Whenever anyone asked me about my travel plans while abroad, I ALWAYS mentioned Portugal. When signing up for the Emory Salamanca program, the fact that they brought you on a group trip to Portugal stuck out to me and made me like the program even more. Leading up to studying abroad, people told me that their favorite place they went was to Lisbon and now that I have gone, I must say that it is definitely up there is my favorite places I’ve travelled.
I took a nice 6:45am brisk 1.5 mile walk to my favorite plaza in Salamanca where the bus picked us up. By 2pm we were in Lisbon, walking around near our hotel trying to find a little bite of food. We were staying on the outskirts of town which was nice but later that afternoon when we went into the town with our group, Lisbon became so much more amazing. The big plaza isn’t as central as it is in Salamanca but it is huge and right on the water. This plaza is in between two large hills. To one side is the more social area (Barrio Alto) and to the other side are shops and churches and a castle. We walked up this steep hill, stopping on the way to take photos of the spectacular views, and explored the castle that sits all the way at the top of the hill. From this Moorish castle you can see everything which was extremely useful during Portuguese history. We tried some ‘Nata’ which is a pastry that is SO GOOD and very authentic. On our descent from the castle, we stopped in some ceramics shops, filled with classic blue/white Portuguese patterns but also with more colorful modern designs. We walked the streets with our group for a bit more until we reached el Barrio Alto which is where there are many dinner places and bars. Laurel, Olivia, Jamie, Emmy and I found this cute Italian restaurant and I got salad and split mushroom pasta (such a delicious break from Spanish food). After dinner we were exhausted so we decided to walk back to the hotel. Long walks after a big meal=always the best.
The next morning we woke up and headed to Belem, a part of Lisbon only 15 minutes or so away from the central part of town. Our directors gave us a tour of inside the monastery and inside the cathedral. Both were breathtaking. We took a walk along the water towards a little castle thing but then had to get back on the bus to head to lunch! On the way we stopped at the most gorgeous lookout point and took many many photos with our group. We went to this town about an hour outside of Lisbon and went to a typical Portuguese lunch spot that had lots of seafood options and other classic dishes. We were told to try ‘Bacalhau a Bras’ which is codfish with potatoes and eggs, almost like a hash of some sorts. My friend and I split that and salmon (finally some salmon). We then had some time to explore this very cute beach town that really just reminded me of a cape cod sort of town. I was a little hesitant to get ice cream because I was so full and trying to eat somewhat healthy but I tried a bit of it and I was blown away and wow am I happy that I got it because it was hands down the best ice cream I’ve ever had. I got the ‘Nata’ flavor (aka cream) and hazelnut and I don’t even know. My mouth is watering thinking about it now.
Later in the night we headed out to souvenir shop and explore a bit more before dinner. Lisbon has so many cute streets and after climbing up this enormous hill that a tram actually goes on (probably so that people don’t have to hike up/down it!) we found a mini festival going on. There were stands with various clothes, jewelry, foods, soaps, etc and tables set up, and lights, and someone playing music. Because it was located on the top of this huge hill, the views were incredible too. It was so perfect. After walking around and going into a few shops, we found a place for dinner (except that none of us were hungry because of the huge lunch we had) and I got mushrooms as my whole dinner- so yummy. Laurel Olivia and I had seen this huge mojito’s that some people had and after getting one, we all agreed that it was probably one of the best drinks we had ever had (I’m starting to realize that I basically just rave about food but the food is a HUGE part of the culture!!). Jamie Emmy and I stayed out for a while more and walked around and found a bar that had a DJ and fun music so we stayed there for a while to explore the nightlife of Lisbon and from what we saw it seemed pretty fun!
The next morning we headed to a few more small towns on our way back to Salamanca. The first one we stopped at was a tourist town but very cute and quaint. It had tons of souvenir shops and we mainly spent the morning shopping. The next stop was at a huge church. This town reminded me of New England- the leaves were all changing colors and the temperatures were perfect.
I loved Lisbon and wish I had more time to explore and experience the entire culture. While it was a very short trip, I’m so happy that I got a little taste of it!
About a month ago, two of my close friends from Emory who are studying abroad in Madrid texted me and asked if I wanted to go to Zurich with them. I really didn’t know anything about Zurich at all but I was free that weekend and wanted to see them so hey, why not?
After my class on Thursday night, I took the bus to Madrid and stayed at my friends’ apartment. I had the directions on how to get from the bus station to the apartment all figured out via train and also walking directions (it said it was only 1.5 km away which I am very used to walking). Upon arriving at the bus station though, I mapped their apartment and found out that it was instead 3.5 miles away. I quickly went downstairs to the metro but no one was there and there were no maps that I could use to help me figure out my way. I then walked outside to try to find a taxi but once again nothing. So, I started walking and while there were tons of people on the street, I couldn’t find one available taxi nor a bus station/metro station. So I ended up walking 3.5 miles to their apartment Not recommended at all but I made it there with no issues!
We woke up at about 6 to go to the airport and got through our flight no problem. I slept the entire way. By around 1, we were already navigating the metro system in Zurich. Our hotel was on the outskirts of the city so we got a 24 hr pass to use for the train to get to the main area which was only about 15-20 minutes. The trains were so nice and very clean. The main train station has everything you could need- there are dozens of stores and then when you go up the escalator onto ground level, it is a essentially a huge warehouse with food vendors and lots of people wandering aimlessly. We were starving so we walked out of the warehouse and crossed the street into an area that the front desk had told us about which held all of the stores to shop at and some restaurants. We came across this very cool bohemian/Mediterranean restaurant on a side street and had such a satisfying meal- baba ghanoush, pita, chicken curry, quinoa, and tomato mozzarella salad. Pretty much all of our favorite foods. Afterwards we walked around for a while and headed to the lake. There is a large river that goes through the entire city, and it leads to the lake which is essentially where the city ends. Around the lake there are towns (some more populated than others). We saw a sign for boat tours and decided to take a 1.5 hr ‘short’ tour around the lake and it was a great activity. It gave us such a good idea of the outskirts of Zurich and was also so beautiful. We had stopped at a famous chocolate store, Laderbach, because what else would we do in our first hours in Switzerland, and were planning on eating it near the lake but we instead ate it on the lake! I had gotten a dark chocolate truffle and a milk chocolate caramel truffle.. THEY WERE SO GOOD.
After the boat ride, we walked around a bit and continued to shop and eventually took the train back to our hotel to relax a little before dinner. All of us are so used to eating around 8:30 or 9 for dinner so leaving or dinner at 7:30 was a treat! We walked around a bit and were trying to find the ‘old city’ area which we were told was across the river and after walking around for a while, just trying to find a good restaurant to eat at because we were starving, we saw in the distance a strip of lit up stores so we figured that we would try over there and wow was I glad that we did. We found this place on some random street called ‘Burrito District’ and we were in (except that they didn’t have guac and my burrito was a little cold but I was definitely content with it). I’m not sure if it was because we were in Switzerland or just because we love food, but after dinner we were on the hunt to find more chocolate but were met with NO success so instead we settled for a cozy hour-long Starbucks chat.
The next morning we woke up somewhat early, headed across the street to a cafe for some croissants, and then rode the train back to the center of town to a bike rental shop. You would think that they would have some sort of mapped out routes but nope. So we ventured off, shower caps under our helmets (so we didn’t get lice) towards the lake. What we didn’t realize was that in order to get to the lake, we needed to go on the main road for about a mile and the bike lanes were very confusing and alternated between being situated on the side of the road, and directly in the middle of the road. We opted to walk until we got to an area where we could just bike on the path and from here, we biked for a while around the river. We had intended to see the cute small towns that surrounded Zurich but we just ended up on a main road about 30 minutes outside of the city. After a few falls and failed attempts to find out exactly where we were, we headed back. Oh yeah I never mentioned that this entire time it was raining 🙂 It was fun and memorable but I still wish we found a cute town for lunch.
Instead, we ended up eating lunch at a pizza shop that was rated one of the best places to eat in Zurich. I honestly don’t know how because it was not very good but it was food and we were STARVING. The rest of the afternoon was spent walking around Zurich and looking in various stores, and of course getting some chocolate. We went back to the hotel to rest before dinner and Haley and I finished watching Freaky Friday (we had started the night before). A nice throwback movie for a cold afternoon.
We went back to the old city area for dinner and found this cute Mediterranean make-a-plate-and-weigh-it (?) place that was fantastic! Just what we wanted. Being able to have dinner with my close friends, just like I used to have at school every night was so comforting and really just what I needed at this point in my study abroad. Being in a homestay can be a little isolating but these weekends are what I look forward to each week!
The next morning we got up early and headed to a sight that overlooked all of Zurich. Although there was a huge construction crane in the middle, it was still spectacular. We then made our way to the ‘Kunsthaus Museum’ which was an art museum with collections from many time periods throughout much of history. There were pieces from Claude Monet and Picasso which were incredible, plus so many other interesting pieces. The museum flowed through the time periods and was organized in a very interesting manner which was very cool and different.
We then walked towards the Opera House which was in a different part of town than we had explored so that we could get to a restaurant that we wanted to try. This restaurant was called ‘Tidbits’ and was AMAZING!! It was a vegan restaurant that you put stuff on your plate and then weighed it and I have no words. I could eat it again right now. The decor inside was very bohemian and had an exciting ambiance. After lunch we walked back towards the center of town, tried some candy, got some more chocolate, and then headed back to the hotel so that we could go back to Madrid!
Another successful and amazing weekend with good friends 🙂 I hadn’t thought that I would love Zurich but the Swiss vibe is very interesting and fun to be a part of for the weekend!
Last weekend I went to Galicia with my group! We left very early on Friday morning and started on the 5 hour drive to the north western region of Spain. The drive was gorgeous. I saw so many different aspects of Spain like beautiful hills that went off forever into the distance, and tiny towns that almost looked deserted. We stopped at a pueblo that was on the water and walked around between the narrow and windy uphill roads and then walked along the beach.
We arrived at our hotel and had once again, an enormous Spanish lunch which consisted of huge shrimps (that you had to completely peel, including cutting the heads off), croquettes, grilled tomatoes, pork, french fries, and flan. With my Emory program, our group goes on a few weekend excursions and often meals are not provided but when they are, like this one and the one from a few weekends ago, I end up trying so many traditional Spanish foods/dishes that I would never try! Later that afternoon we went to this very odd town that was almost like a deserted vacation resort town. There were so few people there, it was cold and windy, and honestly there was not much to see at all. But this was just a stop on our way to a boat ride! We drove to this port-area and boarded a large boat that only our group of 14 occupied. They turned on some Spanish music, brought out more peel-your-own-shrimp, fresh mussels, and wine and we all relaxed, took photos, sang along, and really savored the moment. We learned about the mussel industry and the process of growing/producing/reproducing (not sure of the right word) mussels to be sold. This boat ride brought out the best in our group and the sheer happiness that we all feel to be in Spain.
After the boat ride, we went back to the hotel for dinner and free time. Pretty much all a few of my friends and I talk about is how much we want brownies/cookies/peanut butter/ everything that is made is Tasty videos on Facebook. So, a few of us ventured out with the sole hope of finding something like the Tasty videos that had been taunting us for the past month. After walking aimlessly around this very strange and deserted town (different than the previous one), we almost lost all hope but ended up stumbling upon a waffle shack! We got waffles with chocolate sauce. They were pretty good but we are all still dreaming of Tasty desserts…
The next morning we woke up, had a quick breakfast, and headed to another town called Santiago de Compostela. On the way, we stopped at a winery and had a very interesting and beautiful tour of a vineyard! We got to try a couple types of wine and then chatted and took photos for a while.
On our drive up to Galicia, we watched a movie called ‘The Way’ which is about a walk that many many people do every year. It is called ‘El Camino de Santiago’ and is a pilgrimage that has many routes but the most popular one is the route to Santiago de Compostela. When we arrived in Santiago de Compostela, we walked around a bit and got a mini tour of the town but then split up and had the rest of the day free. A few of my friends and I found this amazing place for lunch. We were told by the head of our program to try this octopus dish that the town is known for, and so obviously we had to and we all liked it! I also got tuna which was so yummy. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the cute town, shopping, and walking in the park. Tons of people walking ‘the camino’ could be seen everywhere in the town which was very cool. At around 5 or 6, we walked back to the hotel and bought some fruit at a local store (I got figs which are AMAZING. I had never had figs before buy my host mom brought them out one day and told me to try it and so I did and I have been hooked on them ever since), and then relaxed in the hotel until we all went out for a very cold-outdoor dinner with our entire group!
The next morning we woke up pretty early, and headed to the plaza area, but mainly the church. This is where people walking the camino go and it is incredibly meaningful for these people because it signifies the end of their pilgrimage. This church was gorgeous- everything was laced in gold and there were services going on in multiple languages. After exploring the church, we had a little free time so we got some tea in a cafe and then walked around a bit more with our group, and quickly got lunch before getting back on the bus for our long bus ride back to Salamanca.
Santiago de Compostela is a very interesting place. People come from all over the world to make this pilgrimage and being able to walk among people on so many different journeys made me feel like I was part of the culture. At first I didn’t think that I would like these group trips but this weekend was amazing!
This past week was amazing. On Wednesday afternoon our group had a cultural activity of an ‘intercambio’ which is basically just an exchange. About 15 Spanish people of all ages (17-40) came to the Emory Center and everyone paired off and simply spoke to the people about anything and everything. I paired up with my American friend Jamie and we spoke to a few girls our age who were way better at English than we were at Spanish but it was very easy to talk to them! The last woman we spoke with was a doctor who was super nice and interesting. She told us a lot about the health system in Spain and we compared it to the US. This intercambio was great and made me feel a lot better about my Spanish because they understood nearly everything I was understanding (unlike my host mom but apparently that is just a generational issue). I am looking forward to upcoming intercambio’s and also meeting up with my new friends that I met during the intercambio.
After the intercambio my friends and I went to a cute cafe to get a snack and some wifi. About an hour later I walked across the plaza and met up with my parents!! They had been traveling around other parts of Spain for about 5 days and came to Salamanca Wednesday night so that we could go away for the weekend. It was around dinner time so I gave them a quick tour of the main area of Salamanca, which is gorgeously lit up at night, and we went to a few different places for tapas and drinks.
The next morning after my Spanish class, we got on the road and headed to San Sebastian which is about 4 hours north of Salamanca. On the way, we stopped for an AMAZING lunch in Burgos. My dad had found it online and after a bit of walking around we finally found it. It was very packed and all the tables were taken but they told us that you had to just grab a table when one opened up. You ordered at the bar and the guy gave us a few suggestions and we really didn’t know what they were but ordered them anyways. We ended up getting a cooked vegetable salad of some sorts, a dish with eggs and potatoes (huevos revueltos), and an open faced sandwich (called tostada) with chicken, cheese, and cartelized onions. Everything was unbelievable and we were beyond full when we walked out.
We continued the journey to San Sebastian, talking and listening to lots of podcasts. Finally, at around 6 we arrived at our hotel and rested for a bit before we went out to walk around and have some dinner. We headed out to the old city area for some dinner. It was about a mile walk and we walked part of the way right on along the water. There were so many people taking nighttime strolls, or were running. San Sebastian at night is absolutely gorgeous and the community-vibe that we felt while walking made it even more magnificent.
We found the main area with tons of restaurants and quickly learned that San Sebastian is all about the ‘pinchos’. Pinchos are simply tapas but in the north, they are mainly called pinchos. Each restaurant had dozens of plates that lined the bar filled with different tostas, or gazpacho, or croquettes. We walked into the first restaurant and the bartender handed us a plate and we picked out a bunch of pinchos. THEY WERE AMAZING! We decided to walk around a bit and try another restaurant which wasn’t quite as good but still pretty great. After dinner we walked around a bit more, it was a little breezy but the perfect after-dinner temperature.
The next morning we woke up at around 10 and headed out for a little hike. We stopped at a cute place for breakfast and got some Spanish tortilla (basically quiche without the crust) with mushroom. Afterwards, we stopped at a huge supermarket that had a bunch of different stands to pick up some food for a picnic lunch. We got fresh meat, cheese, and warm multigrain bread and then started walking towards the mountain. It really wasn’t a rural hike but had absolutely gorgeous views of the city of San Sebastian with the ocean in front, as well as just ocean water on the other side of the mountain. We explored this castle/huge statue at the top and then as we descended the mountain, there was a man playing his trumpet at the bottom and it was out of a movie.
Panorama of the view from the top of San Sebastian Hike
We had planned to swim a little bit at the main beach but it was very very cold. So instead, we just sat on a ledge at the beach and had our picnic lunch while looking out at the ocean.
After we ate our lunch, we walked around a bit more and stopped into a cute cafe to get some coffee. Because it was already around 4 by this time, most things were closed for siesta so we went back to the hotel to rest a bit before dinner. For dinner we decided to explore a different area and only drove a mile and a half but this was a totally different area. It had tons of restaurants and bars on various streets and was beyond cute. We stopped in a local brewery and I’m not the biggest fan of beer but this beer was very good and afterwards, we walked to a different beach and saw an entirely different part of the city. We had reservations at this place that we thought was a restaurant but it was just a pinchos bar. We ordered a few pinchos and they were amazing, pretty much like every place in San Sebastian. The pinchos that we ordered included duck, tostas, amongst other things. We were still pretty hungry so we wandered around this area a bit more and tried to find other restaurants that were serving meals as opposed to pinchos and finally we did find one. We sat down in what looked like a medieval cafeteria and this crazy waiter greeted us. I tried to use my Spanish but it was not very successful but we did end up eating a pretty good meal which is all that matters. After dinner, we walked around a bit more and then drove back to the hotel for the night (it was already almost midnight!).
We decided to wake up early the next morning to shop a little. Apparently San Sebastian has great leather and we wanted to find a leather jacket for me and my dad. We walked through a really cute farmers market to the main shopping area but really did not find any leather jackets at all. I did buy a few things from ‘Pull and Bear’ though 🙂
We stopped into the same market to pick up some stuff for another picnic lunch and around 12 we drove to a tiny nearby town called Hondarribia. It was situated on the water but the town went up onto this hill. We had planned to go into the tourism center and ask about good hikes in the area but after going in many circles and up a street that had no room to turn around (so my Dad had to back out down this narrow windy hill), we finally just found a parking spot and started walking. We walked along beautiful cobblestone streets and found a plaza where a wedding reception was taking place. The plaza overlooked the water. And by some miracle, we found the tourism center in this plaza. We began a hike that the woman at the center recommended and started exploring this cute tiny town. We ascended up a country hill that was nothing like the town. It was the definition of a European country-town: houses with gorgeous vines all the way up, fields of grass with crops, animals grazing the fields, and beautiful views. We weren’t really sure if this hike led us somewhere specific but after a while we got very hungry so we sat down in a corn field and ate our picnic lunch. We wanted to go for a quick swim at the beach but after driving over towards the beach area, there were way too many people there and it was just in a little bay, we wouldn’t even be able to see anything except the boats right outside of the harbor. Instead, we sat at a cafe on the boardwalk and ordered some drinks and relaxed!
View during Hike
View from plaza
Streets of Hondarribia
Afterwards, we drove about an hour and a half to Bilbao. My Dad didn’t really want to stay there overnight- he just wanted to go to the Guggenheim Museum as a stop on the way back to Salamanca but I’m so happy that we stopped there- it was definitely a highlight of the trip. We arrived at the hotel and showered and headed out to dinner pretty quickly. We had gotten a suggestion from Lonely Planet for this restaurant but when we asked a guy at the front desk of the hotel he told us that it was in a very bad area and that we definitely shouldn’t go there. My parents didn’t really care and we still ventured out to go. Little did we know that there had just been a HUGE soccer game in Bilbao and the streets were packed with fans at bars. At the end of the street there was a huge screen that was streaming the game which was pretty cool! We followed our GPS’ to the restaurant and it was indeed a very bad part of town. But oddly enough, a highly recommended restaurant was right there. Unfortunately they had no tables available (even though there were only 2 groups of people there) so we went to another one of Lonely Planet’s suggested restaurants and got seated there pretty quickly. The meal was AMAZING. We ordered a peach salad, falafel, some sort of tuna dish, and pasta. All of it was so so delicious. After our meal, we really wanted some dessert so we walked back towards our hotel, back into the crowd of fans, just wanting to find some dessert. But, we didn’t find ANY. Instead we settled for a cute restaurant for some drinks, mushrooms, and a cheese platter. Once again, all so yummy.
The next morning we woke up early, grabbed a little breakfast on our (fast) walk to the Guggenheim museum. When we arrived, there was a cancer run happening outside. Spain is just like the USA! I loved the museum. I really didn’t think I would like it that much because I am not the biggest fan of museums but this museum was so cool. We had radio guides and explored the entire museum. There was this reflective sculpture right outside that overlooked a very interesting part of Bilbao. Inside, there was an exhibit where you walk in/around these huge pieces of metal that are curved different ways. It’s like a maze and there was 7 or 8 of these huge interactive art pieces. The museum had amazing paintings that I could stare at for so long. The last exhibit that we checked out was a dark room with a circle of screens of normal people in everyday clothes ‘playing’ their instruments but didn’t not have their instruments. They music and watching them preform were absolutely incredible. It blows my mind that people come up with such meaningful and interesting exhibits, in all forms of art!
After we went to the museum, we grabbed a quick snack at a local cafe and then basically sprinted back to the car so that we could make it back to our favorite restaurant in Burgos again for lunch. We somehow found the restaurant again and had another incredible meal! We then started on our trek back to Salamanca. We put in the address of my street in Salamanca but somehow put in the Madrid address.. so after going about an hour out of the way, we realized our mistake and what was a 2.5 hr trip turned into 4 hours but we finally made it to Salamanca by 8:30. We tried a restaurant that was very good and fresh and then drove to my home stay house so that I could be dropped off. My parents really wanted to meet my host grandma so I brought them upstairs and it was great. They got to talk with her (very limited though because of the language barrier) and saw my room etc. Afterwards, they headed to Madrid for the night because their flight was early the next morning.
This weekend was such a nice break from being in Salamanca for the past two weeks and it gave me a taste of the many excursions that I would do this semester. Since I’ve had so much adjusting to do this semester, I was so grateful that I got to see my parents and do all the stuff that we normally do on vacation! It’s weird that I won’t be home for Thanksgiving of Hanukkah or other family events, but I know that the next few months are going to absolutely fly by and I’ll be wishing that I was here for longer.
I know that you have anxiously been awaiting another blog post but somehow I am extremely busy. Between siesta-ing and sitting at cafes for an hour, along with the twenty minutes of homework that I have every night, I have had very little time to type up a blog post.
Over the past week, I have just become a typical college student in Salamanca. My Spanish class is somewhat interesting. We are learning subjunctive which I have learned 3-4 times before this yet it still hasn’t completely stuck. My psychology class is very interesting and I actually decided to take part in a study with a woman getting her PHD in psychology. The study looks at students studying abroad and their language acquisition so not only am I helping her out in the study but I am also going to get to see how my Spanish has improved over the course of the semester!
Living with my host mom is not as bad as I had originally expected after my first few days with her. It is definitely a different experience than I would get if other children were living here (whether it be her children or other college kids) but I am able to do my own thing while still living in a Spanish household which is very cool! The biggest adjustment for me has been the food. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes it is great and very authentic Spanish food, but other times I am eating foods that wouldn’t even cross my mind to eat. Last week I told her I loved chicken so we have been having chicken a lot. I also told her I really liked tomatoes so everyday for lunch she cuts me up a tomato and pepper which is great. She tells me that I should eat however much I want and I try to eat a good amount but then she goes ‘you are eating so little!! Do you not like it?’ No- I do like it, I just can’t eat 3 servings of chicken, 3 bowls of paella, bread, melon, and tomatoes/peppers for lunch!
Last week we visited the big cathedral in Salamanca. One really amazing part of Salamanca is that the big church contains both a new and old part. In many other cities the old cathedral will be knocked down in order to make room for the new one. This cathedral was gorgeous. When driving into Salamanca, you are able to see the top of the cathedral and it is not completely the center of town (I would say that the Plaza is the center) but it is hidden away yet in a prominent location. From the outside it is truly spectacular. We spent some time looking at the carvings at the entrance of the cathedral and it isn’t what you would expect- there are very interesting carvings that reflect the more modern times. Can you see what is carved into the building in the photo below? (Hint: its on the left and near the bottom)
Inside the cathedral is equally beautiful. Here are some more photos for your enjoyment.
The week went by pretty quickly and finally on Saturday, our group went on our first excursion. It was just for the day and we were visiting some of the towns (pueblos) right outside of Salamanca. We visited five different pueblos and each one had a completely different feel. We left Salamanca around 8:30 am and arrived at our first pueblo very early- before anyone in the town was really up. This pueblo had gorgeous views from the top and was so cute and quaint.
We then travelled to this church/village-like area on a huge mountain (still not sure if it was actually pueblo but maybe people lived there before but certainly no one was living there now so I really don’t know. It’s hard to pick up everything our leaders tell us when they only speak Spanish!).
The next pueblo we visited was in my top two favorites. It was a tourist town (called La Alberca) and we got to the main tiny plaza and there were vendors giving our samples of these authentic foods and also selling honey, nuts, etc. We walked around, tried a few samples, and then went to this guy’s house that they turned into a museum and got to learn about life living in this town (well life 20 years ago). We got a tour of his home and he told us about the necessary daily activities that went on. We then watched a video produced by their family-run museum and he was the main star of the movie!! It was a great honor to meet such an amazing actor.
The next thing we did was eat lunch in a different pueblo. Probably one of the biggest meals of my entire life. The waiters came out with meat and cheese plates which we were lead to believe were the only appetizers. So we ate a decent amount (also we tried not to waste a lot of the food on the plate). At the same time we were eating bread with olive oil that was amazing. Next, the waiters came out with this authentic sweet potato-like dish that was very authentic and were told we should definitely try. So we ate that too. And then there was salad that looked amazing so obviously ate some. At this point I was beyond stuffed. My friend and I took a walk to the bathroom and did some stretches because the main course wasn’t even out yet.We sat back down and thankfully about a half hour later, the main course came which I was ready for since I had a little time to digest. We had an authentic dish with beef and mushroom risotto and it was excellent! Just when we thought we were done, there was dessert and it was flan. Obviously I had to try that too. I can honestly say that I was full for the entire next day as well.
This town was very cute. We walked around the city and on every house, there were photos of people in the family that lived there. This was an old tradition but the photos are still there. It makes the town look very close-knit and also is incredibly interesting.
The last pueblo we visited was a quick visit because everyone was very exhausted but we went into a very old shop that was very cool. It looked like you were walking into a cave!
My host mom is from a pueblo and she speaks so highly of it. Being able to see how communal and small they are was so great to see. Seeing the towns gave me a lot more perspective on where the people of Salamanca came from and it furthered my understanding of the culture of the Province of Salamanca.
Now that I’ve been in Salamanca for a week, it has really hit me that I will be here for the next four months. Four months seems like such a long time but I know that it is going to fly by.
I am starting to get into a routine and adjusting to this type of lifestyle is becoming a lot more natural.
Usually I wake up at about 8:20 and eat a quick breakfast, usually consisting of a Spanish version of Cocoa Pebbles (she asked me the first day what I like to eat for breakfast and I guess I said yes when she asked about this so looks like I’m stuck with it until I finish the box). I then walk the one mile to class which is in the main area of town. Salamanca has parts that look very old and beautiful, and other parts that have more of a small-city feel. I have my Spanish grammar class from 9-11. I have an awesome teacher, Juan, who always makes jokes and is really into pop culture so I’m learning a lot more than I expected! From 11-12 I am in a Spanish conversation class and we just do group activities. The best way to explain these classes are like middle school or high school Spanish classes- very relaxed and interactive.
I like to workout after class and I’ve been jogging in a park and going to nearby basketball courts since it is still really nice outside. (It’s really confusing how so many people in Spain are so skinny because they eat a lot and their diet consists of lots of carbs, fried foods, and meat, as well as veggies, but still. If I figure out the secret I will definitely update you!) I then take a quick shower and mentally prepare myself for the enormous lunch that follows.
Lunch is the biggest meal of the day and contains bread, an appetizer that is more of a main dish, a meat dish, and then fruit. My host grandma has realized that I physically cannot eat as much as she thinks I can so she has thankfully been making less and less but everyday I must tell her that I am very full and cannot eat more. After I tell her this, she will often still give me a little more or for example today, she brought out some cheese and chorizo and gave me ‘samples’ that were basically another snack-size.
After lunch is my favorite time of day, ‘siesta’. Last week I took a nap every single day but I don’t know if this will continue because I am pretty busy. This is a set-aside time every day where I can just sit in bed and watch tv or do some homework. Virtually nothing is open during this time. Everyone is forced to take a break in their day and hang out which is completely different than in the US where we often can’t even find a 30-minute break in our day for lunch. I think I’m going to get used to this!
I have already started one of my elective classes, a psych class about memory. It only meets twice a week which is very convenient. It is taught in English and is very interesting so far! In a few weeks my other elective class starts which is about the Spanish healthcare system. This class should be very very interesting. It is taught in Spanish and apparently we go on field trips and have other interactive activities which I love.
Each week we have one cultural activity in the afternoon. Last week we went to tapas with our group. The group split in half and in my small group we had our group leader. She first gave us a lesson on the different types of drinks that people typically drink while eating tapas. We learned about the different types of red wines and white wines and which ones were the best in Spain and Salamanca specifically. We then went to a restaurant and all got wine and a plate of tostadas to share for the table. They were amazing- I had one with smoked salmon and shrimp with some light sauce and then another one with some type of fish. They are very small so it was great for a snack! We then walked to another restaurant, this one a little more hip than the previous one. We all stayed standing at the bar area, had another glass of wine, and the leader ordered a few tapas. This place was known for their grilled food and all the tapas that were ordered were different types of meat between two pieces of bread. I am really not even sure what type of meat mine was but it was delicious but incredibly are to eat because the meat was on the bone yet in a sandwich form… so I just did my best. I am very thankful for these cultural activities as they are going to teach me so much about Spanish culture and Salamanca that I probably wouldn’t otherwise see.
I usually go home for dinner and eat around 9pm. Dinner is a lot lighter- I have a small salad and then some type of meat (obviously). After dinner I will typically do some more homework and then go to bed but this past week a lot of us met up after dinner at La Plaza Mayor which is the main meeting spot for us. It is this grand plaza that is in a very central location. This week has been a week of festivals and parties in Salamanca so every night they have a concert. There were also fireworks the first night! There are probably about a hundred food stands around the city that are called ‘casetas’. They have amazing food (similar to a food truck) and have deals that offer tapas and a drink for only 2,20 euros. Everyone has been around the Plaza at night because of the festivals and it has been really cool to see the city so lively and like a big community.
Yesterday some of my friends and I went to a Medieval festival that was being held just for the weekend in Salamanca. It was outdoors and had many different stands selling tapas and ice cream and various things to buy (soap, candles, candy, jewelry). They even had a petting zoo. It was very similar to a local town fair but it was medieval themed- my FAVORITE.
Overall everything is going very well! I can’t believe that I’ve only been here one week and its already starting to feel so normal.
After a short but (not so surprisingly) uncomfortable flight our of JFK, I arrived in Madrid around 5:40am. Since it was pitch black outside, I decided that taking a taxi alone may not be the best idea so I instead opted to take the public bus. It took me a while to figure out where exactly I was headed and I eventually arrived on the streets of Madrid (after I got off at the wrong stop and the driver told me to get back on because it was too early) and walked to my hotel.
I was able to hang out with a few friends from Emory that were studying abroad in Madrid for the majority of the day which was very comforting. They gave me all the necessary information that they had learned the hard way and we were able to catch up since I had not seen them for most of the summer!
Later that afternoon I met up with the 14 other people that I would be spending the rest of the semester with. We bonded quickly and had a short meeting going over logistics with the leader of the program. Later, we all went out to walk around and get some food. A few of my friends and I separated from the big group to go explore more of a main road and ended up eating at this amazing restaurants. We ordered a few authentic tapas, well authentic according to the waiter, and left at around 11:30pm feeling very satisfied. Meal times will definitely be explained in a future post. They are incredibly confusing and something that I still don’t know how long it will take me to adjust to!
The next morning we headed out for the 2.5 hour drive to Salamanca. The outskirts of Salamanca are very country-like. There are ‘rolling hills’ are our group kept saying and a lot of land. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a huge group of women, our host mothers. We got introduced to our host families and then walked to the bus station where my host mother (or as I usually say, grandma since she is in her late 70s) and I took the bus to her apartment. Everything in Salamanca is walking distance but definitely not when you are lugging around luggage.
The apartment is located in a residential area and is pretty nice on the inside. I have my own room and bathroom and I am pretty sure there are three other bedrooms (I have yet to see most of the doors open but this is what I have gathered). There is a small kitchen and a little outside courtyard area as well as a good sized living room. It is very comfortable. I am getting to know my host grandma more and she is great. At first she had a hard time understanding me but it has become a lot more natural and she is very easy going.
The more and more I explore the tiny cobblestone streets of Salamanca, the more happy I am to be here.
Not recommended at all but I made it there with no issues!
Now that I’ve been in Salamanca for a week, it has really hit me that I will be here for the next four months. Four months seems like such a long time but I know that it is going to fly by.
After a short but (not so surprisingly) uncomfortable flight our of JFK, I arrived in Madrid around 5:40am. Since it was pitch black outside, I decided that taking a taxi alone may not be the best idea so I instead opted to take the public bus. It took me a while to figure out where exactly I was headed and I eventually arrived on the streets of Madrid (after I got off at the wrong stop and the driver told me to get back on because it was too early) and walked to my hotel.
Jess' Travel Unravelled 