My last two posts have been about Spring Break part 1 and 2. This next blog is about my kind of Spring Break part 3. I say kind of Spring Break because we were with the whole group, so it was kind of a After only two days in Oviedo, we were already on the road again headed for Barcelona. This time the group included pretty much all of the Calvin students. The two days at home in Oviedo consisted of talking to Beatriz a lot, catching up on the Spring Breaks of other Calvin students, going to class, Skyping my family, seeing my Spanish friends again, unpacking, and then repacking. I didn't really have time for much else. I returned from Spring Break on Sunday afternoon and we left Wednesday morning. Here's a summary:
Wednesday, April 30
The trip started out rough when I woke up 15 minutes after I was supposed to meet Diana to walk to the bus. I had a total of 20 minutes to shower, get ready, eat breakfast, pack, and walk to the bus. Not all of those things happened, but I didn't end up forgetting anything (ahem, Hannah). I also had to take a taxi to the bus, but it was only 5 euro and I really was only 10 minutes late. So it all ended up okay. Our first stop on the bus was Zaragoza. We settled into our two star hotel (so exciting! But for real, hotels are great.) and then got ready to tour the city. We went to the basilica first. It had a tiled roof just like some of the buildings in Prague and Budapest. The inside was huge and beautiful. Next, we went to the cathedral and got to see a huge collection of tapestries. After a short frozen yogurt stop, we went to the Palacio del Aljafería. It had some Muslim architecture and the tour was very interesting. The rest of the evening was free time and so Jenna, Ali, Hannah, Diana, and I headed out to find some dinner. We had a delicious menú and headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.
Thursday, May 1
After a small hotel breakfast, we got on the bus and stopped for a small hike on top of an aqueduct. It was a pretty little stop and we enjoyed the warm weather. Next stop: Tarragona. The weather there was so beautiful that I had to take off my tights and just had bare legs with my dress! My white legs were very happy with the sun. It was Spain's Labor Day so the tour that we had planned was not possible. Instead we grabbed a smoothie and walked over to the beach. It was so nice that we just sat there for an hour or two. If I had my swimsuit, I would have gone swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. I just waded, but it was so nice. We then got back on the bus and checked into our albergue (kind of like a hostel) in Barcelona. I love Barcelona! I was there two weeks ago, but only for 9 hours, so it was nice to have some more time there. After a shower, we went out to find some food. We got a bocadillo and wandered over to La Rambla and explored for a while. We got back to the albergue and got together with most of the people in our group to celebrate Lauren Clark's birthday! It was fun to experience a small part of the night life of another Spanish city.
Friday, May 2
Our morning was all free time until 12 and so we took advantage of the extra sleeping time and then walked around and ate some breakfast outside of the albergue. At 12, we all met up and left to go see La Sagrada Familia, the modern cathedral designed by Gaudi that is still under construction. They started in 1909 and it is predicted to finish in 2026. I have never seen any building like it. It is so huge and really unique. We got lunch and then toured another one of Gaudi's works, Casa Millá. This building was built as apartments, and people actually live in them! We got to see one floor and the rooftop terrace. It was also unique. After, Hannah, Diana, Matt, and I walked over to the beach to meet up with Jenna and Ali. It was a long walk, but we got to see a lot of Barcelona. We finally made it to the beach and got ourselves ice cream as a reward. Jenna and Ali rented a moped so each of us got a little ride. After walking a long way back, we got some groceries to make our own dinner. It was 1.50 euro each and we got so so so much pasta. But it was yummy and filling, and after walking all day and then eating until we were in a food coma, we went straight to bed.
Saturday, May 3
Saturday morning was spent a little lost on the bus, but we finally found Park Güell, another Gaudi design, and had a while to explore. The architecture was, again, so unique and original. We then got back on the bus and had a long 6 hour drive to San Millán de Cogolla. We arrived late, so only got to visit one monastery, Yuso. It was another interesting guided tour in a monastery with a beautiful location. After so much time on the bus, we were all a little stir crazy and really wanted to get off the bus. We finally made it to our albergue that doubled as a "farm school." So we were in the middle of nowhere. But the air was fresh and dinner was delicious and we spent a fun night playing card games with our group. It ended up very nicely.
Sunday, May 4
We got back on the bus in the morning and drove over to Burgos. We headed straight for the cathedral (the usual) and it was huge and beautiful. Again, the weather was beautiful so a couple of us climbed to the castle to get a view of the city and then went to get some lunch in the sun. The price, quantity, and quality made us very happy so we celebrated with some frozen yogurt and sat on a bench in the sun. Because we still had an hour in Burgos, we found another bench and observed a lively Sunday afternoon. It was also Mother's Day in Spain so a lot of people had flowers and were celebrating their mothers. It made me miss my family. We then got back on the bus and had a 3 hour drive back to Oviedo. This excursion was a little bit more relaxed that the other ones, but we still saw a lot and I had a great time.
This is the last overnight excursion we have as a group. Our days in Spain are coming to an end! We leave already in 13 days! It really makes me realize how much I am going to miss Spain and the great friends that I have made here. The Calvin group that I have been with really has been a blessing. I feel that I have made lasting friendships. It will be strange to go from seeing them every day for 5 months to not seeing any of them for 3 months. I feel like we have been friends for my whole life.
Also, Spain. Why do I have to leave? There is such a bittersweet feeling. After driving through so many different types of landscapes and seeing so many beautiful places, I don't want to leave. I really do love it here. But I also miss my family and the American culture back home. And I have summer to look forward to.
Jenna and I leave May 18 to travel to Rome, Croatia, and Paris, but first I have to take 4 exams, write 2 papers, memorize a poem, and do a presentation. All in Spanish. It will be a difficult last two weeks because I have a lot to do and all I want to do is enjoy Oviedo for the last times. But I will get it done and hopefully have some leftover time.
I really can't believe it has been almost 5 months since arriving in Spain! This experience has been such a blessing and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am looking forward to seeing some of you soon :)
Beso, beso
Wednesday, April 30
The trip started out rough when I woke up 15 minutes after I was supposed to meet Diana to walk to the bus. I had a total of 20 minutes to shower, get ready, eat breakfast, pack, and walk to the bus. Not all of those things happened, but I didn't end up forgetting anything (ahem, Hannah). I also had to take a taxi to the bus, but it was only 5 euro and I really was only 10 minutes late. So it all ended up okay. Our first stop on the bus was Zaragoza. We settled into our two star hotel (so exciting! But for real, hotels are great.) and then got ready to tour the city. We went to the basilica first. It had a tiled roof just like some of the buildings in Prague and Budapest. The inside was huge and beautiful. Next, we went to the cathedral and got to see a huge collection of tapestries. After a short frozen yogurt stop, we went to the Palacio del Aljafería. It had some Muslim architecture and the tour was very interesting. The rest of the evening was free time and so Jenna, Ali, Hannah, Diana, and I headed out to find some dinner. We had a delicious menú and headed back to the hotel for a good nights sleep.
Thursday, May 1
After a small hotel breakfast, we got on the bus and stopped for a small hike on top of an aqueduct. It was a pretty little stop and we enjoyed the warm weather. Next stop: Tarragona. The weather there was so beautiful that I had to take off my tights and just had bare legs with my dress! My white legs were very happy with the sun. It was Spain's Labor Day so the tour that we had planned was not possible. Instead we grabbed a smoothie and walked over to the beach. It was so nice that we just sat there for an hour or two. If I had my swimsuit, I would have gone swimming in the Mediterranean Sea. I just waded, but it was so nice. We then got back on the bus and checked into our albergue (kind of like a hostel) in Barcelona. I love Barcelona! I was there two weeks ago, but only for 9 hours, so it was nice to have some more time there. After a shower, we went out to find some food. We got a bocadillo and wandered over to La Rambla and explored for a while. We got back to the albergue and got together with most of the people in our group to celebrate Lauren Clark's birthday! It was fun to experience a small part of the night life of another Spanish city.
Friday, May 2
Our morning was all free time until 12 and so we took advantage of the extra sleeping time and then walked around and ate some breakfast outside of the albergue. At 12, we all met up and left to go see La Sagrada Familia, the modern cathedral designed by Gaudi that is still under construction. They started in 1909 and it is predicted to finish in 2026. I have never seen any building like it. It is so huge and really unique. We got lunch and then toured another one of Gaudi's works, Casa Millá. This building was built as apartments, and people actually live in them! We got to see one floor and the rooftop terrace. It was also unique. After, Hannah, Diana, Matt, and I walked over to the beach to meet up with Jenna and Ali. It was a long walk, but we got to see a lot of Barcelona. We finally made it to the beach and got ourselves ice cream as a reward. Jenna and Ali rented a moped so each of us got a little ride. After walking a long way back, we got some groceries to make our own dinner. It was 1.50 euro each and we got so so so much pasta. But it was yummy and filling, and after walking all day and then eating until we were in a food coma, we went straight to bed.
Saturday, May 3
Saturday morning was spent a little lost on the bus, but we finally found Park Güell, another Gaudi design, and had a while to explore. The architecture was, again, so unique and original. We then got back on the bus and had a long 6 hour drive to San Millán de Cogolla. We arrived late, so only got to visit one monastery, Yuso. It was another interesting guided tour in a monastery with a beautiful location. After so much time on the bus, we were all a little stir crazy and really wanted to get off the bus. We finally made it to our albergue that doubled as a "farm school." So we were in the middle of nowhere. But the air was fresh and dinner was delicious and we spent a fun night playing card games with our group. It ended up very nicely.
Sunday, May 4
We got back on the bus in the morning and drove over to Burgos. We headed straight for the cathedral (the usual) and it was huge and beautiful. Again, the weather was beautiful so a couple of us climbed to the castle to get a view of the city and then went to get some lunch in the sun. The price, quantity, and quality made us very happy so we celebrated with some frozen yogurt and sat on a bench in the sun. Because we still had an hour in Burgos, we found another bench and observed a lively Sunday afternoon. It was also Mother's Day in Spain so a lot of people had flowers and were celebrating their mothers. It made me miss my family. We then got back on the bus and had a 3 hour drive back to Oviedo. This excursion was a little bit more relaxed that the other ones, but we still saw a lot and I had a great time.
This is the last overnight excursion we have as a group. Our days in Spain are coming to an end! We leave already in 13 days! It really makes me realize how much I am going to miss Spain and the great friends that I have made here. The Calvin group that I have been with really has been a blessing. I feel that I have made lasting friendships. It will be strange to go from seeing them every day for 5 months to not seeing any of them for 3 months. I feel like we have been friends for my whole life.
Also, Spain. Why do I have to leave? There is such a bittersweet feeling. After driving through so many different types of landscapes and seeing so many beautiful places, I don't want to leave. I really do love it here. But I also miss my family and the American culture back home. And I have summer to look forward to.
Jenna and I leave May 18 to travel to Rome, Croatia, and Paris, but first I have to take 4 exams, write 2 papers, memorize a poem, and do a presentation. All in Spanish. It will be a difficult last two weeks because I have a lot to do and all I want to do is enjoy Oviedo for the last times. But I will get it done and hopefully have some leftover time.
I really can't believe it has been almost 5 months since arriving in Spain! This experience has been such a blessing and I wouldn't trade it for anything. I am looking forward to seeing some of you soon :)
Beso, beso