March Madness

Well I as I find myself almost at the end of March I can't help but to think that is was a full and crazy month indeed.  As I've been told  by my mother several times, my blog has not been updated in quite some time.  I'm sorry, but really, I have been quite busy.  So as this month comes to a close I'll update you all a bit.

As you know the month started with the end of my trip to Madrid, but that one I already blogged about.  But it was a great start to what would be a great month.  Tony left the beginning of March,  It seems like forever ago that he was here, but it's really only been a few weeks, regardless he is very missed in Huelva.  Carnaval happened here in early March as well.  It is the celebrations that take place before lent, sort of like Marty Graw.  We had a big party at my school and all the kids dressed up.  We had a parade and all the kids got a turn to dance on the stage and through confetti at everyone.  As my choice of costumes was limited I went as a 'typical American,' wearing a baseball hat, jeans, my twins shirt and tennis shoes.  The kids didn't really get it, but my teachers thought it was funny.

Some of you know my good friend Julia from Gustavus is nannying here in Andalucia.  So we began planning a trip together.  Two weeks ago I took 3 buses and finally met her in Algeciras, where together we made the trip over the boarder to Gibraltar.  What a crazy place!!  As an English colony everything around me was in English again, something I am not use to.  It was the first time in 6 month I could read a menu and know what everything on it was.  The sight to see in Gibraltar is obviously the rock, so we took the cable cars up to the top to spend a little quality time with the monkeys.  They are actually kind of scary because they just rome around where they please and can attack at any moment.  We walked around the paths and enjoyed the beautiful views up the coast of Spain and over the straight to Africa.  Probably the closest I'll get to Africa this time around.  

The next day we took the early train to a city called Ronda.  A beautifully unique city built on top of giant cliffs pretty much.  We had a nice Spanish breakfast on our arrival (cafe con leche and tostada with tomato and olive oil)  and began our walk around the town.  We spent the day hiking up and down the paths, taking in the breath taking views of the bridge, cliffs and city, all at the same time.  We grabbed some delicious tapas and then headed back to were Julia lives, Sotogrande.  This town is unlike any one I've seen in Spain.  It actually more reminds me of a suburb, only with really really really rich people.  There are housed and yards and driveways.  As we were walking down the street to her house it felt the most like home since i've been in Spain.  In the sense that it felt more like walking in my neighborhood than when i'm walking around Huelva.  But she lives in the port and seriously these housed are incredible.  You can see the beach from her window, felt like I was on spring break.  All in all it was an excellent weekend, beautiful views, great company and amazing views of southern Spain.

Monday morning my class took a field trip to Castilla de la Guardia Reserva.  It's an animal reserve about and hour and a half from school.  The bus ride there is a little different than say the bus ride to the science museum.  It is through the windy curvy roads of the countryside.  Needless to say 6 kids puked, fun stuff (I think the large amounts of candy they ate before we left may have been party responsible.)  But once we got there everyone was fine.  We went on a train ride around to see all the animals, went to a sea lion and a bird show and saw a Wild West village replica and show, complete with the wild west clown. . .?  The weather was great and the kids had a blast, as did us teachers.  We left at 9:30am and returned to school at 7pm.  What a day!

This past weekend I was lucky enough to hitch a ride with a friend of my friend Mary Beth to Granada.  I've been wanting to go there since I got here so I was really excited to see the city.  It was the last city to fall to the Christian conversion from Muslim to Catholic and the city has been left with a lot of Arabic influence.  It is also the provence that feeds you free tapas when you order a drink.  Beautiful.  It is also home to the Alhambra, the Arabic palace that luckily wasn't torn down after the conquest.  It is huge and seriously beautiful.  It was almost named one of the 7 man made wonders of the world, maybe someday. The city is a very hippie/gypsy city as well.  The rock there is very easy to dig into, so on the outskirts you can find many people living in caves in the summer.  Apparently cave living is a big culture in Granada.  The old party of the city, Sycramonte is also built into caves.  We took several walking tours with our hostal and got to see some great views of the Alhambra as well as explore a lot of Sycramonte.  One day we explored the new side of the city, with the Cathedral many plazas and fountains, and of course the beautiful mountains that surround the city.  Granada is cool because all the water that is used in the fountains at  the Alhambra and what not are fed by water that comes directly from the mountain snow.  It is channeled through aqueducts that brings the water all over the city.  Part of the reason the Arabs conquered Granada so many years back was for the water.  Imagine coming from the deserts of Africa to a land so rich with water!  I can see why they stayed put for so long and put up such a fight about giving it up.  It was  beautiful city and beautiful weekend.

Spain's weather has seemed to change quite rapidly.  Two weeks ago we went through a very long spell of rainy cold weather and then all of a sudden it just turned nice.  It is beautiful here now.  Hardly any need for a jacket anymore.  I've missed two fantastic beach weekends, but I plan on taking full advantage this weekend.  School is still awesome.  Our play about Picasso is coming along and I work as much as I can with the kids and their English.  The music video with my 5th graders is also coming along quite nice.  I've become the designated dance choreographer, ja, that should be interesting.  But the kids are loving it and i'm having a blast as well.  I try to spend as much time at school as I can,  I just can't get enough of those little ones, plus I like to practice my Spanish.

Well gang, there you go.   Although I didn't watch a single basketball game my march was also filled with 'madness.'  Lots of traveling and seeing a lot of Andalucia, a part of Spain which is growing very near and dear to my heart.  I'm very excited that beach weather is starting again!  Oh, I also received the best news, two of my very best friends, Marissa and Emily, bought their tickets to come see me in May!! So i'm busy planning my time with them.  Enjoy the rest of of your snow Minnesota,  I'll take a dip in the ocean for ya.

Lovin' life, lovin' Spain,

Katie

Sharks on a train

This last weekend was a Puente (break) for me.  We got Monday and Tuesday off of school, so I decided it was the perfect opportunity to go visit Kelley in Madrid.  As luck would have it Kathleen and Kate were visiting Kelley that week too, so I would have 2 days with the Duffey family in Madrid.  Friday morning I took the train to Madrid and Kelley met me at the station.  Getting back to her apartment I had such a fun reunion with my old neighbors!  We were experiencing unusually nice weather so we headed out to walk around and see the sights of Madrid.  I wish I would have worn a t-shirt, that Spanish sun is warm!!  It was so nice to be out of Huelva for a while and to be with a family again.  That evening we had the most random reunion ever.  The parents of a girl I went to elementary school with were in Madrid for a few days.  So the Duffeys, myself, Kelley's roommate Becca who also went to Language Immersion, and Paul and Jill Kirwin went out for tapas in Madrid.  Talk about a blast from the past!  Never in a million years did I think I would have dinner with that group of peope, in Spain.  Life is crazy, but it was a great night full of laughs and remembering.


The next morning we set off for a day trip to the town of Toledo.  We were planning on taking the 11am bus, but when we got to the ticket window there were at least 100 people ahead of us in line, and of course only one person working the ticket counter. Oh the efficiency of Spain.  So an hour behind schedule we were on our way.  But it was worth the wait, Toledo was an amazing city!  It helped that it was another gorgeous day.  We took a train tour (like one of the ones you would ride at French Park or Vally Fair) around the city.  Which sounds lame but was actually really cool.  The train went all the way around the city, including the other side of the river, which is something we probably wouldn't have gotten to see had we just walked around.  Toledo is a city that is surrounded on three sides by the river and the other side by a huge arab wall.  It was built in the year 934 and is still standing, amazing.  We spent the rest of the day strolling around, popping into shops and eating at a place that gives you free tapas with your drink.  It was a beautiful day.

The next day Kell and I said goobye to her mom and sister and she took them to the airport.  It was so nice to have a family again.  Made me really miss my own fam, but I know I will see them soon enough.  Then we enjoyed an amazing box of Mac and Cheese, courtesy of mama Duffey. Man I miss that stuff.

After they left we slowed down a bit.  Kelley had been going non stop for a week and me for 2 days with them there.  So we just took it easy.  We shopped (much better shopping in Madrid than Huelva)  saw more of the sights and just hung out.  The weather got significantly colder so we didn't feel as much pressure to always be outside.  I got to see everything I wanted to see in Madrid and it was wonderful.  I'm glad I had 5 days there.  Tuesday Kelley actually had to work again so I just hung out, packed and cleaned up a bit while I waited for her to get home.  Then we did one last loop around the park before I had to catch my train home (we are now getting to the explanation of the title.)  Taking the train is amazing.  Seriously, it is so great.  It was the least stressed i've ever been traveling.  It's nicer than a plane, and with much less stress.  You just waltz on, ride, then waltz off.  I did screw up a little bit though.  I didn't buy my tickets far enough in advance to on the way home there was only first class left.  It was a bit more expensive but I couldn't wait until the next day.  So I rode home in first class.  What is first class on a train?  You might ask.  Well the difference is there  is a bit more room and they serve you food.  Nice, good food.  We received a menu stating what we would be having and I should have kept it.  But they had the food translated to English on the menu also.  Now i've seen enough 'translated' menus so know that most of the time the translations don't match up.  Never the less, the translation for the main course was shark.  So yes, to the best of my knowledge they served us shark on the train (hence the reason for the title, which I owe to my cousin Tony, he thought of it.  Isn't he clever?)  We were also served bread and Olive Oil, gazpacho, veggies, fresh fruit and chocolate.  Oh yea and an after dinner coffee or liquor drink.  Yes the train is the way to go, I enjoyed.

Tony was back when I got home, but he left on Thursday for good.  I can't believe it is the end of his trip, I feel like he just got here.  Time is just flying buy now.  It's already March, what?  Unreal.  We celebrate Carnaval here this week.  It's the week before lent starts and it's like a big party.  We had a carnaval party at school on Friday.  All the kids dressed up in costumes and we had a parade. Then each grade got to take turns dancing on a giant stage.  The kids got pretty into it.  I dressed as a 'typical american.' I wore my twins t-shirt, jeans, tennis shoes and a baseball hat.  The kids didn't really get it, but the teachers thought it was funny.  It was a great day.  One of those days that makes me so happy to be here experiencing such a fun different culture.  Yea it was a great day, and a great puente!  Vale, thats all I have for now.

'sta luego!

Katie