¡Yo amo Valencia! La cuidad es muy grande y muy bonita. (I love Valencia! The city is very big and very pretty.) But before I go on about what has been going on here I will start at the beginning.
Lunes (Monday June 25th, 2007)
I woke up and Liz’s mom drove Liz, Caleb and I to Dulles airport. Everything went fine and we boarded our plan which only took 45 minutes to get to JFK. We were spoiled with individual tv’s so I was able to watch and episode of CSI, but I soon found out that while that was standard on jetblue, it was not standard on Iberia Airlines. JFK was a big airport and under construction, but after Liz, Caleb, and I all got different directions as where to go we found our way to Iberia Airlines. We met up with the group and the first person I saw was my roommate Jordan. He went to lunch with us and he is really cool. We have been getting along great. I was surprised how many other students I recognized as well. After making a few phone calls and waiting a few hours we boarded our plane for Spain. We got on the plane around 5:30 and got off the ground around 7. We were served dinner and then I tried to get some sleep. There was a group of students on board headed to Israel and there was a big group of students headed to Spain to play tennis as well. The second group was loud, so I did not get very much sleep. I sat next to Krystal, who was also going to Spain for the UVA program. After a long 7 hour flight we arrived in Madrid, but of course it was 6 hours behind in Spain so we got there around 7:30am (1:30 am EST).
Martes (Tuesday June 26, 2007)
The airport in Madrid was really nice. I was very impressed with the architectural detail. At first the airport was quiet, but then we got to customs and found the long lines. More lines were opened as the lines grew larger and we were done with that after about 30-45 minutes. We then took a subway to the baggage claim. This airport was huge. When we got to the baggage claim I was still impressed. Apparently the airport was recently renovated and the floors were all made of marble or granite and everything was just really nice. We got our baggage (equipage) and checked in with our bus coordinator. After waiting a while we all go on the bus and made the journey to Valencia. It was around 10am. The views from the bus were awesome. I got to admire the views between short naps. We stopped after two hours at a gas station, but better. They served good food as well. A typical Spanish lunch is bocadillos which is a lot of bread with a thing slice of ham, tomato, cheese, tuna (atún) or all of the above. We got back on the bus, except Caleb and I decided to stay up and enjoy the views. At one point we went over a bridge and the water was a really nice blue and green color. There was a lot of construction along the way as well. Mainly converting land into farm land. There were just hills of farmland and trees. Pictures will be up later. There were also several modern windmills. They sere are energy efficient over here. There were not the windmills out of Cervante´s Don Quixote, but they were still cool. We arrived in Valencia around 2:30. I was really impressed by the city, it did not realize it was so big. It was not like New York, it was better because there are trees everywhere and everyone speaks Spanish. They pay a lot of attention to detail here that is forgotten in America. When we arrived at the soccer stadium or host mothers were all there standing with our names written on big pieces of paper, it was really cool. I met my madre and she was awesome. She kissed Jordan and I on each cheek and then she hailed a taxi after we got our luggage. My Spanish is not great, but it was really bad after traveling for almost 24 hours and still being very tired. Jordan is not great at Spanish either so it was a challenge to speak to our madre and it still is. When we got to our apartment I was impressed. We live in a nice 3 bedroom apartment. My room is a good size with a bed, a desk, 2 wardrobes, a night stand, a fan and a bookshelf. After we ate lunch and talked some Spanish it was time for siesta (naptime) and it was great. I slept for about 2 hours then Jordan and I went out with our madre. I tried asking her about cell phones, but the language barrier made the conversation what should have been 2 minutes about 20. Jordan and I left and went to the phone store. It was amazing how I was able to converse with the cell phone agent and buy a phone. I got her to write the price so I could understand. Here, if you are not a resident, you can not buy a cell phone plan, only minutes. So I got a cell phone for 59 euros which included 20 euros of calling and texting. This has been very handy and after looking around I found that I got a good deal. Many students here are buying cell phones so we can all contact eachother. Jordan and I returned to the house and then went to walk towards the center for arts and sciences. They have some of the most impressive buildings I have ever seen. Me gusta mucho. We headed back for dinner which is at 10pm. It was really good. We had ensalada (salad) with tomatoes and a lot of olive oil and salt. We also had pork. After dinner Jordan and I walked around the city. There was a lot to see, but unfortunately the city was quiet because it was so early to go out. We found and irish bar and each had a beer (New Castle which was really good considering I am not a big beer fan). We sat and talked in the corner for a while then headed home and went to bed.
Miercoles (Wednesday June 27, 2007)
I got up at 9:30, got a shower and our madre took us to school on the bus. The bus ride was a little longer because the bus driver stopped to have coffee and breakfast. In spain the philosophy is to sleep in and get to work around 9 or 10, work until 2, have siesta until about 4, then work again until around 8 or 8:30. Family is important, but work is not as important. We got to school and I got to see Annie and everyone else which was really cool. Everyone talked about how much they loved their madres. We had a session on why we are here in Spain and they told us about the trips. Some of us went to have lunch in a plaza in the middle of the city and it was really good. I had a drink (granizado) which was like a slushe, but lemon flavored and better, pan tostado con aciete de olvie (toasted bread with olive oil). We walked around the city seeing some of the sites and I got some more pictures. Jordan and I returned to our house for siesta. I love naps in the afternoon. Then we took a bus back to the school for information on the classes we would be taking. After that some of us traveling after the program decided to go to a café and talk. I had chocolate con churos and it was good. We made a tentative plan. I walked around with Liz and Matt and then I went with Liz to see her madre and her apartment. Her apartment was awesome. She lives on the top floor and there was a huge terrace with great views of the city. Her madre was nice and invited me in for a tour. I made the 4 block walk back to my house and had dinner at 10pm. Dinner was much better than before because I am getting much better at communicating with my madre. We ate paella and fruit for dessert. After dinner Jordan and I met up with Lisa, Alex, Liz, Matt, Ben, Paul and Caleb. We all walked to the port where the America’s Cup takes place because the area was known for having good bars. We found a really cool wicker bar on the water and decided to each get a drink. A vodka and Fanta costs 10 Euros ($14 US) which was crazy, but when in Europe you have to live it up. After we all relaxed there by the water for a while we decided to leave and walk to the other side of the port. Some people wanted to go to another bar (by the way there are millions of bars in Valencia and really nice ones by the water) to get a cheaper beer. One of the coolest parts about the port was that there were a lot of lights shows set up for the America’s Cup which looked awesome at night. Liz, Matt, and I decided we did not want to pay for another drink so we went to walk on the beach because the bar was right on the beach. We walked towards the Mediterranean (which was along walk because the beaches here are huge) and even put our feet in the water which was refreshing. After the many kilometers of walking I had 2 big blisters from my top siders which I should have worn with socks. Some of decided to leave and go home because it was 1:30 (which is about the time the night life begins in Valencia) and we had class at 9. We hailed a cab and headed home. I fell asleep as soon as I got home.
Jueves (Thursday June 28, 2007)
I woke up at 8 and was surprised that I was not still tired. I got a shower, had breakfast then Jordan and I got on the bus and went to school. They have the best transportation system in Valencia. There are a lot of cars everywhere- double parked, etc., but the way to travel is by bus, metro, or walking. Riding a bike, a moped or motorcycle is also very popular. I guess it all makes sense in a city as well. We got to school and it was the first day of class. I recognized a few people in my SPAN 313 Conversation, but Be and Matt were in the other section. There are only 8 students in the class which was awesome. We had to buy a book and packet, but together it only cost a little over 14 Euros which was so much less than it would have cost in the US- books at UVA are expensive. I really liked the class. It is so much fun talking in Spanish and sharpening my ability to do so. We are only allowed to speak Spanish in the center. We had a few ice breaker games then we conversed. We were assigned homework, but I was actually looking forward to it- weird considering it is the middle of summer and I am in Spain. My next class, SPAN 311- Grammar Review was not as good, but I knew several people in the class and I guess grammar can only be but so exciting right? We played similar ice breaker games in that class then learned about Spanish articles. Classes were about 2 hours each and ran from 9-1pm. I had to buy a packet for my second class for 4 Euros and a book for 14.50 Euros. Yet again I thought it was great compared to UVA prices. I went back to the school and used the internet. I updated my contact info on facebook, wrote on a few walls, e-mailed some people and checked my e-mail. I have not really missed the internet except for updating this blog which I still have to post, oh, and I guess I miss posting pictures from the trip as well. Annie, Liz and I talked and we made a more definite plan for our trip after the session. We have decided to go to Barcelona during the program and the day the program ends we will be going to Granada which is in southern Spain. From there we will go to Cadiz (a costal city in Southern Spain with quiet beaches) and then heading to Sevilla for 3 days. We will spend a day in Cordoba then head north to San Sebastain (a costal city in northern Spain). This area is supposed to be amazing- it has nice beaches, mountains and it close to the boarder with France. We will end our 11 day excursion in Madrid where we will spend 3 days before heading home. I am really looking forward to the trip. I went to the beach with Matt and we ran into Lisa. This was my first time at the beach during the day and it was really nice. The beach was packed, but it was still nice. I loved the view of having the mountains and the beach right there. The water was a little cold, but we all enjoyed it. I had a bocadillo for lunch which my madre packed for me- it was good and had tomato, ham, and oil on it. We were at the beach for about 4 hours before we took the bus home. (oh, the bus pass we use is called Bonobús which we all think is a great/funny name). I got home around 9 and started my homework. We had dinner at 10 which was really good. We had gazpacho (cold soup), fish, and some cooked vegetable coated in olive oil. The best part was that our conversation with madre was the best it has ever been because we understand her better and we can speak better now. I felt like I was hogging a lot of the conversation, but Jordan was tired and just woke up from a nap and he said it was fine. I got back to my homework and finished about 1am. I could not believe I spent so long on the homework. It was basic stuff, but I really want to learn it, it is interesting. The coolest part about being here was that one of my books I had to read was about culture differences in Valencia and I had already experienced everything I was reading about- now that is hands on learning. So awesome! Jordan had a lot more than I because he is taking 201 and 202 in 4.5 weeks. That is a class I took over the course of 2 semesters. He had a lot of work and was doing work most of that this afternoon. I am exhausted and now I am heading to bed.
Viernes (Friday June 29, 2007)
Jordan and I were supposed to walk to school with Lisa at 8:15am, but I decided to sleep until then so Jordan and I took the bus. Conversation class was really good and even Grammar class was good. After class Caleb, Liz, Lisa and I decided that we wanted to go to Rome Italy during the trip so we got on the computer and planned a trip to Rome July 20 to July 23. (any places I have to go while I am there mom?) That will give us Friday night, Saturday, Sunday and Monday to see Rome. We will miss class on that Monday, but we are allowed one skip day. We got plan tickets for 100.01 euros and a hostel there for only 25 euros a night per person so that is 75.00 Euros for a place to stay. It is going to be awesome. I have never been to Italy. I am trying to plan a trip to Paris France the weekend before that, but I don’t think that is going to happen because there is already so much other stuff planned for Spain and Rome is the big weekend away from Spain. After we booked the flight and other stuff for Rome I went with Matt to see where he lived. He lives with Ben close to my apartment. I dropped off my stuff at my apartment and then several of us met up at the beach. I got to the beach around 3:30 and stayed until 7. It is so awesome sitting on the beach and swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. Life can’t get much better than this. I took a bus home. Jordan was taking a nap so I decided to walk around the city. I walked around for 2 hours looking into shop windows, I went to the supermercado (supermarket) and got a coke for 0.17 euros and got to experience how different the supermarkets are here. It was really cool. Then I walked to the big department store here- El Corte Ingles. There were 5 floors of clothes, books, tvs, music, furniture, outdoor stuff, games, and a restaurant. I spent an hour there just admiring how cool everything was. I even spent a few minutes looking at a book on Rome. It was in Spanish, but I am learning and understood some of it. I wanted to get some European clothes, but rebajas (sales) start Sunday so I will wait. It is a big time for sales everywhere in Spain. I walked back home and had dinner with Jordan, and madre. We had a slab of pork, french fries, and fruit for dessert. It was really good and conversation with madre was good in Spanish as well. I asked madre if she likes wine and she said no, but she likes liquor. She got out some liquor that has some sort of herbs in it. It was really good and smooth. She did not have any because she takes so many different sorts of medicine. She showed us the bag of all the pills she got that day, but the cool part was that it was all free. Spain pays for all health care for their citizens over 60 years old- medicine, hospital, etc which I thought was really cool. Jordan and I got ready and met up with some other friends to go out. They were having a bar night for all of the students here studying abroad so we all went there. We even walked because the city is so easy to get around. A cab would have cost us 5 euros. The bar was really cool. I had a beer and a shot of tequila for only 5 euros. We all danced and hung out there until 3:30am. I came home and went to bed.
Sabado (Saturday June 30, 2007) Sagunto & Canet D’En Berenguer Beach
I woke up at 10:30, got Jordan up and we took a bus to the soccer stadium where we boarded a bus for our day trip. The views along the way were really great. We went north of Valencia so we drove up right beside the Mediterranean. We got to Sagunto and climbed a large hill to see an old Roman theatre. It was sad because they restored parts of it, but not to the original look. They used modern materials. We climbed to the top of the mountain and got to see the remains of an old castle, That was cool and the views from the top were great. We walked around there for a while then we made the journey back down the mountain through the narrow streets of Sagunto. My bocadillo was not very good. It was 3 different types of port and one was blood sausage and another looked like poop. I tried some of each, but could not finish all of it. We got back on the bus and went to Canet beach. The beach here was even better than Valencia and the water was really blue. The view was awesome and unfortunately the camera could not capture how nice it was, but I got several pictures. We swam and then I took a 2 hour nap on the beach. It was great. There were probably 50 or more of us there from the program (mostly from UVA) but it was fun. I used sun tan lotion, but I did get a little burnt during my nap. We got helado (ice cream) and it was good. The cone was different tasting than in and it was a little hard to order, but all of these encounters where I have to use my Spanish only improves it. We made the bus ride back to Valencia and most everyone fell asleep. I already had my nap so I just admired the view. We got back and had to walk a little way to get back to the apartment. Jordan and I each got a shower then ate dinner madre had fixed us, but she was not there. Jordan took a nap and I relaxed in my room- read, listened to music, and updated this blog. We met up with some friends at 11pm (23:00) and headed to the port where a lot of stuff was going on for the America’s Cup. We walked all the way there- over 3 kilometers. The port was so crowded. I ended up going to meet up with Alex, Liz, Phil and some other people from the UVA group. We sat on the street at a bar near the beach. Liz and I shared some aqua de Valencia (orange juice, champagne, and vodka) which was really good. Then we watched an awesome display of fireworks on the beach and we even got to watch them burn a small tower structure. It lit up in flames and was obliterated to pieces in a matter of minutes. It was all for the America’s Cup and really cool to watch. Some people were going to a discoteco, but Liz and I decided not to go. The discoteco had 4 floors of different types of dance music and well as aquariums filled with sharks throughout the building. It was not enough to convince me to pay at 20.00 euro cover charge. Liz and I walked around the port then got a cab home. I got to bed around 3:30 or 4am, but the kids that went to the discoteco got home around 7am.
Domingo (Sunday July 1, 2007)
I slept in until 12:45 in the afternoon (technically still morning in Spain because it is before siesta). I got up and my house was quiet. We had decided not to go to Peniscula because it would be similar to the trip we had the day before, but it was nice just to relax in Valencia. I went to El Corte Ingles, and then I went to another El Corte Ingles. The place was packed with shoppers because it was the first day of rebajas (sales). I went into a Lacoste store as well, but after the rabajas, it is still more expensive than in the US because of the exchange rate right now. Matt and I went to a Chinese food buffet because I was tired of eating bocadillos for lunch. Then we went to the port to meet up with Randee for the America’s Cup race. We were confused as to why the boats were coming back into port so early, but assumed it ended early. After hanging out there for a while we decided to head back to our houses. I got on the bus and after asking a lady who won the regatta in Spanish, she told me that she spoke English. Apparently there was not a race that day because there was not enough wind. They rescheduled the race for Tuesday. I went to the newest El Corte Ingles and it was even bigger than the rest. There were 10 stories of everything you could possibly think of. Matt and I went to the 10th floor and had lemon granizado (cold lemon drink, kind of like Italian Ice.) I went home and ran into Jordan. He and Ben tried to rent mopeds for the day, but the store was closed. I then ran into Danny and Larry who were coming back from a pick up game of soccer. I started my homework and then got a shower before dinner. Dinner was good- hamburgers, pan seared squash, bread, fruit, and we even had dessert. Conversation with madre was ok, but not the best it has been. I listened to my iPod then met up with Liz to go for a walk after dinner. She had not seen anyone all day and wanted some American interaction/conversation. I came home, finished my work and went to bed.
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