Adjusting to life back in the States...

It’s hard to believe I’ve been home for a little over two weeks now. The time goes so slow, yet so fast; mainly because I don’t have much left of it before I go off to my next adventure.  People have asked me what the hardest part about readjusting is but I don’t know what to tell them. I've always been a very laid-back, go with the flow type of person; so I haven't had any major problems, it’s just the little things that get me.  

I took my time getting my sleep schedule back on track but even that wasn’t that bad. It was actually kind of nice to get to bed early for once, and then waking up earlier gives you more sunlight in your day. But I did miss not having a social life for a week when most of my friends were still super night owls like I used to be.

So many people think of me as a picky eater and thought I was going to have trouble with the food in Spain, and I guess I was a little concerned myself; but now I miss Spanish food and how culturally different it is to eat a meal in Spain. Two words: comida and tapas. I promise that a future article will be dedicated to how Spain has changed my ideas on food. 

In Spain I missed having a car, not for city travel, but for weekend trips so I could be on my own and not worry about a bus schedule. The first time I got back into my car it dawned on me that I would have to drive everywhere again. Ogdensburg is not Salamanca. There is not a central area where everything you could possibly ever need is and the only thing close to it isn’t even a pedestrian zone. You can’t walk to a café, mainly because there aren’t any, but also because there aren’t any within an acceptable walking distance in America. In Spain everything in the entire city of Ogdensburg would be within an acceptable walking distance while in America we drive to get something 3 blocks away.  And when I do go to a coffee shop I am reminded that everything is bigger in America. Even though I only want a café con leche about the size of a double espresso shot, it comes in a large coffee mug, and isn’t nearly as good as the coffee in Spain. 

I just miss the simplicity of it all. I had nothing with me in Spain aside from some clothes, a few folders and binder clips, a pen, shoes, my laptop and Kindle. I only had what I used, and used rather often. Here I have so many things that I don’t need. I’ve known I need to simplify the clutter in my life for a while and living in Spain showed me how little I need.  I’m happy with just the basics and enough money in my pocket to travel a little and have a good time.  

And in the end, I miss being on vacation, relatively stress free with just a little school work to think of. But don’t worry; I know that it’s back to the real world. I’ve already been working for 3 weeks I have for “summer vacation” before going off to Middlebury College for French School, or camp, depending on how you look at it. I know it’s going to be a great time, but it’s also going to be a time when I’m losing money. So needless to say I’ve been working as many hours as they will let me. It will all be worth it, I’m thinking of saving my money to buy a ticket back to Spain… ;)

My last day in Salamanca (take 2)

After my trip to Italy, I stayed in a hostel in Madrid for two days. But instead of staying in Madrid all the time, I hopped a bus to go back to Salamanca for a day…and it was wonderful!!!!!!! It was a gorgeous day, sunny and warm with a light breeze, absolutely perfect. I picked up a few more souvenirs, got lunch with a friend, and walked around a bit taking pictures.  Something one of my Spanish friends has been telling me: It’s not the place, it’s the people; the places are always there, the people aren’t.  This is becoming more and more apparent to me all the time, and it was especially apparent this last day in Salamanca. I love the place, but it was easier to leave knowing it will always be there; what had changed about it was that not all of my friends were there. There were no tears leaving this time, just a calm assurance that I will return again. 

I’ve found some nice quotes about Salamanca by famous authors that I’ve been meaning to share. Now I guess would be a good time.

One of the most famous quotes on Salamanca that can be found all over the city was written by Miguel de Cervantes in the Quijote. Cervantes makes several references to Salamanca in this work.

 ¨Salamanca que enhechiza la voluntad de volver a ella a todos los que la apacibilidad de su vivienda han gustado¨

Really old Spanish with a really rough translation of:

Salamanca makes anyone who enjoyed its modest home want to return. 

A plaque with Cervantes' quote

Miguel de Unamuno served as president of the University of Salamanca for many years; he wrote:

 ¨Es una fiesta para los ojos y para el espíritu

Ver la ciudad como poso del cielo en la tierra de las aguas del Tormes¨ 

“It’s a feast for the eyes and soul

To see the city as dregs of heaven on earth in the waters of the Tormes (river)”

A view of the Cathedral from the other side of Rio Tormes

…and…

¨Oh Salamanca, entre tus piedras de oro

Aprendieron a amar los estudiantes¨ 

“Oh Salamanca, among your golden stones

Students learn to love”

A view of the Cathedral from the common make out garden

Víctor Hugo was a little more objective in his evaluation of Salamanca:

Salamanca reposa sonriente sobre sus tres colinas

Duerme al son de las mandolinas

Y se despierta sobresaltada por el griterío de sus estudiantes

Salamanca sits smiling on her three hills

Sleeps to the sound of mandolins

And wakes up startled by the shouting of its students

Last picture of the Plaza Mayor....for now ;)

Common phrase in Latin about Salamanca that can also be seen around the city:

Quod natura non dat, Salamantica non praestat

What nature doesn’t give, Salamanca doesn’t lend.

Roman Bridge and Poppy flowers

So I may have had dinner with the Moffia….

On my way back to Spain from Sicily I had to stay a night in Palermo to catch an “early” flight from Trapani. So I got to Palermo, found my hostel, and asked for a good place to eat. The guy at the hostel took me to the window and pointed out a place just across the street and down the block a little. I thought it would be like most of the places I was in in Messina, where there would be a bar of food and I would be able to point instead of relying on my non-existent Italian to order food from a menu; I was mistaken. No big deal, I sit down at a table by myself; there’s only one other occupied table in the whole place, a group of 3. I look at the menu; I wanted pasta but I didn’t have a clue what kind of pasta they had other than pasta and I had been told they had good pizza, so I went for that. Once again, understanding very little of what comes on each of these specialty pizzas, and not wanting to spend a lot of money, I choose one of the cheaper ones that I understand to have olives, along with tomato sauce, and a few other things on it. After ordering, I notice the guy who seems to be the head of the group at the other table gesturing to the free seat at the table and saying something to me in Italian. I reply in my broken Italian: “Io non so italiano” - I don’t know Italian. He waves his hand like it doesn’t matter and says “Te invito.” These words I did understand, and not wanting to be rude or eat alone, I moved to the other table.

Gian Vito, the head of the group was the one who invited me to sit with them. He was a bigger guy, wore lots of jewelry, but dressy casual, very confident and in charge of things, he had something about him that made you think it was better not to say no , and everyone seemed to love him. He frequently stepped outside of the restaurant to take calls on his cell phone, he was very popular. Daniela was the girl in the group, from Germany, but had been living in Italy for 8 years. Alberto was the third, married with 2 year old son. Daniela and Alberto spoke a little English and between that and my little Italian we managed to converse. 

I had only ordered my pizza and a drink, but they had some bruschetta and a plate of meats and cheeses for an appetizer. Gian Vito offered me some of the food, I tried to politely decline, he insisted. The bruschetta was delicious. I took a piece of salami and prosciutto and an olive from the meats and cheese plate, but Gian Vito told Daniela to put more on my plate, including cheese.  I ate it, all of it, trying not to be rude. One of Jair’s friends had asked me if it was socially acceptable to refuse things when people offer them to you in America. I do it all of the time, so I suppose so; but it made me realize that it’s a little different here. 

Finally the pizza came. Surprise! Crust with tomato sauce, olives, onions, and anchovies, no cheese.  I’ve noticed that Italians love onions on their pizza, and anchovies on some; I should have known better. But I ate it, and it wasn’t bad.  The others each had a different pizza, and everyone said it was very good pizza. I was amused by the fact that Gian Vito, the very Italian, macho Gian Vito was eating a pizza that essentially consisted of cheese and pepperoni- how American.

We all finished the pizzas and then Gian Vito ordered us all something. They tried explaining it to me; but I didn’t understand. Finally, 2 plates of cherries came out; fruit serves for two things in Spain, and Italy it seems as well: dessert and its good for digestion. We sat around and talked a little bit. Gian Vito went to another table to talk with one of the employees that he knew.  When he came back, the other two got up from the table and were ready to leave. It occurred to me that he had paid… for all of us. I tried to offer him money, he refused. So in my very poor Italian, I said “Mille grazie”- A thousand thanks.  He invited me to go with them for a drink, but I declined, reminding them of my early bus, and this time I was allowed to refuse the offer. We said good-bye with handshakes and kissed on the cheeks, Italian style, left cheek first, and they wished me a say trip and good luck with everything.

It turned out to be a good night, interesting company to say the least. Along with the small talk conversation I received two compliments: that I was beautiful, decided by Gian Vito and Daniela; and that I spoke good Italian, according to Gian Vito….this makes me second guess the people who said I spoke good Spanish…. :/

Una settimana in Sicilia...

Italy, yeah, I’ve been there. I was there for a whole week. What did I see? Messina.  Where’s Messina? On Sicily. Must be pretty? It’s a port city, and after my trip to Portugal we all know how well I like those….

When I found out my boyfriend was going to go study in Italy I started making plans to go see him. Sicily: island, beach, site of some ancient Greek and Roman ruins. So while he’s in class, I get to go have fun. Well, I still had fun, but it didn’t turn out like I expected. To put it one way, the infrastructure in Sicily kind of sucks. Maybe that’s just my opinion after coming from Spain where there are central bus stations with ticket booths for many lines instead of walking all around a very general area looking for the store of the company you want.  But in Sicily the ticket booths are kind of scattered around, as well as where the bus picks you up and drops you off. I will say however, that it is nice that there are multiple places where you can be picked up or dropped off within a city for a ticket of the same price.

I spent the first few days of my trip worried about money, because as it turns out, I was not able to stay with my boyfriend in his dorm; but in a hotel instead for which I had to pay. The last few days of the trip I was still distressing from culture shock and the emotional rollercoaster I was on between leaving Salamanca and arriving to Messina; so I decided not to do any traveling on my own. I went with my boyfriend and his friends to Reggio di Calabria, on mainland Italy, and he and I attempted to go to Taormina, but that whole infrastructure thing….the times for buses suck in Italy too. There was a bus there, but no bus back even though the town we wanted to go to was only an hour away and it was still plenty early in the day to make the trip and back. Oh well….

It was a nice relaxing vacation. I puttered around on the internet trying to find grad schools, did some French homework, went for walks around Messina on my own, and hung out with Jair. I even got to go to some classes with him : ) I probably would have ventured around Messina a little more than I did had the weather cooperated.  I was hoping to get my tan on, people say it’s warm and I wanted a beach; but here’s the deal on Sicily, warmth doesn’t mean sun, just because there’s a beach doesn’t mean it’s either pretty or clean, and supposedly the water is still really cold. I didn’t try it out for myself; the not pretty, not clean beach was kind of in the way. But overall, it was a good time, and worth the trip. My advice, going to Sicily want to see Messina and go to a beach, find a different beach.

Yes, Sicily is pretty, what I saw of it at least; I did most of my sightseeing of places other than Messina on a bus when I wasn’t sleeping, so honestly, I didn’t see much. But it was pretty. To give you an idea, when you’re not in a city seeing some architecturally beautiful buildings, you see either the Mediterranean Sea or mountains; and it is gorgeous. 

Here are some pictures....the weather did not cooperate....

Something to do with St. Catherine

Church of Sta. Maria Alemanna

Church of the Annunziata dei Catalani

Fountain of Orion

Statue of the Virgin Mary

The Duomo, aka Cathedral

A map of Messina in front of the Theatre

The Theatre

Madonna of the Port

Government Palace and the Christo Rey