Hostal Mirobriga Ciudad Rodrigo

... since apparently for Carnival festivities you can't buy a round trip ticket (yes, we thought this was strange as well, but after arguing with the bus ticket man for fifteen minutes, we couldn't change it, sooo...). After securing a way back to Salamanca (NOT that we would have minded staying the night, since it's supposed to be an all night party in the streets, no one sleeps you just dance all night long {certainly my kind of thing}) we ...

... like this: 8:00am to 8:45, Yoga and/or get ready for the day (one of the English volunteers is a certified yoga instructor) 9:00am to 10:00, Breakfast buffet and dining at tables of 4 (2 English speakers and 2 Spaniards at each table) 11:00am to 1:00pm, One on Ones in 50 minutes sessions (for every 50 minute slot I was paired up with a different Spaniard. We could discuss everything and anything so long as we are mindful of controversial subjects like American ...

... and the Spanish civil war. Among the many topics that came up in my conversations were online dating, 9/11, the cost of private education, the Iron Man triathlon, and, of course, Spanish cuisine) 1:00pm to 2:00pm, Two on Two (two English speakers and two Spaniards are paired up with a list of questions they can randomly choose from to jump start the conversation. Among the topics I discussed were women in the workplace, childhood pranks, and the question: "What ...

... keep the conversation flowing all you have to do is ask if Spanish wine is better than French or if Italian olive oil is the best, then sit back while they talk passionately for the rest of the hour. Most people were more than willing to talk about themselves and some amazing stories came out. Javier is a Spanish man in his late 50´s who was a political prisoner during the rule of Franco. Chip, an American who has a hook for a right hand ...

... the longest. Carnaval is most known for the disfraces (costumes). People all over Spain will go out at night during Carnaval in costumes, similar to Halloween but without the candy. We saw people dressed up as babies, devils, toros (bulls), superheroes, pirates, with wigs or masks, and other costumes. In Ciudad Rodrigo there were rides and games like a carnival in the U.S. They sold typical carnival foods like French ...

... nearby town called San Martin.It's gorgeous! While La Alberca is very pretty, it is also quite touristy with lots of souvenir shops etc. San Martin is not touristy at all, just a regular little village in the area. It has an old bull ring bordered by castle ruins, and a quaint little bakery where we bought tasty little cookies. Manuel is from Salamanca (the province we are in) and so he knows a lot about the area and makes a fantastic tour guide! Thanks ...

... Later that night a bunch of us headed in to La Alberca for one last night at the disco. We even managed to drag Barb along, who got out on the dance floor with all of us to shake her groove thang! As a common theme to the week, there was of course more dancing, and more drinking. Followed by a car ride home where Pablo and Borja were cuddling in the back seat...I tried not to ...

... of various sorts, drama drama. Davy had a chat with the Anglos explaining what was going on, needless to say from that point things were pretty tense. Everyone ended up staying, and after some *****ing and complaining from a couple people, we were able to move on. And with a lot more English speaking! Amazing how it only takes a couple people to ruffle the feathers of 30 some people. That night was the fiesta, so there was ...

... amazing. And when you first meet him you would think he's a pretty quiet guy, but if you listen he has a lot to say. Davy is our MC, and along the way he gave us a mini-history and tour of the area, from the various occupations of Spain to the religious history (Spain has been Muslim, Jewish and Catholic!) and various points of interest. He also works as a guide in the south of Spain, so he is ...

... Jesus (well the pronunciation is certainly different!). Staying up far too late, drinking far too much, lounging by the pool or on my air mattress (which has made it all the way from Croatia to Spain!), talking, lots of talking, laughing, and just generally having an amazing week! Cheers to the staff who were amazing, Esther as our PD and Brian as our MC, it was a fabulous wee. And the staff at the hotel, especially ...