Asturias, Galicia, Alicante, Madrid, Wales

Since classes are over I haven't a lot of access to the internet, but to sum up this is what I´ve been up to:

My last day in Sevilla: pretty sure I aced the final exam for my gastronomy course (seeing as both my parents have worked in restaurants for longer than I've been alive I can't say I found the class very difficult. Still it was quite interesting to learn all about the history and influences of the Mediterranean diet. They say it's the healthiest diet there is, but as far as I'm concerned, I have yet to eat something I didn't like here, and I didn't exercise nearly as much as I usually do during summers, so I might have to get myself back in to shape a bit...oops!)
After class I said farewell to the americans and everyone at the ciee center, and then I met with three more friends over the course of the day, had some really positive conversations with my host grandparents, and finally spent my last night with a friend of mine, staying up until I could catch my bus early the next morning.

Slept almost all the way from Sevilla to Oviedo (almost a 12 hour ride) and then FINALLY met up with the Spanish Relatives.

At last! Here I was in Asturias, our part of Spain, the part I grew up hearing about for so many years, and waiting for my own pilgrimage of a sorts when I too could come to know the beautiful landscape, hearty food, and warm, hardworking people. Three of these things I successfully managed to do.

When I arrived in Avilés it turned out that despite telling me that any time was a good time for me to visit and it was all the same to them, this particular week, Mari Paz was going to the mountains to clean up some things in another family property, and Fernando was going to Jose's beach house on the coast by Finesterre. It was obvious they both expected me to want to go to the beach, so the next morning, with a smaller backpack I got in the car with Fernando, his girlfriend Cookie (not sure really how they spell her nickname in  Spanish but seriously she's called cookie), and his very good friend Charo (who happens to be Cookie's aunt). I loved the week in Galicia and I think I got along with Fernando quite well given his somewhat reticent personality. He called me a Paisana twice and more than a few times referred to things we were going to do together next time I visit them in Asturias. More on all of that later.

After returning to Asturias I spent a very nice evening with Mari Paz, Fernando, and Jose, the three remaining Spanish relatives that we have and regularly keep in touch with, and then hopped on the bus that took me to Madrid, where I switched buses and made my way to Alicante once again, where Karen met me at the bus stop. I spent a lovely few days with her and her friends, and then waited with her in the airport until she went through security and waved a final somewhat teary goodbye to Spain.

Now I am hanging out with Sam (the same fellow I went bungee jumping with a few weekends ago) and some of the Granada friends that live here, as well as meeting up with Alfonso, the same fellow of the last trip to Alicante.

My plan as of now is to take a bus back to Madrid, arriving at 8 am Sunday morning. I'll rent a locker and leave my things at the station, and then wander around in Bourbon Madrid until the Prado opens at 10 am. Then I'll probably spend all morning there, get lunch somewhere and then take a bus from the bus station to the airport for my flight to Manchester, where Trevor will be waiting to take me to their home in Wales. Through online messages he has already made me feel so welcome! Though technically he and my grandmother aren't closely related, the one characteristic I think they both share is that they are probably two of the kindest people I will ever meet in my life.

Apologies to the family, I know I could be spending more time in Madrid. Originally I was going to spend these weeks hopping around Spain seeing what I could, but after a whole summer of school trips all over Southern Spain and weekend trips all over.... well now it's really nice to just spend quality time with some really great people. Madrid is a huge city anyway, and there's no way I could have seen it all by myself. SO I'm settling for the Prado, and a manageable section of the city for a day, with the assumption that next time I'm in Madrid I'll be able to better appreciated the opportunity there.

My camera broke my last day with the Spanish relatives, and I'm not sure but the damage may be irreparable.


This is likely my last post, as I'll be home in a little over a week, but I'd like to conclude by saying that in these three months abroad I have learned so much not only as a student learning about Spanish and Spain, but as a person and as an adult. I feel like I've grown a lot and I've made so many new friends...It's a little unclear now how this experience will effect my future in the long run, but needless to say I absolutely loved it, and would do it again (or something completely new and different!) in a heartbeat.


My love to everyone, especially if you stuck around and actually bothered to read any of these updates!

See you soon,

Laura

Gastronomy Term Paper

La Gastronomía de Asturias Laura Leyde

Cuando muchas personas piensan en España, ellos conocen la cultura de Andalucía, con flamenco, gazpacho, y toreros. Para mí es un poco diferente, porque parte de mi familia es de Asturias. Aunque nunca he ido a Asturias, yo crecí con la cultura de las montañas. En mi casa usamos las recetas de mi bisabuela, como marañuela, fabada, lentejas, y empanada asturiana. Ahora que estoy en España quiero aprender más sobre la gastronomía y la cultura de Asturias antes de irme a visitar con mis primos españoles. Como es la región en términos de la agricultura y los productos? Cuales son las recetas más comunes e importantes? Por qué tienen la gastronomía particular? Con estas preguntas, yo empecé a entender esta pequeña parte del país.

Asturias, en el norte de España, es una región verde y montañosa, llena de campesinos, con la Golfo de Vizcaya en el norte. Con esta combinación de clima y mar, Asturias es una región perfecta por manzanas, vacas, cabras, y ovejas. Mucha de la gente vive en pueblos y trabaja con la tierra o en el mar, entonces mucho de la comida tiene mariscos y verduras locales, y no es muy complejo o caro. Ellos no tiene la dieta mediterránea exactamente porque son del norte, ni tiene la influencia musulmana como en Andalucía, porque nada de los imperios musulmanes ocuparon el norte de España. Pero sí tiene la influencia Romana y la triada de pan, vino, y aceite de olivo que usan tanto como los otros partes de España. Asturias es conocido por unas comidas muy distintas: Sidra, Fabada Asturiana, Cabrales, marañuela, empanada asturiana, ternera y porcino. Cada de estos explica un poco de la cultura de Asturias y de la historia de la región.
Sidra es la bebida más famosa y tradicional de Asturias que se hace con manzanas. Según Francisco Muñoz de Escalona en “La Sidricultura Asturiana como Incentivación Turística,” el clima de Asturias es, en general, especialmente propicio para el cultivo del manzanero. Su cultivo se inició hace más de mil años gracias a su introducción durante la dominación romana.” También se hace en el País Vasco y otras partes del norte, pero la gran mayoría de la producción de sidra ocurre en Asturias. Normalmente no es muy fuerte, similar a una cerveza. La bebida es elaborada con zumo de manzana fermentado en toneles de castaño y según Múnoz de Escalona “está amparada por un Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Protegida.”  Como aprendimos sobre los cerdos ibéricos en clase, si es un año bueno para las manzanas o las bellotas es un año bueno para la calidad de la Sidra o el cerdo. Productos estrellas empiezan con ingredientes de buen calidad.También se describe la Sida como un punto  central de la cultura Asturiana, con siglos de tradición asociada con la preparación y la distribución de la bebida. Por ejemplo siempre se sirve con la acción de echar desde arriba, de escanciar para que “el oxígeno del aire se mezcla con el carbónico de la sidra y sus propiedades organolépticas (sabor y olor) son liberadas para su degustación por el consumidor (Muñoz de Escalona).” Ahora esta acción es icónico de Asturias.
Una otra comida importante de la gastronomía asturiana es la sopa, Fabada Asturiana. Quizás la comida más conocida de la región, fabada es muy típica y fácil a encontrar en la dieta de las casas y restaurantes. Fabas son tipos de judías y quizás, dice José Rico-Villademoros Gamoneda, “ya se plantaban en el siglo XVI y la fabada, de origen rural, se consumía en las ciudades en el siglo XVIII. Algunos autores, para malestar de muchos asturianos, afirman que podría tener un origen francés y haber sido introducida por los peregrinos en la Edad Media.” Los ingredientes básicos de la sopa son fabas, morcilla, azafrán, jamón, chorizos, lacón, aceite de oliva, y sal.
Un pan típico de Asturias es la boroña, o borona.Este pan se hace con harina de maíz. “Tradicionalmente se horneaba cubierto por una hoja de berza y también es frecuente rellenarla de chorizo, morcilla u otro embutido, denominándose en este caso boroña preñada. (“Boroña Asturiana (Pan de Maíz)”). Cuando tiene más maíz en la harina el pan es más denso. Hemos aprendido en clase que cuando los españoles trajeron maíz del nuevo mundo a europa, los peninsulares pensaban que era la comida de los indios, y sólo los pobres se comían. Quizás indica algo de la gente de Asturias que no tenían problemas comer el maíz.

Marañuela es una galleta muy sencilla de la área de Luanco y Candás en Asturias, y se la come para la pascua y festivales de Marañuela. Los ingredientes son: harina, levadura fresca, agua templada, harina, manteca/mantequilla, azúcar, huevos de buen tamaño, sal, y anís (Receta de “Entre Alacenas y Fogones”). Los ingredientes, con la excepción de azúcar son básicamente igual que la masa de empanada. Es un dulce muy rico con un sabor sencillo y delicado. Asturias es una principalidad pequeño pero todavía hay variaciones en la marañuela. En Avilés se hacen en una manera diferente que en Luanco y en Candás, principalmente en la forma de la masa. Cuando se pone en el horno se retuerce las tiras de masa en nudos particulares. Como resultado, algunos partes del nudo son más duros después del  horno mientras que el centro de la galleta queda muy masticable y suave. También hay variaciones en el sabor. Por ejemplo, en mi familia en vez de usar anís usamos un poco de zumo de limón para añadir un toque especial al sabor. Tradicionalmente se comen para desayunar y durante la pascua como un regalo de los padrinos (“Entre Alacenas y Fogones”), pero en mi familia comimos durante todo el año. Tengo muy buenos recuerdos de hacer la marañuela con mi abuelo en la cocina, porque quizás era su dulce favorito. En su último año yo hizo la marañuela solo y lo traigo al hospital cada vez que el estaba enfermo. Creo que, como en la historia de  “Como Agua para Chocolate” es posible que la dedicación y el amor de su nieta se ayudaba a sentir mejor cuando se comían las galletas. Siempre después de comerlos él parece más tranquilo. Aunque la historia es del estilo realismo-mágico, la verdad es que la comida puede ayudar mucho con el humor de una persona por lo menos, sin habla de las conexiones culturales y sociales de la comida. No ocurre en una manera tan rara que en la película, pero sí ocurre. Es el mismo poder de la comida que empezó con la adición del fuego, y los rasgos sociales de la comida.

Ya mencioné que Asturias es un región muy buena para las vacas, cabras y ovejas. Por eso tiene muchas cosas de la gastronomía de leche y de queso. “Asturias «es la mayor productora de queso de España: se elaboran más de 30 variedades de queso» (AA. VV. 2004, pp. 174). Otros autores van más lejos y señalan que en Asturias se da la mayor concentración quesera de todo el continente europeo y probablemente del mundo )Pallarés, 19998, pp. 7). (Muñoz de Escalona 88). La leche de muchos partes de España viene de Asturias. Unos ejemplos de quesos asturianos son chivita, leyrosa, gemaneu, cabrales, bedón, la peral, la collada, abredo, y afuega’l pitu. Hay un gran variedad en los sabores de los quesos. Por ejemplo, Afuega´l Pitu Atroncau tiene un “sabor ligeramente ácido, poco a nada salado” y  una “aroma suave, láctico y con un ligero recuerdo a levaduras, aumentando con la maduración” (“Quesos de Asturias”). El bedón cabra tiene  “buena armonía entre los aromas lácteos y de maduración en boca, con ligera sensación picante, bien integrado” y un “regusto de mediana duración, suave, equilibrado que mantiene el toque de la sensación picante”(Quesos de Asturias”). El bedón cabre es más fuerte que afuega´l pitu atroncau y se hace diferente, con más tiempo en maduración. Menos fuerte que los dos es el bedón de vaca, que es suave y tiene “olores y aromas lácticos limpios con cierta evolución y mezcla con aromas de maduración en buena armonía” y “ un regusto ligeramente persistente, suave, agradable y en equilibrio” (“Quesos de Asturias”). Con quesos hay muchos elementos que pueden cambiar el sabor y la textura.  Parece que en Asturias viven expertos en la producción de queso.

Asturias no es una región de cerdo ibérico, pero en términos de carne y pescado, ellos comen mucho ternero, cordero, y mariscos del Golfo de Vizcaya, con tal que morcilla, chorizo y jamón. Tienen paella asturiana, bacalao,lubina, pixín, chopa, llámpares; todo tipo de pescado vizcaino. Una receta que tiene elementos muy típicos del plato asturiano es la platija con champiñones y sidra. Los ingredientes son filetes de platija sin piel, cebolla, manzana, champiñones, sidra, y tomate (recetasdepescado.net). Las manzanas y la sidra vienen de la cultivación de manzanas en Asturias, mientras que las cebollas y champiñones vienen de la agricultura y el bosque. La platija sirve como la ingrediente principal de pescado. El tomate demuestra la influencia de la comida del nuevo mundo en todos partes de España. También la receta sugiere que se sirve con patatas y verduras, como una comida muy normal de la dieta mediterránea.

Sobre todo, Asturias es un región muy único en todo el mundo, y muy distinto del sur de españa. Con su clima perfecta para manzanas, sidra, y apacentamiento, junto con la costa larga de Golfo de Vizcaya en el norte, Asturias tiene una mezcla de influencias y productos estrellas que son buenísimos a pesar de que no son tan conocidos que la comida de Andalucía.  La comida cuenta la cultura de la gente y la principalidad con rasgos cristianos, romanos, mediterráneos, celtas, y americanos.

Works Cited

"Carrot Cake: Boroña Asturiana (Pan De Maíz)." Carrot Cake: Boroña Asturiana (Pan De Maí­z). Carrot Cake, 3 Enero 2012. Web. 18 Julio 2012. <http://www.mysweetcarrotcake.com/2012/01/borona-asturiana-pan-de-maiz.html>.

"Entre Alacenas Y Fogones...: Marañuelas De Avilés." Entre Alacenas Y Fogones...: Marañuelas De Avilés. Hilda, 28 Marzo. 2008. Web. 18 Julio 2012. <http://entrealacenasyfogones.blogspot.com.es/2008/03/marauelas-de-avils.html>.

"Estas Navidades: Fabada." Suite101.net. Suite 101, 2001. Web. 18 Julio 2012. <http://suite101.net/article/estas-navidades-fabada-a27983>.

Muñoz De Escalona, Francisco. "La Sidricultura Asturiana Como Incentivación Turística." TuryDes: Revista De Investigación En Turismo Y Desarrollo Local 4.11 (2011): 1-33. Eumed.net/rev/turydes. Web. <http://turydes.eumed.net/11/fme3.pdf>.

Marín, Cayetano Espejo. "Modernidad Y Tradición En La Fabricación De Queso En España." Papeles De Geografía 33 (2001): 81-109. Web.

Parrondo, Francisco F. "Turismo Gastronómico En Asturias." Cuadernos De Turismo 15 (2005): 77-96. Web. <http://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=1302233>.

"Quesos De Asturias." Cheese from Asturias -. Sociedad De Promoción Exterior Principado De Asturias S.A. (ASTUREX), 2010. Web. 18 Julio 2012. <http://es.asturiascheese.com/quesos/show/bedon-cabra>.

"Recetas Asturianas De Pescado." Recetas Asturianas De Pescado. Recetasdepescado.net, 24 Enero. 2008. Web. 17 Julio 2012. <http://www.recetasdepescado.net/espana/recetas-comida-asturianas-cocina-Asturias.asp>.

Puenting

So that happened...



I arrived in Granada around 2:30 in the morning friday night. We didn't want a hostel so we went dancing all night instead (because that makes sense?). After the discoteca closed we ate breakfast near the bus stop and waited for the bus to take us outside of the city to this location. The adrenalina libre company is owned and operated by a wonderful guy (half french, half spanish, at least bilingual and quite good at other languages) that took us all through the steps quite well. He also had his kids along, and after I did the first jump his little boy let me pick a lolly pop out of his little bag because he said I did such a good job. Sam did not get any such offer. After having jumped the first time, and not knowing when our next opportunity will be to try again, Sam and I both opted to pay a little more for the second jump. For whatever reason the second jump was way harder for me. Perhaps because it was so soon after the first one that my heart was still racing? For whatever reason I hesitated quite a bit, but finally the owner looked at me and said (in spanish I think? can't even remember!) "you know how I know you're going to do this jump? you're still smiling." And after that it was easier to brace myself and go again. The second time I wasn't nearly as loud, and having tried it the first time I could relax a little and experiment with the swinging and spinning. Really quite fun.

After that we had to get back to Granada and then back to Sevilla, which didn't happen until 9 pm. We got off the bus and I gave Sam a quick tour of the most important things in Sevilla while it was still a little light out. Finally we arrived back in my apartment so I could put my stuff down and we could grab a little food. Antonio, although always an extremely pleasant fellow, never really chats freely with me, but he absolutely LOVED talking to Sam. Maybe a guy thing? They talked all about soccer and favorite teams, best games, best players. It turns out Antonio is.. the 67th fan of the Seville team, which means he's been paying fan dues and faithfully following this team since their very first year. A pretty big deal. When I asked him by myself I think he told me he liked to watch soccer and left out the details. If Antonio had to pick between barcelona and real madrid he'd go with barcelona for sure, because all of his family were rojos during the war, and his dad was killed by Franco. Madrid's head people are still conservative and connected with the old nationalist party so Antonio would never follow them.

I had an inkling of their old allegiances when Ana told me how very poor they were when they were my age, with no money for school or travel they started working immediately and never left Spain. She said after the war they had nothing. I know the war was terrible for everyone but that's definitely something you're less likely to hear from the winning side, no?

So basically with Sam in the house for an hour I learned a ton more about my family here, and they were extremely friendly and polite the whole time (offered us something to drink aside from water, for the first time I've been here in 8 weeks), and they were extremely generous to let Sam come by and meet them.

All in all it was an extremely successful weekend.
now it's the last week of classes. A paper due Thursday, an exam Friday, a farewell activity tonight, LOTS of people to say goodbye too, and a little last minute purchases to make, and then I'm off to Avilés!

Final Days

With each passing day this session more and more people are coming to the realization that very little time is left in our program here. I have a week and a half left of class. The very next day I say goodbye to my host family and leave Sevilla first thing in the morning. Between travel plans, gifts, exams, papers, and scheduled tours, everyone here seems a little stressed out, and I'm certainly no exception.

This time I present you with a slightly different view of the city. Not the tourist kind, nor the kind to write home about, but it's more real than anything else I could write about my weekend or new things I've seen.

There are so many dogs in this city. It doesn't make sense because nobody seems to walk them enough, and they live in crowded apartments and leave there feces and urine everywhere. Every morning the city streets are sprayed down by workers with trucks, only to be defaced again by dogs on leashes, dogs off leashes, horses (don't get me started on the horses), homeless people, and by the end of the night, drunk people. There's not enough grass for dogs here, and they all seem to be either too small or too big.

Every day for the past eight weeks I've walked past the same African immigrant selling tissues on the street corner.  By the third week we were smiling at each other and exchanging small saludos. I had a lot of respect for him, for at least trying to make an honest living here, despite its degrading nature and the harsh response from most passerbys.' Today, with only a week left we actually had a conversation, and as soon as he confirmed that I was American he said I should get money for him. With only a week left I wish we'd never spoken at all, and he'd still have my respect.

I casually look outside my window and watch people pass by in the alley below. In the span of 10 minutes I watch a young mother with a stroller roll down the street, a beautiful brown haired toddler grabbing at the air in front of him as they make their way towards the corner of the street. I watch the pass under me, steer around the row of dumpsters on the corner, and continue down the way. The next time I glance outside there's another Young woman with a stroller. But the stroller doesn't hold a smiling child. Instead it's filled with bits and pieces of all sorts of things. I watch her pass under my window and go straight to the very dumpsters we all use to throw out our trash. This second stroller is for dumpster diving, and I watch the woman pick clean the top layer of materials and continue on her way.  Did she ever have a child? or was the stroller from the dump as well? Who is she that she knows where all the little apartment dumpsters are? All the homeless people that stay on the calle San Jacinto I recognize by their faces and their oddly malformed limbs. This mother of trash, in a brief moment has shattered the illusion that Triana is a safe pleasant part of the city. It is The other day I was talking with my friend Megan and she mentioned that she felt completely safe in our neighborhood of Triana, and at the time I wholeheartedly agreed with her. There are always families out on the street, sounds of children from nearby schools, restaurants where everyone knows each other and people recognize your face. Triana is an old neighborhood, with families that have been here for generations. In the city it seems easy to overlook the beggars and the homeless. I know most people try to look the other direction. But it's all here.

Some friends here tease me because they know I'm always looking. I don't have an amazing memory but I recognize people, places, and objects fairly well, and am often interested in their smaller features. The Americans think it strange but it's a lot more normal for people to stare here. If you walk down the street and someone catches your eye by chance, more often than not you have a bit of a staring contest, and it's a normal part of the culture here.

I've also noticed that in Andalusia when people wait in lines or for the bus, if you're paying attention you'll notice when they start clapping Flamenco rhythms in 6/8 time. In the states when people are waiting of things they'll tap feet or clap a little, but almost always with some sort of 4 pattern. Here I think they learn all of the traditional songs in school, and the 3 patterns are a lot more natural to them. It's fun to watch this part of the culture that is exported so much with tourism, but in a manifestation so small and ingrained that you can truly recognize the culture ingrained in the people.

Wine tasting and the Euro cup

Previously I posted my final essays to prove to everyone that I am in fact doing a little work here. On the other hand, for the first time I´ve truly adopted the phrase, "I have never let my schooling interfere with my education. (sometimes attributed to Mark Twain)" I'm still a good student, and I'm still getting the grades, but it's so much more useful here to spend time with Spanish friends speaking Spanish, than to shut myself inside for hours making sure I understand all of the reading material for the next day's class. Unfortunately my grammar is still terrible but my vocabulary is constantly improving and I'm optimistic that if I continue practicing Spanish once I return to the States I'll be able to improve everything eventually.

This was one of the few weekends of the summer that I've been able to relax.
Friday I met up with my friend Paula from Chile, and she tried a mojito and a pina colada for the first time (she's 22 for the record, I'm not corrupting anyone) and by the end of the evening we ended up mixed up with a stag party of members of a club football team (all people from England and Wales that are here working and studying, with mixed levels of Spanish). We had a very calm and pleasant time together, and she helped me learn some valuable vocabulary that I've been missing.

Saturday: Jerez for wine tasting and a tour of the famous Sherry production center of the world! And then the beach a half hour away. Loved the Winery, hated the beach. The Strait of Gibraltar is predictably quite windy, and while the water was great, most people didn't go in, and I could only hang out by myself for so long. Next weekend there's an overnight trip to Málaga which should be really fun. I'm also looking forward to Málaga because it´s the hometown of my favorite Spanish Professor at Penn State.

Sunday: I slept in for the second time this summer, and after a very lazy day I went to a house party to watch the final match of the Euro Cup, Spain vs Italy. We won 4 to 0 and made history by being the first team to win the Eurocup and the last World Cup. I still don't quite understand "off sides" but I had a really great time, and Enrique was a wonderful host. After the game people took to the streets, and we followed tradition by going to the Puerta de Jerez, joining throngs of people flocking to dunk themselves in the fountain and to splash their fellow Spaniards. The atmosphere was fantastic, and we left before anyone got in trouble for diving from the bridge into the river.

I was Here.

With only three weeks left in Sevilla I'm already upset about leaving. This summer has gone by so quickly I can't even imagine time passing at home.

Sorry for such a straightforward, boring post, but I'm alive and well, and I appreciate that anyone bothers to check this out!
Besos y Abrazos,

Laura

Camino de Santiago Ensayo

For anyone that's interested and capable here's the essay I wrote for the first class....For whatever reason I couldn't concentrate when writing this and it's possibly the worst essay I've ever written in Spanish. That's a shame because it's possibly the best class I've had in Spanish.
Laura Leyde Los Aspectos más Relevantes del Camino de Santiago en Nuestra Época
Fecha de Entrega: 15/6/12

Es la verdad que cuando se anda en el Camino de Santiago, en partes de Galicia parece que este en otra época. El camino sobrevive durante muchos siglos, y hay un historia muy larga del todo la peregrinación. Empieza con el Codex Calixtinus, todo sobre el peregrinacion. Libro V, Capítulo VII “De los nombres de las tierras y de las cualidades de las gentes que se encuentran en el camino de Santiago” actúa como el primer guía del Camino del siglo XII. No es muy fiable en términos de la description de la gente y las sociedades, con declaraciones sobre lugares como Port de Cize: “esta tierra es bárbara por su lengua, llena de bosques, montuosa, desolada de pan, vino y de todo alimento del cuerpo, salvo el consuelo de las manzanas, la sidra y la leche.” Pero al mismo tiempo este demuestra muy bien que el Camino de Santiago es una ruta muy usado y muy viejo que todavía tienen muchos bosques y comida buena. Por cierto hay unos aspectos del Camino en particular que son más relevantes y que han logrado pervivir hasta ahora. Primero de ellos siendo los cuentos de los milagros que  inspiran a muchos personas a hacer el viaje, pero también son muy interesantes por los que no son religiosos. Los símbolos del camino forma otro aspecto que se queda en la imaginación de todo y representan mucho del camino. Finalmente, los edificios dan permanencia en lugares donde nadie queda mucho. En todo la historia del Camino de Santiago, los aspectos más relevantes actualmente son los cuentos de los milagros, toda la simbología, y los edificios porque nos dan un idea del Camino en todo su gloria, y se unen todo la gente que había andado, que anda, y que andará.

Los milagros son la razón primera, a parte del cuerpo de santiago, que muchos andan en el camino, la razón primera que el mundo conoce al Camino y la intercambio de los cuentos quedan muy relevantes. Por ejemplo, cada vez que oye un gallo en las granjas de Galicia pensaba en el milagro del Gallo y la Gallina. Fernando Pazos, en La tradition del milagro de gallo en los caminos de Santiago, mientras que él analiza diferentes versiones del cuento, describe el milagro del Gallo como “un asunto tan trillado, del que tanto se ha escrito y hablado, y del que todo peregrino conoce con los matices que le hubieren narrado o leído.”  Quizás es la verdad. Los cuentos son muy fácil a repetir y los perviven facilmente.  En el cuarto día, Matt Michael y yo salimos de una parada y encontramos un grupo de americanos locuaz que nos preguntaron como era a hacer el Camino como parte de un clase universitario. Explicamos que esta clase nos ayuda a agradecer el Camino en términos de la historia y la cultura actual. Usamos el ejemplo de este milagro del Gallo y la Gallina y como lo influyó nuestra experiencia. Luego cuando estamos en Santiago de Compostela encontramos a los americanos otra vez, y ellos nos dijeron gracias por compartir el cuento de los Gallos porque cuando oyeron los gallos durante la semana también comprendieron la significancia. Puede ser trillado, pero a ellos que no conocen es algo divertido e interesante. En este situación, aunque nadie hizo el camino por razones religiosos, todos beneficiaron de esta cuento y comprendieron mejor la cultura del Camino de Santiago en Galicia. Aunque quizás no creemos en los milagros podemos conocer la historia y conectar más con los peregrinos muy religiosos y con la vida actual de los gallegos que continúa en la misma manera que antes. Ahora son muy relevantes aunque muchos peregrinos no hacen el Camino por motivaciones sólo religiosas. Los cuentos de milagros hablan mucho sobre la cultura del camino, y no se puede andar en el camino sin compréhension de la cultura religiosa.

La simbología del Camino, como las flechas, el bastón, las conchas sobrevive porque ahorran la cultura del camino y son muy relevantes porque muchos veces son las únicas indicaciones del Camino. Sin las flechas no existe un camino oficial y nadie sabe donde se debe andar. Las conchas son como un insignia de honra que usan para distinguir que son peregrinos en el Camino y hay siglos de tradición de las conchas en conexión con Santiago. Muchos veces, aunque quizás no se puede entender otros peregrinos extranjeros, son unificados por las conchas que tienen en sus mochilas, o su flecha amarilla que tiene en su sombrero. También el bastón actúa como un hilo entre los peregrinos del pasado y los peregrinos actuales. El bastón nos recuerda que a pesar de las diferencias entre los peregrinos medievales y los peregrinos actuales, entre los peregrinos religiosos y los peregrinos no religiosos, todos necesitan seguir el Camino. En Santiago de Compostela se dan La Compostela, un tradición que empieza en el siglo IV, todavía esta muy importante, también por ellos que no son religiosos (La compostela y la credencial).Todos necesitan andar o viajar con una pierna enfrente de la otra. Pase lo que pase en el viaje pero todos siguen en la misma manera hasta Santiago de Compostela.

Con los edificios del Camino de Santiago, la historia coincide físicamente con la vida actual y se puede identificar con todos los peregrinos del pasado que pasan por el mismo edificio.También los edificios son importantes y relevantes porque son casi las únicas cosas que han pervivido físicamente, y nos dan un idea del pasado más claro. Según Castiñeiras González en Imagenes Para el Viajero, “Persuadir con imágenes a través de un medio escultórico monumental es un logro que ha de vincularse con el desarrollo del románico en el seno de los caminos de peregrinación a Santiago. Con ello se recuperaba un lenguaje que se había perdido a fines de la Antigüedad y que entonces surgía empujado por los principios de la reforma gregoriana . La vocación aperturista de la nueva Iglesia y su búsqueda de grandes auditorios laicos promocionaron el desarrollo de las fachadas esculturadas, en las que los obradores esculpieron con profusión imágenes y desarrollaron extensos programas iconográficos.” Las piedras y las esculturas del catedral demuestra lo que ellos enseñan en el pasado y no permite entender los mensajes.

Cuando yo miré a la catedral de Santiago de Compostela, los ancianos albergues, los cruceiros, las iglesias, y las puentes, tenía un sentimiento de nostalgia por todos que construyeron con la piedra de la tierra y rezaron en estos edificios. Todo el edificio fue construido por efecto de admiración de dios y Santiago para que todos los peregrinos y los adeptos están impresionados de las narrativas y el peso del edificio. Cuando mirE a los restos Románicos había un sensación que estaba parte de algo mucho más grande que yo, y yo estaba solo un personaje en la saga, un tilo en la tapicería. Yo supongo que muchos peregrinos, en particular cuando entran en la Catedral de Santiago de Compostela tiene un sensación similar. Compartimos esta experiencia con todos los peregrinos del Camino de Santiago; podemos abrazar a Santiago y mirar a su cripta. Oímos el eco de la gaita en el túnel al lado del catedral con sus melodías ancianos que da personalidad a la ciudad mientras que miramos el catedral con admiración. Podemos ver las tallas en las puertas y en los cruceiros y saben lo que significan. La legibilidad era lo mismo en todos los siglos, aparte de que algunos no son mantenidos bien. Con todo esto, podemos unir como comunidad del Camino de Santiago y de los creyentes.

Todos estos aspectos son muy relevantes durante el viaje y al final, pero especialmente son importantes por los religiosos y los que no son religiosos, por todos los peregrinos actuales y auténticos. Los milagros ayuda con la conocimiento de la cultura actual. La simbología nos ayuda con conectar con Santiago y todos los peregrinos y con encontrar el camino. Los edificios no ayuda saber lo que siente vivir en un época muy pasado y identificarse con la historia del peregrinación.  

Bibliografia MLA

Bravo, Lozano Millán. "Libro V Capitula VII." Codex Calixtinus. Madrid: Kaydeda Ed., 1993. N.

pag. Print.

GONZÁLEZ, M.A. CASTIÑEIRAS. "IMÁGENES PARA EL VIAJERO." IMÁGENES PARA EL

VIAJERO, M.A. CASTINÑEIRAS GONZÁLEZ. Biblioteca Gonzalo De Berceo, n.d. Web. 14 June 2012. <http://www.vallenajerilla.com/berceo/castineiras/imagenesparaelviajero.htm>.

"La Compostela Y La Credencial." La Peregrinacion a Santiago. Delegación Diocesana De

Peregrinaciones, n.d. Web. <http://www.archicompostela.org/peregrinos/Espanol/La%20Compostela.htm>.

Pazos, Fernando. "LA TRADICIŌN DEL MILAGRO DEL GALLO EN LOS CAMINOS DE

SANTIAGO." LA TRADICIÓN DEL MILAGRO DEL GALLO EN LOS CAMINOS DE

SANTIAGO, F.PAZOS- Biblioteca Gonzalo De Berceo. BIBLIOTECA GONZALO DE

BERCEO, n.d. Web. 13 June 2012. <http://www.vallenajerilla.com/berceo/pazos/milagrodelgallo.htm>.

El Legado de Al Andalus ensayo

For anyone that's capable and interested, here's the final paper I wrote for the last class:

Laura Leyde                        Diario de Curso                   Fecha de entregar: 29/6/2012
Las Cerámicas en el museo de Carmona          

Muchas personas no se molestan en mirar a las tazas, las ollas, y otros recipientes de arcilla. Pero a mi parece que son objetos muy interesantes para estudiar la cultura que los hizo.  Se puede determinar cómo vivió la gente, que comieron, que ahorraron, y que valoraron en la cultura. Por ejemplo en el museo vimos muchos recipientes encontrados en el cementerio para guardar las cenizas de los muertos y las ofrendas a dioses. También había muchas cosas para la comida y la cocina. Cada vasija de arcilla tiene marcas del fabricante como huellas de dedos, líneas del torno, e irregularidades que no tenemos en muchos de los recipientes de hoy. No son obras tan impresionantes como una pintura de Velázquez, que todos declaran una maravilla, pero la verdad es que estos fueron parte de la vida de los habitantes de Carmona durante muchos siglos. Había dos culturas principales que me interesan más en Carmona, los romanos y los musulmanes. Los romanos tenían muchos recipientes con bocas abiertas, hombros muy anchos, y bases muy delgadas. Unos tienen formas muy estrechas, bocas con pitorros para líquidos, asas elegantes, y bases más anchas que los cuellos. También existen los que tienen cuellos delgados y bases delgadas, pero en la barriga hay una gran expansión. A veces la ornamentación combina con la forma de las vasijas, donde las bandas se ensanchan a la vez que las vasijas, y estas bandas se hacen más delgadas a la vez que las vasijas se hacen más finas. Esta técnica añade profundidad a los objetos. Esto es más común en las obras romanas. Los musulmanes usaron sellos y ramitas para crear texturas diferentes. También hay muchos epígrafes con textura. En otro cuenco había epígrafes de barro en el fondo.

Los cuadros de los cristianos también son distintos. La jarra que usa Velázquez en su cuadro “Vieja friendo huevos” tiene una boca muy común en España con un pliegue para formar un pico. Este estilo distinto es muy interesante porque también se puede entender muy fácilmente como lo hicieron y se puede imaginar la acción.

Los Azulejos Mudéjares de los Reales Alcázares de Sevilla
En el semestre pasado yo estudié majolica mucho en una clase sobre la ornamentación y decoración de las cerámicas. A causa de esto, yo tengo mucho interés en los azulejos de todos los palacios aquí en Sevilla. Con la progresión del estilo de Majolica desde Persia y el Oriente hasta Europa, se ve claramente que los musulmanes sabían muy bien cómo hacer azulejos con Majolica. Pero a veces parece que nadie puede observar los azulejos, en particular los del suelo cuando hay muchos dibujos de animales. Estos son un poco raros porque los musulmanes tienen unas reglas particulares sobre la representación de la vida. Pero cada azulejo es único, con animales y jardines, y yo entiendo que cada uno pasa por varias fases de construcción. Cada pequeño azulejo es una obra de arte, que es olvidado en el piso y la verdad es que esta es la intención de la ornamentación. Hay muchas pequeñas obras que forman parte de los reales alcázares, y la intención no es demostrar la individualidad de todos sino para demostrar el poder y majestuosidad de todos juntos. Es interesante que todos los azulejos que están en los Reales Alcázares son del estilo musulmán. Creo que los azulejos son una de las cosas que perviven hasta ahora desde las épocas Almohades y Mudéjares. Todavía en el palacio de CIEE se puede ver que hay partes que usan los azulejos antiguos y otras partes que usan los azulejos nuevos de la época neomudéjar. Por ejemplo en los baños el centro tiene azulejos nuevos con vidriado industrial y automatizado. Aunque siguen el estilo de los azulejos viejos se puede ver que no son únicos ni artesanos. Ya se que en particular, los colores de manganeso y ocre son muy difíciles de hacer perfectos y los azulejos nuevos no los usan, porque se prefieren vidriados comerciales con diferentes ingredientes. A mí me gusta más la variedad con los azulejos antiguos porque son artesanos, y si se miran se puede ver que las diferencias son hermosas. A pesar de todo, está claro que el estilo de los azulejos pervive para mezclarse con la mayoría de estilos en Andalucia.

El Antiquarium
A mi me encanta el Antiquarium porque de todos los sitios que hemos visto yo creo que este es uno de los mejores sitios para observar los distintos niveles en el terreno de las culturas y religiones en Andalucia. Lo que vimos no es lo mejor del estilo Romano, o de los estilos cristianos ni Musulmanes pero la historia de todo el área del mercado y “las setas” explica muy bien lo que puede ocurrir cuando siglos de civilizaciones ocupan el mismo sitio. A veces ocurre con las tres culturas y a veces con combinaciones de partes, pero en el Antiquarium se ve claro que los españoles de Andalucía siempre viven con el Legado de al Andalus en todas partes. Más que nada el Antiquarium también muestra que somos parte de la historia que continúa con la arquitectura orgánica de Jordan Meyer. Normalmente no pensamos en los edificios como algo controvertido, pero “las setas” causan tanta controversia como la Albuhaira. Las razones son diferentes, y el asunto de “las setas” es menos incendiario, pero la historia del Antiquarium me demuestra que las historias de todos los edificios son reales, actuales y relevantes. Puedo andar por las ruinas romanas, por los restos de los palacios y mosaicos, y después puedo entrar en el mercado “provisional” que ya no se conserva tan bien como las otras partes. El mercado es más parecido a la parte de la Mezquita de Córdoba donde los materiales peores se han deteriorado.

Barrio Santa Cruz
El Barrio de Santa Cruz en Sevilla quizás es la parte más bonita de toda la ciudad. Antes de la clase yo visité el barrio con una guía cultural y con la líder de orientación pero las dos veces que fuimos no hablamos mucho sobre la historia, la construcción y la gente del barrio. Con la clase fue mucho más interesante en términos de realidad; es decir que el Barrio de Santa Cruz no solo es una atracción turística donde vivieron los Judíos y los Musulmanes, sino también un gueto con una historia triste que describe bien las relaciones entre los cristianos después de la reconquista y las de los otras religiones. Como turista yo pensaba que el barrio era muy bonito e interesante. Ellos mencionaron que las calles son tan estrechas para evitar el sol, pero antes de la clase no sabía que también  las calles fueron construidas con un sentido de estrategia militar. Es muy fácil perderse en cada uno de los rincones y los callejones sin salidas, y ahora entiendo que ellos los usaron para evitar los perseguidores. Con este aspecto más serio del trazado del Barrio de Santa Cruz, yo puedo entender mejor la relación entre los habitantes pasados y lo que realmente significaba estar en el gueto. Estoy agradecida porque en la clase aprendimos sobre la historia de la masacre en el Barrio porque eso refleja bien que Santa Cruz era un barrio, pero también una jaula con la supervisión constante del Alcázar, el muro, y las torres. Había puertas grandes que se cerraban por la noche. Había cruces en cada plaza para recordar a ellos que siempre estaban bajo el reino cristiano. También, por otro lado, el gobierno ayudaba a los habitantes de Santa Cruz contra ladrones y otros cristianos que tenían la idea equivocada de que todos los judíos eran ricos en joyas y metales. A mi parece muy importante recordar todos los aspectos de las relaciones entre las tres culturas de Sevilla, lo bueno y lo malo, para comprender mejor qué repercusiones y herencias quedan hoy en día. El legado está lleno de períodos de paz y de represión y el Barrio de Santa Cruz, con elegancia y belleza, nos recuerda éstos intercambios entre las culturas.

Los Arcos de Sevilla
Los Romanos inventaron el arco hace muchos años antes de llegar a Híspalis, pero en Sevilla encontramos muchos diferentes estilos y tipos de arcos, desde los Romanos hasta los Reyes Católicos. Es una innovación muy importante en términos de arquitectura pero también es muy útil para distinguir entre los estilos de Sevilla. Por ejemplo, los romanos usaron los arcos de medio punto, y los otros grupos cristianos, los Visigodos y Católicos mezclaron los arcos de medio punto con arcos abocinados y los arcos de herraduras. Todos los Hispano-Musulmanes usaron arcos de herraduras, pero el Emirato de Córdoba también es famoso por los arcos de la Mezquita de Córdoba que mezclan los ladrillos rojos y blancos por razones estructurales que son de entibo. Yo creo que mis arcos favoritos son los arcos de herradura y los arcos polilobulados que empezaron con los musulmanes pero conservaron los cristianos mudéjares, quizás a causa de su belleza. Se pueden encontrar los otros estilos de arcos en diferentes partes del mundo pero los arcos mudéjares de Andalucía son únicos y famosos. Cuando yo piense en lo que aprendí aquí en Sevilla yo recordaré los arcos de herradura y polilobulados porque estos más que nada simbolizan la mezcla de las tres culturas en Al Andalus. Los usaron en iglesias, mezquitas, palacios, y sinagogas por igual. Significan el intercambio entre todas las culturas y representan bien el legado de Al Andalus.

Alicante, Fiesta de San Juan

What a crazy, busy time it's been! I just finished another class today so I finally have a little time to breath and catch up. My class was about the Legacy of Al Andalus, and every day we spent an hour an a half in lecture, and another hour and a half visiting sites around the city. I did well on the midterm, and today's final also seemed pretty easy. So I'm mostly waiting to hear how I did on my paper. Thankfully my friend Pablo sat down with me for more than an hour yesterday and helped me correct the grammar!

I've spent almost all of my time the past two weeks either hanging out with Spanish friends or hanging out with with American and Spanish friends. We're all really excited about the soccer Euro Cup, and feel pretty confident that Spain will win this Sunday. It's also boosting the overall spirits of the city, as far as I can tell. Particularly when Spain tried to put the bank bailout plan into practice, things looked pretty grim here and everyone I talked to was sure it was going to fail. They also seem very disheartened with a lack of leadership and accountability (aren't we all?). With this Euro Cup, however people are happy to finally have something to celebrate. Some friends especially appreciated Germany's loss in the game, as a little rebellion against the country that sort of dominates discussions about the Euro. I think this article summarizes pretty well the sorts of discussions I've had about things here http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/1218108--is-germany-s-angela-merkel-the-most-pro-european-leader-in-europe

On a lighter topic, I went to Alicante this past weekend with Megan and Mary, two amazing girls that were also in the Camino de Santiago trip (Megan's also the girl I went to Italy with). This time we were visiting our friend Alfonso that we met on the Camino. He welcomed us into his relatively spacious apartment for the annual festival of San Juan that coincides with the much more ancient traditions of celebrating the Summer Solstice. The most basic explanation possible is that every year they pay for artists to make huge sculptures out of wood or polystyrene and plaster and such and then on the night of the solstice it all goes up in flames. Bonfires and parties in the streets, added to a city on the Mediterranean with miles and miles of beaches? Who wouldn't want to check that out?
http://www.xn--espaaescultura-tnb.es/es/fiestas/alicante/hogueras_de_san_juan.html
http://www.elmundo.es/elmundo/2012/06/24/alicante/1340547164.html

Alfonso was an amazing host, with an extremely rich knowledge of the city and it's history. Not only did we enjoy the festival, but he took us on a walking tour of the city, and learned all sorts of things about Alicante and Valencia in general. A lot of people only know about the southern culture of Spain, with the Flamenco Dancing and the Alhambra etc, but they don't realize how diverse the country itself is in terms of society, geography, climate, history, language, and cultural influences. With Alfonso's professional style tour we were able to get a much better feel for the area and its traditions, including the festival, but also architecture, history, buildings, neighborhoods, music, clothing, and current events.

I also got to spend a little time with some of Karen's best friends from Granada, because one is from Alicante and the other works there during the summer. Every time I have the opportunity to see them I really love it because they are so fun and so kind. I know Karen is really sad to part with everyone here.

(sergi's photo, he's not pictured)

By the end of the weekend I arrived back in Sevilla completely exhausted but quite happy in the knowledge that I have truly made some lifelong friends here in Spain. I know it's only a matter of time before our paths cross again.



Tomorrow we're going to Jerez for a winery tour and wine tasting, and then half a hour away to the beach!
(I finally stop being sunburned and we head to the beach...*sigh*)

Granada (sans Karen)

Last weekend I took an overnight trip with my program to Granada! Unfortunately Karen was in Madrid celebrating the end of her classes here in Spain.

This was my second time visiting the Alhambra, and it actually made a world of difference seeing it this time around. It was a lot less crowded, and more importantly, all the plants were blooming and fragrant, making all of the Alhambra and the Generalife smell like Eden. Somehow this time I really felt charmed and enchanted by my surroundings, whereas last time I was perhaps foolishly disappointed by a certain lack of magical ambiance. This time it was very clear why the Alhambra is one of the most visited places in the world.

This trip I also saw the Cathedral in Granada, where the Reyes Catolicos, Ferdinand and Isabel are buried. They conquered Granada in 1492, and always considered it the greatest achievement to have reunited the Iberian Peninsula under Christian Rule.

The main thing that I loved about my weekend in Granada was spending a great time with different friends that I've made. At first I was really nervous and kinda slow to make friends and warm up to people. This weekend I spent a lot of quality time with some girls from backpacking and some new Spanish friends Ines and Manuel, who came along with CIEE and turned out to be truly wonderful people. After I spent a lot of time with them during the day, I also met up with one of Karen's friends from her whole year, Telemeco. I can assure everyone that Karen met some really great people, and every time I have the opportunity to see one of them they welcome me with open arms. Tele was no exception, and I got to see a new side of Granada that I think most of the American students missed. P.S. If you even glance at the second photo you'll note that I'm still sunburned! Despite my best efforts and numerous applications of sunscreen spf 50 I can't seem to avoid looking like a Guiri lobster girl!

Karen's visit to Sevilla

Karen came!
She was here from Monday to Thursday, and she stayed in my room with the host family. I tried to show her new things that she didn't see when she came here with her own program, so we went to the park, where she was thrilled about grass, and she saw the river from multiple angles. She also came to class with me because my class is a history/architectural history class about the Legacy of Al Andalus (basically southern Spain) and we spend at least an hour and half everyday looking at things in the city. When Karen was here we saw the remains of the Roman Aquaducts, the remains of the oldest Mosque in Sevilla, the Antiquarium and las setas....Basically all the oldest stuff in the city.
We also went out of tapas with some of my friends in the program, as well as my intercambio partner Pablo and my new Tanya, who is originally from Bulgaria moved here with her husband to find work.

I think Karen enjoyed herself but now that she's gone I keep thinking of things we should have squeezed in. For example she thinks Granada has a lot more charm to it, or magic perhaps, in terms of the age of the city and the preservation of the landscape. If only I had shown her the old Judería neighborhood she would have realized Sevilla can be every bit as old and lovely as Granada.

Tomorrow I'm going to Granada for an overnight trip with the program. Everything's included and the hotel has a pool so I think it's going to be a very relaxing time. I won't be able to meet up with Karen however. Her plan now that she's done with the school year is to go to Madrid for the weekend and then to Morocco where she'll be working with a non-profit organization teaching English to students from the slums (Isn't that awesome?). She'll be there  for about a month, at which point we'll both be done, and may end up with a little time to travel together or meet up one last time before returning to the states.

That's the bare minimum of what's going on but I'm alive and well!

Love to all,

Laura

" Con Pan y Vino se Hace el Camino"

The Camino de Santiago is famous for it's food and we ate very well along the way. A lot of what we had was typical of the region of Galicia.
Some of my favorite foods:
Caldo Gallego, local wine, fine bread, grilled meats and vegetables, snails, flan, natillas, tarta de santiago, a sort of rum cheesecake I can't remember the name of, chorizo, and  empanada.
While dinner is the biggest meal in a typical American diet, lunch is the biggest meal here, and our Spanish guides barely even eat dinner when not on the Camino. With the Spanish breakfast, most of us felt a little unprepared for six hours of walking, but the two Spaniards absolutely fine with a light breakfast, always consisting of a croissant or pastry with chocolate inside, fresh squeezed orange juice, coffee, and cola cao (hot chocolate).

Two dinners in particular were very special for the group: We had two birthdays in one week, one for Michelle turning 20, and another for Salva turning 40 the next day.

Ribadiso: the sweetest little albergue between fields and forest. Visually charming and entirely relaxing, our third day hostel was definitely a favorite of the group. When we arrived I washed some of my clothes and then waded into the stream while others dipped their feet in and lay down in the sunshine. Then later after we all had showered and out on our clean cloths we walked next door to a restaurant/bar whose sole patrons really are pilgrims staying in the nearby hostels. It was a small clean place with a typical rustic feel to it. We all settled into tables early and began to celebrate our friend's 20th birthday by each offering to buy her a drink (sounds more like a 21st birthday in the states, I know, but when you're on the Camino there's not much else people could really do for her).
This all starts with Mike, who asks for two shots of Melocotón (Peach) liquor. The birthday girl liked this flavor fairly well, so he decided to go back to the bar and ask for two more of the same. at which point this big surly Gallego bartender smirks, turns around, walks away from the bar area to a small freezer labeled for ice cream and pulls out an unlabeled unmarked bottle of bright yellow liquid. He walks back to the bar and proceeds to pour two more shots, pushing them over to Mike. Shocked and a little suspicious, Mike asks in Spanish, "What are these?!" The only response he can get from the guy is "It's traditional here" or "It's very characteristic of here."

The start of a very fun evening.
People were really agreeable towards despite the fact that as a table of 11 we were probably a little too loud. However the best part of the evening was still to come, as unbeknownst to everyone save myself and another student, our teachers had gone out of their way sneak out earlier and buy a tarta de santiago (cake), candles, and bottle of orujo (the herb liquor) that they carried in their backpacks all day so that after dinner they give her a real surprise and treat. Everyone was so nice, and this girl is such a sweetheart it really felt like a perfect evening for me.

After all of this celebrating Salva quietly revealed to our end of the table that his birthday is in fact the following day, so we all immediately chided him for not having mentioned it sooner...and then secretly plotted to give him is own unique birthday celebration. After all he was turning 40, which is a significant year, and he was spending his birthday with us, far from his parents wife, and children.

And it's a good thing we planned something, because for whatever reason, everyone struggled with the fourth day. Morale was down, I supposed you could say. People talked less, walked slower, felt their sore muscles more. Just as we were getting to the hostel it started raining steadily.

After we eat and shower there's usually downtime where people do there own thing. Salva promptly fell asleep while the rest of us wandered through the one street town in search of appropriate gifts. We ended up with some cheesy souvenirs of sorts but they were meaningful enough given that the entire reason for knowing each other is this class and this trip. We also bought an ice cream cake (what he ordered for dessert if available), saved the candles from before, and four balloons. Finally we made a card using some sketchbook paper and different pens I had brought along. All of this to be presented at Dinner.

Salva with his Birthday gifts (Not my photo originally)

The first phase of the operation happened when Salva excused himself to use the restroom, and students immediately brought balloons out from their pockets, blew them up, and set them around his seat, just in time for him to come back to our pleasant surprise! He thanked us profusely and sat down thinking that was the end of it all. I think by the time the cake and candles and card and gifts came around he was truly touched. Alfonso said he wanted to spend his 40th with us too.

Camino de Santiago Overall

Last Friday we left Sevilla and drove for about 10 hours up to Sarria in Galicia, where we started our first night of backpacking from hostel to hostel. Five days later we arrived in Santiago de Compostela, the village of the stars.

It's hard to begin to explain how amazing I think this experience was. The Camino de Santiago is a centuries old route with centuries of symbolism, stories, miracles, and traditions, and being a part of that community for a few days was really beautiful.

The northern countryside was so different from Southern Spain. Everywhere you look there are rolling hills and a million different shades of green. The terrain was not very difficult, and the weather was mostly the perfect cool temperature with a slight breeze. 

I think for the remainder of this blog about the Week of Backpacking I'll divide it into categories...

Graham
Our first night was spent in Sarria, a beautiful town with conch shell bridges and trees and pretty little creek. The real point of interest about Sarria however is that we went out to eat our first Peregrino meal, and who did we run into but Graham Spanier, who until recently was the President of Penn State University. since 7 of the 11 people in our group were Penn Staters there was quite a commotion as they called out to get President Spanier's attention. Apparently he'd been biking the Camino starting in Leon (quite an achievement) along with some other PSU Faculty Members. He seemed happy enough to meet all of us, as well as other members of our group. We even got a good number of photos together. At the same time, our Spanish professor Salva was incredibly confused that we'd run into someone we knew almost as soon as we stepped off the bus, but we explained things fairly well, and his English is good enough that he was able to joke around with Spanier as well. Such a coincidence!

The most meaningful thing on the Way of Saint James: People
We usually walked for about 6 hours a day, with a 15 to 20 minute stop halfway for a snack and bathroom break. Since most of the Camino in Galicia goes through countryside (little farms, and tiny villages) we were never far from settlements and waystations. As you walk you can vary your pace and meet up with people from all over the world. Some favorites of mine were a married  Dutch couple who walked from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. We talked things like Family, Art, our homes, and their childhoods. I asked what their favorite part of the Camino was, and they said the Pyrenees were amazing. I told them my last name apparently comes from Leiden Holland and they said it was a very beautiful place to go. This is the sort of small exchange that happens all along the way. I also spoke with Irishmen, Spaniards, Italians, Germans, French....Some travelers from Korea didn't seem to speak much English or Spanish but every day when we passed them along the way they'd enthusiastically wave with both arms and embrace us. The one term everyone knows on the Camino is "Buen Camino" and these Korean Peregrinos said it with so much enthusiasm I don't think anyone in Galicia could have meant it more sincerely.

Once we stopped and spoke with some Americans who were curious about the nature of a college course that goes backpacking on the Camino; it's certainly not a common occurrence. They asked if the class really helped us get more out of the Camino, and without hesitation, the three of us present said we had learned so much already. I told them I couldn't hear a rooster without thinking about the Miracle of the Gallo and the Gallina that we learned about, and then, since they had not heard of this miracle from the Camino, we were able to translate the Spanish version of the story that we had heard and pass it on to others. When we ran into them again in Santiago they told us that thanks to our story they too had found the roosters more significant, and thanked us again for passing it on. In such a small way, we made an impact in their lives that bettered the rest of their experience.

On the Camino de Santiago you can't help but feel closer to humanity. It has nothing to do with the fact in that in albergues you shower in public stalls and sleep in room with at least 10 other people (some girls on our trip found that particularly gruesome). It's that along the walk you make so many connections, whether fleeting like ours, or life altering, like so many people that start the Camino to walk alone and end up finding their spouses or new best friends. All along the way there are messages of encouragement and promises from one pilgrim to another, much like the one I posed by: "Laura, I'm waiting for you in Portomarrin." Others were declarations of love, promises, thank yous'....Everything about the connections made with other pilgrims that you happened to walk a while with. In a way it's a microcosm for life, in that there will always be people you meet and instantly get along with, and others that only pass through your life briefly but have an influence nonetheless. The huge difference here is that when you're backpacking everything superficial is stripped away from your life. There's no class on the Camino, only pilgrims. The entirety of one's belongings must fit on your back. Age also plays less of a factor on the Camino. I spoke with retired people and smiled as children filed along with their parents.

I can call Salva and Alfonso our professors, and it's true that they led us and organized everything, and told us all sorts of interesting information throughout the course and the journey, but in the end we were all one group traveling together. They didn't have the status of "professors," but  it'd be impossible to find a class that has more respect for their teachers. Perhaps a result of hours and hours of walking, or sitting down together three meals a day for a week. In such a short amount of time they gained as much respect from me as the best studio professors and faculty in Art Education that I've known for several years now. Once we set out in  Galicia we weren't so much a class as a group of friends trying our best.

I think a lot of people have said that the Camino de Santiago brings people together, on a personal and societal level. All I can say is I wholeheartedly agree, and as a result I feel closer to Spain and closer the World.

My weekend in Italy

I don't know how, but we managed to fit Venice and Rome into a three day weekend, and I still feel pretty good about the few things we managed to see. I traveled with a new friend of mine who also goes to Penn State. We went to Venice first, and then Rome.

Venice:
We arrived in the morning but accidentally missed the correct bus stop for our hotel because it looked like we were stopping in the middle of shady nowhere rather than right next to the big train station of Venice. This messed up the rest of our day because we ended up in the heart of town and completely missed going to the beaches in Lido.
Walking over all the bridges and canals really was amazing though, and the old city was easy to walk around in because there were signs everywhere pointing either towards the Plaza de San Marco or towards  Rialto. We did end up splitting a Gondola ride, and I think personally it was worth the money, because you got to see the city from the water, and the owner gave us a very nice tour of various landmarks, as well as telling us a good deal of interesting facts about the city.
We stayed in Mestre by the station, in a small hotel run by one women who owned and operated everything. Somehow I didn't pack my second boarding pass for the planes, so we had to walk over to this little computer lab run by a nice young Indian man and his wife. It was their second day opening and they still had some bugs to work out, but mestre was fun in that it felt like a small town all on it's own, instead of feeling like Venice, which was a truly amazing place, but one that thrives on tourism, so it's commercial and expensive.


Rome:
too much to say.....We saw a lot of the major monuments and buildings at least from the outside. Toured the Colosseum. Saw my favorite church by my favorite Italian architect. Great food, Great service, great day really. Quite lovely.....

And that's probably all you care to hear in a brief summary. I will say it was nice to get back to Spain where I understand the language and can make my own way around more easily.

OH! And we made a great new friend on the airplane! She's a Chilean girl studying abroad here just like we are only with a different program. She's really good natured and instantly likable, and  I really hope we'll hang out a lot during the summer.

Later this week is the Camino de Santiago, so you probably won't hear from me again until Next Friday.

Love,

Laura

My First Class

courtesy of  blog http://www.thoughttavern.com/camino-de-santiago/

My first  class is all about the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage route that stretches from France to the Northwest of Spain. In class we are spending two weeks talking about the history, legends, and origins of the Camino, as well as modern significance and cultural implications. Then we spend the last 5 days of class walking at the very end of the route, barely seeing any of it, but ending up at Santiago de Compostela.

I am really excited about this class. Not only because I love backpacking, but also because the professor is awesome, the class group is great (and small, which is good for backpacking), and the history and context of this pilgrimage route is really fascinating. I'll explain all of these things briefly:

1. I love backpacking. I haven't exactly done a lot of it, nor can I prepare my own bear bag or anything. Regardless, I really love backpacking, for more reasons than I can mention. I love being outside for such a long period of time, and I love the sense community that develops while on the trail, with the people you're with, as well as people that have walked before you and will walk after you. This route is centuries old, so I'll be joining a very large community of people from all over the world that walk on this trail for all sorts of reasons.

2.  The professor is awesome. Salva (Salvador) seems very smart and easy going, and he is able to relay information is such a way that a three hour class seemed much shorter. Aside from that, during our break today my friend and I ran into him at the cafe when we went for coffee, and he bought our coffees and talked to us for the whole break.

3. There are nine students in the class, four of which I have already met and liked. I think if it was any more people it'd be a harder to develop a class identity in such a short amount of time. Additionally, they're all the kind of people you know you could spend a week with and not feel any frustration or aggravation (Either I'm correct now or I'll swallow my words in a few weeks...vamos a ver).

4. The route is really interesting. It's the primary reason that Spain is catholic, because theoretically St James decided to travel through the Iberian Peninsula (which at the time meant travelling to the ends of the earth because they didn't know about the American continents) converting people as he was directed to do by his leader, Jesus...all of this according to the bible, which often lists James as one of the three most important Apostles, along with his brother John (the baptist) and Peter (the first pope).
Anyway, James, or Santiago, is the patron saint of Spain, along with the Virgin of the pillar (Pilar) who appeared to him and told him to continue and not give up in his travels.

 It's interesting for me to learn about all of these Catholic things in Spain, because my own understanding of religion is Spain is heavily influenced by my understand of the Church's role in the Spanish Civil War. I know my grandfather and his father were both against the Catholic Church in Spain because the Catholic church sided with Franco, and often was corrupt and hypocritical in their personal experience. In literature about the civil war, a lot of others highlight these faults of the church, so I've also learned a lot about the atheists of Spain and those that gave up on the Catholic church. Now I get to look more closely at the origins of Catholicism in Spain and perhaps understand its relationship with the people and the culture more accurately.

So that's how my class is going. If I haven't managed to make it sound as interesting as I think it is, at least you can be glad you're doing something else with your summer.