Salamanca: A Hidden Gem

On my way here from the States, I was a tad apprehensive. Of course I was excited but at the same time I was going to be traveling ALONE to another country, staying with a family I knew almost NOTHING about and not to mention the fact that, due to a scheduling mishap, I was going to have to stay in a hotel room by myself in Spain for two days before I could move in with my host family. The thought of all this moving and traveling and luggage made me exhausted before even leaving the States. After being here for about two weeks now, however, I have been very pleasantly surprised. Upon landing at the tiny Salamanca airport, I immediately fell in love with the quaint town. Its historic charm lives within its cobblestone streets and antiquated architecture but most importantly, it to me represents something bigger than just a six-week study abroad program. Traveling abroad presents me with possibilities; an array of opportunities that only an experience in another country can provide. I knew, from the moment I touched down in Salamanca, Spain; that I would be forever changed by this experience. So without further ado, I give you my thoughts, ideas, impressions--the good and the bad--and advice about living in Spain. From a University of Michigan rising junior, I give you my first-hand accounts of not only the physical but also of the non-physical things---such as charm, Spain has to offer. I hope that with this little bit of information, I can inspire others not only to venture outside their native borders but to take full advantage of what other countries--outside their own--have to offer.

San Sebastian

A couple of friends and I decided at the very beginning of our six weeks, that we would take the opportunity to travel all over Spain by visiting a new and interesting place every weekend. First stop: San Sebastian. This small town located on the northern coast of Spain in Basque country which--I did not know previously--has its own language, its own flag and its own customs. In fact, it wants to be its own separate country apart from Spain...it's a touchy subject. But nonetheless, it is said to house FOUR, count 'em FOUR of the 50 Best Restaurants Worldwide. And on top of the decadent cuisine, this city boasted beaches for days. Instead of writing about every single thing I did while on each trip, I thought it better to provide a list of my favorite eateries, points of interest and places to shop while in the various places in Spain that I travel to. Quite frankly, no one wants to read about EVERY minute detail...simply the cool stuff will suffice : ).

Places to Check out in San Sebastian:
-Quebec Crepería: If you love crepes this is the place for you! All kinds of yummy goodness can be found here, not to mention, that as of last weekend, this Crepería is a whopping month old. The owner of the shop, Quebéc, Canada native, studied in Spain for 6 months before purposefully missing his plane from San Sebastian home and started up this adorable little shop.
Such an inspirational story, this young man followed his dream and took risks that, until now, I never thought possible.

-Playa de las Conchas: a very popular beach in San Sebastian. Just make sure you understand that just about every beach in Europe is a nude beach and, thus, you will probable see nude people quite frequently here.

-Bar Oscar: I had their grilled chicken sandwich with bacon and it was incredible!

-La Parte Vieja: the center of town with hundreds of shops, heladerías (ice cream parlors) and restaurants/bars. Calle (street) San Juan is the main road--so to speak--of la parta vieja. If you end up staying in San Sebastian for a weekend or so I would suggest you get a hotel or hostal in or near this area. It's gorgeous and so much fun!

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Valencia!

This past weekend, my friends and I traveled to the shoe capital of Spain! Not only that, it is the birthplace of the traditional Spanish dish, Paella (pronounced PYE-ay-yah). But the City of Valencia's crown and glory is one of the most state-of-the-art museum complexes in the world! Its called La Ciudad de Artes y de las Ciencias (the city of the sciences and the arts) and its architect is none other than the man responsible for the project at Ground Zero in New York City, NY. So before I get carried away, here are some...

Places to Check out in Valencia:

Llaollao Frozen Yogurt: Pronounced "YOW-yow", this up-and-coming business is located in the Plaza del Carmen (within the Centro Historico). The mother-daughter team who established this place opened it exactly 8 days ago (so Monday, July 5th). It was amazing! So tasty and all the of the fruit is freshly cut every morning. If you ever visit Valencia, I highly recommend you visit Llaollao. Frozen yogurt is a very new concept in Spain so many of the older people, despite being solicited by delicious testers, were unwilling to embrace the idea. Regardless, it was yummy and definitely worth a visit...or two.

-La Marcelina: Located directly off of the beach on Avenida Neptuno, this restaurant offers great Paella. Although Paella traditionally includes seafood, one of my companions does not eat it so we tried the Paella Valencia. It was the most delectable mix of vegetables, chicken and yellow rice that left us full yet hankering for more. And at a decent price, this makes a great meal! It is served in a huge cast iron dish and can feed a family of four. You must try Paella from Valencia if you so choose to travel there.

-La Ciudad de Artes y de las Ciencias: honestly, I can't begin to describe how fantastic this place is. Soooo, I won't. I'll give you this link, however ; ). www.cac.es/

-Jamaica Café: This little café is located directly across the street from La Ciudad de Artes y de las Ciencias in El Saler Centro Comercial (shopping mall, ground floor). They offer traditional Spanish breakfast, comprised of coffee or tea and a pastry of some sort, orrrrr the yummy'er option sweet waffles filled with sugar and topped with wipped cream, chocolate syrup and ice cream if you so choose (sounds heavy and it IS but delicious nonetheless). They also offer pancakes!--my personal favorite--with wipped cream, chocolate syrup and ice cream as well. I also had their Rooibus tea with an herbs and flowers seasoning. A plethora of options and not enough time (or room in my stomach) to try them all. Tends to be a common problem for me here in Spain.

World Cup Champions!!

Yesterday was an amazing day for Spain and everyone here! For the first time in history, Spain won the World Cup and I was here to witness it!