Adventures in Spain!

The beautiful view of the Albaicin in Granada

Inside the Nasrid Palaces at the Alhambra

The Mezquita, in Cordoba

My friends Kristen and Molly in Plaza Mayor in Salamanca

Kristen, Molly, and I in front of the cathedral in Salamanca

So, the time has come to recount my trip to Spain to you all. With the exception of a few confusing/annoying/upsetting events, which I will get to, it was a great trip. I saw some amazing historical sites, a couple of which I’ve wanted to see for a while, I got to see so many friends in the space of a few days, and I learned a lot about Spain, its people, and its culture.

I got up bright and early last Tuesday, February 3, to head out to the station. Despite the relatively short distance I had to travel (Italy to Spain, specifically Milan to Granada), I spent the whole day traveling, in order to allow plenty of time and overall to save money. The cheapest flights to my destinations were out of Milan, so I first had to take a train from Firenze to Milan’s central station, then a coach bus service about an hour more to the Milan-Bergamo airport. For the train, I could have taken a Eurostar, which would have taken about two hours, but I opted for the longer InterCity in order to save money. That took 3.5 hours, so I left at 8:30 and arrived in Milan around 12. The most notable thing about that part of the trip was that as I was hoisting my baggage up onto the rack on the train, I managed to bend back my left thumbnail and it got slightly detached from my finger. Ow! Especially at first, it kind of hurt a lot, there was some blood, etc. I didn’t have any band aids, so I wrapped it in a tissue and tried to apply pressure by holding it. For the rest of the ride I was trying not to be a baby and get over that, and distract myself. I listened to my iPod and dozed, mostly.

Around noon we finally got into Milano. I was very impressed by the sheer size of the station, definitely much larger than Firenze! My first order of business was to find a place to buy tickets for the airport shuttle, which I did relatively quickly. After buying the ticket, I still had about 40 minutes before the bus left, so I went off in search of band aids. I found a pharmacy in the station and bought some, putting one on my thumb right away – it was a good find. By that point it seemed like a good idea to go find the bus, so I did, got on, and was on my way. I dozed a lot during the hour ride there, but in between I was able to glimpse some of the beautiful scenery of the mountains in that part of northern Italy. Upon arrival to the airport, I checked in, and proceeded to what turned out to be one of the most stupid security lines I’ve ever been in. It wasn’t that they had a ton of people, or not enough lanes open, but just between the passengers and the workers, it was moving frustratingly slowly. People were clueless about liquids, laptops, everything. And when I asked if I should take my shoes off, the guy working was like “We’ll see.” So I left them on, and sure enough they set off the alarm and I had to go back. I’d have been glad to take them off as a precaution… but what are you going to do. Luckily I’d allowed plenty of time, so I wasn’t stressed about making my flight at all… just sort of exasperated. Once through security, I looked for food. There wasn’t a ton but I bought a sandwich and a bottle of water. I spent the rest of the wait reading up in my Andalucia guidebook and just sort of sitting around. After what seemed like a really long time, they started boarding, but even then we had to stand in this corridor for a while just waiting. I was definitely getting impatient.

Finally we got to board the plane. A small victory for sure. To share how ridiculous Italians can be, even though they are clear NOT to light cigarettes on the tarmac (we were walking in the open air), one woman actually started to light up… a worker put a stop to it really fast, but just like, jeez are you crazy? Highly flammable materials everywhere, put the cigarette away! Cristina (my host mom) said she witnessed the same thing when she went to Barcelona with a group of friends.

So, I boarded the plane, and eventually we were off. At that point I felt like I’d already had a full day of travel, but I was glad to really be moving. I pretty much dozed during the flight as well. Upon arrival in Granada, I hoped things would go according to the research I’d done online. The airport is about 17 km outside the city center, but I’d heard there was a bus company that did shuttles. However when I searched for a schedule, it just said that they ran buses according to when flights got in. I hoped that was accurate. And sure enough, after retrieving my baggage, I went outside to find a bus waiting. I paid 3 euro for the ticket, and joined most of the other people from my flight on board. Before too long we were off toward the city itself. At this point I tried my best to remain alert of where we were, because I had a vague idea of where the bus would stop and where my hotel was, but of course I’d never been there before! I kept wondering “Is this it? Should I get off here?” but waited until we were in Gran Via de Colon, the street where my hotel was. I got off the bus and found myself right next to the entrance to the cathedral. Pretty cool. But I had important things to attend to, namely finding my hotel! Since I

knew the street address, I just kept walking until I got to where it should be, and sure enough there it was. I realized pretty quickly from that walk that in Granada, the sidewalks are often uninterrupted, even when a cross street meets the main road. If one weren’t paying attention and didn’t know, it would be easy to be caught off guard by a car! The main street was very attractive though, with wide sidewalks and pretty tall, interesting buildings. They seemed pretty modern to me, especially considering that I was in Europe, in a city famous for its inhabitants of the 13^th, 14^th, and 15^th centuries.

I got into my hotel, checked in, and made my way up to the room. It was pretty simple and small, but it had everything I needed – a bed, a small table, a chair, a closet, a bathroom. The first thing I did was crash onto the bed, feeling the relief of finding the hotel, that I had made it, that I could lay down a bit after such a long day. After recovering a little bit, I ventured out to find some dinner. I wandered around an area near my hotel a bit, peering at menus and into different restaurants, and eventually decided on one with a set meal for about 10 euros because it seemed easy and not too intimidating. The service was very fast because there were not a ton of other people eating at the tables. I very quickly discovered that what I’d heard about Spanish eating habits was true – it was around 9 pm when I got to the restaurant and not very crowded. It was one thing to get used to Italy, where they eat lunch around 1-1:30 and dinner around 8-8:30, but Spain is a whole different thing. 9:00 pm is about the earliest anyone ever goes to get dinner, and as I found out, 2:00 is about the earliest for lunch. I tried my hardest during the trip to eat on the Spanish schedule, but it was a challenge to make myself wait! Not so much due to hunger, but just habit. Anyway, my first course at the restaurant was paella. It was good enough, but my guidebook had said the difference between a good and not as good paella is how long you wait for it. If it comes quickly, they just heated it up, and if it takes a while, that means they made it fresh. My paella came out almost instantly, and so I knew it wasn’t the best I could get, but it was food. The same was true of my second course, chicken and potatoes. The chicken came in sort of a gravy-like sauce, which made the potatoes a little soggy. So it wasn’t my favorite thing I’d ever eaten, but it wasn’t that expensive and after a long day of traveling, I just appreciated having hot food in my stomach. When it came to dessert, I asked about it and the waiter just listed off a bunch of things, most of which I didn’t understand. I asked him what he recommended (butchering a phrase from my guidebook) and he was like “Well, it depends what you like.” Mmm… helpful. So he listed things again, and I heard banana, and since I recognized it I was like ok, I could do something with banana. So I ordered that, wondering exactly what it would be. When the waiter returned with my dessert plate I was slightly taken aback to see that it was banana. As in, just banana. Slices of banana. I mean, it was good, but it was also a feeling of, “Thanks… I could have done that…” Anyway I went ahead and ate it, paid my bill, and headed back to the hotel.

A sidenote on language during my trip. Despite the usefulness of Spanish in the US, I’ve always taken other languages – French in middle school and high school, Italian in college. So I had a little bit of learning to do for this trip. I read over the list of essential phrases in my guidebook, and Kristen (who I’d see later in the week in Salamanca) sent me a list of survival phrases too, which was really helpful. I sort of just jumped in and tried the best I could with everything. I actually did okay, with the phrases, previous exposure in the US, one year of very simplistic Spanish that I did in high school, and my knowledge of Italian. Since Italian is so closely related, I understood many of the words, especially when I saw them written. The fact that Spanish is a relatively commonly spoken romance language definitely helped me out. It was much easier to get along than it would have been in, for example Turkey back in June, if we hadn’t had our Turkish speaking guides.

Another aspect of language in Spain that I sort of liked was that not very many people spoke English to me, despite my name, appearance, and terrible Spanish. I suspect that some of them probably just didn’t know English, and others just preferred to use Spanish. The main place I spoke English with Spaniards was in hotels, and even then I tried to use the basic Spanish like “gracias” and so on. But as I said, I prefer it this way. It contrasts with Firenze, where a lot of my small annoyances early on related to people speaking English to me, even when I TOLD them I spoke Italian. I feel like hey, if I am the one coming into your country, where you all speak Spanish, then I should have to struggle a little bit and adapt to you, not the other way around. A lot of times they spoke to me, and I understood very little, and I had a few awkward moments, but at the end of the day things worked out.

The other thing was pronunciation. To them, I must have spoken a weird type of Spanish inflected with an Italian-American-Mexican accent, since I obviously speak English and Italian and know the Mexican pronunciation of many Spanish words. I did try to adapt quickly especially with words like “gracias”. It felt strange, but I tried my best to mimic the Spaniards who said “gra-thee-as” as opposed to the “gra-see-as” they usually say in Mexico. I had heard that Castilian is a “lisped” version of Spanish, and I would say I found that to be true. Another thing that turned out to be true was the way Spaniards don’t pronounce letters sometimes, like s’s for example. In Granada I heard people saying “Buena noche” and “Buena dia” when from what I’d read I thought it was “buenas noches” and “buenas dias”. Just another tricky thing you have to learn from experience. Sorry if all that was too much detail, but I guess languages and speaking them are something I really find myself curious about.

I returned from dinner totally ready to crash in the hotel, but first I used one of the computers downstairs where you could pay a euro for half an hour. I took advantage of the chance to check my messages on facebook and e-mail, and let people know that I had made it to Spain safely. After that, I finally headed upstairs, very ready to sleep and excited to see the Alhambra the next morning.

I set my alarm for about 7:00 am that first morning, but really couldn’t bring myself to get up that early. I figured the Alhambra would still be there and not be too crowded, so I let myself stay in bed an hour longer – the day before had been so long! When I finally did get up and ready, I got all my stuff together and headed out to find some breakfast before anything else. I found a good looking breakfast place, went in and awkwardly asked if I could sit… then sort of looked at the waitresses, but they didn’t give me a menu. Eventually they asked what I wanted and I was thinking “Oh… this is sort of difficult.” So I went off what I had read about food in my guidebook. To drink, definitely café con leche – easy enough. To eat… I sort of said “tosta” which the waitress corrected to “tostada.” Ah yes yes, that’s what I meant. Then she asked what I wanted on it. Hmm. She listed off a bunch of things, I shook my head vaguely… so she lined some things up to show me. Butter… mantequilla! Right, I learned that once. Mantequilla, definitely what I wanted. So she got me my items, though my awkward moments weren’t over because she put the café (coffee) up on the counter, and I started to take it, but she still had to pour the milk. Oops. While the mug had only been half full, espresso is often served that way here, so I was just a little over eager. In Spain, tostadas are often eaten for breakfast – usually baguette-type bread sliced open, toasted, and put with a variety of toppings. They sometimes do olive oil and tomato, but I went with the simpler butter choice. The waitress also gave me some marmalade – either peach or apricot – which I added. It was a really delicious and cost effective breakfast. I definitely like café con leche more than “caffe macchiato” here – which I suppose means I should switch to caffe latte in Italia. And the bread was great too. In comparison with Italian breakfast, the Spaniards definitely keep to the “continental” tradition of coffee or tea with various bread products, but they seem to take it down a more savory avenue (olive oil, tomato, toasted breads) while Italians sort of have dessert for breakfast – pastries, sweet things, chocolate flavors, and of course Nutella.

After breakfast I headed in the direction of the Alhambra. For those of you who aren’t aware, my major at Georgetown focuses on Europe and the Middle East, and I have taken a couple history courses about the Middle East and about Islam. Having studied the history of Muslim rule in Spain, I had heard of the Alhambra and the Mezquita before, and that was my main motivation for doing a couple days of sightseeing in Andalucia on my own, before heading up further north to visit my friends in Salamanca. It was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up. Anyway, I reached the end of Gran Via de Colon, and walked past Plaza Nueva. It was incredible how, just past that point, the bustling feel of Gran Via gave way to a very quiet, serene atmosphere, along the streets where the Albaicin (the old Muslim quarter) meets the river Darro (a small river in comparison to the Arno or others in other cities. There were quaint bridges and stone houses, and a small colony of cats living on the river’s banks down below! It was around 9 am, and still very peaceful. It provided a fitting lead up to my trek up the hill to the Alhambra.

Another important sidenote is that it was sunny that morning. It had rained the previous evening, and visiting in February I knew I’d need some luck with the weather. But much to my delight, when I emerged from my hotel it was a beautiful day. The gods of sightseeing and weather were smiling upon me.

So eventually I found the path that split off the road to lead up to the Alhambra – Cuesta de los Chinos. This is one of two ways up to the Alhambra, slightly less mainstream since you are going up the back way, but I wanted to pass by the Albaicin on my way up. At first houses lined the small road, but eventually it was just a wide gravel path, and began to follow the outside walls of the Alhambra as it climbed. As I walked I got my first views of the Alhambra, and it all became more real. Eventually I reached the area with the ticket office, though first I realized I should find some water to re-hydrate. I took care of that, then headed to the ticket office to try to retrieve the ticket I’d booked online. Everything there went smoothly – no line even though it was about 9:30 by that point. After I got the ticket, I followed a group of schoolchildren to the entrance to the complex to start my visit.

The Alhambra is a large complex filled with palaces, a fortress, many gardens, and other buildings. There are two hotels up on the hill, along with a restaurant and some gift shops. On a neighboring hill lie the Generalife Palaces and gardens – the summertime retreats for the Muslim royalty who lived in the Alhambra. After shooting some initial photos of the complex and looking around, I decided to visit the Alcazaba, the fortress on the “point” of the hilltop. The visit was a nice little loop of walls, rooms, and towers, and it provided me with some stunning views of Granada. I definitely tried to take my time in order to fully appreciate it.

A logical progression would have been to visit the Nasrid Palaces next, but when one visits the Alhambra, he is assigned a specific time slot in which he must enter that part. My slot was 12:30, so I still had some time to kill. Next up on my list was the Palace of Charles V (or the Palacio Carlos V) – a Renaissance inspired enormous building which doesn’t exactly match the rest of the complex. It was a large square building, with a circular open area inside, lined with two levels of circular arcades and very classically inspired architecture (pillars and so forth). According to my guidebooks Charles built the palace after the Christians were in control of Granada, destroying some Alhambra buildings in the process. He did leave the Nasrid Palaces as they were, but the Palace impinges just slightly on the other buildings. There were a couple art museums inside, but I think they would have costed extra, so I was content to just walk around the palace a bit before heading out. After seeing it, I went into the church of Santa Maria de la Alhambra, which was just behind the Palace. Overall it was quite plain and whitewashed, with a few ornate monuments and pieces of decoration. The most intriguing thing was that on one side, a woman had an enormous painting laid out on a table and was doing some restoration work. How painstaking that must be!

At that point I wasn’t exactly sure what to do until it was time to enter the palaces, so I wandered through some gardens and eventually found myself walking toward the Generalife. Though I didn’t want to stray too far from the main area and not return in time for my entry to the Palaces, I eventually decided to go ahead and visit the Generalife before them, instead of after. I found my way over and entered, first exploring the gardens and then the palaces themselves. This was one part of the visit where it was more obvious I was visiting in February – obviously there weren’t flowers in full bloom, and there were actually many garden workers clearing out brush, landscaping, and planting in preparation for spring. It created some noise and a few areas were blocked off, but it didn’t really compromise the beauty of the gardens much at all. I also very much enjoyed the atmosphere created by all the orange trees in the gardens. I have never seen so many orange trees in my life as I saw in Spain – I loved it!

Both the gardens and the palaces of the Generalife were beautiful. The palaces were filled with beautiful Islamic architecture and a couple courtyards/gardens with fountains and pools. The atmosphere was very tranquil and serene, and much like the rest of the visit I was in awe as I progressed from one section to the next. I was trying not too move too quickly and really take in my surroundings! As you will all see if you look at my picasa site, I took hundreds of pictures during my visit to the Alhambra. I was slightly embarrassed to realize how many photos I’d taken – but it really stemmed from the fact that it was such a beautiful site that I was searching to somehow capture its beauty at every turn. I took so many photos in hopes that a few would get across what I was seeing. Also, being on my own that day, I really had the time and the luxury to take photo after photo, and I was always looking for the best angles and shots I could find. I hope it isn’t too tedious to go through my album and that you enjoy the level of detail you can see!

After I finished with the Generalife, I took the path back across to the Alhambra proper, but I still had plenty of time before my Nasrid Palaces entry time. I came across more gardens and took a nice leisurely stroll. At a certain point, the snowy Sierra Nevada Mountains were visible – so stunning with the sun glinting off of them! I sat on a bench for a moment as well, and took pictures of, surprise surprise, more orange trees! Eventually I made my way back to the entrance of the Nasrid Palaces, waited a bit for them to let us in, and began that part of the visit.

The Nasrid Palaces are the most famous part of the Alhambra, and they really are stunning. There are so many examples of the beautiful architecture, landscaping, fountains and pools, everywhere you turn. In retrospect though, I wish I had really slowed myself down during that visit. There were many organized groups and other tourists, all entering at the same time. I found myself having to get around them, and being surrounded by others everywhere I went. I am sure it would have been much worse in summer or other peak periods, but I think maybe if I had consciously slowed down, I could have enjoyed everything in a more tranquil atmosphere. Regardless, everything was beautiful – as you can see in my pictures. Relatively soon, I was exiting the Palaces as I had seen everything inside. I explored the gardens some more, and took some more pictures, soaking up the views, the atmosphere, and the sun! I also bought some postcards as part of the end of the visit. I looked at the menu for the restaurant, as lunchtime was approaching, but it was clearly overpriced due to its location. I knew I could find something better back downtown. I headed off down the other (more mainstream) path and went back into downtown Granada.

Eventually for lunch I went to a Bodega (roughly, wine bar) from my guidebook. It was 2 pm, yet I was still awkwardly the first one there when I arrived. I sat down at a table, and ordered a couple tapas for lunch. I had chorizo y sidro, spicy sausage with cider, and a plate of manchego cheese. They topped the cheese with delicious olive oil and a small amount of some sort of herb, and it was really tasty. The sausage was also very good, and I sopped up the remaining olive oil and some of the remaining cider with the bread I got with my meal. In Granada, they customarily bring out a small bowl of olives along with your bread, something which reflects the prevalence of olives and olive agriculture in that part of Andalucia. At each meal I had a couple olives, but I always felt bad when I didn’t nearly finish off the bowl.

After lunch, I tracked down an internet place and checked my e-mail and other things for about half an hour. Then I decided to try to take a city bus to the bus station, in order to buy a ticket for the next day’s journey to Cordoba and make sure I could get to the station successfully. When I first started planning my trip to Spain, I imagined taking trains everywhere, but prices and difficulties with pre-booking emerged. By the time shortly before my trip, I still didn’t know how I’d get from place to place, til I read that Spain is quite well connected and served by coach bus transportation companies, and that many Spaniards got around this way. I checked out some schedules and prices online, and decided to go with this option for my journeys. Where possible, I booked a day in advance, but I didn’t even have problems when I booked within the hour before the bus was set to leave.

Back in Granada, I had not figured out where to buy bus tickets. In Italy, the best place to get them is at tabaccherias, little convenience stores, which are everywhere. Even though you can technically buy tickets on the bus, many drivers are cranky about it and it costs more. However, I hadn’t seen an equivalent of tabaccherias in Granada really, so I figured I’d have to ask. I went to a bus stop on Gran Via de Colon and practiced the line I’d rehearsed in my head, “Perdona, donde se compra los billetes per el autobus?” The woman I asked was very nice and said “en autobus.” Ah, so that was the answer – you bought your ticket on the bus. Spain was being deceptively simple once more. Not too long after I got to the stop, a bus pulled up that even advertised its destination as “Estacion de Autobuses” – certainly couldn’t go wrong there. I got to the station and noticed a machine for the company I knew ran routes to Cordoba. I knew what I wanted well enough to navigate the instructions in Spanish, and within a matter of minutes I’d secured the ticket. Awesome. I went back on the bus toward Gran Via in order to get back downtown.

Part of the reason I decided to stay in Granada two nights and not leave that first afternoon (and even changed hotel reservations in order to do so) was because it was the best way to know I could see Granada’s main Christian historical sites – the cathedral and the Capilla Real – the royal chapel of Isabella and Ferdinand. The cathedral was right on Gran Via de Colon, so I walked around, photographed the façade, and then had to go back around in order to enter. On my way to the ticket office, a woman came up to me offering me a twig/plant type thing, saying it was a gift. She grabbed my hand before I knew what was going on, and started to read my palm. Suddenly I realized it was probably some sort of ploy, at best to get me to pay for the palm reading and at worst to pickpocket me, so I started to pull my hand away and say no thank you. She insisted, and wouldn’t let go of my hand. All I could think to say was “no!” so I sort of said “No, no, no,” as I wrangled my hand free. I did, and got away as fast as I could, figuring that even if I’d been rude at least I was safe. Having gotten that out of the way, I got my ticket to the cathedral and went on in. It was a huge, impressive structure, with giant white pillars reaching up to its cavernous ceilings. There were gilded organs and a very impressive altar area. Actually, everything was gilded. The prominent colors were white and gold. Of course I found myself comparing this cathedral with those I’d seen in Italy, and I will be honest with you. It was beautiful, but there were areas where the gold was a bit much for me – I found it gaudy. I definitely appreciated the architecture and decorations, but I could feel that months in Italy had made me a purist, given me a negative reaction at the sight of so much unrelenting gold embellishment. Go figure. I took the chance to explore the cathedral, then left in search of the entrance to the Capilla Real, which is attached but not accessible from the Cathedral. I had to go to another entrance and buy another ticket – but from what the guidebook said, it would be worth it. I found the other entrance and went on in. Sadly, no pictures were allowed in the Capilla Real, so I have no record of how cool it was, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. The Capilla Real is Isabel and Fernando’s funerary chapel – built in Granada and celebrating the fact that they expelled the Muslims from Spain. It was filled with beautiful and ornate decoration, including a huge wrought iron gate which was done by… a famous Spanish artist. I could look it up. Maybe I should. Anyway, there were also beautiful sculpted monuments to mark the tombs of Isabella and Ferdinand, and their daughter Juana along with her husband, Felipe. There was a small staircase that you could descend in order to see into the crypt, and physically view the coffins of all four monarchs, along with that of Prince Miguel, son of Juana and Felipe. I found that really cool – to think of the sort of history with which I was sharing space. In another room adjoining the chapel was a small museum – filled with possessions of the Catholic Monarchs (los Reyes Catolicos), including Fernando’s sword and Isabel’s crown and scepter. There were also many paintings once owned by Isabel, mostly from the Flemish school but including one Botticelli. Though I did wish I could take pictures, I loved the Capilla Real for the sense of history I felt as I visited.

Once I was done with those two sites, I figured there wasn’t really much else I wanted to see. However, it was only 5:00 or 6:00, and there was no way I could respectably try to get dinner any time soon. I headed back to the hotel for a “siesta” of sorts. After reading my guidebook some and writing down some details of the trip so far, I turned off the lights and got under the covers. There were some loud people in the hallway, so I am not really sure if I slept, but I at least closed my eyes for a couple hours. Around 8 or a little after, I got up and headed back out. I walked all the way toward a place recommended by the guidebook a bit farther from my hotel’s immediate area, but looking inside it was much too crowded and intimidating. It’s interesting – I always wanted restaurants that were inhabited, but not too crowded. Trying to get food in that kind of atmosphere just seemed difficult. So, I headed back to the more immediate hotel area and eventually settled on a place called “Taberna Salinas”. That actually turned out to be one of the best meals I had on my own. I got two “media raciones” – small portion type plates. One was a revuelta de ajete – scrambled eggs with garlic shoots and ham. It came with a little crispy piece of bread, and the presentation was nicer than I’d have expected. It was very savory and scrumptious. I also got “puntilla calamar” which was fried cuttlefish. While that did get a little heavy, I still enjoyed it and it was set off nicely by my cerveza (beer). A very satisfactory dinner indeed. After dinner it was back to my hotel to rest up for the journey the next day.

I got up pretty early on Thursday, in order to go out to breakfast, come back, grab my luggage, and get to the station in time for my 9 am departure to Cordoba. Much to my surprise, when I emerged from the hotel at 7:30 or so, it was still dark. Not even a hint of sunrise. It also could have been like, 4 am for all I knew. Very strange feeling, to know it was morning but not feel like it. To make things even sadder, I went to the same place for breakfast, looking forward to another delicious tostada, but it was closed! Luckily I found another place nearby where I got a similar meal, but it wasn’t quite as good. Plus at one point, there were people at the bar smoking on either side of me. I complain about smoking in Italy, but in Spain it is worse in the sense that smoking in restaurants isn’t outlawed. I did okay with it for a short visit, but I think after a matter of time it would bother me! At Taberna Salinas some people also lit up cigarettes near me at dinner, and the odor was immediately obvious. Anyway, I was disappointed to miss another breakfast at my original place, but they just weren’t open early enough. I went back to my hotel to check out, and went to the bus station using the same method I’d practiced the day before. Before too long, I was off to Cordoba.

During that bus ride, it was cloudy, then sunny, and then cloudy again. One constant though, was beautiful country side. The journey took me from Granada province, through Jaen province, and then to Cordoba province. Especially in Jaen province, there were these incredible hills just covered with olive trees – thousands of them, rolling over the hills as far as the eye could see. The hills were a bit more wild and savage than the rolling variety one sees in Tuscany, and I was getting visual evidence as to why Spain is the world’s leading producer of olive oil – Jaen province and Andalucia have a lot to do with that! The bus also stopped momentarily in a small town called Baena, which (according to my guidebook) is very famous for its good quality olive oil. The scenery was beautiful – small towns with mostly white buildings set against the hills covered in olive trees.

A few hours later, I arrived in Cordoba, where it was quite overcast. After I got off the bus, I bought a bus ticket to Madrid for the next morning (I was always on the go!) and tried to get some money from an ATM – it recognized my card but said it couldn’t give me money, so I hoped nothing was wrong on my end. Regardless, I found the bus recommended by the guidebook and headed toward my hotel. I got off at the right stop, but I quickly found out that Cordoba streets are extremely difficult to navigate. They zig zag every which way with no rhyme or reason and are very narrow. I had a map, but didn’t want to be pulling it out at every turn. I did find my hotel without too much trouble though, checked in, and settled in, even though I was pretty early. They were nice enough to let me put my things in early, even though I did have to wait for the maid as she finished cleaning it up. After decompressing a small amount in the room, I ventured back out, with lunch, ATM withdrawals, and my Mezquita visit to accomplish.

I left the hotel to find it was raining even more heavily than before. Luckily I had my umbrella with me, but everything was very wet. I had a restaurant in mind, but first I needed to withdraw some money. I tried at one ATM, but the instructions were in Spanish and it ended up not working. At that point, I was starting to wonder if I was having a bank-related issue… but I tried to stay calm and just look for another. Eventually, I did find one, was nervous as I waited for the money to come out, but it worked. So that was a worry taken care of. However, I realized I wasn’t really sure where I was or how to get over to the restaurant. It was raining, and kind of cold, and my socks were getting wetter inside my boots. Especially when I didn’t know about the ATM situation, that was one of the most uncomfortable moments on the trip so far. I tried to recover from being lost, only to realize when I recognized where I was that I was right back at my hotel – I’d gone around in a circle. It was time for a fresh start, so I checked my map and corrected the mistake I’d made before (turning left instead of right had made all the difference!). Eventually I did reach the restaurant, after passing through Plaza del Potro, square of the colt, which housed an inn famous from the writing of Cervantes. The restaurant was kind of close, and though there weren’t many people eating there, it was past 2, and I was hungry and eager to get out of the rain. I went on in. So there, again, I was the awkward, lone, foreign client, but I just wanted food. Again I got two media raciones, one being salmorejo – a Cordobese version of gazpacho that I was eager to try. Oh yes, about gazpacho. I really wanted to try it, but every waiter in Spain who had me ask for it (even when it was on the menu) more or less admonished me that they only had it in summer. Alas, it seems that no one in Spain makes gazpacho in February. This restaurant did have salmorejo – a very thick tomato soup thickened with bread, and flavored with garlic. It has a creamy texture and is topped with hard boiled egg and ham. Along with that, I ordered an interesting sounding dish combining anchovies and artichoke, and some wine. While all this food was pretty good, I felt pretty silly partway through. In the midst of this downpour and with wet socks, I’d failed to order any hot food. Bummer. I couldn’t really blame the restaurant of course, and I didn’t want to spend more money on anything else, so I just dealt with it and finished my lunch. It took kind of a long time for the waiter to bring me my bill after I finished my wine. I know they wait for you to ask for it, but who was I going to sit and chat to? I kept trying to make eye contact politely as well, but it took more of a wave to get that accomplished. Oh well.

After lunch, I was off to the Mezquita! My socks were still wet, but I refused to let that ruin the wonder. I did the walk, bought my tickets, and found the entrance. First, I walked through the courtyard of orange trees (Patio de las Naranjas) which was very beautiful, even in the rain. The feeling of entering the Mezquita, after all I had heard and read about it, was absolutely everything I expected. I walked in, and there it was – the vast expanse full of rows and rows of pillars, and those famous double arches, striped in red and white. It was breathtaking, especially on first impact. I made my way through, observing where the cathedral built in the middle of the mosque intersected with the arches – I sort of liked those places where the two architecture styles met. All over the building, there was the juxtaposition of Christian chapels and monuments with the beautifully detailed Muslim arches and details. At one part of the mosque, you could even view the remains of the first religious structure to inhabit the site – the Visigothic church of San Vicente. I tried to explore each part of the mosque slowly. The mihrab and the lobed arches near it were especially ornate and impressive. I also kept trying to get good pictures of the interior of the Mezquita – hence the large number of photos on Picasa, some better than others. At times in the Mezquita, I found myself wishing the space filled with the beautiful pillars and arches weren’t interrupted by the cathedral in the middle. It reminded me of a quote from my guidebook, “If you think of the whole building as a cathedral, the forest of arches and pillars provide a superb setting for the central structures. If you see it as a mosque, however, the Christian additions wreck its whole design.” I couldn’t stop myself from seeing the building as a mosque, and thus I really had to agree that the cathedral was an interruption to the entire point of building the mosque the way they had. It made me a little sad in a way, but it didn’t detract from the beauty or intriguing history of the building. I just wished I could witness the expanse of space and pillars and must have been there prior to the cathedral. King Carlos I was the monarch who gave the orders for the cathedral to be built in the Mezquita, and apparently he also regretted his decision to build a cathedral there when he really could have built it anywhere. Regardless of all these considerations though – the Mezquita is an incredible historical and cultural monument, and I felt so fortunate to have seen it!

I left the cathedral and still had plenty of afternoon time left, so I headed over to the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos – Fortress of the Christian Kings – which was near by and seemed worth visiting. It was a very interesting building and had some neat art, and beautiful gardens, but after the other sites of the past two days, I sort of found it underwhelming. One interesting thing though was that a number of cats seemed to think of it as their home, and I saw quite a few of them wandering about! It’s also possible that the building is more enjoyable and impressive to visit during the warmer months. At any rate, I was glad to have seen it.

At that point, I headed back to the hotel to repeat the pattern of the day before. This time, I actually slept, despite the music being played somewhere outside. It was so nice to peel off my wet socks and shoes and be under the covers! Of course that made it harder to get up later on, but I did need dinner. First, I was set to see Plaza de las Tendillas and use another internet place, then head to dinner at a place nearby. I did indeed see Plaza de las Tendillas on my walk, but when I got to the internet place the man there told me they were full. Kind of frustrating considering that some of the computers didn’t have people at them. I said to myself “okay, I’ll wait.” So I did for a bit. Then I noticed the place closed at 8:30, and my watch informed me it was 8:20. Ugh. Eventually the man asked how long I wanted to use it for, and I acknowledged that it didn’t look good. I also asked the question I’d wanted to – I indicated an empty computer and asked why I couldn’t use it, and he said it wasn’t working. Super. At that point I just felt the frustration of something not working out – I had counted on using the internet that night, that place had a good location, and as usual it took mental energy for me to communicate with the Spanish speakers. I was honestly kind of frustrated in that moment, but I tried to calm myself down. Okay, regroup, figure out a plan of action. There was another place further away on my map, and while I didn’t know how far it was, it seemed worth it to try. I managed to find it, and was even able to use it for half an hour before they closed. Things turned out fine in the end.

After that, I went to Taberna San Miguel, which seemed to be a Cordoba institution. I got a table and ordered wine and croquetas de jamon – little breaded potato rolls with pieces of ham inside. They were definitely yummy, accompanied by a dipping sauce. I did, however, which I’d gotten another cerveza, since it would have gone along well and the wine was just sort of okay. Since I had only gotten one media racione, I still had room for dessert and decided to go for it. The waiter actually physically showed me the desserts, and after navigating through the language barrier I opted for something that they called pudding, which really seemed like a thick cake to me. I am not sure exactly what was in it, but it had flavors of some chocolate, maybe cinnamon, and cream. It wasn’t the best dessert I’ve ever had, but it was certainly better than pieces of banana on a plate. The other nice thing about that restaurant was that the waiter was the first one who really tried to make conversation with me. He asked where I was from, and through my terrible Spanish I told him I was American but studying in Italy. I wasn’t able to tell him a whole lot, but it was really nice that he was so welcoming to me. After dinner I went back to the hotel and crashed – and got up very early the next morning because my bus for Madrid left at 8 am! Luckily enough, I was able to check out of the hotel because there was one guy (yup just one) down in the lobby. The restaurant wasn’t open for breakfast yet, which seemed to be par for the course in Spain. I departed from the hotel and went to a bus stop to try to get to the station. However, the early hour and darkness didn’t inspire me with confidence that the buses were running frequently, if at all. I thought a bit, and then went off to find a taxi so as not to take a chance on making my bus. That worked out and expedited the process, and I got to the station in time to have a quick breakfast (café con leche and a tostada) before getting on my bus.

The bus to Madrid was pretty long – almost a 5-hour ride. Overall it was a pretty good ride though. I was kind of sad to leave Andalucia, but also excited to get to Salamanca and see my friends! Much like the other ride, there was a variety of landscapes as we trekked north – first through olive tree country again, then through some mountains and national park, followed by some plains as we neared Madrid. The most surprising thing from that trip was when we momentarily got stuck in a mini-snowstorm! It all happened quite suddenly, but at its peak it was quite steady. For a little while the bus was moving slowly, due to some rubbernecking on our side and an accident on the other side. Before too long though, we were moving steadily, and as we descended in altitude the snow turned back into rain. The other nice thing about that ride was that at a certain point, the woman next to me started talking to me and was very friendly. We managed to make some conversation, again despite my terrible Spanish, and it was kind of nice. During the snowstorm part of the trip, she fed me chocolates. Yum.

We got into Madrid around 1 pm, at which point I had to get a ticket for a ride to Salamanca. I opted for the cheaper only slightly longer version, also because it left sooner – and I figured I could get some food later on. As it turned out, that was the ride that got me to my grumpy traveling mood. I was tired, I’d tried not to drink too much water so I wouldn’t have to pee, so I got a headache, the bus kept stopping, I had no clue how far we were from Salamanca, and so on and so forth. Finally the seemingly interminable ride came to an end and I got to Salamanca. I had no clue what the city bus system was like, so I just took a cab to my hotel. I know he was trying to stay stuff to me, but I didn’t have the energy to really try to understand, because my head hurt and I was thinking, “Get me to my hotel…” Finally we did arrive, and I checked in. Once I got to my room I called Kristen to let her know I’d finally made it. She and Molly had a couple errands to run first, which was actually okay for me – I took some Advil, drank water, and laid down a bit, in hopes of feeling a little less travel weary.

After a little while, Kristen and Molly called to say they had reached the hotel. Yay! I opened my room door to see them coming up the stairs and it was such a great moment! I hadn’t seen Kristen since early November, and Molly not since August! Plus though I really enjoyed my solo travels in many respects, it was nice to be around friends and people I knew again, especially after such a long day of travel. After talking for a while, we headed out into Salamanca. One of the first things they showed me was Plaza Mayor – the central square in Salamanca – which was beautiful, especially when lit up at night! Next, we went to one of their favorite café’s in Salamanca, where you could get all sorts of different types of flavored hot chocolate. There were so many tantalizing choices! I opted for the pear flavor. We all thought maybe we could have liked our hot chocolate a little more, but I still enjoyed and it thought the café was a really neat place. We stayed and talked there for a while too, before finding a place to have more dinner-like food – Café Erasmus. (Erasmus is the Europe-wide study exchange scholarship program.) It had a really cool atmosphere, and finally I had what I felt was a true Spanish-style meal – one that was social! When we got there, we found two other girls from the Georgetown Salamanca program and sat with them. We got some cervezas and tapas. Among other things, we got croquetas (which I’d tried the other night) and two types of tostas, toasted bread with toppings. Both were good – one had chicken with a Roquefort cheese sauce, and the other was caramelized onions with raisins and goat cheese. The latter was *especially* good – we were all raving over it! So anyway, I was very content with the meal – I no longer felt so worn out after the long day of traveling, and there was good food and good company to be had. Around midnight or so though, we realized that since we had to get up early for our excursion the next day, we’d better be getting on home (or to the hotel in my case).

On Saturday, I was able to participate in a daylong wine-tasting and castle tour trip with the Salamanca program – at no cost to me! I was really grateful that their program director was fine with it – especially since I don’t really speak Spanish and part of the point was so the students could practice Spanish! I did try to speak Spanish with Celia, the program director, with mixed success. Our destination that day was Peñafiel – a small town about 2.5 hours from Salamanca. Super, another bus ride! Despite the early hour and our fatigue, this bus ride was still better because I was with my friends. Plus, as in the other parts of the trip, I got to see even more of the varied and beautiful Spanish countryside – which I can now tell you firsthand is quite expansive!

Aside from a quick stop to grab some breakfast-like food, our first destination was the Legaris vineyard near Peñafiel. Even in the cold and barren weather of February, it was visually striking. The vineyard building itself was very modern, with clean lines and wide transparent spaces – something you don’t often see in Europe! We went on a tour of the winery, of which I only picked up pieces, since it was in Spanish… however I got to see the rooms where they make and store the wine, and other neat parts. Most importantly, I didn’t need to understand Spanish to taste the wine! That was the last part of our tour. We tasted two reds from the vineyard, both of which were very good. Bit by bit, I am learning, but I still usually feel like I can taste different and interesting things in wine, but don’t easily find the words to describe them. Oh well. Our wines were accompanied by breadsticks, delicious sheep’s milk cheese, and slices of special Iberian ham. So that was very enjoyable, especially considering that in the US I still wouldn’t be allowed to participate in a wine-tasting! (I turn 21 in March.)

After our wine-tasting, we went to a bodega (wine cellar) restaurant in Peñafiel for lunch. We had delicious salad, bread, wine, and roasted Cornish game hens – which elicited some laughs when we remarked how much like whole animals… even funnier considering that Kristen is a vegetarian (sadly, the alternative plate they made for her had shrimp – which she’s allergic to!). We also had some yummy dessert… though to tell you the truth I can’t remember now exactly what it was like! Ah! Oh well.

After our delicious lunch, we went up to the castle. We did a quick spin through the wine museum in the castle, then took a guided tour. It was neat and there were gorgeous views, but I pretty much didn’t learn anything because the tour was in Spanish. It was too cold to try to work out words I understood. Even my friends who speak Spanish had trouble paying attention – being distracted by the wind and the cold!

After the castle tour, it was time to head back to Salamanca. After the return trip, Kristen, Molly, and I took some change to change and primp for a night out, and during that I got to see where Molly lives. Sadly her host mom wasn’t home (apparently she wanted to meet me), but it was cool to see Molly’s home for the semester. I also checked into my second hotel – due to a last minute change in plans I had to stay in two different hotels in Salamanca, but it didn’t really end up being an issue.

Once we were ready, Molly and Kristen took me to dinner. We split two dishes – a tropical salad which featured pineapple, avocado, and blue cheese dressing, which was a really yummy combination, and “tortilla,” a dish which does not resemble a Mexican tortilla in any sense. It’s sort of a frittata of egg and potatoes, and it was definitely good. It was a typical dish that according to Molly and Kristen I had to try! Though we were tired after dinner and wondered about our ability to stay out very late, we all knew I needed to witness the scene that is Salamanca night life. So we made our way to a succession of clubs and bars, and it was fun. For me it was really impressive to see the variety of establishments that were all close together, yet each had its own unique atmosphere. In addition, there were just a LOT of people out. Those Spaniards really do enjoy going out late at night! Even the adults! At the last place we went, the clientele was mostly people over 30… or even over 40, and they were playing many oldies but goodies, like I Feel Good, Twist and Shout, and You’re the One that I Want. It was really fun and we danced and enjoyed ourselves, but I found myself looking around thinking… “In the United States, everyone your age, even those who like to party and have a good time, are ASLEEP at this hour!” It was 2-2:30 am by that point. Definitely a cultural difference, and it was crazy to see. Finally we turned in around the somewhat respectable hour of 3 am, and I crashed to sleep in my hotel.

Luckily that morning I could sleep til the relatively late hour of 9 am or so, at which point I got up to go get chocolate y churros with Kristen, Molly, and Mary Kathryn – Molly’s friend from home who is also in Salamanca this semester. Chocolate and churros is another Spanish food I had to try – it’s typical at breakfast, and is basically sticks of doughnut-like fried dough which you dip in this cup of very thick liquid chocolate. It was good, but so heavy in my stomach that I really couldn’t finish it. I was still glad I tried it. After breakfast, the girls took me on a quick walking tour of Salamanca, when I got to see some of the sights including the cathedral. Salamanca really was a charming town, and I’m glad I got to see it. After the tour, we still had a little time, so we went to a café to hang out, check the internet, and in my case eat some food for lunch. Eventually that too, had to come to an end, so Molly and Kristin put me in a taxi to the bus station and we parted ways. Soon enough I was headed back to Madrid, to spend the night there before a very early departure to Milan the next day.

Getting into Madrid went well enough in the bus, but one of the more frustrating parts of the entire trip transpired when I was trying to find my hotel. I took the metro to the stop which was closest (and even that took a moment to figure out), but then failed to figure out where to go from there. I’d written down a street name, but couldn’t find it. Sadly, I didn’t have a map of Madrid since my guidebook was only for Andalucia. In the US, I would have printed out google maps, but there is no printer here in the house. (Incidentally, I have survived this whole year so far without printing ANYTHING – crazy right?) Anyway, it became clear that I needed to ask, so I asked two nice Spanish ladies about the address, and they basically ended up adopting me – they asked other people where to go, and then sort of led me there, right to this address. I wanted to say “This really isn’t necessary, it’s okay” but my language limitations wouldn’t let me, so I just said thank you a lot. I got up to the floor of the hotel, and was not really inspired with confidence from the start. I went through the door to find a hallway, and at the entrance two guys with a laptop. No real check in desk… just a laptop on a table. Makeshift style. I gave one of them my name, and he told me the other guy would need to check me in – the one who was on the phone. So I waited, for probably at least 5 minutes while this guy was on the phone. Meanwhile, I just wanted to have my room, and I knew that Lauren, Kristen and Molly’s friend, studying in Madrid, was waiting to meet up with me. I didn’t have much choice but to be patient, but I didn’t feel patient.

So eventually the guy got off the phone, and proceeded to tell me (get ready) that my room wasn’t in that hotel, it was in another one. Whaaaat? How was I supposed to know that? I came to the address I had. Ugh. So the first guy ended up walking me (carrying my suitcase) from this place to the other hotel – at least a 10-15 minute walk, during which I wasn’t really sure where we were going. The guy tried to talk to me, but the surroundings were loud, I was tired, and I couldn’t really understand him. I tried not to take my annoyance out on him, especially since he was leading me and carrying my bag, but I was somewhat discouraged at that point. I just kept trying to remind myself to breathe and know it would be okay, with time. So finally we arrived at this other place, where I saw the lady who seemed to watch the place. She showed me my room, which was simplistic compared to the pretty nice places I’d had in Salamanca, but it was a place to sleep. I tried to make it clear that I had to check out early (I didn’t want to have problems), like still in the middle of the night, to make my flight, and the woman said that would be fine. I paid her then and there, the amount that the man at the other place had told me… sooo not a normal situation! Except, I was 2 euro short except for a 50, which she didn’t have change for. We agreed I’d give her the 2 euro later when I had it. I was thankful, but still, just not the way many people to business. Anyway, I dropped my stuff and rushed off to meet Lauren, who was being so patient with me and my hotel situation (which delayed me quite a bit).

But, the odyssey doesn’t end there. I needed to take the metro to meet up with Lauren, which in total was a 2 euro fare both ways. My credit or debit card didn’t work, and my stupid 50 wouldn’t work either… super, I needed change. I went to an ATM to try to get a smaller amount, but of course that ATM would only emit 50s or quantities that were multiples of 50! OF COURSE! So, next I went into a convenience store. I looked around – of course there was nothing I wanted to buy to break my 50. So I just asked if I could make change for it. The answer was a short, simple “No.” Gahhhh! Finally, after that, I found an ATM where I could get 20. Victory! Even later by this point, I rushed back to the metro and bought my tickets. 2 euros, 20 euro bill, I got my change – now I had plenty of 2 euro pieces! 9 of them in fact!

It was a short metro ride to the stop to meet Lauren, and I emerged and *finally* met her. After all that, it was sooo nice to see a familiar face! I told her my saga and she was very sympathetic. I was so ready to just relax a bit. We talked and walked around, and she showed me Plaza Mayor in Madrid. Slowly but surely we sought out a dinner restaurant (as she was nice enough to eat with me!) and we settled on a place that looked pretty good. Part of our criteria was paella – as I had been in Spain and really wanted to have a pretty good, freshly made, paella before departing, and this was my last chance. We were indeed able to share a lovely paella, and over dinner we talked about many things including Lauren’s trip to Egypt and Jordan before she arrived in Madrid. It was so nice, relaxing, and enjoyable after the afternoon I’d had. Lauren was truly a lifesaver and a saint for spending time with me that night!

The next morning… or kind of still in the night… I had to get up to head to the airport. My flight left around 6 am, so I caught a cab around 4. It was definitely a glasses (not contacts) kind of morning. As I left, I felt bad that I hadn’t seen more of Madrid, but it was just the way things worked out. I was glad to have spent more time in Salamanca with my friends. I checked in fine, and then waited out the time til departure. It was kind of stressful getting on the plane – Europeans don’t make lines to get on Ryanair flights, and a bunch of people were shouting and swearing because of issues with their luggage and/or their IDs. Exactly what I need before 6 am… I finally got on the plane and was glad to at least be away from all the tension. The flight back was nice enough, and I witnessed a really beautiful sunrise.

What I have to tell you about next was most definitely the worst part of the trip – but it would be dishonest to totally skip it, so here goes. I retrieved my checked bag in Milano, and it actually came really quick. I wanted to switch from my glasses to my contacts, so I pulled the bag aside to get my contacts out. Right away I could see that a couple things were different – my bag wasn’t zipped all the way and some things were shifted around. My toiletry bag was open and unzipped. At first I thought they’d gone through the bag for security reasons, but then I opened my jewelry box to find my two necklaces missing. It became clear that someone had gone through my bag and stolen them. At first I was too shocked to do much, but then I sort of gathered myself a little bit. I asked a woman nearby if there was something I could do if I thought someone had stolen something from my bag, and she sent me to Lost and Found, which in turn sent me to the police station in the airport. I went there, and filed a written report with all my information and describing what happened. I doubted, and still doubt, that something will actually change, but at least I was complete and told them what happened.

Right then and in the aftermath, I struggled to come to terms with what had happened. Both of these necklaces were special to me – one was from Dave and one was from my parents. Of course I had the thoughts that I should have locked the bag or not put them in there – but I am not sure if you’re allowed to lock your bag, and it was just the type of thing I didn’t think would happen – I suppose I took the security of my checked baggage for granted. So yes, I was pretty upset – but I was determined not to let it discolor the entire trip for me. I tried to focus on the fact that they are just material objects, that nothing else was stolen, and that nothing happened to me personally. Either way, I was still pretty upset, and felt violated knowing that someone had been through my belongings like that. I guess part of growing up is that these things happen, and you learn that there are indeed bad people in the world.

Since I got back to Milan so early, my friend Marissa and I had planned to spend the day together. She is studying there this semester, and we hadn’t seen each other since August! We met up at the main train station after my shuttle got in. I was very happy to see her in general, but also because she was the first one to whom I could vent my stolen jewelry story. We got that out of the way, and then used the metro to put my luggage at her apartment (I wasn’t huge on leaving it in a locker at the station at that point). It was also nice to see where Marissa lives and chat a little. After that, we went downtown and I saw some of the main sites – Castello Sforzesco, the Milano Duomo, and a few other things. We also had a very lovely lunch and I got to see Universita Cattolica, where Marissa will be studying. It was such a treat to catch up with her in person and have her show me around Milan – and we are going to travel together again in a couple weeks!

After my time with Marissa, we got my bag back, and I boarded a train back to Firenze. I got back to the house in time for dinner and just… unwound. I loved Spain and most of my time there, but especially after some of the events of the very last part, it was just nice to be at my “home” of sorts – which for the year is Florence. On the whole it was a great trip, and I loved getting to visit with so many friends in different cities.

Hope you enjoyed the entry, sorry it took so long for me to write! Stay tuned for records of other Firenze happenings, my parents’ visit (which starts tomorrow!), and some of my other upcoming trips!

[The rest of my hundreds of Spain pictures are up on Picasa. Please let me know if you need a link.]