Blogs from Spain, Europe - page 978

I have decided to go back and document my trip better than I did the first time- so that others can understand the greatness of studying abroad! And maybe a little for my own sake to remember my trip for myself. I will be transcribing my actual handwritten journal from the trip, maybe an entry every couple of days or so. May 17th, 2007 Bienvenido a Espana! We arrived today- the much anticipated trip is finally here. This day(s) has been such a blur though because 11+ hours of travel + jet lag = a little out of it, needless to say. However, I am fairing much better than the London trip (from 2004). The flights were easy, though a bit long, and our only hitch came in arrival trying to find my grandmother who ended ... read more

First stop Spain ... read more

Our host finally returning and revealing an additional room for our nights stay in Hornillos (last blog entry) seems now long in the past although only four days ago. Since our departure from Burgos Castile y Leon has opened up into a place of expansive gently rolling valleys covered with a gigantic patchwork of intensive crop farming. The mild undulation means that it frequently feels like we are walking to the edge of a huge plateau. Each time we seem to reach its end another new expanse opens up before us. Spain now looks a vaste land. Todays walk gave us a 16km stretch of path with nothing but fields punctuated with the occasional tree. The mystery of the dereliction of many buildings in the villages is still to be completely solved as to whether they ... read more

Das habe ich ja noch nie gesehen! Jetzt weiss ich, warum die Spanier so laut sind. Die jährlichen Feuerwerke zu San Juan haben ihre Spuren am kollektiven Hörvermögen hinterlassen. Ich bin ja ein absoluter Schisshaas wenn es um Feuer geht, aber sie übertreiben: da werden Petarden in die Leute geworfen, Heuler fliegen horizontal durch die engen Gassen von Gracia, Feuerwerk wird unmittelbar (2m!) neben geparkten Motorrädern auf der Strasse abgebrannt. Dabei schaut die ganze Famile aus nächster Nähe zu: Mami, Papi, Grosi. Mich wundert es, dass Barcelona nicht schon lange in Schutt und Asche liegt, Nero hätte seinen Spass gehabt. Gut, Wasser zum Löschen haben sie in Barcelona ja wieder genug. Und die Apotheken machen morgen sicherlich ihren jährlichen Höchstumsatz mit Brandsalben und Gazen. Schnell wieder das Fenster schliessen, sonst fliegt mir so ein Mistding noch ... read more

(Preface: You'll notice I have a camera again and was able to add pics! ) I woke up today full surprisingly full of energy. After the great time last night, I woke up with a renewed zest for adventure...... well, not that the zest had left me.... it was just magnified today. I got up somewhat early considering the 6am bedtime. I decided to just walk around and get lost for a while. I came across a small hidden church in one of the neighborhoods I checked out. For those of you that know me, know I'm not religious, but I stopped in, said a few prayers/thanks for the trip and the health of friends and fam, etc. Pretty cool experience overall. Some of the people there really got into it and just burst into tears. ... read more