Ross Blackwell: Spain

Madrid – Orientation

After being awake for over 36 hours, one would think that lack of sleep would take away from an experience.  However, despite my incredible sleep deprivation, I still managed to have an amazing first day in Madrid!

At the Eurocup 2012 finals!

Once we arrived, we quickly dove into the Spanish culture, eating at local restaurants and asking the friendly people for help and directions on scavenger hunts.  Because my program was not only focused on the Spanish language, but also Spanish art, during the orientation we got our first look at the magnificent Spanish museums.  We went to the Prado and the Reina Sofia, both very famous with works from Picasso, Dali, Velázquez, and Goya.  However, the highlight of this section of the trip was being able to watch the Eurocup 2012 finals between Spain and Italy at the Real Madrid stadium on two huge big screen TVs with thousands of other screaming Spanish fans.  The orientation was a great bonding experience for our group and an awesome introduction to the Spanish language and culture.

Logroño – Homestay

My new family!

            We arrived in Logroño, a small town in Northern Spain about the size of Nashville, and were met by our host sibling.  It seemed strange at first being with a foreign family who I knew nothing about, but by the end of the 16 days, they truly had become my second family.  My host brother, Marco, and I spent many hours playing soccer with his friends, watching Spanish TV, playing videogames, and just talking about how different our two countries are.  My favorite memory was waking up early one morning and cooking Southern biscuits with jam, a completely foreign concept to them.  Sharing this food with them while jamming to country music was an amazing multicultural experience for me.  I can’t believe the kind of bond I developed in just two short weeks, but it was an experience that I will never forget. 

            Not only did I become close to my family, but also with the other host sibling in my group.  It was most interesting for me to see what Spanish kids our age did in their free time.  As a group we went on excursions to Bilbao, a bodega (winery), the beach, and many more places.  On Friday and Saturday nights we experienced the Spanish nightlife with our host siblings as well.  In this section of the trip I was really able to use the Spanish I had learned as well as teach some English. This was one of my favorite parts of the trip, but after 16 days and a sad goodbye, we were off to Barcelona!

An oil pastel work of a pueblo

Barcelona and Girona 

A view of the river in Girona

While in Barcelona, we stayed in an apartment in the city just a few blocks away from Las Ramblas, a street famous for its shopping.  While we were here, we saw a couple of art museums, a museum of food, and even an apartment building designed by Gaudi.  We also took some time to just explore the beautiful city and see some of the monuments and parks.  My favorite part of this city, however, was the Familia Sagrada, an incredible church that was designed by Gaudi over a hundred years ago and is still in progress.  In Barcelona, not only do they speak Spanish, but also Catalan.  This added to the difficulty of communicating, but I also picked up on a few words in Catalan.  But after it seemed we had just settled into the city, we got on a train and headed to our next destination, Girona.

            Girona is a much smaller town in Northern Spain.  It is divided by a river that runs right through the middle of the city and is also famous for its giant cathedral.  One afternoon, we hiked up to the wall that surrounded the city and were greeted by an incredible view of the entire city at sunset.  We spent most of our time here playing soccer in the park, exploring the city, and eating delicious food. 

Cadaqués

A hilltop view of Cadaqués

About to devour a delicious Paella 

            As we rolled over the last hill in the bus, I caught a glimpse of what I can only describe as paradise.  Cadaqués, a small beach town located right near the border with France, was too good to be true.  We filled our days lounging on the rocks, hunting and eating raw urchins, and drawing the beautiful scenery.  Cadaqués is significant in the art world because the renowned artist, Salvador Dali, lived there.  One day, we took a side trip to Dali’s house, a bizarre arrangement of furniture, stuffed animals, and his own artwork.  After spending a week in this incredible location, it was depressing to have to return to normal life, but unfortunately, the trip had to come to an end eventually. 

Thanks to the Wilson Family

Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao

I can’t thank you enough for the grant to go on this trip.  It was a truly incredible experience that I will keep with me for the rest of my life.  I made lifelong friends and I feel like I brought a little bit of the Spanish culture back to the US with me.  

A view of Toledo from our hotel