Day 11

Monday we stayed at home for a bit; I mailed some postcards, Nuria´s mom went to the carniceria.
For lunch we ate cooked snowpeas with tomato sauce (delicious) and chicken wings. And bread. I´m loving the everything-freshly-made trend here. I feel healthy. Finished with a stracciatella (choc. bits) yogurt that I probably didn´t need. : )
Then we rode our bikes to the pool (same as before, like a country club), where the man at the entrance let me in for free!! Nuria couldn´t believe it. And neither could I, really.
We met up with a lot of her friends and the American students. We dipped in the pool, until I found out that you have to wear a swim cap to get in all the way. It´s a very clean establishment. ; )
We played cards for a bit, I had an ice cream. Nuria´s mom packed us both PB&J sandwiches - loved it! Never before have I so loved a PB&J sandwich. It was glorious.
Later some of us watched the Olympics (swimming) inside the tv lounge area. I have to say, there was one historic moment there... Before they blew the whistle, an American woman swimmer jumped off the platform. Just her. EVERYone laughed, and couldn´t stop cracking jokes. And guess who was the only American in the room? Yeah. That´s going to be funny for a while.
Nuria and I biked back home around 9pm (still light out), stopping to say goodbye to her friend Leyre, who we weren´t going to see again. For dinner: hamburgers (with ham inside besides the regular) and nachos. Their Doritos are different here. Their everything is different here.
Finished up with some galletas and peanut butter. *sigh of satisfaction*
Tomorrow they´re all planning to take the bus and spend the day at the beach. Woohoo! : )

Day 10

Sunday was spent with family in a pueblito called Quintana, near Burgos. But first we had to get there... About an hour driving, with a few stops. First we stopped at the salt mines, Salinas de Añana. They were originally built by the Romans, who made a good profit off of it. A series of wood pipes took water down from the mountains, and once at the bottom the water sat in pools until it evaporated and left only the salt. The site is partially abandoned now, but it is being restored and now some well-known restaurants have claimed a spot (we saw signs here and there). Salt and other products are sold there too.
Next we passed a river that at one time wiped out a village; we saw the ruins of a house right below the riverbank when we drove by. Kind of eerie... Couldn´t help but think of Atlantis. The whole day I was thinking how fun it would be to do some archaelogical work at the sites we visited. ; )
We also stopped by some magnificent cliffs on either side of the river. Just gorgeous. Covered with forests, tempting to climb or stay and fish. Few sandbanks. We saw lots of fish jumping.
We finally arrived in the little village of Quintana, and first visited Nuria´s (maternal) grandmother in her meticulous little house. There were many flowers outside, and many photos of grandchildren inside. Precious. After a quick tour of the house, we went to the house of one of Nuria´s aunts (3 on her mom´s side).
We had some drinks at a local cafe with everyone, where I met more family members, and then we went back to the house for a BIG lunch. There was white fish (which I loved), ´gulas´ or little white eels (which I didn´t love - I dare you to look it up), clams, mussels, chorizo, and bread to sop up all the wet goodness. The gulas tasted a bit like pasta because they´d been cooked in oil and garlic.
Por fin: the abuela´s homemade flan for dessert. : )
For a bit Nuria, her cousin Alba, and I hung out at the local bar/cafe/small country club (with private pool and tennis court) with some friends. After this Nuria, her parents, her 5 year old cousin Lucia, and I drove a little ways to Frías, a little town famous for it´s ´cascadas´ (waterfalls) and old medieval ´castillo´ (castle).
We followed the streams and little waterfalls throughout the pueblo until we could see it´s source, a waterfall high up on the side of a mountain. Up amidst the mountains you could see caves. We stopped at a picturesque little church (unfortunately not open) tucked away amidst greenery and rocks. It was THE most beautiful sight I´ve ever seen. I want to go back. I know my dad would love it.
: )
We hiked back down and then drove over to the medieval fortress. Beautiful vacation inns and cafes inside the winding streets, flowerboxes in every window. And the air was crisp and clear; perfect.
At the top we could see the whole valley below, and cloud-topped mountains in the distance. Needless to say I took hundreds of pictures. Hope they turned out all right. But every once in a while I just have to say to myself, "This one´s mine. I´m not going to take a picture... only let it stay in my memory, just for me."
We finished up the tour by an ancient Roman stone bridge that used to be monitored by the castle.
For dinner: ´filetes´ (thin steaks), chorizo, more bread, fried egg, and little green peppers (spicy).
The best part was helping with S´mores for dessert. ; ) Apparently marshmallows (and peanut butter) are things found only in American movies, and was quite the novelty. We roasted marshmallows in the backyard over a little grill, and then Nuria and I taught everyone how to smush the chocolate/marshmallow together neatly between cookies. For lack of authentic graham crackers, we used square cookies that tasted basically the same. A little taste of home. Made me miss fall back home with bonfires and hiking and sweaters.
I love you, America.

Day 9

Saturday was a slow day. Having watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony til 1am, we slept in pretty late.
I ate chocolate muffins with tea and juice, relaxed for a while, caught up on journaling. Played some piano.
For lunch we had paella (yellow rice, peas, mussels, oysters, shrimp, snowpeas, boiled egg) with bread.
I am proud to say that I tried EVERYthing in that dish. Yes, everything. And I liked most everything too.
Paella is typical in Spain for fiestas, and is made with chicken or seafood, depending on the place and the cook. Nuria´s mom is an excellent cook. ; )
Finished with some ice cream. They´re very sweet, always asking if they can get me anything else and saying that the kitchen is always open.
Later we went to the mall - huge - to do some shopping. I got some presents for friends and family (and some leather sandals for me). When we got home we had dinner: salchichas (thin sausage links, not spicy) and an omelette for me (´tortilla de huevo´). And bread, of course. We had fruit salad for dessert. I love how we never skip dessert.
Before bed I gave the parents the gifts I´d brought (typical souvenirs from DC and VA). Tomorrow - visiting relatives in Burgos!

Day 8

Friday we went to Bilbao. It took a little less than an hour to drive there, and we arrived around 2pm. We saw the famous Guggenheim Museum (exterior) and the surrounding statues (Puppy, Spider, stacked balls in a fountain). Many beautiful parks and bridges too.
After exploring the streets for a while, we drove to a smaller fishing town by the sea called Getxo. It´s the perfect place to picnic and relax by the ocean. We ate lunch there at Krunch, a chain restaurant with really good typical Spanish food (I had a HUGE burger with a fried egg, cheese, cured ham, and all the toppings, and fries). It was right by the water and all the colorful fishing boats, and even though it rained on and off the cool breeze was very refreshing.
We drove a bit further to see the Puente Bizkaia, a giant ferry-like machine that transports people and cars from one side of a river to the other. One side was traditionally for the rich, and the other side for the poorer working class.
After that we drove to an even smaller fishing village, Plentzia. We stopped for coffee and ice cream at a cafe, and then walked by the beach (big cliffs and rocks).
We finally headed for home, where we ate dinner (breaded chicken, fried egg, and bread) and watched the Olympic Opening Ceremony! In Spanish. I was so very proud to see the United States team. So proud.

Casa de Maurice Fromkes

Backing up a bit...

When we visited Segovia, I took a picture of a plaque on a house that marked where an American painter lived in the late 1800s/early 1900s.

Check out the site. I was there!! : )

http://www.minube.com/rincon/casa-de-maurice-fromkes-segovia-a875311

Day 7

Thursday we met 2 of Nuria´s friends, Leyre and Idoya, to ride bikes. We biked through Salburua, a park and wildlife area - we stopped at a wooden shelter where you can see ducks, storks, etc. Beautiful, reminded me of home and bike rides in our backyard forest. : ) I took lots of pictures.
Later we took a break on a bench and snacked on a mix ("frutos secos") of nuts, sunflower seeds, and huge baked corn kernels, and played the popular card game Come----.
We biked back to the apartment for lunch, which was HUGE... Salad, bread, fried octopus (same as yesterday), and crackers with pork pate to start.
Then pasta with cheese, tomato and ground beef. Again I couldn´t believe the rich taste of the meat from the local carniceria. I wish we had one!
For dessert we finished up the mango flan-like cake, and had some ice cream.
Nuria showed me some videos of her conservatory group (EIO) playing classical pieces - they´re SUPER good, and some have traveled to other countries to perform there. Nuria plays the violin.
Later for dinner we had paninis, more white melon (<3), membrillo with queso fresco, and flan.
What a day.

Day 6

Wednesday was the Dia de Santiago, when Vitoria celebrates Spain´s patron saint, Santiago de Compostela with music, dance, typical dress, (drinks), and strings of garlic. We had lunch at home around 2:30pm, which was steak filets, fried and breaded octopus (really good, like calamari), and pork pate on crackers. For dessert we tried a mango flavored, flan-like cake.
After this all of us went out to the main streets to see the parade. Small bands playing typical music and people dressed in traditional Basque costumes marched through the streets all day, with breaks here and there (the bands were paid).
We took lots of pictures, and even posed with a guy in costume at one point. We walked through "old Vitoria", which is higher up in the city. SO beautiful!
After some more walking and sightseeing, all the while looking for shade from the hot sun, Nuria and I left to meet some of her friends at their "lonja". It´s very popular for teens to rent a furnished room together (kind of like a garage) to hang out in. Different groups have their own. It´s kind of like a private meeting place.
I saw some of Nuria´s friends´ Americans again - a small group from a Catholic school in Idaho happened to be visiting with their international exchange students too. : ) It´s been fun meeting them all.
We went to see some of the guys join the parade (dressed in the typical costumes), but lost them in the crowds, so we went back home. There we ate hamburgers (so good, with ground beef from the local butcher! best everrrr) with ham added in, and their local white melon (so sweet, fresh).
Learned that Basques immigrated to the United States many years ago to meet a need for shepherds. Who knew.  : )

Day 5

Tuesday we went to the carniceria (butcher) to get some pork and we tasted a bit of salted ham. Really good. Then we drove around the outer parts of Vitoria to see Nuria´s high school and a beautiful old Catholic church, where they were having a wedding. We walked down a long shaded walkway with trees and huge houses on either side. We passed a very old private school, the Fine Arts Museum, and the President of Vitoria´s mansion (complete with security cameras). ; )
For lunch we ate salad to start, and then white fish with fried potato slices and bread. YUM. We finished up with some yogurt, and I had everyone try the cinnamon hearts and Mary Jane´s that I brought.
Around 3pm Nuria and I met some of her friends from school, Paula, Ane and Mirari, who all had American girls visiting them too! They came in a group of about 9 teens (rising seniors) that came from a Catholic school in Idaho. We walked around and bought some souvenirs, and then went to a very busy ¨country club¨ type place with tennis courts, pools, and a cafe.
I talked a lot with Nuria´s friends, who were surprised that I spoke Spanish. It was great to practice.
At the pool a bunch of us played a popular card game called Come-----. I met some of Nuria´s guy friends and one American guy who was with the same group. It felt weird to speak English again; all of us agreed that after speaking halting Spanish for several days now, it was strange to speak English as fast as we normally do.
Later back at the house we had tortilla espanola, which is basically ham, cheese, and potato stacked in a round omelette. VERY good. Then Nuria´s dad drove us into the center, where all the teens celebrate the night before El Dia de Santiago (for the patron saint of Spain, St. James of Compostela).
We first met up with some of the girls from earlier that day, and joined the rest of the group to hang out for a while before the main concert in the center of town. Finally the concert started: we heard typical Basque folk and modern songs, and everyone danced (more like jumped) and sang.
Eventually Nuria´s dad picked us up and drove us home.

Day 4

Monday we slept in and then had breakfast (pastries, juice, tea). We all went to the supermarket, Carrefour, and got everything from tea (for me) to bread to fresh fish (they have MANY kinds) to little eels, a typical Basque dish, for me to try. We didn´t buy meat because they said they preferred a small butcher store near their house. We used reusable eco bags, as it costs money to use the disposable plastic ones in an effort to preserve the environment.
Everything is very modern.
The air is cool and fresh, without any humidity. It´s sunny and warm in the afternoons, but then gets colder in the evenings.
At home we ate salad with bits of ham, a balsamic vinegar sauce, tomatoes, cheese, and carrots. That was the ´primer plato´, or first course. Then we had meatballs in red sauce, little fried potatoes (they eat a lot of those), and fried squash related vegetable with cheese and ham. It´s all so good. Oh, and, of course, bread to sop up all the juices. They said I´m becoming Spanish, I´m learning. ; )
After this Nuria and I walked around town; we saw statues (most modern), parks, shops. It all has a very slow, leisurely pace, though it´s still a busy city and the capital of Basque Country.
Then we waited for the city bus (connected by cables, rails directly on ground). We met up with Nuria´s best friend Leire and went into the city center to meet up with her other conservatory friends (about 5 in all).
We walked around for 2 hours before seeing a concert together, some people got beer, some of us got some gelato; all youth from about 19 to 24 in one very good orchestra. It´s basically what Nuria plays in, just with older musicians.
The music was beautiful, and they finished with a mix of jazz music. So fun.
We talked about music, America, school... Most of them want to pursue music in the future.
When we got back around 11pm, we ate paninis with cheese and chorizo inside, chips, and flan (in little cups, from store).

Pictures 2

Nuria and I, Museo de Bellas Artes, Vitoria (Day 5, Tues.)

Palace in Madrid (Day 1, Fri.)

Nuria (and I) eating frozen yogurt, Madrid (Day 2, Sat.)

Nuria and I, Madrid (Day 2, Sat.)

Pictures 1

Nuria and I at the La Granja gardens (Day 2, Sat.)

Nuria, Senor Fernandez, and me, Segovia (Day 3, Sun.)

Our hotel room view, La Granja (Days 2 & 3)

Nuria and I, park in Madrid (Day 2, Sat.)

Day 3

Sunday we had a buffet breakfast similar to the one at the last hotel. We took one more tour of the town, stopping to see the souvenirs (painted plates, crystal from a crystal factory in the town, and jars). Then we loaded up the car and hit the road. We stopped for about an hour and a half in Segovia.

There were beautiful red clay roofs - they´re everywhere - and cobblestone streets. We saw the famous aquaduct there - one of the oldest and most complete left over from the Romans - and the fort and cathedral (Gothic with a bit of Roman and Arab influence). Later we had some cold drinks at an open air restaurant, and then headed back to the car.

After some more driving (and a nap) we stopped one last time in Burgos, not too far from Vitoria.
We entered into the main part through the beautiful Burgos cathedral, and shared some pork and patatas bravas (fried potato squares) with bread for a lunchtime snack. I´m loving the mineral water in glass bottles (usually blue) served with every meal. So much better than tap water.

After rebuilding our energy a bit, we took some pictures with a statue of a ´Pelegrino´or pilgrim. The Burgos cathedral was one of the stops along the ancient prilgrimage route called the Camino de Santiago (de Compostela). When devout Christians had completed the route (starting in France and ending in the north-west corner of Spain), they received a certificate of sorts granting them religious blessings or pardons.

We walked the streets - almost everything was closed because it was Sunday - and saw statue after statue, one in particular of del Cid, a medieval military hero who triumphed against the invading Moors.
You can tell I love history. ; ) Nuria´s dad has been telling me the stories of the places we visit.

After finishing our visit with a walk under the willow trees along the river, we drove up to Vitoria-Gasteiz.
It´s a very modern, very green city, especially compared to the little pueblos (towns) and fields and mountains we´ve passed. Even though all of Basque Country speaks the ancient Basque language in addition to Spanish, most of the signs have both on them and most people speak Spanish. Basque is mostly spoken in schools to reinforce the preservation and continuation of the language.

We took our bags up to the 12th and last floor of the apartment building where Nuria´s family lives. After settling in, we ordered some pizza. And now I´m blogging. : )

I´m writing down every new Spanish word I´m hearing, and trying to incorporate them into my vocabulary (although I´m getting annoyed that I can´t seem to substitute "vale" for "ok"!)

Day 2

Saturday we woke up around 9am and had breakfast downstairs (buffet). I had membrillo - like fruit leather, but a bit more like jelly - and cheese, fruit, and pastries. So far I´m loving all the food here. : )
We saw more of Madrid - the Iglesia de los Jeronimos (beautiful old church near El Museo del Prado) and El Parque de Retiro (big park like Central Park with fountains, flowers, and statues).
In the park we stopped by a pond with rowboats and some fish, and a colosseum with nautical statues.
Nearby we stopped at an outdoor cafe for some drinks, and I tried ´mosto´, white grape juice with an orange slice.
Then we took a taxi back to our hotel. We then packed up the car, as the family had driven from their home in Vitoria-Gasteiz, which is in Basque Country, touching France.
We drove by wheat fields and little villages - everything is very dry and rocky - and arrived at our hotel in La Granja, a little town around a royal summer palace. Plenty of tourists, but not "touristy".
After settling in our rooms (I´m in one with Nuria, and the parents are in the other), we walked around town and the royal gardens. The palace is well-preserved and BEAUTIFUL; you can almost imagine horsedrawn carriages and servants going up and down the cobble-stoned streets.
After this - and lots of pictures - we went back to our hotel. We spent some relaxation time at the spa downstairs - in the suana, in a large thermal pool with jets, drinking tea - and then went out for dinner. We ate at Martinho, a very nice restaurant with typical Spanish food. We shared salad with tuna first, and then I had roast duck and little strips of fries (we chose from 3 things on a menu prepared by the hotel). For dessert we shared Pastel Rusa (pastry on top of pudding) and 4 kinds of ice cream: dulce de leche, yogurt, mandarin, and blackberry. Everything was excellent.
The waiter spoke English very well, and when he heard that I was visiting from the U.S. he explained to me the dishes we were eating, and also about the festival going on outside. It was a festival of magic, a Fiesta de Magia. We heard music and people in the streets, but when we finally left (very late) everyone had gone.
And so ended a wonderful day in La Granja. : )

Arrival and Day 1

I´m finally here! I arrived at 7am (Spain time) and met my hosts, Julio and Maria Fernandez.
Then we went to a different terminal to pick up their daughter, Nuria, who left from VA at a later time than I did.

Because I arrived in the nick of time at the correct JFK gate for my flight, my checked luggage was put on the next flight. We have waited all day for them to drop it off at our hotel, but it looks like we´ll have to pick it up ourselves tomorrow.

Today we visited Madrid. We saw the Palacio Real, and the Plaza Mayor with all the streets and shops around it. Many statues, fountains (and pigeons), beautiful classical architecture, and wrought iron balconies.

 It was hot today (mid 90s, I think), but it was breezy. In the afternoon we stopped for a sandwich and later some frozen yogurt - very different from ours - and did a little shopping. Then we relaxed at the hotel via a nap in our rooms and another nap by the pool.

We finished our buffet-style, delicious dinner, and then sat outside on patio furniture surrounded by glowing rocks. It was quite something. The weather was perfect by then, too.

Another exciting day tomorrow! Some more Madrid (majoring on gardens/parks) and then we will travel to our hotel near Segovia. Sunday we will spend the day in Segovia, and drive back to Vitoria that evening.

I love and miss you all! Buenas noches!

Katlyn