Holiday In Spain

It has finally hit me that my days here are numbered, in only 56 days I shall be returning to my well missed home in the U.S.  With that in mind I plan to do my best to enjoy the few that remain.

This past weekend was well received with continuous highs in the 80’s.  I now have a slight sunburn (it will turn into a glorious tan soon, I’m sure of it) from spending Friday soaking up the sun in Retiro park.  The weather has since disintegrated into cold rain and I can only patiently wait for the sun to reappear from behind the clouds so that I may resume my sunbathing habits.

Saturday Kim and I hopped a train to Segovia.  We were under the impression (from several guide books) that it was a two hour ride.  Our plan was to leave early, hopefully around 9:00 a.m. so that we would have adequate time to enjoy the seemingly small city of about 60,000.  We were shocked and please to discover that although our train wouldn’t leave until 10:35 that morning, leaving us over an hour of free time in the train station, it would only be a half hour ride.  A nice long cup of café con leche filled the delay and we were in the center of Segovia by 11:30 (including the bus ride from the train station).  The main attraction in Segovia is the 813 meter long Roman aqueduct built in 50 BC with 20,000 blocks of granite and absolutely no mortar, to pipe water from a river 18 km away.  Since we enjoy walking so very much, Kim and I followed the aqueduct along its route through the city.  It was just long enough to take about 50 pictures or so of stones and more stones, and arches…! The other Segovia must see (besides the usual cathedral and churches) is the Alcázar.  The 11th century fortress is said to be the model for Walt Disney’s Cinderella castle.  It appeared to be a plausible claim since there are definite similarities between the spiral towers and pointed turrets.  Ice cream was our third and final Segovian highlight, and we once again enjoyed the pleasant weather as we wandered the streets, crashed a wedding party, and made friends with the birds.

I’m also almost done with ballet classes, and while I won’t be dropping out of school and running away to New York to join a company (they’d probably disapprove of my “pastry-eating” problem anyway), I can see a definite improvement in my flexibility and coordination which is promising since I can’t seem to make it a day here without tripping at least once, whether on the sidewalk or over my own feet.  My dream of becoming a ballerina however still very much exists.  Sunday night I attended the Moscow Ballet Company’s production of “El Lago de los Cisnes” or “Swan Lake” to the English speakers.  Breathtaking.  It was beautiful.  The movement, the music, the costumes, the performers, and the theatre.  I was familiar with the story from what else but Disney’s film version, and after reading the plot description in the program it was amazing to see the dancers convey the emotions, feelings, and words through their actions alone.  Very moving.  So maybe if the whole teaching/ Spanish thing doesn’t work out I can still become a dancer.  After the performance I went home and stretched!  

I’m going to Rome for a couple of days!  Excited, very!  

And I shall be returning Saturday just in time to celebrate by 100th day in Spain.  wow.

School continues to be school.  (speaking of which I should be studying for a test right now… ooops!)  I continue to learn more outside of the classroom then in, but I believe that is part of this whole experience.  

And with that, good night, good morning, have a wonderful day… depending on your time zone… where you are… when you read this…  ¡CIAO!