. Going to miss them, sin duda! I'm glad we'll have this last time with all of us together.
A couple things I've forgotten to mention... we got a new host sister, Tina, from Belgium. Super sweet girl! Also, it's been cold and rainy ALL week, and will be until after we leave. This type of weather is not normal here, so we've come to the conclusion that Spain is crying for us. Ha. Just a reflection of how we're all feeling about leaving.

Festival de San Jorge

The festival of San Jorge last night went beyond my expectations-- I guess I should've expected it, because Spaniards always know how to through a party. Here's a bit of the story (fictitious) behind San Jorge:
San Jorge was a victorious Christian knight in the wars between the Christians and the Moors. This part of the story is entirely true. Here comes the not so true part... In Cáceres at this time there was a dragon; some say he had as many as seven heads. The dragon kept raiding the city, eating everything in site, people included. It was a dangerous time for the pueblo. They knew they couldn't go on with this danger and uncertainly forever, so they made a deal with the dragon. They sent the dragon to live up on top of the mountain, and every day a lovely young maiden, drawn at random, had to go up and feed the dragon. Sounds like a good deal, right? The problem was, the dragon would not just eat the food, he'd eat the maiden too. The townspeople begged the king to put an end to this, to find some way to kill the dragon. But the king refused, because this situation was working. Working for everyone except the young maidens. Time went on, and every day another maiden was eaten by the dragon without the king batting an eye. Then one day, they drew the name of the unlucky lady, and it was the king's daughter, the beautiful princess of Cáceres. Suddenly, the king was not so content with the situation. He refused to let his daughter die as the victim of the dragon. The town's people revolted against the king-- their daughters had not been spared, so neither should the king's be! The king sent out a cry for help in a desperate attempt to save his daughter before mealtime. San Jorge heard this plea, came riding in on his white horse, and rode up the mountain. A battle ensued, and San Jorge came out as victor over the dragon and savior of Cáceres.
Last night in the plaza, costumed interpretive dancers acted out the Christian and Muslims wars and the story of San Jorge. Upon the Christian victory, a fireworks show began over the plaza, which is an unbelievably beautiful setting for fireworks. Right at the firworks were ending,  the dragon (which was on the steps of the ayuntamiento/city hall) burst into flames, symbolizing the victory of San Jorge. After the show there was also a giant hunt in the old quarter for a hidden chicken, full of 300 euros, and its eggs, each worth 50 euros.

Also, entirely unrelated... I forgot to mention in my last post that a group of about 15 of us went out for dinner and the movies on Friday night. We went and saw the Hunger Games-- what an awesome movie! I think I'll be reading the books before too long :)

Life Since Semana Santa

The past two weeks since coming home from spring break have been crazy! Full of school, my internship, and lots of fun (including one night where Cassidy, David, and Marta played guitar in the plaza while a few others of us sat and listened and sand). Also a bout of the flu last weekend, but I'd like to forget about that. Yuck. This weekend is the Festival of San Jorge, a made-up saint the Cáceres celebrates every year. Last night I struck out solo and went to watch las tunas, different groups of professors who sing and dance in traditional style, traditional robes included. I ended up spending the whole evening with a middle-aged couple I met from Burgos, who took it upon themselves to take me in and keep me company. I left the evening with an open invitation to go to Burgos, which I might take them up on some day. Today Cassidy and I are heading over to Clara's to hang out, and then tonight there's a parade, fireworks, and the burning of the dragon as part of the festival. We don't have school tomorrow because it's San Jorge, which makes this a 5-day weekend for this girl. No complains there. It's hard to believe that this will be my last full week here in Cáceres-- it's something I still have mixed feelings about. It's going to fly by. I am really excited to go back to England after this, though. John (my grandma's cousin's husband, who we stayed with last summer) has been emailing me, and he and Christine are really excited to have Grandma and I there. They also rented us a chalet in Wales that overlooks an estuary. It sounds like it's pretty secluded, and I think it should be nice to have a few days of absolute relaxation.
In other news, lately at my internship we've had a lot of people who have passed away, which has given me great opportunities to work with not only the dying people, but also with their families. And every time I get to do this, I feel something inside of me telling me that this is what I want to do with my life. I love being there in that moment of people's lives, and giving comfort when they need it most. It's given me a lot to think about in regards to my future, because end-of-life cares and mortuary science it always what I end up feeling that I meant to do.
A few other things... I picked up a legitimate schedule at work once I come home, so I'll have relatively normal hours now instead of working all different shifts all the time and switching back and forth, which should be a nice change. I'm also thinking I'm going to have to drop my independent study. I have not had near sufficient time to get through Don Quijote and still get things done for school and my internship and have at least a little bit of a social life. Uff da. Such a stressful decision!

Semana Santa 2012, Part 2

Where was I? Oh! Amsterdam. Oh, Amsterdam. Easily my favorite city on our trip. We spent Tuesday morning walking around the city, going in and out of shops (delicious cheese shops, and flower shops full of tulips!) and admiring the canals and row houses. We walked down to the IAMsterdam sign to take pictures, and then headed back towards the train station to meet up with the Sandeman's free tour group. Our tour guide was awesome, and snuck us into her group even though it was already full. We toured the Red Light District and learned a lot of the history behind it, and walked through the rest of the city learning about Amsterdam and the mentality of the people who live there. Abby and I snuck out of the tour early and headed to the Anne Frank House. It was unbelievable to actually be in the place where Anne was hidden away for over two years, and it was moving to go through and see everything. Thinking of what Anne's father Otto must have been through as the only survivor of his family has always broken my heart, and reading his quotes and watching videos of him speak moved Abby and I to tears. As with every city I go to, I'm glad to have experienced some of the history behind the Amsterdam. After the Anne Frank House, Abby and I stuck together for the evening and walked along the canals, just admiring the city. Once it got late enough we headed over to the Red Light District, which is a lot different at night than during the day. Seeing all the women working their windows was an experience, for sure... still not sure how I feel about that one. Ha. It started to rain after awhile, so Abby and I headed back to the hostel and called it a night. As a side note, Abby and I were really proud of each other for finding our way around the city all by ourselves the majority of the day. :)

Wednesday morning we were off to Cologne, Germany. Walking out of the train station we were greeted by the sight of the 2nd largest cathedral in the world. So impressive! After dropping our stuff off at the hostel (a very hippy sort of place), we headed back out to wonder around the city and made our way down to the Rhine. We stopped at a friendly little bar, where a middle-aged man quickly became our friend and talked to us about Germany over beer. He recommended a jazz club for us to go to, and then we headed out and left him to go get supper. After supper we went to the jazz club he told us about, and I'm so glad we did! It was such a cool, cozy place with awesome live music! It's the oldest jazz club in Germany. We sat in the balcony enjoying the music and drinks, and before we knew it, the waitress came up with free drinks for us, courtesy of the man we'd met at the other bar earlier. He was at the jazz club too! As we kept watching the performers and enjoying the music, and old man in a pinstripe suit and and bowler cap made his way up the balcony. He had roses for all of us ladies! What a sweetie! He stayed up there and talked to Taylor Anne and I for awhile, and took pictures with us and gave us his address so we could write him. The next morning we decided to rent bike and ride along the Rhine river. What an awesome choice! We rode down to the Lindt chocolate factory, and then kept riding along the river out of town. (*side note, I've been to/on a lot of rivers that I'd only ever dreamt about: the Thames, the Seine, the Danube, the Rhine... I'm one lucky girl!). We stopped along the banks of the river to skip rocks in the Rhine and draw in the sands, and then headed back towards the city on our bikes, singing Sound of Music the whole time (hey, we were close enough to Austria, right?). We rode into the city to go through their central park area, and stopped and played at a playground. We might be college students, but there is something innately fun about playgrounds, especially German ones! If anyone made playgrounds as fun/dangerous as that in America, they'd be sued. I was a big fan of the zip line. After we turned our bikes in, we had lunch (best french fries ever) and then headed to the cathedral, which was just as impressive inside as it was outside. Absolutely gorgeous. After than Abby and I headed back to our hostel and stopped at a grocery store along the way-- we were going to have a 'family' dinner that night. That night, with a little help from Taylor Anne, I made a spaghetti dinner for everyone and we sat around our hostel just relaxing and enjoying each other.

The next morning our big, happy family split up and Jess, Andrew S., and I hopped on the train bound for Vienna, Austria. The train ride was 8 hours long, and every minute of it was gorgeous. The German and Austrian countryside was so green and gorgeous, the river was full, and the fields were planted. Speckled with little cottages all along the way, it was very quaint. Our hostel in Vienna was a pleasant surprise-- the first word that popped into my head was swanky. Super, super, super nice. I'll give myself a pat on the shoulder for picking that one out. It was already a little late when we got into Vienna, so we went and had dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and then had a few drinks at an Irish pub before calling it a night. We started off the next morning by heading to Naschmarkt, a big, outdoor food and flea market. So cool! It was so much fun to walk through and to see everything. And the food market was an olive-lovers heaven, made just for me I'm pretty sure. After that we headed to Cafe Kawelka, which is decked out with artwork by many famous artists who used to trade art for food there. After that we headed to the music hall, which is an interactive music museum exploring the musical history of Vienna. We then walked around the city, seeing all of the palaces and other historic buildings, like the opera house. The boys wanted schnitzel for supper, and there was a famous place right down the street from our hostel, so we headed back that direction. Such typical German cuisine! And German beer! No complaints there. We were so full we couldn't hardly move after supper, we found a bar with a couch, and chilled out there until we were finally ready to move on. We walked back through the palace complex and headed to the Bermuda Triangle-- the main bar area. We found a bar that was't too busy and looked pretty cool, plus it was happy hour, so we decided to go in for drinks. Within an hour the bar transformed entirely-- it was packed, standing room only, full of people on the dance floor, and definitely the place to be that night. So we danced the night away, and I met a guy from Kyrgyzstan who took a keen interest in dancing with me. Jess and Andrew pulled me away from him eventually-- we had to get back to our hostel because we had a flight to catch in a couple of hours. It wasn't worth going to bed back at the hostel, and after showering and chilling out for a bit, it was time to leave.
We took a plane from Vienna to Valencia (it was nice to be back there again, even just for a few hours), then the AVE (high speed train) from Valencia to Madrid, where  we stumbled upon the rest of our travel group on their way home, too. And then finally from Madrid to Cáceres. So good to be back home!

Semana Santa 2012, Part 1

I suppose it's about time to fill you all in on my spring break, and seeing that I've had the flu all weekend and still lack the energy to get out of bed, I guess now is as good a time as any to blog a bit.
I'll start foremost by saying that this spring break was the trip of a lifetime, beyond what I could've imagined. There were many times where I had to stop and remind myself that this really is my life, that it was all really, truly happening. There's too much to sum up in a blog, and most of it has to be experienced to be appreciated, so I'll try to keep this simple.
We left Cáceres early Friday morning (the 30th) and took a train to Madrid, and from there we took another train to Barcelona. Andrew G., Jess, and I took and earlier train to Barcelona, so we were able to spend all afternoon walking through the city and down to the harbor and the train station. Barcelona is a neat place, and I appreciated it a lot more this time (as opposed to when I spent a 100+  degree weekend there last summer). That night we took the overnight train to Paris. It was a 12+ hour train ride, and I was lucky enough to get one of the train hotel rooms, which I shared with three other women. A little awkard, but a comfortable way to spend the ride.
Our first day in Paris was awesome. Abby signed us up for a free walking tour, which was awesome. I loved seeing the city and learning all of the history at the same time. That night went went and drank wine on the lawn outside the Eiffel Tower. After sitting there awhile Taylor Anne, Christina, Andrew G., and I decided to climb up the tower. It was so worth every last step. The view from the top at night is amazing. When we came back down Luke and Abby were gone, along with our wine, so we bought some champagne and watched the light show that happens every hour. Right as the light show ended, a cop came up to us and started speaking to us in French. By the confused looks on our faces I think he could tell we didn't understand, so he asked us if we spoke English, to which ALL four of us simultaneously replied, "Sí!" It was hilarious, as was the look on his face. He was not very happy with us and went on in broken English for awhile about how we were doing something forbidden. I was pretty convinced that we were in trouble for drinking in public. But as it turns out, we were trespassing (along with a lot of other people), and weren't actually allowed to sit in the lawn of the Eiffel Tower. Oops! Totally worth breaking the law for, though :)

The next morning Abby and I decided to meet her brother and his friend and head out to Versailles for the day. Abby and I got to the meeting point at St. Michael Fountain a little early, and since it was freezing and windy we decided to have a cup of coffee. We found out afterwards that two cups of coffee cost 11.40 euros! Lesson learned, don't drink coffee outside of famous French monuments. Once her brother and his friend got there we took the train out to Versailles, which is bigger than I could've imagined, and unbelievably ornate, inside and out. When we got back into Paris we met up with Jess and Andrew S., at the Arc d' Triumph, where we ended up seeing some important official ceremony, complete with a band and everything. After that we walked down the Champs Elysees and through to the park area, enjoying some crepes along the way, before deciding to take the metro out to the Moulin Rouge and the Red Light District. Holy sex shops and forward men! Even with Jess and Andrew right next to me I got followed down the street, back up it, and into the metro a few stops by two creepers. Uff da. Anyways, just being down in that area was quite the experience. And we found a great little bar with live music that we sat and enjoyed for awhile too. Jess and I went on a walk that night after we got back to our hostel and got mistaken for a French couple by a sweet old man asking for directions, which we just had to laugh at.

The next morning we left Paris, taking the train through northern France and Belgium on our way to Amsterdam. We made a few stops at little towns, and we stopped in Antwerp, Belgium long enough to wonder a bit around the city and eat authentic Belgium waffles, which were delightful. The train rides all day were great, too. So much beautiful scenery! It was nice to be reminded that green grass and trees still exist (because they really don't in Spain). We got into Amsterdam that evening and, after finding our hostel, strolled the streets and found a place to eat kebabs, some of the greatest food known to man, as I've become convinced this semester. After that, Jess, Andrew S., and I went to a 'coffee shop,' where they don't actually sell coffee... we had a good time there until they closed, and then went back to the hostel to rest up for our main day in Amsterdam the next day.

I have definitely not been a very faithful blogger as of late. I suppose it has something to do with being generally busy the vast majority of the time.
Two weeks ago Mom and Davina came for spring break. How awesome to see them! I picked them up at the bus station that Sunday night and after a few drinks in the Plaza Mayor, I let them get some rest. We spent Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday seeing the sights of Cáceres. Most of Monday consisted of touring the old part of the city, which is absolutely beautiful and unique. I also introduced mom and Davina to Manometro. My favorite waiter wasn't there :( but when we were about to leave the owner gave us a free round of beer (our fifth of the evening, uff da). When my mom asked why he said it's because I come there so much. Hahahaha. Gotta love being a regular. On Tuesday Isabel served lunch for all of us, and it was very cool to see my real mom meet my host mom. Isabel made my favorite foods for Mom and Davina-- garbanzo stew, tortilla de patata, fresh tomatoes, peppers, and onions, and of course, pan and fruit. Isabel was the happiest I'd seen her in a long time-- it's been a rough past month or so for her. She takes great joy and pride in serving people, and it's obvious to see that her fame for cooking is well deserved. After lunch she pulled out the traditional holy week head dress that women here wear, and both mom and Davina got to try it on. This particular one is antique, and Isabel wore it when she was young, too. After we wrapped things up at Isabel's mom, Davina, and I climbed up the mountain. The weather was nice and hot the whole time they were here, and it was perfect weather to get a tan that day :) We enjoyed some drinks at the bar at the top, and then watched the sunset over Cáceres. Wednesday morning found me in class, and Mom and Davina walked to campus to check out where I go to school. We walked to the train station that afternoon to buy tickets to Madrid, and then spent the rest of the evening relaxing and savoring their last night in Cáceres. I also introduced them to La Guinda that day. Needless to say, they loved it... so much that they made us go twice! Best pastries in the world <3
Thursday we headed off to Madrid. We got there midday, and after a big meal of paella and sangria, we went to the Prado and the Parque de Retiro. The Prado gets me everytime-- Velázquez, Goya, Picasso, Renoir, Rembrandt, Monet, el Greco... so many works of great artists all in one place. We devoted Friday morning to the Royal Palace, then had sangria en la Plaza Mayor before moving on to Puerta del Sol. We found a great Indian restaurant in a sketchy neighborhood. It was definitely a hole-in-the-wall, but so cheap and so good! Saturday was an early morning, as mom and Davina had to get to the airport and fly out. We parted ways in the metro. I was kind of sad to see them go, but so glad they came. In the past three years we've been to Haiti, England, and Spain together, and I feel like I've grown a lot closer to both of them, especially my mom.
This past week in Cáceres has been a lot of playing catch-up on things I didn't do while Mom and Davina were here and things I need to get done before spring break (which is coming up soon and I can't wait!!!). A few highlights: snuggling lots with Guillermo, La Guinda and Manometro with Tiffani, Cassidy, and Angélica Thursday night, going and seeing The Vow in theaters with a big group of ISU girls and Spanish girls (such an awesome movie-- Channing Tatum stole my heart!), and going out to Oxigeno for drinks on Saturday night. Not so enjoyable parts of the week: being sick and spring forward. But hey, it happens. And considering everything good I've got going on here, no complaints :)

Tortitas

Thursday night we had a girls night at Estefania's house. There were four Spanish girls and four of us American girls. The plan? To make pancakes. The Spaniards were SO excited to make them and try them for the first time-- just like they see people eat on TV (they watch a lot of American TV shows and movies here). They all took turns flipping pancakes for the first time too. It was funny to see how nervous they were to do it, but they all did surprisingly well. Maple syrup is essentially non-existent in this country (although in my search I did stumble across a half litre of syrup that cost 26 euros!), so we bought lots of jams, chocolate syrup, and peanut butter to top our pancakes with. I also made some make-shift syrup like my mom used to do when we would run out-- brown sugar and white sugar dissolved in water. It turned out pretty good. And the pancakes were awesome too! Soooooo delicious. And to top it all off, unbeknownst to me, everyone had planned this get together at as a belated surprise birthday party for Tiffani and me. When we walked into the living room it was covered in balloons, and Tiffani and I were both adorned with crowns. What sweet friends I have :)

Friday marked the beginning of my three day weekend which, with the exception of some internship stuff, I have devoted entirely to working through Don Quixote and to napping. I also had some credit card issues that I had to work out last night. Even though I contacted my bank and both of my credit card companies before I left, they no longer had a travel record for me, and so all my accounts had been frozen and entirely unaccessible since last week, although I had used them before without issue. Apparently there are quite a few of us having this problem. Anyways, I had three plane tickets on my credit card and couldn't pay them off due to lack of access to my account. Scary, considering that could really tank my credit score. And the phone numbers that Visa and MasterCard gave me didn't work from Spain, even with an exit code. So, Mom to the rescue! I Skyped her, and while we were skyping she called my credit card companies, who I talked to on her phone via Skype. Talk about a complicated process. But everything got worked out! Hooray! 

La Guinda (my favorite bakery) tonight, along with working at the Catholic nursing home and maybe going to a 90s hip hop bar with Jess, and then working more on Don Quixote all day tomorrow until I go pick up mom and Davina from the bus station. I'm so excited to see them!!! 

The girl who speaks to God

So, I figured blogging a tad would be a good way to avoid homework a little longer. So here's a few random things that don't really fit into any other blog.
-I adore older people in general, and the ones that I work with here are no exception. In addition to calling me Marisol, they also call me 'buenamoza,' which is an antiquated phrase meaning attractive young lady. It also seems to imply something about being grand in stature, as well. I literally get called buenamoza at least 50 times a day. Today I was also called 'la que habla con dios,' which came along with an upwards speaking hand gesture. I was at the Catholic nursing home, and the table I was serving at the time informed me that this means I'm so tall that I can talk to God because my head is basically right up next to them. Adorable, right?
-My host mom always tells me that I have 'una boquita de oro.' Literally: a mouth of gold. Figuratively: I'm a good eater. Really, my mom's just an awesome cook. I have eaten everything she's put on my plate. Every last bite.
-I bought my eurail pass for spring break today! It's coming up SO fast and I can't wait!
-Mom and Davina are coming on Sunday. Yet another thing I'm really excited for. I really think they'll love it here. Then next Thursday we'll leave Madrid and spent a couple of days there before they leave. I'm so grateful to have had so many awesome opportunities to travel with Mom and Davina!
-My sister will be on the same continent as me for two weeks, starting today! Lucky duck!
-I put my class schedule together for the summer and fall. Two classes in the mornings during the summer, and then 4 classes Tuesdays/Thursdays during the fall. The end is in sight! And it actually makes me want to stay at ISU longer!
-I'm kind of drowning in homework, required internship hours, and readings for my independent study. So I should probably start working on that now...

Feelin' a little Hungary...

Wow. How to describe last weekend? Budapest was amazing beyond words, but I'll do my best to recap it here.
We all met Thursday at noon to take the bus to Madrid, where we were flew out from. We flew Wizz Air (one of Europe's many low-cost airlines) and spent the majority of our time in the Barajas airport worrying about getting all of our carry-ons on the plane without them having to be checked... they are very strict about carry-on luggage. But we all made it! And we flew off to Budapest without a hitch in a pink plane. We were all so excited by the time we got to Hungary that on the shuttle on our way to the hostel, all we could do was say "Oh my gosh, guys, this is Hungary!" "That's a Hungarian road!" "That's a Hungarian sign!" "That's a Hungarian building!" First things first, when we got to the airport we had to withdraw forints (Hungarian money) from the ATMs. There a 222 forints in 1 US dollar, so we were working in hundreds and thousands with everything we bought this weekend, which definitely made the best of my math skills.

Once we got to our hostel it was pretty late and we had to run to a 0-24 shop (basically a 24 hour convenience store of sorts) to break our bills down and pay for our hostel rooms. Our hostel was super sketchy and a tad smelly... I shared a room with Taylor Anne and and Andrew, and we spread our sweatshirts and clothes over the top of the beds so we wouldn't be directly on the pillow or comforter. But heck, we were in Hungary, so we were happy anyways.
After breakfast at our hostel Friday morning (Friday, March 2nd, 2012, AKA: MY 21ST BIRTHDAY!!!!) we headed out and walked to Hero's Square and the park on the Pest side of of Budapest. The city was beautiful, and the street the we happened to walk down was full of embassies from all over the world. Hero's Square is a beautiful, large square with monuments, and behind it is a park with and a beautiful palatial complex. We strolled through the park and bought mulled wine and large, bready pretzels from a street vendor. We stopped and sat along the moat of the castle to enjoy the hot wine and pretzels. On our walk back towards the hostel we stopped and spent a few hours at the Terror Museum. As it turns out, Hungary was essentially a pawn during WWII, first for Germany and then for Russia. When Germany was in charge, they tortured and killed all of the Hungarian communists. When Communist Russia took over, they did the same to the Hungarian fascists. It was a bad situation all around. The building that the museum was in was the actual place in which much of the killing and torturing took place. It was a really somber experience, but I think it was good to learn a little bit more of the history behind Budapest.
After a quick lunch at Starbucks and some free time at our hostel, we were ready to go out for the night. Jenny, Alix, Alice and I decided to spend part of the evening on a river cruise down the Danube with drinks and live music. What a good choice! Evening along the Danube is gorgeous-- it was dark and all of the beautiful buildings (such as parliament and the castle district) were lit up. As if it couldn't get any better, the girls had the string trio (which included a world-famous violinist) come up and serenade me for my birthday. They played a pretty rendition of 'Happy Birthday' and then played an upbeat, traditional Hungarian song. As I sat there enjoying the champagne, the music, the setting, and my friends I couldn't help but thinking about how truly, truly blessed I am. I could never have dreamed of spending my 21st in such a wonderful way.
After our cruise we met back up with Andrew, Katie, and Taylor Anne and searched for dinner. We didn't find the Hungarian restaurant we were looking for, but we ended up in an awesome Italian restaurant. After that we went to Szimpla Kertmozi, which, according to Lonely Planet, is the third best bar in the world. I'd really like to see how two others beat it out, because it was probably one of the coolest places I've seen, located in the ruins of an old Communist building.
First thing Saturday morning we walked back towards Hero's Square and went to the thermal baths. They were beyond beautiful and elegant, and consisted of outdoor pools heated naturally to varying temperatures, encircled by gorgeous, antiquated buildings. Such a fun, relaxing experience-- something truly Hungarian and very typical of Budapest. On our way back we stopped and had Indian food for lunch. SOOOOO delicious! I tried Paneer Tikka Masala for the first time and fell in love. Afterwards we were so full we had no choice but to take a little siesta. That evening we walked across the river to the Danube side of Budapest, which is where the castle district is located (aka: Hogwarts). That part of the city is elevated, so once we climbed up the hill we got to look across the river and see the sunset over the entire city. And then the lights came on, and the city from that view was incandescently beautiful. We spent the evening taking our time and enjoying the sights of Buda at night. We then went to an authentic Hungarian restaurant, which was delicious. As we walked back down the hill towards Pest, with arms linked, Alix, Andrew, and I started singing Save Tonight... it seemed fitting. If only that night and our time in Budapest could've lasted forever.

We went back to the bar again that night, but were so exhausted that we went to bed by 12:30. Sunday morning we strolled around the area near our hostel a bit, but had to be ready to leave by noon. After a plane ride back to Madrid followed by a train, we got back into Cáceres at about 2:00 in the morning. And it felt like coming home.
Now I'm back to real life a while. My internship is going really well, and I already have my 'favorite' residents. This week the ladies have begun vying for my attention, and all of them keep giving me little gifts to win me over. It's adorable. I've also still be working with the nuns, and am truly enjoying that. Also, being back home makes me realize how much I love my host mom, Isabel. So thankful for all of the awesome people here!

Córdoba y Granada

This past weekend our group went on a trip to Granada and Córdoba, historic cities in southern Spain. We left early Friday morning and arrived in Granada that afternoon. We went to the el capilla real (the royal chapel), where Ferdinand and Isabel are buried. It was small and relatively unadorned because when Ferdinand and Isabel designed it they wanted to appear humble before their God. We also wentto the cathedral attached to it, which was built by their grandson Carlos V and was large and beautiful. Afterwards we made our way to one of the highest points in Granada, where we watched the sunset over the Alhambra, with the peaks of the Sierra Nevadas in the background. It was an indescribably beautiful view.
The next day was dedicated to visiting La Alhambra. We were there for hours, but easily could've spent days there. It's an unbelievably huge, and is ornate down to every last detail. Again, something you have to experience, because my words aren't sufficient to describe it. After la Alhambra, we had some free time for lunch in town, where Abby, Lauren, and I ate authentic kebabs. So delicious! We also go to walk around Granada a little bit. It's a beautiful city and it's clearly been shaped by a combination of both Spanish and Arabic culture.
Next up was Córdoba. We got there Saturday evening and enjoyed shopping, sangria, tapas, and free time. I roomed with Cassi that night, which was a lot of fun, and I also blew my first fuse (literally) in our hotel room. Oops!
Sunday morning we went to Medina, ruins of an ancient city that was built by Arabs hundreds of years ago. It was an impressive city, and interestingly enough only stood for 80 years before being sacked by another band of Arabs who thought that the opulence of the city was sacrilegious. We had a fantastic lunch back in Córdoba (pisto!!! and some of the best bread I've ever eaten, steaming hot) before visiting the meszquita, our last stop of the day. La meszquita is one of the oldest remaining mosques, and also houses a cathedral inside. Gorgeous.
It's good to be back in Cáceres-- it felt like coming home last night when we came back. Busy busy week this week full of homework and internship stuff before heading to Budapest on Thursday. I also start volunteering at Sisters of the Poor tonight, feeding supper to elderly people who can't feed themselves. Should be interesting!

I was going to dedicate a blog to last weekend in Cádiz, but I think it's easiest to sum the weekend up with a simple equation. Carnaval in Cádiz = Halloween down Welch + VEISHEA x infinity. It was a lot of fun to see everyone dressed up and to experience all of the celebrations, to hear the chirigotas (satirical singing groups), and to be down on the Mediterranean again.
I had a great experience Monday at my internship, and got to help evaluate residents individually and administer psychometric exams to measure cognitive functioning and levels of depression. I also got thrown into a spur of the moment emergency therapy session with a family, which made for a really interesting day.
Tuesday evening a group of us got together and bought plane tickets for Budapest the first weekend in March. Yup... I'll be turning 21 in Budapest! Exciting stuff :)
And today... uff da. As much as I love my internship, it's been a struggle to get it organized (not on my end of things), and it still lacks structure and sufficient hours. I spent most of today stressing about it and about getting a roll on my independent study. If the director of my program here in Spain doesn't throw things together soon, I will be cramming tons of hours into every week until I leave and essentially have no free time because of my independent study and my internship. These are things that should've been together by the time I got here, four weeks ago. As I always do when I get overwhelmed, I decided it would be best to take full advantage of siesta, which was probably my best decision of the day. After waking up I realized that today is Ash Wednesday, and went to mass with some of the other ISU students. The Catholic church we went to was PACKED full of people, which is a strange site here in Spain, or anywhere in Europe for that matter. It was a good service, but I really miss singing hymns at church... something they don't do in any formal church I've been to here. Also, I found it interesting that when I went up to be marked with ashes, the priest scattered them across my head (like, in my hair) instead of making the sign of the cross on my forehead. Strange.
This week has flown by even faster than last week. Just my internship and one class tomorrow, and then we take off for a weekend in Cordoba and Granada. :)

Call me Puentes... or Marisol... or whatever

Last week flew by SO quickly that there was hardly time to do anything, let alone blog. So here's a quick recap:

Spring break plans-- I finally made some! There are seven of us that will be going to Madrid, Paris, Brussels (or maybe Brugge, we haven't decided yet), Amsterdam, Cologne and some other German cities, Vienna, and Barcelona. I'm so excited to have travel plans and to hit up so many cities during our break! I feel like I take a lot of things in my life for granted, but when I stop and think about everything I'm doing and everywhere I'm going this semester, it really makes me thankful/amazed at the opportunities that I have.

Internship-- After a lot of frustration and many cancelled interviews, I finally met with Chiti, the psychologist I'll be following at Residencia Care, one of the nursing homes here in Cáceres. She's a very sweet (and very short) woman, and I think I'll really enjoy working with her. She showed me around the facility and introduced me to the residents, none of whom understood the name Madison, so I eventually just became Marisol, a very Spanish name and similar sounding to the way Madison is pronounced in Spanish. The nursing home is divided into three floors; one is a typical nursing home, one is a dementia unit, and another is for hospice and/or vegetative patients. It's interesting, because in the hospice rooms spouses have the option of moving in to be with their loved ones round the clock, and there's a communal kitchen and living room for them to use while they're there. There are over 100 residents living in Residencia Care, and in a lot of ways it reminds me of Bethany Manor. It seems as though my job will be doing activities with residents to help maintain mental functioning, talking to residents and making sure they're emotionally well, and sitting through individual and family therapy sessions with Chiti. I won't be able to get enough hours at Care, so I'm waiting for more information on a 2nd internship I'll be doing as well.

Independent Study-- finally got news on this front, too! I'll be doing an in depth study of Don Quijote through Julia, one of my professors at Iowa State. 

Ultimate Frisbee-- I took part in my first ultimate frisbee game on Wednesday. A group of Spanish players invited us to join them to play every week. It's so much fun, and it's funny to hear us all communicate in Spanglish. The Spaniards call me Puentes... apparently they've of seen Los puentes de Madison (aka: Bridges of Madison County), and puentes is easier to say than Madison, I guess. Haha. I have a lot of practice to do before I'm even a decent frisbee player, but everyone is gracious and it's a good time :)

What more?? Finally met our program director, Toñi, over tapas and drinks. Broke my bed. Broke the shower. Those are two funny stories if anyone ever wants to hear them... Finished reading Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and highly recommend it. Went to Cádiz for Carnaval over the weekend, which will have its own post, soon to follow. 

I overslept church yesterday and, consequently, had time to spend the morning reading and drinking tea on the terraza, yet again. It was wonderful. I'm reading Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, and now that I've started it, it's hard to put down.
After siesta yesterday I had a meeting with Maria Angeles, whose mother lives in Residencia C.A.R.E., the nursing home I'll be doing my internship at. Maria Angeles is acting as my guide, and treated me to coffee yesterday to answer any questions I may have had. I still know very little about what I'll be doing, but she was able to tell me that I'll be working under the geriatric psychologist at the facility. I got the impression that I'll be doing lots of one-on-one time with the residents, which I really look forward to. I have a formal interview at the facility tomorrow and should hopefully start my internship next week. Honestly, the sooner I get started the better, or else I'll never get all of my hours in before I leave.
After coffee with Maria Angeles, I went and sat in the park to wait for some friends. I was early and had about 20 minutes to wait, so I decided to pull out my book and read a bit. I kept my eyes glued on my book and purposely ignored any man that walked by alone. But wouldn't ya know, it happened again. A man in his 60s walked by very slowly, eying me, and then turned around and came down to sit by me. At least this guy was sober. He was interesting, in a kind of strange way, and went on to talk to me about Semana Santa for the next 20 minutes. And, coincidentally, Jess walked by again and saw me sitting alone with a strange man. And yet again, he thought it was hilarious and left me there. Uff da. But eventually Cassidy showed up with Jess in tow, and we met Clara, Marta, Ima, and eventually Tiffani and Angélica for churros at the famous churrería (the name of which I still do not know). Needless to say, it was a delicious experience. We sat there enjoying our churros for quite awhile, and I taught Tiffani, Cassidy, and Angélica how to play Garbage, one of my favorite card games.
Today, nothing new. I had an hour of class from 9-10 and have the rest of the day to do as I wish... I'm thinking a nice balance of napping and reading is in order.

It's another beautiful Saturday in Cáceres. It's hard to believe it's already my third weekend here; I have a feeling this semester is going to fly by, and I know I won't be ready to go back home. Anyways, I spent the morning cleaning my room and then sitting on the enclosed porch, reading and drinking tea in the sunshine. For me, I can't think of a better way to pass time.
Yesterday we went on an excursión to Mérida, a city about an hour away that is home to many ancient Roman ruins. For those of you who don't know, Spain was part of the Roman empire, which played a large role in shaping the country, and also left behind architecture similar to that found in Rome. While in Mérida we explored the theater, where the culture's hunger for blood was satisfied in intense dueling; the ampitheater, where many a political satire was performed; the forum in the town center; the Roman museum, which was full of ancient, yet just recently uncovered mosaics and sculptures; and the Circulo Romano (I don't know what we call it in English, but it translates literally as the Roman Circle), where chariot races took place. It was an interesting trip, and reminded me a lot of what I saw while I was in Rome. Angélica remarked on how advanced the Romans were, especially given their limited resources, and then brought up a good point: why don't we utilize more of the Romans' ideas to improve our own society? One simple example: the Romans set up a very basic yet incredibly sanitary sewage system within Mérida, and it helped the city to avoid the Black Plague. How easy would it be in modern times to implement such a system in places like Port-au-Prince Haiti, where sewage runs through the streets and diseases like cholera are still rampant? For advanced as our society is, sometimes we overlook some of the most basic solutions. Anyways... it was a good trip, and on the bus ride home I took great joy in continually beating Cassidy in both Fruit Ninja and checkers.
In other news, last Cassidy, Tiffani, Angélica bought our tickets for Cádiz next weekend! It's THE city to be in to celebrate Carnival, and should be an awesome thing to experience in person. Afterwards Tiff, Cassi, and I went to a bar and enjoyed some drinks before going home. It was just a hole in the wall place, but it was another one of those experiences in which I couldn't get over HOW NICE everyone is to us. I get that feeling a lot in this country, and it is a very, very good thing :)
Oh! I almost forgot... it's looking like I'll be spending my birthday in Switzerland! What a lucky lady I am!

(*later*)
Cassidy and I were invited to a girls night/karaoke night with a big group of Spanish students from the university. We had an AWESOME time! Clara, Alba, and the other girls are so laid back and so much fun. They've been so welcoming and it's been great to get to know them and spend time with them. It was kind of funny, because all of the karaoke songs were in English and the Spanish girls knew them better than we did! A lot of them were from the Disney channel artists, so I was totally lost and epic failed. It was tons of fun though anyways. And, just like home, no party is complete without pizza, chips, and pop. Apparently that's the same here in Spain too :)

(*and one more update...*)
Sometimes the most comforting thing in the world is knowing that I have such awesome friends and family back home. Starting with Rachel bright and early this morning and clear up through my Skype call with Courtney, Larry, and Aliyah a few minutes ago and everyone I talked to in between, I'm feeling all my Iowa love thousands of miles away.

Don't Talk to Strangers, Kids

Regardless of where I am, I always seem to get myself into the most peculiar situations. This evening, for example, we went to one of the bakeries for coffee. Afterwards, the other girls were going to a movie and I decided to go back home because it was definitely not one I wanted to see/thought I could sit still through. On the way home I noticed what a nice evening it was and though to myself it would be nice to sit in the central park for awhile and enjoy the night. Plus the park is on the way to my apartment. Perfect. So I find a quiet place to sit and begin people-watching in the dark, quiet park. Poor choice. Next thing I know, a very, very drunk man is on the bench next to me. I have no idea where he came from, because there was no one around when I sat down. I think I smelled the alcohol before I actually saw him. He was red in the face from drinking so much and had an open beer can in hand (drinking public= not legal in Spain either, btw). He skipped the introductions and went right into talking about how beautiful I am and how lovely my accent is and what a nice figure I have... blah, blah, blah.... Then after about 10 minutes of that flattery, he told me the sob story of his life and how he's 31, single, and lives with his parents (which is actually not uncommon here) and about how people talk about the economic crisis, but that the real crisis is that no one has morals any more (the drunken bastard may have had a point there, though I would have included him in the amoral group, too). And he was pause about every 30 seconds in his story sobbing/pity partying to remind me, yet again, of how 'guapa' I am. Dios mío. And then, like an angel of God, I saw Jess, a guy from our ISU group, walking through the park. Thinking Jess could get me out of the situation, I shouted to him and called him over. At which point the drunk decided to rope Jess into the conversation too. Jess wasn't having any of it and wanted out, so he interjected and hurriedly walked away, leaving me alone yet again with this strange, inebriated Spaniard. Finally, when I could no longer stomach the smell of alcohol or the creepiness that permeated the air, I gave him a nice "I have to go home, nice to meet you, have a good night" spiel and booked it out of the park. So lesson learned, no more walking alone in the park in the dark. Although, I feel like where ever I go, I tend to be a magnet for drunk foreigners (no, this was not the first time this has happened, or the only country in which something like this has gone down... *sigh*).
On a nicer note, Christina and Kristine both had birthdays this week, so we went out to celebrate last night as a group with a lot of the Spanish students. Beer and pizza. Perfect combination. Everywhere in the world.
And this morning I woke up and opened my windows right in time to see the sunrise over the mountain and la parte antigua. It was beautiful. And as I look out my window tonight I can see the the lights that illumine the pathway up the mountain. It's so gorgeous, and one of the many things that make me so thankful to be here. Also, the past few days, I've grown more and more appreciative of the group of friends I have here. Couldn't ask for a more wonderful group of girls to spend my time with :)

This is how I spent my siestas: 

Viendo los Aristogatos.

I have so much free time here, I don't even know what to do with myself. It's a lazy, yet simultaneously wonderful feeling.
This past weekend was a three day weekend, and only 5 of us stuck around Cáceres. We spent the weekend finding new pastelerías, eating pizza, going to youth group at El Puente, perusing the Chinos stores, sleeping, reading (after checking out books with our news library cards!), going to the movies with some Spanish friends, churching, eating churros, and sleeping. I also spent some quality time with Guillermo, our host mom's two month old grandson. I love babies. There's just something about them that gets me every time.
A little more on the movie we went to (Promoción Fantasma)... it was SO good! Definitely one of the funniest movies I've seen in a long time, and it was exciting to be able to hear and understand it all in Spanish; it helps me realize how far I've come with the language. At the end of the movie I found myself sad, temporarily, because I realized that my friends at home are missing out on such a good movie. So I definitely plan to buy it and make them all watch it with subtitles. Also, fun fact about Spanish movie theaters: you get assigned seats! Still not sure how I feel about that...
The rest of my week is looking pretty easy. I had one hour of class today, and have five hours left spread out over the next three days. I still know nothing about my internship, except that I have an interview at some undecided point in time this week, and I know even less about my independent study. I'll be happy to get it figured out because I really need to have less free time on my hands. Seriously. Also, we have another three day weekend coming up with a trip to Mérida planned on Friday and no plans otherwise :)

Cactus and Cowboys

Every country, every nationality, has a stereotype for others. I am amused to find that, in Spain, one of the most common stereotypes for Americans is that we're all cowboys, farmers, or rancheros who ride around all day on our horses. I've heard many people say this, both in Valencia and Cáceres, and as I sat reading a Spanish book today, it came up again... "What kind of dreams are you having over there, among the cactus and cowboys?"

Some Things I Love About Spain

I feel like this deserves it's own post. I am in love with Spain for many reasons, but there are some things in particular that really stand out to me every time.
1) The pace of life. Back home I often find myself wondering if life ever slows down or if I'll ever be able to take a break and actually be able to enjoy myself without thinking about what still needs to be done. Here, I can do just that. People are so kind and easygoing, and take their time going about life. Everyday from about 2:00-5:00 is siesta time. It's a time to go home to your families, eat lunch together, and take a nap or enjoy a quiet activity. Everything closes during this time, so there is literally nothing to do except leisure activities. It is so refreshing to have that time to do what I want to do and to relax. If I took that time for myself at home, I'd feel guilty and lazy. Here, enjoying yourself is more willingly embraced, and even expected.
2) The way they treat their women. Spain is in the process of moving from a machista (male dominated) society to one with equal rights for women. Men still act like gentlemen, something that I feel often doesn't occur at home, and women are treated with respect rather than as objects of sexual objectification. Yesterday we were watching Tú sí que vales, their version of America's Got Talent, with our host mom. One of the acts was a Columbian salsa dancing group, consisting of two men and one woman. To spice things up during the dance, the men banged on the woman's butt cheeks. They got voted out because the judges considered it to be objectification of the woman, and they let it be known that such behavior was not acceptable, as it was overtly sexist. I hadn't thought twice about it; for me, it's not uncommon that a woman's body is treated like that. And the judges who were most adamently against it? The men. It's encouraging to know that some cultures value women for something outside of their physical beauty and sexual worth.

More on this later, but for now, churros.

3) The food culture. Food is homemade and ingredients are fresh. People take pride in what they put on the table. More than that, food is meant to be enjoyed and is a strong part of social life. When you sit down to eat, you sit to enjoy not only your food, but your friends and family. For this reason, you see very, very few fast food restaurants; thus far, I have seen two in the entire city. Even coffee is something to be enjoyed slowly, sitting down. You don't see people here running around town with coffees in hand; they take the extra few minutes to sit in a cafe and sip their drinks. Maybe that's why everything seems so much more delicious here?

Tour of the Old City

This week and next week are finals weeks for students in Spain. Everyone is busy day and night studying away. We didn't have class today (maybe because of their finals schedule? I'm not really sure why...). Instead, we went on a guided tour of el parte antiqua, the old part of the city. Audra had already given us most of the tour on Saturday, but it was still fun to get out and learn more about it all. We went to the museum of Cáceres, to holy week museum (museo de la semana santa), to the old Jewish neighborhood (el barrio júdio) and to a palace, among other places. El museo de la semana santa was particularly interesting. Holy week is such a huge deal in Spain and has so much history behind it. They still celebrate in the ancient ways, including ancient costumes, which are a little bit eerie, as this is where the Ku Klux Klan got their costumes from, cone hats included. During our tour we also saw two aljibes, one underneath el museo de la semana santa, and one underneath el museo de Cáceres. Aljibes (derived from an Arabic word, if any of you are language freaks like me) are massive cisterns where rain water collects. In ancient times they provided water for the entire city, as Extramadura is a dry region and Cáceres itself has no rivers.

After our tour we were all freezing (it's been colder than normal here lately, with lows in the low 30s and highs in the upper 50s), so Angélica, Tiffani, Cassidy and I went to the Chocolate Cafe for coffee and pastries. I had a napolitana de chocolate. I'm not sure how this translates to English, but it's a croissant-type pastry stuff with chocolate, cream, or nutella. I had a lot of these in Valencia, too, and they're definitely a favorite. While we were in the cafe the Offspring came on over the radio. It was one of my favorite songs, too, and I thought it was strange to hear it over here. We had a heck of a time paying our bill before we left-- it took us two attempts. First time we came up short, and the 2nd time the waiter realized that Tiffani had accidentally given him Peruvian money instead of euros. He definitely wasn't impressed with us by the time we left. 

We came home for lunch and siesta time, which is one of my favorite times of the day. A few of us are meeting in an hour to go to the Gran Cafe for coffee, churros, and card playing again. Tonight after supper I think Angélica and I are going to the bar to watch the Barcelona/Valencia soccer game. More updates later :)

First Days in Spain

I just finished day 6 in Cáceres and I am so in love with everything here! Just to sum up everything, I'm living in Cáceres, Spain this semester, studying in la Universidad de Extremadura and working at an internship at a senior assisted living facility. Here's a quick recap of what's gone on so far while I've been here.

Day 1 (Thursday, January 26th)... Arrived in Madrid, took a bus to Cáceres, and met our host families. My roommate, Angélica, and I are staying with Ísabel, an older woman who well known for her amazing cooking. She is so sweet, and always concerned about feeding us enough. I don't think that's going to be a problem! She made us tortilla de patata (my favorite!), and after we ate, I unpacked and went to bed. By that point I was too tired to think, let alone carry on conversation in Spanish. Ísabel was very sweet and understanding. I have my own room here, which was a nice, unexpected surprise.

Day 2... We met as a group to get our bus passes, cell phones, and library cards. We were pretty low key that day and spent some time catching up on sleep. Angélica and I also met up with some girls from our group at el Gran Cafe for coffee, cake, and churros. Deliciosos :)

Day 3... In the morning Angélica and I went shopping. It's rebajas here, which means major sales and awesome deals on clothes and shoes. Definitely had to take advantage of that! I think Mango is quickly becoming my favorite store (next to GAP, of course!). And after lunch and siesta, Audra came from Placensia! She showed Angélica and I around the old part of town in the evening and we had a nice touring around Cáceres. It's such a gorgeous city and so far there's not a single thing about it that I don't love. We went to an Arabic museum, climbed to the top of the tallest cathedral, and had drinks and tapas en the plaza. 

Day 4... Our first Sunday in Cáceres. Angélica and I went to a Catholic mass in a beautiful old cathedral (I don't know which-- there are too many to keep track of). We were two of about ten people there, including the three priests. I was definitely a little bit thrown off because a) I'm not Catholic and b) I'm not fluent in liturgical Spanish, but all in all it was a good experience. We then met a group of other students and went to El Puente church, which is the one run by the Tjernagels. What an awesome experience! There was lots of praising and singing (all contemporary and all in Spanish), followed by a very, very long but heartfelt sermon delivered by a visiting minister. The Tjernagels and everyone at their church were so welcoming, and so excited for us to get involved. Admittedly, I haven't been the most faithful churchgoer as of late, but I think the becoming involved with El Puente will be good in a number of ways. 

Day 5... Monday. We went on a tour of the University and got to see our classroom and some of the highlights of the campus. Afterwards, Cassie, Angélica, Tiffani, and I ventured out to the mall, to take advantage of rebajas... again. After our siesta I went out again and bought myself a coat at Mango and some shoes, too. Just what I needed! Actually, I really was in need if a coat... it's beautiful here during the day, but still a bit chilly in the morning and evenings. After dinner a large group of us met a la cruz to discuss travel plans, and then we all meandered home.

Day 6... This brings us up to date. We had our first day of classes in the university today, and all went well. Because of my internship and my independent study, I only have two classes in the university (grammar and Spanish literature), and I think they'll be enjoyable. This afternoon was definitely a highlight of the trip this far. We met as a group and climbed the mountain that Cáceres is tucked into. It's a little mountain, but a mountain nevertheless. It was a nice climb up, and the view from the top was worth every step. We overlooked the whole city and all of the countryside in the distance. We stayed up there and watched the sunset; I can think of few things more gorgeous. We slowly made our way back down, enjoying the night and the views. 

That, in a nutshell, is Cáceres so far. I'll hopefully go into more details in future posts, but if I wrote everything about my first days here, I'd have to write a book.