Day 1 - Mon 24 Oct
I woke up at 6:39, and my roommate and I were supposed to leave our apartment at 6:40. Needless to say, my morning routine was cut short. Luckily, I was 95% packed so getting ready didn't take to long. And we even got to school a couple minutes early, only to discover that the bus had broken down and the new bus was going to be 20 minutes late. This gave me time to go mail the rest of my postcards, and let my heart rate slow down a bit.
Once we got onto the bus, it was a 5 hour bus ride to San Sebastian. I was going to get some reading done, but instead I took a very long, bumpy nap. When we arrived, we headed straight off the bus to get lunch, because here in San Sebastian the restaurants are very strict about closing at 3 pm for siesta. I got a wonderful combination platter with eggs, french fries, lomo (a type of pork), and some red peppers. After that, we went up to a look-out point to see the city from above, and then we checked in at our hotel. Q and I are roommates, and we have a pretty nice hotel room.
After we had a short break, we all went as a group to a fancy restaurant called La Perla, located right on the beach. We had an amazing dinner with three courses and an incredible dessert. It was really nice to not have to worry about the price of the meal, and just enjoy the food. We walked around after dinner along the beach and the boardwalk before heading back to the hotel. We hung out with some of the other USAC students in one of the hotel rooms, and then they headed out to go to a bar. I watched Desperate Housewives with Devon and called it a night.
Day 2 - Tues 25 Oct
This morning we had a buffet breakfast at the hotel, and then started out on a walking tour of the city with Alvaro and Susan. We got to see a lot of the city, and wander about during some free time. I really enjoy hearing about San Sebastian from Alvaro, since he is originally from this city. After our walking tour we went to the Aquarium. We only had an hour, but it wasn't that big so we had enough time to see everything. I skipped over a lot of the museum section about fishing and merchant ships because I wanted to make sure I got to see all of the aquatic exhibits. There was a tunnel where you could walk underneath, and lots of smaller exhibits with really cool fish. I love going to aquariums, and I am glad we got to go.
We got free time for the rest of the day after the aquarium. We had to be back to the hotel between 7 and 7:30 to pick up our money for dinner. Some friends and I got lunch, but I wasn't feeling too well. I wanted to go on the boat tour with them, but I figured moving around on a boat wouldn't help how I was feeling, so I headed back to the hotel for a nap. After my nap, I went down to pick up my money, and we headed out on our pintxos route.
We visited 4 different bars in San Sebastian, and tried different pintxos in each place. I really enjoyed all of them. Only one of them had a name: Pintxo de Tiburon which means Shark Pintxo. It was actually shark meat, with potato, grilled onion, capers, and a sauce. It was really quite delicious. I also enjoyed the other pintxos that I had. I took pictures of all of them, and I will put them up soon. We had a great time wandering around to find bars and try new things. We also got to practice Spanish, and even learn a little of the Basque language.
Day 3 - Wed 26 Oct
Today we got up earlier and had the buffet breakfast before leaving for Bilbao. It is only an hour long bus ride, but I slept pretty much the whole way anyways. Then we took a walking tour with one of the USAC professors of the program here in Bilbao. We got to see the modern city, the city of the 19th century, and the city of the 18th century. Bilbao has an amazing story of reinvention and change. Our tour ended at our hotel, where we were given our room assignments and had free time until 5 pm.
After a quick stop in my room, I headed out with a large group to grab lunch and go to the Guggenheim Museum. The Guggenheim is incredibly beautiful from the outside. It is a work of art all to itself. Inside are three floors of modern art. Modern art isn't exactly my thing, but it was just cool to see how all of the exhibits had been designed. There are some sculptures that I really did enjoy. Hopefully I can find them online, because I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside the museum.
Before dinner, we went to the Athletic Club Bilbao stadium to see the museum and take a tour of the stadium. It was cool to see, but I wasn't too interested because I don't follow soccer or the Bilbao team. Also, I was too busy being excited about dinner. We got to eat in a txoko (pronounced choke-o), a Basque gastronomical society. Traditionally, they were all-male societies where men came together to cook and socialize. Now, they are usually still all-male, but women are allowed to enter them. The Resident Director of the USAC program in Bilbao is a member of a txoko, and we were invited to dine there. We had chorizo, hot green peppers, bread, hake, veal, steak, and salad. For dessert, we had cheese, walnuts, and some kind of fruit jell-o like product. It was delicious, and we had an amazing time laughing and eating together. We even got to see a demonstration of traditional Basque music and dancing.
Day 4 - Thur 27 Oct
Today was the last day of my trip to the Basque Country. I had been waiting for this the whole semester, and it flew by way too fast. Breakfast was at the hotel again, and then we headed off to see a pelota demonstration. Pelota vasca is a Basque sport played on an indoor court. There are many variations involved different types of balls, different courts, and different equipment. The version we got to see played is called jai alai. Some may recognize it, because you can buy a version of it in the toys section at the store (check my pictures if you are confused). We even got to bet on who was going to win the match we saw, because betting is a huge part of watching pelota vasca.
After the match (my team did not win), we got to go out on the court and try out jai alai. When it was my turn, I explained to one of the players that I am surda (left-handed). He told me that no one plays pelota with their left hand, they are just taught to play right-handed as a child. He let me put the basket on my left hand, but none of the instructors could teach me how to throw the ball, because they don't know how to play left-handed. One of the instructors, a surdo himself, had me switch the basket to my right hand, and showed me the throw that is easiest for a left-handed player. It was much easier than trying to throw with my left hand. It was a pretty fun game, even though I knew my shoulder would be sore the next day. We had a lot of fun, and got out lots of energy before heading back to Madrid. We got one and a half hours for lunch in Bilbao before getting on the bus for the 5 hour ride home.
I had a great experience in the Basque country. I got to see and do so many things that I know I would have had the chance to, if I hadn't gone with USAC. It was worth doing the writing assignments and attending the meetings, and I would do it over again if I had the chance. The only thing I regret is that I didn't spend more time there, and that I was sick for part of one day so I didn't get to use all of my time.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Valencia!!! (Oct 14-16)
This is a delayed post, but my academic life has been hectic this week. This past weekend, I went to Valencia, a city on the Mediterranean a couple hours south of Barcelona. I went with my friend Alex for 2.5 days and 2 nights.
We left Madrid Friday at 1:30 on a bus. The ride was 4 hours with 1 stop. When we arrived, we headed straight for our hostel. We stayed at the Center Valencia Hostel. It was really close to the most interesting parts of the old city, but still on a really quiet street. We spent Friday evening wandering around taking hundreds of pictures, and falling in love with this charming city. We say the Cathedral of Valencia, the Town Hall, the University of Valencia, the main Post Office, the Plaza del Toros, the Estación de Tren, a couple of the main Plazas, and the major park, all in one evening. We ate a cafetería, and had salad, pizza, and fanta naranja (my favorite soda here). Then we stopped for ice cream in la Plaza de la Reina for ice cream at a place that holds the Guinness record for most ice cream flavors displayed at one time. They even had Smurf and Donut flavored!?! It was a wonderful evening. I can't really describe what it is about Valencia that captured my heart. It's the people, and the architecture, and the ambiance of the city. It's something that I think you have to experience to understand.
Saturday morning we woke up bright and early, ate breakfast at our hostel, and headed off for the main even: La Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias. It is the main attraction in Valencia, and consists of el Hemisfèric, an IMAX theatre, el Museo de las Ciencias, an incredible interactive science museum, and el Oceanogràfic, an indoor/outdoor aquarium. We got a combo ticket for all three attractions, and spent our whole day there. It began with the Hemisfèric, where we watched an IMAX show about 'los Gigantes del Oceano' or the 'Giants of the Ocean'. It was about sea creatures that lived in previous time periods, and how scientists know about their lives from various fossils. It was pretty interesting. Next, we headed to el Museo de las Ciencias. There was such much to do and see that I can't even begin to explain. My favorite parts were the interactive physics demonstrations/experiments and the chromosome forest (it's literally a forest of chromosomes). They had a lot of other cool exhibits too, and everything was interactive. I wish I had had more time to read about everything in Spanish, but I guess that's just a good reason to go back. After walking around el Museo, we ate in the cafetería on the first floor, and then headed to the Oceanogràfic. We got to see so many animals and creatures, it was incredible. It is divided up by climate, so we got to see the Tropics, Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate, Oceans, Artic, Antarctic, and Red Sea. We also got to see a dolphin show, which was Alex's favorite part because they are his favorite animals. I got some really amazing pictures of them doing tricks. My favorite part of the Oceanogràfic was how it was set up. Some of it was above ground, and some of it was below. The best parts were the tunnels that connected some of the buildings, where you could walk underneath all of the creatures. It was incredible to be up close to all these amazing creatures. I even got to see a Beluga whale up close, which was indescribable!! Overall, it was amazing experience, and a wonderful day.
The day ended with paella, a Valencian specialty, at a restaurant on the beach. Valencia is the region of Spain where rice is grown, so they are known for their paella. We have paella valenciana, which has chicken and rabbit in it. I know it seems contradictory/hipocritical to consume the animal that your family keeps as a pet, but 'when in Rome'...It was delicious, and I couldn't tell you which pieces of meat were chicken and which were rabbit. So for all I know, I could've had all chicken and Alex could've had all rabbit. I like to think about it that way :) We had wonderful service, and it was very enjoyable. We even spoke to one of the waiters for a while, who is originally from Cuba, and he gave us some great advice on places to go the next day, and about other good places to visit in Spain (his favorite city is Barcelona)
We started out early on Sunday morning as well, to get in some more sightseeing. We had gotten to see most of the city on Friday night, but we still had a couple things left to see. We went to the Barrio del Carmen, which is the center of the nightlife in Valencia. During the day, therefore, it is pretty quiet. But the architecture is incredible. Our Cuban waiter told us he calls it 'Little Havana' because of the things it has in common with Cuba's capital. We ended up wandering into a previous convent, that has now been converted into a museum, which was very beautiful. We also found the Museo de las Rocas. We aren't sure entirely what they are, but they are very similar if not the same as fallas. Fallas are floats that are constructed every year for the huge festival in valencia in March or April. The winning floats are kept on display at the Museo de las Fallas (we didn't make it there), and the rest are burned. Therefore, we aren't entirely sure what it is we saw, but they were pretty cool anyways. We stopped by la Plaza Redonda, which is a perfectly round plaza, and el Mercat Central (closed on Sundays), and wandered through a huge swap meet of stamps, coins, and some kind of collectors cards. There was also a mini market where I got myself an abanico (Spanish for fan), which are also a Valencia specialty. We also climbed los Torres del Serrano, an ancient gate that used to be an entrance to the old city. There were beautiful views of the old and new parts of the city from the top.
After our sightseeing, we headed to the beach. We walked about 10 minutes to a metro station to take the metro to the beach, because after walking back on Saturday night, we decided we didn't need that much exercise. The metro in Valencia is very curious. Some of the lines are completely underground. However, others are completely aboveground, and work as a tram. They travel next to the roads, and have to wait at stoplights, and have aboveground stations. These trams work more like buses than the metro, because you have to request a stop if you would like to get off. It was a really cool way to see the city on our way to the beach. I unfortunately forgot my bathing suit, but Alex got to go swimming, and he said the water and waves were really nice. I got in as far as I could, which was up to the tops of my calves, but that was it. It was a beautiful day and very relaxing to be on the beach soaking up the sun. After eating lunch, we walked the boardwalk and the beach for a while, took a cat nap, and then headed back to the city to get ready to leave. Before leaving, we wandered about the main park for a while, to continue to enjoy the weather. After that, we headed to the bus station and returned to Madrid.
So far, Valencia is my favorite city in Spain. Again, I can't really explain why. It might be because I never planned anything about what was going to be seen when, and it was all very spontaneous. But I think it was more the feeling/vibe I received from the city and its people. It was so kind and calm, everyone was so willing to help in anyway they could. I highly recommend it to anyone who comes to Spain, and wish I had time to go back and just enjoy it more.
We left Madrid Friday at 1:30 on a bus. The ride was 4 hours with 1 stop. When we arrived, we headed straight for our hostel. We stayed at the Center Valencia Hostel. It was really close to the most interesting parts of the old city, but still on a really quiet street. We spent Friday evening wandering around taking hundreds of pictures, and falling in love with this charming city. We say the Cathedral of Valencia, the Town Hall, the University of Valencia, the main Post Office, the Plaza del Toros, the Estación de Tren, a couple of the main Plazas, and the major park, all in one evening. We ate a cafetería, and had salad, pizza, and fanta naranja (my favorite soda here). Then we stopped for ice cream in la Plaza de la Reina for ice cream at a place that holds the Guinness record for most ice cream flavors displayed at one time. They even had Smurf and Donut flavored!?! It was a wonderful evening. I can't really describe what it is about Valencia that captured my heart. It's the people, and the architecture, and the ambiance of the city. It's something that I think you have to experience to understand.
Saturday morning we woke up bright and early, ate breakfast at our hostel, and headed off for the main even: La Ciudad de las Artes y Ciencias. It is the main attraction in Valencia, and consists of el Hemisfèric, an IMAX theatre, el Museo de las Ciencias, an incredible interactive science museum, and el Oceanogràfic, an indoor/outdoor aquarium. We got a combo ticket for all three attractions, and spent our whole day there. It began with the Hemisfèric, where we watched an IMAX show about 'los Gigantes del Oceano' or the 'Giants of the Ocean'. It was about sea creatures that lived in previous time periods, and how scientists know about their lives from various fossils. It was pretty interesting. Next, we headed to el Museo de las Ciencias. There was such much to do and see that I can't even begin to explain. My favorite parts were the interactive physics demonstrations/experiments and the chromosome forest (it's literally a forest of chromosomes). They had a lot of other cool exhibits too, and everything was interactive. I wish I had had more time to read about everything in Spanish, but I guess that's just a good reason to go back. After walking around el Museo, we ate in the cafetería on the first floor, and then headed to the Oceanogràfic. We got to see so many animals and creatures, it was incredible. It is divided up by climate, so we got to see the Tropics, Mediterranean, Wetlands, Temperate, Oceans, Artic, Antarctic, and Red Sea. We also got to see a dolphin show, which was Alex's favorite part because they are his favorite animals. I got some really amazing pictures of them doing tricks. My favorite part of the Oceanogràfic was how it was set up. Some of it was above ground, and some of it was below. The best parts were the tunnels that connected some of the buildings, where you could walk underneath all of the creatures. It was incredible to be up close to all these amazing creatures. I even got to see a Beluga whale up close, which was indescribable!! Overall, it was amazing experience, and a wonderful day.
The day ended with paella, a Valencian specialty, at a restaurant on the beach. Valencia is the region of Spain where rice is grown, so they are known for their paella. We have paella valenciana, which has chicken and rabbit in it. I know it seems contradictory/hipocritical to consume the animal that your family keeps as a pet, but 'when in Rome'...It was delicious, and I couldn't tell you which pieces of meat were chicken and which were rabbit. So for all I know, I could've had all chicken and Alex could've had all rabbit. I like to think about it that way :) We had wonderful service, and it was very enjoyable. We even spoke to one of the waiters for a while, who is originally from Cuba, and he gave us some great advice on places to go the next day, and about other good places to visit in Spain (his favorite city is Barcelona)
We started out early on Sunday morning as well, to get in some more sightseeing. We had gotten to see most of the city on Friday night, but we still had a couple things left to see. We went to the Barrio del Carmen, which is the center of the nightlife in Valencia. During the day, therefore, it is pretty quiet. But the architecture is incredible. Our Cuban waiter told us he calls it 'Little Havana' because of the things it has in common with Cuba's capital. We ended up wandering into a previous convent, that has now been converted into a museum, which was very beautiful. We also found the Museo de las Rocas. We aren't sure entirely what they are, but they are very similar if not the same as fallas. Fallas are floats that are constructed every year for the huge festival in valencia in March or April. The winning floats are kept on display at the Museo de las Fallas (we didn't make it there), and the rest are burned. Therefore, we aren't entirely sure what it is we saw, but they were pretty cool anyways. We stopped by la Plaza Redonda, which is a perfectly round plaza, and el Mercat Central (closed on Sundays), and wandered through a huge swap meet of stamps, coins, and some kind of collectors cards. There was also a mini market where I got myself an abanico (Spanish for fan), which are also a Valencia specialty. We also climbed los Torres del Serrano, an ancient gate that used to be an entrance to the old city. There were beautiful views of the old and new parts of the city from the top.
After our sightseeing, we headed to the beach. We walked about 10 minutes to a metro station to take the metro to the beach, because after walking back on Saturday night, we decided we didn't need that much exercise. The metro in Valencia is very curious. Some of the lines are completely underground. However, others are completely aboveground, and work as a tram. They travel next to the roads, and have to wait at stoplights, and have aboveground stations. These trams work more like buses than the metro, because you have to request a stop if you would like to get off. It was a really cool way to see the city on our way to the beach. I unfortunately forgot my bathing suit, but Alex got to go swimming, and he said the water and waves were really nice. I got in as far as I could, which was up to the tops of my calves, but that was it. It was a beautiful day and very relaxing to be on the beach soaking up the sun. After eating lunch, we walked the boardwalk and the beach for a while, took a cat nap, and then headed back to the city to get ready to leave. Before leaving, we wandered about the main park for a while, to continue to enjoy the weather. After that, we headed to the bus station and returned to Madrid.
So far, Valencia is my favorite city in Spain. Again, I can't really explain why. It might be because I never planned anything about what was going to be seen when, and it was all very spontaneous. But I think it was more the feeling/vibe I received from the city and its people. It was so kind and calm, everyone was so willing to help in anyway they could. I highly recommend it to anyone who comes to Spain, and wish I had time to go back and just enjoy it more.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Dia de la Hispanidad (Museums Part 2)
This is a very delayed post, about what I did last Wednesday, October 12th. I have been super busy since then and haven't had time to post.
Last Wednesday was a national holiday here in Spain, called El Día de la Hispanidad. In the US, you might know it as Columbus day, but that name isn't so popular over here. There are lots of celebrations about the discovery of America, and Spain and Spanish culture, on the holiday and the weekend before it. In celebration of the holiday, many museums are free to enter. I chose to spend my day taking advantage of this opportunity.
I began my day at el Museo Sorolla. It is a museum inside of the Sorolla family home dedicated to Sorolla's work. Sorolla, if you didn't know, is a well-known Spanish painter. I did not know too many of his pieces before going to this museum, but I really enjoyed his work. He has a very interesting style, with large brush strokes and not much blending, which makes it difficult to really see what the piece is of unless you are standing far away from it. It provides a lot of interesting ways to look at a piece and see different things. His house is also surrounded by a beautiful garden. I highly recommend going there if you have the chance. Its only 3 euros usually, and definitely worth it. I think it is my favorite museum so far.
After that, I took a bus over to Moncloa, which is near the Parque del Oeste, to go to the Museo de Americas. Before heading to the museum, I stopped in a bar to have a café con leche and read some of the book I brought along. Then I wandered through the park, which is very beautiful, and just enjoyed the lovely weather before heading up the hill to Museo de Americas. As the name suggests, this museum is dedicated to the discovery of America and the cultures that were present at the time. It was very interesting to see this period of time from "the other side". They had very cool artifacts and really interesting facts about the American cultures that existed before the conquistadors arrived. I definitely wouldn't say that this was my favorite museum, but I wouldn't want to miss it if I visited Madrid. It is also usually only 3 euros.
The museums of Madrid are all very beautiful. I especially enjoy the Casa Museo style, where the house of a famous person has been converted into a museum about them. It's really unique, and preserves both their work and their home for future generations.
Last Wednesday was a national holiday here in Spain, called El Día de la Hispanidad. In the US, you might know it as Columbus day, but that name isn't so popular over here. There are lots of celebrations about the discovery of America, and Spain and Spanish culture, on the holiday and the weekend before it. In celebration of the holiday, many museums are free to enter. I chose to spend my day taking advantage of this opportunity.
I began my day at el Museo Sorolla. It is a museum inside of the Sorolla family home dedicated to Sorolla's work. Sorolla, if you didn't know, is a well-known Spanish painter. I did not know too many of his pieces before going to this museum, but I really enjoyed his work. He has a very interesting style, with large brush strokes and not much blending, which makes it difficult to really see what the piece is of unless you are standing far away from it. It provides a lot of interesting ways to look at a piece and see different things. His house is also surrounded by a beautiful garden. I highly recommend going there if you have the chance. Its only 3 euros usually, and definitely worth it. I think it is my favorite museum so far.
After that, I took a bus over to Moncloa, which is near the Parque del Oeste, to go to the Museo de Americas. Before heading to the museum, I stopped in a bar to have a café con leche and read some of the book I brought along. Then I wandered through the park, which is very beautiful, and just enjoyed the lovely weather before heading up the hill to Museo de Americas. As the name suggests, this museum is dedicated to the discovery of America and the cultures that were present at the time. It was very interesting to see this period of time from "the other side". They had very cool artifacts and really interesting facts about the American cultures that existed before the conquistadors arrived. I definitely wouldn't say that this was my favorite museum, but I wouldn't want to miss it if I visited Madrid. It is also usually only 3 euros.
The museums of Madrid are all very beautiful. I especially enjoy the Casa Museo style, where the house of a famous person has been converted into a museum about them. It's really unique, and preserves both their work and their home for future generations.
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Day Trip: ALCALÁ DE HENARES
Today, October 8, my friends Devon and Alex and I went to the small town of Alcalá de Henares. It is a 45 minute train ride outside of Madrid, and is part of the Madrid Community. We decided to go because our original weekend plans got cancelled, and Alex's teacher had recommended it.
We started the morning off very chilly, and stopped into a cafe for hot chocolate and a donut. It was very delicious chocolate, between the consistency of American hot chocolate and the typical Spanish chocolate. After warming ourselves up, we headed out to explore the city.
Our first stop was el Museo Casa Natal de Cervantes. It is a museum dedicated to Cervantes, the writer of Don Quixote, and is located in the house he grew up in. We got to wander around and see where he lived as a child, as well as some publications of Don Quixote in other languages that were on display.
On our way to the Museo de Cervantes, we walked through a medieval festival as it was beginning to open. It turns out that this week is la Semana Cervantina, where Cervantes and the time period he lived in are celebrated. After we left the museo, we wandered around the festival. It was filled with food, jewelry, leather products, candy, incense, and many other medieval products. We wandered our way through and ended up at Los Universos de Cervantes, which has a history of Cervantes and more about Don Quixote. So we went inside and learned even more about the famous author.
After this, we stopped for lunch at the festival. Alex and Devon both had skewers of meat, while I had a ham and cheese quesadilla. We all had a beer to go with our Renaissance food. It was very delicious. After that, we tried some of the handmade fresh potato chips, which were amazing, and then stopped for dessert at another stand. We had torte vasca, which is a creme based pie that originated in the Basque country.
When we set out again, we wanted to find the "university" mentioned in my guidebook. There is the well-known Universidad de Alcalá, but we were looking for the old university. We finally found it after lunch, but it cost money to enter (my book failed to mention this) and wasn't open in the afternoon because of the festival. So we didn't end up touring it, but we got to spend more time at the festival. There was so much to see, they even had mini carnival rides for children. I found a beautiful silver ring that I really liked, but it was 35 euros and I have already spent my money on food...Devon said that is just wasn't meant to be. Hopefully I will be able to find one at El Rastro, the weekly market in Madrid.
We wandered around some more through the festival and the town, just to see what else was around. However, since it's a pretty small town and it was siesta time, there wasn't much else to see. So we headed back to the train station to head back to Madrid. All in all, it was a fun trip, especially because it didn't require much planning and we just got to explore a nearby area.
Pictures to come, I have to steal them from Alex
We started the morning off very chilly, and stopped into a cafe for hot chocolate and a donut. It was very delicious chocolate, between the consistency of American hot chocolate and the typical Spanish chocolate. After warming ourselves up, we headed out to explore the city.
Our first stop was el Museo Casa Natal de Cervantes. It is a museum dedicated to Cervantes, the writer of Don Quixote, and is located in the house he grew up in. We got to wander around and see where he lived as a child, as well as some publications of Don Quixote in other languages that were on display.
On our way to the Museo de Cervantes, we walked through a medieval festival as it was beginning to open. It turns out that this week is la Semana Cervantina, where Cervantes and the time period he lived in are celebrated. After we left the museo, we wandered around the festival. It was filled with food, jewelry, leather products, candy, incense, and many other medieval products. We wandered our way through and ended up at Los Universos de Cervantes, which has a history of Cervantes and more about Don Quixote. So we went inside and learned even more about the famous author.
After this, we stopped for lunch at the festival. Alex and Devon both had skewers of meat, while I had a ham and cheese quesadilla. We all had a beer to go with our Renaissance food. It was very delicious. After that, we tried some of the handmade fresh potato chips, which were amazing, and then stopped for dessert at another stand. We had torte vasca, which is a creme based pie that originated in the Basque country.
When we set out again, we wanted to find the "university" mentioned in my guidebook. There is the well-known Universidad de Alcalá, but we were looking for the old university. We finally found it after lunch, but it cost money to enter (my book failed to mention this) and wasn't open in the afternoon because of the festival. So we didn't end up touring it, but we got to spend more time at the festival. There was so much to see, they even had mini carnival rides for children. I found a beautiful silver ring that I really liked, but it was 35 euros and I have already spent my money on food...Devon said that is just wasn't meant to be. Hopefully I will be able to find one at El Rastro, the weekly market in Madrid.
We wandered around some more through the festival and the town, just to see what else was around. However, since it's a pretty small town and it was siesta time, there wasn't much else to see. So we headed back to the train station to head back to Madrid. All in all, it was a fun trip, especially because it didn't require much planning and we just got to explore a nearby area.
Pictures to come, I have to steal them from Alex
Day Trip: CHINCHÓN y LA MANCHA!!
This post is about the second trip that my study abroad program organized for us, that we took this past Friday, October 7. It included visiting the small town of Chinchón, located in the Madrid Community, and La Mancha, made famous as the setting for Cervantes' Don Quixote.
Chinchón is only about a 40 minute drive outside of Madrid. It is a small town filled with delicious bakeries, known for its olives, olive oil, anis, and garlic. We wandered around with our tour guides, Celia and Blanca, and learned about the town's history. My favorite part was Plaza Mayor, because when there is a corrida del toros (bullfight) in Chinchón, it occurs in Plaza Mayor. When we were there, the barriers for the plaza del toros were up, but no corrida was occurring that day. It was still very cool to see and imagine.
We were given a little free time to check out the shops in the center of town. We went straight to the bakery we had passed on the tour, which boasted pastries such as Pelotas de Fraile and Tetas de Novicia. If you don't speak Spanish, I will allow you to translate those frases on your own. I ended up eating some more traditional Spanish treats called Hojuelas and Pestiños de Miel. They were very delicious and filling.
Next we continued our tour, and visited the church and theater of the town. Inside the church is a painting by Goya, that is there because his brother used to run the church and monasteries in Chinchón. From where these building are in the town, there were some beautiful views.
We left Chinchón to head to Puerto Lápice, where the famous restaurant Venta del Quijote is located. It is within the region of La Mancha, and much of the decor is based on Quijote. The food was delicous, all very standard Manchego cuisine. We were sure to document everything we ate.
After lunch, we headed off to visit Las Molinas (windmills) and un castillo (castle). The windmills are set on top of a hill, in order to get good wind. We got to take a tour around the castle, which was very cool. Then we went inside a windmill and got to see how it worked. Windmills were an important part of the social life, as well as the survival of the townspeople. Women, usually, would come to the molinero and pay him to grind their grain, and while they waited they would catch up on the local gossip with the other women waiting. The molinero and his wife, the molinera, lived in the windmill, which was owned by the town. I learned a lot that I never knew about how windmills work.
Pictures to follow soon
Chinchón is only about a 40 minute drive outside of Madrid. It is a small town filled with delicious bakeries, known for its olives, olive oil, anis, and garlic. We wandered around with our tour guides, Celia and Blanca, and learned about the town's history. My favorite part was Plaza Mayor, because when there is a corrida del toros (bullfight) in Chinchón, it occurs in Plaza Mayor. When we were there, the barriers for the plaza del toros were up, but no corrida was occurring that day. It was still very cool to see and imagine.
We were given a little free time to check out the shops in the center of town. We went straight to the bakery we had passed on the tour, which boasted pastries such as Pelotas de Fraile and Tetas de Novicia. If you don't speak Spanish, I will allow you to translate those frases on your own. I ended up eating some more traditional Spanish treats called Hojuelas and Pestiños de Miel. They were very delicious and filling.
Next we continued our tour, and visited the church and theater of the town. Inside the church is a painting by Goya, that is there because his brother used to run the church and monasteries in Chinchón. From where these building are in the town, there were some beautiful views.
We left Chinchón to head to Puerto Lápice, where the famous restaurant Venta del Quijote is located. It is within the region of La Mancha, and much of the decor is based on Quijote. The food was delicous, all very standard Manchego cuisine. We were sure to document everything we ate.
After lunch, we headed off to visit Las Molinas (windmills) and un castillo (castle). The windmills are set on top of a hill, in order to get good wind. We got to take a tour around the castle, which was very cool. Then we went inside a windmill and got to see how it worked. Windmills were an important part of the social life, as well as the survival of the townspeople. Women, usually, would come to the molinero and pay him to grind their grain, and while they waited they would catch up on the local gossip with the other women waiting. The molinero and his wife, the molinera, lived in the windmill, which was owned by the town. I learned a lot that I never knew about how windmills work.
Pictures to follow soon
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