Day 14 excursions- Kelsey

Today we visited two art museos (museums) as well as took a tour in an autubús (bus) around Madrid. The first museum we went to was the Prado museum, which is famous for its collection of works by Spanish artists. We looked at cuadros (paintings) by El Greco, Velazquez, and Goya. Many of these paintings I had learned about in school, so I was excited to see them in person instead of in a textbook. For example, there is a famous painting by Goya of Spanish men fighting French soldiers during the time of Napoleon. My European History course studied this piece a lot, when we discuessed Napoleon's conquests. The most important painting we saw today was "Las Meninas" by Velazquez. It depicts four little girls watching the rey and reina (king and queen) get their portrait painted by Velazquez. The painting is extremely big compared to what size I thought it would be. It took up an entire wall. We were not allowed to take pictures of the artwork, so I've attached a photo of the painting from the internet. As you can see, it is really pretty. 

Las Meninas

Next we visited the Reina Sofia museum to see "La Guernica" by the one and only Pablo Picasso. Before we entered the museum, our API directors, Ana and Inma, described the history of the painting to us. Picasso painted Guernica in the 1930s after the small pueblo (town) of Guernica was bombed by German air forces during practice for World War 2. Picasso was so upset by the news of this attack that he stopped working on another painting to make La Guernica, one of his most famous pieces. Just like Las Meninas, it is larger than life at 11 feet tall and 25 feet wide. Once again, photos were prohibited, but I have posted a picture of the painting. My history class also learned alot about this piece last year, so it was so exciting to see it in a museum. I was very impressed and shocked by the size of the painting. It is a bit overwhelming but still very guay (cool).

La Guernica- La clase por Inma Borrego ennel Paseo del Prado: http://youtu.be/dhpgm00Q6g0

The group in front of a sculpture at the Reina Sofia Museum

Our last excursion was a bus tour of the city in which we boarded a red double decker bus and listened to explanations of each this we past on audífonos (headphones). Maria and I were even able to snag the coveted first row of seats after some people got off. We had a great view of all of the edificios (buildings) including the museums we had visited earlier plus tiendas (stores), restuarantes (restaurants), and iglesias (churches). We also saw many historical buildings and a part of the city called the Salamanca district. I was able to take a few photos that I have posted also. As fun as Madrid has been, I am excited to return home tomorrow to see my family and friends!!!

Alyssa and I before the bus tour

Photo taken on the tour around madrid

Gaby's expectations

This will be my first time going out of the country, and I am really looking forward to experiencing a new culture and meeting the other girls on the trip. I am also very excited to be able to practice my Spanish and see what it is like to live as an exchange student for a few weeks. In addition, I am looking forward to trying all of the food and spending time with my host mother.

Day 13

Today was bittersweet. It was our last day in Salamanca and leaving our Spanish home was a lot harder than I expected. We started the day off with our traditional desayuno (breakfast) of pan, mermelada, y chocolate (bread, jam, and hot chocolate). After desayuno, we went to our last classes at the University of Salamanca to get our exams back and receive our certificates for attending the classes. Since we had already taken the final exam for each class, today was more laid back from the other days. For example, in grammar class, our teacher Marta showed us some famous Spanish singers and gave us the lyrics to their songs so that we could sing along. At the end of the classes, we received our certificates for Curso de Lengua y Cultura Españolas from our teachers. These certificates mean that not only have we completed the course, but we are also now a part of the almost 800 year old university. When we arrived at home, our host mom Maria Angeles made us a huge lunch of patatas, pollo, pimientos, y melón (fried potatoes, chicken, peppers, and melon). After, instead of taking a siesta (nap) like usual, Gracie and I walked around the city to say our goodbyes and make some last minute purchases at the gift stores.

At about 5:00 pm, we gave our host families besitos (kisses) and said adios (goodbye) to all of our friends in Salamanca before boarding the bus to Madrid. After about  two and a half hours of driving, we arrived in Madrid and checked into our hotel, Hotel Regina. Then, we went to cenar (eat dinner) as a group at VIPS Restaurant. When we finished eating our meals, we went on a short walk to the Puerta del Sol, where we saw the famous Cartel de Tio Pepe and Kilometro 0 (the point where all the highways in Madrid come together).

Having to part from Salamanca showed me how much I had come to love the city and see it as a second home. When I first arrived in Salamanca, I never thought I would immediately miss the seemingly strange food from my host mom or the four hour Spanish classes once I left. Now that it is over, I wish there was some way I could have another day to spend there. This is a result of the immersion process because through this program, we have not only learned about a culture, but we have come to adopt, live, and love it. 

My flamenco video (Karina Lall)

http://youtu.be/Yu4lF_Tkwuo

Day 12 (Alex Tedeschi)

¡Hola! Today was a very accomplishing and hot day. We started out the same with breakfast and school but we had examenes (finals). The finals were not too difficult and we expect great grades because we studied and learned so much. In gramática (grammar) the exam was what we are used to back home. In conversation, we acted out a store robbery and in culture we completed a written exam. We were all very excited to finish the exams!

After class we all got in groups and went to el mercado (market) to buy food for our cooking class later on. We purchased items such as arroz(rice), tomates(tomatoes), and pollo(chicken). All of us had to ask for our items in Spanish. Then we left to our host homes to eat lunch and either siesta or work on our videos for the final grade of this trip. 

Lastly, everyone went to a cooking class. Together we made one large paella and gazpacho. Both were so delicious and we finished it all! I learned how to make both for the first time and I'm excited to try to make it at home. We all ate together and enjoyed the authentic Salamancan food. We then went back home for dinner, because the portions were small. Finally, some ended their last night in Salamanca in the Plaza Mayor and celebrated how far we have come with Spanish with a cold helado (ice cream).

Alex Tedeschi

Day 11 (Alyssa Peckham)

Hola! Today was our last day of classes before los examenes (exams) tomorrow. I started off my day as usual with a desayuno (breakfast) of cereal and tostada con marmalade (toast with jam). Then I went to class from 8:30-1:15. Today our teachers finished up our lessons and told us what to study and que no cunta panico (not to panic) about our exams. After class I ate lunch and took a siesta (nap) before meeting our group at 5:30 to go to the beautiful Museo Art Nouveau y Art Deco in Casa Lis.

In 1995, the museum was established to display the collection of art that Manuel Ramos Andrade donated. The museum houses 19 different collections of artwork from the 1900s. Some art types from these collections include jewelry, iridescent glass, porcelain pieces, and furniture. One of my favorite collections was the special exhibit for Coco Chanel y sus amigos (friends) featuring clothes (ropa), perfume, statues, and paintings.  Everything there was absolutely beautiful! After we left the museum we went to buy galletas (cookies) from the nuns near the old church. Then we were given free time before la cena (dinner) to shop and walk around the city. 

Today was a fantastic day where I learned new things and made new memories that will last a lifetime.

Adios, Alyssa 

Monday, Day 10 (Gaby)

Today was a very fun day. We had our usual four hours of classes in the morning, where our teachers might have chided us for being a bit tired, but overall the classes were great. At promptly 1:15, we were released for lunch and a siesta. 

We all met at the plaza at 5:30, where a bus was waiting to take us kayaking. After a twenty five minute drive, we arrived in what seemed like the middle of nowhere. The only water we could see came from some sprinklers watering corn fields. All ended well, as after a few minutes of walking on foot, we arrived at a river. We then proceeded to put on life jackets (safety first!) and were given brief instruction of how to kayak. After that we separated into groups of two and headed down the river in tandem kayaks. The water was nice and cool, and the instructors also really enjoyed splashing us with the water, which kept us feeling refreshed. After about an hour to an hour and a half of kayaking, we arrived at a small beach where we finished the trip. 

After our return to land, we walked to some bathrooms to clean up and headed back to the plaza. We all parted for our houses, where we ate dinner. 

All in all, today was a very productive day filled with many great memories. 

Day 9 (Darlene Ngo)

¡Hola! Greetings from Salamanca. 

     Today, Sunday, was a good day for relaxing and spending time with our families. Some girls traveled to their host family's lake house, while others went to la piscina (the pool).  A group of girls saw a very cute dog at the pool and wanted to share a picture of it. After desayuno (breakfast) consisting of tostadas (toast) and juice (zumo) Kelsey, my roomate, and I traveled to our host mom's pueblo (house) in el campo (the countryside). Pepita, our mom, usually lives in her pueblo during the summer unless she is hosting students. About 50 kilometers and an 1 hour drive away from our house is the pueblo. When Pepita showed us around, she showed us her ancient pottery wheels, hundreds of years old? Unlike electrically powered wheels, these require the kicking of one's foot in order for the wheel to spin. Afterwards, Kelsey and I laid underneath the shade of Pepita's trees until, about 12:15. While we were under the trees reading and sleeping (I was the one sleeping), Pepita tended to her jardín (garden) of floras (flowers) and árboles de manzana (apple trees). We left for misa (Mass) at 12:15 and walked to a community iglesia (church). Though small, the church was beautiful and was inspired by Roman architecture. After mass, we went to eat tapas (appetizers) with Pepita and her lively friends, then lunch where Kelsey and I both tried paella, a common Spanish dish, for the first time. We loved it. The rest of the afternoon was spent sleeping and relaxing. 

     Today was honestly one of the best days for me. After a restless night the day before, I was so glad I could spend some time with Pepita and mi hermana (sister) Kelsey. I, notorious for sleeping, was able to catch some z's. The day was filled with even newer experiences than those in Salamanca and was a perfect way to end the very busy weekend. All in all, I am very content that we went with Pepita and got to know her and her way of life better. 

Thanks for tuning in! 

-Darlene Ngo

La visita guiada del sabado 11 en la ciudad de Segovia- famosa por sus Arcos, el Alcazar y la coronacion de la Reina Isabel de Castilla

Day 8 (Gracie Motta)

Today we took an exciting excursion to the city of Segovia! I had a great desayuno (breakfast) with my host mom consisting of bread and jam. We all started the day around 9 am, when we got a bus for two hours and headed off to the small city of Segovia. When we arrived, we first saw the marvelous aqueducts that are still in-tact after hundreds of years. This happens to be the most famous structure in Segovia. As we walked down El Calle Royal (The Royal Street), we passed La Mujer Muerta (The Dead Woman) a beautiful mountain in Segovia separating the city from Madrid. Our group also passed La Casa Noble (The Noble House) that is most famous for its designs on the walls. Along the way we saw La Inglesia de San Martin (Saint Martin's Church) and La Inglesia de Corpus Christi. After walking for about an hour, we reached La Plaza Mayor where City Hall, La Inglesia De San Miguel, and La Cathedral, the last gothic cathedral, are located. After reaching La Plaza Mayor, we made are way to La Alcazar de Segovia (Royal Palace of Segovia). This is a very famous castle where multiple kings and queens have lived throughout the years. Unfortunately, there was a huge fire (The Fire of 1862) that damaged most of the castle, but there are still some pieces left of the original. Most of the rooms were recreated after 1862 like the bedroom, the church, and the office. In my opinion the most interesting room was the King's room which contained statues of most of the kings and queens that had lived in the castle. After going through the castle, we climbed MANY stairs to reach the top of the tower. It was an amazing view and it was a great place to get some amazing photos of the whole group. Going to the top of the castle made me realize how beautiful Spain is and that I should really savor the experience.

After climbing back the stairs, we had a picnic outside of the castle, provided by our host families and we even ran into some familiar faces. After eating, we had about 3 hours of shopping time, since we only have a day to go to Segovia. When we finished shopping for our families and friends, we decided to stop to sit and enjoy the time together. Around cinco y media (5:30), we made our way back to the bus to return to Salamanca. We returned to Salamanca around 7:30 to eat our dinner with our host families. I learned a lot about the culture and history in Segovia by seeing there most popular landmarks and experiencing the joy of visiting another city other than Salamanca. All in all today it was a very eventful day, full of history, culture and memories to last a lifetime. 

Day 7 (Hanna)

Today was the seventh day of our trip and I think I can say for everyone that today was in their top 5!  Today we started class at our normal time (9:00) but our conversation class was 2 hours instead of 1. During grammar class we went over our tarea (homework) and reviewed ser and estar (to be verbs). During our conversation class we had an intense debate about teens drinking and disturbing the residents near the plaza. And finally in our last class, which is culture, we talked about the history of flamenco (a dance done in Spain, Costa Rica, Japan, and Guatemalla with music and singing). It was really interesting to learn the history of flamanco especially since we took a flamanco dance class this afternoon.

After lunch and our greatly needed siesta (nap) we all met underneath el reloj (the clock) at the plaza mayor at 6:15. We started the flamanco dance class around 6:30 and learned several new moves. At first the movements of the dance reminded me of a ballerina because we lifted our arms like one, but later on in the class we added twirls, steps, and even fans. After about 2 hours of dancing we went to go have dinner at Hei Hidalgo. At dinner we had many traditional dishes like croquettes and huevos rotos (broken eggs). While we were eating everyone had a great time and laughed until their cheeks hurt! Today was filled with culture and laughs and I could not have picked better activities to mark the halfway point of our Spain trip!