jueves, 27 junio

Today started the same way as yesterday, but when we got to Plaza Padilla it was warmer inside the university than outside. In class we talked about the different cultural activities in Spain. We talked about the different types of popular t.v. shows and what was popular in different countries. Next we did a listening exercise to begin the section on being able to make plans with someone and politely decline and make new plans. We were spilt up into groups based on our native language and I was paired with Diego from China. Our conversation presentation was one of the best and the T.A. gave us both compliments when we were done. The next activity was to talk through making plans with two full schedules. We did fairly well, and I'm getting more confident with my asking questions skills. We then took our 11 o'clock break and I ran into a couple people from clase de baile. I brought a snack with me this morning so I didn't get any café con leche but apparently it's really strong. After our break we started the conversation part of class. The plan was to listen to a book on tape, called "Excurcion con españoles y alemanes" or 'The Excursion with the Spaniards and the Germans.' The first time we listened we were supposed to take notes. I was able to understand the main ideas, but not the particular details. The second time we listened to it, we had a sheet with the story printed on it, and then we re-read it and answered some questions the third time through. In the story the germans were on time and plan ahead, and the spaniards were a little late and make plans on the fly, which caused problems when they took a trip. After several times reading and listening to the story, I understood the story much better than before.

After class I double checked with everyone in our group to make sure they knew that I'm meeting at 5 in Plaza Padilla to go to the Museo de El Greco before getting tapas with the whole group at 8:30. I then walked back to the casa with some people in my neighborhood. For lunch today we had this carne that was impossible to cut with a butter knife and even harder to chew and then this weird boiled cabbage salad with raisins that reminded me of the pit hearth cabbage from field school. I guess I can't have amazing food every day, but at least it wasn't completely awful, since there was also bread and I had a yogurt for dessert.

After siesta it took too long to collect all 7 people and get to the museo that we decided to go to the Iglesia de San Tomín and good golly was it pretty. If I get a chance, I'd want to go there for misa. It was ridiculously beautiful and everything was so detailed- and its not even the catedral! In Lincoln, it would be the cathedral for sure, but here it's just a parish.

Inglesia de San Tomín

After the iglesia, we went to see the river from this side of Casco, and it had some of the greatest cliffs. There was a group rock climbing and the Ropes Staff in me wanted to go rock climbing but the chicken part of me didn't want to fall into the river. We then went to as small park and I embraced my inner child and played on the swings, and watched everyone play on the structure. We then began a walk towards the river. There is a small path that has an entrance at each of the two bridges and then one at the playground we where at, so we followed that all of the way down and saw the baths that were about half way down. When we made it to the bottom we all sat and stared at the river, and the wonderful scenery. I saw a group of swans and watched them pass down the river and just enjoyed being in Spain. At the very bottom of the path down to the riverside path that connects the two bridges there is a water pump with very good cold water and a flowering bush that smells like sugar cookies with almond extract. We decided that American plants are poopy and we should smuggle seeds through customs- if we knew how to get the seeds. We then decided to begin the uphill walk to Lizzardin, for tapas with the group. We made it to Plaza de Zocodover early so we decided to get helado. By now our group of 7 was a group of 4 and two girls got their helado, and then this little old lady line cut and got the same thing I wanted so I was really confused, thinking the ice cream man read my mind. We then headed up to the tapas bar and I got two tapas and a sangria. And then we made it back to Plaza Padilla without getting lost so I was rather excited.

At the cliffs! It is a drop down into the rio behind me. 

19 years, 11 months, and 6 days old and I will still swing every chance I get. 

Heading down to the riverside, with old baths to the right of this photo. 

At home, I thought I was late, but Lara came over for cena so I was right on time we had torillas espanola- like quiche (discovering that I love quiche this summer) but with potatoes- and pan dulce. And, for our drink with the meal, we had SunnyD. I have never been more excited to see SunnyD in my life- I was getting tired of agua. During cena, the fútbol game of España vs Italia was playing and after going into double overtime they had a penalty shoot out. Each team gets five shoots and Italia missed the last one, but España made theirs, winning the game. It was very exciting. The window was open and we could hear people cheering in the streets, just like Husker game days. I had to explain how Nebraskans are the same, only a whole lot louder.

Love you all!