Travels in the North

This week our study abroad program took a

n excursion to Northern Spain to look at architecture.  It was actually really amazing.  We stopped in really neat little ancient cities.  Caitlin and I worked on spending as little money as possible.  The Director of BCA informed us on the bus that 

we would be buying our own food for five whole days when most of us were under the impression that it would be paid for.  Never fear, our thriftiness and sheer brilliance shown through.  We managed to get by on very little on the trip.

It was amazing to see the architecture.  I was just blown away time after time by these beautiful palaces, cathedrals, and cities.  It was great to see how cultures beliefs shaped the art and architecture.  My favorite building was the cathedral of León.  It was very lavish.  My second favorite was Gaudi's palace in Astorga.  Caitlin and I joked that it was our house and picked out bedrooms and dance floors, breakfast nooks, etc etc.  Caitlin and I only got lost twice in the five days we were traveling.  We really need to either pay more attention, or become friends with someone who can navigate.  My personal favorite was the time when I was motion sick/poisoned from the bus ride and we were lost at 10pm, with a map, without any knowledge of the city we were in, and without knowing the name of our hotel.  Luckily Caitlin noticed a door and led us home.  She is my hero.

It was nice to be in the North.  It felt like Fall which made me think of home.  I wish the trees were changing or something.. that would be fun.  Overall, I was very impressed by Northern Spain.  The trip was fun, the buildings were gorgeous, and I learned a lot.  Oh, my fellow BCAers were great too.  One night we went out for traditional tapas.  It was really a fun time!

Oh, also there is this thing called the Camino de Santiago.  It is this sweet pilgrimage from France to "the edge of the Earth" aka the coast of Spain.  Many people were trekking along with their packs and I felt a wave of envy and a hunger for adventure (or an adwenchture).  I guess I have my adventure planned for now, but one day (maybe with a certain wench).

One another note entirely, I have picked out my classes! I will have three BCA (american students being taught in Spanish) classes and two University of Barcelona classes.  My BCA classes are: Spanish Civil War (so excited!), Spanish Pragmatics, and Spanish History.  My UB classes are: Spanish Narratives of the 19th Century (which I am equally drawn to and frightened of) and Spanish in America.  Every day I get out of class at 2pm so I am pumped to have my afternoons free!  Hopefully I find some Spanish friends and can fill my days with wonderful things.