Adonde Vamos? A Roma!

Attention, attention! Care to know my exotic location for choice for travels this weekend??

ROME!!! I'm going to Rome! Until yesterday, I had never even considered that I might get to make it to Rome this summer. I'll be there for the weekend... Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, then I have to return to resume classes. I am so freaking excited! After this weekend, it's class for another week, then San Sebastián in the North of Spain for the next weekend, then one more week of class, Madrid for a few more days, then Colombia!

One month into my 10 weeks of travel, and I am so excited! I can't wait to see what's next.

Catch me later :)

Obrigada Portugal

So, off it was to Portugal last weekend! What an amazing trip! There were good times, bad times, crazy, funny, scary, and bonding times. Here are a few teaser pictures before I go on with my long story:

The most AMAZING Gothic cathedral I have EVER seen!

Me at this gorgeous little castle on the river in Lisbon (yes, finally... water... rivers and the Atlantic Ocean!)

First we hopped a 6 hour bus trip that left at 6:30am... whew! We arrived at our darling hotel, Hotel Roma, and ate lunch. We took some time and visited a cathedral in Lisbon, a castle in Lisbon, and some monuments by the river. We toured around Centro Commercial and found a nice little place to enjoy some Portuguese Pizza and Vinho Verde. Ever heard of Vinho Verde? It's famous in Portugal. It's made from young little green grapes, but is a white wine. It was so tasty! That evening I went with my friends Katie and Rose to Los Dockes (the docks). Los Dockes were amazing! There were about 20 restaurant/bars/clubs on the docks by the river where all of the young beautiful people hang out. We sat down at a little karaoke joint and enjoyed some tunes and a couple of pitchers of Sangria. We had a great cab ride there and back... about 15 minutes each way for only 7 euro... good deal!

The next day we visited a few places, but further north and on the coast. One town, Cascais, was absolutely adorable. We saw Boca do Inferno (mouth of the devil in Portuguese), which is a famous natural cove off the shore, where the Atlantic Ocean is. It was great... here's a picture of what it looks like:

Afterwards we went to the beach in Cascais and enjoyed the sun for a while. Wanna know the fun part? Like most beaches in Europe, the topless option was very well followed. Me and my girls decided to follow suit and ditch the suit (don't worry... just the top!). That was an experience! We played in the water, at lunch a little place, bought some local jewelry, and finally headed back to Lisbon and our hotel.

That evening Kate and I ventured back to Los Dockes with Zach and Barton, two of our favorite guys on the trip. We had some beers and sangria, then we went our separate ways. But first, we found out that someone in the group that ate a big dinner together used a fake 50 euro bill to pay for their share of dinner!! No way, right!? The server showed it to us and it was SO fake it wasn't even passable. Well, Zach ended up shoveling over 50 euro to save the day and got money from everyone else the next day... what an adventure, especially because the four of us weren't even eating dinner with the group! After that, Kate and I joined up with a few others and we left Los Dockes for the more grungy young person scene in Lisbon, called Bairro Alto. I don't know how else to explain this except to say that young people just party and drink in the streets all night... like blocks upon blocks upon blocks of young people just partying in the streets. Here's a pic to prove it:

Note the guy right up front pounding that 40... hahahah

We got home around 3am and hit the hay before waking up again at 7am for breakfast and to check out of our hotel. We hit up a few great places on the way, my favorite is pictured here:

This is Óbidos, by far my favorite place in Portugal. It was quite, quaint, and outrageously beautiful. The whole city is surrounded by a tall castle wall and the castle within the city was also gorgeous. This little street is just barely an idea of how great this place was, but I'm glad we stopped there.

After Óbidos, we spent the next 6 hours on the bus (with no A/C and the temperature well over 100*) while we sweated greatly and tried our best to catch some z's. We finally got home around 8:30pm and I crashed to prepare for class Monday.

Speaking of class Monday, I got a B on my grammar exam! Not the best but also not the worst... I can settle for a B. Whew!

Now I'm off to plan my free weekend to some exotic place... stay tuned to find out what I decide... I'm suuuper excited!!!!! :)

PS "Obrigada" is "Thank You" (when a girl says it) in Portuguese... now you know!

catch me later :)

Time Goes On

Hey there... it's me, Kati. Hmmm so what's new in the life of Kati? Not that much to be completely honest. I'm doing pretty much the same thing every day, which is nice because if you know me you know I like schedules, but I've felt that I have nothing new to blog about! So here's the boring-ness and I'll see if I can throw some interesting things in there.

Today I had midterms... yes, I, too, am surprised that I'm halfway through my time here in Spain. I had a Grammar midterm and a Culture midterm. Grammar was interesting... not sure how well I did there :/ But Culture went pretty well, I think (with the exception of not knowing specifics about major holidays in Spain).

I'm tired of the food in the cafeteria here. It's always the same thing. And I eat too much bread (it's not good for the mid-section). And ice cream. I eat waaaay too much ice cream. But it's so good, and that's nothing unusual for me, really ;)

Hmmm what else? Men are kinda creepy here. Okay, they're creepy in the US, too, but here I don't always understand what creepy things they are whispering or yelling out of their cars. So yes, they are creepy. Oh, and I finally emailed a girl to try to get a new conversation partner. She wants to practice English and I want to practice Spanish, so I hope we can come together a few times a week before I leave and work on conversation. Hopefully that goes well! Also, I saw a man have a heart attack (or stroke... not sure really) in the Plaza Mayor the other night. It was horrific and I won't dare try to explain the pain I felt for this man as I watched him suffer 10 feet from me, but that was certainly an experience that shook me.

Tomorrow morning I am leaving for Portugal for the weekend. We've got some tours set up and some designated beach time in Lisboa (the capital), of course. I can't wait to post all those pictures! It'll be fun to do something different. And I found out that next weekend is a free weekend for me so I'm going to do some research and find a cheap train ticket somewhere... not sure where yet, but I'll keep you all posted.

Alright, the next post is sure to be more appetizing... until then!

Catch me later :)

Copa Mundial

As promised, here are a bunch of fun pictures from the celebration here in Salamanca when Spain won the World Cup last weekend. What a blessing to live here while Spain won for the first time!!!!! Once in a lifetime... to get all super corny here ;)

Celebrating in the Plaza Mayor after the game!

Flags, music, and celebration!

The GIANT flag that was carried into the Plaza Mayor after the win.

Salamanca con la roja :) And Iniesta right after he scored the winning goal.

Seriously though, I wish I could replay my brain for all of you to know how amazing it was to be here that night. Did you know that the coach, Vicente del Bosque, is from Salamanca? Well, he is! He is coming back this next week sometime for celebration, and the city is supposed to be another amazing fiesta when he gets here. Can't wait! I'll keep you posted!

catch me later :)

Adventures Galore

I feel as though I've had less time to blog since I began classes. Need an update? Here's the best I can do to recap the last 5 days:

Thursday: Class, salsa lessons, and the first day of Las Noches Del Fonseca (a festival in Salamanca that runs the month of July). I also went with Dave (my friend from Kentucky) to Orange to buy a temporary Spanish cell phone. I know, I know, it's silly, but it makes it easy to keep connected with people who live here and have Spanish numbers, and to use in case of emergency. That purchase was quite interesting because Dave doesn't speak Spanish, so I had to do all the talking and negotiation. You know how crazy it is to buy a cell phone in the States? Well, imagine that shark coming at you in Spanish when you are only at an upper-intermediate level! jajajaj anyway, The first performance of Las Noches Del Fonseca was Carmen Cortes, a famous Flamenco dancer from Andalucia (the region in the south of Spain). She was amazing with her dance and her band of three musicians (guitar, drums, and vocals) was absolutely incredible. After that, I got a sore throat but decided to try to sleep it off.

Friday: I woke up SICK... and I knew the feeling: Strep. Indeed it was as I found out at the doctor. He prescribed me some antibiotics and I got to go buy them at the local farmacia. Buuuut that didn't stop me from hitting up El Savor for a little salsa (I'm addicted... what can I say?). I just danced 2 dances though, in hopes of "resting".

Saturday: We woke up bright and early and jumped on the

charter bus which took us to Segovia, a town north of Madrid, about 2 hours away from Salamanca. There we visited a monastery founded by John of the Cross, roman aquaducts, the castle that Ferdinand and Isabella got married in and reigned from, and the palace nearby with numerous gardens and bronze fountains. It was so incredible! It was really hot there, but was so beautiful. We were gone for about 12 hours that day, about 4-1/2 hours driving and the other walking around. We returned to Salamanca and of course I went out that evening for dancing, drinks, and fun.

Sunday: Time to catch up on sleep! We visited (in Salamanca) the Pontificia, the other university in the city that once rivaled the University of Salamanca but is now friendly with them. It was beautiful architecture, just on the cusp of rococo. Then I slept for HOURS which was very refreshing. Then... wait for it.... what was on Sunday.....???? LA COPA MUNDIAL! And Spain took the whole thing! I have to make a separate post for that, it was so huge... stay tuned.

Monday: Back to school! I took a pretty long nap midday and then stayed up late to talk to Kellie at home. Along with Kellie also came Laurel and Leslie :) I was soooo happy to see my best friends and talk with them for so long. Then I got to spend some time talking to Camilo, which was also very wonderful... just over a month until I land in Colombia! :)

Tuesday: Well, that was yesterday... let's see... Oh yeah, another day

of class, siesta (a looooong one), and cooking class! Our cooking teacher/chef, Davis, was amazing! He taught us how to make Gazpacho (a cold tomato-based soup), Zorongollo (a sweet/tangy pepper side dish), and Pisto Manchego (a mix of garlic, peppers, onions, squash, tomato paste, and eggs). They were all SOOOO go

od I could hardly believe it. I didn't even eat dinner, but did go get ice cream later (menta con chocolate, which matched my eyeshadow) with Dave and then wine with Dave and Zayrho. What a blast :) Then I went to bed early (aka 12am) and slept for 8 hours... soooooo good.

Today: So far, I just had class and am now getting ready for lunch. Then it's siesta, cooking class to learn how to make a few more dishes (and sangria, too, I think), go for a run, go buy Dave some glasses so he can see, and then do some studying. Most likely the night will end with a little dancing and wine, but what's new. Also, I have another private Spanish conversation lined up, so I'll get even more spanish practice today... we're focusing on past tense. Oh, and yes, my strep is nice and gone, but now I have a cold, or allergies, or something like that. It's fight after fight here, I tell ya... life is so hard ;) Alright, that's enough blah blah blah...

...catch me later :)

Fun Pictures!

Me and Kate

swimming :)
Las Torres Medievales de la Catedral
The Interior... AMAZING late gothic cathedral

The view out of my window :)

A bunch of us just after Spain won yesterday! Que divertido!

Viva España!!!!!!!!

This post will probably seem pretty boring... because, well, I'm finally settling into a routine. Now that I'm in classes my schedule is pretty much set. I have 3 hours of classroom time in the morning and 1 hour in the evening at a cafe outside all around the city. I think that class is my favorite! I keep trying to take salsa lessons but something comes up every night that is prohibiting me from getting there. Yesterday there was football, today there is football (Viva Españaaaaaaaaaa!!!!), classes running late... so many things! But I have definitely been out dancing and trying to pick up some of the moves.

Last night I went to a Latin themed party at a club and danced for quite a long time! I also met 3 Colombian girls and talked to them about my upcoming travels there (in a mixture of English and Spanish... well, okay much more English than Spanish). I'm getting more comfortable with talking to people here and now won't hesitate to order from the bartender or ask for some tapas. Yesterday I went with a group to this pool that is "nearby"... aka a 30 minutes walk in 100 degree weather, weaving through almost-freeway-like traffic. Well, the pool was nice and well earned by the time we got there. We also took some fun pictures I'll have to share with you soon. I'm learning a lot in my classes, even after just two days, so I can see a lot more happening in the next 5-1/2 weeks. Espero estar hablando español todo el tiempo antes de mis vacciones a Colombia.

Siesta time... my favorite part of the day (except maybe the reason I need it... dancing late into the night). Then it's off to watch España beat Alemania!!!!!! That's right, I said it all you Germany fans. Germany is going down and España is moving on! Viva Españaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!

catch me later :)

First Day of Classes!

Good morning Salamanca (and goodnight Seattle). Today is the first day of classes! I was placed at an upper intermediate level, which honestly kind of surprises me since I haven't had lessons since high school. Buuuuut that just means I've been doing a good job studying up until this trip!

Yesterday we visited the most amazing gothic church I've ever seen (well, I've only seen one in D.C. before, and that one wasn't built in 1200). I'll post some pictures soon, but it was amazing! We climbed the stairs to the top and had an amazing view of all of Salamanca. Then we had a wine reception to welcome all of the new students and I met people from all over- Egypt, Taiwan, France, Tennessee, Greece, and more. Everyone is just as nervous and excited. Some speak English so we communicate that way, others I can only talk to in Spanish. It's been so interesting so far to hear all of the languages.

Alright, off to coffee with Stefany and then to class!

catch me later :)

El Dia Del Examen

Whew... done with that placement test. Thank goodness! We get our results tonight and then tomorrow is the first day of classes. Estoy muy nerviosa!

Last night, Stefany decided to ask me all about USA stereotypes, and we had quite the laugh. She wanted to know if the cheerleaders really date the football players, what prom was like, foods we eat, and things like that. Finally we were both so exhausted and hot (it was almost 100 degrees yesterday) and the residencia doesn't have air conditioning. Good thing I have an amazing view out of my window! The rooms are nice, very clean, new furniture, and fairly comfortable beds. I slept all night which was a good change. The food in the cafeteria is pretty good, too. I was surprised! Still, they had no coffee so Stefany and I are going to go get some here in a second. Did I mention how amazing the coffee is here yet? It's the BEST! And it's that good everywhere, in every cafe. I am in heaven!

I'm going to enjoy the fountain outside of my window until Stefany gets back, then head out for the rest of the day... maybe do some shopping, enjoy some wine, and mingle a bit. Then it's off to salsa tonight! Can't wait...

...catch me later :)

To Dance With A Gentleman

Today I got to meet my roommate for my 6 weeks in Salamanca. She is from Greece and her name is Stefany. The funny thing is, she doesn't speak a word of Spanish but is quite fluent in English. Maybe I'm not practicing so much with her, but I have certainly been teaching her things in Spanish! We went for a walk tonight and made a stop at the Plaza Mayor to see the lights come on. While we were there, we heard this beautiful Spanish music and stopped to listen. Next thing I know, an older Spanish gentleman (about 70 years old) had taken my hand and pulled me in to the middle of this circle around the band in the plaza. He started dancing with me and saying all of these things in Spanish that I couldn't completely understand, while tons of locals and tourists standing around us to pictures and videos. I couldn't stop laughing, especially when I made eye contact with Stefany watching from the crowd. I thanked him afterward and walked away to finish the tour of the town with my new roommate. Only in Spain!!! :) I wish I could get a photo from one of those onlookers. I take my Spanish placement test tomorrow morning so I better get some rest. Buenas noches a todos!

catch me later :)

Do You See What I See?

Hi and happy 4th of July!

I thought it'd be fun to post some pictures of what I've been doing so far. Here you go!

BEAUTIFUL DEATH STAIRS

This is the really cool (and slightly creepy) staircase that leads from the 4th to the 5th floor of Le Petit Hotel. Sure, it LOOKS harmless, but with a 50lb suitcase and giant bag, it's quite the sweat-breaker! And at night, it's pitch black and it's a little hard to navigate. You can't see here, but right above it is a plexiglass roof where the pigeons like to hang out and wake us up with their cooing. It's actually pretty sweet.

PLAZA MAYOR

This magnificent beauty is the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca. It is the central meeting place for everyone in Salamanca. Around 10pm every night the lights come on and this is what it looks like. It's definitely one of my favorite places so far in Salamanca. Under the clock here is where you meet anyone here in town. There are many shops, tapas bars, and so much more all around the plaza.

KATI & KATE

Now this is me and Kate, my newfound love on the trip at one of the beautiful cathedrals in Salamanca. We've experienced many adventures already... more to come, no doubt!

Alright, that's enough for now. We're moving into the dorms today and I get to meet my roommate for the rest of the time here. I can't wait!

catch me later :)

España Moves On!

For those of you who didn't watch back at home (ps. you're crazy) ... SPAIN IS MOVING ON TO THE SEMIFINALS!!!! Kate and I enjoyed dinner and the game at our favorite little cafe, Baviera 1964, for the excitement! Watching the games here is soooo much fun! It meant so much to the Spaniards to see their team move forward. The whole city is celebrating tonight, honking their horns, waving flags (and shirts that they have taken off in celebratory style), but I'm going to catch up on my zzzz's. Tomorrow we move out of Le Petit Hotel and into the dorms at the University of Salamanca. It's on the other side of the Plaza, so we'll have to learn our way around again once we get there... we've got to know this side of the city pretty well. Well, it's after midnight, so I'm off to bed. Have a wonderful day back in USA!

catch me later :)

Ah... THAT'S why you take a siesta

Hola mis amigos! Que buen dia hoy en Salamanca... about 90 degrees with a breeze! But guess what I am??.... TIRED! Me and my bedmate for the hotel we're at (her name is Kate) stayed out a liiiiiiiiiiittle too late last night and are dragging now. What a fun night, though! Salamanca has such a fun nightlife and everyone is out so late. It's almost a culture shock. We spent the night going from disco to disco (after watching futbol, of course) and dancing all night. This morning we toured an amazing cathedral after some cafe, but the heat and walking here (we walk sooooo much) has got me beat. So this amazing little thing (siesta) sounds pretty good right about now. We're gonna go catch a nap before the next futbol games begin. Gooooooooo España!!!! Ayyyyyyyyy!!!!!...

...catch me later :)

I Love Sleep... and Salsa

Hola mis amigos! I am officially starting my second day in Salamanca. It's so beautiful here, I had no clue! Yesterday was pretty rough with the jet lag and all of the traveling. It took me 18 hours to get from the airport in Seattle to my hotel here... and not a lot of sleep in there. I'd like to say that for my first day of being here, though, I had a blast. After a 5 hour siesta yesterday, we went to the plaza and ate dinner (sangria here is amaaaaaaazing). Then we went to a few bars, made friends with Alejandro (a professor from Argentina here for a conference), and finally settled down (and got started having fun) at a salsa bar called El Savor. What a blast! Off to go enjoy some cafe now...

catch me later :)