Toledo

This week has been great! Every new day is a new adventure. I’m starting to feel more and more tired each day, so I have to remind myself that I have a lot of time to do everything that I want! We were able to do lots of new things this week, including attending a Real Madrid game!! I’ve never been to a professional soccer game, so it was overwhelming the amount of screaming and cheers that happened! Real Madrid ended up losing by one goal to Real Betis, but we were just psyched that someone scored a goal. Haha! Our excursion this weekend was to Toledo. Toledo is unique in that no one is allowed to construct buildings that are new/of modern design. So, it feels like you take a step back in time while you walk the streets. It’s incredible! We were able to tour a few cathedrals, Roman bridge, synagogues, and mosques. Our professor said that if you come to Toledo and don’t take time to reflect about life, then you’re doing something wrong. So, I really enjoyed the time that I had to think about my trip to Spain and the future! Here’s a few pictures from the weekend. Below the pictures, there are a few more paragraphs. Our homework for one of our classes is to post on our blog what we learn about the cities we travel to. If you don’t want to read my homework assignment, stop now 😉. 

Shopping: Toledo is famous for producing steel. They crest swords, daggers, knifes, as well as decorative items (plates, pots, etc). Toledo was the main producer for the  props for Lord of the Rings. You can buy tons of knock offs of the swords of Frodo, or the "one ring". Toledo has been making steel since about 500 BC. The Romans were amazed by the production, and used began using it in all of their battles. Their steel production continues to be in high demand. 

Toledo sits right on the edge of a river. Because of this, it is protected strategically. It was very difficult for enemy countries to overtake Toledo because of how it was situated on the river. Lots of different people wanted to overtake it, since it was a secure place to live. The only way to overcome the city was basically by air! 

The Jewish community has been in Toledo for centuries. One of the remnants of their presence is the Jewish quarter. Along the streets, you can find small ceramic squares with Hebrew words, menorahs, or small maps of Spain. Included in the Jewish quarter is a synagogue, the Santa Maria la Blanca. It's considered the oldest synagogue in all of Europe, even though today it is owned by the Catholic Church. It currently isn't used for religious ceremonies. Inside, it has beautiful white arches that are decorated in gold  symbols. Interestingly, only one star or David can be found in the whole synagogue. You can definitely tell that he builders were influenced by their Moorish neighbors--it first seems like you have walked into a mosque. This was definitely one of my favorite places since you could see a true blend of all cultures that occupied Toledo. 

The cathedral of Toledo is considered one of the most impressive cathedrals in all of Europe. It has extremely high vaulting/ceilings, an impressive amount of smaller chapels connected to it, and numerous sculptures of the Savior and of the bible. Almost every part of the cathedral is decorated with some part of the Bible, whether it be Adam and Eve or Cain and Abel. One of the most impressive things for me was the length of the cathedral. It's divided by high alter, but you can imagine the incredible view from one side of the cathedral to the other side. Around the alter, the story of the Bible has been carved into the stone walls. Even the ceilings are decorated--one of my favorites was a dome that had been covered in paintings of the heavens. The cathedral also claims to have the stone that Mary stood on as she received her call to be the Savior's mother. The great monstrance of arfe is incredible--the people carry it through the streets during corpus cristi. It's hard to describe, but it basically looks like a mini gold chapel. It's the pride of cathedral. The cathedral of Toledo definitely lived up to its fame. 

Bilbao & San Sebastian

Sorry that it has taken me a little longer to write this week! It's harder than the mission since here isn't a specific day set aside for me to do this. The week just becomes so busy, that I honestly forgot. 

It has been an incredible week. I feel like I'm probably going to say this every week. Haha! We had our first excursion this weekend--we ended up traveling to Bilbao, San Sebastián, and Saint Jean de Luz, France. Can I just say how much I loved each and every city? In Bilbao, we went to the Guggenheim, which is an art museum. I enjoyed it a ton, and I would love to go to the other two Guggenheims at some point in my life! There was one piece called Matter of Time, which is huge sculptures that you walk inside of. I felt like I was completely alone, even though there was tons of other people. It was a cool experience! 

San Sebastián is breathtaking. The city is built right into the mountain, but is right along the ocean. The water was basically crystal blue. But, it was raining the whole weekend, so no swimming! We toured some cathedrals, the king's summer house, and a museum about the Basque people! If you didn't know, the northern part of Spain used to be controlled by the Basque people. Not much is known about them and their origins. They speak a different language, so it was interesting to have Spanish be the second language on signs. We also visited some sculptures that are built on rocks in the ocean. The artist also dug out holes in the pathway, so the breeze/wind from the ocean can come up through the ground. Before heading in for the night, we got pintxos, which are basically tapas. I was adventurous and tried one with raw salmon and sardines! I don't think I'll be eating very regularly, but it was worth the 2 euros ;) Also, the view from our hotel was AMAZING! Our professor told us that our hotel was 15 min away from the city, so we wouldn't be able to spend much time in the evenings around the city center. I was bummed at first, but then we saw the view. It definitely made up for it! 

I fell back in love with France after visiting Saint Jean de Luz. Its a small beach town in the southern region of France. It was also controlled by the Basque people, so it had some similarities to Bilbao and San Sebastian. We were able to see the cathedral that King Louis (he built Versailles) was married in, which was very beautiful. Its always interesting to visit cathedrals--they are incredible, but I love the simple beauty of the temple. I was able to eat a couple of different French pastries--fruit tart, crepe, and macaroon. It was probably my favorite lunch from these past two weeks ;). 

I love that each and every day I have an adventure. Madrid wasn't my all-time favorite city when I visited Spain in the past, so I was afraid that I would become bored by the sights. But I have really grown to love Madrid. We have been able to visit the temple, find the best churros, explore Plaza Mayor, and get lost in downtown. I am incredibly grateful that I can be here. Not many people get the chance to do a study abroad. I can't believe that I am one of the lucky few that get to do this!

Arrival!

Hola todos!

I've made it to Spain, and it has been incredible so far! I am loving every day--everything is new and unknown. It gives me tons of opportunities to explore and try new things. There are differences that have been hard to adjust to (no AC in a room in the attic), but for the most part, I've been incredibly happy. For those that don't know, I'm living in Alcala de Henares. It's about an hour bus/train/metro (we have to take all of them) to Madrid. I live with a host family--Maria, Javi, and Marta. There is also a Japanese exchange student, Sayaka, that will be here for nine months. I live about a ten minute walk from Alacalingua, the school I am attending. There are 22 students from BYU, and we all attend the classes together, but the classes are taught by professors from Spain. Alcala is very beautiful, but a lot bigger than I expected. It is the birthplace of Miguel Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote. We've had tons of opportunities to explore Alcala, including where to find the best gelato :). We came here during the celebration of Alcala--it was a few days filled with magicians, music, and fireworks! It has been amazing to live in a city that is so rich with history. As with any study abroad, there are things that are different than home. For example, here in Spain, we eat breakfast at 8, lunch at 2:30, and then dinner at 9:30. That has definitely been an adjustment for me; I've been eating lots of snacks! Also, stores owned by people of Asian decent are called "chinos". But, that word also means a Chinese person. So, one of the host moms I was with kept saying how we needed to find a "chino"--I literally thought we were trying to find a Chinese person. haha!

I'm super excited for this first week of classes, and the new adventures that I will encounter.

Photos: We found BYU in Spain!
View of Alcala from the Torre de Maria
Cathedral in Alcala