Penalara

The second weekend in October we went on an adventure to the mountains.  We were able to take public transportation the whole way there and back which was amazing since we don't have a car.  It was a wonderful day to get out of the city and enjoy some nature feels.  It seemed like a long track to reach the peak and the weather was rolling in, but we managed to make it to the top :)

Here's a little info on the place that we went: 

The Sierra de Guadarrama is a mountain range forming the main eastern section of the Sistema Central, the system of mountain rangesat the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. It is located between the Sierra de Gredos in the province ofÁvila, and Sierra de Ayllón in the province of Guadalajara. The range runs southwest - northeast, extending into the province of Madrid to the south, and towards the provinces of Ávila and Segovia to the north. The chain as a whole measures approximately 80 km in length, with its highest peak,Peñalara, reaching 2,428 m above sea level (7,965 ft).

Amsterdam

The first weekend in October we took our first trip outside of Spain to Amsterdam.  It was a city filled with beautiful canals intersecting the city and crooked buildings that are all connected.  We went at the perfect time because all of the leaves were changing and the smell of the air reminded me of my childhood.  We saw mallard ducks swimming in the ponds at the park while we took a couple hours to lay in the soft grass and have a picnic.  Most of the other times we were walking or riding a bus around the city to catch the big sights of the city.

We also had a mixed blessing in our hostel location.  As you all know we try to travel as cheaply as possible so we got a hostel a little ways away from Amsterdam.  This didn't work out in our favor as we spent more time and money on the bus to get to the city, but we got to see more of the Netherlands countryside and go to the beach! That's right, I touched the North Sea.  Overall, if I am ever looking for a laid back place to explore and meet new people, I would go back to Amsterdam.

Things I learned from this trip: book your hostel earlier, study the map before you go, not having a 3G network isn't cool when you are trying to meet up with friends in a foreign country, always go to the bathroom wherever you are because no one believes in public restrooms, and Dutch sounds and looks really funny to me.

September - Society, Searching, School, Siesta, Shadows, Soon

After a month in Madrid these are some things I've noticed, experienced, and lived through.

1. Society - No matter where you are, you can still survive and enjoy yourself.  A lot of people told me they were too scared to pick up and leave what they knew and felt comfortable with.  I had some of those reservations, not knowing what kind of people I would meet, keeping a roof over my head, the financial burden of moving, but anything is possible.  It's true I don't have all of my favorite people, things, or places right here with me, but I am trying to experience a new type of culture and living so I can spread my knowledge to others.

2. Searching

2.1 Toledo – This was a very cool city.  It used to be the capital of Spain so the historic significance was very prominent.  All of the streets were cobblestones and very skinny.  We enjoyed a day of walking around and exploring the city and I got to go one my first ever train ride!

2.2 El Pardo – One of the most notable buildings is the "Royal Palace of El Pardo", built in 1406 by the order of King Henry III of Castile. It was the first large edifice built in the area. The Palace of El Pardo was the residence of General Franco when he was head of the Spanish State.  It is located next to the Manzanares River and is home to the royal hunting grounds.  They stock the grounds with deer and boar so when we went hiking we saw a lot of wildlife.  Unfortunately, there was a fence around the hunting grounds so we couldn’t gain anymore elevation.

2.3 Madrid Race Day

The Vuelta a Espana is a very well known bike race that goes through Madrid on the last day.  We watched the race and then walked to a new friend’s house for homemade tapas.

3. School

3.1 Trent and I recently completed our Teaching English as a Foreign Language course (the reason I have not posted anything to my blog in a month.)  The class was one month from 10:00-15:30 every day with only a 30 minute lunch break.  We had to write 3 research papers and perform 5 practice classes, 3 for the class and 2 for a real student.  I learned some new tricks for foreign language students and it is a lot different than working with a whole group of first graders.  

3.2 Did you know that in Spain the percentage of passing is 50/100?  If someone could explain to me how that works, please let me know.  

3.3 Also, did you know that the standard photo copy paper size is 21 cm/31 cm...That’s the long size.  Try using a different size paper and tell me how you like it…

3.4 We are starting to do private classes now, but have to travel all over the city on the metro to get there.  This is very common among English teachers and it does allow us to see different parts of the city.

3.5 I am still working on my masters courses too!  Time management has been very hard because I have been torn in all directions.  I should graduate in December if all goes according to plan though! (As long as I stop procrastinating.  If you know me, I am very good at this skill, and I have a whole new city/country to explore!)

4. Siesta

4.1 Let me first start with the typical Spanish day. In the morning people go to work or school around 9am-10am.  Their biggest meal of the day is lunch around 2.  Most people take off and a lot of businesses close after lunch until around 6-7 for siesta.  Dinner is typically a lighter meal around 9pm-12pm. 

4.2 Tapas -They serve bread and potatoes everywhere!

4.3 I love siesta time J

5. Shadows

5.1 Some of you may think we are crazy, but did you know that it is common for people of all ages to stay out until 6 in the morning on the weekend nights? 

5.2 Exploring at night is very cool because all of the buildings are lit up.  Many young people like to hang out in plazas and buy beers for 1 euro on the street.

6. Soon  - Look for info about Amsterdam, finding some mountains, and whatever comes our way.

End of the weekend

The view from where we are staying.

We made it to the top of a building to capture a view of the city. 

On our walking adventure around the city at night.

First time hanging my clothes out the window to dry. What happens if they fall?

The view I principe pio metro station.

Casa de Campo 

Day 2/3 Getting the lay of the land

Like coming to any new place you tend to feel lost for awhile. We have spent the last two days getting our feet under us. We have been using the maps.me offline map to orient ourselves from plaza to parque. We've eaten tapas with jámon and settled into our new apartment. We even went for a nice run through a nearby parque with a view of the mountains behind the cityscape. I still wonder what types of trees I'm seeing, they are similar to Florida/Georgia without the palm trees. If anyone else is traveling to Europe and wants to set up and international cell phone here is what we had to do: unlock phone from home, go to Movistar to get a Tuenti pay as you go SIM card for 7 euros a month, and thank your Spanish friend mucho gracias for translating for you! Now on to figuring out the metro and spending the last few days of vacation exploring! I've already started my last semester of college and start our teaching English class on Monday :-)

Day 1 Shock and Awe

Well we made it to Madrid after an 8 hour plane flight. We took a taxi to our Hostel and spent the next few hours exploring the city. There are lots of shops and tall old buildings. We found a couple plazas to walk around in. We even ate paella for dinner! 

Step 1: Apply for Student Visa

On July 1st we had our appointment with the Spanish Consulate in Miami, Florida to apply for our student visas.  Since we love to explore so much we couldn't just make the four hour drive there and do nothing.  We enjoyed driving through the city, walking on South Beach, and a cold drink on Ocean Ave.  Trent also taught me how to drive a moped! We hope to get one while in Spain so we can explore on our own. We are now working on packing up our stuff, storing the important things, selling the rest, and waiting for our student visa approval.  Someone once said, if you don't try you will never succeed.  So, this is us trying to see more of the world around us and appreciate the different cultures people are influenced by.