Study Abroad
Day 27
February 13th, 2006
12:04 PM

Pretty low-key weekend.

Robin and I said goodbye to Amy and Danielle on Thursday night, who jumped on the train to Montpellier right after class. Robin and I went to go buy bus passes at the tourist office. While we were standing in there, we found two Chinese girls who didn’t speak Spanish trying to ask the proprietor where they could find a restaurant which would serve them a whole, roasted pig.
“Really famous here, yes?” they asked us, and, still not believing them entirely, we tried to translate for them.
“Cerdo ENTERO,” I told the man. He looked at the four of us like we were on crack. We promptly gave up.

Robin and I walked back toward the Fund, stopping at the grocery store for some snacks. We spotted a store that had masks in the window, so we popped in to look at all the costumes and wigs they had. I picked out a mask for Carnavale (we’re going to Cadiz in 2 weeks!) We got back to the Fund, had dinner and watched “The 40-year-old Virgin.”

We got up on Friday morning, had some comida, and got on the bus to Madrid with the rest of the “Grandes Maestros de Pintura Española” class. Our entry time for the Prado was 3:30, so Robin and I had time to wander down the street to look at the book vendors wares, go to the bathroom at McDonalds, and stroll down the street where I stayed when I came to Spain in 8th grade (but I think they re-did the hotel—it doesn’t look the same).

Our huge group shuffled into the museum and split up into two large groups. Our professor wasn’t our tour guide this week. Instead, a professor friend of hers led our group. All in all, it was kind of a frustrating experience to hold class in the museum. Obviously it was nice to see all of the art we’ve been discussing up close. However, I am short. And I couldn’t see, and I could hear a word she said the whole time because they were doing construction or something that was quite loud. And standing for 3 hours is never fun. And I have to do it again next week…

After the Prado, Robin and I were really ready for a snack. We picked up some Fanta Limon and crack Cheetos to eat on the bus ride (it has been brought to my attention that I talk about food a lot on this blog. This makes me sad, and yet I can’t help but mention it). We got back, bummed around a little, ate dinner (more food). I watched half of “Vanilla Sky” with the commentary on (director Cameron Crowe calls Tom Cruise to tell him he did a good job. I love commentary).

We went to bed early because we had to awaken at daybreak to go the bus station. We arrived there, miraculously, around 8:00 only to discover that all the ticket windows were closed. Closer investigation revealed that they are all closed on Saturdays. A moment of panic, followed by an even closer investigation told us that the bus drivers sold tickets on Saturdays.

Robin got some breakfast and one of those plastic eggs with candy and a toy in it (she gave me the candy but kept the toy—a tiny gun with discs that she shot at me most of the bus ride). We got on the bus to Cuenca and spotted a couple of other kids from the Fundacion with the same idea. The ride was pretty short—2 ½ hours.

The weather was perfect in Cuenca—warm but not too warm, perfect for hiking. We hiked all the way from New Cuenca into the old city, up the hills and through the tiny trails. We had lunch in a little restaurant that overlooked the river—tortilla Espanola, which I’ve been craving for days. Delicious (yes, more food). We hiked back into New Cuenca, bought some ice cream bars for dessert and sat in the warm sunshine until it was time to get back on the bus. It was the perfect day trip.

We came back in plenty of time to do nothing, go on the internet, do some homework, watch the rest of “Vanilla Sky,” finish my book, eat dinner. I don’t think I’ve had a do nothing day since I’ve been here. Sunday was much of the same, but with a lot more of the homework. I got a lot done, but realized how much I’ve been putting off my work. If I work my ass off tonight, I’ll be caught up for the week.

The highlight of yesterday was getting to talk to Mommy and Daddy on GoogleTalk. Well, they talked and I typed, but it was still awesome. This weekend in Madrid I’m going to buy myself a headset so we can have a real conversation. If you download it you can talk to me, too!