The Wonderful Weekly Whirlwind

IT’S BEEN A LONG TIME
So, I know I have been delinquent in updating all you folks in the States about my adventures abroad. I shall try to be as detailed as possible without boring you over two weeks of information. Since I last posted my video (two weeks ago), I went bowling for the first time, traveled to Toledo and Madrid, took a history exam, visited Faith in Paris and took an art history exam. What a busy kid I’ve been!

ROLLING ALONG
Would you believe I never went bowling before November 6, 2008? Many friends and family members have promised to take me but I never got to go! So, I decided to take it upon myself to go with some friends and give it a shot…or a roll. I wasn’t too shabby, and I do believe I had a bit of beginners luck. Maybe now when I return to the US someone will actually go bowling with me (hint, hint, nudge, nudge)!

LAND OF CASTILLA-LA MANCHA
The next day, the UD crew, led by Jorge embarked on a weekend adventure to Toledo and Madrid, located in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha (one of the seventeen communities in Spain along with Andalucía, Calaluña, etc). The trip from Granada is approximately a five-hour journey, and along the way we stopped off to see the windmills of Don Quixote. What a spectacular view (and the history was pretty awesome too)!

Once we arrived in Toledo, we tried some mazapan (a delightful little dessert indigenous of Toledo) and ate our bagged lunches before joining our tour guide. She took us to see the great Cathedral, Santo Tome Church with its fresco by El Greco on the wall, one of the last historical synagogues in Spain, and the monastery of San Juan de los Reyes. Toledo had a very warm feel to it, and it reminded me in some ways of Granada. I think that if I could pick another place to live and study besides where I am now, that would be it, with its plazas, hills and river all contributing to its charm.

We left Toledo that same afternoon and were in Madrid within the hour. Madrid is quite different from Toledo, it being a large city and all, but I still enjoyed seeing everything it had to offer. On Saturday, we visited the Escorial, the palace and monastery of Felipe II where all the kings and queens of Spain are buried, as well as the Valley of the Fallen, a memorial to those who died under the dictatorship of Franco and the burial place of the dictator himself. It was very odd to see such a grand monument built in memory of two opposing forces and to think about all the blood that sealed together the bricks of that great cathedral. What is done in the name of faith sometimes makes my heart break.

That evening, we visited the Prado and La Reina Sofia. The Prado has fewer paintings than the Louver in France, but it has more of the best works by the great artists. I saw works by Velázquez and El Greco as well as many other influential artists from the Golden Age of Spanish art. We did not get to spend a lot of time there before we were rushed over to the Reina Sofia, where the modern art of Picasso, Dalí and other interesting painters and sculptors. We also walked past la Puerta del Sol, la Plaza Mayor and other important landmarks within the city limits.

The next day, we went to the Palacio Real, the palace of the king of Spain. I walked in and felt a rush of girlhood delight, wishing I could get dressed up in an elegant gown and dance in the palace hall! Each room was more magnificent than the one before, with gold leafing, ceramic walls, silver, china, velvet curtains and intricate tapestries. That afternoon, we boarded the bus and returned home, tired but satisfied with all we had seen.

A WEEK IN BETWEEN
Last week I preparing and studying a little bit each night for my history exam that was on Thursday. I would come home from class and read a little, siesta a little and maybe go off and do something in the evenings. On Monday, when I arrived home from class, I entered the door and immediately spotted the television sitting there in the vestibule. Either Carmen had decided to give up her favorite pastime or there was a new arrival in the apartment. I was betting on the latter, and low and behold there was a brand new flat screen television set and DVD player where the old one used to sit! Carmen was like a kid with a new toy, playing with the remote control and clearly enjoying the size and sound of the TV. Now, she can also watch DVDs without needing to sit in front of my laptop to see a movie.

The next day after class, I walked through the door and Carmen asked if I wouldn’t mind waiting for lunch because someone was coming. I didn’t quite get all of what she said, but when I was in my room, I heard the doorbell ring followed by a lot of hammering and objects clattering around in the living room. When I emerged from my laird for lunch, I realized she had new curtains installed. Wow. I joked with her that every day I came back from class something new awaited me. She laughed and assured me that they were all the changes I would be seeing.

On Tuesday night, I took a break from the books and went to visit the pastor of the church to hear more about the history of the church, the dynamic of Christianity in Spain and anything and everything I could think of asking him. I learned a mountain of information that has served as my food for thought. Right now, I am considering looking more into the relationship politics and religion as a theme of research once I get back to UD. Ask me about it sometime and I will be glad to share the wave of thoughts crashing around in my cranium.

On Wednesday night, I had my interview for a Writing Fellow position at Delaware. I met with the director on Skype and everything seemed to go alright. It was a bit tough at times when I couldn’t think of how to say some things in English that are a bit more “sophisticated” and that I obviously have not used in the last three months. Anyway, I heard today that I will in fact be a Writing Fellow next year! Now, I can start planning my course schedule for next spring. Currently, I am debating between adding either French or Italian this coming semester. Any suggestions?

I took my history exam on Thursday and believe it went well. I must admit, however, that it was very hard o study when I knew that after class on Thursday, I would be leaving for Paris with my friends Amy and Jill (who I know from the church) to visit Faith! Well, I survived the exam, and the three of us embarked on one of the most spectacular trips of my entire semester!

PARIS HOLDS THE KEY TO YOUR HEART
The three of us flew out of Granada on Thursday afternoon and arrived in Paris (Orly Airport) around 22:30. Per Faith’s directions, we took the Metro from the airport to a station right by our hostel. I must say that they know their transportation in France (in all of Europe, really). When I saw Faith, I gave her the biggest hug I could muster. You see, I have been in want of a good ol’ American hug, the kind that makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. As much as I love the way the Spanish kiss you on each cheek every time you see them, I kind of miss being greeted by a hug from a friend. We settled into our lodgings for the night and Faith stayed up chatting with me until 2:00 in the morning, which forced her to take a taxi home sine the Metro was no longer running that late.

The next morning, we all woke up and were out and about by 8:30 or 9:00 to see the Basilica of he Sacred Heart of Montemarte and the surrounding area. This was what you would call the “quaint” part of Paris, with the cafes and artists’ easels. We then met up with the art history class from Faith’s UD program to see Versailles. The professor was nice enough to get Amy, Jill and I the discounted rate on the Metro and to sneak us into the chateau (Versailles is a chateau, not a palace, as I learned) without us needing to pay a thing! Once again, the art and elegance brought every childhood fairytale to mind! I longed to dance with the kings and princes of old until I was reminded of their horrible hygiene, especially in Versailles where they lacked an adequate number of bathrooms. For example, the women of the court would relieve themselves in their long dresses because there were not enough facilities. ¡Que asco! No waltz for me, merci. That same evening, we went to the Louver, where we saw the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo and Arcimboldo. I posed with the Mona Lisa and stared in awe at the marble and bronze statues of the Renaissance.

On Saturday, we started our day off at Notre Dame, but unfortunately Quazimoto was not ringing any bells that morning. We had crepes for lunch and did a little more walking. We went to the Eiffel Tower and rode the elevator to the second floor (I wanted to climb but we couldn’t find the stairs). I tried to call Carol to wish her a happy birthday while I overlooked the city from the famous mass of twisted metal, but the telephones were out where she works and we never got to talk. Really, when you see the Eiffel Tower up close, it is not very extraordinary; it is the thrill of just being there is what makes it wonderful! Afterwards, as was our little tradition between tourist stops, we sat down for some hot chocolate and French pastries. Faith then took us to see the Arch of Triumph and the long road leading up to it. I must say that Paris is best seen by night! The lights and sensational rush of people amidst a dark sky give the city its vibrancy. Furthermore, while the Eiffel Tower is dull by day, but after dark it is truly magical! Every hour on the hour, the light on the tower blink for several minutes. Because France is the temporary seat of the European Union (every six months the location changes), the tower was adorned with blue lights and the yellow stars of the EU. Hey, who knew that they like our Blue Hens in France as well?

Throughout the weekend, Amy, Jill, Faith and I had fun chatting and seeing all the sights in Paris together. We often amused ourselves by singing songs from Le Miserables, Beauty and the Beast, and Anastasia (Paris Holds the Key to Your Heart). All four of us also longed for Christmas together as some of the stores began putting up lights and selling ornaments and such. In addition, Amy, Jill and I practiced our Spanish on the Metro, on the street and in our hostel (poor Faith). Really, this was a magnificent weekend with friends, and I will venture to say one of the best (if not the best) weekend I have had this semester!

SALMOUN Y WATER
I believe I must have embarrassed Faith quite a bit during the weekend with my inability to speak French or rather by my attempt to speak it. Every time I wanted to order something or at least ask how much something cost, I asked my walking translator to save me. On Friday night, we went to a French restaurant and I was all set and ready to order. I wanted salmon and I planned to order water. At the last minute, I realized I didn’t know how to say “water” in French, and I asked Faith moments before the waiter was ready for me. In a moment of panic, I forgot how to say “water” and when the server finally asked me what I wanted, I responded with “salmoun y water!” That is three languages right there, or one language if you want to consider my combination “franglish.” I was embarrassed and Faith, poor thing, couldn’t pretend to be from France anymore because she was toting silly little Diane along with her. We all had a good laugh, though. Unfortunately, I didn’t learn my lesson and I attempted to order my other meals after that, and Faith constantly had to clarify what I wanted.

I realized that my automatic response to someone speaking to me in a different language—French, German, Chinese or whatnot—is to respond in Spanish. I threw out “si,” “gracias,” and “perdona” more times than I could count even though I knew how to say “oui,” “merci” and “pardon.” It is funny how our mind or mouth responds to what we hear, and I am fascinated by some people’s ability to know and transfer in and out of several languages. What a gift! At least for now (until I take either French or Italian in the spring), I am going to focus on keeping my Español y English straight. Es la verdad. Yeah, right.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA
This weekend I am home in Granada and will not be traveling to any exotic places (as far as I know). My plan is to get ahead on writing the three reflection essays and papers I am required to complete before the end of the semester so that I can enjoy the next four weeks. That’s right, folks, just four weeks or 28 days exactly until I fly home.

Now, I am currently in a state of Christmas withdrawal. I miss the lights, songs and excitement that I would already be taking advantage of if I was in the States. I have been listening to Josh Groban and Il Divo’s Christmas albums over the last few days, telling myself that they are more “European,” and I always get very mellow when I hear “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” My next task is to find a Spanish Christmas CD to tide me over for the next month and to teach me some Spanish carols. As soon as Christmas arrives here, I will be all over it like white on snow! Believe me, I will be letting you all know how they celebrate it here. Who knows, maybe I will even bring home some Spanish Christmas sweets!

I love you all and look forward to seeing you soon! In the meantime, I plan to enjoy every last moment of my time here in Spain, to speak all I can, to see all I can see, and to check everything off my to-do-in-Spain list. What a busy girl I will be!

Your starry-eyed traveler,
Diane