I'll never leave you, dearest España

I must say, with a frown, that these blog posts are now winding down. Soon enough, I'll be back in Western Mass and my time in Spain will be of the past. Of course I'm overjoyed to see my family and friends, but I can't quite grasp that it's nearly the end. Writing that made my stomach writhe with doom...the last day's sure gonna hit me with gloom. I'm not sure why I'm writing in rhyme, but getting feelings out through rhymin' is always better than cryin'.

OK enough of THAT. It's just hard to imagine using cars to get to bars rather than walking everywhere on foot through a city where you see something dazzling everywhere you look. Or ordering drinks that DON'T come with a free plate of eggplants with honey, risotto with cheese, salmorejo with avocado, spiced garbanzo beans, etc. The Sierra Nevada will no longer be my backdrop when I go for runs. The Alhambra will no longer be my neighbor. If I could haul everyone I care about over to Spain and stay here forever, my life would be ideal. But unfortunately, some of them have jobs and other such commitments...so I guess I'll have to go back home and yearn for the day I can frolic in Andalucía once again.

I guess I'll stop feeling sorry for myself now--as there are worse problems in the world than having to go home from Europe--and update you on some events I recently partook in:

-Embarked on a two-day beach trip to Nerja last weekend with some of my lovely friends. We soaked up the sun (I managed to only get a few awkward sunburn patches in the inches of skin that escaped suncreen); went swimming (it was warm enough that my body didn't go instantly numb like the last time I tried to swim in Nerja); came upon a plaza where sat 20-something, seemingly ownerless cats (surreal to the max); ate Indian food and left artistic scenes of napkins enveloping sauces on the table to impress the waiters before we left (wish you'd been there, Natalya); dragged our curry-filled bodies through the streets in search of souvenirs (as luck would have it, we spotted multi-colored woven hats--complete with brims and pointed tops--which we put on and glared all passersby who's dare smirk at us).

Nerja aka Paradise

-Spent the week neglecting work and sleep in attempt to drain the last grain from my dwindling time in Spain. This involved consumption of many tapas, sangrias, mojitos, batidos, and gelato.

-Went to the program's farewell dinner, which seemed arbitrary, as there are still so many days left in Spain! (Five is a lot--don't tell me it's not). Proceeded from there to Plaza de Toros to attend Spain's Oktoberfest (Spaniards can't wait all the way until October to drink beers so they have it in May). It was boring as well as unpleasant (getting projectile vomited on isn't one of my favorite activities) but now I can at least say I've been in a bullfighting ring (and I didn't even have to see any bulls get killed! And, in fact, I'd rather get puked on than see bulls get killed) so I guess it was worth it? Plus, after getting fed up with catcalls from drunkards, my friends and I went around pretending to be men and yelling in low voices "Hola, guapo, que guapo eres" the same way they do to us. ("Guapo" means "good-looking" but we'd say it to everyone, no matter what they looked like, just to make them feel awkward...and it worked). So once we started doing that, the night got more amusing.

-Went to the beach in Salobreña yesterday, where we spent the first part of the day sitting in cafes and trying to avoid the wind. Once the wind became less violent, we proceeded back to the beach. My plan was to study on the beach, which I learned is an oxymoron.

-Now it's Sunday before exams, prime study day. Which is why I'm procrastinating with this blog. And now that this blog is done, I think I'll continue to procrastinate by going on a run.

Explorations Galore

I've been embarking on quite a few trips recently and have had quite a few cosas en mi plato en general (things on my plate in general...not sure if that's an actual Spanish expression but I've decided to make it one)...so that's my explanation for the negligence of this poor blog.

I'll tell you about the first trip first: on April 21, my program took the group on a day trip to la Alpujarra, a region of mountain villages on the southern side of the Sierra Nevada with charming, typical Berber architecture (small, white houses with flat clay roofs). First we ventured around the precious town of Capileira, then headed on a hike consisting of grand views of majestic mountaintops, as is to be expected in the Sierra Nevada, where the views are never too shabby. We eventually made it to Pampaneira, where I had my first eggplant with honey, which is a specialty of the region and quite tasty. We also found a store with a massive array of chocolate samples, so yeah...it was quite a nice day.

Next up: Switzerland! (April 26 to May 1). I don't even know where to begin to describe my love for this land of delicious cheese and fairytale views. Here are some highlights:
-The family Althea and I stayed with in Zurich (thanks to their connections to Julia and my dad) was extremely helpful in our trip-planning, brought us on numerous expeditions, and gave us great food, including a lunch of "Raclette," which consists of melting an enormous circle of cheese in front of the fire, scraping the melted part onto plates, and dipping potatoes and veggies into it...nothing gets better than that! Also, the three kids were adorable and gave me a chance to practice my incredibly rusty German.
-We visited the Kursthaus Museum in Zurich, where we got to see art by all the masters, including Picasso, Monet, Manet, Gauguin, Chagall, Munch, and Pissaro, as well as a pretty interesting Swiss artist, Alberto Giaconetti. My favorite part of the museum, however, was when we passed through the Renaissance room and heard shrill whines coming from the floor. Lo and behold, a tiny square of rug, maybe two by two inches, was cut away to display a screen with a bluish woman who seemed clearly agitated, although I couldn't understand what she was saying. (She might have been whining in French?) We peered at the pour soul for a while before a guard explained that it's part of an installation. We continued through the Renaissance art and on the the Impressionist pieces, but nowhere else did I find anything quite like that astonishing creature.
-The family brought us to Interlaken, where we took a tram-like device up to Harder Kulm, a smaller slope of the Alps. From there we had a fantastic view of the snow-capped portion of the Alps. They then took us to Bern, the capitol of Switzerland, where dwell the emblematic Bern bears. Houses from 800 years ago lie in the center, which is surrounded by water and little bridges. It was ranked among the top ten cities for best quality of life. I'm not exactly sure how one goes about measuring quality of life, but I don't doubt people live well there. It's unbelievably charming.
-We took a boat to a boulder next to the Rhinefalls, stood on top, and lounged in thire misty spray.
-Rappersville, with its castle and restaurants along the coast, was another highlight. Like Bern, it has houses that seem to spring right out of children's books. The photo below will explain what I mean:

-You can spend all day walking around Zuich (we did spend all of one day walking around it, as well as two other half-days). We got to see a church with windows created by Chagall and got to try fondue, which is decent, but doesn't compare to the slab of cheese melted by the fire.

Lastly, Cádiz, which was another program-sponsored adventure. We left on Friday and returned this evening. On the way there we stopped at El Torcal for a hike among the Jurassic age limestone. Although it had recently rained and it was a rough trek on the slippery mud, the view of the strangely-sculpted rocks was worth the pain. Plus, a fox followed us the whole way back, which was nice company to have (although she could well have had rabies) and a friendly herd of cows greeted us in the parking lot. Saturday morning through afternoon there was a torrential downpour that killed many umbrellas and made the tour of the city less-than-pleasant. But after returning to the hotel and taking a nap, it was like I awoke to a new day. Suddenly it was sunny and we could lounge and frolic at the beach, which was right outside our hotel. Today we had a spin around the ocean in a motorboat and then continued on our way to spend the rest of the day until our departure at the beach, where I soaked up the sun and went for a refreshing run along the water.

Now I'm back and have to face the real world (AKA homework I've been neglecting while being spoiled by these adventures).