Two-Week Resumen

¡Hola!

After Semana Santa in Italy, I've spent two full weeks here in Cádiz.  It's been so nice and relaxing to not be on the road for a bit, AND the weather is finally turning around which makes this vitamin-D-deprived Seattle girl oh so happy.  Here's what I've been up to during the past two weeks:

Our Lengua IV professor was sick one week, which meant a 3-hour "recuperación" class on a Friday afternoon, which meant café con leche was an absolute necessity.

And this photo captures what was just a typical Saturday night in Cádiz.

On Sunday we said the first goodbye of the group to the lovely Rachel, who had to end her study abroad experience a bit earlier than expected due to a pulmonary embolism.  Sometimes life throws you a curve ball but this one was a nasty knuckle ball for sure.  We're all going to miss her, but let's face it, Spain's doctor's don't really compare to the ones in Seattle.

And what better way to say adios than with a gelato party?

On Wednesday, after pretending to work on a group project for a few hours, my partners William, Erica and I got some gelato (yes, again) and headed to the beach for a bit.

 Then I grew a mustache.

On Saturday, Becca came down to Cádiz from Sevilla with a few of her classmates to spend the day at the beach.  After playing tour guide for a while, we picked a spot on Playa Santa María and stayed there until the tide came in, relaxing, reading, listening to music, and getting more than a little sunburned.

Unfortunately though, there was no swimming, the red flags have been up at the beaches for a week or two which warns beachgoers of some sort of dangerous conditions.  In this case, it's the presence Portuguese Man-Of-War in the water.  Seriously.  So it was slightly disappointing to only be able to dip our feet in when all I wanted to do was swim in the waves crashing on the shore.  These jellyfish better be on their way soon, they're really starting to cramp my style.

This is photo documentation of Becca's first bomba francesa (translation: french bomb), a magical pastry that is definitely way too special to be classified as a doughnut, filled with something similar but even better than nutella.  The bombas had been sitting in the sun for a while, so things got a little messy, as they should when one eats a bomba properly.  If you ever visit Cádiz, you MUST get a bomba from Casa Hidalgo, a pastelería across from the Cathedral.

Before getting back on the train to Sevilla, we stopped at a café for some refreshing smoothies.  So fun to show everyone my Spanish home and enjoy the sun that's finally arrived!

And finally, on Sunday morning I watched the sunrise by the Port of Cádiz.  I was reminded of the first Spanish sunrise I saw, which was as we flew into Madrid a little over three months ago.  As fond as I am of sunsets I think I like sunrises even more.  You see the day begin before your eyes, the birds are singing, and you know that with the light that leaks in from the western sky comes your day, your future, and you can make what you want of it.  It was a nice moment to sit back and reflect on all of the experiences I've had, memories I've made, and friends I've found here.

 

So here's to all life's sunrises, experiences, and friends to share them with.

¡Salud!