I'm doing my best to get all caught up with this blog!! On Wednesday, I had my first class. I only have one class on Mondays and Wednesdays, which is nice. It is SPN420, Spain and Its Literature. Of all of my professors, I have the most difficulty understanding this one because his voice is really deep! After class, my housemate and I set off to buy some things (school supplies, electrical adaptors, etc.), none of which we ended up buying. Most stores are closed during "la siesta," which is when many people take a nap during the afternoon, typically after lunch (which is served around 2-3 in Spain). In addition, there are not stores like Meijer, Walmart, or Target here. You cannot walk into one store to find everything you need to buy. There are separate stores for everything!
Accepting the fact that we did not know where to buy the things we needed, we spent the rest of the day at La Plaza de la Virgen, experiencing many things we missed the first time around. It was extremely hot outside, so we tried "granizadas," which is the Spanish equivalent of a slushie. (Profe Sokoloff, you were right… They're great!) We looked at all of the tents full of beautiful ceramic bowls and dishes, all of which I want to buy, but I have no idea how to get them back to America.
The doors to the Catedral de Santa María de Valencia (cathedral) were open, so we decided to venture inside, and I am so happy we did because it is gorgeous. Everything is very intricate, and there is also a lot of historical value to the cathedral. It is a Roman Catholic parish with 15th century paintings, memorials, and relics. There is a relic of the arm/hand of a saint in the back of the church… Kind of creepy, but really cool! There was also a small mass going on in one of the smaller altars. I think it would be neat to attend a full mass there, or at the Basilica (which I haven't seen the inside of yet).
On our way home, we decided to take a shortcut home. We cut through the Jardines de Real (Royal Gardens), but of course, we were mesmerized by the beauty of everything we saw and ended up spending an extra hour in the gardens (and getting lost afterwards). The plants here are unlike anything you see in Michigan. There are trees with spikes, bright fruits, and vibrant flowers everywhere. There are also a TON of stray cats. If you know me at all, you know I love cats… When we cut through the garden, we saw one cat… And another cat… And another cat… They came out one by one in our path. It was like cat heaven!
That's all for now… I promise I'll get caught up this weekend! :)
Accepting the fact that we did not know where to buy the things we needed, we spent the rest of the day at La Plaza de la Virgen, experiencing many things we missed the first time around. It was extremely hot outside, so we tried "granizadas," which is the Spanish equivalent of a slushie. (Profe Sokoloff, you were right… They're great!) We looked at all of the tents full of beautiful ceramic bowls and dishes, all of which I want to buy, but I have no idea how to get them back to America.
The doors to the Catedral de Santa María de Valencia (cathedral) were open, so we decided to venture inside, and I am so happy we did because it is gorgeous. Everything is very intricate, and there is also a lot of historical value to the cathedral. It is a Roman Catholic parish with 15th century paintings, memorials, and relics. There is a relic of the arm/hand of a saint in the back of the church… Kind of creepy, but really cool! There was also a small mass going on in one of the smaller altars. I think it would be neat to attend a full mass there, or at the Basilica (which I haven't seen the inside of yet).
On our way home, we decided to take a shortcut home. We cut through the Jardines de Real (Royal Gardens), but of course, we were mesmerized by the beauty of everything we saw and ended up spending an extra hour in the gardens (and getting lost afterwards). The plants here are unlike anything you see in Michigan. There are trees with spikes, bright fruits, and vibrant flowers everywhere. There are also a TON of stray cats. If you know me at all, you know I love cats… When we cut through the garden, we saw one cat… And another cat… And another cat… They came out one by one in our path. It was like cat heaven!
That's all for now… I promise I'll get caught up this weekend! :)