My Parents Visit Spain: Part Uno

Two weeks ago my parents arrived for a weeklong visit. Their flight came in on a Wednesday and I met them at the airport and helped them get their luggage to Alcalá. We checked into their hotel in La Garena, then went for some tapas at El Tapón which was nearby. After this we took a walking tour of Alcalá. We got to see the main sights in the town including the old city wall, the Cathedral (which we went inside of), Calle Mayor, Palacio Arzobispal (where Christopher Columbus met with Queen Isabel on the subject of financing his voyage to the Americas), Plaza Cervantes, and Alcalá Universidad. Afterward we ate at an American restaurant near their hotel, Pinky Burger. They were quite tired from their long voyage over the Atlantic so they went to bed after this. It was great to see them and I was very excited about planning an itenerary for the rest of the week.

The next day I met them for lunch at Indalo in Plaza Garena. I took them over to the big department store in La Garena, El Corte Inglés (The English Cut). We looked at some of the strange European appliances there such as irons with a hose connected to a steam pump. Later that evening we went to Madrid. We took the metro from Atocha to Puerta del Sol where we saw many street performers such as the decapitated-head-on-the-table-man who scared passersby with sudden shouts and the street-sweeping-living-statue. Dad enjoyed watching these people get scared and took some video of it. After a look around this lively center of Madrid we headed down the street to Plaza Mayor where Mom and Dad took some pictures of the 17th century buildings. We went to Mercado San Miguel after leaving the plaza and saw some amazing things: local foods, giant chocolate egg sculptures, and a man making intricate designs in espresso foam with a stylus dipped in chocolate syrup. This was one of Mom's favorite places we visited. We ate at the Museo de Jamón on Plaza Mayor. We sat in the basement and ate next to a group of Italians. Mom ordered a roast chicken, Dad had a fried whitefish, and I had a plate of Iberian ham and cheese.

I had the whole of the next day off work. I met Mom and Dad at their hotel and we went to Casa de Hippolytus, the ruins of what was once the academy of the ancient Roman town of Complutum, which sat on the site of present-day Alcalá de Henares. The ruins were discovered not long ago and were better preserved than some of the excavated Roman houses in Rome itself. We and at Casa Rojas then went to the village of Chinchón via bus from Madrid. It was nice to visit the town again and to show Mom and Dad around. We went into a food store I had visited the last time. The same old man who had talked me into buying a bottle of anís last time took us around his shop and showed us all the local products. We bought some olives and almonds thanks to his salesmanship. After this we walked around Chinchón's Plaza Mayor/bull ring. We went into a bakery and bought some pastries from a woman who seemed rude at first, but warmed up to us soon. She asked us where we were from, then told us she had some apple, strawberry, and kiwi pastries ready to come out of the oven if we wanted to wait. She had several intricately designed breads on display, molded and twisted into flowers, wreathes, and the crest of the local soccer team, Real Madrid. She asked us to follow her around the back of the store where she took us to see the ovens and the fresh pastries she mentioned. We bought one of the strawberry ones. We walked through the town some more, stopping in another food shop. Out front an old man cut up cardboard boxes and put them in a bin. While inside the store I noticed him walk inside, grab a beer from the cooler, and return outside to continue his work. Dad bought some sunflower seeds here (a popular item in Spain). We walked from here to the castle atop the hill, then wandered around the outskirts of town before catching the next bus into Madrid. In Madrid we went to Gran Vía and walked up and down the crowded streets, looking at the art deco and art nouveau architecture. We also stopped by an outdoor market which displayed items from different regions of Spain. We tried some Manchego cheese (Spain's primary cheese export, made from goat's milk) and some cider (sidra) from Asturias (a province in the north). We then went to Paseo del Prado and ate at a bar. The bartenders here wore black waistcoats and bowties and were more concerned with whistling to dogs and watching the Barcelona vs. Valencia game than serving the customers, but they were funny stereotypes of Spanish waiters (two old men with wry looks and a younger man who seemed to be in training). They seemed to come straight from a Hemingway short story.

The next day we went to Segovia. We had to buy our tickets and catch the train at Chamartín on the northern side of Madrid. The train moved fast and got us to Segovia in thirty minutes. Along the way we viewed the mountains of the Guadarramas and the darkness of two tunnels as we passed beneath some mountains. From the train station we had to catch a bus into the town. We ate a chain restaurant called Pan & Company. We finished our food and coffee then headed out, seeing this 11th century church:

It was quite a bit colder in Segovia so we bought some gloves and hats at a store in town. As we walked down the street, we emerged upon this amazing sight:

This is the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia, constructed sometime between the year 50-110. This is one of the largest and best-preserved aqueducts outside Italy. It is over ten miles in length. An aqueduct was a marvel of Roman engineering which served as a plumbing system. It carries fresh water from a source (in this case the Guadarrama Mountains) to a settlement by means of a pipe located through the top of the gradually-declining sloped structure. The aqueduct was built without mortar. The Romans invaded in the first century AD and took Segovia from the Celtiberians, the ancient people who likely gave the town its name. Monuments such as this and the road systems in Spain are the legacy of the Romans, along with the Spanish language, which is derived from Latin. We climbed a set of stairs near the aqueduct and took some more photos:

We walked further into town from here, past a former mansion called La Casa de los Picos which is now an exhibition hall which features traveling displays:

We walked further down a street then emerged upon a Plaza dedicated to Juan Bravo, a rebel from the 1500s. Bravo was from Segovia and led a group against King Carlos I (Holy Roman Emperor Charles V) in the Castilian War of the Communities. The Comuneros, as they were known, fought against the king whom they saw as a foreign invader who imposed high taxes, and against the feudal system of lords and vassals. Bravo and his followers were defeated and executed in 1521. Here is the plaza dedicated to him:

We walked down some winding streets of the old Jewish quarter, past a former synagogue which had been converted into a church soon after the expulsion of the Jews in 1492. (The Spanish Jews, known as the Sephardim, left for the Netherlands, North Africa, and Brazil. They are still a major Jewish community in some places ).

We soon came upon the Cathedral of Segovia, Catedral de Nuestra Señora. From the street, the several spires rising from the back of the building look like a stone pine forest:

The cathedral was built in the late 1520s. It's front was impressive as well:

We then went inside this Gothic cathedral, constructed after the Castilian War of the Communities. We admired the stained-glass windows, the highly decorative and colorful altars, and high, columned vaults:

We then went to the Plaza Mayor and had coffee at a little café. From here, there was a good view of the Cathedral:

We walked past the Cathedral until we came to the Alcázar of Segovia, a large, fairy-tale style castle originally constructed in the 12th century and later renovated in the 1800s. The castle was originally a fortress. (alcázar is one of many Spanish words adopted from Arabic. It means "fortress," and also serves as the root of the name of Alcalá de Henares). It was later a royal residence and a military academy. Here is a view of the outskirts of the town from the high cliff on which the Alcázar stands:

Here is the Alcázar itself:

The inside of the castle was amazing. There were suits of armor:

Islamic-inspired ornamentation:

and weaponry:

Here is a view of the towers fromt the courtyard:

We then climbed a (at the time) seemingly unending spiral staircase to the highest tower of the Alcázar. The staircase was narrow and at times this was difficult with people coming up and going down. However, from the top there was a beautiful view of the city and the Cathedral:

There was also a good view of the castle spires and countryside:

We left the castle and headed back through town to the bus stop, getting another look at the Cathedral and Aqueduct along the way. We arrived back in Madrid and looked around for a place to eat before deciding upon returning to La Garena and eating at Gino's, an Italian restaurant. We finished dinner late (as most Spanish people do) and went to bed to prepare for the next day.

A Very Spanish Thanksgiving

Earlier this week, Cody, Emma, and I went to the La Garena supermarket, Hipercor, and bought the turkey for our Thanksgiving dinner. When Cody and I got it back to the apartment and opened it up, we noticed that there were still a few feathers intact:

Otherwise, it was a great bird. I got done with work at noon on Thanksgiving and went back to the apartment to put the turkey in the oven. I also made a fruit salad called Ruby's pink fluff from a recipe my mother sent me. When the turkey was done, we walked over to Jacqui's place with our food: turkey, fluff, and sweet potatoes. We stopped at Plaza Cervantes where we waited for Emma, Tamara, and Carmen.

When we met them, we all walked down the street to Jacqui's apartment. Everyone brought something and worked on the final preparations as Pilar arrived, followed by Kristen (a teacher at the school who was born in the States). As Thanksgiving is unfamiliar to Emma, Tamara, and Pilar, we watched the Macy's Day Parade, which someone had posted online. We ate after this. The turkey turned out great, as did everything else. Here, Cody cuts the turkey as Emma waits:

Here is our group befor the meal. Left to right (first row): Tamara, Emma, Carmen, Pilar; (second row): Cody, Jacqui, Me, Kristen.

It was a fun evening that everyone enjoyed.

I had to get up early the next morning to get my NIE (an extended visa which we have to pick up in Madrid). My appointement was at 8:45 in the morning. I arrived to a long line outside the building. Kevin's appointment was on the same day, and I saw him there. We waited in line for two-and-a-half hours. When I finally reached my destination across a marble counter, I handed by papers to a middle-aged Spaniard who handed me more papers to sign and exchange and a small square to place my fingerprint. He then gave me back my papers (now stamped and with even more papers attached). Feeling official, I left the building and headed to Puerta del Sol. I ate at a sandwich shop there, then took the metro to the old Jewish district of the city (now an ethnic neighborhood of North Africans and Indians). The area is called Lavapiés (meaning washed feet after the religious ritual of washing the feet before entering a synagogue). The Spanish composer, Isaac Albéniz composed a song inspired by the district, and a small plaque here commemorates this fact. I also saw the Escuela Piés, an old religious school, which the supporters of the Spanish Republic burned down in 1936. It has recently been converted into a library, but it still resembles a ruined building:

Tutoring, Tombstones, and Romans

This week at the school we have been planning things to do for Halloween. The Spanish don't normally celebrate Halloween, which is more of a British/Irish/American tradition, but we are bringing the holiday to the school as part of the cultural exchange. I have been put in charge of translating a storybook into English and reading it to the pre-school kids. It's called "¡Fuera de aqui horrible monstruo verde!" or "Go Away Horrible Green Monster!" We are also planning on doing activities such as a haunted house for the kids.

I started tutoring English to the sons of the school's gym teacher this week. One of the sons is in college and the other in high school and they have had several years of English classes, but have never had the opportunity to put it to practical use. I act as a conversation partner to them, telling them about life in the United States while they speak about growing up in Spain. I tutor them at their house, which is on the far south side of the town in a new neighborhood. They have an olive tree in their front yard and I met their grandfather who was gathering these fruits in a plastic five-gallon container. The container was nearly full and the tree still held several olives.

On Friday, Cody and I had to set up a bank account as the school pays us by direct deposit. We opened an account with Santander, Spain's largest bank, which was much easier than I thought it would be. We received a debit card, account book, and online and international banking all for no charge.

Yesterday we walked around the city. We came across one of the local cemeteries, which had been founded in the late nineteenth-century. There were many statues and ornate mausoleums.

After this, we walked to La Garena and I had a tapa of pork meatballs in tomato-garlic sauce at one of the restaurants on the plaza. We sat at the plaza for a while then walked to an archeological site known as Casa de Hippolytus. This building was believed to have been an academy in the ancient Roman town of Complutum which sat on the present-day site of Alcalá de Henares. It is one of two Roman archeological sites open to the public in the town and was built sometime during the third-century AD. Excavations are ongoing at the site and a well-preserved mosaic floor has been uncovered. Other excavations were underway nearby which may reveal finds from the Iberian settlement that pre-dated the Roman presence. Here are some pictures of the site (which is kept under a metal roof) which included a courtyard, pool, latrine, steam room, and an outdoor garden:

We then went back to our apartment for a while before walking to the nearby area of El Ensanche. This is a new neighborhood much like La Garena with many restaurants and markets. Here we found the Plaza de Toros (bullring) and a large shopping mall. The mall was much like an American shopping mall with two levels of various clothing, book, computer, and toy stores along with a food court. Between the mall and the bull ring was a good view of the nearby mountain:

Apartment Found

Lot of walking today. Cody and I found an apartment not far from the school in the downtown (and older) area of Alcalá de Henares. It is on the eighth floor of a building above a butcher's shop. It is shared with two Spaniards whom I have yet to meet. There are many shops and a grocery store nearby. I will put some pictures of the apartment online soon. We move in tomorrow. We visited some other apartments, but they neither as nice nor as close to the school. We also visited the school where we will be assisting (CEIP Federico García Lorca) and met some of the other teachers. Here's a picture of a statue of Cervantes and his creations, Don Quixote and Sancho Panza, which is located outside the school:

The director of our program, Pilar, showed us around the downtown area and recommended some restaurants. (I'll post some pictures of the area later.) Afterwards we went back to La Garena, the district near out hotel. Here's some more pictures from the Plaza Garena:

We also ate at a restauarant on Plaza Garena called Indalo. I ate a dish called sepia a la plancha, which was grilled cuttlefish. It was very rich and delicious. I don't know why we don't eat this stuff back home.

Tomorrow we are going to buy a few things for the apartment and possibly take the train to Madrid to find where our training (which begins on Monday) is located.

The First Day

Cody and I arrived in Madrid today around 8:30 in the morning. After arriving at the airport we took a bus to Alcalá de Henares, which lasted about twenty minutes. We got off the bus in the center of the town and searched for our hotel with the use of maps and bus schedules posted at stops. We passed the Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, an old university founded in 1499 where the playwright Lope de Vega once taught, and the Plaza de Cervantes, which was surrounded by trees and shops. In the center of the plaza stood a statue of Cervantes. I'll write more on these two locations later when I visit them some more. The hotel

is far from the city center in a fairly new commercial and residential district. Here is a nearby street:

We slept for a while after arriving, then looked online for some apartments. After that, we walked around area near our hotel, La Garena, and ate at a small restaurant called Carena Real. There was a Real Madrid soccer game on the television, so several people were sitting, eating tapas and watching the game. I had a sandwich made of jamón iberico, a local type of cured ham. The restaurant was also a bakery, so the bread was very good. It was toasted with a tomato rub.

Tomorrow we will look at some apartments and will also look for the school at which we will be teaching.

I'll post more soon!