On Weekend trips, NPR addictions, and other musings of a confused bilingual brain

Here we are again! Another week down, another set of experiences to share! This weekend I chose again to travel solo. It's not that I don't have anyone to travel with - the logistics just didn't work out last weekend, and I've kind of grown fond of traveling alone at times. I can certainly get more done, and get more done I did. All told, in two days I saw 2 ancient monuments, 6 museums, and 8 churches. I tend not to stop to eat when traveling alone, so it really is a miracle that I didn't just collapse on the street from exhaustion. I decided to go to Ávila and Segovia for the weekend, Ávila for the fantastic and complete city walls, and Segovia for the Roman aqueduct (and so much more. I went to Segovia two years ago but just HAD to go back). After having QUITE a difficult time finding bus routes and hostels (or pensiones as they're called in smaller cities), I left Cáceres at 6:30 AM on Friday with a small backpack and 5 sticky notes with the necessary bus routes and phone numbers of the pensiones. I was a little nervous, but every experience helps me get less and less so! I found all my buses ok - regional services through the winding mountain passes of Spain. Quite a pretty ride. I arrived in Ávila and caught my first view of the city walls.

The one word to describe them is dramatic. Some 2000 odd meters and 90 towers, built in the 1100s and fully intact - it is quite a site to see (especially at night).
That day I toured the walls, saw some history museums, and saw 4 churches including the gorgeous 15th century Gothic cathedral where I (illegally) snapped this sweet panorama. Thoroughly exhausted, I retired to the Pensión Extremeña, a small off-the-radar lodging house above this dirty empty bar downtown. It was kind of like the Leaky Cauldron from Harry Potter except without magic. But, it had locking doors and comfy private rooms (albeit not the cleanest). When I'm 20 years old and traveling solo, I don't need much more. 15 euro is 15 euro. I awoke the next morning and took the first bus to Segovia, an hour ride. I instantly remember why I loved it. The charm yet stoic nobility of the 2000-year-old aqueduct running through the plaza is so striking!
In Segovia I also saw 4 museums and 4 churches, including the 17th century late Gothic cathedral of Segovia (where I enjoyed nerding out and putting Baroque music on my iPod to listen to as I pretended it was real). That's the kind of fun you can have while traveling solo! I decided to skip the Alcázar, Ferdinand and Isabelle's palace, because I'd already been there two years ago and wasn't terribly impressed, but did see the fantastic provincial history museum, and one on the iconography of the Aqueduct in advertising. Again thoroughly exhausted, I retired to the Pensión Aragon, a much cleaner and nicer family-run pensión right off the Plaza Mayor. In fact, I got upgraded to the room with the balcony over the plaza after the owner's sister said my room was too cold due to the malfunctioning radiator. I felt like I was stealing the 14 euro I paid - what a view!!!!

I enjoyed people watching as a Saturday night in Segovia wore down, and maybe not-so enjoyed the plaza's clock chiming every 15 minutes two doors down. What a great night! The next day, I awoke for an hour and a half bus ride to Madrid, a close shave on the metro to make my bus to Cáceres, and then a 4 hour ride to my hometown, where I showered (pensión showers cost 1.50 - no way!!!), finished homework, missed the Super Bowl, and went to bed. What a great weekend! Apparently you can leave Cáceres with just 5 sticky notes and make it just fine. It was this weekend however that I realized my NPR addiction is flaring up again. I listened to many backlogged episodes of "This American Life" on my bus rides, and read almost every article on NPR.com Sunday after my return to internet. It makes me feel guilty, because not only do I not practice Spanish when I listen to NPR, I'm also building nostalgia for a country I won't be in for another 4 months. I need to find "Esta vida española" or something like that...
The return to classes this week has been pretty routine, with one extra bonus - the start of CHOIR!!!! Our program director got me in touch with the conductor and helpers at the University choir, and they told me they'd be honored to have a foreign student sing in their choir (wow, not exactly what I was expecting!). So, without audition or even talking to the director more than 5 minutes, I showed up at rehearsal on Monday night: 9 PM (and I eat afterwards, at 10:30!!). As with every choir, I was instantly absorbed into rapid fire conversation with extremely bubbly people who wanted to know my life story in full detail. I can tell I'm going to get better at Spanish in the choir! The choir is pretty good from what I can tell - many adults are in it too, which makes for an interesting sound. I quickly realized I'm totally ignorant in Spanish musical terms, but many times the language is universal - and I'm sure I'll learn as I go along. I'm just glad to be back singing, and in a place where I will meet and interact with real Spanish people - something I've had trouble with up until now. All in all, I think I know what's going to be my favorite part of the day every Monday-Thursday!!!
Things are looking up, except that I haven't had enough time to sleep... oh well, that's overrated anyways. I'm only in Spain once! Hope to catch you soon on Skype or email. Until then, ¡Nos vemos!