LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS IN SPAIN!

Well the time has come and we are all in awe and not really believing that 4.5 months has passed us by so quickly. Honestly I am in shock doing laundry and sitting on my bag to make sure it will close with everything I have accumulated here, but as they say everything always has to come to an end.

Even though we were not home for Thanksgiving we made sure to have a big celebration here all together. We were each other's families for these months and have all gotten very close, so we had a blast preparing the dinner. Everyone brought a dish to pass and something to drink and we had almost everything we would have had at home. Gravy was very difficult to find here, so we improvised the same went for the ingredients to make the green bean casserole and cranberry sauce but we made it work. We hung out drank some awesome Spanish wine and ate until we could not walk anymore. The only thing that we missed was the lions losing like always and it would have made it a perfect football thanksgiving day for us here in Spain.

I also wanted to share a picture of the ladies I have been doing what they call "Intercambio" here. We all get together and go out for appetizers, the movies, or a beer and switch on and off with English and Spanish. This way they get to help us become more fluent and we do the same for them. We ended up getting very close with them and I will miss hanging out while at home.

We had an american night for Tyler's 22nd birthday last week as well and all headed to Domino's for dinner. Not the best pizza I have had here yet, but I am so ready to try some authentic Italian Pizza next week when we arrive in Italy :)

Now it is time to pack everything up and head out! Leaving for France on saturday and then off to Italy the next week. I am so excited to come home and see everyone as well and am counting down the days for Christmas with lots of snow and love from everyone I have missed so very much!

PALACIO DE LA GRANJA

After spending some time and eating lunch while staring at one of the oldest aqueducts in the world, we headed to the last part of the trip. We ended up leaving Segovia and heading about 30 minutes closer to Madrid to see the Palacio de la Granja. I was excited to see the difference between the first Cinderella castle from the beginning of the day and an actual luxurious palace that had been been after the 15th century.

While inside we got to see some of the tapestries owned by the kings and queens of Spain, and most of them all weaved in gold. They were enormous and used to help with insulation of the walls like in the castle we had seen earlier. What caught me of guard about the castle was not really what we saw inside. The inside was super luxurious and had beautiful lamps that had been imported from France and many famous paintings, it was the 140 acres of gardens that surrounded the palace.

This palace was HUGE just like all of the others that I have seen while in Europe, but it was meant to be a summer palace. A place to hang out in the country only during the couple of months where they could enjoy the outdoors. The gardens were surrounded by hundreds and I mean hundreds of fountains all made out of copper, gold, and silver. They had french style cut bushes and garden architecture and walk ways that would lead up to the mountains. They say that some of the best parties had been thrown at the gardens of this castle way back in the day, and I would have loved to have been there to see it all lit up!

We had a blast walking through and enjoying all of the beautiful scenery. It was an awesome way to end the trip and I know we all enjoyed seeing the town of Segovia and the Palace very much.

The famous roman aqueduct of Segovia

After the castle/ palace visit we headed to the main attraction! Something I had been waiting to see since I arrived in Spain. We walked through the town of Segovia until we hit the amazing roman aqueduct that still stands untouched a couple of minutes past the cathedral and the plaza mayor of the town. The aqueduct was built by the Romans in the second half of the 1st CENTURY! which is absolutely insane for me to even think of. The city of Segovia was a very strategic point for the Roman army and its king, and therefore they wanted to begin a town and have all of the resources necessary to survive there. The city of Segovia was one of the first cities started in that era where water was not available at the source. Water was one of the most important things for survival of course so no one would want to live somewhere where water was not easy to get to.

The Romans wanted the city to be located where Segovia is and they made it happen. Even though the closest water supply was not for 15 kilometers away on top of the mountain the Romans thought of a way to get it down to the city. It has a total of 167 arches and an angle that is still unbelievable for architects to believe could have been measured so precisely during that time. The water runs on the top of the double arches all the way down from the mountain through out the city so water could be reached from multiple areas.

What is the most unbelievable aspect of this whole structure is that it is build solely with stone. There is no mortar holding each piece of stone together or holding the arches. They were carefully planned in order to withhold the structure. It is a completely horizontal building which means all of its weight is held up and down. Previously cars and trucks were allowed to go though the roads that used to go through the arches. Scientists and the government were so worried that something might happen to the aqueduct and since it is one of the oldest in the world and the oldest in all of Spain had a team come and study the structure. The studies showed that the structure was made so precisely with all of its weight being help horizontally that there is no way the structure could come down. It would be even difficult for it to come down due to an earthquake.

How could Romans from the 1st century come up with such a structure? It is unbelievable how intelligent they were and how everything they created such as aqueducts and street formations for cities and s much more are still being utilized today.

Trip to Segovia

Time is running out! With only two more weeks to go in Spain we are still trying to get as much traveling as possible. We got very lucky that our University had already planned weekend trips for us through out the semester to make traveling easier and more affordable for us. Last weekend we got to travel to Segovia which is really close to Madrid and a couple of hours from where I am living. The town is really small but it has been declared "Patrimonio de la Humanidad" by UNESCO and therefore is very well protected and taken care off because of it's amazing historical structures and the actual history that took place in the city.

Our first stop while in Segovia was to see the famous castle that Walt Disney took his inspiration from while drawing Cinderella's castle. I wish I could have taken a picture from the side that looks exactly like the movie but we could not get far enough back for the picture since that part is on the side of the mountain and there was no way for us to go all the way down to take the picture. I did add a picture on the blog that does show a couple of the towers of the castle that would make it look like the Cinderella picture. This castle was first built for protection and then turned into a castle/palace where it was for protection but it was also a residency for the king/queen/ court. This castle actually was one of the main residencies of the Famous Catholic Kings of Spain and where they spent most of their time when they were not traveling throughout the country.

We got the full tour of the throne room where they would receive guests, the kitchen and dinning room where all of the parties would be held, and their actual bedroom which was where the Catholic Queen actually passed away and where her funeral was held. I was surprised that even though the castle was filled with gold painted ceilings and wood work, it was very simple. All of the palaces I had seen prior to this visit had been solely palaces and not castle/palaces and had been from after the 15th century so they were very luxurious. Since the queen and king would move around all the time to cover all of their territory and were in the midst of war at any second previous to the 15th century they only took with them what they could carry. So Furniture was minimal, as well as places to store clothes and the clothes itself. In the royal bedroom they had 2 chests where the queen would keep her clothes in one and the king in the other. It was very interesting to see! The wall were all covered with beautiful screen work made out of reds and golds to try to keep the stone walls insulated as much as possible. Even though we were only in November it was FREEZING inside that castle. I can't imagine how it would have been to live there in January/ February without hit and only a couple of fireplaces to keep you warm.

This castle was also where a lot of the artillery was held and where many of the troops were trained and maintained. We got to take a tour around where the soldiers stayed and saw many of their armors and weapons. It was nuts because it was exactly like the movies. HUGE ARMORS, and swords, cannons, Huge wooded poles to break down the doors etc. Very very interesting :)

Day on the beach!

Here are some of the pics of the day where we spent all day walking around the marina and the sea. We got to see the most beautiful sunset and spend over an hour looking onto the beach and enjoying a cup of coffee.

In Madrid we got to see so much street art, and in Barcelona they were everywhere on the streets too but something amazing I had never seen was sand art. I posted a couple of them but there were sooooo many to see, all around the broad-walk. Some were intense with fire and everything and some where so well made that I could not believe that they were made out of sand. It is insane how people can find such creative ways to make a living, and it was awesome watching them and taking part of it.

Unfortunately it was way too chilly for me to jump into the water but there were actually people enjoying the water and swimming around. I had to at least put my toes in the Mediterranean Sea but that is as far as I went in.

Being in Barcelona for 4 days was absolutely incredible and one of the best weekends I have had here in Spain without a doubt. Getting to spend it with my new friends that I got to meet and get to know here was even better.

More Sights in Barcelona

After spending time seeing all of the wonders of the Park and famous Gaudi church the Sagrada Familia, we spent the next day walking around and getting to know the different neighborhoods of the city. We walked all the way around the Gothic part of Barcelona and also got to see Las Ramblas. Las Ramblas is the name of the city center and the largest most busy street of the entire city where everyone goes for walks, shopping, and out at night. It is also one of the most expensive parts of the city and where a lot of the international stores and restaurants are located. We had so much fun just sight seeing and walking around without an agenda.

I also wanted to show you all the awesome hostal we stayed at for a night. When we booked it we had no idea that it was going to be as cool as it was. We ended up staying on top of the mountain in an old royal house for a muslim family that has now been renovated so its beauty really stands out. The hostal was really big and as soon as you walked inside you did feel like you were walking into a palace, with colors everywhere and walls and ceilings painted in gold, and large arch ways all around the main area.

While walking around we got to see and try so many foods which I LOVED of course. I never turn down food hehe. We ended up hanging out at this Moroccan cafe by Las Ramblas and had some really good tea. It had fresh mint and was very sweet and yummy. We then continued our adventure where we found the worlds largest empanda, I swear I have never seen one that big the whole time we have been here and through all the traveling we did. We also had dinner at this little family owned italian bistro with so many different choices of pizza. We could buy them by the slice and all of the types were so different and so good. I had one slice that had shrimp and fresh melted cheese with herbs and lets just say it rocked my world! SO GOOD! They were literally making them while we were ordering them and they were so fresh and crispy!

We were so exhausted after a whole day of walking around town, but it was worth every minute of the 11 hours we walked that day :)

WEEKEND IN BARCELONA!

Since we have been here in Spain I have had the pleasure to see so many cities and monuments that I had heard and studied about. I was so excited to get the chance to finally visit Barcelona, it was one of the MUST see places while I was here. We had a long weekend last week and a group of us decided to spontaneously take a trip. We had been planning on going for a while but what happened was that we waited until the very last minute to book our hostel. Of course when push came to shove it was 3 days before the trip and none of us could find any place to stay on the internet. It was a holiday weekend and everything was full, I must have literally called 30 or more hostels. Since it was a longer trip this was going to be the very last weekend we were going to be able to go and actually enjoy our time there and be able to make the trip really worth it.

We decided to go anyways! With no place to stay we embarked on our little Barcelona adventure. There were 6 of us and we had the best time even though the first morning was spent walking all around town trying to find a place to stay. After 3 hours of walking with our luggage we found one, right on the main street of Barcelona! We could not believe it! It was only for the one night of course we could not have gotten so lucky but after a couple of phone calls we ended up booking hostels for the next 2 nights and were all set and ready to go. Our hostel was literally 15 minute walk to get to the entrance of the Park Guell, that we were all os eager and excited to see. The park along with the Sagrada Familia which is the church created by Gaudi were the 2 main things that were on my list.

The park was up on top of a very very tall mountain, but hiking all the way up to see what we saw only made the day so much better. We had the best views of the entire city and of the sea and we got to see and enjoy all of the amazing structures created by Gaudi. There were so many people there that day that after a while we could not wait to get out of there because I was seriously starting to feel claustrophobic even though we were outside. It was our luck that we got there early enough where we got to enjoy everything before it was actually THAT packed. It was an awesome day and one of the best things we got to do in Barcelona!

Out Trip to Madrid!

So after running Alex crazy around Burgos and having him meet everyone we headed to Madrid like I talked about last time. The city is HUGE and there is so much to do that we did not end up doing so much stuff because we ran out of time. After we had an amazing time at the Prado Museum of Art where all of the paintings from the many of the kings of Spain are being shown to the public including some of their private collections we saw that there were so many people on the street but could not see what was going on. There was music playing people walking around with beer, dancing and having such a great time. We were in madrid during a holiday weekend and were there on the street just as the parade was about to start. We danced and hung out and saw separate parades for so many different countries and their cultures. We saw Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Argentina, and many many more. Every group had their own music, dance, and costumes it was so much fun to have taken part in that! We were really lucky to have been on the right side of town or else we would have missed it.

Later on we went to see the Royal Palace which is so much bigger than I thought it was going to be. This palace has been the residence for the kings and queens of Spain for hundreds of years but now is used for special occasions and meetings that are held by the king. The royal family thought that the palace was way too big to make it their home and wanted something more cozy so they moved into what was then their summer palace which is about 20 minutes away from the center of Madrid and is still ENORMOUS and not small, surely does not look like a "summer palace" lol.

We ended up running into the coolest market on the way to dinner and decided to go in and check it out. It was packed, so packed we had a hard time walking around and seeing what it was all about. There were no seats open and lines for almost every both. Each little shop had its own specialty. There was a wine kiosk with all types of Spanish wine, a cheese one, one for different types of breads, different types of olives and pickles, sweets, baked goods, sandwiches, sushi, mussels, and pretty much everything else you can think of. We had such a great time walking around and deciding what we wanted to try and ended up with what you saw in the picture. I tried 2 different types of olives that I had never had before, and some awesome sun dried tomatoes. We also waited about 40 minutes in the line for the cheese kiosk where we chose 5 different kinds from probably 40-50 different types of cheese and got some french bread with it. We then headed to the wine kiosk where we both got Spanish wines to go with our delicious appetizers.

We had such a great time and after having a little bite to eat walked around and enjoyed all of the street art that the city had to offer. You will always find people playing instruments, doing magic, singing, dancing, doing crazy stunts, or playing different characters just walking around town. It is the best feeling to be able to share all of what is amazing about Spain with my boyfriend and we really did enjoy every single minute we got to spend together in Burgos and in Madrid.

SPAIN WITH MY BOYFRIEND!

Its amazing how sometimes things just work. Alex and I had tried to make plans for him to come visit during these last 2 months and nothing would come together because of work and other responsibilities we were both dealing with. After so much work and getting my hopes up and down because of plans falling through for whatever reason HE GOT HERE! It happened to work perfectly with his new job position as well as my school schedule and he came during my 4 day break a couple of weeks ago. I of course could not believe that everything worked out perfect, he was flying stand by and I was a wreck waiting here in Spain not knowing if he was actually going to make it on the plane or not, and not knowing when he was going to arrive.

When I saw him at the bus station it was surreal, I was so excited and could not wait to share my life here with him and show him what Spain was all about. We headed home and had lunch with my hermana and hermano, and then headed out and spent the whole day sight seeing and trying all kinds of good food. We went to tapas, had gelado, spanish wine and beer, and so much more, Al was in heaven with all of the delicious food we were having.

We spent 2 days in Burgos and then left for Madrid for 2 days. In Burgos we got to go see the castle, the cathedral, the evolution museum, and the burgos museum and got to spend time with all of my friends from Brazil, England, France, and Ireland. We then headed to Madrid where we were amazed to spend time at the Prado Museum as well as the Reina Sofia. It was a dream come true to see so many masterpieces by Picasso, Dali, Valezques, Goya, El Greco, and so many more.

Of course the 4 days flew by, but we finally got to enjoy each others company. It is so hard being away from those you love for such a long time and having them visit and share this experience with me meant so much to me! I am one lucky girl to have had my parents, grams, and now my boyfriend come spend time with me here, and I am so glad they loved it as much as I do!

ATAPUERCA FOSSIL SITE!

So luckily after my parents and grandma left I had a really busy week to keep my mind off things and off being sad since I was not going to get to see them for another 2 months. We started a new class that week, and our professor is a Doctor in archeology and works at the Atapuerca Fossil Site which is located 15 minutes from Burgos (where I am staying). This site is where they found the oldest fossils ever found in the whole entire Europe. There are only 2 fossils ever found that are older than these ones and they were found in Africa.

The fossil was over 1.3 million of years old which is absolutely insane to even thing about. Usually visitors that come to visit the excavation site can only take a quick look through the top area and are not allowed within the caves. We were extremely lucky because our professor has been working and researching this site since they first started in 74. So he is one of the main archeologists and has all of the keys for everything. We got to see every cave, go up to where they found the oldest fossils and see all 5 of the areas that have been the most researched in the site.

It was such an awesome experience to get to see how they work, and how these fossils where found. I was so excited to get to take a part within all of this history! We had a great day!

Trip to Bilbao

So as they say everything that is great always has to come to an end :( After Portugal we had time to take one more trip so we decided to stay in Spain and head to the north side of the country. What is so awesome about traveling here is how easy it truly is, you can go by train, car, bus, air, and everything is available to me in my town which is probably the size of Kalamazoo or smaller. I could catch a train to Paris or flight to Italy, or every 30 minutes take a bus 2.5 hours to madrid. It definitely makes traveling a lot less stressful that's for sure. So we left Burgos and headed 3 hours north to Pais Vasco one of the communities of Spain. Their official language there is not Spanish but Euskera and it was really awesome to see all of the signs etc, while still in Spain in a different language.

We got there walked around and enjoyed the scenery a little bit, but were really there to see the famous Guggenheim Museum of Art. For people that are not a big fan of this type of art I would still say it would be a good idea to go because it is such an experience even looking at the building from the outside. There is a Huge bridge connecting the building to the other side of the river, artwork outside for those that want to walk around and take a look, and so many cool angles and windows.

I am a big fan of Anish Kapoor he is one of the most famous modern architects of our time, he is the one that created the "bean" in Chicago among many other buildings around the world. He also does artwork pieces and groups of artworks. I was so excited to know that the Guggenheim has a whole floor dedicated to him and his artistic process. Within the exhibitions they provided us with recorded interviews where Anish would explain what he was thinking while creating his art and where he would like us to focus our attention to, which was really awesome since his art is really different and sometimes overwhelming to have a focus.

We spent the day in Bilbao and then headed back to Burgos where my mom was so excited to finally get to eat her chocolate and churros. It was their last night and we had such an amazing week I was not happy at all to have to let them go. All that matters is the fact that they did get to come, and enjoy what I am enjoying, meet my spanish familia, and take part in my every day life here in Spain. I was so glad that they came, but having them leave was a hard time for me since it reminded me so much of home and of everything and everyone there.

Seeing the wonders of Lisbon :)

What was really the most awesome part of traveling in Portugal is that we understood everyone and everyone understood us. Even though they do have a complete different accent then we do and sometimes use completely different words and we have to ask them to repeat etc, it was the first time I have traveled anywhere where the people spoke Portuguese, so it was different getting that at home feeling and not being in Brazil! We had been having a great week and did so much more sight seeing as the week went on.

After the Fado Club we had a really early morning and started the day visiting the city including the castle, the tower/elevator in the main part of town, and other smaller neighborhoods. The castle was amazing and almost standing in its entirety, I was expecting something smaller and not as well preserved because of the previous experience I had in Burgos with our castle. The castle in Burgos only had a few remains and so the tour was basically made through the tunnels and ins and outs of the castle, which was an awesome experience but in Portugal we got to see everything. We went up on the huge towers and saw the entire town, we saw all of the little rooms where the soldiers would sleep, and all of the main walls were intact. It was ENORMOUS and the walls were so thick it was unbelievable to think that in that time people could build something like this without any of the modern tools that we now have available to us. I have been in Europe for over 2.5 months and it still continues to amaze me how they built the beautiful things they did like the castles, cathedrals, and monasteries and is one of the things I LOVE about just walking around town and wondering.

While we were walking through town we saw so many students getting hazed in front of everyone in the main plazas and parks. They would be wearing ridiculous clothes or doing really funny things and the older people yelling at them to be louder and to keep going. We saw groups and groups of these people, hundreds through out the whole day and we later found out that they were law students that were about to start the University in Lisbon and it was tradition to start the year off right lol! It was great to see and we really felt like we got to take part in that culture as well.

In Burgos we have Mc'Ds and KFC and I am pretty sure Burger King, but those are all things that I do not miss and do not need to eat. BUT I have an addiction to Starbucks and have been missing my coffee sooo much. The coffee here is so great and I love it, but sometimes you just miss something you are used to as silly as it may be. In Portugal I finally got one!!! and now that I am traveling to the larger cities they are in every corner, it is unbelievable!

Later that day we had an awesome dinner at a family owned restaurant again, because that is honestly the best way to go if you want to eat the best food around. The hole in the wall places are where it is at! We got up the next day and traveled to Sintra which was only 40 minutes by train from Lisbon, where I got to see the Castle of my dreams! It literally looked like it was painted into the scenery and not for real, and it was one of the best parts of the entire trip! I will have all of the stories and pictures for you next time!

WE MADE IT TO PORTUGAL!

So after having the best train trip I have ever taken in Europe we made it to Lisbon, safe and sound and ready to have the best time. We ended up finding the best little restaurant right by our hotel where we ate like kings and queens for a dime :) Green wine to go around to everyone! I had never heard of green wine but it is a delicacy in Portugal and is what most people drink like our Cabernet wines in the US. It is very affordable and most of the time just like in Spain it is cheaper to drink than a coke, which still amazes me to this day lol.

We had the best lunch and headed to town to look around and do a little bit of sigh seeing before the big night out we all had planned to go to a Fado Club. You can't go to Portugal without going out one night for Fado. Fado is a type of music and way of singing, that is a heritage of Portugal and especially of Lisbon where we were visiting. The songs are very famous in Brazil and my grandma and mom knew a bunch of them, it was so cute they were singing along with the singers. We got to the Club around 8pm ate a slow dinner that was delicious, and then enjoyed some dessert. My mom and I split a plate of Bacalao a famous fish dish from Portugal. We had the best dessert in the whole trip at the restaurant too it was pear induced with red wine, and some Flan with the best chocolate mousse on the side.. lets just say it wasn't on the plate for long between Geraldo and I.

I had never listened to Fado music before and am so glad I got to experience it :) The songs are beautiful but all really sad about love stories and heart breaks and are sang as if the singers were crying out the music, with so much emotion you could feel it! We got to listen to 4 singers sing about 4 songs each, and stayed until 1 am. We were so exhausted and couldn't stay for the second round where they each sang another round of songs and people stayed there until 3-4 in the morning. One of the best parts of Libon was the time we got to spend there together as a family we had the best time!

We also got to visit the Cathedral, which was kind of disappointing to me I have to be honest. Everything was falling apart and the outside was not restored or well taken care off. It was s very beautiful church just awful to see it in that state just like a lot of the older building in Lisbon that have been left behind and that could add to the culture and the sights of the city.

We stayed in Lisbon for 2 days and then went on to Sintra which was about 40 minutes away from Lisbon, where my favorite part of the whole trip happened! We saw the most beautiful castle :) But thats all for now, I will have those pictures for you next time!!!

The vacation only got better and better!

So we had an amazing first day, but since Geraldo was falling asleep on the kitchen table I let them go to bed kind of early lol. The second day rolled around and we all met up for breakfast at this cute little Cafeteria by my house. We had some Spanish Tortillas, crossants, and some french bread with the best appricot jam. Dad was the only one in the whole entire restaurant drinking a diet coke at 9 am, and when I ordered it they looked at me so weird and repeated what I said just to make sure that they understood me right... ¨Yes I would like a diet coke at 9am¨ haha too funny. Dad was happy as can be with his tortilla and diet coke so thats all that matters!

As soon as we were done eating we all hopped on the bus and went for a ride around the othe side of town to go visit my University. It was so cool to get to share that with my family and show them everything I always talk about, like OH we can´t move in the bus after 3 pm because it is soooo packed with students and where I have class every day. They loved the school and loved the old feeling of all of the buildings, it was defnetly different than WMU, thats for sure.

When we were getting ready to leave through the front entrance of the building we saw that there was an event going on. People were having wood cutting contests and wood carving contests, we were just watching and minding our own business when they looked at the crowd and asked if any of us would like to join in. WELL of course I was the first one to say I DO I DO, and dragged my poor mom with me! With our huge mustles we cut all the way through the wood, it was hilarious and but such a good time.

We then headed to go meet my Spanish family for a nice lunch. My parents really wanted to taek them out to eat to thank them for everything they have done for me here, and for how well they have treated me by going above and beyond when I was sick and needed something extra etc. So we had them pick a restaurant and they decided to take us to an ASADOR which is what Burgos is really famous for. They make all of these meats in the fire pit and bring enough food for double the people that are actually going to eat it. We had so much food, and it was delicious. It was so much fun for me to see my family coming here and not even worrying about the language barrier. My dad had no problem since he had worked in Mexico for over 8 months and had a lot of Spanish background but for my grandma and mom they jumped right in and tryed to communicate as best as they could, with some Portuenol, and some Spanglish in there they made it happen :) We all had as awesome time at lunch and the food was something that I had never eaten here either, so it was a brand new experience for me as well.

My Spanish family then wanted to take us out for a coffee at one of the parks called ¨Fuentes Blancas¨, which is right outside of Burgos. We sat and talked there for hours and had some Gelado, coffee and little sweets while my dad and Luis my madres boyfriend shared all kinds of pictures and were having a good time in their own little world. It was great!

Then we headed back into town to go meet my Brazilian friends for a drink. They were so excited to meet my parents, and we sat and had Calimochos for a while at Cafe Espana. My mom had never had a Calimocho and I told her she had to try one before she left, I think Coke and Red wine is one of her favorites now. She couldn´t believe how good it was. The night did not end there. By now it was already almost midnight and we were still out ad about in Burgos. Our train for Portugal left the Burgos train station at 2:30 am so we headed home grabbed our bags and after hanging out for a little while at the house took a taxi to the station.

I was so excited to get to Portugal, I couldn´t believe that the trip was finally here, and that my parents were here with me still. My grandma and I had a great time while waiting for the train to get there, we had a HUGE cake, some cheese, olives, crackers and drinks galore to keep us entertained for that last hour of waiting. She was cracking jokes all night and I was having the best time with her.

I was used to traveling with the girls from WMU in Spain, and we always went the cheapest route possible. We always took the overnight bus to get to our destinations in the morning to not pay for a hotel etc. WELL this time traveling with the parents was a different story :) we had our own cabin with 4 beds, so I closed my eyes and the next thing I new I was in Lisbon! Best trip yet for sure, and so comfortable too. We were all so tired after everything we did the second day that they were here but we all wanted to enjoy every second that we could in Burgos, so they had a chance to see everyone and everything. 2nd day was a SUCCESS!!

Their First Day Here!

Wow, I can´t believe my family was here and has left already :( It was so awesome having them here but defnetly bitter sweet, because now I am missing being home so much more and missing them on the day to day so much more. We did not stop for one second that they were here. We ended up spending the first 2 days that they were here in Burgos seeing the whole town and all of the history it had to offer. They got here on monday around 2pm from madrid, and I went to go pick them up with a bag of goodies. My Madre and I made them this awesome orange cake for a little snack, and I of course had to get Geraldo some Diet Coke or else he would not make it through the first hour of being here without one, and my grandma some diebetic cookies and food since I have found it really hard to find any sugar free snacks and food in restaurant so this way she could bring a little baggie with her when we went places to have her own snack.

I took them straight to the hotel, they ended up staying at ¨The Maison Del Cid¨, a hotel that overlooked the Cathedral. It was literally in the same plaza as the Cathedral with the best views, I was excited that they were able to get a reservation there :) After checking in and getting all of their bags up 50 steps lol, the fun started! We walked down to the main plaza, and had stheir first Spanish lunch. We ordered morcilla- blood sausage, churizo, eggs, different types of salads, and a really good pork dish. We all split everything, and then headed to the Plaza Mayor where we had some San Miguel Spanish Beer, and some Ribeira wine that is made a couple of hours from Burgos and very famous in the area. We did a little shopping, but since it was siesta time almost all of the stores were closed GOTTA LOVE SPAIN!!

I gave them a quick tour through the town, showing them the river, the main theather, and where we all like to hang out and go to the bars. Then around 7 we jumped on the tourist CHU CHU train. It was hilarious because I always see the train going around town with all of these people taking pictures and looking around at everything and that day let me tell you we looked like BIG tourists for sure. My dad was taking pictures of EVERYTHING. The train ended the route right by the castle where there is a place for you to overlook the whole entire city, it was so pretty and I think the family really liked it.

We then headed to my house for my family to meet my Spanish family. Before they came my mom kept asking me what she should bring as a little gift for them, and since everytime I wear a dress the ladies almost comment on how much they like it I told her to get the girls some cute summer dresses, and Rodrigo a U of M shirt so I can be supporting my sister all the way from Spain lol! She also got them some chocolate, and different jams, and a really pretty amethist rock for decoration from Brazil. My grandma made them a ceremic plate also for decoration with really pretty paintings on it that is suppose to be used for cooking as well but that Magdalena said she will refuse to put in the oven because it is too pretty, she is too funny. Lets just say the chocolates are almost gone, and all of the other candy things that they brought are also almost gone, I am so glad they loved everything!

My Spanish family made us an awesome Paella for dinner, with mussles, calamari, shrimp, and lots of other good things. We had some wine, and my dad was almost falling asleep on the table toward the end. He had gotten home from China friday and then traveled to Spain on Sunday his inner clock was all messed up and I felt so bad. My Madre and Spanish brother were making little jokes the whole time at dinner like ¨oh I see you like my clock¨ because he kept looking at it, since he was trying so hard to stay allert and chat with everyone. It was such a fun dinner and it was so sweet of them to invite my family in and treat them as their guests as well.

After a very long day I finally let them go to sleep around 1 am. I was so excited to have them here I did not want them to go to bed lol. It turned out to be only the beggining of an amazing vacation, we did so much around Burgos, and then headed to Portugal for 4 days, and to finish the week off headed to Bilbao to see the Guggenheim Museum. I will have lots of pictures up and talk about everything we did these next couple of weeks because it is wayyyyy too much to put all in one blog. I LOVED every minute that they were here with me!!!! Just wish my sister could have been here to enjoy everything with us too, I know she would have loved it.

FLAMENCO and meeting people from around the world!!

Well I have to say I am glad that this week is over! I was a little stressed with final exams and the oral exam we had on thursday, but now that I have been "on vacation" since thursday afternoon all of my worries are gone! I think I did well on the final exam for the grammar portion of the class, but did not do so hot on the speaking part. Its so hard to think on the spot, sometimes it is like all of a sudden you don't remember anything that you had learned just because someone is sitting there watching you. Oh well you win some and you loose some right? I am sure I did better than I thought, but won't get my grades until we get our semester grades in the States, so we shalllllll seeeee!

I have been getting closer and closer with the students that are here with Erasmus. Erasmus is a really prestigious study abroad program for European students. They travel all over Europe doing different languages and such. I think it is completely nuts that some of them don't speak a lick of Spanish but are here studying in the University with the Spanish students. We at least get a break because we have private classes where only Americans students are present, with a Spanish professor. I just can't imagine coming here and not understanding anything and having class that way, it was hard enough for us when we arrived and we had had at least 3-4 years of Spanish studies under our belts. I give them so much credit for jumping right in.

One of the British girls had a get together on thursday and I went with some of the Brazilian ladies I met last week. It was awesome looking around because there were 4-5 French students, 3 from Ireland, 1 from Scotland, 5 from England, 5 from Brazil, a couple from Portugal, 1 from Mexico, and 2 from China. It was a HUGE mix, and things were going really well and we all had a good time. We then went off to meet some of our Spanish friends and some other people that are studying here from Mexico. The first picture on the Blog is from that night, after we had left the party and went to enjoy some Caipirinhas!! I love how I can find Caipirinhas everywhere here.

Sunday I got a text from Issa one of my new Brazilian friends for me to come over for dinner. We had rice and beans and pao de queijo!!! UMA DELICIA!

Now I am just getting ready for my parents and grandma to get here, and impatiently waiting! They get here tomorrow around 2:00 PM and I can't wait to see them. My madre and I made them this awesome orange cake to bring to the hotel tomorrow, and I am going to stop on the way to the bus stop to pick up some diet pepsi for Geraldo, because he drinks about 10 of them a day and I want them to feel at home lol :)

We will then be heading to Portugal on Tuesday for 4 days! Going to visit Lisboa and then heading back to spend a couple more days in Burgos, and then heading to Bilbao to visit the Guggenheim Museum of Contemporary Art. I probably won't be able to sleep tonight! I just really wish that Renata could come visit too, I know she would love this place and I miss her so much, BUT SCHOOL CALLS!

I added some pictures from when we went to a dance production. We got to see many different types of Flamenco dance, Ballet with Spanish influences, as well as a 70 year old dance instructor rocking out Flamenco like I have never seen. She danced with more strength than any of the 20 some year olds. It was awesome to see, there is a picture of her doing her thing on the Blog.

I will have some awesome pics for you after our trips! Hope you all have a great week :)

There is something beautiful about almost anything.

Hey everyone!

I think it is insane how some people have such an ability when it comes to art, where to find inspiration, and how to make something simple into something beautiful. I was amazed when I saw the pictures that had been taken by one of the guys that is studying here with me. His name is Mikie Etlinger he is a student a WMU and has a serious eye for finding beautiful things in the most random places. I have no idea how long he has been working with photography, or how long this has been his hobby, but I really think he is going to go far with this kind of work. I asked him if I could blog about the pics he has taken here in Spain because they impressed me so much, and he of course just laughed at me and said YEAH!!

What I think is great is that the life we are living here, the families we get to see everyday, and the way people act are all seen so vividly through some of these pictures. You can see the old with the new, the culture (fiestas, smoking), and small parts of each city that most of us did not even think twice about really taking a good look.

The colors in the pictures are also amazing and remind me so much of all of the cathedrals, and art we have seen here so far. I think the best pieces of art come with a feeling. It allows the people that are looking at it to feel a certain way, to think about memories they might have had in the past. Well I think that I have fallen in love with these pictures because they do just that, I feel the culture, the people, my spanish family, the cathedrals, the food, the jokes people tell here, and a lot more.

I liked Mikie's pictures so much I wanted to make sure other people got to see them too! I hope you all enjoy his work as much as I did :)

Visiting the Castle

Hey everyone!

We had such a great weekend in Burgos this week, so when sunday came we were ready to just relax and do something that did not involve dancing, beer, or wine lol. We ended up going to a party friday night that was being hosted by the study abroad coordinators at DonnaDonna, a bar right downtown in Burgos. This week people from all over Europe, Brazil, Mexico, and Turkey started school at the University if Burgos, so it was king of like a welcome party for all of us.

It ended up being an awesome night and I got to meet such great, fun people from England, Portugal, Brazil, Russia, Germany and many other places. Camila was one of the ladies from Brazil that I met that night and we decided to go take a look at the castle today, and just hang out and get some coffee after words. We had such a great time!! I am really happy to be getting to practice a little bit of my portuguese while in Spain too, because the first night we went out my portuguese was a little bit rough (let me tell you), kind of embarrassing to be from Brazil and have such a hard time speaking it at first. I just feel like my brain is kind of going on overload, switching back and fourth with 3 languages, it just wants me to stick to one at a time lol. I am really excited to get to know these people more, and get to travel with them all over Europe without having to fork over hundreds of Euros for hotels!! How great is that!

I wanted to give you all a little bit of history about the Castillo de Burgos so here it is:

The castle was one of the first buildings ever built in Burgos, and it was what started the population of the town. The town was completely built around and underneath the castle. The building of the castle dates back to 884. Count Diego Porcelos ordered by king Afonso III founded the castle which was meant for repopulating the area as well as keeping the muslim armies out of the region. The castle was almost completely destroyed in the 19th century due to the Independence War. So much of the area where the royal residence, and courts were are now not standing anymore.

This castle took major parts in many of the wars against the muslim armies, counting the war against king Sancho (the play in Ona I wrote about a couple of weeks ago).

Hope you guys like the pictures!!! I will have some more for you sometime this week. XOXO

Now after one month I am finally feeling like I have a new schedule and am actually living in Spain. I get to spend time at home, hang out with the family, help cook, and do every day things like work out. My spanish sister and I bought gym memberships and are trying to get in shape together. It is so much more fun working out when you have someone else motivating you to go. The gym is literally across the street, and really convenient. We go every monday and wends to body pump class, and then tues and thurs to a step class. I still haven't been able to get her to come running with me, but we will see in the next week!

I am eating such great food here and if I wasn't working out I would for sure come back 10 lbs heavier then I came!! This weekend my madre is going to teach me how to make PAELLA. I am so excited, it is one of my favorite dishes here and would love to know how to make it at home.

Everything has been pretty relaxed here this week. We are going to a going away party tonight for a Scottish girl that has been studying here, and then getting ready for a fun filled weekend. I am actually really happy to be staying in Burgos this weekend, and excited to have some time at home!

Hope everyone is doing so well! Miss you! XOXO

Visit to Salamanca

HEY EVERYONE!!

Early saturday after spending the night out on the town we all headed to Salamanca. The city is about 3 hours away from Burgos and is a city that has been named by the UNESCO as "Patrimonio de la Humanidad", this means it is one of the most important cities in Spain and its history is very important to the entire world. The city has many different influences from the Roman era as well as the Renaissance era and it was surprisingly easy to see which architecture is which through the different arches/types of doors/ and art that are all engraved in the building.

We had such a great time there and ate lots of really good food! We also were able to see 5 different weddings and lots of brides and grooms walking around town taking their pictures. I WANT TO GET MARRIED IN SPAIN! I mean looking at the cathedrals and how beautiful they allllllll are it is crazy not to think about! People have to sign up with at least 2-3 years in advance to be able to get a date at the cathedral in Salamanca, and at least 2 to be able to be married at the cathedral in Burgos (you better watch out Alex, this might mean troubllllle for you!!!!). INSANE ISN'T? Having a dream wedding at the any of the cathedrals here also doesn't come cheap, and all of the photography/videos that are to be taken during the ceremony have to be taken by the photographer hired by the church (I would not like that at all! lol). People give up the ability to choose their own photographer, and wait years longer then they would have just to be able to be married in one of the cathedrals. To have a dream wedding here, I probably wouldn't think twice about the photographer now that I think about it!

We spent all day in Salamanca and saw all of the history the town had to offer. Of course I had to do a little shopping! Was able to get some souvenirs for friends and family, as well as some decorative things I want to take with me when I graduate and have my own apartment.

I am going to try and lay low for the next weekend since we have been traveling every single weekend since we got here and I AM DEAD. I am so excited for my parents and grandma to get here on Sept.20th and to be able to show them everything I have fallen in love with. I have a couple of really fun things planned as a surprise for them that I think they are all going to love, maybe a trip to Bilbao if they are lucky :) Love you guys and can't wait to see you!!

Hope everyone is doing great, XOXO from Spain.

Hey everyone!

Everything is Spain is going great, but now that I have been here for almost an entire month I am missing everyone a lot more! Most of the time I am very busy with school, traveling, and getting things done around town that I don't have time to dwell on how long it has been since I have seen everyone. Skype has been a godsend and I have no idea how people could travel and keep up with their loved ones without it! I feel like thats the main part of the communication aspect that is keeping all of us sane, and ok with being away from our families and homes while studying here. Seeing everyone is so great and Skype makes it free or very cheap to keep in contact, a must for anyone thats traveling abroad for sure.

Ever since the first week we have been here all of us have been noticing that they do not refrigerate many things that we in the Unites States would never not think to refrigerate. For example: meat, lunch meat, cream based things, sometimes fish, all things that are very perishable. A couple of the guys in the group had gotten food poisoning the first couple of weeks from eating sandwiches with lunch meat that had been left out, and I thought I was just immune to it since I was feeling fine and eating the same things. WELL...this week my luck caught up to me! I had a ham and cheese sandwich at school, and a couple of hours later was very sick with a fever etc. Its been a couple of days nows and I am feeling so much better, but it is times like these that you miss your own bed, your mommy taking care of you, and your own space. This week while all of this was happening, it was the first time that I actually thought "Oh I really wish I could be home today". Through Skype I was able to talk to my mom and dad all day, which made me feel so much better!

Sickness passes of course, and my family here being so awesome helped too. They would make me special dinners like white rice, and soup, and would buy me things like natural yogurt, and lots of water bottles for me to take to class with me to make sure I was getting hydrated. Everyone asking me all day how I was feeling, and every time they would see me after a couple of hours would make sure to ask again, they are the best. I can honestly say I am getting very spoiled here, and feel like I am part of the family which made my first "sick" experience as good of an experience as having food poisoning could be!!!

After getting through this little bump in the road, I am looking forward to our next trip! We went to San Sebastian as you could see in the beautiful pictures, and this coming up saturday we are going to be traveling to Salamanca. Salamanca is where the very first university in Spain was built and to this day classes are being held there. It is one of the largest university towns in the country with the most students and lots of history! I am very excited to see what the city is all about and enjoy all of the amazing architecture.

Being in Ona and being one of the few to have had the pleasure to watch this play was intense! I could not wrap my head around the history behind the story being portrayed in the monastery and the fact that the history took place there!

I wanted to give you a little recap on the actual play and what it was about:

The story took place in the regions of northern Spain called Castilla and Leon. Burgos is the capital of Castilla y Leon now.

The story begins in the year 970 when king Fernan Gonzalez of Castilla y Leon died. He left his land to his son Garci Fernando whom died after fighting against the almighty Almanzor (Muslin ruler that was taking over all of Spain and converting the religion to from catholic to muslim).

Garci Fernando had 2 sons and decided to split the land of Castilla and Leon between both of them. Sancho Garcia his son took control of Castilla and Garci Fernandez his other son took control of Leon. After years of peace between the muslims and the catholic kings of Castilla and Leon the fight began again. In 1002 king Sancho won against the Almanzor and started to take control once again of other regions in Spain, spreading the catholic religion once again. It was one of the biggest victories that Spain has seen in its history since Almanzor had been undefeated for decades.

During the time of peace in the year 1011 Sancho and his queen founded the Monestario de Ona (the monastery in the pics) for their daughter Tigrida. Sancho also had a son, that when he passed away in 1017 took over the ruling of Castilla. Sancho was assacinated by his own brother the king of Leon because he wanted to have the power over the entire region. El Cid (Spain's national hero, and soldier for Sancho) knew that his brother had poisoned Sancho, and in front of the church did not bow to Sancho's brother and said he would not serve his army because he continued to lie about killing his own fresh and blood. El Cid then went on to fight against Sancho's brother because he could not be loyal to an liar. Some of the most recognized battles of this time were led my El Cid.

Even though the king of Leon wanted to be burried in the Monastery, it was denied by Sancho's family since they all knew what he had done. Sancho, his wife, daughter, and son were all burried there along with 4 other kings and their queens of Castilla that reined after Sancho.

It was the best play I have ever watched and has now been declared "Fiesta de Interes Turistico Regional", which is a huge honor for any town in Spain.

So excited for many more trips to come!

How time flies, I am going into my 3rd week here and it seriously feels like I just got off the plane still. Now that we are finally getting settled and have more time on the weekends to do things on our own, we are finally getting to visit places we have all been so excited to see in person instead of pictures in textbooks.

We have traveled to Briviesca, Ona, and Santander so far, but there are lots of other places to come! It has been very hot here this last week, which means we are finally getting to enjoy some of the most beautiful beaches in Europe! We saw and conquered Santander last weekend, and this weekend are planning to take a trip to San Sebastian. This city has been a wealthy area in Spain for hundreds of years, and used to be where all of the kings would take their summer vacations in the past. It is about 3 hours away from Burgos and I am very excited to go. Everyone says it is more beautiful than the beaches of Santander, but I am going to have to see it to believe it!!

We are planning a trip to Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla, Cadiz, Cordoba, and many other cities. We are actually going to have an excursion next saturday to Salamanca (where the very first university in Spain was build), and I cannot wait to see all of the history that town has to offer!

There are too many places to see and not enough time to see them all, but I am going to do my best to see as much as I can during these 4 months and take in all of the different ways of life of every region in Spain.

If anyone has been to Spain and has a "Must see place" please let me know!!!

My Family Life!

I have to be completely honest, the first day was extremely difficult for me. We arrived in Spain soooo beyond tired, with our emotions all over the place. I was excited, anxious, nervous, and not sure what exactly to expect.

I got very lucky to have been placed in a family so similar to mine. Right when I got here my Magdallena and her boyfriend took me straight to the "Tappas" bar for us to have a small appetizer and a cold Spanish beer. Of course I was very content lol Food and Beer, my welcoming present could not have been any better.

It has only been 2 weeks since I first arrived but from day 1, I have felt very at home here. The family is very sweet, and are always doing everything to please Alban and I. They buy foods we like, help us with directions, take us out to festivals and so many other things!

2 days after arriving it was my 22 birthday, and the first birthday I spent away from my loved ones. So I woke up that morning, and while getting ready for school they were all I was thinking about and missing. The second I walked out of my room and into the kitchen there was my Spanish family ready to have breakfast with me. I was greeted with kisses, hugs, presents, coffee and chocolate filled croissants! They turned my morning around and made me feel like I was not alone here on my birthday, which ended up being the best gift they could have giving me that day. When I got home from class we ate lunch, and Magdallena had that beautiful cake and arroz dulce waiting for me for dessert. They sang to me and everything!

We spend a a lot of time with the family here. It is so special because once again it reminds me of how things are when we visit Brasil. We have lunch everyday with their grandpa at his house around 3:30 and it is at least an hour event each day. Everyone comes home around 10:30 pm and we all eat dinner together as well. It was a difficult getting used to the times that they eat, since they are so different from ours but now I am finally getting used to eating dinner until 11:30 pm :)

All I can say is that I could have not done this without having a great support team behind me, so thank you so much to all of my family and loved ones at home, and to my Spanish family for making me feel welcomed and at home everyday!

First Impressions, Things I am excited about!

Its as if I am still dreaming. I can't believe that I am in Burgos, Spain living with a Spanish family, and learning more every single day!

I have to be honest, when I first got here on Aug.6th I was very overwhelmed and questioned my decision of coming abroad. Everyone spoke so fast, and I was exhausted after a long flight and was having a very difficult time understanding my host family which was completely unexpected to me. Later on the afternoon of that same day after taking a much needed nap, everything changed. I woke up relaxed and ready to jump into this experience. After finally getting some sleep, I was able to pay closer attention and understand my family very well!

My host family is absolutely amazing. I have a brother that is 24, a sister that is 30, and a french exchange student that is 18 that all live here with me and my Spanish mom. My room is VERY small and I even have to pull down my bed every night before sleeping because it is " a wall bed", but it is very cozy and I am able to fit everything I need in there.

My mom cooks SO much, and I have already gotten to try many new Spanish delicacies like potato pie, tortas, morcilla (blood sausage), and lots of lamb dishes. The food here is AWESOME, and I think I will definitely be gaining a little weight while in Spain. We walk everywhere here, which I really enjoy. We have a little bit of a hike to school, about 40 minutes there and back everyday but many of us are choosing to walk instead of taking the bus because there is so much to see along the way. I have only been here for a week, and already feel like I fit in with the family, the school, and the city. It is an awesome feeling to be able to communicate with someone from another country and understand as well as be understood by them. I feel very accomplished in my Spanish studies to be able to have been so successful during my first week, and know that I will learn SO much more during my time here.