School, Vogue’s Fashion Night Out, Segovia
I started school this week in Madrid. I am studying at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, and I have to say, I like Loyola’s campus MUCH more and it makes me appreciate what an amazing school I get to go back to in the states. 5/6 of my classes are in Spanish, so I am being culturally immersed. I am taking Spanish Comp I, Comp II, Advanced Spanish I, and a Spanish Literature class, but my favorite class so far is my Spanish Medical Terminology class.
Earlier this week I visited Retiro Park and walked around with one of my friends. We were supposed to go boating in the pond in the middle of the park, but arrived after the sun was down, so instead we walked around, ate ice cream, took pictures and soaked in the culture. I plan to go back again later this week and try to boat again. There are so many diverse areas around the park, and each time I explore, I find something new- new gardens, sculptures, even some peacocks! I enjoy running through the park with my roommate and exploring new trails as well.
The most fun part of my week have been the last two days. Last night was Madrid’s Fashion Night Out, and me and some friends dressed up and went out to Goya Street to take part in the fashion festivities. We shopped along the streets, took pictures, listened to music, and, of course, observed Spanish fashion. We also went to a fancy restaurant along the way and split croquettes (similar to mozzarella sticks) and a bottle of Moscato.
Early this morning all the USAC students headed to Segovia. We took a tour of the beautiful city, which is exactly what I thought Madrid would be like. Segovia is a little town about an hour away from Madrid with small, cobblestone streets, beautiful, colorful houses, and cafes and shops along the street. We took a tour of the Segovia Castle, the Segovia Palace, had some ice cream, and went to a restaurant that serves suckling pig. Suckling pig is a roasted baby pig, served whole. They cut the pig is by taking a dinner plate and cutting the pig into big portions, then afterwards breaking the plate on the floor. Though I wasn’t adventurous enough to eat a leg of the pig, I did try a bite of my friends, and it was decent. At the end of our tour in Segovia, we saw the famous aqueducts which are the oldest in the country, and reminded me of the Roman aqueducts I saw while in Rome a couple years ago. Before we got back, we viewed the gardens at the summer palace about 15 minutes away from Segovia. The landscape was beautiful, and the amount and intricacy of ponds, mazes, and bronze statues were baffling.
Tomorrow night we are planning on going to El Kapital, the biggest nightclub in Madrid.
Hasta Manana!
Things I have observed:
-The women are skinny here… I think its because they smoke so much.
-There are more people out at 3am on the weekends in the major plazas than any other time of the day.
-The elderly Spanish women are the most elegant and best dressed people I have ever seen.
-I was homesick early this week, very frustrated with this new culture, new classes, being away from loved ones, but others are feeling the same way. Things are better now.
-Everything seems so cheap here, and then you convert Euros to US dollars…
-Futbol is much more than a sport here. Spaniards live and breathe futbol.