Weekender: Salamanca, Segovia, and Madrid

I am fresh back from Spain and I had a fabulous time.  If ever you need a place to stay, go to Salamanca and stay with Maxie.  (actually, just stay with Maxie wherever you are, she is a great host!)  It was FANTASTIC.  We had amazing food adventures, and met great Spaniards and Americans alike, and it was FAR CHEAPER THAN FRANCE.  (pastries, coffee, clothing, everything.)  Also, Maxie introduced me to the Spanish way of living, which is at least 2 hours behind the French way of living.  Literally.  This is all because Spaniards love to party, and the Spanish nightlife rises to the occasion.  Especially in a student-filled city like Salamanca, the clubs don't really rev up til about 1am and they stop around 6am or 7am, just as the sun rises.  In fact, if you have yet to have your fill, there are "after party clubs" where you can continue til about 10am.  I was informed that breakfast is served in some clubs, so you can eat before you go back to sleep.  I was shocked, and didn't believe it, but it definitely happens.

So we had a whirlwind adventure I will give a brief itinerary/summary, and then continue to explain with photos.

Day 0.5:
Travel to Madrid.  I stayed in a really friendly hostel, Way Hostel, and it was really nice and trendy.  Then Linden and I went to have tapas.  They were super tasty!  And then, I went to bed incredibly early (not very Spanish) to prepare for the weekend ahead.

Day 1:
Travel to Salamanca.  Linden and I were on the non-express bus, which took 4 hours and stopped in every tiny pueblo of Salamanca.  After Maxie picked us up at the bus station, we went back to her apartment and cooked lunch.  In true Spanish fashion, we ate around 3pm.  (Luckily, we had bought pastries at the bus station, so my French appetite was able to make it.)  We then went to coffee and lounged during siesta time, and then went to the Cathedral to see Salamanca.  It's gorgeous and gothic, and the tower provides a great view.  After looking around, we went back to the apartment and started to get ready for the night.  Maxie's friend came over around 10pm, and we made dinner.  And then, around midnight, friends started showing up to hang out before going out for the night.  Around 1:30am, we went out on the town.  Some how, I was still standing, which I couldn't believe, because everything in France closes by 2am, but I was able to stay out quite late!  After a long night, I fell asleep quite quickly.

The outside of the Cathedral

Looking in on the chapel from the upper story

Looking at the top of the chapel from the upper story

A view looking out from the upper story

Day 2:
Bakery, siesta, exploring, recovery.  We woke up early by Spanish standards (10am) to get started on our day.  Maxie had an amazing recipe for French toast with a strawberry syrup, so that's what we had for breakfast along with tea and fresh squeezed orange juice.  Then we went to the bakery where Maxie is learning to make Spanish foods.  We helped them make pastries, and then they showed us how to make paella.  It was all very tasty.  And then we went inside the Cathedral of Salamanca, then we had coffee, then we explored a little more and walked to the river (breathtaking), and went home.  We all went to bed really early, because we were so tired from the night before. But Maxie's apartment-mate went out again, because she has truly adopted the Spanish lifestyle.  She didn't go to bed til 7am the next day!

Tasty Breakfast

Tasty Paella

A look up at the dome from the inside of the Cathedral

The organ

A look at the Cathedral and the sky reflected in the river.  Yes, this actually happened, and it was GORGEOUS.

Day 3:
Segovia.  Maxie was able to get us on her program's trip to Segovia, known for the very well preserved Roman aqueduct.  It was quite chilly, but we got to see the sights.  It was a day trip, and we returned home in time to bake some cookies, and see the Plaza Mayor at night.  We went to the Plaza, took some photos, and then ate tapas.  I had a tapas with what I thought was calamari, but turned out to be baby eels.  (Linden apparently knew this when I ordered, but didn't tell me til I had tried some and decided that I liked it.)  It was really really good, though.  After that, there was much girl talk and bonding, and then early to bed.

El Aqueducto de Segovia

The romanesque cathedral of Segovia

The gothic cathedral of Segovia

El Alcazar, a castle/fortress of Segovia, we climbed up El Torre and there were great views

The view from El Torre

The view from El Torre, a little closer, to see the mountains and cathedral

The Plaza Mayor of Salamanca by night

Day 4:

Madrid.  Maxie put us on a bus early in the morning, and we made our way back to Madrid.  Though the ride back was also not express, it was much faster, and we made it back in 3 hours.  Linden showed me her favorite plaza, and then dropped me at the Prado, where I wanted to spend the rest of my day.  Unfortunately, the museum is closed on Mondays.  So I had to go shopping.  (My life is so difficult.)  I ended up with cardigans and shoes. (Like I really needed more, but they were so cheap!)  I would like to say that I learned enough Spanish over the weekend to ask for shoes in my size, get the check for a coffee, order pastry, and not look like a total space cadet.  It was pretty sweet.  I then hopped on a plane back to Bordeaux.  I was able to get a seat with no one next to me, so I slept comfortably for an hour and a half, and it was all very pleasant.

A view of Linden's favorite place in Madrid (the name escapes me)

A view of the cathedral and garden next to the Prado, where I sat and had a tasty bocadillo

Alright.  All for now.  More to come!