La Ruta del Vino

The last excursion that was offered through the program was the Ruta del Vino. We spent the day visiting the bodega of Grupo YLlera just outside of Valladolid. It was amazing to see how the winery works. This particular bodega is family owned is now in it's 6th generation. The bodega is split into two different parts. The newer building houses pretty much everything that they need to make their wine. The original bodega is now a maze of bodegas that they maintain for tourism. Not only is it an incredibly impressive winery, I personally think it's probably the best place on earth for an awesome game of capture the flag. Check out the pics!

This last photo is a mural of a greek legend. The Yllera winery ties all of it's different types of wine to this greek legend. How creative!

El Parque de Buen Retiro

During the final week of study, we had the opportunity to visit El Parque de Buen Retiro.  If I had to make a comparison to the US, I would say that it's sort of like Spain's version of Central Park only it all used to be owned by the royal family.  I wish that we would have had more time to enjoy the park but like many of the experiences here in Spain you simply need more time to really soak them up.  As usual, here are a few photos from the visit.

¡Pegüinos! Found at the entrance to the park.

El estanque...during the day it's full of people in boats rowing around the pond.

This is what greets you as you enter the park from the Puerta de Alcala.

The Crystal Palace.

A estudiar....

So I've spent plenty of time studying over the last month or so and I certainly can't complain. I have loved every minute of it. I decided it would be a good idea to post a couple of photos of some of the areas of the residence that are designed to assist in your academic success. Don't worry though, I still have plenty of information to share about some of the more exciting excursions that have taken place so stay tuned!

One of the study rooms...

The computer lab...

Working hard...but can you call it work if it's this much fun?

Día 18 hasta día 25

The last few days have been extremely busy with courses winding down. I've learned more over the past four weeks than I would have thought possible. I'm extremely happy with the program and the professors that I've had for my various classes. Yesterday I returned to the Prado to enjoy some of the exhibits one last time. On Monday, we have our final exams so I'm going to keep this update short and sweet because I need to get back to the books. Here's a few more photos from around Madrid for you to enjoy.

Tasty, tasty...tiny gazpachos.

Outside La Reina Sofia after our visit

El oso y la madroña - the proud symbol of Madrid

Día 17 hasta 21 - ¡Asturias!

This past weekend, we traveled to the northern region of Spain to visit Asturias. The landscape is incredible! We arrived around 8pm on Friday evening which left us plenty of time to go out and enjoy some tapas and to try the typical Asturian drink called sidra.

On Saturday morning we headed to Covadonga to take in the beautiful scenery. Here are a few photos from our trip up and into the mountains. We stopped off at the Mirada de la Reina and then headed further up the mountain where we were able to see the clouds coming in. I'll be posting the video that I took as soon as possible and hopefully you'll be able to see the clouds moving in over the lakes. On Sunday, we headed to Guijon to take in more sites and enjoy the city. The pics below follow the trip to Asturias chronologically from Friday evening until our departure on Sunday.

Enjoying La mirada de la Reina

Fabada! Yum yum!

Día 11 hasta día 17 - Marbella, El Rostro, Intercambios y el Museo Thyssen

Greetings from Spain once again! It has been yet another incredible week in Madrid. Over the last 7 days or so, I've been studying like crazy and experiencing as much as I possibly can each day. Through the university I was able to get connected with an intercambio group to work on my speaking and listening skills and to get to know some of the madrileños (people from Madrid). It was a great environment to meet new people, talk about our countries, and also talk about learning other languages. Last Saturday I headed to Marbella in Malaga to visit with a friend of mine from college. He grew up in Marbella so I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to see his home town. I traveled yet again on the AVE (Spain's high speed train) and it was amazingly comfortable. The trip took 2.5 hours and there was plenty of leg room which I always appreciate. Marbella thrives on the tourism industry and when you see the pictures it's easy to understand why. Take a look below...

The trip to Marbella was incredible and I hope to be able to visit again one day. This past weekend I also spent some time at el Rostro in Madrid. It was overwhelming to see the amount of people that were there. You can find all sorts of items there from hand made jewelry, clothes, and other crafts to posters, books, and dvd's all at great prices. I was able to acquire a couple of posters for my classroom that I look forward to hanging this upcoming school year. Enjoy the pics!

On Wednesday, all the students in the program were offered an opportunity to visit the Museo Thyssen to enjoy the collection. While we were there, we saw works by Picasso, Monet, Miró, and Dalí just to name a few. I'm inspired and in complete awe of all that there is to see, do, and experience here in Madrid. This weekend, I'm heading to Asturias for a 3 day trip. I'll be sure to post an update as soon as possible!

Día 7 hasta día 10

Wow! Time is flying by! I find myself desperately wishing that I had a pause button to soak up every bit of this experience that I can, especially because this is my first experience traveling outside of the States. I've learned more than I could possibly describe since arriving in Madrid. I consider myself extremely lucky to have been able to come a bit before the MLSA program started so that I could spend more time in this incredible city. While today marks my 10th day with the program, it's my 22nd day total in Spain. When everything is said and done, I'll have spent approximately 6 weeks total abroad this summer.

My previous posts have been pretty brief primarily because the classes have been demanding in regards to the amount of time they require outside of class. But I have to say that I've loved every minute of the work. The professors are experts in their fields, extremely understanding, and passionate about teaching. I would highly recommend this program to anyone who is considering doing a study abroad experience. I was fortunate to be in Madrid during the Eurocup because I was able to see and participate in the celebrations. For any of you who don't pay attention to the world of soccer, the Spanish have accomplished something that has NEVER been done before. They won the Eurocup in 2008, the World Cup in 2010, and the Eurocup again in 2012. It's considered a historical moment and something that isn't likely to be repeated anytime soon. There was a huge celebration throughout Spain that culminated in Madrid. Below you'll see video from when the team was traveling through the streets and the Plaza de Cibeles which is where the celebratory route ended. The atmosphere was electric and there were masses of people that were smiling, dancing, screaming, and celebrating the moment. It was amazing to see the entire country coming together to enjoy the accomplishment. As I reflected on the experience I found myself a bit disappointed that something like this wouldn't really happen in the States. We tend to celebrate victories of our own teams but we don't really have anything that would compare to what I witnessed in Madrid. The next video is a compilation of different things that I've done/seen/visited while here in Spain. You'll notice the following items in the video: Horchata: a drink originally created in Valencia Churros y chocolate: a typical Spanish concoction that's eaten for breakfast or as an evening snack Sites throughout Toledo Sites throughout Madrid including the Palacio Real, the Prado, the Reina Sofia, the Plaza Mayor, etc. Sites throughout Valencia including the area surrounding the Formula 1 track, the Rio Turia, the City of Arts and Sciences, and a great sunset view from a catamaran tour. Enjoy!

Día 2 hasta día 6 - Getting to know the universtiy and Madrid

So we all arrived on campus on Tuesday and got settled in to the dorms. For Wednesday, we had two different orientation meetings and also placement testing for our classes. It was great to be able to walk around the university and get to know the area where I'll be staying for the next month. The flow of the daily schedule is great. We have breakfast between 7:30-8:30, attend class from 9-1 or 2 in the afternoon depending on the schedule, lunch from 2-3 and then free time from 3-9pm and the day closes out with dinner from 9-10. During the free time block there are several different excursions that you can sign up to take and most of them are free as a student of the university. You can also spend the time in whatever way you would like so on a couple of different evenings a group of us took the metro to the Puerta del Sol to take in the sights and sounds of Madrid. We ventured over to the Plaza de Santa Ana and it was incredible to see the amount of people out and about enjoying the evenings. Below you'll see photos from our time out and about thus far.

Along with our trips out during our free time, we also spent time at the Prado and Toledo during these first few days. Here are a few photos from the visits... Toledo

El Prado

La llegada - Día 1

So it still seems a bit unreal but I've finally arrived at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. The doors opened for incoming students at 9am and I've been busy getting myself settled into my dorm. The dorm itself is extremely comfortable. Plenty of room to work and sleep with a private bathroom and shower. I have to admit that I'm pretty nervous about going back to school especially when it comes to studying Spanish. Along with the nerves of taking graduate level courses (which I've never done before), I'm in a foreign country for the first time (which I've also never done). I look forward to the new challenges and experiences this will bring but I would be lying if I didn't admit to being anxious about the next month or so. Work space...

Sleep space...

This afternoon we have lunch and then this evening we have orientation, followed by walking to the Facultad de Filosofía y Letras so we can see where our classes are being held and dinner at 9pm. So I guess I'm on my way...