Dos Semanas en Segovia

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It’s been two weeks since I first arrived in Spain, and I’m feeling pretty comfortable. I love speaking the language, and besides a few glitches, I’ve been able to communicate pretty efficiently. However, during the first week, my brain literally felt tired from constantly trying to communicate in Spanish.

I’m living in Segovia, Spain, which is just about 45 minutes from Madrid. It’s a tiny tiny full of beautiful ancient cathedrals, churches, monasteries, castles, and lots of chic bars and cafes. All the buildings are made of stone, and the town is absolutely precious in the warm colors of the late afternoon sun! We’ve had beautiful weather as well with temperatures between 70 and 90 degrees.

My family is darling. My mother is a tiny little lady with tons of energy, and she is a wonderful cook! I’ve started keeping a diary of the recipes that I like most. My father is really funny. I spend a lot of time talking with him in the evenings, and he likes to teach me new words. I also have a brother (21 years) and a sister (22 years) who live in the house, but both are studying in university so I don’t see much of them. I have an older sister (28 years) who comes home to the house everyday for la comida (lunch) at about 2:30pm. Time is much different here. I wake up at 8:30 for breakfast, go to class at 9:30, come home for lunch at 2:30, and go back to school at 4:00. At 6:00pm (which is considered the afternoon) I study or go out with friends, and come back for dinner at 10:00pm. Everything on the weekend is pushed back even later. The nightlife doesn’t even start until about 3:00pm and end until about 8:00am.

I’m loving how relaxed life is here in Spain. It’s evident that the Spanish value social interaction and relaxation much more than the United States. Life is meant to be tasted, savored, and enjoyed. I don’t think I’ve ever felt more stress-free in my life. I have so much time to sleep in, take walks, study, meet people, and go out.

Last week we went to visit El Escorial, an old monastery filled with beautiful paintings and architectural brilliance. Later we went to El Valle de Los Callidos, which is an enormous stone cross built into the mountain. Underneath the cross is a basilica where Franco is buried.

And I’ve started seeing someone here. His name is Inigo. He's 24, and works in Marketing for an international company. He speaks Spanish, French and English, but we speak mostly Spanish, and only a little English when I don't understand. Having studied in California for a year he knows a bit about the United States and speaks English really well. He’s darling, and I have to admit, I’m a bit smitten. He wants to go back to school for his MBA either in Madrid or somewhere in the US, probably NYC. I'm hoping to coax him to the states 😉 He was in Paris all last week for work, but when he came back he picked me up and showed me around Madrid. I absolutely LOVED the city. It’s a large city full of people, diversity, and class and it has a lovely balance of historical elegance and modern panache. I can’t wait to go back this weekend!

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Photos

Semestre en Segovia
My program in Spain

Al Escorial
Mi amiga, Breezy en frente de los jardines al Escorial