Some Time Lapses and Salamanca

Alright, I deserve a slap on the wrist for how negligent I´ve been towards this blog lately. After some reflection, I´ve discovered three things that can explain the lapse:
1. The Segovia Trip: For those lucky enough to have escaped my Segovia story, all you really need to know is that it wasn´t a good time. I went with three busloads of fellow Erasmus students, and the whole thing was poorly planned, ending with me being incredibly tired, hungry, and irked (but the city itself was really cool- the aqueducts and the Cathedral were stunning). So anyways, I tried writing about it several times, but each attempt quickly digressed into nothing more than a rant against Erasmus and its stupid, stupid planned trips. And y´all deserve more than a pissed-off rant. But, thankfully, I´ve moved on, and am much more at peace.
2. I learned how to Stream TV shows via a European site: We all know sites such as hulu, sidereel, ch131, etc., but none of those service the European browsers (or I may just be incompetent with regards to video streaming... still not quite sure). But anyways, a friend gave me a working site, and I´ve been dangerously addicted to watching “How I Met Your Mother". I know, I know, kind of pathetic, but true.
3. I´ve been busy!: Such a blessing, guys. I´ve been so occupied with classes, coffee dates, bar hangouts, and trips that I haven´t had time to write. I´ve been surprising even myself with how much I´ve been doing.

So, enough with the excuses already, and onto a more exciting topic: Salamanca. This past Thursday night, I had an itch to get out of the city; I chose Salamanca for its proximity to Madrid, as well as for the architectural beauty and nightlife (such a wonderful combination, no?). I was able to convince three equally spontaneous friends to go with me, and so Friday morning we boarded the train and departed for the city.

The train ride in itself is worth mentioning, because the landscape in Northern Madrid is beautiful. Hills, mountains, cliffs, farmlands- we passed by it all. I passed time alternating between admiring the scenery and studying my guidebook (such a nerd, I know), trying to plan out the course of action for the day. The guy I was citing next to, a Salamanca-native named Pablo, saw me doing this and began to offer his own opinions of the city and the best places to go (nothing he said was in the guidebook. Fodors isn´t the best, guys). He also was kind and patient enough to help me with my Spanish for the remainder of the train ride, and didn´t even laugh at me when I started writing down vocabulary words! Such Spanish hospitality!

Arriving in the city, our plan of action was to find Plaza Mayor, the center of the city, and then work our way along the "tour walks" that our guide books had mapped out. Plaza Mayor was incredible; considered by many to be the best façade in all of Spain, it lived up to the hype.

One interesting fact about the plaza is that portraits of famous Spanish figures adorn the surrounding buildings. The most controversial is one of the late dictator, Franco. Because so many people objected it, and so many people vandalized it, Franco´s portrait had to be constructed out of an entirely different material than the rest, to allow for easier cleaning. You can kind of see the paint remains.

Leaving the Plaza, we saw the typical, touristy sites, including:
La Casa de las Conchas (the House of Shells),

the new and the old cathedral,

the University (there´s a sculpted frog hidden in the front façade of the building. Legend has it that if you can find it on your first try, you´ll have success in your academic career. Don´t worry- we found it).

After all the walking, we decided to unwind with some delicious tapas at a local bar. Then we found our hostel (Hostel de CUZCO) and relaxed for a while, enjoying the surprise luxury of private rooms.

When night hit, we set out again into the heart of the city, on the prowl for a cheap and authentic Castilian meal. We were lucky enough to find it at a place called Chico!, where I enjoyed some delicious paella and tiramisu. Afterwards, our night truly began. Because I could write several blog posts about the specifics, I´ll just leave it that it involved a 80s cover band, a Michael Jackson-themed bar, a bachelor party, and a man dressed as chicken. What a night.

The next day we had a delicious lunch and then hung out in Plaza Mayor until it was time to head back. And was that enough of a weekend for me? Was that enough adventure in such a short amount of time? As you can guess, no, it was not. After I got home, I had about 20 minutes to change and freshen up before I went to a Real Madrid soccer game, with my friend Jen.

I know the picture is terrible, but I want there to be some evidence that I was actually in the stadium.

So, all in all, it’s been an exciting time. Having officially been here a month, I’m finally starting to settle into a schedule, becoming familiar with the city and my life. Aside from my confusing classes and the fact that I’m still struggling with Spanish, life is very good. I’m so excited for the opportunities to come.

With my love, from Spain,
Krista