A Brief Guide for Spanish Wine

For this post, I decided to research and put together a short guide to wine in Spain. The social taboos of drinking on weekdays or before 5 p.m. are generally scoffed at here in Spain, where it is not uncommon to split a bottle of Crianza with lunch (and to do so every day). Any wine lover’s eyes will brighten when they realize that they can find bottles of decent Spanish wine for less than 4 euro in the nearest El arbol, Carrefour, or Hipercor. The Spanish interest in and production of wine is impressive, boasting the most land dedicated to the growth of grapes and to viticulture of any country in the world. Spain is comprised of over 70 wine regions, again divided into over 600 varieties of wine. Most restaurants will serve table wine with dinner; this is mixed with a fizzy lemon seltzer called Casera in order to muzzle the afterbite of cheap wine. This table wine is inexpensive yet generally reliable. Most reputable restaurants will even have their own brand of table wine to align with their individual menu.

The best known region is certainly Rioja, which embodies and epitomizes Spanish reds. These general consist of some blend of tempranillo and garnacha grapes. The tempranillo grape is indigenous and unique to Spain. They create wines that are a deep blood red, but generally low in alcohol content and acidity. It is thus blended with the garnachas to compensate for these deficiencies. The garnacha grape is the most commonly found in Spain and also the easiest to grow. Wines made from garnachas tend to be sweeter and of higher alcohol content; some blends even attain 16%, whereas most wines fall somewhere under 12%. Some of the more reputable Rioja wine houses include C.U.N.E., Berberana, Marques de Caceres, and La Rioja Alta.

In most restaurants and wine bars, these wines are divided by age into one of three groups: crianza ($), reserva ($$), and gran reserva ($$$$). These groups are determined by the amount of time spent in both the oak cask and in the bottle. The term cosecha can be used to determine the harvest period/vintage. Crianzas have so far been extremely attainable on a student budget. Depending on the restaurant, one can find a glass of crianza for a little less than 2 euro, or a bottle on average for 10 euro. It is also standard fare in wine bars, so if you do not specify age when ordering Rioja, it will be Crianza. This term itself details that the wine is two years old, with at least six months spent in an oak cask. Reserva indicates that the wine is three years old in total. Gran reserva indicates five to seven years old. I have not ventured outside of Crianza, mostly because they have been immensely satisfying thus far. Also, though I don’t want to be the person who uses a phrase like “more bang for your buck”, there it is. Another deeply embedded Spanish value is entering the siesta hour with a slight buzz, making for better naps.

While the north of Spain has attained a better reputation for its table wine, the south finds its specialty centralized in the Sherry district. This area is found in the Andalucia region. Sherry is wine that has been left exposed to air for longer periods of time. It reacts with oxidization and the development of yeast before being processed. Because of this, it is not generally dated like most wines. Sherry comes in five styles: manzanilla (dry), fino (dry), armontillado (medium-dry), oloroso (medium-dry), and cream (sweet).

The Catalunya region in the northeast specializes in cava, the Spanish equivalent of champagne. It is extremely sweet, though shrouded with a taste I have come to identify with rust. We enjoyed this my first night in Madrid, excited by the 2 euro price tag. Warning, it is also the cause of the fiercest resacas (hangover). I actively veto cava consumption, though many people do enjoy it for the same reasons listed above. Catalunya is further recognized for its higher quality table wine in the Cabernet Sauvignon variety.

As far as whites go, the Airen grape is the most common. Drought resistant, it is found throughout the dryer parts of central Spain. A very polarizing grape, it is also known for its participation in some of the most horrible viticultural creations on this earth. The Rias Baixas region in Galicia specializes in another indigenous white, the Albarino. Ribera del Duero in Castilla-Leon is a region known for its creation of the most expensive Spanish wines.

Enjoy!

A True Roman Experience

Saturday was the best day I have spent in Rome so far. Why? Because I got to experience the city from the perspective of a native as opposed to that of a tourist.

A co-worker of mine from back in Philly connected me with a friend of hers who lived in Rome, and on Saturday, he brought my roommate and me around some of the historic sites followed by an evening of authentic Roman food and dining.

We started our site seeing adventure by the Coliseum. We walked by the ancient Roman palace, around the Coliseum, and past the ruins of several temples and marketplaces. As we walked, our new friend explained the history behind every site. We learned what the buildings were once used for and who had them built or destroyed.

After several hours on of our private tour, we were ready for a break. We went to a nearby bar and got tea and croissants. We were told how what we were eating was common breakfast food in Rome. Also common was cappuccino with breakfast. Something needed to be paired with the pastry that was wet enough to wash it down; a simple shot of café would not be enough.

After our break, we drove over to Trastevere, a trendy part of the city with lots of restaurants, bars, and shops that the younger demographic frequently visits. Here we found another bar with a very different feel from the first. It was more like what a bar would be in Philly as opposed to a coffee shop. There were modern paintings on the walls of the dimly lit room with an aperitivi bar set up in the middle. We did not eat any food since we would be having dinner later on in the night, but we did enjoy a drink.

After exploring Trastevere a bit longer, we headed down a back street to a small trattoria called Augusto. On the street just behind the tiny trattoria are several bigger restaurants with fancy lights and outdoor seating areas. They certainly look like fine places to dine, but our new roman friend, Andrea, explained to Gina and I how they are establishments aimed at tourists. He revealed that you get better food, and nearly twice as much of it, for half the price at the smaller restaurants located on the back streets, like the one we were going to.

The feel of the restaurant was cozy and simple. It was not trying to be flashy or cool; it was simply doing its own thing. The white walls were not overly embellished, only slightly decorated with a few framed pictures and maps. The tables had only a paper table cloth over them which the waiters used to write the orders down on. It was the opposite of touristy.

Andrea was right about the value of our meal. We ended up getting a first and second course, bread, wine, water, a dessert to share, and tipples (small shots that are sipped after the meal with dessert) for only 20 Euro each.

To end the night, we walked over to the Pantheon and stopped at a nearby coffee bar for the final part of our meal: a café. I do not enjoy drinking American coffee at all, but I find Italian coffee to be rich and full of flavor. The small shot of it we drank was the perfect ending to the meal. It also helped me stay warm as we walked to our final destination: the Trevi Fountain.

The fountain was lit up and looked more majestic than any picture or film could ever do justice to. My roommate and I both threw a coin in and made a wish. I’m not going to say what I wished for, but I will tell you that I have a feeling it is going to come true. Rome is magical in that way. And after spending the evening learning the city’s secrets from a local, I only loved it more.

The Honeymoon Period is Over … Classes Begin!

Before leaving for my adventures in London, the Temple University Abroad Office as well as the IFSA Butler Pre-Departure e-mails both wrote a lot about the “Culture Shock” aspect of going abroad and the different phases most students go through during their journey. The beginning of the trip is all about experiencing new things, and students are usually at a highest point as everything around them is new and exciting. Following this honeymoon period of sorts, comes to realization that this is NOT a vacation and you actually have to build a whole new life in this foreign place. Since I had two full weeks of exploring London before classes even began, I assumed that upon the start of actual school I would experience an onset of homesickness, culture shock, and the yearning to be in an environment I am more so used to. Thankfully, so far this has not been the case! Here I am, three full weeks in, and I still find this experience as exciting and thrilling as ever!

I will say that starting classes definitely made the whole thing feel much less like a vacation and more like a true semester abroad, but that somehow didn’t take away from any of the enthusiasm I still have about being here. I obviously do miss everyone from home and Temple, but that somehow hasn’t had an effect on my ability to enjoy everything going on in my life here in London. I am sure i will experience bits of homesickness now and then, but for now I am still looking at everything I do here as something I could never have done anywhere else!

Now, an important aspect of the study abroad experience is obviously the studying itself (or so that’s what people keep telling me) and I have to say, it is here that I have noticed some of the biggest differences so far! For one thing, British students call high school “college” and at college they chose a topic of study that they think they want to continue at University. This means that upon being a “fresher” at Uni, most students already have a rather extensive knowledge of their chosen area of coursework. This was a little intimidating at first, just because I didn’t know how much more well versed the other students in the class would be.
Another major difference is that University here is only three years, with the majority of students taking a gap year wither before or after Uni to travel the world before entering the working world. In my opinion, this sounds awesome! (Mom, Dad – what do you think?)

The actual classes are quite different as well. Class only meets once a week, and only ten times total because there are many reading/independent study weeks built into the calender! There are also no weekly assignments or grades for attendance/participation, so all of one’s grades are based on two exams or papers which can be a little scary. My favorite thing about the classes is that since they are three hours long, students get a break in the middle – called a “Tea Break!” Yes, the London stereotype is 100% well deserved! In America, college students run on coffee but here, everyone really does come back from break with a cup of tea! Another favorite snack here are potato crisps (chips in America), however they are a little different here …

Yes, one of the most popular flavors of chips is indeed shrimp cocktail. Now, if that was the only strange flavor it would be one thing, but it does not end there! Other popular flavors are Roasted Chicken, Smoky Bacon, and Steak and Onion! Now I am no vegetarian and I certainly enjoy my fair share of meat and potatoes, but this I still have not gotten used to! I have given them a try, but I have to say the appeal is lost on me – I think someone should send me a care package of sour cream and onion chips so I can show these Brits something new and delicious!

I will save a long rant about food differences for another blog – for now I must be off to class! Cheerio!

El Pais Vasco: San Sebastian & Bilbao

A trip to San Sebastian worked to solidify an immutable thought that had been swirling between my ears since my arrival in Spain: Well, there is no way that I am boarding my return flight.

Hemingway wrote of Pais Vasco in his infamous novel The Sun Also Rises, which includes scenery from San Sebastian, Pamplona, and other cities of the northern coast.  Throughout the trip, I looked for hints of Hemingway’s Spain, the Spain that is “the only country in the world that hasn’t been shot to pieces”.

This weekend’s destinations, San Sebastian and Bilbao, are nestled in Pais Vasco, the northern region of Spain bordering France.  Known as Euskada in the regional tongue, the people of Pais Vasco speak a language so unique that its origins are untraceable.  Our tour guides attempted to transform the four hour bus ride into a mobile discoteca despite the fact that almost every passenger was sleeping.  The bus brought us directly to a short walking tour along the seaside cliffs of San Sebastian.  For a small fee, we boarded an incline leading to a now defunct amusement park overlooking the shore and small city.  The cliff offered a breathtaking view of the waves interacting with the city.  The deep blues of the ocean relented for pictures for only a few minutes when a deep fog creeped over and smothered the city.  The very smell of San Sebastian is intoxicating, its air textured and fat with salt–cool and delicious.  It is understandable why San Sebastian has become world renown as one of the most spectacular vacation spots.  The surfing is supposed to be incredible; we watched as some obviously enamored surfers braved the January temperatures to take advantage of their time in San Sebastian.

A number of restaurants occupy the prime real estate, due to San Sebastian’s equally outstanding gastronomical standing among experts in the international foodie scene.  Three of who are considered to be the ten most talented chefs alive today hail from San Sebastian (while four others are from greater Spain).  I was particularly impressed by my lunchtime pinchos (snacks), calamares crudas (garnished raw squid), which attested to the area’s reputation for unbelievably fresh seafood.

The streets are similarly clean and well-kept as has been the general trend in northern Spain.  However, the colors and style of the buildings were keener to those associated with vacation spots: whites, blues, and yellows, less gold enamel, and more simple class.  The streets are interrupted by palm, orange, and rose trees, and maintained by the more obvious general wealth of the city’s population.

I readily enjoyed my first hostel experience, in which the Temple students took over an eight-person suite and built a pillow palace complete with wine, brie, and playing cards.  (We have become inseparable.)  It was amateur night in San Sebastian, with most of our classmates starting to “ir de juega” (party) a bit too early and remaining true to the image that college-aged American tourists have terrorized much of Europe with.  Most notable was the girl swinging around on the ledge outside the bathroom window screaming “Espana, te amo!”.  Yeah, don’t do that.  The people we met on the streets were of a more international variety than can be found in Oviedo, with representatives of California, Australia, Italy, France, and Germany hastening to use their English with the beautiful tourists from Philadelphia.  The hostel staff gave us a tour of the nightlife in San Sebastian, which slows until the summer vacation season though I still enjoyed it and was comforted by the loop of ten songs that has been playing since our arrival.  Overall, the unbeatable price and location of the hostel and the ability to meet other travelers is enticing, despite the limited personal space.

Bilbao, more inland, proved to be astonishingly well planned, with gorgeous buildings lining the river running centrally through the city.  We met up with Maider and Elena, friends of my friend Phil who studied in Bilbao this summer, and they graciously gave us a tour of the city’s highlights.  I myself fell for its old city, with narrow and charming alleys, an open air flea market showcasing records, books, and war antiques, fountains, street performers, and crowded plazas. It proved to have a more vibrant youth culture with a heavier influence of alternative style.  People dressed with more funk/punk than in the more conservative Asturias.  Furthermore, the music and art born and housed in Bilbao present a more cohesive and mobile impact by university students.  Our friends brought us to a spot known for its sautéed champinones (mushrooms) and regional white wine.  I am no longer indifferent to mushrooms.

To tourists, Bilbao is most commonly associated with the highly unusual Guggenheim modern art museum and its surrounding exhibits.  It rises into the Bilbao sky snaking its metallic spires through the clouds of fog in a mechanical manner.  It is surrounded by its loyal mascots: a giant flowered Chia-pet style dog and a swollen futuristic spider.  This museum is embedded in the recent transformation in Bilbao.  Many people compare its development to that of Pittsburgh’s—an industrial city renovated and scrubbed of its oily residues to rise to prominence as a true gem.

Mi Familia Española

That’s what I’ve been calling them. I don’t really know if there’s a way to say ‘host family’ in Spanish and saying ‘the family that I’m living with for the four and a half months that I’m in Spain’ has been getting a little old. I have a host mom, Celestina, who works for the University of Oviedo. She is so nice and we’ve been getting along really well. And she loves to cook! Jackpot! I’ve been eating so much interesting and new food out at restaurants but even more so at home. Apparently all of it is typical cuisine for the Spanish but I’m having the time of my life tasting and trying their cuisine. I’ve fallen in love with tortilla española, an egg and potato dish that I will insist that my host mom makes the best. And a few days ago I had chipirones, or small squid, cooked in a sauce made with squid ink. I was hesitant to try it at first, but, as with everything else I’ve eaten here, it blew me away.

My host dad used to be a television producer for canal uno, channel one, and he recently retired. Now, he has more time to for his hobby – raising horses. They’re called asturcones and they’re a breed of horses native to the region of Spain we’re in, Asturias. I also have a host brother, Diego, and a host sister, Enar. Diego is 29 and lives on the other side of Oviedo. I haven’t gotten to meet my tandem partner yet – tandem is a program in which two people who are learning the language that the other one speaks natively meet weekly to practice both. But Diego wants to practice his English and I’m always looking for people to speak Spanish with so, even though he doesn’t live here with us, we hang out regularly and spend an hour or so speaking each language. Enar is 28 and she’s in the navy. She was recently in Brazil, she’s in Mexico right now and she’ll be stopping in Houston after, but she should be coming home to Spain in a month or two.

Apart from the human members of my Spanish family, we have two pets – Lluna and Gala. Lluna is a Spanish water dog, a breed similar to better known Portuguese water dog. Her name means moon in the Asturian dialect. Notice ‘lluna’ is very similar to ‘luna.’ One of her puppies, Deba, lives with Diego, and the other, Trufa, lives with my host mom’s sister. Gala is our cat. She loves to fall asleep on me when we’re watching Spanish TV, which I’ve gotten a lot better at understanding by the way. Game shows are a lot of fun and el canal cocina, the cooking channel, always has something interesting on. Gala also constantly follows me into the bathroom because her litter box is in there. We’re an interesting bunch, but I’m starting to feel very at home here. This is a picture of our foyer:

And here is a photo of my bedroom:

During the first week, I was a little unsure about how to go about everything, but I’ve quickly grown accustomed to staying with my family. This is their first time hosting a student but I definitely think they will continue in the coming years. Celes always tells me esto es tu casa, this is your house, and that I’ll always be welcome to stay here. With me knowing how well she cooks, that may be a dangerous offer to make

Birthday Cake

When entering a new city it is quite typical to feel lost. When wandering the streets it’s exciting to get lost and find your way home but it is also somewhat stressful. After mastering my walk to class I figured I needed to move onto bigger and better things. I sat down with my map (which I must say has been my bible for the past week) and tried to understand the basic geography of the overwhelming city I am living in.

I decided it was time to take this city on and I decided to visit to Victor Emmanuel Monument. I was advised by a friend who studied in Rome a year ago to visit this site and I will encourage anyone after me to do the same. After an hour or so of walking (and getting lost), I gazed up at this beautiful building, which is often referred to as the birthday cake, in awe. It was breath taking. However, nothing beats the view from the top. We hiked up flights of stairs after flights of stairs and took a short elevator to the top for 7 Euros. I must say, it was the best 7 Euros I have spent since my arrival in Italy. From the top you can see the top of the Vatican, the colosseum, the Roman forum, the river, neighborhoods as far as Prati, Trastevere and everything in between.

This was by far the most beautiful site I have seen thus far. Since then I have walked up and down and all around the city and could not feel more oriented. It put perspective on Rome and gave me comfort to know the layout. It also makes me appreciate how lucky I am to see this all. I know this might sound cliché but it was so incredibly breath taking to see this all at my fingertips.

Weekend Wandering

My weekend was filled with a bunch of adventures! It began Thursday evening after class, when my friend Angela and I decided to search for the Trevi Fountain. We hadn’t been there yet, and we were determined to find it… without a map. We walked from the Villa Caproni, through the Piazza del Popolo, past the Spanish Steps and down some mystery streets and alleyways. After a slight struggle, we finally found the Fountain! It was a lot bigger than I had imagined, and the sculptures were so beautiful. I definitely recommend to those of you who are lucky enough to visit Rome one day to go to the Trevi Fountain at night. Everything is lit, and the pool of water looks like it’s glowing. I threw one coin into the Fountain, which means I hope to return to Rome in the future!

On Friday, I traveled to Tuscania with my painting class. A beautiful hill town in Northern Lazio, Tuscania has medieval buildings and churches, Etruscan tombs, and an INCREDIBLE view! We were also very lucky, because the weather was perfect for outdoor painting- warm, sunny, and a clear blue sky!

Later that evening after I returned to Rome, my friends and I ventured down to Trastevere. Trastevere is known for being a hip, funky neighborhood, with lots of restaurants and a high population of students. We walked along the Tiber River and found a few cute plazas. I would really love to return to Trastevere during the day, to spend more time exploring and to find yummy places to eat!

Sunday was an exciting, but very tiring, day. One of the professors led a remarkable walk around the Aurelian walls of Rome, and I tagged along for this rare opportunity. We all met in front of St. John the Lateran (the first church in Rome) at 8:30 in the morning, which is very, very early for me, especially on a Sunday! Thus began our journey around the wall, which first began its construction in the 3^rd century AD! We walked counter clockwise, trekking up and down hills, across and under bridges, and through pleasant little neighborhoods of Rome that I probably would have never seen had I not chosen to take this opportunity. At 4:15, nearly 8 hours later, we finally made it back to St. John the Lateran, completing a full circle around the ancient city! By the end, I was feeling many different emotions: exhausted, sore, delirious, but most importantly, accomplished. My professor made a point that the group of us did something that many Romans would never do, even if they spent a lifetime in Rome. I was very proud of myself, especially that I didn’t give up and go home early. I can now say that I walked around the ancient walls of Rome, the same walls that thousands and thousands of people walked through and around for the past 1800 years! Pretty cool, huh?

Now another week of classes have begun, and I intend on resting my legs a bit (can you blame me?) I’m looking forward to more adventures this weekend, and I can’t wait to find out more of what this semester has in store for me!

New Home in Marylebone!

I became an official Londoner today when I moved into my brand new flat in the Marylebone neighborhood of Central London! As awesome as orientation was, it is definitely nice to finally have my own space to call home! I do, however, use the term space rather loosely. I do have my own room, but it is about the size of a walk in closet! I cannot complain though, as long as it fits me and my one suitcase worth of clothes I am perfectly content! I am on the fifth floor of a 22 story building, which has its ups and downs. On the one hand I can use the stairs and avoid waiting for an elevator, but on the other hand it means I do not have the same amazing view available on some of the other floors. Each flat has six bedrooms (all singles) and a common kitchen area with a table to eat at. My flatmates are from across the US as well as one from China.

There are definitely some differences with the kitchens here compared to at home. The kitchen did not come with much, your usual main cooking appliances – oh and a kettle! Fitting in with the typical Londoner’s love of tea, that is the one extra appliance besides a microwave that every flat comes with! Now I love tea as much as the next person, but I still find it funny that a kettle was considered such a necessary appliance that they provide them on every floor. Additionally, the stove is actually referred to as the “Hob” in London, which brought about a lot of confusion when I was trying to cook my first dinner and couldn’t find the switch to turn the stove on!

It is little differences like this that I keep noticing all around the city. One may think that since English is spoken in both the US and the UK adapting here would be quite simple, but there are many differences in various aspects of life and speech across the pond!  For one thing, when you order coffee here they ask you if you would like it “black or white.” This was very confusing to me the first time it happened, but then the man behind the counter explained that black coffee is without cream and sugar, and white coffee is with the added sweeteners. Also, when someone says they are “pissing on you” it does not actually mean they are trying to pee on you, thankfully. It is common British slang to use the word “pissing”  to mean joking around or kidding with. This is one of those things where the first time I heard someone say it I just awkwardly smiled and pretended I knew what they were talking about, but eventually I have caught on. Each time I talk to a local I learn more and more common slang terms to bring back with me to the states!

Also, I thought I should include one of my favorite differences so far: speed bumps. Now, in America when you are approaching a speed bump there will usually be some sort of yellow sign with the words “Speed Bump Ahead” displayed in bold letters.  Additionally, if there was an area of high pedestrian traffic there would be a simple sign with a man walking on it. In London, these signs look a little different …

Yep, that’s right: humped zebra crossing! Now, you can imagine my confusion the first time I saw a sign like this on the side of the road. I haven’t been in the UK that long, but I have yet to run into any humped zebras. I asked my British friend about the phrase, and apparently it is used to signify a giant speed bump with a striped crosswalk on top of it. I think these should spread to the US too, much more amusing than our signs!

Classes are set to start this week, so I will definitely report back on how those go soon! In the meantime, wish me luck in my new home in Marylebone!

R E L A X

The perpetual relaxation in Oviedo contrasting my own East Coast work ethic means that I am almost anxious at times when I am not busy.  I feel like my host mom is constantly telling me, “tranquila”, which essentially means, “you need to chill out”.   This is probably due to my aversion to the mid-day siesta when most of Spain shuts down to take a nap.  This, however, has offered me time to recover and re-realize free time.  After a harrowing and bone-rattling fall semester I finally have the time to practice yoga and painting, enjoy public spaces, read, play futbol, and finish some REM cycles.  Also, this entire month marks the discount season, making January a shopper’s haven and a budgeter’s downfall.  I have spent hours crawling through the European Zara, leather shoe stores, Pull & Bear, and El Corte Ingles after class.

After a brilliantly sunny first week, the rain has arrived.  It never becomes a downpour, however, appearing more as a kind of dense fog.  With the green and mountainous backdrop, Oviedo retains its beauty even during the muddy walks to school (through which, Asturian women continue to rock expensive pumps).  The view from my bedroom window every morning is inexplicable.

La Casa de Las Lenguas is a small cube on the humanities campus of the University of Oviedo, called the Milan campus.  All of the foreign students, numbering somewhere near 130, attend class here on its two highest floors.   Classes are scheduled from Monday through Friday between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.  It is filled with voices speaking broken Spanish, tinted by English, Portuguese, Japanese, Chinese, and German.  The campus has a truly international feel due to the variety of international students.  This mix also forces us to ditch the use of English.  The classes themselves are not challenging, emphasizing the practice of speaking in normal conversational situations.

I plan to finish the Spanish Language and Literature major here in Oviedo, so the course load is comparable to the upper-level classes offered at home. It is a five-course semester consisting of Directed Readings, Masterpieces of Spanish Literature, Translation, Phonetics, and the Art of Spain.  I am rapidly becoming acquainted with the culture unique to both Asturias as a region and Spain as a nation.  The Art of Spain has become a personal favorite, and its scheduled 9 am start time does not deter attendance.   Most interesting to me are the common threads intertwining each of the subjects, in particular, the parallel cycles of change found in art, architecture, literature, and thought.

I have also begun to tutor in English.  Many parents, frustrated with the high prices of the classes offered by institutions, instead seek the help of American students studying abroad in order to teach their children conversational English.  6-year-old Helena convinced me that her name was actually Dora–wearing Dora the Explorer’s iconic purple backpack, Helena ran around the house screaming “I don’t waaaant to speak English” in a passable British accent.  For about 10 euro/hour we play with her dolls, attempting to pass on some vocabulary with common phrases, household items, clothing, and colors.

This Wednesday was also colored by the Real Madrid vs. Barcelona FC game, which we celebrated with the Spaniards by dancing in the streets with our Mahous in hand.  Barcelona defeated Real Madrid 2-1, with a rematch due the same time next Wednesday (Go Barca).  Futbol retains a holy air in Spain, and the clash between Real Madrid and Barcelona FC moves the Spaniards in powerful ways.  Overtaken by spiritual hysteria, some reached to ignite their fireworks, and others turned to put bowed heads into corners to hide their tear-streaked despair.

This weekend, we took a trip by bus to Pais Vasco in the northeast of Spain in order to explore Bilbao and San Sebastian—I will need a whole lot of space to detail how madly I have fallen in love with this region.

I continue to pinch myself every morning.

Let the Semester Begin!

Today marks my first full week living in Rome! It’s unbelievable, as the past seven days were full of adventures and new faces. Orientation seemed to fly by! Classes have now begun, and everyone has their schedules. My Baroque art history class met at the Vatican Museum this morning, and we saw the Sistine Chapel, the Raphael Rooms, many incredible paintings, and countless sculptures. There were no words to describe the feeling. I wasn’t looking at my textbook; I was face-to-face with the masterpiece. I can’t wait to go back again and explore more of the museum- it’s MASSIVE!

I am completely over my jet-lag and my legs are no longer sore from walking! I’m must more familiar with the area, so I packed away the map. I know where to stop for lunch and morning espressos (I don’t know what I’d do without them!), and I’m not too shy to use the subway. It’s a great feeling, and I’m beginning to feel like a Roman!

To mark the end of orientation, the whole program was taken to Umbria, the province to the North of Lazio. It was about a two and a half hour bus ride to Todi, a beautiful medieval hilltown in the heart of Umbria. It was very cold (I should have worn my heavier jacket!), but the mesmerizing view and the cute, romantic alleyways more than made up for it. There was not a cloud in the sky, so the view was spectacular, and we could see all the way to the mountains in the distance.

After a couple hours in Todi, we hopped back on the bus and were taken down a winding (VERY curvy) road to Titignano. The Titignano farm sits nestled in the Tiber river valley, and has its own vineyard.  It’s a very charming little villa, and I would definitely recommend visiting if you get the chance! There are rooms available for guests in the Castle building, where we were treated to a delicious, fifteen course meal of pizza, risotto, pasta, wild boar, chicken, salad, homemade French fries, tiramisu, biscotti and much more! We even got a taste of the wine, bottled right there on the farm. With our bellies full, we waddled back to the bus ready for the ride back.

One of my favorite experiences so far occurred early yesterday morning during my painting class. We were told to pick a spot anywhere in the Piazza del Popolo and draw whatever we wanted. I chose to sit on the edge of a fountain on the east end of the Piazza, closest to the Borghese Gardens. I leaned back against the wall and casually began to sketch the obelisk that powerfully stands in the center of the Piazza. The air was cool, but the sun was warm and bright and I sat with my jacket unzipped.  The running water of the fountain was to my left, and was the only sound I could hear, as there were not many people in the Piazza. It was complete serenity; I was so relaxed and I took it all in. Here I was, sitting in one of the most famous spots in Rome, sketching for a class. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced before, and I realized how lucky I am to be studying here this semester. I will definitely continue to take advantage of opportunities and moments like this one!

I’m excited to meet the rest of my professors, and for this weekend’s excursions. On Friday, I am going to Tuscania with my painting class, and on Sunday I’ll be walking around the ancient walls of Rome with the school. There’s so much to look forward to! Ciao for now!