It has been so nice to be able to stay in Salamanca, enjoy the city, and sleep in. The longer I am here the more I love Salamanca. It is such a great place to be because it truly is a smaller city and easy to navigate, but it has a big city feel and great nightlife. There is always something to do and somewhere to go every day.
Saturday Heather and I went to the park by the river and went for a run. The park is about a 10-minute walk and they have a really great biking and running trail along the river. Afterwards we tried to walk to what we thought was a pool, but actually was an indoor pool. We ended up just sitting outside in a nearby park and enjoying the sun. An older couple came up to talk to us about studying abroad. They used to host students and had tons of advice and fun things we should look into. They were so darling, but still not as cute as my grandpa! No one can compete with Queistie J
Afterwards we headed to the Plaza Mayor where they were having live entertainment. We listened to a couple of bands and enjoyed people watching. The kids here are so cute. They are always dressed to impress and have the most precious outfits in the world. (Mom you would die…literally). The girls always have on dresses with white tights and big bows, the boys have on sweaters and khakis, the babies have bonnets, its adorable. There was one girl who just stood in the Plaza watching the bands while her family ate dinner outside at a restaurant nearby. She was so beautiful, so obviously Heather and I were creepy and had to take some pictures!
Sunday Heather and I got up and went to church. It was a beautiful cathedral close to our home. It was really fun to see all of the families so dressed up and it was also First Communion. The boys wore little white tuxes and the girls had the most beautiful dresses I have ever seen. It was interesting I actually understood much more of the sermon than I thought I would. Spanish people are completely incapable of reciting in unison, definitely a difference both Heather and I noticed. The priest would try to slow them down but everyone talks at their own speed, and loudly, so it sounds both awful and funny. There also is no method to taking communion, everyone just gets up and bolts to the front of the church. Other than mass being a little bit more disorganized than the U.S. I would say it is actually very similar.
After mass we went to the flea market, "El Rastro". We had a couple problems with taking the wrong bus, but we eventually made it. The flea market was not what I had imagined. They sell everything from scarves and knock-off purses to underwear and kitchen appliances. I didn't get anything but it was fun to walk around and see all of the different stands.
In the evening we went to a bullfight. I figured if I was going to be in Spain I had to see a bullfight, and it was only 5 euro! Bullfights are extremely controversial in Salamanca. Many people here do not support bullfighting and feel very strongly it is not something to proud of in Spanish culture. Either way, it is a huge part of their culture. The arena was not very packed, but there was still a good crowd. I thought it would be more offensive or grotesque, but it was actually intriguing. The bullfighter killed 6 bulls and honestly I never thought I would say this but it is an art. It is almost like a choreographed dance with the bull. The crowd LOVED this guy; I mean threw him hats, standing ovation, tons of screaming and whistling, on and on and on. The bullfighter was so brave and confident…we saw him get flipped over by the bull, thrown to the ground by the bull, and each time he jumped back up and picked up right where he left off. The last bull he kneeled on the ground in front of where the release the bull and has the bull jump over his body. I wish I could express how cool and calm this guy was, looking the bull right in the eye. The bull clipped his head and literally took of his hat, missing his head by centimeters. There is a band that plays throughout the fight leading up to when the bullfighter kills the bull, at which point the stadium goes DEAD SILENT. It was fun to be able to see how important bullfighting is to the Spaniards. I am not sure there is anything I could compare it to in the United States but I have a greater appreciation for the "art" after seeing it first hand. After all was said and done I feel like I can better understand the respect and honor that comes with being in the ring and why it is such an important aspect of Spanish culture.
After the bullfight we went to a Mexican restaurant. I literally have never been happier in my life. It was actually very inexpensive and a really cool restaurant. My friend Louisa and I had fajitas, guacamole, and mojitos…it was delicious! We were both thrilled we had finally found somewhere that served Mexican food and let our waiter know we would definitely be coming in on a regular basis. Our friends Derek and Will met us there and we sat and enjoyed the evening while they finished their dinner. After dinner we went down to the river for fireworks. The fireworks were amazing and we couldn't have had a more perfect night. On our walk home we decided that Mexican and fireworks made us feel like we had finally experienced a little bit of America half way across the world.
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