The Reign is Over

I will never forget my yearlong stay in Spain. It has been more than a month since my return home and already I'm yearning to go back.

I arrived back in Michigan on June 21st. I was happy to be back in my homeland. However, even though it was a comfortable feeling, it did not feel real to me that I had actually left Spain. When I said goodbye to my friends it seemed like we were just saying "See you later" not a "Hope I will see you again someday." I arrived home and knew it would be a hard adjustment going back to my American lifestyle, but I had to adjust.

The days of acclimation in Michigan passed. I got back into my American lifestyle rather quickly, and I enjoyed watching the World Cup even though soccer is not that popular in the States. Of course I rooted for Spain. I watched a lot of soccer while I was abroad and got to know all the players' names on the Spanish team. Then on July 11, 2010 Andres Iniesta, a player from the team FC Barcelona, scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup. It was Spain's first World Cup championship. It was an amazing game which I viewed with my family and some cousins from Ohio. I can only imagine how happy my friends and family in Spain must be. I talked to some of my friends via Facebook and they told me about the impressive celebration that was going on because of Spain winning the World Cup in soccer. I know now how Spaniards like to party so I can imagine what it must have been like. Just three weeks before the championship game I was in Barcelona. If only I could have extended my stay somehow. However, as the Spanish expression says "Es lo que hay," it is what it is.

I can honestly say that my exchange experience in Spain was life changing for me. I have become more independent now and appreciate my family and the US more. I do love Spain (especially Barcelona) with a strong passion though and I miss my friends dearly. I can't wait to see these friends again, but who knows when that might be. I still keep in contact with them and will continue to do so. I learned a lot about a different culture. Visiting other countries makes you appreciate your home country in a different manner. Travel really opens your eyes to the wonders of this magnificent world.

Thanks to all those who read my blog while I was on this epic journey.

-Ryan

Last Days

Today I went to a theme park called Port Aventura with my friends. We had a blast. Tomorrow is my last day in Spain and when I say my goodbyes. I will write more about this later. See you soon everyone.

Traveling through Spain

I just came back from a heck of a trip. In my last post I talked about a trip around Spain I would be doing with my mom. It all began with the Camino de Santiago. My mother was walking the Camino also known as the Way of St. James. She was walking the Camino Frances (one of the many routes to Santiago) which begins at Roncevalles a small village just before the French border and of course ends in Santiago (she's crazy (just kidding mom).) Well I met her in Sarria and we completed the last 100km of the camino together.

To get the compostela (certificate) that says you completed the Camino de Santiago you must complete the last 100km. My mom was happy to see me and we soon began walking. For me the first day was a lonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnngggggggggggggg walk. We did about 20km of walking or more each day. However, we did walk 30km on the second day which was a real killer. Here's how a normal day on the camino went: my mom would get up at 7, she would wake me up and then go to the bathroom to wash up. I would take advantage of this time and stay in bed pondering how much time I had before my mom would come back and I would have to get up. After I finally got myself up and got ready we would hit the camino.

Looking good for Santiago ;)

It's amazing we would walk for hours. Hours, hours and hours of walking. My mind wandered; there was too much time to think. It was fun being with my mom. We talked about so much stuff. I remember the first ten minutes of the the camino I was going crazy and couldn't stop talking. Part of the camino is self reflection. You are alone for such a long time that you think about your life and who you are. With this time you, hopefully, become a better and stronger person. I think my mom changed in this way because she walked alone for many days. However, there are always pilgrims walking along with you that pass you or you pass them. Pilgrims from all over the world come and do this camino. I met Americans, Germans, Frenchies, Portuguese, Italians, Brasilenians, Mexicans, Ecuadorians, Chinese and of course many Spaniards. I have to say that the Spaniards were the friendliest.

We usually got to the albergue (hostel) between 3 or 5 p.m. After arriving exhausted to the albergue we would wash ourselves and our clothing. Then we looked for a place to have dinner. After dinner we would go back to the albergue to prepare for the next day and then we would go to sleep.

Signs for the Camino de Santiago

The time passed and I don't know how I did it or how my mom did it but we arrived to Santiago. It actually wasn't that eventful arriving into Santiago. The garbage workers were on strike and there was so much garbage in the streets. We had to suffer from the stench while approaching the Cathedral.

Santiago

Santiago was a nice city despite the garbage. The Cathedral was a mystical sight. It had some parts in which it was covered in green moss that gave it a cool effect. Santiago is located in the comunidad autonoma of Galicia. In this comunidad it usually rains. Fortunately we had good weather and it was nice and sunny the whole time in Santiago. In Santiago we got our compostela-- they spelled my name wrong so I guess that means I have to do the camino all over again. Santiago finally came to an end and we headed to Madrid.

Cathedral In Santiago

We got lucky in Madrid. On the Saturday that we arrived the UEFA championship was being played in Santiago Bernabeu, the soccer stadium of Real Madrid. The game was between Inter Milan (Italians) and Bayern Munich (Germans.) I was rooting for the Germans because Inter Milans had eliminated FC Barcelona in the game before. My mom and I visited the stadium on the outside. It was madness. People were trying to sell tickets, I heard prices from 400 to 800 euros. I think there were more Italians than Germans. Unfortuanately, Inter Milan won 2-0. That night I struggled going to sleep because the Italians were partying in the streets ALL NIGT. The next day we got better rest and in Madrid we visited el Museo del Prado. I did not like Madrid so much this time around. I prefer Barcelona because it has the sea and is more modern. Madrid is an older city but has some cool sites like the palace and the Plaza Mayor. Our visit to Madrid finally came to an end and we headed to a much smaller city about 30 minutes away called Toledo.

UEFA Championship

Estadio Santiago Bernabeu

Toledo was an interesting city. Feli had told me before though that Toledo was a city that could be seen in an hour. We spent three days there and all I can say was that she was right. We stayed in the old center of Toledo. Toledo is known for its work in swords. In many Hollywood movies such as "Lord Of The Rings" the swords come from Toledo. So of course I had to get one of these "souvenirs" to remember Toledo. I ended up buying a pocketknife... which only brought us trouble. Let's rewind a little bit. In Madrid I had bought some nice new jeans and I was happening to be wearing them that day I bought the knife. I bet you can guess where this is going. New jeans+new knife =? Well I don't know how my knife got open in my pants but it did. From then on my knife wasn't known as "my knife" it was known as "J Rip" (jean ripper.) I was mad, but fortunately my mom had a sewing kit which she used to fix the hole in my pants. After she was done I was actually happy that J Rip had made that hole in my pants-- it gave it a nice effect.

Not only did we buy a knife in Toledo we also bought two antique reproduction gun. They were nice guns, made in Spain of course. We didn't get so lucky here. After my mom arrived back to the States she sent me an email telling me that she had to leave the guns at the airport. Even though the Guardia Civil packaged them for security (even though they were not real) she would have had to pay 55 euros because they were a second piece of luggage. She said no and left them. That kind of made me mad but I was happy to hear that J Rip had made it safely to Michigan ;)

My mom and I were exhausted of the traveling to tell you the truth. It was a lot. Usually when we are traveling I have my brother and my mom has my dad. But this time it was just my mom and me. She talked often about how she couldn't wait to go back home and see her kitties and her husband. I just wanted to go back to Sabadell and see my friends again. However, I wasn't just quite ready to head back to Sabadell we were going to Andalucia (southern part of Spain.)

My mom and me

In Andalucia we arrived to our first destination, Seville. It is my second favorite city in Spain. The girls- I mean the sights there were amazing. The Guadalquivir River passes through Seville. Seville is not like Madrid where there are no bodies of water just pure city. This is one reason why I love Barcelona. Barcelona is right next to the Meditteranean Sea. However, in Andalucia the climate is sooo hot. I saw many cool shirts that said "E=M(C)^2" It was sooo hot that I followed some kids and jumped into the Guadalquivir River. Later my mom saw that there was a sign saying "Prohibido Banarse" (no swimming.) It was quite refreshing. In Seville we saw some great Flamenco. I really wanted to go up there and dance with them but refrained in my seat observing the spectacle. We also entered the huge cathedral of Seville which was quite impressive. We climbed all 35 levels of the Giralda (bell tower.) It was here in Seville that I also tried "caracoles" or snails. I ate the whole bowl because my mom did not want to help. All I can say is they were different.

Cathedral of Seville

The next stop on our trip was Granada. Granada was even hotter than Seville. The most incredible sight of Granada is the Alhambra. The Alhambra is a large palace with many gardens that was made by the Moorish rulers in the 14th century. The detail they put into the Alhambra is incredible. In Toledo, Granada and Seville they were also preparing for Corpus Christi. It was being celebrated on June 3 (my mom's and my birthday.) We got lucky with the planning. Granada had a fair getting ready for Corpus Christi. I went with my mom to check it out. They had everything at the fair from discos to rides. I really wished my brother was here with me at this point. Instead I had my lovely mom. Who kept on telling me that she was cramping my style and wanted me to go on alone. I refused and enjoyed her company. Our trip finally ended and we headed to our final and favorite destination, Barcelona. We arrived on late June 2nd.

Fair in Granada

On June 3rd my mom and I celebrated the majority of our birthday in Barcelona. We walked around Barcelona (the Rambla) and then headed to Sabadell to have tea with Feli, Angel, Abel and Oscar. It was great to see my host family again. They were really excited to see me and we got caught up on things. Later we headed back to Barcelona to have dinner. We ate in a nice restaurant and got lucky because we didn't have a reservation. They asked us for a reservation when we arrived and we looked around, there was absolutely no one there. Why do we need a reservation? I thought. A good half hour later the restaurant was filled. After the dinner my host family dropped my mom and me back to our hotel. My mom was leaving the next day. It was a good 18th birthday with my senora and a heck of a trip

My two mothers

The following day I got up early to say goodbye to my mom and then headed to Sabadell via the center of Barcelona. I arrived in Sabadell about 10a.m. I bought a bunch of chupa chups (lolli pops) and then headed to el patio (break or lunchtime) of school. I arrived to school and saw a bunch of my friends eating their bocadillos and chatting away. My friends saw me and I saw many smiles and was embraced by many with hugs. It was good to see my friends again. I gave them all chupa chups because it had been my birthday the day before. It was a great feeling and a great birthday present. It is good to be back!!!

Royal Palace in Madrid with my mom

Segundo Bachillerato (Seniors)

Taking A Trip

Last Friday (May 7th) was my last day of school. It was kind of sad saying "adios" to the Spanish school, which held so many great memories. However, I knew that I could come back and visit anytime. Tomorrow I will be joining my mother on the Camino De Santiago. I will be walking the remaining 100km with her. The goal is to finish the Camino in five days. I am excited to see my mom and I am sure that she can't wait to see me. I am going to miss my friends but thankfully I will get to see them again before I leave for the US. After the Camino we will go to the following cities: Madrid, Toledo, Seville and Granada. I am very curious about the southern part of Spain (Andalucia.) I have been told that it is a lot different from the rest of Spain. After this trip with my mom I will have pretty much visited all of Spain!!!!

Mi y Mi Senora

Madre Mia

I miss my family a lot. However, about three weeks ago I got to see my mother. My mother came to take on the Camino De Santiago. Why she is doing the camino is beyond me. I am proud of her though and she is doing great. The other day she reached the halfway point. She tells me she is meeting many interesting people from all over the world. On May 14 I will be joining her to finish the Camino and sight see some more of Spain. Then I return to Sabadell on June 2. My mom returns to the states on June 4th and I later return on June 20th. It is all going by so fast. Here is the link to my mom's blog http://awalktosantiago.blogspot.com/

La Fiesta De Sant Jordi

Last Friday, April 23, La Fiesta De Sant Jordi was celebrated in Catalunya. Part of the fiesta (holiday) comes from a legend or tale. There are many versions of the tale but they all are similar. It goes that a dragon captured a princess and no one was able to rescue her. One day a man came along named Jordi who killed the dragon and rescued the princess. From the blood of the dragon grew a rose, which Jordi gave to the princess. After that the two got married and lived happily ever after... typical fairy tale.

The other part of the fiesta deals with books. Books are important on this day because it is said that Shakespeare and Cervantes (a Spanish writer famous for his work "Don Quijote") both died on April 23.

Selling roses

So how is this holiday celebrated? First of all, school was optional. In school there were no classes just fun activities such as basketball, soccer and theatre. I did attend school. However, many of my friends from Segundo Bachillerato did not. It was a lot of fun, I played basketball and was also the referee of basketball for the youngins. But none of that stuff has to deal with a dragon, rose or Shakespeare. This fiesta is celebrated in that males give roses to females (wives, girlfriends, etc.) and females give books to males (husbands, boyfriends, etc.)

My friend Jordi and I

The rose giving was more popular than the books. On every street corner there were people selling roses. One of those fine salesmen was ME!! It was a lot of fun I was with my friends on the street corner selling roses for the school. I don't want to be bigheaded but I am a good salesman ;) One rose was three euros and we sold all the roses we had, which was a bucketful. I had some special offers in which I would sing in English if you bought a rose or two roses and a coke for six euros. This was probably one of the greatest days in Spain for me. Here is a link of my beautiful singing http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=US&v=T72THOj3Y08 This video was made a while ago...

There's my coke

Easter Break

Every country celebrates different holidays and if countries celebrate the same holiday they celebrate it differently. So how do Spaniards celebrate Easter??? To be honest for me it was just another Sunday. No Easter egg hunts or Easter Bunny, hahah or jajaj as they say here. Of course, that is not what Easter is really about. Many people know that practically all of Spain is Catholic. However, what I found to be a shocker is that not many people go to church. I myself have gone to Mass probably 10 times (muy malo) in my stay in Spain. My host family doesn't go to church and neither do the majority of my friends. However, during "Semana Santa" (Holy Week) there are more people that go to church. Just like back at home.

Segovia

Something that I found different and intriguing are the processions. During Semana Santa churches have processions that go through the town. What are processions? They are somewhat like a religious parade with people dressed up, yes believe it or not, in costumes that look like those worn by the KKK. The people that wear these outfits belong to religious fraternities and other organizations. They are NOT members of the Ku Klux Klan. In the processions there are also many floats carrying statues of Jesus and Mary. These processions are also very serious. They aren't like the "Cabalgata de Reyes" (parade of the Three Kings who arrived to bring gifts to Baby Jesus) where they throw lots of candy. It was a totally unique experience for me.

Proccession in Avila

Another special tradition here is celebrated on the Monday following Easter. It is called the "Dia de la Mona." La mona is a chocolate pastry that can be a figurine such as a monkey or Messi like I have here. It can also just be a cake. The godparents give a mona to their godson or goddaughter on this day.

La mona (chocolate figurine) of Messi (greatest soccer player)

So there you have the celebration of Easter- Spanish style. But what exactly did I do on my Easter- Spring Break!! I would like to start off by thanking two of my aunts or tias: Tia Linda y Tia Belia. My Tia Linda sent me an Easter egg basket: the Easter bunny didn't forget about me. And my Tia Belia sent me a box filled with JELLO mix and the molds to make JELLO EGGs (she knows I like Jello Eggs.) Both also sent me those glorious Reese's peanut butter eggs and other Easter candy. Of course, I shared the candy with my friends and host family. They enjoyed the Reese's eggs. I received both packages just before leaving for the small pueblo of Gemuno.

Good Old Gemuno

Gemuno is the pueblo (small village) that I went to for Christmas. Not much action going on there. There are very few people who reside there. It is in the country and there is a cierro (hill) near. It is a very peaceful pueblo with the quiet of the country. We spent a week there. During the week I was able to read a lot and play board games with my family. Although it is very relaxing I must admit that I prefer city living. I can't stand being isolated like that, but you do what you have to do. Not all the time was spent in Gemuno though. We did go to the city nearby, Avila and to another city called Segovia.

Segovia

Avila, as I have said before, is known for its Muralla (fortress or wall.) It is, I believe, the best-preserved wall in the WORLD. We went to Avila a lot because it is only about 7 km away. On one occasion we went to Segovia which I found to be a wonderful city. It has some magnificent sights: the Aqueduct of Segovia and the Alcazar. Here we met part of Feli's family and had lunch with them. I loved looking at the Aqueduct--it was amazing! We saw those processions I talked about in Segovia and Avila.

La procesion in Segovia

Well, that pretty much sums up my Easter and Spring Break. Hope everyone had a nice Easter and a good break!

The City of Avila.

Foooood

One thing that I cannot believe I haven't talked about in my blog is the food in Spain. So what is typical Spanish food you ask? One might say "Spanish food...ummm that's food like from Mexico: tacos, burritos, enchiladas, tamales y quesadillas, right?" - WRONG. Spanish food is so different from Mexican food. The most typical and popular dish here is paella. Paella is a dish made with rice mixed with tons of fun stuff: shrimp, peppers, meat, clams, fish and whatever you want to throw in there. My host family usually prepares paella with seafood. It is deliciosooo. Every part of Spain has a typical dish. In Catalonia it is typical to eat bread (tastes better toasted) with tomato and garlic as an appetizer. In Madrid the calamari sandwich is popular. Due to the fact that I am living near the Mediterranean Sea I have eaten a lot of seafood such as octopus, calamari, sea snails, clams, many types of fish and shrimp. Other foods that we usually eat for lunch or dinner are pasta, meat (pork, rabbit, lamb) and I can't forget the salad, bread and water.

Paella

The meal times here are a lot different from home. Here breakfast (el desayuno) is somewhat the same: for us it's 8 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. Lunch (la comida) in the US is usually eaten around 12-1 p.m. and in Spain I eat lunch around 3 p.m. in the US I usually ate dinner (la cena) around 6 or 7 p.m. whereas in Spain we eat around 9;30-10 p.m. So there you have the meal times. For me it was not that hard to adjust to the meal schedule, but everyone is different.

In Spain we always eat dessert after lunch and dinner- it's great! I must admit that I have become addicted to a dessert called flan. I had tried it many times in the US and Mexico but I fell in love with it in Spain. Typical desserts here are flan, lionesas, yogurt, crepes and fruit.

Lionesas (chocolate on top and cream inside) = glorious