Last Trip.

Tomorrow night I leave for my last trip before coming home. Traveling has been a luxury here, and I have been able to see a multitude of new places. I have made wonderful memories on every trip. We are on our Spring Break/Easter break right now and are off school until April 13. I will be traveling in southern Spain in Málaga and Sevilla until Saturday. Then I will be traveling to Venice and spending time in Venice, Milan, and Lake Como. It's sort of a last hurray on the traveling front. After this trip, I will be happy to settle down in Valencia for my final 4 weeks in Spain--tackling those last few items on the bucket list and soaking in every moment and every drop of sunshine. I probably won't be updating this while traveling, as I don't think I will have access to the internet that often. But look forward to a long entry when I return, as well as many entries during my last few weeks here. All for now. Love, Kels

198-44

So today marks my 198th day being away from home, which is a crazy thought.

It also means I will be home in 44 days, another crazy thought.

When I get back from traveling during our Easter break, I will have less than a month left.

I made a "bucket list" for Valencia, and I still have a few things I need to do.

I know I will come back here throughout my life. It has a special place in my heart.

The people in the Spring group are talking about not wanting to go home because this feels like their home, and they have only been here 2.5 months. I've been here for 4 months more than that. It's going to be hard to let go and go home, but I know I will be ready to. Some days, I'm ready to be home. I miss a lot of things from back home.

The other day I read about a man who was exonerated after spending 16 years in prison. He had no idea what the world had become. I feel like the same thing will happen to me. I have this image of Grimes and Decorah of how they were when I left--but it will be completely different when I go home. I heard there's a new sushi restaurant in Decorah that's really good, which is something new. The Grimes watertower is a different color now, and it's been bright yellow-gold my entire life. I don't even know what phone styles are popular in the US right now, nor what songs are on the radio. It's a lot of change--and that's not even getting into reverse-culture-shock. That will probably be a different blog, once we get our talk about it at ISA...just what to expect and everything. I'm going to end this for now and work on some more internship applications--it's quite challenging encountering a job/internship when you're across the ocean...

Fallas.

I've failed at writing a blog about Fallas. Honestly, I'm not really sure what to say about it. It was an incredible experience, and I was really happy that I got to experience it. It really is a one of a kind celebration--where else do they build giant sculptures in the street and then burn them all at the same time? Where there are AMAZING fireworks shows every night--plus fireworks during the day? Where else do they put up tons of Churros y chocolate stands all over the city that are open 24/7 so everyone can get their fried dough and chocolate whenever they want it?

It was amazing, wonderful, terrific, exhausting, fantastic, filled with laughs, filled with walking, and overall happiness. My body definitely lacked on sleep that week. The fireworks shows wouldn't start until 1am--and then after that I would go out with friends. The one night I didn't go out with friends, I still didn't get home until after 2 because there were so many people in the street.

My favorite day of Fallas was Wednesday. It was a bit of a double celebration for us Americans, since it was St. Patty's Day. I have Irish roots somewhere--so I sported my green with pride!! In the morning, Marli and I walked around in the neighborhood behind our house. It's not known for outrageously expensive and elaborate fallas, but since it's our neighborhood we wanted to check it out. That was a lot of fun because even the simple fallas are really neat. Then we grabbed some buñuelos (pumpkin dough fried) and chocolate (pronounced the Spanish way choc-o-la-te--which is just really really thick hot cocoa). We met up with Nikki and headed down to the mascleta. The mascleta was pretty awesome that day. From there we headed to an Irish bar and celebrated being Irish and rested a bit. Then we went to the area between Plaza de la Reina and Plaza de la Virgen. Wednesday was the beginning of the official Ofrenda, when all the falleras from all the neighborhoods (barrios) bring flowers as a offering to the Virgen de los Desamparados. We got a really good seat along their path. We ate our picnic as we waited for it to begin. The band from each barrio would enter followed by the falleras and falleros. A lot of the older falleras were crying. It was an awesome experience to watch. Then we checked out Plaza de la Virgen-which is where they left their flowers and the helpers started placing them on the giant structure of the Virgen. (I write Virgin the Spanish way, which is Virgen...forgive me if you get confused). We stopped and grabbed some coffee and tea as a quick warm up--since it was a little chilly out. Then Nikki went home, and Marli and I went to explore more Fallas. That was when I discovered two of my fave fallas. The first was Na Jordana--a neighborhood right by the río. We paid a euro in order to enter the area directly surrounding the fallas--plus got to go through a little tunnel in the falla. I took a lot of pics. Then we decided to head to Campanar, which had the tallest falla ever created. It was HUGE!!. We weren't able to get too close--you had to pay 6 euros to get close to it--so we just took photos from outside the fence. It was really beautiful. Then we hopped on the metro to go home (otherwise it would have been another 90 minutes of walking). We had dinner at a Chinese restaurant under our building, which was delicious. Then we headed out for the night. We met up with Nikki, Allison, Jenna, Megan, and some other friends. The fireworks that night were the best I've ever seen--and my favorite fireworks show during Fallas. They had these strange "jellyfish" like fireworks, which moved up and down like a jellyfish. We ended up walking around after the fireworks and eventually were able to get into a neighborhood tent. Along with each falla, each neighborhood has a tent where they can all get together and celebrate fallas. Somehow, the people decided to let us in, so we danced the night away with a bunch of falleras and falleros. It was a great way to end the day.

I could write so much more about Fallas...but I can't at the same time. It's something that you need to experience. It's crazy, and there are tons of people--but it's a lot of fun. Going back to school this week was a bit of a challenge after a week of break. Luckily we have this week, then 2 weeks off for Easter. After our 2 week Easter break, it will be even harder to go back to class. All for now.

Crema.

So here's a video from the Crema--I alternated between photos and video and just standing and enjoying it. It was an incredible thing to experience. According to my dad, there was a photo from the crema in the DSM Register on Saturday. I also have pics posted--so take a peek at those!!!

Meet a Mascleta during Fallas.

This video is from Thursday's mascleta. It was pretty awesome. If you turn your volume up all the way, then multiple that level by like 5--that would maybe be how loud it really was. Enjoy....it's kind of long...

Fallas: Day 1.

Monday, March 15th--first day of Fallas.

How was it? -Incredible, crazy, fun, tiring, super guay, etc.

Rundown of my day:
I got up a little before 10--left the house a little after 11. I walked around for a while before meeting up with some friends at 12. Walking around, we just encountered Fallas--little ones, big ones...all types. The small Fallas Infantiles were all completed by yesterday. The big Fallas had to be done by this morning. We walked a lot, took a lot of pics, and headed to the mascleta at 2. The mascleta was AMAZING. The best I had seen...it wasn't just loud fireworks...there were rhythms within the mascleta, and the crowd was fist-pumping with the rhythm. Super cool. After the mascleta, I headed home and ate some lunch. We had paella, which was the perfect thing to eat the first day of Fallas, since it is a Valencian specialty.

After lunch, I rested for a while and then met back up with my friends. We walked around more--encountering more Fallas and street markets. We all bought tickets for a bull fight. I will go to my very first (and probably last) bull fight on Saturday afternoon. I'm super excited! We're in the 13th row. I probably won't post pics of that. After walking for a crazy long time--I headed home again for dinner. We ate dinner, and then I took a little rest. I got ready for the evening and met up with friends around 11. At 12, there was the first firework show--it was INCREDIBLE!!!! Most definitely the best fireworks show I have ever seen (sorry Estes Park 4th of July)...and I know they will keep getting better. After the fireworks, we walked down to the Illuminated streets, which were also amazing. There are 3-4 streets that have area completely lit up. It's amazing to see in real life. So much of this stuff that I've seen so far is crazy to see in real life. It just doesn't seem real--like this should all be a dream. Got home late last night and went to bed.

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I had some sad news when I got back last night before dinner. One of my favorite teachers from high school, Kevin Reed, passed away yesterday after a long battle with cancer. I've been sending him postcards throughout the year whenever I visited places, since he taught world history--which was an amazing class. He really made history come alive for everyone. It's a sad day for all DC-G grads and students.

My Shrinking World.

Back in December when I wrote about my trip to Morocco, I talked about how the world is shrinking for me--but at the same time I felt its immenseness while in Morocco. Well this weekend in Segovia made the world even smaller for me...here are 3 stories of why it keeps shrinking..

1.) I was at the Alcazar on the top of the tower--and a couple came up to me and asked me to take their photo (they asked in poor Spanish)--I answered in English, since it was obvious they were American. I took their photo, they took mine--and we talked for a minute. They were from Richmond, Virginia--but the guy used to live in Newton, Iowa--60 minutes from my house. People with Iowa connections in random part of Spain--it's a rarity.

2.) Also on the top of the tower at the Alcazar, a woman comes up to me after I finished talking to the couple--she had heard me say I was from Iowa. She is the faculty advisor for the St. John's/St. Ben's program in Segovia. St. John's and St. Ben's are near Minneapolis. She also had heard of Luther, which again is a rarity in Spain, even when you come across Americans.

3.) Now this one is the best. I was at the aqueduct and had climbed up to this platform where you can get good pics. No one was up there, and I was attempting to balance my camera on a column in order to use the timer. Then a man and his son appear, and he says he can take the pic. We get to talking. He asks where I'm from and what I'm doing in Spain...typical stuff. Then I ask him...he and his son were visiting his college roommate who is currently working in Salamanca...then I ask where he's from...he says North Carolina. I asked him where...he says Durham. I say something like "Oh...I know where that is...my brother goes to Duke." And he asked me what year he is--and I said "First Year at the Medical School." Then the man says "Well I'm a PROFESSOR AT THE MEDICAL SCHOOL." I was in shock. He hasn't met my brother--but he now has his name...so I met one of my brother's future professors in Segovia, Spain, standing by an aqueduct. How crazy is that?!?!?

My world keeps shrinking.

P.S. My Segovia pics are located in the "Vida Valenciana" Album...just fyi...

Superb Segovia.

This weekend, I went on a trip to Segovia by myself. Like I said in my last blog, the rest of the group was going to Granada, but I was unable to go since I went last semester. I had wanted to go to Segovia since I got to Spain. We planned on going while my family was here, because my dad loves Roman ruins--but due to some icky weather, we decided not to go. The trip was wonderful, and I really enjoyed myself. It gave me a chance to relax after a week of midterms and stress...and a little calm before Fallas this week.

I arrived in Madrid around 10:40 and then caught a train to Segovia. It was an AVE (alta velocidad--high speed) train. It had me to Segovia less than an hour later. I grabbed a map from the tourism office at the train station and then grabbed the next bus to the town, since the station is about 10km outside the main part of town. When I got into town, I went and found my hotel, checked in, and then decided what I would do the rest of the day. The first place I went was the Alcazar, former stomping grounds of Ferdinand and Isabella--the Catholic Kings (also the ones who funded Columbus' journey--and kicked the Moors out of Spain). The stained glass was beautiful, and the rooms were heavily decorated, like a castle/royal palace. There were lots of suits of armor and tapestries. Then I climbed the tower and got a great view of the town. It was pretty awesome.

After the Alcazar, I headed into town, stopping at the cathedral. The cathedral is HUGE and beautiful. You can't take photos inside, which was a shame, but I soaked it all in. I wandered the streets a lot and eventually made it back down to the aqueduct, where I proceeded to go on a photo spree. I probably have 60+ pics of the aqueduct. While I was there, I called my dad and told him where I was...he was thrilled..and he wanted to make sure that I touched it--which I did...see picture below.


Proof I touched the aqueduct.

I spent the rest of the day wandering the streets, stopping in stops, and exploring. I headed back to the hotel around 6 and took a little rest before heading out at 8 to pick up some dinner. I didn't really feel like eating at restaurants...so I just bought food from the grocery store and enjoyed it in the comfort of my hotel room. That night I relaxed, read a book, and enjoyed a long bubble bath. I slept like a rock that night.

The next day (Saturday) I decided I was going to go on a hike in the valley below the city, because I had heard you can get some great photos there. I hiked down and walked for a long time...and got some great photos. Then I climbed up a hill to the Iglesia de Vera Cruz (Church of the True Cross)--it is a 12-sided church built by the Knights Templar--I missed getting into it by 5 minutes--they closed for lunch at 1:30--I showed up at 1:35...darn. But I got a great photo of it from the outside. I also utilized the timer function on my camera and got some pics of me with the Alcazar. Then I headed back into town, stopped at the Church of San Miguel, where Isabella was proclaimed Queen of Castilla. I took more photos at the aqueduct, since it was really nice outside...then headed to the train station--back to Madrid--then back to Valencia.

I really enjoyed the trip, and I was so happy I decided to do it. The town was really neat. It had quite a lot of touriss, but it still maintained its character and charm. I loved walking around the narrow streets--looking in different places, not sure what I would encounter. It still amazes me how old things are--the aqueduct was built in the 1st century--and I went to a church that was build in the 12th century. It's incredible. That's all for this blog post--there's another one on the way that fits with this one.


Self-timers are wonderful--me with the Alcazar.

2 months left.

So I just put that blog up about Fallas...but I thought I'd take a few minutes and write some more about other stuff that's been going on here. This week is a little stressful for me, since it is midterms. I am one of the only people in our group with 3 midterms..and it kind of stinks. I took one yesterday in Phonetics, and I took one today in Literature. Then tomorrow I have my midterm in Avant-Garde. The two that I have taken so far went well. I'm pretty confident about Phonetics, but I know I forgot a few things on my Lit exam. So I've been doing a lot of studying...and not a lot else. On Sunday evening, I went to an opera at the Palau de les Arts Reina Sofia. It's the helmet/football shaped building in the City of Arts and Sciences. The opera was Prodana Nevesta, which is a comical Czech opera. I really enjoyed, and never in my life have I seen so many fur coats. When people go out to the opera here, it is a big deal--and all the ladies were wearing their furs. The opera was a really good break from studying, and I hope I will be able to attend another show there before I leave. It was really neat because each seat has its own personal screen with subtitles, so the audience can follow what is going on. There were probably 8 language options, English, Spanish, Valenciano, French, Italian, German, Japanese...etc...lots of options. This Friday, the ISA group is going to Granada, but since I went last semester, I am unable to go again...instead I am taking a solo trip to Segovia--a town about an hour outside of Madrid. Segovia is famous for its aqueduct and castle. I'm leaving Friday morning and returning on Saturday night. It should be a good time.

On Monday, I crossed a bit of a milestone...it marked that I have been gone for 6 months...it also marked 2 months until I will be home. Currently, I will be home in 59 days. I think that the next 59 days will go by really fast, but I'm going to make the most of them. I know that I will enjoy every second that I have here. I've taken a lot of time recently to realize how lucky and blessed I am that I have gotten to have this experience. It's something that I won't ever forget. And that's where I am going to end this...I'm going to study a little. all for now.

An Intro to Fallas...

So here it is...the blog about that picture involving the 2 kids with dessert. Well that photo is of a "ninot"--which is a part of a Falla. But I'll start from the beginning...

Next week is Fallas--a celebration in honor of San José, patron saint of the carpenters. It happens every year from March 15-19--but the whole month of March is practically a big party in preparation for Fallas. There has been a mascleta every day at 2 since March 1st...that's the fireworks/explosion show during the day--really loud and fun. Most of the streets have lights on them, and there will be some streest completely lit up. And then there are the "Fallas" themselves. Fallas are giant cardboard/styrofoam sculptures in each neighborhood. They vary in size depending on the neighborhood and the amount of money put into the Falla. Some are more than 6 stories high...others are small. Each falla has a theme...some are very traditional and some are very cartoony. The individual figures/parts of each falla are called ninots. Ninots are a way to poke fun at public figures and to represent things that happened in the past year. For example, at the Ninot Exposition, there were statues of Michael Jackson, Obama, Disney Characters, Famous Soccer Players, etc. Then on the night of the 19th, all the Fallas are burned, besides the one ninot that was voted to be saved at the Ninot Exposition. It's a little confusing...but check out the website www.fallasfromvalencia.com--you can browse through the pages, check schedules, read more about it. It's a huge celebration here, and I'm really looking forward to it! Hopefully I will be adding pics all week long of the neat Fallas that I see in town. The population of Valencia doubles or triples during the week...it's a little touristy--but I know I will love it! I added pics from the Ninot Exposition--there are in the Fallas album...check them out!!

Aquarium.

I thought I'd write a little entry before heading to bed. I'm still working on the entry involving the pic of the 2 kids with frosting/dessert--but no worries--it will be done SOON! On Saturday, I went to the City of Arts and Sciences again with ISA. It was my 3rd time visiting the aquarium. While there, I was talking with some people about really big aquariums--since the one in Valencia is the largest in Europe. That got us thinking--where are the biggest aquariums in the world?? We never really found a list. There is one in Atlanta that is the biggest in the world. Then my friend Estef sent me this link--and I thought I would share. It's from the 2nd largest aquarium in the world, which is in Japan. The video is SUPER SOOTHING--and I would recommend that you all watch it--plus it's beautiful.

LINK: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7deClndzQw
(copy and paste into a window)

Today I only had Phonetics. Cinema was canceled since our professor had to help take ballots for the election of the new lector for the University. So I went on a little adventure in Valencia with Jenna, Megan, Allison, and Jilliann. We climbed to the top of the bell tower in the cathedral (207 steps)--it was a beautiful view (pics to come later). We also looked at San Vicente Martir's arm, which is in the cathedral. We weren't able to do much else since it started raining (and the rest of our plans were outside activities)--so we grabbed some hot cocoa and pastries at a café and later stopped by a Picasso exhibition that our Avant-Garde professor told us about. I was wet when I got home from walking in the rain, but I really enjoyed it! All for now--heading to bed in a bit.

Yum-o.

Living with Amparo is like going on a bunch of "edible adventures," and I love it. I have been here for almost 6 months, and at least once a week, we eat something new. That's a lot of new dishes. I've eaten things I never dreamed I would eat. I've eaten strange fruits that we don't have in the US. I have learned to embrace lentils. I eat meatballs here! (coming from a girl who didn't eat beef for a long time..that's a big step--though the meatballs are a mix of pork and beef) I also have learned to love peppers and onions in a lettuce salad with some tomatoes, a drizzle of olive oil and vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt. It's delicious!

At dinner, we sometimes talk about upcoming meals, especially if Amparo is working--she likes to have things prepped for those nights. Last week when we were talking, she mentioned something about having us make a list of foods we like. I think she said it as a joke, but Marli and I took her seriously--and made a list of foods that we like a lot--the list is long, and she was incredibly surprised.

About a week ago, we went on edible adventure...Amparo made tapioca soup. Yes...tapioca...like the little grains in the pudding. It was like chicken noodle soup--but instead of noodles...TAPIOCA. It was quite odd, but delicious.

Yesterday, she decided to make chicken curry--just because. And since she went to India last summer, she had all sorts of spices to use. It was delicious as well!

Speaking of meatballs, Marli and I prefer them with GRAPES on the inside. A peeled and deseeded grape to be specific. Something she saw on Arguiñano (more about him in a minute) and had to try!

Another delicious thing with grapes is "migas"--Amparo's version of American stuffing. Hers has lots of herbs, peppers, bacon, and grapes--and is delicious.


Then there is Arguiñano. Karlos Arguiñano is THE tv chef of Spain. He's a wonderful man who is on every weekday at 2pm. He sings, makes jokes and really delicious food. We've tried a few of the dishes that have been on the show--all pretty good! He loves to use parsley, and Amparo loves to watch him and use parsley!

So I've eaten lots of crazy things since I've been here, and it's really opened me up to a world of different food. I'm excited to go back to the US and cook for everyone!!
To end...2 pics of dishes that I really like!

Migas!! (Amparo's version of stuffing--minus the grapes!)


Lentil Soup with Rice!