And the sun came out for a few hours...

Sometime in the 3rd week, the sun came out for the afternoon and I was finally able to snap some good pictures of the city and this really big hill across the bay. The name of this hill is Peña Cabarga and it is frequently included in La Vuelta de España. Needless to say I decided that I would at least have to attempt to climb it someday before I leave.

While walking to class that day I also spotted this strange snake on the sidewalk. I showed it to my professors but they had never seen anything like it. Maria, my host mom, thought it was an eel of some kind. Maybe a bird dropped it on the side walk? It was alive and flicking its tongue in and out when I saw it but appeared to be injured. Everyone assured me that there are no venomous snakes in Spain... at least not in this part.

Taking advantage of the sun, I went with some other students for a little hike to the "faro" or lighthouse on Cabo Mayor. The scenery was so beautiful and after having lived in non-stop dreary, grayness for over two weeks, we really appreciated being able to get outside and even see the sky!

          

Bilbao

So... I had great difficulty trying to post this one in the past. It takes no less than 4 minutes to upload a photo and after my computer froze up and then the internet connection crashed on the second attempt, I gave up in absolute disgust and haven't touched this blog since. The internet at my house and the school are source of constant frustration. This all happened about 2.5 weeks ago but is just getting posted now. By the way, today I had to try another 3 separate times to post this because once again the internet kept failing and my computer kept freezing...

Today, the entire group from MSU piled onto a bus and drove to visit Bilbao, a larg city in the neighboring príncipe, El País Vasco (the Basque country). The trip there was gorgeous despite the gray skies. We drove through green hills and mountains, sometimes along the ocean. Frequently, sheep and cows grazed on the steep hillsides and picturesque villages and towns were nestled in every valley.

Bilbao used to be a center of industry but in the last 50 years, the factories closed and were left vacant. The river and most of the city center was at one time polluted and derelict. They have put a lot of money and effort into revitalizing the city, making new plans, and putting up beautiful public buildings. Bilbao is now an amazing mixture of new and old with parks and green areas everywhere you look.

One of the first places we visited was the cathedral. This cathedral is actually one of the stops on the northern pilgrimage route, El Camino de Santiago de Compostela.


After visiting the cathedral we stopped to get a bite to eat. Of course there was a lot to choose from. We passed many bakeries (panaderías) and butcher shops (carnecerías) and ended up at a cafe for some pinchos (in euskera that is pintxos) for a some delicious finger food and cafe con leche.

 In this picture you can see one of the foods Spain is known for, jamón. Yes those are cured pig legs hanging from the ceiling.

This was the cafetería/bar we stopped at. Those are "pinchos;" little half-sandwiches and hors d'oeuvres things that are called tapas in the south of Spain. They were super tasty and pretty interesting to look at. The only problem is, whenever I order them I am not ever entirely sure what is in them.

As we wandered around there were a lot of street musicians and also this lady embroidering tapestries on the street. Her sign said that none of them were for sale and they were simply there for everyone to enjoy.

Later, we went to the Guggenheim in Bilbao. I think my favorite part was actually just looking at the building and of course the flower statue of the "poopy." (Our tour guide, speaking only in Spanish, was actually saying "puppy" as they use the English word for sculpture, but of course all the other MSU students were having a pretty difficult time keeping a straight face.)



La Primera Semana....

Getting used to the time change and everything else has been pretty difficult. The weather hasn't really helped much. Everyone that I've talked to has assured me that the weather we are experiencing (pretty much continual rain and temperatures in the 50's) is absolutely not normal.... but it sure seems to be lasting! There were a couple days that the clouds cleared for a bit and I was able to get out and explore Santander with some of the other students in my group.

On Thursday we went to El Centro (downtown) and also visited the Cathedral of Santander. You can't take pictures inside the Cathedral but I have a couple pictures from the outside and the little church located beneath it. The Cathedral was in really bad shape about 40 years ago and has been restored and even rebuilt in some places.

The Church under El Catedral de Santander

The courtyard just outside the doors of El Catedral

I love all the little funny faces that decorate gothic architecture.

That Saturday and Sunday, the weather cleared out again and I was able to get some decent pictures as I walked around the penninsula that Santander is built on.

Santander Bay - Bahía de Santander

La Peninsula de la Magdalena

Sardinero Beach - Playa de El Sardinero





That Saturday and Sunday I also met up with a swing dance club right here in Santander. I went to one of their classes and then on Sunday we all went out to hear a live band play and dance. I took a little video of the dance but had difficulty uploading it. It was really odd to be dancing LindyHop to American jazz music while everyone spoke in Spanish. After the dance we all got together and sang these lyrics to a famous jazz song that I can't remember the title of at the moment.

El viaje...

After 5 hours on a bus and 8 hours on a plane, I finally arrived in Santander. After trying to sleep on the plane I woke up and looked out my window for the first sight of land after crossing the Atlantic. It's kind of difficult to see but just behind the wing is the Spanish coast and the beaches on the other side of the "pond." The land was so pretty and rural with a patchwork of green fields.

Unfortunately, our plane was 45 minutes late getting into Madrid and we only had 15 minutes to get through Spanish customs and to the exact opposite side of the airport to catch our second flight to Santander. Thankfully, Spanish customs was nothing like US. The man we met barely paused in his conversation with another customs agent to look up and stamp our passports.

I know that when I think of summer in Spain I imagine sunny days and beautiful beaches but that is definitely not what met me as I stepped off the plane. Actually, the weather reminded me of spring in Michigan, and not in a good way. Thank goodness I packed a lot of pants, sweatshirts, and a rain jacket! It looks like the weather will clear up in the next week or so which will definitely be welcome.

Upon arriving in Santander, we learned that the checked luggage for four people had not arrived in Santander... of course, I was one of them! Happily, my luggage arrived later that day. I haven't taken a picture of Maria, my host "madre" yet but I did take a picture of my new room. I was so happy when I saw that I have a little balcony overlooking the street outside.

Today, is our second day of classes and I will try to take a few pictures of the campus, city, and Maria, to put in my next post. Till then! 

Before I begin....

The internet has never figured prominently in my personal life. I don't have a smart phone and feel no urge to purchase one. If I am lucky, I may check my facebook profile every few days. Therefore, starting a blog is something that I would never normally consider. However, in exactly one week I will get on a plane and leave for a two-month adventure in Spain. I've never done anything like this and in light of my soon-to-be extraordinary adventure, I've decided to do something unprecedented... start a blog to keep those that wish to be, informed. Please don't expect any lengthy journal entries after this! Instead I will try to post a picture every day or two and a short explanation of what you see or a quick update of any fun things I may have seen or done. ¡Hasta luego!