CMU in Spain

Welcome! (¡Bienvenidos!)

2009-09-05T23:06:00.000-07:00

Link to the Photobucket Page where I keep all of my photos of my time in Spain:

For a nicer looking way to browse my photos (but does not include videos) click here instead.

My name is Guillermo Gomez and this is my blog for my study abroad in Spain. During my time abroad I kept this blog to show Carnegie Mellon the richness, beauty, and majesty of Spain through the stories on this blog and the photos I took during my time abroad.

I also brought this with me to Spain, as my way of giving back to Pittsburgh.

I was able to have this opportunity of a lifetime thanks to the Carnegie Mellon in Spain program with Estudio Sampere in Madrid. Through this program I was able to spend my summer in Spain: four weeks in the capital Madrid, and two weeks in the port city of Alicante, along with day long excursions to other cities.

Friends in Madrid

During my time in Spain I took in everything that the cities offered. I explored the beautiful Parque del Buen Retiro in Madrid, walked across the sandy beaches in Alicante, saw the view from Castle Alcazar in Segovia, marveled at the grandeur of the Cathedral in Toledo, and much much more! As my Spanish improved, my body tanned, and my sleep schedule warped I noticed how the country really starts to shape me not just physically but internally. I became more of an extrovert, I had a new thirst to explore, and I began to use Spanish slang more (I still can't stop using "vale" in my Spanish). My summer in Spain was the best summer of my entire life, and I'm sure it'll be the same for anyone who participates in the Carnegie Mellon in Spain program.

Friends in Alicante

To navigate through this blog use the links on the top of the page to the right to browse through the blog and click on the title of the post to read it. The posts are in order from newest to oldest, with the first one starting in May. The blog posts usually have the same basic format: blocks of text and photos, with a quote at the bottom of the page. I highly recommend that you look at the photobucket pictures and videos I have included as a link (above); because if a picture says a thousand words, I have written an epic tome in that photobucket account.

Fellow CMU students with Professor Tardio

I am currently a student of the class of 2012 at Carnegie Mellon University studying Mechanical Engineering. If you have any questions regarding the Carnegie Mellon in Spain program, what locations to visit in Madrid or Alicante, the Spanish Lifestyle, or anything in general; feel free to email me at:

guillerm@andrew.cmu.edu

Consider all this; and then turn to this green, gentle, and most docile earth; consider them both, the sea and the land; and do you not find a strange analogy to something in yourself?

-From Moby Dick

A very special thanks to the Tartans Abroad Fund for helping me make the trip to Spain possible.

I'm coming home...

2009-08-02T02:20:00.000-07:00

Link to the photobucket page:

http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

I’m actually going to be typing this while I’m at different airports. Basically to chronicle things as I go, to see if anything odd happens, if I think of something, or if I just want to type.

Before and after picture of Pico de Gallo, ingredients and the final product (delicious!)

I left my host’s place early this morning, the metro route from the El Carmen Station to Terminal 1, is a bit winding and I knew it would take a while. I eventually got to the airport at around 10:00 or so and my flight left at 1:00. Continental Airlines just happened to be the one on the other side of the airport, and the one with the line that stretched out for miles. The good news is that I found a group of people in line who were very friendly to pass the time with. They were with Teen Tour, a travel program that goes all over Europe for about a month to see the Continent. I started talking to one of them and then eventually the group (of 44 or so) got to know me. They looked at me wondering, “Who is this guy?” “Was he in our group?” and one came up and told me that I look like Nick Jonas… which I just found strange.

EXTREME PIG! Advertisement for sales at a mall in Alicante

They were a very odd bunch: all high school students going into their Junior or Senior year. The flight was about nine or so hours long but the time flew thanks to the videos and music they had for us. On a side note: if anyone has not seen Million Dollar Baby GO SEE IT! It’s much more than the generic fight film, it’s such a gritty drama that a lot of people can enjoy. After the flight I had to go through customs, and to my surprise they didn’t open my suitcase… they just let me pass. I didn't exactly look normal, I would've checked the suitcase of a man wearing mad scientist goggles and a fedora. I had finally arrived back to the United States, and it felt strange to be back, and not just because it was Newark. I looked around the airport found my gate and found some Internet to upload my last blog post about Alicante.

Alicante street at night

I logged on to check up on other things, say happy birthday to a friend, called home to say that I got here and check up on everyone. Eventually I looked at the setting sun on the Newark horizon and then realized something beautiful and strange at the same time. It was the fact that it was over, my study abroad had come into an end. It hit me harder than I thought it would, that I won't be able to wander through the streets at three in the morning without fear of getting mugged, that I won't be able to tan on a beach with people from all over the world, that I won't be able to be an interpreter for all my friends, and that I can no longer MAKE any more memories... that I could only SAVE them. Thankfully, I made as many as I could, so I don't have any regrets, doubts, or "what if"'s but rather a collection of stories and photos for the whole world to see. After letting that emotion swim around in me, warming me up a bit, I headed over to my gate, where my flight was leaving soon.

We found this poor guy in Alicante dancing OUTSIDE the club…

I decided to make myself stand out at the airport so I put on my mad scientist goggles (had them around my neck) and headed to the baggage claim. I waited out on the parking lot for a little while, people giving me strange looks. My family eventually drove up to find me and then saw the goggles. :D I went into the car the night draining us all of energy I finally got home to see my family again, my old home, and things were more or less back to normal.

I am exhausted from over 19 hours of traveling and waiting…

…and I declare these travels over.

It is not the hand but the understanding of a man that may be said to write.
-From Don Quixote

Final thoughts in Alicante

2009-08-01T15:38:00.000-07:00

Link to Photobucket page:

http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

It’s strange really, I’m sitting here in the dark typing away at Microsoft Word, everyone is asleep and I still have homework to do, even though my classes are over. I would like to update while I’m here in Madrid but unfortunately my new host has no internet and I might have to do this a little late… as soon as I find a connection I’ll update the blog with this and then I’ll make two more: one on coming home and the second one as an information guide for people who want to learn all about Spain, Madrid, what to do in Alicante, and all that fun stuff.

Nicole and Maria juggling Poi.

The longer I stayed with my family in Alicante the stranger, crazier, and more interesting they got. Diego has a taste for black humor but is often a very quiet person, Nicole practices African percussion, boxing, poi, break dancing, and photography and is amazing at them, April hates you and then loves you for the slightest things, and Emilce is the most lovable person I know who jokingly makes death threats on a daily basis: "If I don't hear you speak Spanish at the table, I'll kill you."There is never a dull moment in Emilce’s home, always something crazy or with crazy people and I love them all. :D

Nicole playing with her instructor.

It seemed unfortunate that I left on the same day as I had an exam, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles and I didn’t get to do too much. Thursday night though, I made an effort to at least do something with my friends. It was Severin, Matthias, Jakob (a friend of Matthias from Austria) and I all went to the beach to watch the waves, relax, and ask me questions about the U.S.A. I told them the laws that we have over gun control, censorship, drinking, smoking, and other things like that. Eventually the conversation switched to more opinion based things like what’s the European view on America and vice versa, learning languages (they were all learning English, we were all learning Spanish, and I think German is interesting), music, and then a bit later on we went off to La Rambla to see what the rest of the city was doing. We met up with some friends; I said my goodbyes to most of them (some I saw the day after) danced a little and made sure that I got some sleep for the exam the next day.

(Left to right) Maria, Severin, me, and Jakob

I passed my exam that morning and had only one thing on my mind: go to the beach! Sure I’m already peeling like an onion, but when will I get to do this again? I met up with Maria and Vanessa at the beach and one last time I got to enjoy the warm air, hot sand, and the salty smell of the water with my friends. I said my goodbyes to the two and then I headed home to pack.

A drawing of all of the guests in Emilce’s home (plus April), held by April
From left to right: Amy, April, Natalia, Maria, Severin, myself, and Matthias

I got everything packed and I made sure to say my goodbyes to everyone, I gave my address to them in case they wanted to visit California to see the sights and everything. I sat on the Renfe train and somewhere in the back of my head something said in a tiny voice: “You forgot something…” and I asked it: “What?” and it replied: “No I’m not telling you” and I know it now! I left some food in the fridge! Ah well, they can have it, it probably only cost me about a Euro for all the ingredients anyways. I’d better tell Severin though, in case they forget. During the movie on the train, (Renfe has movies that play on its trips) I could tell how well my Spanish had improved. Usually when I watch movies in Spanish I have some difficulty on picking up words, definitions, and the subjunctive in general. I felt smart sitting there and understanding the movie without any help at all. It wasn’t exactly the hardest movie to follow (Bolt with John Travolta) but I still felt great being able to understand it.

Landscape on the way to Madrid from Alicante

I arrived at the Station in Madrid and from there took the Metro to my host’s place and then from there I started typing and here I am now. So now I think I will go to sleep, and enjoy the last night in Spain with sleep, I would do something more but I’d hate to miss my flight.

Jimi Hendrix street art in Alicante

I’ll see you guys in the States!

-Guillermo :D

We cannot change the cards we are dealt, just how we play the hand. If I don't seem as depressed or morose as I should be, I'm sorry to disappoint you.
-Randy Pausch

This is my last week in Spain...

2009-07-27T14:32:00.000-07:00

Link to the photobucket page:

http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

So right, y’all wanted an update. It’s hard for me to believe that this is my last week here in Spain, that this is my last Monday in Spain!

Street Art in Alicante, it says: “There is a need to paint graffiti”

Sampere gave us a quick tour of Alicante; they took us inside the Cathedral where they keep the idols and robes during Semana Santa (Holy Week). We then headed towards Castle Santa Barbara over on top of the mountain that overlooks the entire city. The section had an older feel the further up we went the mountain. People would sit outside and talk to neighbors, kids would be running through the streets, and no vehicle would be able to move whatsoever. If it were up to me, I would have headed straight to the castle; unfortunately the group was dead from the heat and the climbing so we went back. I made sure to go back sometime during my time here in Alicante.

La Rambla, the main street in Alicante

Our family has shrunk by one, but somehow has gained three. Christian has moved out, but in his place two people have moved in: Claudina from Poland, Irina from Russia, and her daughter Maria. I moved out of the big suite to the room with Severin… and I have the floor mattress, ah well. :P

Romanticist photo (do they exist?) of me at the beach

This Saturday I finally went to the beach to actually go to the beach instead of walking along it like last time. I hung out with Maria, Vanessa, and a few other friends. We swam a bit, worked on bronzing up a bit, and I managed to get severely burnt from all this. I got some nice sunburn from all this but it’s nothing severe, I sort of needed it. :D

Havana Café, a place we usually go to at night to dance.

Sunday was when I decided to take on the mountain with a few friends, Albert, Natasha, Stasha, and me. The lift to the mountain was broken so during the 5 pm heat, of the scorching Alicante heat, we climbed that mountain. We saw Castle Santa Barbara and we set our sights on it like it was some crazy goal like trying to reach the moon. The road curved left and right and every time we went higher, the view just got better and better. Eventually when we reached the top, the Castle was amazing, but the view was to die for. I could see the entire city much better than the mountain where I went to the park. The view allowed me to see not only Alicante, but neighboring cities in the distance, all hiding behind little clouds that seemed so close with the height of the Castle.

Video of us at the top of Castle Santa Barbara

That night I went out with a few friends, we hung out at the beach for a little while and then we all decided to hit the clubs. We ran into some locals with a mix of some other students studying Spanish in Alicante and hit the streets like crazy. The people who handed out fliers saw the size of our group and knew that we would help out the popularity of their clubs so they let us in for free, and often gave us free/cheap drinks. Anyways, I'll keep you guys updated as much as I can, I have an exam this Friday so it may not be as dynamic as usual. :/

A photo of everyone on Christian’s last night.

Talk to you all later!

-Guillermo :D

We were nameless,
We have a name
We were wordless,
The words came
-Rammstein “Los”

First few days in Alicante

2009-07-22T02:45:00.000-07:00

Link to the photobucket page:

http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

Well let's see, Wednesday in Alicante, did quite a few things, still need to upload a handful more photos, and hopefully I got more tan from the Alicante sun.

Estudio Sampere Alicante

Monday: My first real day here in Alicante, Sunday I was getting used to the environment, getting to know everyone, and reading the map so I don't look like a tourist referring to it all the time. So Monday was pretty much and Severin (Swiss housemate who looks a lot like my cousin) finding Sampere, walking around Alicante during our lunch break and eventually we ended up at the port where there is a shopping mall on top of the dock.

Mall on the dock

After class that day Nicole showed us this little mountain not too far away from the house where we could get an amazing view of Alicante, right next to a little skate park with little activities for April to enjoy. And oh man was it amazing! I could see just about everything from there, from the little districts of Alicante to the ports in the distance. I chatted with Nicole and Severin a bit to get an idea of who they were, if they were crazy, if they were comedians, artists, philosophers or any of the beautiful underrated professions. Turns out they were high school students, and Nicole is also into photography :D!

Video of the view of Alicante (epic)

After this we walked back to the house where we relaxed the rest of the day, I uploaded a chunk of photos to photobucket, and I slept and had very strange dreams... I think it was the change in climate that did that. Alicante is warmer and more humid than Madrid so I still have to get used to it.

Diego and April

Tuesday: Here is where I felt more like a local and less like a tourist, I would talk to people on the street with no problem whatsoever and all my other friends who are learning Spanish would see me as the interpreter. At times I confuse them (I do speak Mexican Spanish, and I am a little strange no?) but at the same time I help them get around and talk to the non-English speaking tour guides.

Street in Alicante

Today we went to the beach, and here indecent exposure isn't a class 2 felony... on the beach anyways. Every now and then there'll be a kid who's streaking across the beach while his mother is trying to catch him, or someone sunbathing topless, but I told Severin how you can't do that in the US and he gave me this strange look that said "No way!". Apparently nudity is a 100 Swiss Frank fine, it somehow makes the USA seem somewhat conservative... ah well.

Nicole with the view of Alicante in the background

After going back home after the beach we had dinner made by Diego (who used to work in a restaurant) and then we got to know the rest of our housemates. There was Christian from Italy, Matias from Austria, Severin from Switzerland, and Natalia (also came by late) from Poland. I got to know each one over dinner a lot better, and surprisingly I'm around the same age as the people here in Alicante... in Madrid they were a good 3+ years older than me, here there's a difference of no more of a year (older and younger) between me and the rest of the group.

Edman, err I mean Severin

Apparently, Estudio Sampere isn't the only study abroad program using Alicante as a place to study, in fact the only Sampere students were me and Severin. I went out with the house to meet up with more people from other programs all from different countries (Denmark, France, Germany), it was like a model UN! We went out to different pubs, clubs, to hang out, get to know each other, and dance a bit. After the night was through (I can't get poetic today for some reason :P) we all sat outside of a club, smiles on our faces, the warm night being no different than inside the club, we started to head home and I slept like a baby last night.

Silhouette shot of a statue in the mountain park of Alicante

Well there's not much more to say, I still need to explore, shoot more photos, and have more fun! I'll update as soon as I can and upload photos as soon as I can. :D

-Guillermo :D

I was thinking to myself out there — well, you wouldn't think you're anybody else, would you? Cut out the middleman I always say!
-Lee Evans

EPIC UPDATE!

2009-07-20T00:11:00.000-07:00

Link to the Photobucket page:
http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

This is by far the craziest weekend I’ve had so far… There is so much stuff to put in here and I hope that blogspot has no limit on words, photos, and videos because this is my biggest update yet! Oh, and I broke out of that photographic dry spell by taking a ton of photos (more info to come!).

Thomas, who the director jokes about how he looks like Fran Perea so much that she…

Friday: seeing as I saw this as the beginning of the end (the last weekend in Madrid), I decided to go out to the clubs with other Sampere students and not sleep until the Metro started up 6:00 am Saturday morning (Alcala all over again!). It was 10:30 pm when I met Sibyl and Raquel at the bear with the tree, the rest of the group forgot where to meet up so they went to a restaurant (Museo de Jamon, great place!). There we met up with the group of Americans from Texas, a group from Taylor University (or are they the same group?), and a few scattered Europeans in the English-speaking crowd. After talking, getting some bocadillos, and watching the Americans shotgun their drinks, we took to the streets around 11 or so.

Museo de Jamon (Museum of Ham), for two euros, you get a delicious bocadillo, along with a drink, and a piece of fruit.

I had no idea where we were really headed, I knew a few places but I’m not much of a clubber, so Sibyl picked out a place called BIA Bar, (or something like that, the card they gave me is a bit funky…). At the entrance the bouncers looked at the group, we showed him our ID’s and they let us in without paying. Word of advice: if you want to go out in Madrid, travel with at least three (five preferably) girls in your group; chances are, you get discounted or free admittance. I squeezed my way past the crowd to a place where we all were able to dance. Almost immediately I saw the group rush for the bar and wondered why they can’t just buy their drinks outside … it’s 10 € for a drink at the club! I started talking to the people who were with Raquel and Sibyl (I did not know anyone in the group whatsoever) and they gave me this bug eyed look as I told them I was only 18. The bulk of the students at Estudio Sampere are usually 20, 21, around that range, and since my birthday is late in the year I stay young for a while.

The poor guy doesn’t look too happy; he looked so tense, I had to make his face…

After leaving that bar it was around 12:30 am or so, and the group demanded that we go to another bar. After discussing and not wanting to go to Capitol or Penthouse (HUGE entrance fees), we headed to Sol y Sombra: a place where if you have the right group, you can get in for free (they even gave us free shots last time we went), We waded through the crowd and I see a bunch of crazy hair that could only belong to Maike, a friend of mine from Sampere. I then see Thomas and both of them were leaving so I say my goodbyes and then I noticed some of the other CMU students were here in Madrid! I greeted Michelle, Tema, Lauren, and Beth (a friend from Sampere who is studying in Salamanca) and I felt time slip away through the flashing lights and the boom of the bass, as we all shared that one last night in Madrid together.

Km 0 at sundown

I looked at my watch as the green backlight gleamed to life and the hands told me 2:00 am. The new group of CMU students, Europeans, and a handful of the other Estuido Sampere students all headed out to club Joy. Club Joy is one of the well-known clubs in Madrid, and we couldn’t wait to get in. The admittance fee was a bit pricey but it was well worth it, we managed to get a flyer to get a free drink and a discount for each of us so we got a great deal. We headed to the sea of people and swam our way through its thick waters. The air was a mix of shots, smoke, and sweat: made cool by the air conditioning to give you the feeling of being truly alive. Bass was rocking people to the core, grabbing their arms and flailing them up in the air. Reds and Blues screamed to the lyrics, Whites scatted to the drums of the song, and the rest of the rainbow was demanding that you had to dance, scream, and jump.

Entrance to Joy at daytime, I don’t take my camera to clubs because it might have gotten stolen…

I shivered as the brisk morning air hit me dead on. It was a nice wake up call seeing as how the 6:00 metro was going to start in only five minutes. Beth and Lauren (everyone else had gone their own ways) were with me as the sky started to churn from black to the purplish blue of sunrise and we headed down the Metro stairs. I said my goodbyes to Beth as she was going to Alicante in a few hours, and to Lauren who was heading back to the states. After climbing out of the stairs of Alfonso XIII onto my home street of Clara del Rey, there was a new energy that came about me. I don’t know if it was something in the soft blue morning, the party people stumbling back to their homes, or the early birds getting up to seize the day, but something just felt alive. Quietly I entered my host’s place, not wanting to wake Pilar, and whatever energy I had that morning evaporated as I laid my head on the pillow and started to dream.

Plaza de Alonso Martinez

Saturday: I woke up at around 11 am or so, I looked at my empty suitcase and thought for a little while… “What do I still need to do? What do I want to do one last time?” Immediately an explosion of greenery came to my head and I knew I had to see the Retiro one last time, and make sure I had seen every major sculpture, building, and garden. There was still the Reina Sofia I had to see, Dali’s surrealistic works, modern art that I will criticize and critique for no one to hear, and more importantly, Picasso’s Guernica. I took my backpack, filled it with my lunch, my camera, and planned out the rest of my day: Retiro in the afternoon, Reina Sofia during the evening, packing at night.

Here in Madrid they call it Dunkin’ Coffee…

I got out at the Goya metro station and took a long walk to the Retiro. The main entrance greeted me like a new friend that I would never forget: familiar scenery, warm atmosphere, and that familiar sense that there was no city behind me, nothing but pure, fresh, and newborn green land.

Statue in the Retiro, from the front he looks like he’s falling back, but from the back, he’s running forward

As I delved deeper into the Retiro, the white noise of the city was gone, save for a siren that blared up every now and then. The trees arched into each other over the dirt path, sunlight seeping from behind the branches that seem to make the park go for an eternity. I headed west into the park, found these playgrounds with all these sets that look like something Picasso made specifically for the Retiro. Curves on swivels that bent in such strange patterns that the kids loved and that parents in the USA wouldn’t even dare let their kids get on.

Ansel Adams would be proud… I think.

I eventually reached an enormous road where there were no cars, no mopeds, no motorcycles, but bicyclists, walkers, and rollerbladers (I have not seen people rollerblading in public since 2000). I thought it couldn’t get any more unique and then a man on a unicycle playing the accordion zoom by and I barely got a photo of him.

Did you think I was kidding?

Eventually I met up with a couple on this road who were doing something like an ice-skating routine, with rollerblades and asphalt. I managed to get a video but I didn’t want them to see me so I kept my distance. They eventually saw me and to my surprise they asked to see the video to look at their routine (they didn’t have a camera) and let me keep the file.

The video of the roller skaters

After taking photos of some statues I just found I came across an amazing glass house that was in the heart of all the trees. It was a magnificent building, glass and stone elegantly crafted in front of a lake filled with ducks. I went inside and they had a little art exhibit where some animal suits were hanging from the ceiling. I did not know too much about the piece, nor did I care too much, I was in awe of the building.

View of this glass house from the outside

As I explored more of the Retiro I noticed that a lot of the sights were familiar, and that I had pretty much explored the entire park. There were a few statues and gardens I did not see, but other than that I had covered everything. I headed up to the Mausoleum of Alfonso XII and I heard a loud drumming coming from the side of the memorial. There was a man beating away at a small hand drum, jingling from the coins he had in his pocket as he rocked his body to a metronomic rhythm. He put a lot of soul into his work but what really stunned me was not just that he played well, but rather he wasn’t playing for money. When I tried to give him half a euro, I noticed that there was not box, bag, or hat of any kind to drop money in. He was playing to practice in a place where he felt he could concentrate and hone his drumming skills like an old school artist.

Video of the drummer (sound is a bit wonky but it’s audible)

It was a nice feeling to see the Retiro one last time; I guess the beatnik in me loves this place and if I do come back to Spain I have to make sure I come back here. Before heading to Reina Sofia I wanted to grab some Spanish lunch so I headed to Sol and got a bocadillo (1 €!). It’s basically a sandwich but with rich Spanish meats and a really filling bread.

Om nom nom nom… Bocadillo

It took me a bit of a while to get to the Reina Sofia (the directions I wrote down were wrong) and as soon as I got off the Metro the darndest thing happened. I saw Michelle from CMU and Weston (Sampere) at the station and they were also heading to the Reina Sofia. O_o

The Reina Sofia Museum

We met up with Tema eventually and then from there we all entered between the two glass elevators. Our things came out of the x-ray machine, the lady at the ticket booth glanced as we walked by (free on Saturdays and Sundays!) and we all explored the exhibits. We entered at around 6:00 pm and they had to kick me out of the Museum because of all the fun I was having. It was 9:00 pm when I walked out the door of the Reina Sofia and swore to finish up before I left for Alicante on Sunday. Amazing pieces from cubism, pop art (I'm not too big of a fan), expressionism, and other works grabbed me and made me into a madman. I finally saw Guernica, and all the photos online, all the pictures in the textbooks; do no justice to the real deal. It was gigantic! I could literally feel every ounce of work Picasso put in there without even getting a good look at the canvas. Picasso really captured the tragedy that occurred through his work and was filled with so much raw emotion and power.

Guernica, with its bouncers

As for the rest of the Reina Sofia, it has now become my favorite museum. I love 20th century art and the divergence from art being portraits, murals, and events to works where expression was key. Propaganda posters, dynamic portraits, pieces where the artist’s purpose is debatable, and other works that scream creativity were all over the museum. The best part was, they let me take photos! I had to keep the flash off but I still had photos nonetheless.

A few of my favorite works from Reina Sofia

After checking out the third floor, the security guards came over and said that they were closing and I had to leave. I still had to see Dali’s surrealistic works, and finish up the fourth floor. So I planned it out: my train leaves at two, the Reina Sofia opens up at 10 so if I get there early, I can get enough time to at least see Dali’s work. I went home and had my last dinner with Pilar, packed up my stuff, and slept.

View from a glass elevator in the Reina Sofia

Sunday: “Crap, crap, crap!!!” was all I was thinking and saying when I saw the face of the alarm clock: 9:57 am. I showered, put away my towel and my last bit of dirty laundry, and looked at my train ticket. “Oh wait, 4:00, my train leaves at 4:00?” I had plenty of time to go see Dali’s work and maybe even make one last stop to the Rastro. I got off the Atotcha metro station and jetted it towards the Reina Sofia.

They have these here too? (and they spell “Scientology” in English?)

I was actually disappointed; I was downhearted, disenchanted, and just let down. The room where they kept the surrealist works was tiny and the selection was very limited, compared to Picasso (who had an entire hallway of his works), Dali had no more than ten of his works put up in that room. Despite the fact that I didn't see much I loved his work; Dali’s surrealism is always one that makes sense just by the feel of the piece. I never have to make wild guesses to understand his pieces, and the further I examine the piece, the clearer the feeling gets, and the stronger the emotions become. I wanted to see more of his works but the museum wasn’t showing any more of his works at the moment. :( I wanted to see more of his works with the spheres, his landscapes, and melting clocks. Along with Dali’s pieces were some by Joan Miró, whose style is like a child doodling on a piece of paper. His works had a childlike style that had the innocence and creativity of my cousin’s doodles on the fridge. They were not the highest quality pieces (as in detail), but I believe art it about getting a message out however you wish to.

Dali’s works

Miró’s works

After all this I bought a pair of Aviators that I have been itching to buy at the Rastro. I headed home and made sure everything was packed, passport, souvenirs, laptop, laptop charger, phone, camera, phone charger, all was in place (all the major ones anyways, If I do end up missing something, it shouldn’t be too important). I grabbed everything, said my goodbye to Pilar, and headed towards the Alfonso XIII station for the last time. Fate has a tricky way of messing with me; it loves to send my friends and me in the same directions without us knowing. I ran into Michelle and Alejandro (a friend of ours here in Spain) looking for a taxi to get to the airport. Michelle and I made the same "WTF" face at each other, and we chatted for a minute (she was late, I didn’t want to be), and we said our last goodbyes and we would see each other in the States. :D

Intense eagle statue on the Monument to Alfonso XII

I entered the Renfe station at the Chamartin Metro stop (it was a really good thing that I left early) and was a bit worried when I got there. I was about 40 minutes early and I couldn’t find the gate to my train. I found the timetables with my trip number, destination, and departure time all lined up, but there was no gate! I asked the man at the information desk and he told me that they don’t put up the gate numbers until 15 minutes or so before they leave. It struck me as odd, but when in Rome…

My Aviators, while I’m on the train

When I stepped out into the bright sunlight of the Renfe train, I had only two things on my mind: Paul Newman, and a ride home. (a cookie if you know that quote…)I hailed a taxi and somehow I felt that he took the long route to get that extra euro out of me, ah well. I rang the doorbell and just said my name and I was let in. They’re a lovely family: (photos will come once I get the chance), Argentineans with the accent that puts little ‘sh’ noises inside their j’s and y’s. Emilce and April (Emilce’s five year old daughter) were the first ones I met, both tanned an earthly brown from the Alicante sun and sand. Nicole (Emilce’s fourteen year old daughter) I met next; also bronzed from the sun and sea. Then I met my housemates, Matthias from Austria, and Christian from Italy (another Cristian?) and apparently I’ll be getting more in the future. I showed Emy (Emilce) my map and from there she started to go over how to get to certain areas, which parts of town were the party parts, the older parts, the castle, and other landmarks while I was showing off my fedora to April and letting her play with it. Later I met Diego (Emilce’s husband) and then eventually Julia (Emy’s mother) and then I was shown my room where I unpacked and then had dinner with them.

A guy asked me if he could dance with my sister... although that wasn't my sister... that was my friend Beth.

So now I finished this post and the word count says over 3000 words and about 6 or 7 pages on the word document. I’ll shoot as much as I can here in Alicante and hope the internet here stays stable enough to where I can upload without interruptions. They have internet here but it goes on and off so it’s not too good for doing big tasks like uploading photos. I just hope that I don’t end up as a computer hog at Sampere… I’ll keep you updated as much as I can.

Until later!

Guillermo :D

All children are artists. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up.
-Pablo Picasso

Our December sun is setting...

2009-07-17T04:36:00.000-07:00

Link to the Photobucket page: http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

As my time in Madrid is coming to an end I've seen the city take it's effects on me. I've picked up on the slang and I say words such as "vale", call people "tio/a", and refer to groups as "vosotros"; all different from the Mexican Spanish I grew up with. I walk on the streets without people giving me strange looks. Tourists, new people to Sampere, and even some Spaniards ask me for directions on the streets, how to get from point A to B on the metro, and other little things like that. Even this morning, I helped a family from Denmark get to Sol. As I started talking to them (in English they didn't know Spanish) they were surprised to know that I was from the United States. Well here's a bit on my last week in Madrid (I still have the weekend!!!).

Street in Sol (the flash didn't go off), it's a bit funky but I like the effect

Wednesday: Sampere took a trip to the Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum to see the works from all over Europe. Unlike El Prado, which contains more classical pieces such as Goya's and Velazquez's, and Reina Sofia (I still need to go...), which has 20th century works like Dali and Picasso, the Thyssen Musuem has art pieces from different eras, different countries, and different styles. As usual with the museums here in Madrid, no photography was allowed, but I was allowed more time to explore the museum and really take in different styles, techniques, and painters. Portraits, still life, abstract pieces; painters from the United States, Italy, Spain; and everything from Romanticism to Expressionism.

Bust of the founder: Baron Hans Heinrich Thyssen-Bornemisza

That night I heard that Cristian was leaving for Paris Thursday afternoon. So we and a couple of friends got together and we went out to see the streets of Sol and to get some churros with chocolate (Spanish churros aren't that sweet compared to the Mexican ones which usually have cinnamon on them, but I guess that's what the chocolate is for). The metro closed so we had to take a taxi, and the taxis in Madrid are crazy! We told him the street and he popped it into the GPS, blasted the techno, started mumbling to it, and we dashed 60 km/hr in a 30 km/hr zone. Normally I just take the metro (I have a pass) but the fare came down to about 5€ from each of us and seeing how we live a bit of a distance away it was a pretty good deal.

¡Churros con Chocolate!

Thursday: I owed Liubov (the Russian girl) a dinner for buying me those goggles so I took her out to a place in Sol. It was a small place called El Bascon not too far away from the metro station in Sol; great tapas, sweet sangria, and it's all at an amazing price. We then walked around Sol a bit and I showed her all the little places that people seem to miss or to know nothing about: Madrid's emblem, km 0, the place that had the churros and chocolate until seven in the morning, all that fun stuff.

Communications Palace, Salamanca district, Madrid

So now it's Friday at around 3 pm here in Madrid, the weekend is looking up, I'll probably go out tonight with some friends to Sol, see what's up. Saturday will be my last full day in Madrid, so the morning I will fully explore El Retiro, (I'm still not done yet!?) then visit The Reina Sofia Musuem. Sunday I will make sure I'm fully packed, got everything and leave to Alicante at 2pm at the Renfe Train at the Chamartin Metro station.

The place we went to Wednesday night had some amazing photographs all over the wall...

Oh and I'm having a bit of a photographer's block... I don't shoot things twice and I need a new change of atmosphere. I'll snap out of it as soon as I explore the Retiro and let myself get a bit lost. I'll update on Monday about the weekend with photos.

-Guillermo :D

Nothing lasts.

-Ken Kesey

My date with a Russian girl

2009-07-13T01:40:00.000-07:00

Link to photobucket display:

http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

My spine started to tingle a little like it always does when people play with my hair. She moved her fingers around my forehead a little and then behind the ears, tickling me a little as she treated my head like some sort of crystal ball that she could scry into. The sun was caged behind the leaves of the tree, giving them a silhouette look, and a soft light to the Retiro. In the background if you listened closely you could hear the bustling of cars, construction, and crying like white noise you just want to ignore. I tilted my head to the right and I looked at her: long black hair, a ring on every finger, and two little dimples that can only be described as ¨adorable¨.

Oh wait I'm sorry, you want to hear about Madrid and Toledo :D

And to all of you who were getting into that... is it good enough to be a part time writer? XD

Vips... it's like the Denny's of Madrid really

Thursday: It was sort of a goodbye party for some of the students that Sampere holds every week or so. It was a Karaoke bar called La Chocita Sueca (The little Swedish house) and I found out that I have a weird singing face. I said goodbye to all the friends who are leaving and I watched my German friends try to dance to Slim Shady.

Nadya and me... with my intense singing face.

Friday was pretty much a nothing day... I didn't want to miss out on Toledo so I made sure I slept that day.

Madrid checkerboard police car

Saturday: Toledo! All I have to say is: THE VIEW OF THE CITY IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! It looks a bit like an island due to the river flowing around the city and it has that old village feel that I know and love. We actually stopped the bus before we entered the city to take a ton of photos of just the city as a whole. It's times like these when I wish I had a professional photographer's equipment to capture all that epic land in one shot.

Toledo!

So we entered and Josune (professor and guide) started the tour off in the central plaza and explains the history of Toledo. How it was once the capital of Spain but eventually Madrid started booming and then gained the role of Spain's capital. Toledo also served as a sort of haven for all three major religions, a place where Muslims, Christians, and Jews lived amongst one another and each one's history can be felt all over the city. Toledo is full of alleys, twists, turns, and all sorts of fun things that make owning a car here seem a bit odd.

Swords are VERY popular in Toledo (SPARTA!!!!)

Our first stop was the Cathedral and I have a theory... everything in Toledo has to be huge. The cathedral was enormous, I had to take a video of it to get the whole thing into perspective (also available on photobucket). Inside the cathedral (no photography allowed :( ) was the most elegant and beautiful work I have ever seen inside a cathedral. A sense of comfort floated around the room and the main hall packed with gold decor, amazing paintings,a skylight, and a crypt (I forgot why it was there but it was beautiful). In the back you could find a sort of museum covering the history of the Cathedral and artifacts behind glass.

Video of the front of the Cathedral

We stopped at another place to catch our breaths and take a look at the view of Toledo. No history, just the gentle breeze and the awesome view.

The Towel at Toledo

Afterwards we went to go look at an old Synagogue and although it wasn't as big as the Cathedral, it was huge in its essence. It had a courtyard to relax in, a grave site through another door, and a little museum about Jewish culture, history, and the religion.

The Synagogue from the outside

We got two hours to go and eat somewhere and then I finally had my first foreign McDonald's... for 3,40 € (That's maybe around $4.50 American) I got a Spanish Big Mac. I was actually disappointed really, it tasted the same really, but the flavor was actually a bit stronger in Spain. Ah well...

It even looks the same... :(

After lunch we all met at the St. Tomé church where we saw The Burial of the Count of Orgaz a classic piece by ¨El Greco¨ over the grave of Don Gonzolo Ruiz. The piece depicted his death as a tragedy, and included ethereal beings looking down on him with "El Greco's" signature style of deformed people and strange color choice. The group then started to complain about the heat, the long walks, and all other little things here and there that Josune got everyone on the bus early. Eventually we got back in Madrid and I planned out tomorrow as it would be my last sunday in Madrid.

Street in Toledo

Sunday I went to El Rastro for one last time, and the Retiro with a Russian girl I met on the trip to Toledo. She's only been here a week so she didn't know too much about the city and I gave her a tour of the two places for about seven hours. And I finally bought all the souvenirs for everyone back here in the states.

Another common thing in Madrid: smoking, these stands are everywhere!

It's now my last week in Madrid, I have to enjoy it as much as I can now. I still have to go see Guernica and make a trip to The Reina Sofia :D! I'll keep you all updated as much as I can.

The greatest souvenir in the world...

-Guillermo

If smoking is not allowed in heaven, I shall not go.

-Mark Twain

Trip to El Prado Museum

2009-07-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

Link to photobucket display:

http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

Las Meninas by Diego Velazquez

So where to begin? Yesterday I took a trip with Sampere to look at the classic Spanish art inside El Prado museum where they held works of Goya, Velazquez and many more. Inside I got to see all these art pieces that I thought only existed in textbooks. Unfortunately there was no photography allowed inside so I can only show the exterior of El Prado (beautiful nonetheless) and pictures online.

Statue of Goya outside the Prado

I can´t say much unless I have photos with me. you can check them out on the photobucket account. My only wish for the trip was that I had more time to get a really good look at everything and that I had an art crazy friend with me who would be willing to debate on all the little things about the pieces. The Prado museum strikes as a museum with a very classical air about it, where the museum itself is an art piece: reeking of history and beauty. I liked Velazquez's work but I am honestly a fan of Goya's work. His paintings and drawings have a rugged style that are used to express the pain, confusion, and tragedy of war that felt a lot more honest than that of other paintings I've seen. There's something special about seeing Las Meninas (Velazquez's masterpiece) in person that brings out the painting's qualities a lot more. It's a piece that you want to see in person, because these online photos do it no justice.

Garden outside the Prado

Well other than that I´ll be heading to Toledo on Saturday, I´ll be sure to bring more photos and tales by Monday.

-Guillermo :D

All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography.

-Ferderico Fellini

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

2009-07-06T03:35:00.000-07:00

Link to the Photobucket page:

http://s577.photobucket.com/albums/ss211/memoagomez/CMU%20in%20Spain/?albumview=grid

Super busy weekend... I took so many photos that I think I´ll have to wait a couple of hours for them to fully upload online...

The Good:

Friday I got to celebrate my friends´leaving to Alicante and Salamanca by heading over to a club called Sol y Sombra. Multitudes of lights filled the club: painting it a beautiful picture. The smell of smoke, sweat, and drinks filled the room as it mixed well with the booming of the bass and the feel of music flowing through everyone. Songs from all over the world came up. most of them were club hits or techno that we were able to rock out to. What gave us away as tourists was the fact that we knew the lyrics to the club hits and were able to sing them word for word; the locals thought it was hilarious. I knew the people in Madrid partied hard, and when in Rome, do as the Romans do.

El Corte Ingles, Madrid´s superstore

The club closed, so we all went out to walk the city streets and eventually we ended up Plaza Oriental and hung out until the Metro started running. I got home at around 7:00 or so and slept like a baby.

The Bad:

That morning I had an excursion to go to Alcala... the bus arrived at the stop at 9:00 in the barrio of Salamanca ... I woke up at 8:50 in my barrio Chamartin. Long story short... didn´t make the bus to Alcala. Pilar told me there was nothing too great in Alcala anyways, just a house where Cervantes (writer of Don Quixote) lived. So I slept until 1:00 when I woke up and decided to forget Alcala and make my own trip. I picked up a Lonely Planet guidebook and then with Cristian picked a walking tour to follow.

Statue in a Park, Salamanca District Madrid

The Bad that changd to a Good:

We took the "Pick of the Plazas" walking tour where we took a 6km walking tour. We started in Plaza de Santa Ana, in the barrio of Huertas where the heart of the city is. We knew this area pretty well, there were clubs, tourists, and people trying to sell you things while you eat. We then moved towards Lavapiés where we noticed that the boom and movement of the city had calmed down, there was a relaxed, almost pueblo-like feel in Lavapiés. We walked through the barrio and here we could really see the diversity of Madrid, concentrated into this cozy little district. We walked passed Indian restaurants, Chinese import shops, and people speaking languages that sounded like they were speaking in tongues. The district is a bit shady sometimes but it has a calming aura about it that sort of draws you in. After Lavapiés we walked a bit through the barrio La Latina and we could feel the hustle and bustle of Madrid coming back.

Indian Restaurant in Lavapiés Madrid

Eventually we landed in Plaza Mayor the epicenter of old Madrid. Although it was hard to see it with all the street performers, the abundance of cafés, and people in costumes trying to make a buck from all of the tourist traffic: there is a lot of history here. The plaza was used for bullfights, executions, and Royal events for the entire city to see and enjoy. I could just imagine what it would be like if I had the place to myself for a little while, without the other tourists, without the Ben and Jerry´s, and without a man in a Spider Man outfit trying to entertain kids for a few Euros.

Me at Plaza Mayor

After resting in Plaza Mayor we headed towards La Latina where the streets are sloped, the coffee´s good, and the breeze was comfortable. We didn´t stay too long in La Latina, for some reason a man started swearing at us in Spanish... I think it was because we dressed a bit too American (Cargo shorts, shirt, and New Balances...) and he didn´t think we knew Spanish so he started mumbling away. After going through the twists and turns of La Latina and looking at all the amazing architecture we headed over to Plaza Oriental.

Cristian on a sloping La Latina street

Directly in front of the Royal Palace is Plaza Oriental, where statues of past Kings stood, the gardens shone, and street performers knew that the tourists would all be there. I explored the plaza, shooting what I missed from last time I came to visit, and took a quick break as we read on where to go to next.

The greatest street performer in Plaza Oriental... just look at that enthusiasm!

We then arrived at Gran Via, one of Madrid´s hugest roads and headed towards Chueca. Gran Via was packed with coffee shops, designer outlets, billboards, and all that big city rush like New York or Los Angeles. We also saw people getting ready for the annual Gay Pride parade with banners, balloons and other decor covering restaurants and homes.

Could McDonalds even do this in the USA?

Eventually we arrived in the barrio of Chueca where we saw the preparations go at full steam: people setting up stages, cleaning up the streets, and impromptu rallies being made here and there. That was the end of the walking tour given to us by Lonely Planet, and there we decided to meet up with a few friends later on, watch the parade a little, and then go to Sol to get something to eat.

I guess overpriced clothing is a universal thing...

It was only two hours or so when I got back to Gran Via and saw the streets packed from both sides with people. The parade had just started and it was times like these that I wished I had a telephoto lens. So many people, all I could do was take crowd shots, and whatever view I got of the people in the streets, on the pride buses, and in the buildings. Eventually I arrived in Sol where we went to a buffet (We lost the other restaurant...) and afterwards watched what was left of the parade.

The sign says Elena, marry me!

Sunday was a pretty lazy day... I went to El Rastro again and took my camera this time to take photos. I helped out some new friends find what they wanted to get and then from there I enjoyed the rest of my weekend.

The Ugly:

I found the Solution to the Flickr problem! A website called photobucket can host as many photos as I wish but I have to upload EVERY SINGLE PHOTO ALL OVER AGAIN... ouch. So I posted the link above, chances are the uploading process is still going on... and when it´s finished I will add photos to this post.

Wednesday I will go to El Prado Museum and this Saturday I will go to Toledo (and this time I´ll be awake :D)

Pilar, my host

Until later everyone!

Guillermo

It's only after we've lost everything that we're free to do anything.

-Tyler Durden

Tapas

2009-07-02T02:33:00.000-07:00

Link to the Flickr page:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28807972@N07/sets/

What a busy week it has been, and I have an exam tomorrow so I haven´t exactly been all that active but I still managed to put some fun time in.

Professor Tardio dropped by to see how we were all doing and she took us all out for some Tapas and Sangria. We then all chatted about how we´ve been doing, the museum trips we took, excursions, and talking about the classes that everyone has taken. The tapas were great, the sangria was amazing, but we weren´t quite done yet with the night...

Hanging out with Professor Tardio

Professor Tardio went out with some of her own friends to a jazz club, while we went out to find another restaurant. We ordered more tapas, cracked jokes told stories, and even invited other friends of ours to drop by and relax with us.

Tapas!!!

The next day I finally got my Metro pass! 46 € for unlimited travel on the bus and the metro for the month of July. One thing that bugged me is that you get a discount if you are under 21, but you have to wait 15-20 days to actually get the pass after you buy it. Seeing as how I had about 18 or so days left in Madrid, it was a smart idea to just get the normal one where although you pay more, you don´t have to wait. Now there´s a big hole in my wallet, but now I don´t have to worry about buying tickets left and right. So just a word of advice: if you´re staying in Madrid GET A METRO PASS. Depending when you arrive and how long you´re planning on staying you should determine if you should get the normal or the youth one (but if you´re 21 just get one ASAP).

I see a man selling these ¨Afghan Toys¨ by the Metro everyday...

The same day I took a tour down the streets by the school to visit the most important buildings in Spain. We saw the Spanish Treasury, the city hall, and other historical landmarks/important buildings. You can go see all these buildings and monuments on the Flickr feed. Here´s just a sample:

The bear and the tree: Madrid´s official emblem

The first public advertisment in Madrid (popular meeting spot)

Treasury of Madrid

That night I went out for some tapas at El Tigre, a bar in Chueca, but seeing as I had to study for the exam Friday, I left early. It was an amazing deal! For 2,50€ you get a small drink, and a plate of tapas... if you can find a seat (it´s always packed in there).

Tapas from El Tigre

I will go on an excursion to Alcala this Saturday and bring back tons of photos :D in the meantime enjoy the Flickr feed and I´ll keep you all updated as much as I can.

-Guillermo

The year's at the spring,
And day's at the morn;
Morning's at seven;
The hill-side's dew-pearled;
The lark's on the wing;
The snail's on the thorn;
God's in his Heaven -
All's right with the world!

-Robert Browning from Pippa Passes

Week 1 (Big update)

2009-06-29T00:50:00.000-07:00

Flickr link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28807972@N07/sets/72157620302842043/

I haven´t updated since Wednesday, So I´ll have to make a huge list

Wednesday:

I went to the Royal Palace in Spain with the school and when we arrived at Plaza Oriental (where the palace is located) I felt like wandering through the entire plaza to see all the statues and architecture. Unfortunately I didn´t want to lose the tour group so I´ll have to go sometime later, explore, and take photos of the gardens exploding with all kinds of flora, unique and often bizarre street performers in front of the Palace, and the beautiful architecture.

Statue dedicated to the Arts in Plaza Oriental

Eventually we got to the gate and went into the main courtyard where the Palace, The Cathedral de la Almudena, and Campo del Moro all were just waiting to be seen. We only paid for the tour of the palace so I didn´t get to see inside the Cathedral, and since we arrived about half an hour early we got to see the view of the Campo, and check out the Royal Museum of Arms by the palace. Unfortunately there was no photography allowed within the Museum so I can't show you the antique swords and armors in the museum.

A shot of the Cathedral in the Courtyard

We then exited the museum and from there we found the breathtaking view of El Campo del Moro. Green land that just seemed to stretch out for an eternity and I always wish I had a nicer camera to capture the lush green forest and the perpetual landscape.

Campo del Moro

After all that, we went to the Royal Palace with the guide. Every single room had such attention to detail: frescos, furniture from all over the world; you could just feel the history in the 22 rooms we visited (over a thousand rooms in total).

And there was no photography allowed...

So here is a photo of outside the palace with my fellow classmates!

Thursday: There is a park in Madrid known as El Parque del Buen Retiro (best known as just El Retiro) I quickly passed through it one day and I think it is by far the best place within Madrid. Acres and acres of trees, flowers, statues, small stands, and a lake all just exploding with colors, life, and an aura of grandness that makes you hate leaving it. I was only there for about an hour or so, but during that hour I was in something that Ansel Adams must have done, pure nature meshing perfectly with the statues and people to give you a calming and relaxed feel. Words are not enough... go check out the Flickr feed (link above).

Estudio Sampere had a get together that night at a bar in Madrid. There we all got to hang out and I got to know my fellow classmates. Unfortunately a lot of them were either from the French group (a large group of elderly people on vacation) who most were just learning Spanish or who were leaving in a few days. So I hung out, watched the South Africa v Brazil game and had some sangria (great stuff).

Friday: I had a trip to Segovia Saturday morning, I needed as much sleep as I could, I couldn't afford to miss it.

Motorcycles and Mopeds are really big in Spain...

Saturday: I looked at the partied out crowd as they slumped onto the 9 AM bus, Segovia was only an hour away from Madrid. It had the old Spanish village air around it but not the exact look. There were old historical buildings such as Roman churches, La Casa de los Picos, and the Aqueduct next to shoe stores and restaurants that served "American" food.

The aqueduct from below

After a coffee break we got to see the Gothic Cathedral in Segovia. Unfortunately there were no photos allowed so the interior isn´t up on Flickr. Honestly it felt like walking through a museum; old artifacts from the Cathedral, tools from making the aqueduct, Spanish coin collections, even a sarcophagus.

Photo of the Cathedral´s Exterior

After walking through the twisting winding alleys filled with shops (bought myself a souvenir) we went to see El Alcazar de Segovia (Castle of Segovia ). It was a castle perched on top of a huge cliff, with an amazing view of the countryside. There's a legend that Walt Disney came to visit once and based his Castle in Disneyland off of El Alcazar de Segovia.

El Alcazar de Segovia

Within the Castle there was beautiful artwork, ceilings that were made in designs that could only be described as amazing, and at the top, there was a view that would rival the Duquesne incline.

The view from the top of Alcazar de Segovia

We then ate a restaurant and after a long day of walking and taking photos headed back to Madrid. That night I went out to Sol with Cristian and Stephanie (Fellow CMU students) and we walked around where the tourists go, being offered multiple shiny objects to wear during the night by street vendors, listening to the playing of the street performers, all while relaxing in the warm Madrid night.

There are at least one of these pharmacies on every city block...

Sunday: There were shops everywhere, rows and rows of stands that just seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and set up in the bustling area of La Latina. This was El Rastro, the Sunday marketplace when people set up shop and sell goods at low price. I went here to buy my souvenirs, but I did not want to bring my camera because of the large crowd. The items sold there were so diverse it seemed like some sort of world market...

Katana: 60€
T shirt that said España: 5 €
Garden gnome 10 €
Teashade sunglasses 7 €
Finding them all in the same stand: Priceless

Afterwards I went home, and after Cristian moved in, we decided to explore La Chueca (district in Madrid) and then called it a day.

Yup, they´re here too...

Well that´s it for now, I can conclude that a weekly update is far too long of a time span to update. Once every two or three days could be a good start.

Anyways the Flickr feed is full for the month, Until Wednesday I can´t upload anymore photos unless I do something about it. If I do then I´ll let you all know what I´ll be doing for 3 more weeks in Madrid and 2 in Alicante.

¡Adios!

-Guillermo

Time goes, you say? Ah no, alas, time stays, we go.

-Henry Austin Dobson

Flickr and an Update

2009-06-24T02:09:00.000-07:00

A photo of Estudio Sampere from the outside.

I finally got enough photos to show them off in a Flickr set (link below). The good news is that with Flickr I can show off my photos easily and in a nicely presented form, the bad news is that I´m limited to uploading 100 MB a month. Seeing as how I plan to take around a thousand photos, each photo is about a megabyte each, and I am strictly against lowering the quality of my photos, this presents a problem.

What I might have to do is pick the cream of the crop and upload those and the other ones who unfortunately did not get chosen will either have to be uploaded later... in a ten month period. And I need to remember to organize them all, right now I´m just uploading them by date the photo was taken. I still need to add tags and descriptions and I will have to do that whenever I have time.

Other than that today I will visit the Palacio Real and watch the USA v Spain soccer game tonight (I´d hate to pick a side). I´ll take photos and talk about them in my next post.

Classes so far are great, they move at a bit of a fast pace but I learn a lot in the time I´m there. It´s about four and a half hours of study a day, three hours studying the language, and an hour and a half on optional classes where you learn things such as: culture, basic ecomomics in Spanish, Spanish food, and other subjects where I can learn all the terms in Spanish.

Until later,

Guillermo :D

http://www.flickr.com/photos/28807972@N07/sets/72157620302842043/

We do not remember days; we remember moments.

-Cesare Pavese

Day 1

2009-06-22T02:07:00.000-07:00

My host family has no internet, the plugs in Europe are different than the USA´s, and my laptop is dead, which all mixes together to me not posting on the day I arrived :P

As I got off the plane, disoriented from my flight, on that warm Madrid morning I felt like I was in a dream. Maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was just the jet lag kicking in, but there was this air of disbelief... that I was in Madrid! I met my host, Pilar, not too long after I arrived, and the rest of the family later on at night. I took a quick tour of the barrio (district) of Prosperidad, found the Metro and how to get to Estudio Sampere from there. After a nap (that flight was brutal :P) I woke to find the rest of the family: Pliar´s daughter Belen and her grandson Javier.

We then talked about her previous experiences with hosting, family she has here in Spain, the city of Madrid and the usual universal topics. Pilar told stories of how she had students from all over the US. I watched the soccer (I should be saying football) game with Javier and saw firsthand how strong the sport really is on the rest of the world. Javier broke out into song when they scored a goal: "¡Yo soy español, español!" (I am Spanish, Spanish!) We all had dinner at 9 and then I finished unpacking, making sure I had everything planned out for my first day of classes and slept.

I´ll keep this updated at least once a week, I´ll upload photos as soon as I get them, I'll get a flickr feed to upload them to and put up the link as soon as I can.

-Guillermo

The air was soft, the stars so fine, the promise of every cobbled alley so great, that I thought I was in a dream -Jack Kerouac

Packing

2009-06-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

Today I started my packing:

10 days of clothing
Light jacket
Towel
Cologne
Deodorant
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Other small things

And of course... this!

I decided to bring something from the Pittsburgh area to Spain and what else but The Terrible Towel?

My flight leaves Saturday morning at 7:30 am at the LAX. I have to get up at 3 am, and pray that the LA traffic doesn't end up murderous.

Feel free to comment if you have any questions!

What is that feeling when you're driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? — it's the too-huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.

-Jack Kerouac

Initiation

2009-05-26T13:11:00.000-07:00

My name is Guillermo Gomez and I am one of the lucky few who will be studying abroad in Spain this summer . Here I will be blogging for the CIT about my experience in Spain, as I indulge in the rich culture of Spain by living with a Spanish family, taking courses at Estudio Sampere, and exploring the cities of Madrid and Alicante. I will be updating this blog weekly (possibly more often) and will be adding photos, videos, and whatever else I can add.

The CMU in Spain program is a program with Carnegie Mellon University and Estudio Sampere to have CMU students do a study abroad program in Madrid and either Alicante or Salamanca. I will study in Madrid for four weeks and in Alicante for two weeks. I will stay with two host families, one during my time in Madrid and another during my time in Alicante. In Spain I will take classes on the Spanish language and the Spanish culture and have excursions in the cities.

My flight leaves June 20th, I will add another post when I arrive in Madrid. Feel free to post and ask questions about the program.

The beginning of a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
-Confucius