Leon and Burgos: Day 1

Just got back from a LONG 3 day trip to Burgos, Leon, and lots of pit stops in small cities on the way. Whew! What a trip. It was very fun and extremely memorable, but we're all exhausted! I can't even count the amounts of stops we made or how many castles, cathedrals, ancient churches, and quaint cities that we stopped in. Whoo! It's nice to be back at our house. Tomorrow (Thursday), I was supposed to leave with another group to go to Portugal for our free weekend trip, but my ticket got cancelled, and I had to buy a different ticket for Friday instead. Kind of a bummer! Luckily (well, not really lucky for her or for me!), my friend Courtney is in the same boat, so we'll both go together to Portugal on Friday instead. Tomorrow, I think we'll both sleep in, then go on a mini trip to Madrid or something! Our bus and train passes finally work because it's May now, so I'm excited! Anyways, about the Leon/Burgos trip... First, on the 30th of April, which was Monday morning, we left at 8 AM and drove for a couple hours, then stopped at Peñaranda de Duero, a way cool castle.

It was a bit of a walk/hike up a big hill to see it, but definitely worth it. The view was really awesome! It's amazing to see that there were buildings built before our nation was even born, and those buildings are still in good condition! I'm always in awe when I see these different things, because they're all over the place, so it starts to become commonplace. I noticed that as we were driving to the different places on this trip, little towns would spring up out of nowhere, but in the center of the town, there would always be some kind of ancient church or other building. AMAZING to see. Ok, so this trip was really really chilly! All of us were freezing, especially because no one had the proper clothes. When we packed for Spain, we all thought that it would be warm and sunny! It's summer for crying out loud! Or, at least it should be. Needless to say, it was cold and we often couldn't feel our limbs. Good times!

Next on our stop, we drove to a place called Covarrubias. This was another little town with a big church and retablo, or it's also called a medieval hamlet. This place was cool! First, we had some time to eat lunch and wander around the city for a few minutes, then we all gathered and went into the church. Again, this place was cool.

Ok, get ready for this... We listened to actual monks sing Gregorian chants in this church!!! It was so legit. They live in celibacy together in a monastery. It was so interesting to see that this was real life! There were even people there worshiping with the monks as their common routine. It was so interesting to see the different culture and lifestyle. They sang for about 25 minutes, then we went outside to look around. Just outside the church, there was a hill with a little house type thing and a statue of Mary at the top. We climbed it for the view, and, of course, for the picture taking opportunity! We take as many of those as possible... Silly American tourists! :) The view was beautiful, like every other view in Europe!

Next on our stop was a "nature walk" down this gorge (called La Yecla) that was really more like a slot canyon with a bridge that they installed on the side of the mountain.

It was pretty cool! I think we mostly just did it to kill time because we couldn't check into our hotel until later. But it was still fun! The hard part about this trip was that we had so many stops, and half the time we were all so exhausted that we just didn't want to get off the bus! However, I'm always glad that we do, because we see some amazing things. The thing I always say is "When in Rome!" except I usually replace Rome with Spain. That keeps me going! After the gorge, we drove a bit more and came to another small town whose name I've forgotten. I think it might have been a spur of the moment stop, again to take up some time. We just had the opportunity to walk around for a bit and to look at the buildings there, because apparently they were about 500 years old or so. Pretty amazing that things are still standing!

Also in this little town, we went to a cool old church, also very old. Oh, one thing I haven't mentioned about all the churches and cathedrals and castles that we've been going to is that they're absolutely freezing inside. I don't know how anyone could stand to spend any time in them when they were actually in use! Yes, it was cold outside which makes a big difference, but I couldn't even imagine what the temperature would be when it was winter! Brr...

The cool thing about this church is that this was the first time we saw tombs. It kind of caught me off guard, actually! I always knew that they put tombs in churches and cathedrals in the catacombs, but not in the forefront of the church where everyone goes to worship! It was so interesting. One of our professors was telling us the significance of the way they presented the tomb. If a sword was to the side of a man, that means he died in peace, but if it was resting on top of his body, that meant he died in a battle of sorts. At first it was a little eerie to see the tombs and know that there were ancient bones inside, but as I grew accustomed to it, I started to think of how amazing and sacred this was to so many people. Very cool experience!

Next stop, Burgos! Finally! It felt like a full day's trip before we finally got here. We pulled up to the hotel, unpacked our bags, then headed out again to see the city. No rest for the wicked, that's for sure! One interesting thing I've noticed about bigger Spanish cities is that they all seem to have a Plaza Mayor.

It's a central square plaza surrounded by many different tiendas, or shops, and restaurantes, bars, pasteleria's (sweet shops) and other souvenir places. They're pretty fun to go to, and tons of people are always hanging out there. It's funny, because no matter what we do, we always stand out in a crowd. Everyone knows immediately that we're tourists, and usually from the U.S. I guess we just have that look about us! I don't really like that we stand out so much, but there's not much I can do about that one. Oh well! A group of friends and I went to the square, then found a place for dinner. I ordered a Spanish tortilla, which is made with eggs and potatoes, not corn or wheat. Mine wasn't that great, but I'm over it. After dinner, we tried to go to the Supermercado (supermarket) to get some food for the next day, which was a holiday, but everything was closed. Almost all the stores in Spain close around 9 in the evening. It's such a bummer! We were told that Spain had an awesome night life, but apparently that's only at the bars. Bars are super expensive too, so I'm not a huge fan of eating there all the time. Overall, although it was an exhausting day, it was a lot of fun and full of lots of cool things!

La primer domingo aqui en España

"The first Sunday here in Spain." I'm starting to think in Spanish, and sometimes it takes me a minute to revert to English! I love it! Yesterday, I took a brief siesta, and I had a dream where I distinctly remember a couple things being in Spanish! I've heard that if you start to dream in a different language, then that means you're becoming fluent. I guess that's a good sign! I'm on my way. :) Well, today we had our first Sunday. Woke up this morning, tried to do my hair a bit nicer than usual, but it was still difficult because we can't use our hair appliances. The voltage is too strong, and when we try to plug them in, it starts to buzz and spark! Not a good idea...

(This is a picture of me trying to set the self-timer and still get in the picture in time, but I ended up just looking like a ghost!) We thought we'd have to walk to church, but luckily Gloria offered to drive us! Otherwise, it probably would have been an hour or more walk. Yikes! Can't wait to have our bus pass! Church was definitely interesting to have in Spanish. Some of it was hard to understand because I don't know a lot of the church words in Spanish, but I did start to pick up on a few. The other day, I bought a mini pocket notebook so I can start writing down words that I learn. It's really useful! One cool thing to see was that the members are so strong in their faith. They're few in numbers, but they don't waiver in the least. It's a choice to live the Gospel here; not something they do because they have to or because that's what everyone else is doing. I loved to see that! The primary also sang a song, and it was so cute to hear! This seems strange, but it always catches me off guard when people start talking to pets and to babies in Spanish. It just seems so weird to see because I know they don't really understand the words that you're saying anyways, so I might as well just talk to them in English! Ha! Or maybe I'm just weird, which is completely possible. When church was over, Lyn and I were surprised to see Gloria outside the doors! She had come to pick us up, but we thought we'd be walking home. It was so nice of her to do! When we got home, we ate Chinese food that they had ordered. Yum! I guess the whole world over eats each other's types of foods! We had fried rice, different dishes with chicken, vegetables, and sauce, egg rolls, a Chinese salad, Spanish bread, and Chinese desserts. I really enjoyed the desserts! There was a "queso con crema" which is like a jellied cream cheese dessert with orange sauce on top, flan, and nueces con nata, which are candied walnuts with whipped topping. Yum yum yum! Eating always makes me tired, plus we stay up super late because the schedule is weird, so now we're super tired. One of my favorite parts of the day is when we can be in our rooms and relax. Later, we might go meet up with the group and some of the "adultos solteras del barrio" (young single adults of the ward) to play games. Fun times! ¡Viva España! Later... It rained almost all day, and it was freezing, so we didn't go out. Walking half an hour in the pouring rain isn't super fun, if you know what I mean. Gloria and Santi didn't want to cook today because it was their day to rest, so they ordered pizza for dinner! For dessert, she whipped out the Ben and Jerry's. No complaints here! Now, it's time to pack for our trip tomorrow, which is going to be very cold, then off to bed! ¡Buenos noches!

Just a Saturday in Spain

Ok, so that last post was quite lengthy. It literally took me hours to finish! But that's ok. Today wasn't nearly as fun, but it was still a good day. I like the weekends because we can relax a bit. This morning I woke up about 9:30 and got ready to walk down to the Plaza. It was raining, again. Before we came, we were told that Spain was in a drought! I'm pretty sure that we brought the rain with us! Oh well. Not a reason to dampen my day! Punny... Anyways! Today was my friend Chantelle's birthday (happy birthday Chantelle, if you're reading this!) so we all met up to do something fun. Aaron, Logan, Michael, Eric, Chantelle, and I went to a couple of shops, then headed down to la Casa de Cervantes to take a tour. Cervantes is a famous Spanish writer. He wrote "Don Quixote: Man of La Mancha."

That was also pretty cool to see, because I watched the movie of the book in my 9th grade Spanish class! Senora Denney would be so jealous. :) After touring the house and taking some pictures, we headed over to a modern art museum to check out the free exhibit. We've found that free activities around town are definitely the best. The only problem is, we've nearly exhausted all the free places here in Alcala! Our bus and train passes aren't active until May, so we can't really go anywhere until then unless we want to pay more money to get around.

I'd rather wait and use that money towards souvenirs. I'm too much like my mom! Ha ha! After the art museum, we wanted to go on a tour through this convent, but we couldn't find the entrance! Chantelle really wanted to see it because she read about it online, and it was kind of a bummer not to be able to. I was also really looking forward to seeing some nuns. We saw some walking around yesterday as we were driving out of town, and I loved them! I wanted to get a picture, but we drove by too fast. Drat. Maybe another time! Since we couldn't find the entrance, some of the guys ran over to the office of tourism in Alcala and asked about it. Apparently the time online was incorrect. However, by this time, I needed to get back home for lunch with my family because it takes a half hour or more to get home. A little later we had a lunch of broth and noodles, the typical bread and salad, meat (I think it was chicken or pork, but sometimes it's better not to ask!), and fried potatoes with Santi, Jesus, and Miguel (poor Gloria has been sick!).

It was pretty good! I must say, I have been eating little bites of seafood here and there, but I still cannot stand it in the least bit. I usually just force myself to swallow it before I can tell myself that it really is seafood. That was my biggest fear of coming here, and it has been realized here and there. Pretty sure I'll never get over it though. After lunch, Lyn and I went back upstairs and read, Skyped, wrote in our journals and blogs, and took a nap. It was nice and relaxing, especially since we've been so busy and it's too cold outside to do anything comfortably. I wrote some more, then we were called down for dinner. Dinner consisted of fried rice with shrimp and ham (definitely didn't eat the shrimp), mini hot dogs without the bun, potato chips, and, of course, the typical bread. Usually, for dessert we have a piece of fruit, a yogurt, or a container of flan or jello. So far, the food has been pretty good (with the exception of a giant slab of salmon for dinner one night that I strategically avoided!).

My favorite thing to eat is the bread, which is good because we have it at every meal. Hopefully I won't get sick of it anytime soon! Breakfasts are always small: a piece of toast, a fruit, and maybe a yogurt or a breakfast cookie. Other people in my group have said they have bread smothered in a chocolate sauce like Nutella every single morning, but we haven't had that yet. That's probably a good thing though, because I would gain a ton of weight here! After dinner, we sat and talked with Gloria for about 45 minutes. I really enjoy this time! It helps out my comprehension a ton. There are a few things that I don't understand because of how fast they speak, but I usually just ask her to repeat it and it's fine. We talk about the government, the weather, the geography of Spain, everyday life, suggestions of how to better my stay here, etc. She also loves to talk about students she's had in the past whom she absolutely adores. I hope I can be one of those someday that she tells other students about! Well, time to Skype home real quick and get to bed. We stay up way too late! No wonder we're always so tired. :)

Segovia: Possibly the most beautiful place in Europe

Today we took our first trip!!! Woke up at 7 and met at our Profe's house at 9 to board the tour bus and get on our way.We drove past Madrid, and then about another hour to the town of Segovia. To start off, we drove up to a giant aqueduct!

Our guide said it was the oldest and longest standing, and was built about 100 years after Christ. They built it because they didn't have any water sources in the area, but they also didn't want to move. It steadily declines from a mountain source until it reaches the city. Cool stuff! I also love it because I learned about it in my History of Creativity class last Fall semester. It's an awesome feeling to see something you've learned about in a class in real life.

Oh, there was also this cool merry-go-round, so we all had to take pictures! It looked like fun.

The next stop on the tour was to a cool church! Our guide explained that the whole city square was built on a hill and was surrounded by castle walls that reminded me of Lord of the Rings or something like that. There's just so much to tell about! It's hard to pick one or two things. The church was surrounded by what are now apartments and shops, but most of the structures are original walls and buildings. It was so interesting to see the old mixed with the new. Since resources were limited back then and everyone had to use the same structures to build their houses, to show that they were wealthy, they would hire an artist to carve designs into their walls.

I loved hearing the history of the city! Usually I'm not a huge history buff when I'm sitting in a classroom, but when I'm actually seeing the thing that's being explained, the history just comes alive and I absolutely love it. As we continued up the hill, we passed more little streets and apartments. This city is everything that I thought Spain and the rest of Europe would look like. I would highly recommend this city to any European travelers! Next, as we came around the corner, we were hit with the first sight of the cathedral.

This was complete with gargoyles, poky spires, moss growing on the side of the building, and many tiers that seemed impossible to count. It all looked way cool, but little did we know what we were facing until we got to the front and... BAM!!! Cathedral! This thing was seriously amazing. I wish we could have gone and explored it, but we didn't have enough time. It half expected to see Quazzi Modo from the Hunchback of Notre Dame start swinging from the towers or something! It was great.

After looking at the cathedral for a bit, we got to sample an amazing Segovian dessert, and then to explore the shops for a few minutes. We passed by one and took some pictures, and this man inside said "Take my picture!" We did, then he promptly came out and started to talk to us.

We soon learned that his name was Victor and he lived there in the city. I really enjoyed hearing him because for some reason, the accent in Segovia isn't as thick, and they don't speak as fast, so I was able to understand everything he said! That definitely feels good. Victor asked where we were all from and why we were there. As I responded, he reached out and grabbed my hand. I was a bit confused, but I didn't pull back. He started squeezing it in different places and asking if I had a headache or a backache or any other problem Apparently, he used to be a doctor who performed acupuncture, and he still loved to help out his friends and family, even though he wasn't practicing anymore. He went through the rest of the group and diagnosed our "problems," then continued to chat like we were old friends! As we left, we got the typical kiss on both cheeks and were wished luck with our trip. It was one of the most precious things ever! I love Spain!!!

Ok, next stop on the Segovia tour was... a CASTLE!!! Yep, they have a castle. This place was amazing. On the way there, we passed through the typical European streets complete with cobblestone roads and quaint little shops, and we also walked by a cool bell tower. This city did not lack anything. As we arrived at the castle, there was a guard standing outside the gate dressed in a Roman uniform for the tourists. Poor guy, though! It was freezing, but he still had a smile on his face! He must be paid really well... The castle is located at the edge of the city and juts off into cliffs on the back and the side. On the front, the castle had a large mote that's now filled with moss instead of dangerous water creatures placed there to protect the castle. What kind of castle would be complete without a mote, right? It was sweet.

After taking pictures outside, we had the chance to take a tour through the castle. We first walked past a courtyard, then into the adjoining rooms. There were many sets of knight armor in the first few rooms, intricate art pieces and ceiling mosaics, stained glass windows, original furniture and beds, and other cool things. There was also a room of the kings where there were statue-like representations of the kings, giant murals, and thrones. The last room was a chapel where people could come confess their sins or pray. Here, there were paintings of Christ on the cross and other beautiful art pieces as well. Everything was so cool!

After the museum tour, we had the opportunity to climb the tower and go on top of the castle! This trip just kept getting better and better!

I must say, those knights and kings must have been in extremely good shape, because that tower was in no way easy to climb. Each stair was probably about a foot high, maybe even more, and they just kept going!! Ha! We were all panting heavily when we reached the top, and my calves felt like I had never used them before in my life! It was great. However, when we got to the top, it was well worth the climb. You could see for miles in all directions, and the view was absolutely breathtaking. We could see all of the other ancient buildings we'd just visited, plus all of the surrounding countryside. It was amazing! Pictures and words just can't describe it accurately.

SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!

After climbing down, we walked back through the city, stopped at a couple shops throughout the city to get some souvenirs, then loaded the bus. We drove for about 5 minutes then stopped again at the base of the cliff behind the castle to take more pictures and to stop for lunch. Each of our host families made us a sack lunch, which was really nice. Ours had a ham sandwich, another sandwich that had a Spanish tortilla inside (eggs, veggies, and potatoes!), two drinks, an apple, and a dessert. They know how to eat here in Spain!

Next and last stop, La Granja! This was still in Segovia, but it was about 25-30 minutes away. La Granja is a palace built by Philip V and modeled after his grandfather's palace, Versailles. Because of this, La Granja is nicknamed "the mini-Versailles." Believe me, though, this place was nowhere near "mini"!

When we arrived, it was raining really hard and it was freezing cold. I wish I had brought my rain boots and my winter coat! None of us were prepared to have this kind of weather. Anyways, we walked up to the palace and started our tour. Now, it's a museum with many well-preserved artifacts. I was absolutely in awe with what I saw there. We weren't able to take pictures, which was a big bummer, but I'll try to describe it as best I can! We probably walked through a hundred different rooms, at least. The first 3 or 4 were colossal halls that contained embroideries depicting different myths, bible stories, and gods. They were extremely interesting to look at, and each one must have taken years to create.

They were HUGE! Each stretched at least 20 feet high and 35-40 feet long. After seeing room after room of this, we came upon other rooms containing mostly paintings, but also actual furniture like writing desks, chairs, and beds, decorations, clocks, Chinese pottery (apparently they liked to trade), and mini statues everywhere. Each room also had an exquisite chandelier and a grand mural painted in bright and rich colors painted on the domed ceilings. When you stood in the doorway, you could see all the way down through the different rooms. All of the chandeliers matched up perfectly, and it felt like you were looking in a double set of mirrors because it would stretch on for so long. So so so cool!

The next set of rooms was strictly for sculptures. And were talking larger-than-life sculptures here! Oh, I didn't mention that every single room had many different kinds of pure marble that were unobstructed pieces, and gold leafing everywhere you looked. There was also one part that had an indoor fountain (it wasn't running at the time) that was constructed out of the wall that had statues and gold pieces everywhere, but was also completely surrounded with sea shells. Hundreds of them! Super awesome. After about 15-20 rooms of just sculptures, we finally made it to the exterior of the castle. I couldn't believe that things could progressively get better, but they sure did! These gardens were indescribable.

They stretched on for miles and included flower gardens, shrubs, forests, ponds, waterfall structures, fountains everywhere, and even a hedge maze!!! AAAHHHH! I was so excited about this. By the time we got outside, it was only a light mist, but it was also really foggy everywhere. I literally felt like I was in the scene of "Pride and Prejudice" with the beautiful scenery and the magical feel to it. It was also comparable to being in the movie "The Secret Garden," especially when we were going through the maze. I took as many pictures as I could, but sadly, my batteries died, and apparently my back-up pair hadn't been charged. Of all the bad luck!

I also didn't think that we had nearly enough time there. I could have spent days upon days exploring every part of that place and taking everything in. It was so wonderful! Towards the end of the garden tour, it started to rain, and by rain, I mean it was pouring cats and dogs! We were soaked right through to the bone!

Not to mention, it was freezing and none of us could feel our appendages. But, it was definitely worth all of that for all the beauty and the history that we were able to see. I absolutely love all the people I've been able to make friends with on this trip. I couldn't ask for more, and it's only going to get better!!!

The Rain in Spain isn't only in the Plain

Ok! Things have been a little busy, so I haven't really taken the time to update this. Well, yesterday was the first day of class here in Espana! I think classes are going to be great. Our teacher's name is Theresa, and she's a way cute girl. I call her "girl" because she wants to be called "senorita," not "senora." She says that she's not old enough to be called "senora!" :) I have both of my classes with her: 321 (Spanish grammar) and 345 (Iberian Civilization).

Last night my roommate Lyn and I took a nap until 8:00 PM! Bad idea... Siesta is just too great! And we're just exhausted. We live 35 minutes away on foot from the university and the Plaza where we always meet everyone. Most of that is uphill as well! It's kind of annoying because everyone else lives like 5 or 10 minutes away and can get there in a blink of an eye, but we have to leave a lot earlier. By the time we get home everyday, we're absolutely exhausted and all we want to do is sleep! That's the case for me anyways. So, last night after sleeping our lives away, we met back with the group to go eat Tapas at a bar and to watch the REAL Madrid soccer game with the locals. Well, we were running a little bit late, so we started to jog in order to get there in time. We actually cut about 10-15 minutes off the trek, but by the time we got there, no one was in sight! Well, we weren't just going to turn around and go home, so we set out looking for everyone by peeking inside every Tapa bar we could see. No luck! Finally, we ran into some people in our group and were directed to where everyone else was. The only problem: the bar they chose only served beer, nachos, and french fries. Hmm... Not so Spanish if you ask me. So, after hanging out for a bit, we left, stopped at a candy shop to buy some sweets for the walk back, then made the long walk home. By this time, Lyn and I were both starving! Sadly, our family was so into the game that we didn't want to bother them and ask for food. I stayed and watched the game with the family, then another show afterwards about Spanish families living with tribes in the deserts and rain forests of Africa (it was quite hilarious!), then finally went to bed after Skyping with the fam. Good times!

Today, we started our 345 class. Almost everyone in the entire group from BYU was in it! I absolutely LOVE the people in my group! It's so much fun to be with them. Today after class, we met together to plan a trip we're all taking on our free weekend. There are three trips going on: one group is going to Gibraltar/Morocco, one is going to Portugal, and one to Barcelona. I'm going to the Portugal one because it's still a different country, but it's a lot safer than the Morocco trip and isn't as expensive. Plus, Portugal has some awesome beaches, beautiful sights, and fun markets. I'm really excited! Ok, anyways! We met together after class to plan our trip, then we went with a group of people to a cathedral, a palace of the archbishop (it looks like a giant castle, even though it's practically insignificant compared to some of the others we'll be seeing pretty soon!), and then to a free archaeology museum. All this was right around town! Everyone is super fun to be with, which is good considering I'll be spending every moment of the next two months with them. Bring it on! :)

This morning when we were walking to class, it was raining. Surprise!!! It's so cold here! That's something I definitely wasn't expecting. My family keeps telling me they're enjoying 80's in Utah... I'm a little jealous of that! I didn't really pack for 50 degree weather! The rain here is a little strange too. It's more like a constant mist that doesn't turn off. Anyways, it was raining, and we were running a little late, so we had to run a lot of the way to class. It turns out that 30 minutes is not sufficient time to get to the school. When we arrived, a few minutes early, we were drenched in sweat and rain! I already felt gross because I was wearing a big hoodie, ugly tennis shoes, and baggy jeans. Yeah for scaring off everyone I come in contact with! :) Ha! Anyways, I looked down at my pants and realized that they're really really baggy. They definitely fit well before I left! I think I've lost about 5 pounds in the first week, which is kind of crazy. It's all the insane amounts of walking/running because we're late and the lack of food. But hey, who's complaining? I thought I would be gaining weight here! Nope. Definitely not.

For lunch today, we had a broth soup with noodles, followed by a healthy portion of cooked garbanzo beans and potatoes, then finished off with an assortment of meats. This included vaca(like a pot roast) complete with bone, chorizo (sausage), pata (duck), and sangre con cebollas (congealed blood and onions in a casing). I was OK until he started explaining the duck and the blood. Truthfully, I don't do so well with foreign foods... Blah! I couldn't get myself to try the blood thing, and I didn't really like the sight of the duck, so I just stuck with the ones I knew. :) I know, I'm a baby when it comes to food! I'll try to be better. Otherwise, the food here hasn't been very bad. Earlier I mentioned that I lost weight because we don't eat much. Really, what we eat is pasta, bread, random bits of meat, and fruit. It's not bad at all (usually!) but I just usually don't get enough and we burn it so fast that I'm hungry a lot. No complaints though! I'm having a lot of fun with everything. Once we start traveling, it'll get even better! Our first trip is tomorrow. We're going to Segovia! Tonight, we might go dancing at a discoteco. Not sure if we will, but we'll see! Should be fun no matter what. This post was really long, but it covered 2-3 days, and everything else that's been on my mind! This is also acting as my journal for right now because I haven't been able to find a cool one yet. There are tons of shops around, but we haven't been to a ton. Hopefully that will change soon!

Para empezar: Day 1!

I'm actually posting for yesterday, but I didn't have the internet, so today is the day to start! Well, we arrived at the Madrid airport after being in the air for nine and a half hours, it was good to finally arrive. We had a difficult time trying to meet up with the group. Miscommunication in another country is not good! We finally found him after about an hour of wandering around, then loaded up on the bus and headed to Alcala de Henares. It's about 45 minutes away from Madrid. We arrived in la Plaza de Cervantes to meet our new families! My roommate is Lyn (I love her! She's great.) and we live with Gloria y Santi (short for Santiago) and their two sons Jesus (14) and Miguel (19). They're all really nice and extremely accommodating. They understand that our Spanish kind of sucks and want to help us in any way they can. When we finally got to the house, we took a shower, got unpacked, and had a lunch with Santi. In Spain, they have a small breakfast of fruits, cereals, or breads, then they have a huge lunch in the afternoon, and a small dinner (usually) around 10 PM. It's very interesting! Also, they have a siesta in the middle of the day around 1 and it lasts til about 4. It's a real thing! All the shops around town close down so people can go home and take a nap. I guess more and more people are steering away from this because they've realized that they can have more business, but we couldn't find many places that were open as we were walking around. Ok, back on track. So after we ate, we were both extremely tired, but we knew we couldn't go to sleep, so we decided to go explore. We walked the city to see what we could find. It was a lot different than I expected! I don't think they have any kind of public cleaning here. There's nasty garbage thrown everywhere. Also, graffiti is a big problem wherever you look. One thing we noticed, though, is that it was only on buildings and other things that hadn't been painted already. We walked by a pre-school that had paintings of kids and such on the outside, and it wasn't tagged, but the other buildings all around had been tagged. Very interesting... Also, they don't really have single houses. Everywhere you look there are apartment buildings and condominium complexes rising up into the sky. Some are old, some are new. Luckily, our host mom told us that we're in the safer part of town and they never have problems here. I guess that south of the main city is a different story. A couple of people from our group are living down there, but hopefully they won't run into any problems.