Blog Due April 1

I think that it is amazing how far students will go to save fifteen dollars. One of the best examples I can think of is choosing to spend the night in the airport rather than in a hotel or hostel. Before my trip to Spain, I had never intentionally spent the night in an airport. Even if my flight left as early as 6 a.m., I always chose to get up as early as was necessary to drive to the airport on time. However, for a few different reasons, I chose to spend the night in the airport in Madrid before I flew to both Barcelona, Spain and Lisbon, Portugal.



The biggest factor in my choosing to pass a night in such a manner was because it was the cheapest option available to me. The flight to Barcelona left late enough in the morning that it was possible for me to check out of a hostel/hotel, take the metro to the airport, check in to my flight, go through security, and board the plane. However, spending the night even in the cheapest kind of accommodations, not including couch surfing because I refuse to do so, would have cost me a minimum of twelve euros. Also, my morning would have been very rushed. Thus, I slept in the airport.


My flight to Lisbon, however, was a different matter. The metro did not run early enough in the morning for us to take it to Madrid’s Airport, so we, had we chosen to stay the night in the city, would have had to have taken a taxi to the airport, and said taxi would have cost us around fifty euros. Thus, a night that could have potentially cost me more than sixty euros in reality cost about ten. I had to simply pay for the bus to Madrid and a metro ticket to the airport. I also packed a lunch/dinner to save myself the money I may have spent on the outrageously priced food it is possible to find in the airport.




The biggest difference in the first night I spent in the airport versus the second was the presence of one very precious thing—my sleeping bag. To be completely honest, I had not given much thought as to how I was going to sleep during the first night. As a result of my lack of forethought, I ended up sleeping a grand total of an hour during the eight or more hours we were there. I had a pillow, but I gave it to Gabby so she could sleep. I had a towel, but I lent it to Katie because she was freezing. Thus, with the hood of my sweatshirt pulled over my head, I curled into a ball next to my backpacking bag and felt like I was frozen to the floor for a few hours. The moral of my lesson was that I needed to d a little bit of research before I attempt to try something I had only heard of doing before. The next time around, I took my sleeping bag and my pillow. Though the noise level was not any better, I was warm and managed to sleep for three of the six or so hours I was in the airport the second time—an improvement in my opinion.




As for my favorite of the places I went during my brief stay in Lisbon, Portugal, it would have to be the church/monastery of S. Vincente de Flora. Though there were many aspects of the aforementioned building that I enjoyed, the two most notable and interesting things for me were the ambiance of the monastery and the representation of Aesop’s fables.

As soon as you enter the grounds of the monastery, the smell of the flowers, the sounds of running water, and the peaceful nature of the location settle within you. Thought the place has several exhibits of precious jewels owned by the church, clothing that is from before the bubonic plague hit Europe, and so on, the exhibit I enjoyed the most was that of the fables. An example of one of the tiled stories is that of the “Donkey and the Dog.”

As the story goes, the dog asked the donkey to kneel only for a brief moment so that the dog could reach its food. The donkey told the dog that he needed to wait until the master woke up and helped him. The dog, as it had no other option, went to lie with his master. Not long after, a hungry wolf attacked the donkey. The donkey called to the dog to help him defeat the rabid beast. However, the dog merely replied in the same tone that the donkey had used before that the donkey should wait until the master wakes up and he will help him. Thus, the donkey learned its lesson, albeit a little too late, as it was eaten by the wolf.

Rowing: A World Sport

The main sports of the United States are football, basketball, and baseball. However, unlike some of the most popular sports in Europe, like soccer and rowing, for example, the aforementioned sports are not as widely practiced. When I first started my university experience, I joined Murray State University's Crew team.

Crew was, at the same time, a sport that I loved and almost hated. While I had an amazing experience learning about a unique sport, the workouts are, without a doubt, the hardest I have ever done in my life. Crew teaches its participants about hard work, dedication, discipline, and, above all, teamwork. I truly do not believe that another sports exists that emphasizes the dependence on teammates like Crew.

I took these pictures when I was at the Palace of Versailles in France. A team, I assume either because they are so dedicated or because it was the best location available during that time of the year, was actually practicing in the really expensive and large fountain/pond that belongs

to the palace. In my opinion, it just goes to show the popularity of and dedication to the world sport known as Rowing/Crew.

The pictures to the right are of a crew member, with excellent rowing form, a typical dock (which must be very low in order to allow rowers to enter and exit the water safely with their shells), and of the van which must serve as the main form of transportation.

El Alcázar

So many of the grand cities of Spain have what is called an Alcázar, and Segovia, though on the smaller side as far as cities are often concerned, is no exception. The word Alcázar comes from the Arabic language and signifies "fortress." The influence of Arabic on Spanish has its roots in the time period, roughly from 711 A.D. until 1492 A.D., when the Muslims dominated Spain.

Not only was Disney's Sleeping Beauty inspired by the Alcázar of Segovia, Spain, but the wonderful castle is also filled with several interesting items. In particular, I really enjoyed getting to see the different types, styles, and uses of the armour that was on display. Having been to several castles in England, I honestly believed that I had already gotten to see what there was to see about armour and weapons. However, the crossbow towards the upper-right hand side, for example, is very different from the ones that I have previously seen, as it is semi-mechanical. I do have to wonder, though, as to how some of the armour could have had any practical use. The feet on this extraordinarily heavy suit are curved downward and are far too long. Thus, it had to be impossible to walk very well in it.

Speaking of the influence of the Muslims on Spanish culture and history, the Alcázar is brimming with examples of their art. The wooden ceiling, painted in what appears to be gold leaf or golden bread ("Pan de Oro") as it is called in Spanish, is a great example of one of the characteristics of Mudéjar Art--art done by Muslims for Christians. Though it is difficult to discern in the picture, the decorative objects suspended from the ceiling are pineapples. Like in Hawaii, a pineapple for the Muslims signifies "Welcome."

Other pieces of art, with what I consider to be interesting history, include a marvelous painting of the day of the coronation of the Catholic Queen Isabel. As it just so happens, the day Queen Isabel was crowned was Saint Lucia's day. Santa Lucia, as the saint is know in Spanish, was the patron of the blind; in paintings of her, it is always possible to find a branch from a palm tree and a set of human eyes. When one looks closer at the crowd in the painting of Queen Isabel, it is possible to see that all of the subjects lack something very useful and important--their eyes. I am not sure if the artist had a great sense of humor, since he or she decided to paint such a "charming" characteristic in such an important painting, or if it was his or her way to document the date of the coronation in a unique way.

The last bit of information I gleaned from our school visit to the Alcázar was the reasoning behind the existence of a moat around many fortresses, and why they are not usually filled with water. I previously thought that a moat simply made it more difficult for enemies to break down the wall. However, they are also there so, when an enemy plummets from the tops of the tower, it is to his ultimate demise at the bottom of a deep, dry moat. If the moat held water, the fall would not be far enough, nor hard enough, to kill someone.

Overall, the visit was interesting and pleasant. About the only downside was our being denied access to the tower summit, by the guards, as we tried to climb it too close to closing time. I would have liked to have seen the view of Segovia from the top of the tower, as I have been told many times by our culture teacher that it is "precious." If I get the chance, I would like to return and complete the visit.

Time with the Family

Perhaps one of the best parts of my study abroad experience has been the fact that I have lived with a Spanish family and an American roommate. In particular, life with my little brother, Daniel, and my roommate, Shelley, has been interesting in more ways than I can possibly describe.

Daniel is ten years old, speaks English decently, and has an amazing, especially for his being so young, sense of humor; we get along very well because he is fun loving, patient with my Spanish, and absolutely hilarious. Learning Spanish has been one of the biggest challenges I have ever undertaken in my entire life. Forcing myself to speak Spanish is a daily struggle, especially when I have to explain a complex idea—a.k.a. not an “I need to use the bathroom” or “Where is dinner” kind of thought. However, Daniel has helped me learn new words and phrases, as well as fix the many errors I make as I speak.

O Shelley. I could spend hours and hours talking about our interesting relationship. However, though we are very different in many ways, I believe that we have been a great team, and I am glad that we live together. One of Shelley’s favorite pastimes is listening to her music and singing; she managed to lure Daniel into sitting and rapping some Spanish lyrics. Aside from listening to music, we have played many board games, such as Uno and a small version of Billiards, video games, like motorcycle racing and wrestling, and watched movies, such as Baby’s Mother, Garfield, and Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, most of which were in Spanish, together. It has been great fun and an unforgettable experience.