One of the best experiences of my life

Unfortunately I have not been able to write since I got home because I flew all day on Sunday from Madrid to Georgia, and then spent Monday traveling to the lake house in New York on Monday morning.  However, as I sit in my room a week after I have returned from Spain and still unpack from both trips, I realize what I great summer this has been so far, and its barely even July.  I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to spend a summer in Spain and to become so much better at speaking Spanish.  I brought home souvenirs and postcards for my family and I have told the stories from Spain countless times, but nothing can compare to the experiences that I have had and the memories I have made that will last a life time.  I will be starting my last Spanish class on Friday back in good ol' Athens, GA to finish up my minor, and I really hope I don't loose too much of my Spanish in the years to come.  Since Spain, I have downloaded music in Spanish and I plan to watch tv and movies in Spanish to keep up with up, but I really don't want to lose what I have worked so hard to achieve over the years.  I love the Spanish language and I think it is so neat to learn and know another language, so I will do my best to keep up with it.  Well that's all from the Spain trip! It will be something that I remember for the rest of my life! Hasta luego!

~Sarah

Last week :-(

I cannot believe that this is our last week in Cadiz.  I have had such a great time here and I really am gonna miss Cadiz! But at the same time, I am also ready to be back at home in America! Especially after the week that I have had.  Unfortunately, I am still feeling the effects of going to that tapa restaurant that we went to on Sunday...there were four of us who ordered flamenquines and on Monday, all four of us were violently ill.  I felt horrible on Monday and Tuesday when I finally went to the doctor which helped, but I still feel a little drained from being sick.  The doctor was an experience in itself as everything that the nurses and doctors were saying was of course in Spanish, but they also wore different uniforms and it was just a different atmosphere.  I got an IV to replenish fluids and they checked my blood, gave me a prescription for medicine, and sent me on my way.  The best thing I could do was rest.  However, we also had final exams and presentations this week, so being sick did not exactly help with studying.  Fortunately my finals went really well today and I my presentation yesterday was good too! I am officially done with classes in Spain so we had the rest of the day and tomorrow free in Cadiz before we leave for Madrid on Saturday! Hasta luego!

Last weekend

Although I have not been able to blog in a while, it has been a very busy and eventful week.  Last weekend was the last weekend that we had in Cadiz, and Kristin Kirkpatrick, Gabby McMillen, and Danny Brinkley came to visit Cadiz from Valencia along with two other friends from their group, Helen and Jamie.  It was soooooo great to see them! On Friday after class, I went straight to their hostel to meet them and then we went out to lunch at a delicious crepe restaurant.  After lunch, I gave them a little tour of Cadiz and showed them all the important things to see.  It was a gorgeous day out as always! Then we went our separate ways for dinner and I went to a flamenco class with the Cadiz group.  It was so much fun and I finally learned some of the flamenco steps.  Later, I met back up again with the Valencia group to go out with other people from my group, so they all got to meet them.  On Saturday, we met up around noon and spent nearly the entire day at the beach! We went to Playa Victoria which is a lot bigger than La Caleta, but it is a little bit father away.  We took the bus there and stayed until late afternoon when we had lunch at a mexican restaurant nearby and went to La Caleta for a little while.  Then we went back home, showered, and went out to get tapas for dinner.  After dinner we got ice cream at la Plaza de Mina (yumm!) and went to hangout at the beach to try and watch the sunset.  They left early on Sunday morning to go to Sevilla so I said goodbye to them that night, but I had such a fun time with them and I'm so glad they made it down to Andalucia! I hope they had fun too and loved Cadiz as much as I do! On Sunday, I finally made it to the Catedral in Cadiz, and it was just as beautiful as all the other churches/catedrals in Spain.  After church, we went to a tapa restaurant where we got flamenquines and then we spent the rest of the day on the beach.  Overall, it was a great last weekend in Cadiz! Hasta luego!

Days 27-30: Granada

This weekend we went to Granada with the whole group.  It was a planned weekend trip so everything was already paid for, and we got to stay in a very nice hotel with great food! We left Cadiz on Friday right after classes and lunch and got to Granada after a 4-5 hour bus ride.  We had dinner, walked around town a little bit, and went to sleep early to be ready to explore on Saturday when we went to visit the Alhambra.  It was amazing! It reminded me a lot of the Alcazar in Sevilla, but on a much bigger scale.  The architecture was awesome and we had a great tour guide who told us lots of history and interesting facts and stories about the Alhambra.  We were there for about 3 hours and even that didn't give us enough time to see everything! It was so neat! Afterwards, we went back to the hotel and had free time until dinner that night.  We walked around the city and went to the centro to eat lunch, and then we went back and rested for a little while.  We had another delicious dinner and then went to see a flamenco show.  We also had a little night tour around the city before we saw the show, and we got to see the Alhambra all lit up at night.  The flamenco show was very good and afterwards, we all went out to the discotecas.  It was a very fun day and night! Today, we left Granada around 10 am and got back to Cadiz at 2.  As I have mentioned before, it is always great to be "home" in Cadiz after traveling for a weekend.  We ate some delicious kebabs for lunch at a local restaurant and then I went home, napped, skyped with David :-) and went for a run.  I can't believe that there are only 2 weeks left now! I know they are going to fly by...but I have been having such a great time and I know it will only continue to be a great last couple weeks! Hasta luego!

Days 25 and 26

Today I had midterms in both of my classes, culture and linguistics.  I studied all day yesterday as well as a little bit last week, and I felt very prepared today.  I think they both went really well! I can't believe we are more than half way through our six weeks in Spain.  It seems like we've been here forever, but at the same time I don't want the program to end.  But at least we still have over 2 weeks left! We are going to the beach today after lunch, and now that midterms are over I can relax for a little bit.  Nothing else going on here so hasta luego!

Weekend: Days 20-24

On Friday morning, we went to Santa Maria which is where Christopher Columbus stayed before he left to discover the New World.  It was pretty neat to see and we got to go to the museum of Rafael Alberti.  After we go back to Cadiz, we left around 3:30 to go to Conil and we checked in to our hotel and went straight to the beach.  We got to watch the sun set on the beach which was pretty awesome, and the water was beautiful.  After the sun set, we went to get dinner.  I had delicious paella.  I love that stuff here! Then we got ready to go out, but it was a little disappointing because no one was out and there were not many places were open.  Apparently, there was a fair about a 10 minute drive away from Conil, so everyone was there. Guess we missed the memo! On Saturday, we woke up early to catch a 11 am bus to Gibraltar to spend the day there and return to Cadiz that night.  We stood at the bus stop for over an hour when we finally saw a bus and it wasn't even ours! We asked the bus driver where we were supposed to be to go to Gibraltar, and he told us that it was about 2 km away and then next bus didn't leave until close to 4 pm.  That was definitely not gonna be enough time to spend the day in Gibraltar and come back that night.  So we decided to get on that bus and go back to Cadiz.  We got back in the early afternoon, got lunch, and spent the rest of the day on the beach.  We planned on going to Gibraltar again on Sunday so we would still get to go.  It was totally worth it! We took a 3 hour bus ride Sunday morning to Gibraltar and got there around 1 pm.  We ate lunch and started walking towards the huge mountain! We basically hiked that mountain and walked around the city for the rest of the day until the bus left at 8 pm.  It was so cool to see the city, Spain, and Africa from the top of the mountain.  I also walked across the runway where my Dad has landed and saw a few planes taking off and landing while we were on the mountain.  Oh yeah and did I mention that there were wild monkeys just wandering around the mountain.  We even saw one in the middle of the city once we climbed down the mountain.  It was so cool to see them up close! It was baby season so everyone told us to be careful because the mothers are very protective of their babies.  At the end of the day, we stopped by a diner to get dinner before we got on the bus to go back to Cadiz.  We got back pretty late, but it was so worth it! All in all, it was a very fun and successful weekend! Hasta luego!

Days 18 and 19

Yesterday after classes, we spent the day at the beach and got to tour the Castillo de Santa Catalina which was a port on the coast of Cadiz right on the beach that we go to almost everyday.  Afterwards, we got delicious frozen yogurt with strawberries and walnuts and the went back on the beach.  Today we are having salsa dance lessons and I'm so excited about that! I'll let you know how it goes! And I'll have to teach David once he's home! We have our midterms for our classes a week from today, so I just started studying for those.  Its all pretty recent information that we have learned just in the past 3 weeks, but we have learned a lot! I hope the tests are not too bad.  Well, I'm going dancing now so hasta luego!

Days 15-17: Tarifa

This weekend, we left for Tarifa on Saturday morning and spent the entire day there before returning around 10 pm.  It was so pretty there and we got to see Africa from Spain, which was very neat! We walked around the shops for a while, got lunch, and spent the rest of the day on the beach.  It was so pretty there! On Sunday, I just went to church with my friend Beth and then I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon by myself reading, walking, doing homework, and just enjoying the beauty of Cadiz.  I also got to skype with David for the first time in 3 weeks and it was great to talk to him from Ireland! Today, we had class and then I went to see a play at my "sister's" school which was fun to see.  Afterwards, we played our weekly game of futbol and went to the beach for a few hours before returning home to shower and have dinner.  We are trying to plan a trip for this upcoming weekend because we do not have classes on Friday, so I will let you know what we end up doing! Hasta luego!

                                        

Day 14

Its finally Friday! We had class today and spent the rest of the day on the beach.  It was such a gorgeous day out today! We also went to a music museum called A Tres Bandas which was pretty neat! It also showed us steps for different dances and I really liked that! I want to take a dance class here like salsa or flamenco.  I think it would be a lot of fun, especially in Spain! After the museum, we went to get ice cream and went back to the beach until we left to go home for dinner.  And now I've just been on the computer and doing some reading before we go out tonight! We're leaving tomorrow morning for Tarifa which is supposed to be really nice and we're just spending the day there and coming home on the bus tomorrow night.  I'm excited about it! Hasta luego!

Day 12 and 13

Yesterday after class, we went to Jerez to visit a winery there.  It was less than an hour away by train and we got to see where the famous Tio Pepe wine was made.  It was so neat to see the thousands of barrels of wine that they have there and to learn a little bit about the history.  We saw how it was made as well as the vineyards with all the grapes.  At the end, we got to taste test two of the wines and they both had a very unique taste.  I do not know much about wine or the process of making it, so it was interesting to learn more about it.  Today, we went on a tour of the constitution of Spain and we got to see where it was written and the monuments built during that time in the 1800s.  I love learning about the history of Cadiz while actually being in this beautiful city.  After the tour, we met up with some students from the University of Cadiz so we could practice Spanish and they could practice English.  I can't believe that we have already been here for 2 weeks! But we still have a lot more to experience in the next month! Hasta luego!

Day 10 and 11

Yesterday, we had class and then we all went to the beach before we played soccer.  I am not good at soccer, but it was still so much fun because no one was really great, so we all got to be a part of the game.  I am so sore today though haha! We will get to play soccer every Monday and at first I was not too excited about it, but now I can't wait until we play again! After soccer, we went back to the beach and enjoyed the sun and the ocean.  It was really hot outside and after running around playing soccer, the cold water felt great.  We stayed there until it was time to go back home for dinner.  After dinner, I did some homework and went to bed early after a long but fun day.  Today, we are going to visit the Torre Tavira which is a watch tower in Cadiz because Cadiz was a Naval port.  I think it will be very interesting.  Then, we will probably go to the beach again! Hasta luego!

Day 8 and 9: Sevilla

On Saturday, we took a bus from Cadiz to Sevilla at 11:15 and got there around 1 pm.  We went and got lunch and then we checked in at our hostel.  It was the first time I've ever stayed at a hostel and I thought it was pretty nice.  After we dropped off our stuff, we walked around Sevilla and saw the Sevilla Cathedral which was beautiful! Then we went to the Royal Alcazar which was an Arab palace with beautiful gardens and architecture.  We walked around the rest of the day, saw many festivals of Cruz de Mayo, and got tapas for dinner.  After dinner, we got ready for the night and went to a flamenco bar to watch flamenco dancing.  The musicians and dancers were so good and I really want to learn now! Then we went on a night tour with a tour guide to popular clubs to go dancing.  It was so much fun and we met a lot of people from different countries like Australia, Ireland, and England.  On Sunday, we checked out of the hostel and went to the Cathedral to attend mass in Spanish.  Then we got lunch until the bell tower of the Cathedral opened for us to climb all the way to the top and see Sevilla from a birds eye view.  It was amazing! Afterwards, we headed towards la plaza de Espana which was a must-see, and it was so cool! It was this amazing building with a fountain in the middle of the plaza and a moat all around with boats in the water.  It was very neat.  This was the last thing we saw in Sevilla before we got on the bus to return to Cadiz.  We took the 2 hour bus ride back to Cadiz and it was good to be "home."  I loved Sevilla, but it was very hot there and I'm so glad to be in Cadiz! I'm so glad I got to visit Sevilla though! Hasta luego!

Day 6 and 7

Yesterday we went to classes like usual and later in the afternoon, we had churros con chocolate with the group and they were delicious! After we had churros, we went to an intercambio between Spanish-speaking students from the University of Cadiz and us from UGA.  It was really neat because we spent 10 minutes talking in English, and 10 minutes talking in Spanish for an hour.  We all got along really well and we even talked to some of them for an hour after the scheduled ending time! After this activity, we went home to have dinner and then we went out to a flamenco festival where we attempted to learn flamenco.  It was a lot of fun! Today we had class and now I am just checking emails and doing homework until we go to the Museum of Cadiz tonight.  I am excited about it because we are learning a lot about the history of Spain and more specifically Cadiz in my culture class, so I think I will see a lot that I have learned about in this museum.  We are planning a trip to Sevilla for tomorrow and Sunday which should be very cool.  I have only heard great things about Sevilla! Well that's all for now! Hasta luego!

Day 4 and 5

Yesterday was our first day of classes and they went really well! I am taking a culture class as well as a linguistics class, and I think they will both be very interesting.  The teachers are very nice and I think I will enjoy these classes a lot.  We have class with only UGA students and I have 2 classes from 10:45-2 pm, and then we have free time and other planned activities.  After class yesterday, we went to the beach and then we went on a scavenger hunt of the city and had dinner with the whole group.  The weather is very nice and it got really sunny yesterday, although it rained today.  It does get a little chilly at night especially with the wind, but a jacket is usually enough to keep me warm. After class today, we took a siesta and did some reading for class.  Its been a pretty chill day, but it was nice to have a break from the busy days we have been having. 

Day 3: Cadiz!

We are finally in Cadiz and it is so beautiful! I love it here so far! We left Madrid at 10 am and arrived in Cadiz at 7:30 pm after the long bus ride.  We met up with our families and came back to our house.  In my family, there is a mom, dad, and two children, one 11 year old girl and a 7 year old boy.  They are all so sweet and I am so excited to have such a great family.  They have been hosting foreign students for years so they are used to this already.  Before dinner at 10 I spent some time with the daughter also named Sara.  We listened to music, sang, danced, and painted nails.  It was fun! I am so glad that there are kids in the family.  Dinner was great and then we just hung out with our family the rest of the night until now and I am about to fall asleep.  We have our first day of classes tomorrow, so I'll let you know how those go! Until then, hasta luego!

Day 2: Madrid

Today we went to el Museo de Reina Sofia and saw works of Picasso, Miro, and Dali.  It was really neat! Then we walked around town for a bit to the market place.  There were tons of shops set up all around the street with so many people around.  We went to lunch at a restaurant and headed back to the hotel afterwards.  Now we are just resting and hanging out at the hotel until dinner tonight.  We leave for Cadiz tomorrow morning and drive 9 hours on a bus.  I am so glad that we were able to spend some time in Madrid, but I can't wait to finally get to Cadiz! Hasta luego!

Day 1: Madrid

Today we flew into Madrid and arrived at 7:25 Madrid time, which was 1:25 Georgia time.  The flight was a long 8 hours, but it seemed to go by pretty quickly, especially watching 2 movies on the plane.  We took a bus from the airport to the hotel and dropped our bags off, but we could not check into our rooms yet, so we just left our luggage and explored the city.  It is beautiful! All the buildings are so old and so pretty! I love it! We walked around and went to stores and coffee shops until noon when we were too tired to function.  I bought a new bathing suit because I forgot mine in Georgia, but at least I have one now! We sat in the hotel lobby until we finally got a room and took a nice 4 hour nap.  Then we got ready for dinner at the hotel and later tonight we will be going on a bus tour of the city.  It will be nice to see some more of Madrid.  We still have tomorrow in Madrid and we leave for Cadiz on Monday.  I am so glad to be here and excited for the next 6 weeks!