In Paris a person is never more than 400 feet from a Metro, and as I toured the city for two and a half days last weekend, I certainly took advantage of this quality. Compared to the six other metro, subway, or tube systems that I have used, the Metro of France was dirtier but was also extensive and well used. What was different about the French metro was the double-decker trains seen in this picture.
During my many trips on the metro, what I found so compelling was the variety of people who made use of the public transportation. The combination of people in one place moving together. I can't know where they are going or where they have come from. The Metro is different from a plane ride or a car ride or even a bus. The destination isn't exact; it is a winding direction. The people are combined in mass quantities or as solo individuals. When they get off I can't see where they are going or even where they have stopped. In most cases there is an understood quiet or a whispered chatter. I can make eye contact or softly brush by. I have a few moments to exchange words or greetings as if a life can be summed up by "Where you from?" and "What do you do?" The Metro combines all types of people: business men and women in suits all the way to people wearing the only shirt they own. There is a seemingly stagnant cycle from stop to stop, where the train is moving in inevitable repetition.
As I rode from train station to train station on the Metro, I was able to make the connection to the imagery of several of the works that I have read in my Humanities 205 class. The Hive (La Colmena) by Camilla Jose Cela showed the interconnected and somber lifestyles of the city of Madrid with a home base of sorts in a cafe. The Metro includes some of the same moving connections and distant relationships as it circulates through the city. The image of the Metro was explicitly repeated throughout the movie Barrio (1998) by director Fernando Leon de Aranoa as the three protagonists appeared in the Spanish Metro in a repeated scene of the movie. The image symbolized that they were moving, but at the same time were trapped. The book Nada by Carmen LaForet shows the protagonist Andrea numerous times wandering through the city in a familiar path. Andrea passes the recognizable places, and similar to the Metro she follows a habitual route; she is passing through without motivated intention but instead with in a passive cycle. Finally, in Southern Seas by Manuel Vazquez Montalban, there is a direct mention of the combination of the businessmen who rarely use the Metro with the lower class citizen who frequents the cyclical train. The image speaks of the difference of classes and people united in a ride on the Metro.
In each of these books, the themes and even direct images of the Metro, tell the story of a microcosm of a city and the variety of the people and the diversity of their motivations. The Metro can reflect the society, culture, and people of a city, from the temporary and enthusiastic tourist to the numbness felt by the cashier who is just off work. The experience traveling the Metro was a first hand look of the symbols produced by the literature we have read in class.

Notre Dame

When our study abroad group was marveling at the Cathedral in Toledo, on of the other students told me, "Just wait until you see the Notre Dame." As a result, I was very excited to see what must be so special about that particular cathedral, pictured here. Immediately, from the exterior there were differences from the cathedrals that I had seen in Spain, which often had several levels of building and strong Muslim architecture influences. At the site, information made it clear that Notre Dame was one of the very first cathedrals built in the Gothic Era and its construction spanned through almost the entire period of Gothic architecture. As a result, Notre Dame is often used as the most basic example of what Gothic architecture is. Nevertheless, the differences in its appearance made the arabic influences in Spain more obvious to me.
Once inside the cathedral, I felt a little let down. Because the cathedral had been built up, I was expecting it to stop me in my tracks. Compared with other cathedrals that I have toured, inside it was less decorated and more cave like. I do not mean to suggest that it was not grand, because it certainly was magnificent; however, the attributes of Notre Dame were different than those constructed in Spain. The flying butrices which allowed for thinner walls and higher cielings were the highest that I had seen, which certainly speaks to it as an example of Gothic architecture. Furthermore, each of the tall windows had unique stained glass that surpassed all of the other windows I have viewed in other cathedrals. In Notre Dame, I was able to sit down for a while and meditate on my surroundings and while the cathedral was not the image I was expecting, it was certainly impressive.
However, the appearance of the cathedral is not the most important thing that I took away from my visit to the cathedral. As I was sitting on the wood bench in the building, I watched hundreds of people from all races and cultures walk past me. Notre Dame was one of the most crowded locations that I visited, and as the most internationally toured city in the world, the Parsian cathedral was an example of multi-cultural appeal. However, information about the cathedral revealed that this was not always the case. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a work of literature that is famous worldwide as well. The value of the fictional novel was that it was written as a way to bring attention to the cathedral in order to save it from pending destruction. Needless to say that the proganda was successful and not only saved the cathedral, but also inciated an adoration for the building. What I find so interesting about this story, is proof that while times change, tthe popular culture of an era has the ability to change the course of history and the views of society.

"One, two, three, four, five ... six! There is seven and eight!" The important image in the this picture is, of course, the French flag. Many times when I was stopped waiting to cross the street in Paris, France, I would count the number of French flags like this one. The average number was probably eight, but was rarely less than four and often ten or twelve. By the end of my weekend in Paris, two other students and I had a running joke, "What is that flag? I wonder what it means!" The abundance of the flags throughout the city seemed to mark a sense of national pride. However, after studying in Spain for two months it also created a sharp contrast to the regional pride of many Spaniards. Within the first week in Spain we had studied about the 17 autonomies of Spain and within a few more weeks we had learned about the rivalries between these regions, and especially between Madrid and Barcelona. When I walk through the streets of Segovia or the other places that I have traveled, I do not notice the Spanish flag or a national government building nearly as much as I see the flag of the autonomy. In fact, I can only clearly remember two places in Segovia that fly the Spanish national flag, while I can, however, recall numerous locations labeled proudly, "Castilla y Leon," the name of Segovia's autonomy. Therefore, seeing the abundance of the national flag in Paris proved to be a contrast to the regional Spain and highlighted the differences of allegiance.
In another class, when I mentioned the abundance of the flags, our teacher mentioned that in Spain the French are known for their national pride, and not necessarily in a positive context. While this may be a result of historical tensions, it also speaks the differences within their cultures and their opinions of government. Another interesting thing that I learned was that the modern French flag, is the flag that was used during the French Revolution. When it was first used the three different colors had different proportions in order to make them esthetically similar; Napoleon is credited with requiring each of the flags to have equal proportions.

This picture shows the final strike against the bull in the bull fight I attended on Sunday. After speaking to a man who sat near us in the stadium I learned that the sword used to kill the sword is slightly curved. There are two small spots on either side of the spin of the bull that should be pierced and if done correctly will penetrate the heart of the bull, killing it quickly. This, however, is not an easy task. Only one matador successfully conquered the bull in this manner. In the other five cases the bull must die slowly and is often confused by other men who serve almost as the equivalent of a "rodeo clown." If the death is too long and clearly the bull is suffering than an older matador comes into the ring with a very short and very sharp knife/sword which is used to slice the spinal cord, therefore killing the bull automatically. Within the course of the fight another long sword was used as defense for the matador and a long spear like object was used by picadores who rode horses within the first moments of the fight.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience tremendously, but was also very surprised by the entire event. I attended the fight with a fair amount of anticipation and also several misconceptions. Unlike I expected, the bull fight was not extremely brutal. Instead, I compared it to a dance with certain rites that had to be completed. Furthermore, it was not as easy as a slice of the sword, but took time and skill I miscalculated. At one point, I anticipated that the matador would be spending a few weeks in the intensive care unit! The ring was very large and it was clear that the event held significant cultural importance.

Unfortunately I have not been able to turn this picture right side up. However what is still apparent is the faint writing on the stones of this picture. This picture was taken from the wall of a building used for the historic University of Salamanca, placed very near to the Cathedral of Salamanca. Immediately when seeing the writing on the building I was remined of a very similar set of words and letters I had seen on the Cathedral of Granada. Previously, I blogged about the grafittee that is so prevelant here in Spain. Both of these images I had assumed were just that, another form of grafittee, but this time I felt there would be few people who would suggest that the red letters painted on such antique buildings was any form of art and not vandalism. When I recognized the letters again in Salamanca, I can remember feeling almost compelled to shake my head and sigh! However, our tour guide of the day came promptly to the rescue and kept me from discriminated too badly "on the hooligans" who had painted on the old school building. The words painted in this picture are actually centuries old and have retained their color and place on the structure due to the integrity of the stone and its resistence to change color or erode with the elements of te weather. The words and symbols represented the academic acheivments of people of the era and those who had graduated from the university. Earlier in the day she had explained that graduation was contingent on an oral examinations from professors. One vote against the student and the exam was suspended and the student did not graduate. As any person can imagine, that made graduation quite an acheivement, such that it gave the student the right to paint their name or intials or symbol or whatever their heart desired on the side of the building. Maybe the question about grafittee can be answered in a similar way, an opportunity for a person to mark their achievement or who they are. Finally, I am glad that I do not have to graduate through an oral exam as they did, but I think it would be neat to leave my name on my universities wall!

One of the cultural experiences most felt by any traveler is the difference in economy and money. Spain, along with 15 other nations, adopted the Euro in January 2002 to replace its previous national currency, the peseta. As a visitor to the nation, one of the first things that I have learned to pay closer attention to is the rate of exchange between the dollar and the euro. This is first interesting, because while I have heard mini news clips about the strength of the dollar, I have rarely given it the attention that I am developing now. In the past week, in fact, the dollar saw its strongest day since I have been studying in Spain and also its lowest.
Spain was actually one of the nations which most supported the change to a universal European currency. In the 90's, Spain maintained a GDP growth of over 3% average per year, and often above that. This contrasted greatly with other European nations, like Germany and France, which traditionally had much larger and stronger economies, but experienced near zero growths. The strength of Spain's economy in the last 15 year's according to many economists has legitimized them as member of the European Union (EU) and makes them now the fifth largest economy in the EU and the eighth largest in the world. In my research of the Spanish economy I was also interested to learn that Spain was only second to France in terms of reducing income levels between different social classes in Spain in the last 20 years. This of course is also a reflection and a turn from the reign of Franco and the years of hunger, portrayed in the books of Spanish literature, when the social classes experienced large gaps. Also a change from the Catholic, Franco era, in the 1970's women in the workforce in Spain was equal to the amount of women working in other European nations in the 1930's. Today, with help of the political changes and the shift to the Euro, Spain matches the EU average of women in the workforce. While their are some disadvantages, including intra-european trade, it seems that the change to the euro has been positive for Spain.

This weekend I attended a protestant church with a few other students. The experience spoke volumes of the impact of Spanish history and the relationship of the Catholic church. This room was on the bottom floor in an extra corner of an apartment building a 15-minute walk from the aqueduct. Automatically, it contrasted with the traditional Catholic church, basilica, or cathedral that I have been touring the last few weeks. The dynamics of the congregation were also different than I had anticipated. There were 40 people at highest estimate in the meeting room. All but one person appeared to be under the age of 50. Furthermore, the people looked much more like they were from Latin America rather than Spain. After a little investigation, it was clear my observations were correct. This small group of protestant worshipers were mostly young Spanish family or immigrants from Central and South America. While it has been over 30 years since the end of the Catholic reign of Fransisco Franco, his influence is still felt. The people who grew up and established their adult lives under his rule continue to practice Catholicism. Just as many of the students have mentioned that their host families do not like to speak of Franco, what is clear is that the years of Franco continue to influence Spain through the people he ruled.

Because March is the month of the Holy Bible, the sermon focused on the history of the translation of the Bible from Greek to Castillo. During the 16th Century, the Catholic kingdoms had begun to establish themselves and as a result were forcing those who did not practice Catholicism from Spain. Muslims and Jews were the mass of the emmigrants, however, the Lutheran movement which had been sweeping across Europe conflicted with the Inquisition of the Catholic Kingdom. As a result, the protestent Holy Bible was translated by a Spanish born man in Germany and England. The process toke more than 12 years, but in the end produced the first complete translation of the Holy Bible to Castillian Spanish. This history seemed appropriate and matched the small congreation I was sitting with. Catholicsm has a long and deep history in Spain that has impacted the development of religion in Spain for hundreds of years. This church spoke to the fact that just 30 years of religious freedom can not yet change the religious and polictical culture extablished over centuries.

This is of course an up close and personal picture of the Roman Aqueduct which graces Segovia's skyline. Walking past the aqueduct the other day I noticed that nearly each of the stones had a strange spot on it. They are not placed in an artistic or symmetric order and overall they did not seem to be put there for the aesthic advantage of the aqueduct. Coincidentally, one of my professors handed out an assignment with information about the aqueduct which answered my question. The spots are a result of the building technique. The Romans lifted the stone into place by use a simple pulley method with a pair of tongs that grasped each side of the large stone. The answer was very clear and made a large amount of sense.
Upon having my question answered I then made the connection of ancient building techniques compared with today. While me use a machine that can life something ten times its weight rather than a a mass of men and horses, the idea is the same. The Roman Aqueduct stands in Segovia as a result of Roman mastery and now as a symbol to Segovia's heritage. However, it does more than that. The Roman Aqueduct displays not only human ingenuity, but it ties 2000 years of human ingenuity together. One of the other students on the trip recently commented, "When I see the aqueduct I wonder when is it coming down? It can't last forever!" While the basic reality of his thought is practical and realistic, it also speaks to what the strength of the aqueduct and its inconceivable lastingness.

Walking into my friends apartment last semester, on two different occasions, I watched her pour a seemingly perfect gallon of milk down the drain. She exclaimed, as if the situation were obvious, "Yesterday was the expiration date!" I shoke my head. I believe in the ten second rule, I think that protection from germs makes you less resistant to them, and I believe that the milk is still good a few days after the expiration date. However, even I was shocked by the little carton of milk that my senora was leaving sitting out for hours. Then even more surprised when I realized it had an expiration date not just a few days, or even weeks, but a full two or three months away. It just didn't seem right! For 6 weeks now I have taken that carton of milk from the tray on our breakfast table, made the effort to keep a straight face, and then poured into a class mixed with ColoCoa to mask the different taste. Finally, this weekend I was fed up and had to do a little research: Why is the Spanish milk so different? The best answer that I could find explained that in Spain the majority of milk is Organic and/or nonpastuerized. More research told me that this meant that it would have a longer expiration date. Even in the United States UHT (unpasturized milk) is given a later expiration date. However, the two month difference is a reflection of the policy requirements for the production and the labeling of milk in Spain. While my standards would tell me this is NOT fresh milk, the expiration date is accurate to the milk in the carton. Furthermore, the variety of taste is also the difference in the production methods. If a traveler can not handle the change then they are recommended to go to the nearest Corte Ingles department store, where "fresh" milk more closely related to milk from the United States is sold.

On March 1, I was diligently studying in my room, when I heard my senora calling, "Ashley! Ashley!" At first I was afraid that something was wrong because of the excited tone of her voice. As I left my room hurriedly, I saw her standing next to a window and frantically waving me over. She told me in Spanish, "Do you want a beautiful picture of Segovia?!" Of course I did! I grabbed my camera and returned to look out the window where two storks were perched on the roof of the next building. As I took the picture, Sol, my senora, explained that in Spain there is a saying that goes:

Por San Blas la cigüeña verás, y si está cerca el verano más temprano, y si no la vieres mal año esperes.

Por San Blas, una hora más.

My senora explained that the rhyme was important for the last day of February, just the day before. Similar to the English tradition of the groundhog, this predicts an early summer or remaining days of of winter depending if you see the storks.

I enjoyed the cultural experience that Sol was able to share with me and I was also surprised by the similarity in the superstition and tradition to those of American culture. Her enthusiasm reflected what it meant to Spanish culture and made me excited to learn about it. She continued by sharing with me other stories about the migration of the birds and the masses of them that could be seen later on in the year in the Plaza Mayor. This scene also reminded me of the number of storks that land every summer for a few days on the pond on my family's farm in Kentucky. Despite the differences in culture, I continue to be surprised on the number of similarities that exist between the lines. Furthermore, I hope the rhyme is right and that summer is indeed close!

Toledo

This a view of the city of Toledo. This city served as the capital for the Iberian Peninsula during the reign of the Visigoths and then later for the early Christian kings. In fact, the conquest of Toledo by Alfonso VI of Castillo, marked the most decisive step to the start of the Reconquest by the Christians from the Moorish Taifas. It wasn't until the 16th century that Phillip II moved the capital of Spain from Toledo to Madrid just 70 km to the north.

After having visited both Toledo and Madrid, I was interested to know what motivated the move the traditional sight to the seemingly limited area of Madrid. Toledo, as this picture reflects, immediately has a number of geographic advantages which Madrid does not. The city is almost majestically situated at the top of a mountain and is then surrounded on three sides by the Tagus River. Not only does this river provide water and irrigation resources to the city, but also a route of transportation for commerce and communication. During its time, Toledo was a center of large political, economic, and cultural importance. As the seat of the government, a strongly developed iron trade, and the location of each of the three major religions, Toledo was of significant value. It's conquest marked the transfer of power between the different eras of Spain. However, in the 16th century when Phillip II shifted the capital to Madrid, there was strong support to create a capital in Seville, the economic center of the age. No official decree was made and the city continued to be economically and politically dependent on the court housed there. Madrid is located away from any water source and without the geographic or traditional advantages of either Toledo or Seville. In fact, the area was only moderately built up throughout Roman, Visigoth, and Moorish rule. Nevertheless, the choice of Phillip II and tradition seems to have led to the success of the capital Spain knows today. Interestingly, Madrid was not even considered a city until the 18th century by Spanish standards, because it wasn't until that time that the region housed a cathedral. After visiting the city, I can see a striking difference between the two and can only imagine that political diligence and further tensions between Madrid and Barcelona have led to the modern capital.

Santa Maria la Blanca

This building was constructed in 1180, making it the oldest synagogue still standing in Spain. It was constructed under the Christian Kingdom of Castile, by Islamic architects, for Jewish use. At the time, Toledo was primarily controlled by Christians and therefore, the structure as a Muslim style in christian territory reflects the style Mudejar. The arcs are in the traditional muslim style often called the Arcos de Herraduras. The consitent feature of these arcs were there horseshoe shape at the top. They were, however, artistically altered from site to site. Furthermore, the synagogue was built from basic and cheap materials charactistic to the muslim style, like brick plaster, and wood.
This architecture and artistic style is important because it reflects one of the many different time periods in Spain. At this time the peninsula was, in general, under arabic rule. Christians, Muslims, and Jews each made up a third of the people living in the peninsula and unique to this era, the three groups lived together with a relative degree of peace. This jewish synagogue built by Islams in Christian territory is a prime example of that time period. However, throughout the history of the peninsula, this period of Muslim rule exercised the greatest amount of religious tolerance. As the Reconquest from the North succeeded and the Catholic kingdoms united, muslims were forced from the peninsula. Under Christian rule, citizens of the peninsula were required to convert to christianity and remaining jews were forced from the area. Later in 1478, people were tested during the Inquistioin. During this era, the building was taken and used as a christian church. In general, the building was not changed except to accomodate the most basic worshiping practices of the parish. While at Santa Maria, our guide told us about the renovation of the doors to enter the building as the major change from group to group. Unlike the christians who situate the door directly to the alter, the jews put the doors on the side.
A large amount of the historical signifigance of this church is in its transition through Spain's history. It survived the many conquests and tranfers of power and became a center of worship for all of the major groups. Religious tolerance was limited during different times of the countries history. However, following the strictly catholic rule of Dictator Franco, the country now clings to the idea of religious freedom. The building currently serves as a musuem in which the art seemed to be a tribute to its blended history. Just as Spain has been shaped by a number of cultures, so has the Synagogue or the Iglesia de Santa Maria la Blanca.

This is just one of the many "orange" trees that lined the sidewalks, parks, and plazas of Andalusia. Their bright color formed gorgeous images and stuck out between city buildings and endless stone. I was at first surprised that they all seemed to be full of oranges rather than picked bare for their fruit. I have been told by my senora that this is the best time for oranges and that people all over spain are eating lots of them now. So why then were these oranges left untouched? My first thought was, "Well is it legal?" My second thought was, of course, "Let's try one!" I peeled the orange rapidly and tore off a peice. The first bite was juicy and sweet as I had expected, but the few seconds that followed were not. Suddenly the sweet flavor turned to a sour after taste that lingered long after it was welcome. This must be why these trees are not bare. Quickly, debate amoung the other students began. Everyone was trying to explain why the orange trees planted here were not the orange trees that produced the sweet fruit we were use to. In the end the most accepted answer, because the student seemed to have the most knowledge and seemed very assertive, was that these oranges were grown to be sold to Scotland to produce marmelade. Throughout the trip, no matter what group of students we had met or were talking to, these orange trees were discussed. One student studying in Seville offered that the king had requested these trees be crossed with limes in order to produce a poor flavor. This was the way to alleviate people from eating the oranges and leaving orange peelings all over the roads and sidewalks. This too seemed like a good story! Back in class on Thursday I asked my professor about these tales and the truth behind the infamous orange trees. After a small giggle she said only that these are oranges and not "lamoranges" as we had become accostumed to calling them and that they were exported to Britain. What I find striking from this narrative is the amount of build up around the trees. They seemed to have formed somewhat of a cultural icon for southern Spain and have a fair amount of folklore for a tree! While I am glad that these are not the oranges used for my glass of fresh OJ every morning, its neat to see what they represent. I do still have lingering questions: who picks the oranges, who planted them, does the government make money off public orange trees (that sure beats taxes). But I guess there are some things we will never know.

This video records some of the Flamenco performance that I was able to see in a restaurant in Granada. Flamenco is a proud part of all of Spanish culture but has been most significantly developed in the Spanish region Andalusia. The namesake of the dance has been debated for years and it is likely that an answer will never be produced. The word flamenco can mean "Flemish" or "flamingo" and many researchers point to past Gypsy cultures. Despite, all debate it is clear that Flamenco started in the lower classes and as far back as 900 years ago. In fact, it wasn't until the 1980's that it began to be formally recognized by the dancing world as an art. To some extent this has lead to its unique style and also the ambiguity of its history. Until the last two decades, only people surrounded by the dance, rather than official scholars, recorded much of its development.
I was surprised at the combination of grace from the upper body and the speed and technique of the feet. The music played along with the dancer were also unique, even to the extent that a specific flamenco guitar is used. Because the dance developed through the lower classes and was inspired by moorish influences, to me it captures a lot of the skill and grace of the Spanish people. It developed without the international pressures for the structure of dance and remained constant through the transfers and conquests of power in the Iberian Peninsula. In many ways, it is a cultural icon because until very recently, it was purely Spanish.

This image is one of the many pictures I took while at the Alhambra in Granada, Spain. This particular image is important because it reflects the intricate work that covered the entire palace. Carved in the stone walls were Arabic says and beautiful designs that must of have taken years of labor. The Arabic writing reflects the style and era called Mudejar in which Muslims ruled the Iberian Penisula during the 9th-11th centuries. These Muslims allowed the christians who lived there to practice their faith, but in most cases dominated other areas of the culture including archetecture and art. Furthermore, the Arabic language, seen in part here, influenced the language of the people. The presence of the Muslims and their influlence on the culture and development of the Peninsula also reflects the unique history of the Iberian Penisula and Spain as compared with more centrally located European nations. There were several locations within the Muslim Palace where it was clear later, christian influences had covered the orgival work. In some examples this was mosaics of latin writing and in others it was a ceiling with Roman archetecture and figures which stuck out from the surrounding walls and decor. Even the musuem on location displayed several pictures of exit of the Muslims from the palace and their mournful faces as they packed their things. Because of its geographical location, this peninsula has been held and conquered by a number of different cultures and didn't unify for the first time until the 15th century. The beauty of the Alhambra proved to be an example of the rich history and the influence of past conquered cultures to create the unique blend of modern day Spain.

The cow pictured here is, of course, one of the many cows throughout Madrid. All are decorated differently, some for political propogation, some for artistic value, some just for fun. As we all know, the concept is similar to the horses in Kentucky and the Pandas in Washington D.C. What is most strinking about the cows is there ability to transcend cultural differences. On one point you see people from every background taking pictures with the cows. In another you see the cows decorated in every type of style or message. Furthermore, the concept that different cultures profit from the same idea or concept of expression is a concept that shows "People are people" despite the differences in culture or tradition we seem to share similar emotions and joys. These cows show that idea on several different levels - not to mention they are just fun.

This image is from a path just out the city. To me it is extremely beautiful. It is like the rest of the city made of stone and antique. To me it contrasts sharply with the buildings and the cities from Kentucky, small or large. Even Madrid, I have written to those in the US that it was a beautiful city, with parks and fountains and plazas. All the windows have balconies and are made of stone or brick. That they have different colors and don't seem as monotonius as those in American cities, where everything is made of metal and class. To me the stone is warm and more charming. However, just as Madrid and the cities of Spain seem as such a novelty to me, it also appears that maybe the grass is just greener on the other side. Several times as I have been talking to my Senora she has mentioned that she thinks New York and its metallic skyline are gorgeous and even magnificent. In fact, once she said, "I don't care to see anymore stone!" What is amazing to me is that no matter your culture its easy to take for granted what you have to offer. Also, maybe it is human nature to like a little bit of change; to see something new.

Between homework and travel planning one of the other things I have enjoyed most about Spain is the opportunity to run. This picture was taken on one of my runs and is a path that circles around the Castle. What has impressed me so much is truly how beautiful the area is. Of course, this is only one image and can not capture the senses of touch, smell, and hear, it does provide an example of what Segovia has to offer. What I enjoy so much about study abroad is the opportunity to be a part of that community/culture. As a tourist it is also possible to see the sights and learn about the history. However, it doesn’t always allow a person to find some of the little things that make the place special. It is said that there is the history and the inter history. The history being the big picture and landmark events and the later the individual moments and stories within or beneath the momentous occasion. This study abroad experience allows us that. I enjoy the running because I get to see places like this path in and around Segovia that I would miss as solely a tourist.

Buisness Abroad
These are our tickets to the Real Madrid vs. Racing de Santander Futbol game. It goes without saying that soccer here is much more than an element of entertainment here, but rather a significant part of the Spanish culture. I myself, have played on soccer teams and was looking forward to seeing a game in Spain. there are many things to note about the game itself, the fanes who were there, and etc, but that is not all. For me these tickets had an especially important contribution to my experience in Spain. Within the first week of being in Spain, groups of students, including myself, were crowded around computers searching the interenet for tickets and information from a number of sites. Tickets for a Real Madrid game are obviously expensive. A friend and myself found a website that sold tickets from other people which allowed the prices to be more affordable. We read the fine print put in our credit card number and bought the tickets. After the game, in the height of our enthusiasm and fun, I received a call which popped my bubble immediately. The tickets we had bought were so nice because they were season tickets and we needed to return them immediately to avoid my credit card being charged for the remaining games. Our niave mindset that we had received all the information about the tickets before we bought them was wrong. In America, we have all heard the stories about the hot pickles in McDonalds or fallen products in Wal-Mart and the lawsuits that go along with them. As I spent the next few days trying to clear the mess that resembled something of a gambler avoiding paying his debts, I kept thinking, “This would never be allowed in the U.S.” The story ended happy, but the moral was that doing business abroad isn’t like the U.S. It’s easy to be complacent, but dealing with new concepts of business are one of the other many things to learn about a new country.

Definition of Art?
This picture to me has several interesting elements about Spain. Some of them I have already mentioned, like the abundant snow or the amazing stone wall. What makes this specific image special is the graffiti on the door. Such graffiti isn’t limited to vandalism here but is abundant throughout Segovia and Madrid. I have seen images and words on everything from common buildings or structures to places I would consider historically monumental and irreplaceable. Nevertheless, graffiti prevails, and it seems that different my American mindset which labels this as vandalism has failed to recognize what graffiti may mean to the culture. Of course, some of the most famous murals in the world occur in South American and pervade through the Spanish culture. It seems that the graffiti here is also an art. In fact, in one instance in Madrid I saw it utilized as a method of advertisement. The look of the graffiti certainly isn’t different than that from the US, the difference is its acceptance. Maybe a person painting this door wasn’t so much an act of defacing, but rather a way of expressing themselves and making their mark in the city.
Although at second thought, I am now reminded of a rock quarry on Kentucky Lake near TVA which is frequented by boaters year round. The landscape itself is beautiful, but character is added by the hundreds of images spray painted over the rocks. Cultures a part but there are always small marks that tie us together.

Matador Muerte
This picture is hanging proudly in the house of our senora. I had walked past it several times and paid little attention to the actual picture. Once I realized that it was a painting of a matador that was literally being speared by the horn of the bull I was very surprised. Of course, it is common knowledge that compared with the "politically correct" culture of the United States, Spanish culuture is much more frank. This carries over also in the concepts of censorship. Not necessarily in the political concept but what is culturally accepted. In movies or on tv, in plays or in advertisements violent, sexual, or other scenes aren't as graphic as those not only in Spain but in Europe as a whole. Nevertheless, my American mindeset was shocked when I saw that the death of the matador rather than simply the arena of the game was a proud work of art.

La Catedral
The cathedral, por supuesto, is an important part of the heritage of Segovia. It is a powerful image and a reflection of the commonly catholic culture of the region and the country. The family I am living with here in Segovia has already talked about hour important Catholicism is to their culture and also to their family. The community which I live in, in Kentucky is very small. The religious diversity is limiited between the Church of Christ and Baptists. As a result, I have never attended a catholic church. If I have the opportunity to attend a service, I think I would be able to learn a lot about Spainsh tradition and culture. I do know that the regionalism is strong within the country of Spain. However, to some extent the tradition of the catholic church seems to carry through. As I learn more of Spain and travel more through the country I hope to see if the church is cohesive as I assume right now.

The Aqueduct

The family I am living with lives almost right next to the Roman aqueduct. Of course it is amazing to see something still functioning and in such amazing condition after nearly 2000 years. Furthermore, as I travel through the city it is possible to see other examples of the aqueduct. As I was running along a ditch or canal I saw several places which appeared to be fountains for the water in various places throughout the city. Last year I was able to see the Roman Baths in Bath, England. The experience of seeing this as well, from the same time period, speaks volumes of the success of the Romans!
On a lighter note... the aqueduct has also served as a great point of reference so that I can find my way through the city. I have been surprised also with the ease in which I have learned my way through the city and its tiny streets. Having such an iconic starting point has definitely been a help.

Crosses on the Hill
I saw these crosses outside the central plaza and I thought the plain landscape and the striking crosses was a tranquil image...
The first day in Spain it snowed quite a bit. The snow seen on this hill was a new experience for me; of course, I had seen snow but rarely so abundant. The snow seemed to fall in small sphere rather that the splash of wet, white flakes that I was accustomed to. Also I was surprised when my senora insisted that I take an umbrella with me - I had never seen someone use an umbrella for snow!