A Time to Give Thanks

On November 14^th, we took our last trip as a group to Sevilla, traveling in our big purple and yellow, shiny bus. In less than two days we visited a castle, were toured around the city, visited “Hospital de la Caridad” (a church in which we were able to see some works of art we’d learned about in our art history class), rode/raced bicycle carts through “Parque de Maria Luisa,” grocery shopped, made dinner in the hotel, ate while listening to Christmas music, slept, woke up, ate, visited “Monasterio de la cartuja” (where I picked and ate an orange), then we visited ancient Roman ruins and stood in an amphitheater where two thousand years ago, gladiators fought wild animals from all over the world. We also were able to visit the Cathedral in Sevilla and walk up the very large bell tower to enjoy a beautiful view overlooking the city.  Wowzers, it’s a lot to even write! It was a jam-packed 1 ½ days, but really enjoyable and a great way to celebrate midterms and the DELE exam being over.  My favorite part of all had to be the dinner that we made in our hotel rooms.  We cooked in 3 different rooms, but all enjoyed our food around a small coffee table in Kailey’s and my room.  We ate salad, pasta, bread, and cheese.. a very simple, but delicious meal.  It was really neat having the freedom to cook, and eat what we wanted (although, I do love the food my host mom makes us).

(Roman Ruins)

Last Thursday, a group of us were invited for dinner at my friend Chris’ parents’ piso (apartment) in Granada, as they were visiting for the week.  We met in Plaza Nueva and hiked a little ways up into the Albaicin (neighborhood of Granada).  Immediately upon entering we were warmly greeted by his parents and after looking around their neat, cabin-like place, dinner was ready! Baked potatoes topped with bacon, corn, cheese, butter.. whatever your heart desired.. or stomach that is J Garlic bread, warmed brie cheese, fruit salad, veggie salad, carrots, and tomatoes.  Wow, I haven’t eaten food with such flavor in a long time! It was so delicious and comforting to be sharing a meal in a small setting with my close friends, great people.  After dinner we found our way up to the terrace overlooking buildings with a view of the Alhambra Palace.  Chris’ mom Cathy brought us tea and had warmed up the cake/brownie that Annie and I had brought for dessert.  Delicious! We laughed, shared stories, and of course took “un monton de” photos.  When we headed back down, we were greeted by an sweet aroma and the sound of running water.  Cathy with a huge smile on her face invited us to soak our feet in the large Arabic bath they had in one of the rooms.  No way were we going to turn her down.  We rolled up our pants and all got in, sitting around the edges of the bath, and just relaxed.  I think that was the first time my feet have gotten “pruny” in months.. due to the rapid-speed-shower-taking that I’ve been used to here. To say the least, it was an amazing night and we were all so blessed to have been invited to share dinner together. 

(Delicious meal)

The following day, Friday, a group of us took a walk to “Parque de las Ciencias” (Science Park) here in Granada.  We spent 6 hours, exploring all the exhibits.  It was a mix between OMSI and the Oregon zoo and a pretty enjoyable way to spend our afternoon. That night Annie and I checked out “Picaro” a bar that has live music every weekend. We got 2 free drinks with our ticket to get in. I had “chocolate caliente” (hot chocolate, which was more like hot chocolate pudding, but was so delicious!) and some mint tea! Yumm. The music was great too. Jazz quintet: trumpet, sax, bass, drums, and piano.  After a long day of walking around, it was really nice to just sit and relax, and enjoy the music!

(Nursing students and their love for Anatomy)

(Heart of a Fin Whale, so large)

The next day, Saturday, Annie and I woke up early and went out to Café Futbol for some chocolate and churros.  Probably something no one should be ingesting at 9 o’clock in the morning, but it’s pretty popular thing for breakfast here in Spain, so we thought we’d give it a try. After that we rode to the bus station to purchase our tickets to Madrid for when we leave Granada and head up North toward the airport! Holding those tickets in our hands, it was still hard to believe that soon it will be time to leave, but day by day it’s becoming more of a reality.  Annie and I spent the rest of the morning walking around Granada, looking in the shops, taking pictures, taking it all in.  It was a beautiful morning. 

On Sunday after church and lunch, Annie, a friend of mine that I met at church, Kimberly, and I walked around the Albaicin, the same area that Chris’ parents’ had their piso.  We roamed for about 2 hours, got lost at one point but after realizing that all the winding streets leading up and all the winding streets leading down will pretty much take you to the same place, we were able to find our way! It was perfect fall weather, crisp and dry, with the smell of leaves in the air.  The sun on the white buildings and the colorful trees was stunning.  We went to the look out “San Nicolas” to watch the sunset, many others had the same idea, but the view was gorgeous.  We visited there once as a large group, I believe in September, wow, I can’t believe that long ago.  It was neat to see how all the trees on the hills had changed colors, green to orange, red, yellow.  It has been reaffirmed to me that indeed, my favorite season is fall! Thanksgiving is coming up soon, and I am certainly thankful to God for the beautiful seasons that He has created.  Such diversity and beauty found in even the simple things… a fallen leaf, a crisp, cool breeze, parents walking their bundled little ones to school, hot tea..

November is coming to a close, December will begin.. and I will be flying back home.  I love it here in Granada, but am anxious to see my family, receive gobs and gobs of hugs and spend time sharing smiles and laughter. 

Thank you Lord for this time that I have been away, experiencing a new way of life, living with an amazing host mom, seeing your extraordinary creations. Thank you for my family and friends and for their constant love and support and for the reassurance that their love will be there when I return home. Thank you Lord for this next month, full of adventures, hot tea, fallen leaves, and cobble stone streets. And thank you that through and within it all, you are there.

Crunchy leaves and sipping chocolate

A week ago, October 29^th- November 2^nd, our group of 42 students took a trip to Madrid (capital of Spain), led by our amazing director.  Each day was planned out for us, with visits to La Reina Sofia Museum the first day, the Prado Museum and a tour around the historic areas of the city the next, followed by a visit to the Escorial (a huge palace in which the kings of the past lived), and the Valley of the Fallen (a huge monument built by Franco in honor of those who died in the civil war) the third day.  Whew. That was a lot!

My favorite parts of those 3 days would have to be our visit to the Prado where we were able to see works of Francisco de Goya, Salvador Dalí, and El Greco.  There was no way we had time to look at everything in the museum in 3 hours, so we spent our time finding the works of artists we had learned about in class.  I also enjoyed our time spent at the Escorial; there were beautiful gardens that you could see from the windows of the ancient rooms, a library filled with books read by the kings, rooms with the original furniture from long ago, and a marble cellar in which almost all of the kings of Spain and their families were buried (okay, it was a bit creepy, but the room was shimmering with gold and marble, sort of ironic however that we were there on Halloween). 

(Picasso)

(Near the Escorial)

(Valle de los Caidos)

The second to last day we took a bus to Segovia where we were guided on a 2-hour tour and then given time to roam the city ourselves.  After seeing the famous aqueduct and visiting the castle (that inspired Walt Disney’s castle in Snow White), Kailey and I decided we’d like to take a walk down through the city to a church and monastery.  Sadly, we found them closed during the hours that we would be there, but that didn’t stop us from having an amazing time.  We found a beautiful place covered in trees and leaves where we spent a good 20 minutes getting out our desire to stomp on the crunchy ones.  We then found a glistening stream with ducks and just stood there enjoying it’s tranquility (something we can’t find in the city of Granada).  Walking a little more we found a wide-open field of grass with the most picturesque view of the castle.  I’ve probably written pages already about grass, trees, water, landscape, etc. but I just can’t help it.  The castles are beautiful, the monuments are fascinating, but there is something about a sunny and crisp fall day in a quaint Spanish town.  After roaming, Kailey and I ate delicious bagel sandwiches and sipping chocolate yum yum. By far, I believe this has been one of my favorite places in Spain. 

(Aqueduct)

(Beautiful field and Castle in Segovia)

                                               

(LEAVES)

(Oregon!... psyche, Segovia!)

The last day we took the bus to Toledo where we were giving free time the entire day to wander.  We visited the cathedral, a monastery and a church in which we were able to see the famous painting of El Greco “El Entierro del Conde de Orgaz.” Are you starting to see a theme in my Spanish Adventures, church, monument, castle, church, monastery, statue and church?  We visited some tiny shops around the town and sat ourselves down to eat at a little pizzeria.  I would never have guessed that I would be eating the best pizza of my life (thus far) in a small town in Spain.  Roquefort cheese, mushrooms, oregano, and tomato sauce.  So simple, but YUM! My stomach’s grumbling thinking about it! hehe. Shortly after our meal, we headed back on the bus… destination, Granada.   

(Toledo)

This past week we had a pretty big test for our culture and civilization class, I’m glad to have that out of the way.  This coming Thursday I’ve got a test in my Spanish art history class and Friday is the Dele exam.  A test, which if I’m able to pass, will certify me as an intermediate Spanish speaker.  No pressure, right? 

Amidst all the “schtuff” I’m learning to relax more, easier said then done though.  I’m learning to give more than I receive, I’m learning patience, I’m finding that the small, beautiful things in life make my heart lighter, and I’m learning to be thankful for all the I am given.

I’m thinking of home a lot, friends and family, but I know that time will fly just as quickly as it already has.  Annie has already started a countdown until we go home, but I’m trying not to think about the days remaining and just take one at a time.

Thank you for your prayers, I feel them from all the way over here..

Libby

Travels to the Basque Country and to Valencia

These past few weeks have been a bit crazy. We’ve now experienced every type of transportation possible, or close to it! I’m glad to be back home in Granada, but glad that we were ale to take trips to the Basque Country (San Sebastian and Bilbao-to see the Guggenheim Museum) and to Valencia.

Annie, Brittany, Kailey, Kathryn and I traveled up to the North of Spain by bus and train (a full day of travel but it was well worth it). San Sebastian in Pais Vasco (The Basque Country) is an amazing and beautiful little town that I would love to go back to some day. It was filled with friendly people, talented artisans, and delicious carrot cake with chocolatey-goodness from “Sentido Comun” (Common Sense, cute little food store, with the nicest people).

(deliciousness from Sentido Comun)

The city is much greener than Granada, it’s located in the north, where the rain is more abundant.  We were within 10 minutes walking-distance from the beach. The weather was great the whole time we were there. If I can remember correctly I believe only a few drops fell. Who would have thought that in October you could spend a day on the beach, swimming in the ocean? It’s definitely a lot different from Oregon coast weather at this time of year.

We hiked up Mt. Urgull, located really close to our hostel (everything in San Sebastian is really close) and saw “Castillo

de la Mota” built, I believe in the 12^th century.  There was a huge statue of Jesus atop the castle… pretty neat! We spent quite a long time sitting on the top of the little mountain, looking out over the beautiful blue Cantabrian Sea and the city covered with burnt orange rooftops, old buildings, and churches. The hills were green and covered in trees.  All I could think about while looking out over the land was how much I wanted to run through those green grasses or sit in the middle of a large field. The quietness atop the mountain was calming.

The girls and I took a boat ride out into the ocean one day. It was pretty hot that day, but once we were on the water, the breeze felt great! The captain allowed the 4 of us to go below deck as they threw bread over the side of the boat. There were windows below and we were able to see all of the fish swimming up to the surface. After making it back to land, we passed some time sitting on the dock, eating our sandwiches we’d gotten from a little shop, listening to a man and woman play guitar, violin and sing. They seemed to be playing only for one another, for themselves, it was beautiful.

Later, we walked along “La Concha” (playa) to the other castle/lookout.  We took an old wooden tram to the top because we were all too tired to hike.  The cart creaked and we were headed, what felt like, straight up… brushing through the trees.  Looking down you could see the ropes and cables that were suspending us… safely, and thankfully, we made it! The view from the top was incredible and for only 2 euros more, we hiked up this old tower to have an even clearer view of the ocean and city. 

What an exhilarating feeling so high up, away from everything.  Before we all sat down and got too comfortable, we thought it’d be best to take the 2-plus mile walk back home.

(Part of the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, 1 hr. from SS)

San Sebastian was a peaceful break for us from our daily routine of classes, homework, etc. We got back to Granada on a Tuesday and that following Friday morning at 2 am.. we were off via bus to Valencia (SE) for our last little break for awhile.

So it just so happens that we went to Valencia on a holiday (not knowing it) and were greeted in the evening by a big parade through the city. There were bands, people in costume, dancers and horses marching the streets.  The parade was so neat to watch and the costumes were so intricate. My favorite part was a group of kids about our age playing percussion instruments, djembes, and other hand-drums.  They danced as the played and were all so full of energy. 

(one of the floats, with really cute children)

We spent time roaming the city, exploring, and probably a little too much time napping (I think we were all so tired from the traveling we had just done).

On our last of 3 full days there, we tried to go to the aquarium but the lines were immense and we decided not to go.  Instead we headed for the beach.  

(Aquarium we didn't go to, haha. Look at the giant leaf in my backpack!)

Kailey and I laid on the beach in the hot sun (yes, with sunscreen on) while Annie and Kathryn enjoyed themselves by walking along the beach, finding shade.  

For lunch, we ate the famous Spanish cuisine- Paella- on the waterfront.  Kailey and I split lobster paella and justified the price by saying that because we weren’t able to go to the aquarium, we had money for the paella.. hehe.  It was delicious and we were all pleasantly full after eating it. We made the best choice and took the street car back to the hostel. I don’t think we could have made it by walking. 

(Looks way tastier in person!)

After a little rest, we were back out, walking around. We decided to walk up in the tower of the cathedral to see the view from the top.  The sky had been gray and smoggy that evening so I didn’t think we’d see anything too special… however, we climbed at the perfect time to see the sun setting- how pretty it was. Very orange!

After, we had 15 minutes until the flamenco show we had heard about would start. We chose to go and I’m glad we did! The setting was small, but had a great atmosphere. There was a guitar player, 2 men playing box-drums (not sure the correct name), one singer, and 2 dancers.  The music and dance were incredible. One couldn’t exist without the other. I loved how everything fit together, the music, singing, percussion, clapping, dance, etc. No one around me was getting into it, but I wanted so badly to clap along or get up and move a little. Haha. I should’ve probably just done it! I loved the flamenco show entirely, even just watching their hands at the same time, watching how they all made music that complimented the others. At the end, in order for the crowd to have a chance to applaud each individual.. they did it in a very interesting way: they switched roles; the dancer would play guitar, the singer would dance  and the percussionist would sing, we clap and they switched roles again. We were all laughing the entire time, it was really neat and quite funny.  The funniest part was when the singer and guitar player tried to dance flamenco.. it’s about what I would look like trying to do it! I guess it just goes to show that we all have our own talents and abilities, and that together we can create something beautiful. 

We left the club really amazed and uplifted.  We headed back to the hostel where we made spaghetti, tomato sauce, cheese, and bread to go with it.  A meal costing us each less than one euro! It was tasty! After dinner Kailey, Kathryn and I went out in search for ice cream or something sweet (like we really needed it..).  It was 11:30 by that time and I thought everything would be closed.  Boy was I wrong! There were lots of people out ‘n’ about. Ice cream was open, but we all decided that the trek across the plaza for some chocolate con churros would be a better choice.  We split a plate.. each eating 2 churros, dipping them into a hot and really rich cup of chocolate.  Yumm Yumm! And SO healthy.. haha.  After, we waddled our way back to the hostel, showered and hit the hay. 

Waking up at 8 am wasn’t too pleasant, but once we were out in the crisp and beautiful morning air, it was enjoyable. Craving Valencia’s famous orange juice, we sat ourselves down at a café.  Annie wanted her morning cup of joe and headed to Starbucks right down the road (yep, starbucks exists there).  The girls and I saw that the sign said “Agua de Valencia” and we thought we’d order it because for one, Rick Steves recommended it and two, we were sure it was freshly squeezed OJ.  We awaited our OJ, but when looking over at the bar, Kathryn noticed that alcohol and a good helping of it was being poured in.  hahahaha. It wasn’t even 10 am… I’m sure the waiter thought we were complete dorks for ordering a liter of an alcoholic beverage so early in the morning.  Ha. We felt pretty dumb, but the waiter served it with a smile and we finished it.. an hour and a half later.  Now we know.

Our bus ride back to Granada was smooth, all 7 ½ hours of it! Now we’re back in the school routine J Which actually, right now, feels nice! Annie and I met with our Intercambio, a 19 year old girl, who lives here in Spain.  When we meet, we spend some time speaking in Spanish and some time speaking in English.  She is so sweet and really friendly.  She’s very patient with us when we don’t understand something, or when we’re trying to explain something difficult. She’s already invited us to come to her school on a Friday (when we don’t normally have class) to meet her friends.  I’m so glad we have this opportunity!

Here are the classes I’m taking:

Monday & Wednesday:

9:00- Culture and Civilization of Spain

12:30- Written and Oral Production

Tuesday & Thursday:

10:30- Spanish Art: Barroco- Present day

12:30- Politics and Government in Spain

Doesn’t seem like too much, but having classes, tests, and assignments all in Spanish can be a little tough at times.  It’s a good kind of tough though. And I’m really enjoying my time here.  In a couple days, half of our trip will have been completed and we’ll have only 2 more months to soak in all that we can!

More to come..

Un Fin de Semana (Weekend) en España

This past weekend was jam-packed. I spent lots of time studying for the 2 exams that I had yesterday and yet still found tiempo libre to:

Take a walk through Granada with "the group," led by our wonderful tour guide, Alfonso. We went to La Capilla Real, a church in which the Catholic Kings (Los Reyes Católicos) are buried. There is also a monument built within the church honoring them. We weren’t able to take pictures inside of La Capilla Real, unfortunately.  There were so many works of art from the renaissance, it was incredible to walk through and see them. The crown and staff of Queen Isabel the Catholic were on display, as well as some of the royal garb. I wish we were given more time to spend there, but we had places to go and things to see.

(Outside of La Capilla Real)

(Picture of the Catholic Kings monument)

The Cathedral of Granada. WOW! So grand, immense, beautiful, and mind-boggling. How was something so incredibly intricate and enormous constructed so perfectly? I cannot wrap my mind around it. The pictures I took can do a better job of trying to explain its beauty… but still cannot compare to witnessing it. I wish I could tell you how tall it was, how incredibly massive the columns were, or describe for you the distinct “cathedral” smell. The alter was simple, with a stunning domed ceiling above, decorated with stars, representing God’s dwelling place in the heavens.  I loved the stained glass windows and was fascinated by their complexity (and again, wondering how in the world they were able to place them as they did). Here are some pictures, but keep in mind, they do the cathedral no justice…

(That's me, the columns are HUGE)

Something completely unrelated to the ancient museums/architecture/churches/cathedral is… bullfighting. Yep, Annie and I this past Sunday witnessed our first ever “Corrida de Toros” here in Granada. We learned about bullfights in our culture class: the 3 different parts, the symbolism of the bull and the matador, which areas of Spain are more accepting of this type of entertainment, and why it is a highly controversial event. I’m glad we’d learned about it a little before hand, to have a better idea of what we were signing ourselves up for.

A normal bullfight consists of 3 matadors and 6 bulls (2 per matador).  All 6 bulls are normally killed, but occasionally some are spared and are sent back to pasture. The second bullfight was the most interesting to watch. The bull was putting up a good fight and the matador was skilled with his capote (cape). At one point during the fight, the matador tripped and fell on the ground. The bull attacked him, goring him in the inner thigh. He got up and walked to the side of the arena. They put a tourniquet around his thigh, just like a large rubberband, and he went back out to fight. Incredible. The fight ended, and the matador walked away with an ear of the bull. If the matador does a good job, he is awarded trophies (one ear, two ears, or two ears and the tail for a completely perfect fight). The crowd during the fight waves white handkerchiefs to show its approval and whistles to show its disapproval. Overall, it was an interesting experience. The music, decorative suits that the matadors wore, and the crowd yelling, “OLAY!” as the bull passes through the cape, were my favorite parts. People have asked if I would go to another bullfight and I’m not really sure.  I think I would much rather see the “encierro” or running of the bulls and the big celebration of Sanfermines in Pamplona, Spain.

(Me before the bullfight started)

(Matadors)

(Winner, the one that got gored in the leg. He's holding the ear of the bull)

Things at home here have been going really well. I’ve found a church to attend that is only 20 minutes walking from my “piso” (house/apartment).  They are very welcoming and they have a youth group that meets on Saturday evenings.  It’s so neat worshipping and listening to sermons in another language, knowing that God knows and understands all.

Our host mom is still amazing! I love sitting at the table after lunch or dinner.. and just talking with her. At times I’m not able to formulate the correct words and Annie jumps in to help- or just looks at me with a confused face wondering what in the world I’m trying to say. Haha. It’s comical at times.

We start our new classes on October 7^th, after we come back from the Basque Country (San Sebastian, in northern Spain). We’ll be taking a politics class, art history class, grammar class, as well as the same culture class that we’ve been taking.

I’m excited for what these upcoming weeks bring!

Here’s where I’ll be:

Oct 1-6: San Sebastian

Oct 7-8: Granada, for the start of classes

Oct 9-12: Valencia

Hope that all is well where you are…

Mi amor y Un abrazo muy fuerte,

Libby

so much Spain

So much has happened in the last few days. Golly, where do I start?

         Last Saturday, our group took a bus to Cordoba (2 ½ NW of Granada). The weather couldn’t have been better.  There we visited the Alcazar de los Reyes Cristianos: A castle constructed in the 14^th century, in which the Christian kings lived during their stays in Cordoba and planned many important undertakings: discovery of America, conquest of Granada. The ancient building itself was amazing, decorated with mosaics, sculptures, and intricate woodwork.  The history behind the Alcazar and the Christian Kings, is incredible, however, I found myself drawn to the gardens that were designed and planted many, many years later. 

There were huge ponds with lilies and fish, many fountains, tall trees, flowers of every color, and the smells of Jasmine flowers, basil and oregano within these gardens. They were exquisite. Unlike anything I’ve seen- in real life.

         Cathedral of Cordoba (Ancient Mezquita), our next stop. “Salvador” a professor from the University of Granada was our guide. A very funny and nice older gentleman who thankfully annunciated his words and spoke slow enough for us to catch most of what he was saying. Having learned about Arabic architecture a little in our culture class made me value seeing this amazing cathedral that much more. A forest of marble columns each intricately designed at the (capital) with semicircular arches branching off the top. It’s not possible to write about all that was seen in the sanctuary: stained glass windows, the tallest ceilings ever, with really neat patterns and pictures engraved/molded into them, and many religious statues and paintings. They sure don’t make things like they use to. 

         Hopefully some of the pictures I post will speak for themselves- it’s so hard to explain in words what we saw.

         Our next stop, Los Banos Arabes. This wasn’t just a tour through the ancient and decomposing buildings… we actually got to experience what it might have been like back in the day.  There were two hot tubs, two super cold tubs, a sauna, and a large luke-warm pool.  We spent two hours there relaxing in the quiet, candle lit rooms, moving from bath to bath, drinking the most delicious mint tea and each of us received a fifteen-minute massage. It smelled of massage oils throughout- rosemary, lemon, and jasmine. What a peaceful and enjoyable way to end our day in Cordoba.

         Sunday, we took a 20 minute trip up to the Alhambra here in Granada. We learned that it is the most visited place in all of Spain; approximately 3 million people visit each year. Incredible! An Arabic Castle, built in the 14th century. It was it’s own city back in the day and thousands of people lived within its walls. Towers, columns, arches, engraved/molded walls, mosaics, ceramic tile, Arabic lettering, gardens, fountains, and the most amazing view overlooking the city of Granada--- My words alone cannot do this place justice in the least bit. Once again, I think.. and hope the pictures will speak for themselves…

         Today is Wednesday and yesterday I had my 1^st of 8 flamenco dance lessons. A few friends and I from class decided it would be fun to learn the most popular style of dance in Spain. I’m sure after these 8 classes we will be pros!...haha. We learned hand movements and a few steps, we clapped to the rhythm of the music and learned from our teacher “Ana” a little of the history of Flamenco and the significance of the moves within the dance. Hopefully I’ll have some proof when I return that I took Flamenco lessons.. we’ll see 

         Besides all the fun adventuresome things I’ve been doing- I’m still living a normal studentous (yep, just made that word up) life. Usually have homework everyday (worksheets, reading, questions to answer, news articles to find and share, etc). I’ve got 2 tests coming up this Tuesday (one for intensivo and the other for my culture/civilization class).  I should probably take more time to study :/ But it’s SO hard, especially when there is so much to see and do… and eat. Hehe.

         This coming Saturday we’ll be visiting the Cathedral here in Granada and on Sunday, Annie and I bought tickets to go to a bullfight at “La Plaza del Toros” here in Granada.  Not sure if I’m totally ready for it, but I think it will be a neat cultural experience.

         From Oct 1-6, we have “tiempo libre.” Classes begin on October 7^th.  For our free time, a group of 4 girls and myself will be traveling by bus and train to Pais Vasco (The Basque Country). We’ll be staying in San Sebastian, a town in the very northern part of Spain, almost at the border between Spain and France. I can’t believe we’ll be traveling across the country in about a week. Time is flying!

More to come.. 

Un abrazo