I just had lunch with my host parents and my host mom's nephew. It was pretty good, although I mostly just listen and only speak when spoken to haha, and the nephew (can't remember his name! ahh!) called me out on it. i'm just shy, and i can't really jump into a conversation when I only understand 3/4 of the words. Although we did talk about driving across the United States, something that everyone present, myself included, wants to do. The nephew wants to visit Virginia and West Virginia, but I managed to convince him that he probably didn't really want to go to West Virginia. I don't know how to say "hicks" in spanish but hopefully i conveyed that meaning. We also talked about public transportation in Spain and America, and I couldn't really explain why it's normal for everyone to take the metro but not the bus in New York. Why is that, exactly?
So, Thursday is the day of Saint Joseph, which means, Spanish Father's Day! Because Joseph is the father of Jesus.. Which means- no school no work no nothing! Everything was closed, even the post offices. So instead of my usual three day weekend, I had a four day weekend. Needless to say I could have been a little more productive, but I went out and slept a lot and read a bunch and other stuff. We went to some interesting night places at least, explored and what not. There is a great Irish bar near my house that i went to on st. patrick's day. We had an exam the day after, so we just went for one guinness after class at six, when they were putting up the decorations for the big party that was to come in the evening. We went back there this weekend and I noticed they had hard cider so obviously i could not pass that up. Last night we went to a little bar that was 60's themed, and they had all these little toys in boxes displayed around the room, and they were projecting some movie from the 60's on a wall. I was watching it and I realized that it was set in Brighton. Pretty cool.
The most productive thing I have done this weekend is book my flights for Semana Santa, and the first two nights in Arles. Ay it is so hard to plan trips, especially if you don't want to spend a lot of money, and especially if you are going lots of different places. We have to book like five more hostels for the rest of the trip. The imagined iterinary is as follows: arrive in Marseille, take the train to Arles, stay two nights in Arles, go to Aix-En=Provence, stay one night there, go to Nice, spend two nights there, take the train into Italy, spend two nights in Cinque Terra, and then train to Florence and spend two nights there, and then fly to Valencia for cheap and spend one night there and then take a bus or a train back to Madrid. I'm hoping for a relaxing vacation, and that all the traveling won't tire me out. I can't wait though, provence is somewhere i've always wanted to go. instead, i have been to the same exact places in france two times. not that i am complaining by any means. but i'm glad to go to a new place! i love love france. I have been practicing what little french i remember, hopefully it will be functionary for our trip.
Mom and Dad are coming tomorrow! Of course, they get to go to Sevilla and leave me in Madrid, but they come back this weekend and Aunt Beth is coming too! I am looking forward to it.
And, I leave you with the beauty of Extremadura.
Ha Ha! You're hoping for a relaxing vacation? Sounds more like you've set yourself up for a good old Critchley adventure!
ReplyDeleteIrish bar my arse!!! and that cider you drank better have been Bulmers! can't have anything less than that on paddy's day!!!!
ReplyDeleteEXCLAMATIONS!!!!!!!!!
It was as Irish as a Spanish bar could have been! And my only choice was Strongbow!!!!
ReplyDelete!!!!!!!!!!