More Adventures in Spain!

So what have I been up to these past couple weeks? I leave on Saturday, and I’m so ashamed that I was unable to keep up with my blog and document all of my adventures. I’m learning so much here and traveling all over Spain, so perhaps that’s a good excuse for not keeping everyone updated? Perhaps not, but I’ll try to bring everyone up to speed:

Traveling

Besides wandering all over Avila,which is an adventure in itself, I’ve traveled to Segovia:

Roman Aqueducts

Alcazar Castle

Cathedral

Tomb of St. John of the Cross

Alba de Tormes:

Remains of Castle

Tomb of St. Teresa of Jesus

Fontiveros:

Surrounding Fields

Near St. John's Birthplace

Gotarrendura:

Town Where St. Teresa's Family Had a Some Property

Salamanca:

Two Cathedrals Built Together

University of Salamanca - One of the Oldest in the World

Plaza Mayor

Toledo:

The City

Inside the Cathedral

Granada:

View of Alhambra and Mountains

Inside the Alhambra (Moor Castle)

Sevilla:

Lots of Orange Trees

A Common Sight in Seville

Galapagar/Madrid:

I Spent the Weekend With These Sisters

Daughters of Mary of the Sacred Heart of Jesus

The Beautiful Chapel of Our Lady

 I must say, though, out of all of these cities and villages, Ávila is probably my favorite. It’s definitely not Wisconsin, but it’s such a beautiful, medieval city, full of lovely little shops, parks, convents and monasteries, and cafeterias.

San Vicente Basilica

One evening, I was treated to a visit to the town’s marian patron shrine (Sonsoles). Every town in Spain has at least one patron saint or Marian patron, which is evidence of the country’s strong Catholic roots. Most of the streets also carry Marian/saint-related names.

Sonsoles Shrine

Food

So, I’ve officially had “pulpo,” which is cooked octopus. It’s very chewy and purple, and I was thankful that the suckers didn’t stick to my tongue.

 I’ve also had paelle de mariscos – one of my favorite Spanish dishes. However, this was the first time I had ever had it with mariscos (shellfish), so I had the great misfortune to accidentally eat shrimp legs. They’re quite crunchy. 

What else? Lots of yogurt, gelato, sangria, pizza, Spanish tortilla, fresh fruit. I’ve several horror stories as well, though I don’t want to ruin anyone’s appetite, so I won’t share them.

Churches

I could ramble on and on about the beautiful churches here: the stain-glass windows, the high altars, the frescos, the arches, etc. It’s actually quite distracting for me to got to Mass here, so I prefer the humble Franciscan parish near my home.

Oh, I almost forgot! I had the opportunity to visit the monastery where Teresa of Jesus lived and served as prioress. While there, my group and I were able to talk with one of the cloistered Carmelite sisters who live there. One of the coolest experiences ever!

Paz.