La Peñíscola

Day 6: Saturday, May 28


Today the program divided into two groups for day trips to destinations near Valencia.  I was assigned to the group visiting Peñíscola, a beautiful beach centered around the Castle of Peñiscola.  The castle was erected by the Knights Templar but is best known for being the residence of Benedict XIII during the schism of occident...he is known as the "Papa Luna" and is considered an "antipope," someone who opposes the Roman Catholic pope and makes a competing claim for the title of Pope.  I don't know all the history of the place or situation, but there's a lot of interesting history behind it!

We started out with an overcast day, but the clouds soon parted and allowed some sun to stream forth.  The sea immediately turned from the routine, blue-gray to which I've grown accustomed to the most turquoise, sparkling body that I've ever had the privilege to see.  We had lunch on the beach and relaxed for a short time (I was one of the few to prevent skin cancer....clouds still mean UV exposure!).


We then headed up to the castle for a brief tour of the layout.  The hill upon which it rested reminded me more of a Greek acropolis than a Spanish town.  The houses on the hill are painted white with little red and blue roofs, and the streets are narrow and steep as can be.

Left: my new friend Emily Green!

The castle patio.

The chapel in the castle.

The views from the castle were simply breathtaking! Every time I climbed up a set of stairs, I thought I'd found a view of the serene blue ocean that couldn't be beat....then there was always another set of stairs just around the corner!

When we returned to Valencia, Emily and I ate a quick dinner with Adela before she prodded us to go out and watch the Manchester United vs. Futból Club de Barcelona game.  We met up with some people at a nearby restaurant called Las Gárgolas, named likely for the gargoyles that flank the bridge outside its doors.  The owners of the place, Roberto and Manolo, are as charming as its decór.  They both speak English well, but they are still eager to learn more.  We talked to them in Spanish, receiving many corrections, and they in turn would talk to us in English - it was a wonderfully reciprocal arrangement, and I hope to return for more help and advice with the language!

One of the gárgolas!

The group with Roberto (far right) and a few of his regular customers.

P.S. While I normally would cheer for Manchester United, when in Spain.....it was terribly exciting to see Barcelona win and hear the eruptions in the street with each goal they scored!


Foods that I tried today:
Breakfast: Nothing new
Lunch: A stuffed croissant, a bocadillo (sandwich) with some orangey thing and cheese, sweet bread, and a Valencian orange
Dinner: Salad with some sort of dressing and croquetas, which was chicken and rice encased in breadcrumbs.  Strawberries after dinner per usual.

A la Playa!

Day 3: Wednesday, May 25

            This morning was set as a day for orientation in the UVA Center.  Adela walked Emily and me to school like kindergarteners on the first day of school, and then we stepped inside the Center.  The Center is a bit daunting at first, because absolutely NO English may be spoken, at any time of any day.  But, in my opinion, it’s remarkable how quickly we have become used to it.  Of course, for the important/more in-depth conversations we still at this point step outside the doors and talk in English on the sidewalk, but more and more people have begun to sit in the lobby, eating snacks or waiting for class while chatting in Spanish.

            Today was my first day with almuerzo (lunch), which in Spain is a very important time of day.  Almost every shop closes around 2 or 2:30 so that people can return home and eat almuerzo with their families.  Extended families often join – children who have moved out of the house etc. – and it is the largest meal of the day.  Emily and I had a really nice conversation with Adela, and she instructed us on what we should do in order to spend a day basking in the Valencian sun.  Valencia lies right on the Mediterranean east coast of Spain; Emily and I met up with two other students, Brooke and Christine, and headed down to the playa using the Tranvía, an above-ground metro that got us there in less than 10 minutes! I must say that I was caught off-guard when I realized that it was a topless beach, but more than half were clothed…I guess that’s just another aspect of the culture shock! The water was the perfect temperature: cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough that I wanted to get all the way in.  I’m pretty sure I fell asleep on the beach because when we next checked the time, it was 7:30, and we decided to head back.

            The night life in Valencia has been a little bit more quiet than normal custom, as the students at the University of Valencia are currently finishing their exams.  Not wanting to tire ourselves out, Emily and I had a quiet dinner with Adela and retired early.

Foods that I ate:

Breakfast: Today I became a human being and had cereal (corn flakes) in a bowl with milk on top.  There was also some sort of pastry thing that reminded me of pound cake to be eaten.

Lunch: I ate pasta with sauce on it.  Big step for me.  There has been a loaf of bread with every meal, and I finished off the meal with strawberries.

Dinner: Adela made potatoes and snap peas, and for Emily and me she also made mozzarella sticks and chicken nuggets :D  She eats very little at dinner and usually finishes off with a yogurt; Emily and I are usually ravenous at 9:30 and eat more strawberries.

Day 4: Thursday, May 26

Today was the first day of classes! Wakeup time was 7:40, which for Adela was VERY early.  Most people in Valencia apparently don’t even start work until 9 o’clock.  I absolutely love the class that I have at 8:30, though! My teacher is so sweet and has a vibrant personality.  She reminds me of my Spanish teacher in my first semester at UVA, Gladys, who always had a smile and was so eager to teach! I learned a lot already from the first class, especially as far as how to spell and pronounce different medical specialities!

            Give it a try: Otorrinolaringologo

After class Emily and I toured one of the major streets for a little while until we were exhausted…this was the day where the eating time really messed me up! We had almuerzo, and I unfortunately had to return to the Center for my 5:00 class, Cultural Conversations.  While the class has the major advantage of a small group of people for conversation (6 people max), the professor talked for the majority of the time, and I began to lament that I could not take a siesta.  I’m trying to switch into another class that’s about health care systems in the world.  The advantage: the switch would possibly allow me to gain credit for my Human Bio major.  The disadvantage: the new class is taught in English, and my Spanish conversational skills could definitely use some work! I’m sure that either way it will work out!

Foods I tried today:

Breakfast: More cereal with milk in a bowl! This time I tried a granola-like cereal with chocolate chunks….it was sooo good.  Sadly, it’s probably not at all nutritious.  I ALSO tried nutella! I could barely taste the hazelnut, which made it delicious, but I also don’t know how I feel about spreading chocolate on bread.

Lunch: Today was not my favorite almuerzo….we had some sort of meatball dish (of course with bread) – I was in it for the strawberries :D

Dinner: I tried tomatoes with chunks of mozzarella cheese on them.  No matter what my sister says, I still don’t like tomatoes, but I ate it! Adela also made us fried egg omelets, which were very good.  More strawberries for dessert.  Emily had flan for her dessert (I tried a bit…not bad!), and Adela lamented the fact that she accidentally used chocolate sauce instead of caramel…no wonder I liked it :D

It's Up to You, New York

Day 1: Monday May 23


My 5 am wakeup call didn't phase me a bit, and I quickly set to packing up the last few stray items before saying goodbye to my mom.  My dad, knowing how easily I can get lost and how quickly I can get frazzled, made arrangements to escort me to New York for our departure from JFK Airport.  Unfortunately, our bus ended up taking several detours, including the hour that the bus driver spent arguing with three passengers (the 3 claimed to have bought round-trip tickets, and the driver said they weren't valid....police were called.  It was a mess).  We were both exhausted by the time we stepped off 9 hours later.  The metro rides went smoothly, however, and I was still early for my check-in time.  My dad is the best and stayed with me through it all, even as I ran harried and barefoot (apparently I'm hiding things under my flip-flops) through the security check.
The day was also pretty foggy and not at all picture-worthy...I tried to get a good one of the Statue of Liberty on our way in and mostly got a grimy window in the photo....I promise to put some up of Spain soon!!  I met some great people prior to the flight, and hopefully I'll see them all and get to know them better for the semester!


Day 2: Tuesday May 24


My mind was still in 3 a.m. mode as I sat in the dark plane with shades pulled over every window, but then someone behind me lifted their window shade ever so slightly and a blinding light practically filled the entire cabin.  We were still several hours away from landing, but we had clearly crossed the boundary between night and day (I like to think of it as it was drawn in Alice and Wonderland: the sun and moon side by side and only a fine dividing line between the two).

Jet lag unfortunately began to catch up with me as I rode the bus from Madrid to Valencia.  I'm pretty sure most of our bus dozed off for the 4 hour ride and caught up on some much-needed sleep!  It was so nerve-wracking to step off the bus and jump from our mini-world of English speakers into the realm of Spanish! My host mom, Adela, was waiting for me and immediately swept me under her wing.  Her home is only a short walk from the center where I'll be taking my classes, and a short bus ride from the beach!! I met my roommate, Emily, back at the apartment in addition to Adela's daughter Laura, who is in town for the week for her vacation from work and school in Madrid.  I also met Galgo, Adela's dog, better known as a Greyhound...he is much more handsome than the miniature ones I saw walking around at the UVA graduation and a very well-behaved house dog.


Adela, Emily, and I ate dinner around 9:30 last night.  For those of you who have lived with me, I was (and still am) a little skeptical of my acclimation to the eating times in Valencia - whereas at home I eat lunch at 11:30, dinner before 6, and Honey Nut Cheerios at all hours in between, the 2:30 lunch and 9:30 dinner might be a bit challenging.  Last night was no problem, though, so I'm hoping to confuse my stomach to the point where it accepts it! Dinner was delicioso, with a really interesting salad.  The entree was a pizza-like dish without the sauce (clearly the food I was missing during the part of my childhood when I couldn't stand pizza sauce) and dessert was some delicious fresh strawberries! I was exhausted by the end of dinner, so I went straight to bed, but not before I was able to hear some lovely Spanish music (with an accordian thrown in?) drifting through the window from the street below.

Ready or Not

"With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky.  Ready because you're that kind of a guy! Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!" - Oh The Places You'll Go, Dr. Seuss


      Never one for relying on myself to keep a journal, I decided to start my blog as a way to keep note of my excursions this summer, particularly as I study abroad during the next month.  I won't pretend that I'm not usually a boring person.  But, if during this summer you find yourself sick of staring at the television, searching for a way to procrastinate going to the gym, or just plain curious about what may be happening on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, I would love for you to follow along :D


     As I sit here writing this, I officially have two days until my departure for what is surely to be one of the scariest and most exciting adventures I will take in life.  One week ago I just officially ended my second year at the University of Virginia, and this summer I will be studying abroad in Valencia, Spain.  No, I'm not a Spanish major, but I have been lucky enough to keep up with my Spanish throughout college.  Last semester, as part of an initiative to encourage Spanish-speaking in the UVA hospital, I was able to Skype with a Spanish tutor, Mónica, who lives in Guatemala.  I learned so much from simply being able to converse with her, and the experience really turned me towards continuing with my Spanish so that hopefully one day I can speak it with my patients!
      As luck would have it, the UVA in Valencia program actually offers a course called Spanish for Medical Professionals, and I'm signed up for it! (I hope).  I'm so excited to not only be taking this course, but to be immersed in a completely different culture! The program involves homestay living, so I'll be staying with my Spanish "mom" Adela, and my housemate Emily...I can't wait to meet them!


      Am I ready? I would like to think so, but as I look around at my messy room I see a packed duffel of unsorted clothes I brought home last week from school and an unpacked suitcase that I need to stuff and prepare for my flight on Monday.  I'm worried that my Spanish is rusty and that I haven't prepared for the month-long goodbyes I will be saying.  I have doubts that I'm ready.  I guess that in any big step you always have these thoughts creeping in the forgotten corners of your mind, but I'm doing my best to focus on the bigger picture: the amazing opportunity I have ahead of me.


      As I've prepared for May 23rd, I've also started thinking a lot about May 22nd.  My sister Emily will be graduating this Sunday, and I couldn't be more proud of her.  It was such a blessing to share the Grounds with her during the first half of my college career, and while I'm so excited to see the places she'll go, I will miss her like a phantom limb.  I wish her the best of luck as she prepares for her internship at Dolphin Plus, pursuing her dream of becoming a marine mammal trainer and educating the world about the beauty and importance of dolphins in the marine ecosystem.


     I've been listening to a lot of Jack's Mannequin lately (in preparation for this summer's concert tour! But more on that later...), and I've found a new special connection to their first album, Everything in Transit.  While I'm sure the nerves will kick in as I double-check for my passport on Monday, I'm hoping that I'll simply blast that album again and be able to sing, I'm Ready.