Adios Amigos

It´s hard to believe that my 10th and final week in Spain has arrived. The time has gone by really fast with all of the excursions, classes, and fun activities that I´ve had. It´s definitely been a memorable experience that I´m really grateful for. For me the 10-week duration was just about perfect in order to feel like I´ve become fully integrated in the culture and become fluent in the Spanish language. At this point I can understand most conversations that I overhear between natives (as well as the priests during Mass!), I understand tv shows and newspaper articles, and listening to my professors during class is no longer taxing on my brain. I have improved by leaps and bounds and am excited to put my Spanish into action this fall when I volunteer in Decorah´s Free Clinic.

As much as I am looking forward to going home, I know that when I get there I will miss aspects of my life here in Spain. This is what I´ll miss most:
1. The great weather! It´s not humid, doesn´t rain, and is sunny 95% of the time!
2. The laid-back schedule. It´s still remarkable to me that my host mom doesn´t get up until after 8 AM each day after staying up until 2 AM watching telenovelas! The work day here starts later and then takes a 3 hour break for lunch and siesta- much different from our "Go, go, go" schedule in the U.S.
3. The ability to walk everywhere and always encounter friends in the parks or on the streets. I will definitely miss my daily strolls through the shaded parks and the plaza where I always manage to run into a friend from my classes or apartment.
4. Speaking Spanish!

It´s been a great time and I would definitely recommend this type of study-abroad to anyone who´s thinking of studying in Spain. Now it´s time to say, "Adios", and take the many lessons from this trip with me as I head into my junior year at Luther!

Hiking La Peña de Francia

Sunday promised to be a great day. The weather was warm and not a cloud was in the sky. I was headed to a little pueblo called La Alberca south of Salamanca to hit up some trails and hike around. I had maps and information about the trails that passed right through Alberca headed in various directions to other Spanish cities and pueblos. This was a solo trip so I was very excited to explore the trails that I wanted to and at my own pace.

My bus got to La Alberca (1050 meters high) about 10:45 but I had to wait until 11 for the information office to open and get some parting advice for my hike. My main goal for the day was to hike up to a monastery that is at the top of a 1723m mountain called "La Peña de Francia" (The rock of France, which you can barely see at the top of the first picture) that´s 8 km (4.96 mi) away from La Alberca. It´s one of the tallest peaks in the Sierra de Francia mountain range. My friend had hiked up it on Saturday and said that it took her 3.5 hours to get up and 2.5 hours to come down. I knew that I had a little over 8 hours to hike before the bus would be back, so I was anxious to get started.

By 11:15 I was on my way up a rocky dry trail, thinking I was heading to "La Peña de Francia". I noticed that some of the trees were marked with painted lines, marking the path for hikers. Soon, though, I came to a fork. I looked around for markings and saw an "X" marked on a tree to the left. "That must be it!" I thought. WRONG! Soon the path turned into a bunch of weeds and rocks that made it clear I was not on the more groomed path that I should´ve been on. I took out my map, and after a more thorough look, I saw the key for the tree markings: X means "Wrong Way", while 2 parallel lines means "Path Continues Here". Well, that explained a lot. Way to go, Sharon, getting lost in the first half hour!

So I returned to where I had taken the wrong turn, and continued on my way. I was really enjoying just being out in nature, listening to the breeze and the critters. I really did not see many other hikers until I had been hiking for about 40 minutes and made it to a look-out called "El Portillo" at 1250m about 3 km away (1.8 mi) from La Alberca. The view was "maravillosa" but after looking at the "You are Here" sign, I realized that I was not on the path leading to La Peña de Francia. I was definitely going in the opposite direction...oh man!

I booked it back to La Alberca where I would need to pick up the right path to get to La Peña. I found the right path after asking for verification at the information office. For a second time that day I left La Alberca. It was 1:15 so my time was now cut down to 6 hours to summit and return to catch the bus. I was off!

This path was a lot better marked than the previous path had been. It was a nice wide gravel/dirt path, going in and out of forest and the country side. After about 45 minutes the nice gentle path took a major up-turn. It was very tough from this point on because most of it was in the direct sunlight, I could see the monastery way, way up that looked unattainable, and I didn´t feel like I was making any progress. The terrain got very rocky, and multiple times I caught my toes on some rocks and stumbled forward- never falling- but had too many close calls for my liking.

After 2 hours and 5 minutes, I made it to the top of La Peña! I was so happy and relieved to have made it and to find a bit of shade where I could rest for a couple of minutes. The view was absolutely amazing! Mountains and countryside were all that I could see. I couldn´t even see the tops of the houses in La Alberca!

The way down was a lot easier mentally but by that time (4:15) my legs were pretty dead. I just kept telling myself that I could do it, and as soon as I got back to La Alberca I was going to find some nice shade to sit in until my bus came at 7:20. I got back to town at 6:10 and was moving on adrenaline. I did it!

Life With My Host Family

As far as host families go, I have come to the conclusion that they are much like school lunches. Sometimes you get what you really like (chicken noodle soup!!); sometimes you get what you really don´t like; and most of the time you get a combination of things you like and things that you could do without.

I have now had the experience of living with 3 different host families- one in Ecuador and two different families here in Spain. All of my host families have been great fits for me and I´m very glad that I opted to stay with a host family here in Spain instead of in a ´residencia´ (dorm). Host families provide the opportunity to experience home life by being a part of it, to speak Spanish constantly, and to eat some authentic home-cooked meals.

So about my current host family and home...

My host family includes my Spanish mom, Regina, my dad, Julio, and their dog, Lisa. Besides that, we have anywhere from 1-5 other international students staying with us at any given time. Host families here continually have students, some who stay for as little as a week and some who stay for as long as 6 months or a year. This experience in Spain has been a lot different than in Ecuador where I was the only student living with my host family. I like having other people my age to converse with and hang out with, but I also realize how having other students in the house can cause the host family to see the students less as "family members" and more as "clients". Thankfully in my house I feel very much like part of the family.

I live in a small apartment that has 4 bedrooms, 1 kitchen, 1 bathroom, and 1 living/dining room. I have the good fortune of having the only single room in the house, a place that I can call my own even if it is smaller than some walk-in closets in the U.S.! The other rooms have 2 if not 3 beds for other international students and my host parents. My room:

The kitchen:

My host mom used to be a chef at a restaurant but now just stays home taking care of students. She loves her "telenovelas" (soap operas) and often stays up until 1:30 AM watching them! She is shorter than me and very outgoing, keeping me updated on the latest goings-on and lets me tag along when she goes shopping or out for a nightly stroll.

My host dad works for the city as a street cleaner/maintenance man. He used to be a professor and is very smart (proven by his large library in the living room). He reminds me a lot of my own dad because he´s quiet in comparison to my host mom, informed of the latest news, and hard-working.

As for other students in the house, currently there are 2 Californian college guys (picture above), 1 girl from Belgium, and 1 girl from France. We are all here until the end of August and are getting along very well. We have a good time joking around with my host mom and talking about life in our different home countries.

And that´s my family! All of us students with my host mom

Ciao Bella, Ciao Italia

"What have I gotten myself into?" I thought as I sat on a 3.5 hour train ride to Florence, Italy where my train car was unfortunate enough to have a broken window that let all of the hot air from outside in, negating any good the supposed air conditioner was doing. This was the last leg of 8 hours of travelling in one day, and I was just hoping that the rest of the trip would turn out to be more enjoyable than sweating profusely while wishing that I was anywhere but here. Thankfully things took a turn for the better immediately after stepping off that last train.

Two other girls from my International Studies Abroad group here in Salamanca (including one girl who is also a Luther student) and I spent 4 nights and 3 full days in Florence, Italy. We stayed in a nice, air-conditioned hotel in which an elderly Italian man would greet us each night at the desk where we´d pick up our room key, leaving us giggling back to our room at just how cute he was. Our hotel was in a great location. In only 5-15 minutes we could get to most of the touristy cathedrals and museums. Plus some great restaurants and the outdoor street market were just a few blocks away.

During our 3 days we visited multiple cathedrals that had beautiful frescos, climbed the 414 steps to the top of the belltower of the main cathedral, visited two art museums where we got to see Michelangelo´s famous "David" statue, and hiked up to "Piazzale Michelangelo" (my personal favorite, seen in 2nd picture above) where the view of the city and the mountains was spectacular. I´ll be honest, there were a couple of times that I wished we had a dad around to fill us in on the hours, costs, and locations of some of these sites (because dads are really good with that kind of stuff!), but we three girls did very well getting around and having a great time. I think I got my art fix for a good while, but more Italian food would not be turned down.



The weather was very warm and humid, a lot different from the weather in Salamanca, but we didn´t complain since the forecast had been calling for 70-80% rainshowers each day. We were all pretty relieved, though, when we reached our last day of travelling and knew that when we got home we could put on some fresh clothes that hadn´t picked up any sweat! Oh the prices you pay to travel lightly.

Now with that awesome trip behind me I´m preparing to start classes again tomorrow and get back to my Spanish routine. In less than 4 short weeks I won´t be saying Ciao Italia or Ciao España (hello/goodbye), but "Ciao Mom and Dad!"

5 Weeks, Many Lessons

It's hard to believe how fast the time has gone and that I've actually been in Spain for over a month! 5 weeks done and 5 more to go, but at this point I am not at all ready to come home (sorry Mom and Dad!) I have really grown accustomed to the relaxed summer schedule of going to school in the morning, coming home for lunch and a brief siesta, and then having all evening to spend outdoors walking the town with my friends. It's a wonderful break from the hectic college schedule.

In 5 weeks I've learned a lot about Spain and about Spanish culture so here are a few lessons that I've learned to help me fit in.

1. Spend Time Outdoors
Spaniards are outdoors a lot! Walking is the main mode of transportation in Salamanca, so for almost 24 hours of the day (seriously) people will be out walking the sidewalks to go to work, school, or play. It is so cute how after about 6 pm all of the older couples can be found making their rounds in the parks or streets. On weekends there are even dance nights for older couples at a park! Families and friends are often at the parks playing soccer, basketball, or tennis, while everyone else gets out to shop or just people-watch. Concerts and shows are also held outdoors, often times in the main Plaza Mayor. I absolutely love being outside and am taking advantage of this part of Spanish culture.

2. Be Catholic
Let me assure you that if you're Catholic, you'll have no trouble finding a cathedral to attend mass at. There are some beautiful, old cathedrals in Spain. It seems like whenever we've had weekend excursions we've always gone to one or more cathedrals to look at the historic architecture and paintings. Catholicism is most definitely the dominant religion, so good luck to anyone searching for a protestant church.

3. Love Sports
As you probably know, Spaniards love futbol. Their national team is ranked #1 in the FIFA standings and has some very talented players. When you go to a park there are people of all ages kicking a ball around, imitating what they've seen from their favorite stars. Just this past week the United States played Spain in a futbol match and in every bar, cafe, and house that had a tv you can be assured that the game was being watched (The U.S. surprised everyone and beat Spain 2-0!) What I was surprised by, though, is how much Spaniards also love basketball, tennis, and basically any sport. It was big news here when Spaniard Pau Gasol and the L.A. Lakers won the NBA championship, as well as when Rafael Nadal lost in the French Open and then pulled out of Wimbledon. Yes, Spaniards love their sports, making me feel right at home.

It's been a great 5 weeks of learning and experiencing, getting more confident and fluent in my speaking abilities. Surely many more lessons will be learned before it's time to return home. Next week I will venture from Spain and spend 5 days in Florence, Italy enjoying the renowned pasta, gelato, and art. All I can say is, What a way to spend the summer!

Flamenco Festival

Last Friday marked the beginning of a week-long Flamenco Festival in Salamanca and two other surrounding cities. Since it was happening right here in town, I figured I might as well go to a performance and see for myself how real Flamenco music and dance are performed. So Friday night I attended a show (with about 15 other people in my group) in which two singers and their accompanying guitarists, as well as one dancer and his musicians performed. And let me tell you, this was nothing like anything I´ve seen on Dancing with the Stars! This was much much better! (sorry ABC!)

Going into it, I really had no idea what to expect. The only thing that I knew about Flamenco music and dancing was that the performers sometimes click castanets in their hands. Other than that I was clueless. The show began at 10:30 at night and took place outdoors under the bright stars. The first singer was a female with a very, very strong voice that made me think she could be an opera singer. In fact, a lot of the singing sounded to me like it could be opera music. The words were sung very emotionally, strung out for a long time while the singer´s voice undulated between notes. This singer was very good, but what I really wanted to see was the dancer.

The second performer was a male dancer who was very talented vocally, but difficult to watch. He was so wrapped up in what he was singing that his face would become contorted into all sorts of painful-looking facial expressions! If I had only seen this guy on tv and didn´t know that he was performing, I´m sure I would´ve thought that he was suffering from a stab wound or something, goodness! It was clear that Flamenco singers really try to connect with their music and truly express the feelings of the music.

Almost better than the singers were their accompanying guitarists. They could´ve put on a show all by themselves with their fast-flying fingers! The guitarists didn´t play with any music in front of them, so they either have all of their songs memorized by now or they sort of improvise. In any case, the singing would definitely not have been as good without the guitarists.

And finally, around midnight the long-awaited Flamenco dancer came on stage. He was only 16 years old but performed as if he´s been dancing his whole life. I couldn´t believe my eyes when he started dancing! He was dancing, stomping, twirling, and moving with strict yet gracefully motions to the music of his 3 musicians. He had special shoes on that would click when he stepped a certain way, keeping beat with the musicians. It was amazing and I would definitely pay to see him again. As I left the show I could only think about how this 16-year old Flamenco dancer would totally beat out anyone on Dancing with the Stars...although I definitely wouln´t mind being his partner.

Playin´ in ´La Playa´

What a weekend! Last Friday was a holiday in Salamanca so we didn´t have classes and instead went to the northern coast of Spain to spend time at "la playa" (the beach). The weather last week had been quite chilly and overcast, leaving us wondering if it would even be warm enough to go to the beach. We turned out to have great timing as the weather cleared off on Thursday and stayed sunny through the day on Saturday.

We drove about 3.5 hours Friday morning to Santander, Spain, where we had a hotel literally right next to the beach. Friday afternoon was then spent soaking up the sun, building amazing sandcastles, and taking quick dips in the water to cool off. The water felt cold if you weren´t moving around in it, but when you actually got in to swim around it was perfect. Friday evening we had a low-key tour of the area around our hotel where there was a palace and a small zoo with penguins, sea lions, and seals. To me it finally felt like summer- sun burn and all!

Saturday was the day I had been looking forward to since the beginning of the trip because this was the day for surfing lessons! It turns out we didn´t have lessons until 5 pm, so I spent the morning running on the beach (my first time ever, reminding me somewhat of running in the snow in Decorah!), playing paddle ball in the sand, and swimming out to some big rocks not far from the beach. It was a ton of fun and it would´ve been a perfect day even without the surfing lessons.

At 4 pm we drove to a different place along the coast where our surfing instructors were waiting. It was hilarious watching everyone try to get their wetsuits on; some legs were going in arm holes and one persone even put their suit on inside out! Then we were each given a surf board and we excitedly marched out to the beach. After about 30 minutes of instruction and practicing on the sand, we were going in. The waves were not super big but the current was strong, making it difficult to even get out to the waves. The first couple of times I just rode out the waves with my stomach on the board, laughing as I ´whooshed´toward the beach. I´m proud to say that I did get up and surf 2 or 3 times, one time even riding out the whole wave. It was a really fun experience, but I definitely need more practice. Since I don´t think I´ll be moving to the coast anytime soon, that practice may be a long time in coming. After an hour and a half of surfing (read: being in the ocean holding onto my surfboard) I was exhausted. It´s amazing how strong those ´little´ waves are! No doubt I will sleep well for the next few nights.