I finished my intensive language course last Thursday, and thank goodness, I passed! We were rewarded for a long month of work with a long weekend. My friends and I decided to take a bus-trip to Albufeira and Lagos, Portugal. We got to spend three days relaxing on the beach and seeing the little towns. We also got to go on a super fun speedboat ride on the ocean, and we also cruised around on a “pirate ship” (it was really just a big boat). From that boat, we got to jump off the side in the middle of the ocean and swim around! I feel so lucky to have these experiences.
On Monday, we started our classes that we’ll be taking for the next three months. I am taking Spanish Civilization and Culture, Political Systems of Spain and the EU, grammar, and a writing and speaking class. The political science class is especially interesting right now, because Spain doesn’t actually have a president. I’m not sure I totally understand why, but there is some blockage in the political system, and it’s been that way for a while. It’ll be cool to learn more about it!
This weekend we have Friday off again. I’ll be going with my friend Annie (who goes to school in Portland) to Barcelona. I can’t wait!
It’s hard to believe I’ve been here for almost 6 weeks! Hope you are all getting through midterms and enjoying the fall-ish weather there. (It’s still 86 degrees like every day here…) If you’re feeling down this week, remember, 8 DAYS ‘TIL HOCKEY SEASON!!!!
Hey everyone! This past week I had a pretty bad cold, so I didn’t get to do too many exciting things, because I was sleeping a lot. My host mom thinks I got it because the season (and therefore temperature) is changing. There are a ton of people in class that were sick as well. However, in the true spirit of being abroad, I did manage to power through and enjoy some cool events.
On Saturday I went with three of my friends to a clothing market in a neighborhood on the outside of Granada. They had a lot of name-brand clothing for 2 or 3 euros in a flea-market type of setting! It was interesting and fun to get a taste of the local everyday life in Spain.
On Sunday, there was a parade for the Virgin of Angustia, a patron saint of Granada. The parade was very formal and religious, and about 30 men carried a giant Virgin of Angustia (which is super, super old) through all the main parts of Granada. There were so many people it was hard to move through the streets. My friends and I enjoyed taking part in such an old tradition! Also, there is la torta de la Virgen, a bread with lots of sugar and chocolate that my host mom got for me to try. It was delicious!
I’m finishing up the last few days of my intensive Spanish class. I take my final on Thursday! I can’t wait to have a mini three-day weekend. My friends and I will be headed to Portugal to relax on the beach…so come back next week to find out how it goes (and if I make the bus…it’s at 7 am).
Missing you all a lot! The erg might be in Spain, but it’ll never be better than being on the water in Lewisburg with my teammates! Also, huge shout-out to Kim for posting my blog for me every week, you da real MVP.
So this week I’ve been real bogged down with work– given that we’re on week three of five of our classes, I’m essentially going through midterm week right now.
Sunday was my last day in Ireland, and I had a lovely last day with Jerry, Jerry, and Bronnie.
In the morning we went to the Kilbeggin Whiskey factory, the oldest continually operating licensed whiskey plant in the world. It was really fascinating to see all the old cogs that still turn the machines that make the whiskey, despite the rain. And, of course, being able to sample a “wee dram” as my grandma would call it.
After that, we went on to visit the Newgrange neolithic tomb! It really is incredible to be standing in something that is literally thousands of years old. The passageway to the inner chamber is incredibly short; best watch your head if you plan on visiting! At the entrance is a square opening, and as you enter you gradually rise a couple meters. This is so that on the Winter Solstice, at exactly the right time for 20 minutes during that day, the sun shines perfectly through the opening, illuminating the whole inner chamber. While I wasn’t there for the Winter Solstice, we did get to see a simulation, which was still very impressive! Another fun fact: the tomb was built so well that it has not leaked since it was built: it’s been dry inside for thousands of years (a very impressive feat if you know anything about the typical Irish climate..) In fact, its so well-preserved that you can still see ancient carvings on the walls. Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed inside so here’s a picture from the outside.
Our final stop was a cemetery outside of Dublin where approximately a million people are buried. To give you some perspective, the Irish population is about 4.5 million. It’s not just known for the amount of people buried there, but also the fame of its residents (Is that even the right word? Occupants?). Many leaders of Irish revolutions are buried here as well, along with other historical celebrities. Even if you aren’t familiar with those people, simply seeing the wide expanse of the cemetery is just as breathtaking, and looking at all the different headstones is also a very engrossing activity.
Alas, the time came to say goodbye to my newfound friends, and at 3:45am I departed Dublin for Edinburgh and arrived with time to spare before my first class. 3:45, you say, why Kim, you must have been exhausted! Oh, I was, believe me. But I also had a fantastic day. After class, we went to yet another museum gallery, and I got to see many beautiful paintings painted by famous painters (how many paintings could a painter paint if a painter could paint paintings….) such as Van Gogh, Monet, Rembrandt, and el Greco. I was absolutely delighted.
MonetVan GoghSome say its the most famous Scottish painting
When I finally left the gallery, to my delight I discovered I had left at just the right moment. Upon exiting, I came upon a street band called the Spinning Blowfish consisting of a guitarist, a bagpiper, and a drummer. They were fantastic, and a great addition to my day. Fun fact about me: I love bagpipe music! So you can imagine my excitement at being greeted by this lovely surprise! I must have stayed for about an hour listening to them play. They were quite good, very silly and energetic!
My fantastic Monday continued with watching Brave for our weekly movie session and our TA providing us with delicious homemade tiramisu.
Unfortunately, the rest of my week has been quite busy– stuck inside doing homework and projects and such. However, a couple highlights: doing an ergo session with the rec rowing club (and getting dinner afterwards) on Thursday and a circuits session on Friday.
Today, Saturday, I went on a day trip with a bunch of other Arcadia-study-abroad students to the lowlands. Despite their name, they are in fact quite hilly. Our first stop was a 900 year old estate where the Stuarts (including Mary Queen of Scots herself) used to stay. It’s a privately owned house, but you can stay there as a B&B (not for the superstitious– a ghost is rumored to haunt it).
((I would post photos from this trip but unfortunately my computer isn’t uploading my pictures! Pity!))
After that we stopped in the town of Melrose where we got lunch, and I had a Scotch Pie (a mutton pie) that was so delicious it nearly brought tears to my eyes (It is worth noting that I was also very hungry at this point) and some wonderful ice cream.
After that we investigated the Melrose Abbey, a medieval abbey that fell into disrepair when King Henry the VIII sacked it. Interestingly, you can go and see where Robert the Bruce’s heart is buried (AKA the real Braveheart’s heart… remember how I mentioned that in one of my earlier posts?)
Our final stop was the Rosslyn Chapel, a beautiful chapel said to play a role in the Da Vinci Code (I have personally never read the book so I can neither confirm nor deny). The carvings are very intricate (no pictures allowed inside, unfortunately–not that I could upload any right now anyway) and chock full of religious themes. Perhaps more interesting are the conspiracy theories that abound surrounding the bizarre amalgam of carved symbols throughout the small church (Click the link!!! It’s worth a read! At the very least see some pictures).
Not much else to add, I’m afraid. Just being very busy busy busy doing work.
