Well, this is my first official blog post! So, this is what it feels like to be a blogger...huh. From here I'll be able to keep all of you up to date with my adventures in Spain. I don't have a whole lot of anything exciting to say yet, but I wanted to have something posted on here for you all to read since I've now sent out the link to this thing.
Right now I am in the process of getting everything prepared - passport, visa, luggage tags, packing (eek!), and housing, which I just was just informed of today! There was a little bit of a mix up so I was sort of homeless for a little while, but now everything is in order. For those of you who I haven't been able to talk to, I am leaving for Spain at 2:10PM on August 31st from PIT. I will arrive in Madrid, Spain the next morning around 7:30 and I should be in Salamanca by 1 or 1:30PM on September 1st (that will be 7 or 7:30AM your time!). In case you're curious or have no idea where this Salamanca place is located, here is a handy dandy map:
Also, if you're interested, here is the wikipedia article on Salamanca, I found it to be pretty useful as a starting point for my research about the city. The city looks absolutely gorgeous, I cannot wait to get over there and start exploring!
For those that are wondering, I will be living with a host family and yes, all of my classes will be taught in Spanish. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments! If you have been to Salamanca or Spain, advice in the comments would be much appreciated as well!
Well thank you all for reading this, I promise it will be more exciting to read once I'm over in country haha. I hope you all have a fantastic weekend and don't get hit by Irene!
I am SO excited for you!! What happened with your housing situation? Who's your host family?
ReplyDeleteOh, my baby is leaving but I am so excited for her. What a wonderful experience Kate will have in Spain!!!
ReplyDeleteHere's what I suggest, even though I was only there for a couple days:
ReplyDelete1) Drink coffee or a glass of wine at the Plaza Mayor and just watch the people. Go there at night, too, when it's all lit up! (You might encounter a random band of students dressed in 17th-century clothing and singing songs.) There's also a café just off the Plaza where the author Miguel de Unamuno used to hang out. I forget the name, though.
2) Walk anywhere around the old city and try to take in how old it is! Check out the Casa de las Conchas (I think that's what it is) and the Roman bridge spanning the río Tormes.
3) Get a tour of the old university if you can -- the cloister and the old classrooms. Lots of great Spanish minds walked those halls!
4) Last but not least, visit the Old and New Cathedrals! I don't just mean going inside. There's a tower you can climb for a fee and hang out on the roof between the cathedrals! Also, since the Old Cathedral might not be open -- it wasn't accessible when I went -- climbing the tower offers you a way to have a look inside it (from a high place, of course) and admire the gorgeous Renaissance altarpiece!
5) While you're outside the cathedral(s), see if you can find the carvings of an astronaut and a demon with an ice cream cone on one of the entryways. Seriously.
6) Search for la rana on the façade of the old university's entrance. If you find it, you're supposed to have good luck on finals!
So, yeah, that's what I have to contribute. ¡Ten cuidado y buen viaje! (Oh, and visit Sevilla if you get the chance.)
Hi, Katie,
ReplyDeleteDuring my travels I have visited every city on this map except for Penafiel, Tarragona, Merida, and Salamanca (unfortunately), so let me know in advance of any travels outside of Salamanca, and I will give you some pointers! :)
Senora