Family & Holy Weeks

Family week: I owe an update. I’m sorry. I’ve just been super busy these days. So since the last time I wrote my family came to visit. Well, my mom, sister and brother in law. We rented a sweet Audi and traveled around from the airport to Quintanar, to Consuegra to Toledo to Madrid to Avila to Segovia and back to Quintanar. It was a really good time. For me it was my first time in Consuegra and Avila. Both were nice. Consuegra has a castle and the typical windmills of La Mancha. Avila was super cute and charming. I loved it. I got a little sick in Toledo into our time in Madrid but nothing major. We made my Mom walk a lot. We laughed a ton. It was a whirlwind tour but it was enjoyable for everyone. I got to drive the Audi for a bit too. I’ve missed driving.

Holy week: Santander- The week after I worked a ton ‘cuz I had some classes to make up since I had missed them when the family came. But it was all ok because the weather was nice and I was no longer waking up exhausted. And on Friday started the Semana Santa holiday. I headed off to Madrid and caught a train to Santander (actually was close to missing it). I couch surfed and stayed with a family. They were super great. I liked them right away. After eating a little something the dad took me around on a tour of the town. In the evening the daughter Paula (who was like 18) took me for a botellon with her friends on the beach and that was fun. Saturday I went and explored more of the town and sat on a dock at the beach and enjoyed the nice weather and read a book. In the evening I watched the Madrid Barca game with the dad and 2 other American couch surfers that were spending the night. The dad was super impressed with my knowledge of futbol. On Sunday I went to Santillana del Mar, a small town like 40 minutes in bus away. The family recommended it to me and I’m glad I went. It was gorgeous. I loved it.

Bilbao- I left Monday morning for Bilbao. It was like an hour and a half in bus. It was the most comfortable bus I’ve ever been on. I found my hostel with very little problem. Just as I was checking in, a girl from Australia was too. We ended up going out and exploring together. She was great. We got along perfectly. And she’s futbol obsessed too (but sadly a Barca fan). In the evening we went to a bar to watch a futbol game (it was only appropriate) and we ended up making friends with the bartender, Joseba, who we walked home that night because he lived basically next to our hostel. He couldn’t believe that Louise and I had only met that day, he thought we knew each other for a long time because of how well we got along. We went back to visit him the next morning because he promised us free coffee. Then Louise and I went exploring in the old part of the city. Bilbao is an interesting city. There’s not too much there. It’s known for the Guggenheim Museum but everyone told me it wasn’t worth the 13 euros to go in, so we didn’t. the best thing was the puppy made out of flowers in front of the museum. We searched for a basilica and never found it, after walking up a giant hill (cuz we couldn’t find the elevator). In the evening we met up with Joseba and one of his friends and they showed us around a bit and introduced us to the whole “pinxos” thing (Pais Vasco’s version of tapas). It was funny because the boys didn’t really speak much English and Louise didn’t speak any Spanish so I had to translate everything. But I didn’t mind. I kinda liked it. Louise left on Wednesday morning. I went to the Fine Arts museum ‘cuz it was free and then went to a park and napped and read a book. Then I got together with Joseba again and we watched the other Madrid Barca game where Madrid won the Copa del Rey! Woo! I was really excited. Him, not so much cuz Barca is his 2nd team. (Seriously, why does it seem that everyone I meet is a Barca supporter?)

San Sebastian- I left Bilbao Thursday morning and took another bus to San Sebastian, about an hour an half away. I struggled to find my hostel because all the streets have 2 names- one in Spanish and one in Basque but both names aren’t always displayed, and certainly never at the same point. But I arrived. There was a girl from China in my room also traveling alone so after I settled in a bit we went off exploring together, literally walking allll over the city. It was beautiful. I loved it. It was really hot out too. But the city is just cute and has a good ambience to it AND there’s a beach. In the evening I talked with another girl from our hostel who was from Sevilla. She was pretty cool. I went to bed kinda early because I was so tired from all the walking. Friday we explored some more. The weather was ugly and overcast. In the evening I ended up going out with another group of kids from our hostel. There were 2 other American girls, 2 people from London, and 5 from Australia and they were all super cool. I loved them. And it was great because we had all just met that weekend and we all got along super well as if we’d know each other for a while. We went out for pinxos and I had to help the one guy Dan out a bit cuz he doesn’t speak any Spanish so I had to tell him what everything was and order everything for him. Tim who works in the hostel was like “yeah, we’ll pair up the kid that knows nothing about Spain with the girl who’s practically Spanish and then we’ll have nothing to worry about.” Haha. later we all went out for drinks and then just danced for the rest of the night. It was a ton of fun. At one point me, Dan and Matt got separated from the group and I had to take care of the boys cuz they had no idea where we were or how to get back to the hostel (such bad senses of direction) and Matt said “this is like some sort of joke… There’s an American, an Australian and an Englishman walking down the streets of San Sebastian…” the next morning Matt, Arianna, Rachel, Jack, Scarlett and I went to the beach. Weather wasn’t great- a little overcast but not too cold. It started to drizzle so we went for icecream and then hung out talking in the lounge of the hostel. We said our goodbyes to Biffie, Matt, Brittany and Dan and that was sad. Then the remaining few of us went out for more pinxos in the evening and later just hung out talking. they were really a fantastic group of people. I’m so glad I met them. I would have been bored and lonely without them.

Back home: I left the next morning on a train to Madrid at like 9ish and tried really hard to get home in time for church but I couldn’t. I almost cried in the bus station. It was Easter Sunday and I just wanted to go to church. Plus I haven’t been to my church in town for a while and I miss the people there. I ended up hanging out with the boys. I watched them play some card and board games and then we made some food on a fire. Monday was still vacation and for me a day of nothing but rest, unpacking and laundry. And today was back to work. Wooo. So yeah, now you’re caught up. And this was the short version :)