The 50's Rock in Salamanca

This morning Jorge, Gema, and I set out on our whirlwind tour of southern Spain.  The mountains of Asturias were beautiful in the sunshine this morning.  OK, why didn't we have this weather yesterday when we were on the horses??  As we have been driving around, we have been seeing these fields of bright yellow flowers, but don't know what they are.  There was a pullout with a beautiful view of yellow, green, and brown fields, so we stopped to take a few pictures.  (Well, I took a few.  I'm not sure how many Jorge took.)  We still don't know what the yellow flowers are (or will become), but we are happy we finally got pictures.

                                                             En route to Salamanca

We got into Salamanca, found parking, found our hostal, then found closer parking. Then we set out to see the old town and the university. Salamanca University is the oldest university in Spain, founded in 1218.  One of the main things we wanted to photograph, the intricately carved main gate, was undergoing some kind of restoration work, so it was surrounded by scaffolding and equipment - a little disappointing.

           Intricate carving in stone on the courtyard railing at the House of Shells, now the library.

After wandering the streets until our legs were tired, we sat in the Plaza Mayor and had a drink, then decided to go back to the hotel for a rest before dinner.  At 9:00, we headed back to the old town to find something to eat, and ended up at a place called 50's Rock, a fake American-style 50's diner, where they have sandwiches like the "Gary Cooooper", and the "Lenon".  They also have "chiken wings and chiken fingers".  OK, so it's not authentic, but the burgers Jorge and Gema had looked good - and I got pizza!  It was fun to sit outside and watch the sun go down and the lights come on around the churches and old buildings.  One more stop back at the Plaza Mayor, then it was back to the hostal for bed.

                                                        Plaza Mayor by night.

Really Useful Phrasal Verbs

I spent this morning at the Caudalia Mall in Mieres.  I needed a couple of things, and Jorge wanted to go to the gym, so he helped me pick out a couple of CD's then left me on my own.  I had a great time finding everything I needed (and a couple of gifts, as well), and admiring (or not) everything on display that is different than at home.  After I finished my shopping, I went down to the other end of the mall to wait for Burger King to open, and to use the free wifi.  (I would have taken that opportunity to write today's entry, but I hadn't really done anything yet.)  When Jorge was done at the gym, he took me back to my hotel to change clothes for today's activity.

                                My little outpost outside of Burger King - two phones, one GPS,
                                       and a netbook.  No, I'm not a geek.  Why do you ask?

After Jorge picked me up, we went to meet Paula coming out of school.  She gets out at 2:00, and it was a bit of a rush to get there on time.  I couldn't believe the crowd waiting for the kids!  Then the  gate slid open, and they all poured out.

                          This is the Spanish version of a line of minivans in front of the school.

                                                    Jorge, Gema, and Paula at the school.

Today's really useful phrasal verbs:

To be in the middle of nowhere
To be scared out of one's wits
To see through someone

OK, so everyone who knows me know just how much I LOVE riding horses, right?  Right?  Well, let me tell you, when neither the horse nor the guide speaks English, it's even MORE fun!  Jorge was trying to keep this adventure a surprise, but he told me at the end of last week that we were going riding in the mountains today, so that I would have the maximum amount of time "to look forward to" it. 

The drive into the national park was beautiful, and we once again encountered cows along the way.  The two groups we saw each included a baby, but they were camera-shy. 

                               Somewhat larger than the sheep one encounters in Ireland, Asturian cattle
                                                    take over the roads in the same way.

We arrived at the little village, which truly was in the middle of nowhere, and waited for the guy to arrive with the horses, then waited again while he took them to get their saddles on.  It was a bit foggy and damp, and I was more than a little concerned with whether or not I could manage this at all (using my knee as an excuse).

                                                                    Nowhere, Asturias
Let me apologize right now for the lack of pictures from this point onward.  They do exist, and I will add them when I figure out how to access them from Picasa.  The important parts are 1) I did not die,  2) I only thought I was going to die once or twice, on particularly steep downslopes, 3) I actually had a good time.  The mountains, even partially fogged in, are stunningly beautiful.  The path was wide (and even paved in many places),and bordered by bushes or fencing, or whatever, to separate us, at least psychologically, from the sheer cliffs a couple of feet to our right.  About two-thirds of the way through the ride, we stopped at the home of the guide because he wanted to show us something.  The "something" turned out to be eight six-week-old puppies!  They were adorable (and again, I apologize that you can't see them yet).  He asked if I wanted to take one home "to Chicago", but as tempting as that idea was (not) I managed to turn him down.

Along the way, we saw a huge variety of animals - sheep, dogs (one of whom slimed me with mud in a fit of overexuberance), an African grey parrot (caged, in the bar - he said, "Hola", and "Aloha"), cattle, cats, goats, chickens, and probably some I'm not thinking of right now.  All in all, though terrifying in places, it was actually fun.  At one point, Jorge was talking to the guide about the colors of the mountains in the fall, and then he told me, "Next time, in the fall."  Yeah, we will talk about that later.  Much later.

Cuuuute little Spanish puppies, none of whom are destined to become American.

Wine, Castles, and the Camino

After a partially sleepless night, thanks to my noisy next door neighbors (the girls, not Jorge), we headed for a winery tour in Penafiel.  We had wanted to see this winery the last time I was here, but it was closed to tours because it was being remodeled.  When we arrived, we saw a small building near the top of the hill.  After a short film intro, they took us into the old bodega where they still store some barrels of wine.  We didn't have any idea what we were going to see further on.

                                                                  The old bodega...

                                                                  ....and the new.

In all, the winery has over a mile of area under the mountain, all reinforced with concrete, in which they create, process, and store the wine while it ages.  The tour was in Spanish, but Jorge obliged by translating the important parts.  Different qualities of wine are aged for different amounts of time, and different types of barrels are used to age different ages of wine.  Then they are blended to create the different wines.  They took us deeper and deeper, into the newer part of the storage area, which was built to allow the use of forklifts (yes!).  At the end of the tour, we had to climb over three levels of spiral stairs to get back to ground level.  There was an elevator, but I didn't know how far we were going, so I didn't opt to take it.  Bad move.

At the end of the tour, we had a mini wine-tasting class, then got to taste two of the varieties.  No translations were needed here.  We got to keep our wineglasses, so I hope I can get mine home without shattering it!

                                                                 Penafiel castle

After the wine-tasting we went up the hill to see Penafiel castle.  We opted not to actually go in because 1) there were stairs - a lot of them, 2) my knee has been better lately and I didn't want to make it worse, and 3) the wine-tasting made us lose a fair amount of our ambition.  It was beginning to be very hot, so we admired the view for a bit, took some pictures, and headed off again.

We were running a little late to make the museum visit that we had intended in Valladolid, so we decided to go to Leon instead, to see San Isidoro church.  We ate at a Spanish version of Subway, called Pans and Company (Breads and Company), which was really good.  I had a "British", which was a crispy baguette with bacon and cheese, served hot.  Then we walked to the church, which was unfortunately closed to tours on Sunday.  Ah well.... next time!  It has a beautiful painted ceiling that Jorge wanted me to see, but there was a photo of it on the outside wall, so I have some idea of what it was like.

Along the street were recycling stations, for paper, cans, bottles and batteries.  I have seen these all over the place.

Leon Cathedral is a stop on the Camino de Santiago, too, and we saw several pilgrims along the way to Leon.  In the city Jorge pointed out some people walking in front us with very dark legs and very white ankles.  He said, "That's what happens when you walk the Camino in socks." 

                      A modernized version of the pilgrim's scallop shell in the sidewalks of Leon.  It is a symbold of the Camino, and it shows the pilgrims that they are on the right path.

Now we are in Mieres, where we will be tonight and tomorrow.  Unfortunately, the wifi doesn't work in my room (probably too far from the server, since I am on the 4th floor), so my contact may be limited.  Hey Wire has also decided not to work for me anymore, but one way or another I will be able to access my regular email.  Happy Mother's Day to all of my mom friends and relatives, including my mom!

Two Weddings and a Street Party

After breakfast at the hotel with some sort of team of teenage girls (the same ones who, as I write this, are screaming, running up and down the hall, and slamming doors), we began our day by driving to Santo Domingo de Silos to see the Benedictine abbey there.  It was a beautiful drive, with lots of interesting little towns along the way.  We had some time before the next tour began, so we looked around the little gift shop.

I'm not going to worry about dressing like a tourist anymore.  No matter what I wear, I won't look as bad as this Japanese tourist.  Yes, that is duct tape on her hat.

The abbey was built beginning in the 11th century.  Each of the square posts at the corners of the courtyard contain friezes depicting the life of Christ.  Jorge also learned several things about the carvings depicting a departed saint or king (or anyone else, I guess),   If the person is shown lying on his back, it means he died of natural causes.  If there is a dog at his feet, it means he was married (no comment about the "dog" and "at his feet" part).  The number of cushions under his head shows how important he was, and so on.

I think this door carving means that this was a party room, as evidenced by the party horn
                                                       (though I could be wrong).

One really interesting thing was the pharmacy rooms, filled with decanters and containers and books from the 17th century.  We were not allowed to take pictures in there.  It looked like something out of Harry Potter.  There was even a stuffed owl.


Next, we moved on to Burgos, a city I have wanted to visit since I was here in 2007.  It has a stunning cathedral, and is a stop along the Camino de Santiago.  We saw several groups of pilgrims around the cathedral, with their scallop shells on their packs.  On the way to the cathedral, we came across this band playing in the street.  The sound echoed in the narrow streets and you could hear them from all over.

Wedding #1

                                                    

                                               The towers of Burgos cathedral

As we approached the front of the cathedral, we came upon a wedding party taking pictures with the cathedral in the background.  We went inside, and I was blown away by the beauty all around and over me.  Every side chapel had a stunning altarpiece, and we walked all around admiring everything.  I was actually successful at getting some great pictures of the stained glass.

After  Burgos, we headed back to Palencia with a plan to have an early (by Spanish standards) dinner, then see a little Visigoth church nearby.  On the way, though, we decided to look at the Christ statue that towers over the town.   The statue itself is said to be taller than the statue in Rio, not counting the mountain that that one sits on.  We drove to the top and took some pictures of the town.  Then we had our dinner at McDonald's, and went in search of the Visigoth church.  It has the distinction of being perhaps the last surviving church in Spain with its style of architecture.  When we arrived, there was a wedding just getting out.  I didn't want to be in the way of the guests, so I stayed outside, but Jorge stepped inside to see what it looked like (my guess would be "dark").  The happy couple's decorated getaway car was leaking oil, so I hope they got where they were going OK.  The guests were all boarding big tour buses, presumably on their way to the reception.

                                The little Visigoth church - and some of the wedding guests.

Tomorrow, Valladolid, then on to Mieres and Jorge's family!

Pomp and Other Circumstances

                                 Marisa, program director, and Pete, Master of Ceremonies

Today was graduation day for the Spaniards.  We have spent a total of 80 hours this week talking - to them and to each other, and we are kind of like a great big family.  We even eat food off of each other's plates.  We had a little ceremony in the meeting room, where each Spaniard received their certificates.  Each Anglo received a certificate, as well.  HJ (he of the Moon Pies), actually was going to receive four certificates because he hadn't received one at an earlier week and they didn't know which he was missing so they reprinted all four.  When they discovered the duplication, though, Pete wadded up the certificate and threw it over his shoulder instead.  When it was my turn, while I was standing up front, HJ asked me how I came to be at Vaughantown, and I replied, "Because of you."  (we met online awhile back, and he was the one who first told me about the program).  When Pete heard that, he ran back and got HJ's wadded up certificate, smoothed it out, and gave it to me with mine.  The Anglos also received a tin of nice Spanish olive oil.

Afterward, we took a group photo (which will arrive later), and then went to lunch, where we found that instead of separate tables for four, we had been set up at one large table for 24.  It was kind of a nice, symbolic way to end the week.  We have all learned so much about the Spaniards and the other Anglos, and we feel like we have become really close.

                                                           Alberto L, me, and Jaime

Then it was time to pack the bus.  I received 23 hugs, and offers of places to stay when I am next in London, or Scotland, or Ireland, and lunch on Mike when I next pass through Atlanta.   In fact, I was flat-out told that when I was next in Dublin I AM to call David and Sue, and I AM to stay with them.
Jaime is now Spain's newest geocacher, after having signed up for an account last night after I went to bed.  I expect I will be seeing him log his first find in the next few days.  :)

                                                                  Loading the bus

Jorge arrived about 45 minutes after the bus pulled out, and we headed for El Escorial.  It was really an impressive thing to see.  My knee was bothering me a bit, but once I was back in the car, it got better.  We are now in Venta de Banos, near Palencia, where we will be for the next two nights.  We went into Palencia a bit ago to find something to eat (very long story that I am much too tired to relate now), and now it's time for bed.  Spain 2012, Part 2, has begun.

                                                                     El Escorial

Moon Pies with Pete's Special Salsa

Our daily schedule is posted on this board in the lobby of the hotel.  We are just about the only ones here (actually, we might be the ONLY ones here).  We check the board every morning and afternoon to see whether we have one-to-ones or telephone sessions or free time, etc., for each hour.

 In the morning, the daily menu choices are posted and we choose between two starters, two main courses, and three desserts.  I gave up the main course at dinner three days ago in favor of a green salad.  Since this is our last night here, though, I will have the full dinner.

  We mark the number of our choices for each course on a grid, and then when we go to meals we pick up paper tags with the numbers of what we chose.  That way, the waiters can just look at the number lying on the table to see who gets what.  It's a great system.

Last night was our final entertainment night.  One of the Anglos writes music, and she wrote a song about the Vaughantownn experience yesterday.  One of the Spaniards, whose guitar-playing talent surfaced only Wednesday night, was drafted to accompany her while she sang it.  There were comedic skits (including two taking place in a mens restroom), and one of the Anglos gave a presentation on Southern Hospitality.  The presentation was a chance for the Spaniards to see a finished presentation before their own turns today.  As part of the presentation, HJ handed out Moon Pies to everyone - he had brought enough with him from Georgia for the four weeks of Vaughantown programs he will do this month.

After the singing, the comedy, the Moon Pies, and the jokes, it was time for Pete's Special Salsa (the dancing kind, not the eating kind).  Pete, our MC, says that he has only taken two salsa lessons in his life with his wife, with the second ending abruptly when he elbowed her in the face and broke her nose.  So he adapted salsa to suit his dancing style and ability, and taught it to us.  Of course, we don't have equal numbers of women and men, so that meant that there were a couple of couples of men dancing the salsa together.  What a riot!


Today was our last full day here at Vaughantown.  I had a grueling morning of free time, free time, one-to-one and free time, then lunch.  During one of my free times I walked down the street to see the stork nest being built on a church tower nearby.  Yesterday I saw the storks flying around, bringing sticks to the nest.  They are HUGE (the storks, not the sticks)! 

                            The stork nest.  It appears that mommy stork is in residence, too!

I also stopped by the store to pick up some more Diet Coke for the road.  I love seeing foreign versions of familiar products!  Here is one you will definitely recognize, though I'm sure you haven't seen ham flavor at home before.

Tonight we played trivia after dinner, then Jaime wanted me to tell him about geocaching. He wants to take his little boy, who is five, out to try it, and he was surprised that there are actually geocaches in his own town.  He will be downloading a geocaching phone app before he goes home tomorrow, I bet.

Even though we check out of the hotel at 10:00 a.m. tomorrow, we will still have a set of one-to-ones, a graduation ceremony, and lunch before we go.  The bus will pull out at about 3:00 p.m. and I will wait here for Jorge to arrive for part 2 of my trip!

Witches and Romans

After dinner last night, we all took part in an incantation ceremony common to Galicia, called the Queimada.  Queimada is a pagan ritual that dates back to the 11th century, although it is sometimes believed to be an ancient Celtic tradition.  It is designed to keep away any bad spirits that try to curse humans.  Any occasion is good for a queimada, but it typically takes place during St. John's night ("witches night") on June 23.  It involves the brewing of a wildly alcoholic punch containing, among other things, the juice of a man and woman's brains, cockroaches, a dried skin of a yellow serpent, and the juice of a monkey's brain.  (If those are difficult to obtain, you can use lime and lemon juice, coffee beans, lemon peel, and orange juice.)  When the alcohol is added it is set afire, and as the incantation continues, the brewer ladles the burning liquid and pours it back again into the bowl.

                                                                Preparations begin

                        Burning punch being ladled as alcohol is added and the incantation is read.

 

                       Once the punch was brewed and the flames died down, it was served hot.

Do not be fooled by the fact that much of the alcohol is burned off in the process - at this queimada they were using 40 proof.  Authentic queimada might be as much as 65 proof. It was plenty potent.   Afterward, we sat in the lounge for awhile listening to Pete play guitar. .

                                                       ============


Unlike yesterday, this morning dawned brilliantly clear, and I was in the group going to Segovia right after breakfast.  David and Sue (British, but who have lived in Ireland for 25 years) were with me.  The taxi dropped us at the aqueduct.  That was perfect for me, since I was after two geocaches in that area.  While intrigued, David and Sue didn't really want to accompany me on my quest, so they were going a different direction.  We agreed to meet up in two hours.

I grabbed the caches, then took an obscenely large number of aqueduct pictures in hopes of getting the PERFECT one.  Then I climbed the stairs to the lookout to see it from the top.  As a result of that climb up and down, and traipsing through the little streets on the cobblestones, my knee was wrecked.  I stopped into a farmacia to get some ibuprofen, then went in search of a Diet Coke to take it with.  Then I sat and people-watched while I waited for the meeting time.

                                       Near the first cache, where I dropped off a travel bug.

                                        Highest point of the aqueduct, near the Plaza Mayor.

I have had a VERY busy schedule at Vaughantown today - field trip to Segovia, a one-to-one with Jaime, free time, lunch, siesta, cha-cha lesson, free time, conference call, and free time.  Whew!  I'm exhausted!  :-)   Next is entertainment, then dinner.  Need to start out early because it's going to take me awhile to get up to the meeting room with my painful knee.