The Final Day of our Mountain Adventure!

Sunday was the final day of our visit to the Sierra de los Gredos Mountains. After two adventurous days in the snowy mountains, we set out in the morning from the hostel to Fuenfría in the Peñalara National Park in the Sierra de Guadarrama Mountains. This hike was substantially easier than the previous two days. We took a leisurely trip through a section of the park that had many trees, rocks, and streams. The scenery was gorgeous with a mix of vivid greenery and snow--so many perfect photo opts! After a couple hours we stopped by the park's museum to learn more about the mountains and their wildlife. We watched a short documentary that brought us closer to the park's natural wonders. We all enjoyed this relaxing morning after a very physical trek in the previous days.

Vincente giving us some extra information in the Park!

From the park, we traveled to a town called Miraflores, which holds the campground Colladito, where we had our final meal--a barbecue!--with our trek-guides (Vincente and Gabriel). At this point, the weather had become a bit chilly and rainy, but we were able to stay warm near the grill under a small pavilion in the camp. The was so much food at the barbecue including chips and snacks, soup, salad, bread, and all types of meat grilled by Vincente! It was a delicious barbecue to fill us up for the rest of the day.

Outside of the Monastery

For our final stop of the day, we visited the Real Monastery of Saint Maria of the Paular (Real Monasterio de Santa María de El Paular) which is encased by the Sierra de Guadarrama Mountains in the Lozoya River Valley. It was constructed in the late 14th century, inciated by King Juan I. Today, only eight monks live in the Monastery. We were able to tour the majority of the large building (guided by a monk) which consists of an abundance of breathtaking architecture. The entire tour was very calming and beautiful. Even though we've already seen so many different historical pieces of architecture, it was equally as exciting to experience this unique place. I really enjoyed the serene environment.

The Custodiana
--an impressive structure where the body and blood of Christ are kept

We left the Monastery in very rainy weather to return back home to Segovia to reunite with our host-families for dinner. Overall, today was a perfect day to conclude our trip to the mountains. This weekend was an amazing experience  for the entire group and it turned out better than we could have ever imagined. 

Our Adventurous Weekend!

These next few posts may be out of order because we have been in the mountains all weekend and are now trying to catch you all up!

Day 2 of our Trek:

We all woke up at around 8am, cuddled together in our giant communal beds in our rustic 'shelter' building. We had breakfast downstairs with all the other hikers that were staying there too. (these hikers were going even farther up the mountain, while we were heading back to civilization). Then after packing up our bags, and suiting up once again in our gear, we headed out into the cold. (30 degrees Farenheit) It had snowed so much overnight, probably six inches of fresh fluff to navigate through, thank god for our guides, Gabriel and Vincente!

The incredible view that we walked out and witnessed that morning! (A lake and huge mountain)

How can I begin to explain this experience? Incredible and majestic are a couple words that come to mind. Where we went, no cars can go. There are no roads that lead there! How crazy is that feeling?! You are so removed from everything in life that is insignificant, distracting, and unimportant. While it was a challenge nearly every minute, the snow never ceasing and the wind blowing in our faces as we climbed up the mountain through the snow, it was rewarding. The feeling that you get when you reach the top of the climb and you stop and look out over the valley, cannot be explained. You feel empowered, and in awe, like you're on top of the world. It makes you feel like you should reflect over your life and really organize your thoughts and feelings. It removes you from life and all the worries and gives you time to just think: Am I where I want to be in my life? Am I happy? For me the answer was yes, so I smiled.

Despite some tired legs and wet pants, we made it back to civilization and piled into the van to warm up. At that point we headed to Ávila, a small town up near these mountains. We had the chance to change into dry clothes and enjoy thick hot chocolate by a fireplace in a nearby lodge! Then we toured the town.

We first visited the Church, which is a mix of Romantic and Gothic architecture. This church actually has two functions: religious and protection. The church was built in as part of the wall that surrounds the entire town. The church is amazing because in the main section, used for worship, a special stone indigenous to the area was used. It is called Piedra Sangrante (bloody stone). It is almost a tie-dye effect of red and grey.

Next we walked to another church, this one dedicated to Santa Teresa de Jesus. The room in which she was born was turned into a beautiful chapel (capilla). 

This plaque is in the capilla, and says that Pope Juan Pablo II visited this chapel.

After our visit to Avila, we checked into our hotel to get a good, hot meal and rest up for another day of hiking!

A Visit to the Jewish Quarter and a Guest Speaker!

Instead of having our normal morning class with Ricardo, today we all met at the Plaza de la Merced to begin our tour of the Jewish Quarter (Judería in spanish). While there, Ricardo talked to us about the history of the Jewish Population in Spain, which may have existed since the first century! He told us many interesting facts, stories, and myths. We also learned that throughout Spanish history, Jews have been discriminated against, persecuted, and repressed. After our discussion, we strolled through the old Jewish neighborhoods (most of which have been restored). From there we walked through the Alameda park to explore the Jewish tombs on the hillside. The tombs were extremely rare to see - they consist of large groupings of rocks that have a body-shaped frame chiseled out of them to fit a dead body. There were also many different caves which consisted of even more tombs. Today there are no bodies left in these tombs. They were all supposedly removed many years ago, but it was still cool to see how they took care of their deceased! The view of Segovia and the Alcazar castle was also quite impressive from the hillside.

Plaza de la Merced

Old Jewish House

Small winding street in the Jewish Quarter 

View of Segovia from the Jewish-tomb hillside 

Jewish Tomb Cave

Stone tombs shaped like the body of a person

Afterward, we walked back into town to see the old Jewish Synagogue, Corpus Christi, which is very close to the Plaza Mayor. From the inside, it looks like a typical synagogue with unique horseshoe arches and upper balconies where the women can pray and worship. It actually looked very similar to the synagogue we visited in Toledo! This one was a little less ornate, but we enjoyed being able to compare the two. Oddly enough, this synagogue was confiscated by the Catholic Church and the Crown in 1419 (shortly before the Spanish Inquisition) and was converted into a church where it received its current name, Corpus Christi (its original name as a synagogue was simply, Sinagoga Mayor. Anyway, The church burned down in 1899, but was reconstructed afterwards and is now open to the public, while also serving as a monastery.

Door to Corpus Christi

Inside the Church of Corpis Christi

Columns and arches inside the church

News Article of the fire that burned down Corpus Christi 

Ricardo has the Key to the Church!! It's huge!

We ended our tour of the Jewish Quarter by visiting the Didactic Center of the Jewish Quarter, which is a small museum. This center used to be the house of one of the most renown Jews in the 15th century, Abraham Senneor. He was a very important figure in assisting the Jewish integration into Segovia. He had great political and economic influence in the Segovian community and even served as a faithful servant to the Catholic Royalty during his time. Eventually Abraham converted to Christianity, receiving a new name, Fernán, Pérez Coronel. His house in Segovia seemed extremely large. It contained many different exhibits which helped us better understand Judaism. My favorite exhibit was the virtual synagogue which lit up on the wall and displayed a typical religious service. Overall, the Judería tour was extremely interesting, and an adventurous way to start off our day!

The Virtual Synagogue

After the Judería, we returned home for lunch and siesta, or other activities before meeting back up at the school for our daily classtime. Today was a little different though because we had guest speaker, Julio de Olmo, who helped us better understand the current situation with the Law of Historic Memory in Spain. Julio serves as a volunteer who helps family members of those who were killed during the Spanish Civil War or during the Franco Dictatorship to find their bodies, which are mostly buried in mass graves throughout Spain. Julio gave us an abundance of information on the Civil War and the Franco Dictatorship, as well as information on what was occurring in the international community at the same time. It was interesting to hear his opinions about the Law of Historic Memory and Spain's contemporary history in general. This lecture certainly helped our class improve knowledge by providing us with an inside perspective on the extremely definitive events in Spain's history as well as its current situation. Yay!

Monday Funday with Titirimundi!

After a long weekend of sight seeing at el Escorial, Valle de los Caídos, and Toledo, we returned to Segovia for a calm, free Monday to enjoy the theater festival, Titirimundi. As always, we went to class in the morning. Today we completed our section on Spain's contemporary history by learning of the democracy that was installed after the Franco Dictatorship. Pretty soon we will be learning about the current political and economic situation in Spain!

After class, we were free for the rest of the day to do whatever we wanted! A few of us went to a nearby café to study and look over notes to prepare for our upcoming test (and eat some yummy pastries). We also  opted to roam the streets of the city in search of a fun show to watch. So far this week, the streets have been filled day-and-night with people from all over the world- performers as well as spectators! There are so many different shows to see, ranging from small one-man marionette performances to larger multi-performer stage shows.

Later on in the day, a few of the girls in our group attended a show called Rue Barrée. This show was staged just outside San Martín church in the San Martín Plaza, where two French actors worked together to maneuver a life-size puppet named Mario! The show was very entertaining and comical, engaging many different members of the audience. It was fun to hear the sound effects and see all of the tricks that Mario could do! The performers were very talented!

Here are a few photos of Mario the life-size puppet!

Toledo, a spectacle!

Sunday we visited the amazing city of Toledo. The 2 hour bus ride was so worth it though. Look at the view we got when we arrived!

As you may be able to tell Toledo was built in a strategic place, surrounded by a river, for protection. It was like a natural moat!

Toledo is unique in more ways that this however. The most interesting thing is its culturally and religiously diverse history. For many years Jews, Christians, and Muslims all lived in this same city, and they lived peacefully! You can see evidence of this diversity everywhere you look. The architecture is a harmonious mixture of the three styles. As you walk down the cobble stone and brick streets there are little tiles marking where the different neighborhoods started and ended.

This tile marked where the Jewish neighborhood was.

This one is Arabic (Muslim Neighborhood)

First we visited a museum to see the Jewish influence on the city and then, after some free time in the afternoon to enjoy the sun and sights, we visited another church. This church showed the christian presence in Toledo, but still had some Arabic and Jewish influence in its design. 

Just so everyone knows, this is where I got pooped on by a bird last trip!

Still loving every minute here! Learning a lot and having the time of our lives! Talk to you all soon.

Titirimundi Begins! (Day 10)

Friday May 10^th marks the beginning of the theater festival known as Titirimundi. People come from all over the world to show their special theater performances to those who live in and visit Segovia! In the following 5 days, the street will be filled with traveling puppet shows, actors, and other performers!

On our walk to school today, many of us saw different groups setting up for Titirimundi on various streets! Then, today in class, we learned about the Spanish Civil War and the Franco Dictatorship in Spain afterward. Both were very difficult and violent eras in Spain. It was interesting to learn about the events that occurred during this time with the different political groups and the economic situation. However, it is also sad to learn of all of the atrocities that occurred, resulting in thousands of deaths. Either way, it is crucial to be aware of the Spanish Civil War (ending in 1939) and the Franco Dictatorship (ending in 1975) while staying in Spain, since these two periods still effect politics and the lives of many in the country today.

After class, we walked to the main street near the aqueduct to see a small Titirimundi show in the “Teatro de Autúmatas,” a traveling theater of electronic, moving puppets. This small theater was created in 1947, and is the only traveling automatic theater that still exists today. Inside of the theater, there are various different scenes with small moving puppets that depict different commonalities during the mid 20^th century. Many of the puppets looked very realistic with an abundance of detail and color. This theater was a great introduction to the festival of Titirimundi. We are all excited to experience more entertaining shows like this one!

After spending some time at this theater, we all were allowed free time for shopping, lunch, or relaxing at Cafés for the rest of the day! We always make good use of this time since there is so much to do and see in Segovia! A few of us spent the beginning of our free time at a tent called “Tierra de Sabor” (Land of Flavor, in English) which offers samples of a wide variety of Spanish foods including cheese, ham, honey, and wine! It was fun to test-taste some of these foods (the cheese here is so good!).

Here are some photos from Teatro de Autúmatas:

Class & Relaxing Afternoon

Wednesday May 8th - One week in Segovia!!  We had a nice class with Ricardo, our professor here, just like every morning. This day we learned about the causes of the Spanish Civil War and the politics involved.  

After comida (lunch) with our families, we were free to do whatever we pleased until dinner with our families later that night.  Many of us took our time with our comida and siesta (nap) since our afternoon was free.  Some of us met up and went souvenir shopping to pick up special things for everyone at home, followed by café (coffee) and some sweets before heading home for cena (dinner).

One of the souvenir shops, this one in El Plaza Mayor

The hot chocolate here is wonderful – it’s so rich and creamy that it is basically melted chocolate!  The hot chocolate is especially good if you dip churros in it – yum!!  As we spend more time here in Spain, we are exposed to more and more foods and sweets, all of which have been delicious!

Wandering around the streets of Segovia during our free time has been a real treat as well.  There are countless shops, restaurants, and cafés.  The shops are small and more personal than the big department stores we have in the United States.  Along with all of the cafés and restaurants, the atmosphere of Segovia makes us never want to leave!

Part of the Calle Real (Royal Street) leading to El Plaza Mayor, the main street of Segovia with most of the shops!

Our Second (and final) Day in Madrid

On Sunday, May 5th, our second day in Madrid, we traveled by subway to El Museo Reina Sofia (Princess Sofia Museum) after a fantastic breakfast at our fancy hotel.  In El Museo Reina Sofia, we saw Picasso's Guernica, one of his most famous paintings, and learned some of the history behind it.  Guernica is a town in northern Spain that was bombed by German planes through Franco's orders during the Spanish Civil War.  Meanwhile, Picasso was given the task of creating a mural for the Paris Exhibition, but he did not know what to paint.  While he was trying to figure this out, Picasso became aware of the bombing at Guernica and was inspired to create his mural.

Here are just a few of the famous artists we saw in El Museo Reina Sofia:  

Picasso

Dalí

Diego Rivera

After our visit to Reina Sofia, we had comida (lunch) together as a group at el Restaurante/Pizzería Pinnochio in front of the museum.  Some of us had our own delicious pizzas while others had various types of pasta, followed by dessert, of course!!  The food here has yet to disappoint!

Once we were all done with comida, we had free time until we met back at the hotel to gather our bags and head to the bus station.  Some of us spent the rest of the afternoon shopping in Puerta del Sol, while some of us went back to el Parque del Retiro (Retiro Park) to relax and enjoy the beautiful weather.  No matter what we were doing, being in small groups in Madrid forced us to use our Spanish at all times - from asking how much a shirt cost, to asking what kind of ice cream was available, to travelling around the subway by ourselves.  We are all learning so much being completely surrounded by Spanish!

Before we knew it, it was time to gather our things, head to the bus station and back to Segovia!  I think I can speak for the whole group when I say we loved experiencing Madrid!  

The Cathedral

Today we visited the cathedral that is in the heart of Segovia, at the Plaza Mayor. The cathedral is of the gothic architecture style, so it is very ornate and has a lot of arches. This was not the original cathedral of Segovia, however. The original cathedral was closer to the outskirts of town, near the castle Alcazar. This cathedral was ruined in the civil war, so another was built and per the bishops request, it was built in a different location.

The Cathedral is massive: 105 yards long, 50 yards wide, and 33 yards tall. Imagine those dimensions, like a football field! It took over 200 years to construct because of lack of funds and difficulty to build. They had to construct it all by hand with these little tools which gripped the large stones by two little holes on each side of the stone:

This is a magnificent alter that holds the urn with San Fruto's ashes.

The entrance to the castle. The little man statue on top is the patron saint of Segovia: San Fruto

 Besides the main section that contains the alter and some pews, there are 17 capillas. Families were able to purchase a capilla, which is like a little chapel to hold the tombs of their family members. This created a private space for the family to be buried together and space for the family to visit and pray. These tombs are in the floor of the capilla. Also each of these capillas has specific art that tells a story from the bible.

This is an example of a capilla. A tomb and ornate art and statues.

Some of the tombs are in the floor and labeled like this!