Salamanca Homestay, And Side Trips!
Trip Start
May 27, 2008
1
2
7
Trip End
Jun 20, 2008
Salamanca,
Castile-León,
Spain and Canary Islands
Saturday, May 31, 2008
Throughout our time in Salamanca, we spent a lot of time wandering the city's picturesque streets and admiring gorgeous plaza mayor
Salamanca from Cathedral
. There was good shopping very close to the plaza; there were stores like H & M and Zara. We also visited the lovely, gothic cathedral in Salamanca. I especially liked this cathedral in Salamanca because we were able to climb stairs to the top and see breathtaking views of this wonderful Spanish city that many overlook when planning a trip to Spain.One aspect of Salamanca I found quite wonderful was the abundance of interesting architecture; there was always something unique and one-of-a-kind to look at. Examples include the Casa de las Conchas, which is now a public library, the Casa Lis, one of Salamanca's art museums, and the university façade. A legend states that if one is able to find the skull with a frog on the façade, he or she will have good luck for the next year and possibly be married.
Salamanca has some of the best nightlife in Spain. There are various bars and discotecas all over the city. I'd say our group as a whole chose Camelot as our favorite discoteca. We also enjoyed O'hara and the Irish Rover, although the Irish Rover seemed to cater more to the tourists than to the locals.
Of course, I must not forget our main reason for traveling to Salamanca: to attend classes at the university. The University of Salamanca is Spain's oldest university and one of the oldest in Europe; the university was founded in the 13th century. During our two weeks in Salamanca, we attended classes in Spanish language, conversation, and culture. Of course, these classes were all taught in Spanish--only one of my teachers had some knowledge of English, but she rarely used it. We took these classes through the Cursos Internacionales program at the university, and we were alongside other Americans, as well as people from other countries, for example, Australia
Salamanca Cathedral
.While living with a Spanish family, we were able to taste some truly authentic Spanish cooking. In addition to tortilla española, we were served slices of jamón ibérico, ham pizza, pieces of fresh fruit, and many other dishes. Our señora seemed to be a pretty good cook. One dish my roommate and I really enjoyed was a cold mixture of shredded chicken, potatoes, hard boiled egg whites, and carrots with a white sauce. Our señora also made some very delicious soups. Some afternoons when we were out roaming the streets, we would stop in a small pastelería, or pastry store, and buy a couple of pastries. The pastries in Spain are the most delicious I have ever tasted. Another must-eat is the gofre (waffle.) The gofres are like delicious Belgian waffles topped with cinnamon, whipped cream, or chocolate sauce.
Most of Salamanca's locals get places by foot or by bus. Our host family did have a car, but they didn't seem to use it often. My roommate and I walked almost everywhere. We did ride a bus once when we went to the Sunday morning rastro, or flea market.
Of all the cities we traveled to, Salamanca seemed to be the one where English was the least widely-spoken
Forearm in Salamanca Cathedral
. Before traveling to Salamanca, it is almost imperative to have basic knowledge of Spanish as as well as a good English-Spanish/Spanish-English dictionary.----------------------------------------
During our time in Salamanca, we took quite a few side trips to places including Ávila, Segovia, El Escorial, and Valley of the Fallen.
Ávila is a small walled city situated southeast of Salamanca. We weren't able to see a lot of the town, but this is where I attended a bullfight. I do not regret attending the bullfight because bullfighting is such a huge part of Spain's culture, but it is unlikely that I will attend another. It was neat to see the matadors' intricate outfits, but I found it quite saddening to watch six bulls lose their lives.
In Segovia we saw the Roman aqueduct and toured La Alcázar de Segovia. I found the aqueduct to be particularly interesting because it is made of only stone--no grout, no mortar--just stone. The alcázar was very neat too. It once served as King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella's summer home, and it is believed to be a source of inspiration for Walt Disney's Cinderella Castle at Disney World in Florida
Salamanca Cathedral Inside
.We also visited the beautiful monastery at El Escorial. Those who want to see El Escorial typically take a day trip from Madrid, as El Escorial is actually located in the province of Madrid.
In addition, we visited Valley of the Fallen. This is a neat monument dedicated to the soldiers who died in the Spanish Civil War, which took place from 1936 until 1939. Here there is a large basilica and an enormous cross. The basilica also serves as a resting place for the Spanish dictator Franco, who died in 1975.
Lastly, we visited a bull ranch in the province of Castilla y León. On our way to the ranch, we drove up the into the Sierra de Francia mountains. At the top, Piña de Francia, there was a small church and a monastery. With an overcast sky and many large birds flying overhead, I got a sort of creepy feeling here, but the mountains were absolutely beautiful. After our stop in the mountains, we continued on our way to the ranch. Here we participated in a capea, which is sort of like a mini bullfight. I was in a small bullring with another student from the trip and a baby bull. We waved a cape and the bull would run at it, and we had to properly maneuver ourselves in order to avoid getting hit by the baby bull. This was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life--knowing that this large animal, even though it was a baby, seemed to have more control over my life than I did.
