Trip to Guadalest

Eating the bocadillos are moms prepare us for lunch went we won't be home, usually bread with olive oil, jamon, salami, and tomatoes.

Guadalest is a very smal mountain town with some castle ruins and a medieval house. My host mother's daughter is actually the mayor of the town.

These are some bitter orange trees that we have all over campus; it seems like such a waste that no one is using them to make marmelade!

La Mano is a statue by the entrance to the university and serves as a symbol/meeting place for the students.

Shrimp varieties in one of the chain markets; I haven't yet been to the mercado central that has the serious produce

Jamon is definitely a staple of the diet here. Some families by it by the leg and put it on a stand to shave slices off, but its more common to buy it pre sliced. Like prosciutto but aged, delicious

The doors here are great.

Valenciano, the local dialect, is only subtly different from Spanish in most cases. Everyone has to take it in school, and there is one TV channel that is in Valencian, but you don't here it spoken much on the street.

1st

Okay, so I still don't know how I feel about the idea of a 'blog' but I think it can be a useful tool to transmit images and impressions to you folks that happen to be elsewhere in the world right now. That said, I will try to update consistently enough.

First few days have been good but it has taken some time to get over the jet lag and adapt to the schedule here. I wake up around 7 for el desayuno which consists of a few pieces of toast w marmalade (preferably bitter orange) and coffee. Then I hop on the bus for the 30 min commute up to to the Universidad de Alicante, which is actually in a different town. Class from 9-11, then an hour long break for el almuerzo which is only a piece of fruit, maybe a chocolate croissant, and more coffee at one of the university cafes. More class from 12-2, then bus home for la comida, which is usually the biggest meal of the day. Most businesses around town close from 2-5 for the meal and siesta, then reopen for a few hours. Dinner is at 8 or 9.

The weekends are a different story. People begin to head out to the bars around 12. The discotecas don't open until 3 or 4 am. The ingenious siesta becomes a necessity.

In two weeks, the intensive cycle ends and regular classes start. I am taking Spanish of the Americas at the university with Spanish students, and classes on Mediterranean Gastronomy (hopefully) and 21st Cent Spain along with a language class at the CIEE center.

First test tomorrow. I will add pictures later if I can get the uploader to work...

hasta luego