A weekend with St. Ignatius

During my first few days here in Madrid, I had to make a decision about whether or not I wanted to go on a "Mission Trip" with SLU Madrid (the four year campus St. Louis University has here in Madrid). We weren't given much information about the weekend other than we would be going to the north of Spain to learn about St. Ignatius of Loyola. I decided to sign up along with the majority of the Marquette group. Everyone signed up because at that point in time no one liked the idea of being in Madrid alone. As we got closer to the trip and were given more information about it, it turned out that what they described as a "Mission Trip" was actually a Religious retreat. 

Some of the Marquette group didn't quite know how to handle the idea of a Religious retreat, but I decided to take the weekend to get away from the busyness of the city and reflect on my time here in Spain, St. Ignatius, the Jesuit ideas and life in general. For those of you who don't know, St. Ignatius was the founder of the Society of Jesus, aka the Jesuits. Marquette is a Jesuit school and follows the beliefs and teachings of St. Ignatius. 

We started the retreat off with an early morning, 5 hour bus ride up into Basque Country. Basque Country is a name for the part of northern Spain we were in. We were actually in a little town called Azpeitia, Pais Vasco. This is the town where the Castle of Loyola is, which is where St. Ignatius grew up. Basque Country is so gorgeous!! It felt like a completely different world than Madrid. Madrid is very desert like, while Basque Country is amid the mountains and full of green grass and beautiful views!! 

When we got to Loyola we got all settled into a retreat house right next to the Castle of Loyola. We shared this retreat house with nuns, who were mostly in silence. This made for an interesting atmosphere. After lunch and a little time to explore the area, we got to go inside the Castle of Loyola, where St. Ignatius was born, grew up and returned to after he was injured in the Battle of Pamplona. This is also where he was converted from a life on non-belief to becoming a follower of Jesus. I found the tour of the house really interesting. To actually be standing inside the room that he was born in was really powerful. That night, after dinner, the whole group (SLU and MU) got together to bond. Up until that time it had been a little awkward trying to mix the two groups, but that soon changed. I really like all the SLU students who were on the retreat. I'm glad I met them and hope to see them again before we all leave Spain!! 

On Saturday, we had breakfast and then walked over to the tiny town of Azpeitia. We got to see the hospital that Ignatius worked at, and the chapel that he lived in while working. This chapel was also where he started preaching his new found beliefs. On our walk back towards Loyola we stopped off at a beautiful church. The church was actually where Ignatius was baptized. After mass in one of the side chapels of the church, we headed back for lunch. That night, we got to go inside of the Basilica of Loyola. This basilica was one of the most beautiful basilicas I have ever seen. When we entered the basilica it was completely dark, but was soon lit up in rhythm with music!! As a special treat, the priest who was explaining the basilica to us, allowed us to climb through the back of the basilica to go up into the dome!! It was so amazing to look down on the church from the dome! 

The next day after celebrating mass inside of the Chapel of the Conversion, which is the room that Ignatius spend all his time in after his surgery and also where he was converted to being a follower of Jesus, we set off on a 2 and half hour bus ride to Xavier. Once there, we got to tour the Castle of St. Xavier, another Jesuit saint. The castle was gorgeous from the outside, but the inside had all been redone into a museum, which was kind of disappointing. We then headed home to Madrid on another 5 hour (though it seemed like more) bus ride. 

I had a great weekend learning about St. Ignatius, spending a little time reflecting on life away from the city, and meeting new friends!! It's awesome to be able to say that I have now been the the place that the beliefs Marquette follows started from!! Though I returned home with a worse cold than I left with, I'm now getting prepared for a five day trip to Granada, Malaga and Valencia, which are all cities in the south of Spain!! 

In front of the Basilica of Loyola! 

Beautiful Basque Country! 

My fellow Elementary Education and Spanish girls! 

New friends and Beautiful views! 

Castle of St. Xavier

Home Sweet Madrid!

I'm sorry for my lack of posts in the last two weeks! I have been enjoying myself so much here in Madrid that I forget to post. Over the last two weeks I have been busy getting into the rhythm of classes and homework. Classes are structured differently here and I am finding that my professors are not very straight forward with instructions.This might just be due to the language barrier though.

Also during these last two weeks I started tutoring English. Once a week, Allie and I take the metro about 40 minutes away to tutor two children in English for an hour. The little girl that I work with is absolutely adorable. When she speaks in English she speaks with a British accent. This is because they attend an English school, where all their teachers are from England. This can cause problems and difficulties sometimes, because the way that I might pronounce something is completely different than the way they have heard it before, and they get really confused. I really enjoy tutoring English since it is great practice for my future. I love watching her make the transitions between the languages and seeing her really enjoy learning and speaking English. Just from working with one kid for one hour a week reassures me that I am studying and pursuing the right path! It also helps that I get paid! :D

Last weekend was very calm! I unfortunately was sick with a cold, so I spent most of the weekend reading and relaxing. On Sunday, Carolyn and I decided that we needed to explore a part of Madrid that we hadn't seen yet. While wandering around old Madrid, we ended up finding the "Mercado de San Miguel". The market is very touristy, but it did have some great dried pineapple (one of my favorites)! We also went to Retiro, since there is always something new and exciting to see there! While in search of the Crystal Palace (which we never found) we wandered into two beautiful gardens, saw some peacocks and enjoyed the weather while it was still warm.

It is now officially fall in Madrid and I love it!! According to my Senora, this year has been really strange weather wise in Madrid. She said that it should have been raining for the last month. But instead we have only had one day of drizzle, not even rain, in the last two months that I have been here. However, it looks like that is going to change this week. I feel as though I am getting spoiled with the weather here, I mean I did get an extra month and a half of summer! It is going to be a huge shock to get back to Chicago in December.

Con mucho amor,
Elizabeth :D

What I actually came here for...school

Semana numero seis: The start of classes.

Now that orientation is over, I actually get to start my semester classes! Last week was the first week of classes. I am taking four classes during the semester. They are; advanced Spanish grammar, theology, Spanish phonetics, and a Spanish literature course. All my classes are going well so far. It is hard to switch into school mode though since I am in such a beautiful place and I still have so much to see and experience while I am here. 

My grammar class seems like it is just going to be a review of things I already know so it shouldn't be too difficult. Theology is actually really interesting and might end up being my favorite class this semester. The class is an Old Testament overview and I'm actually learning a lot! The class atmosphere is interesting. While there are 6 or 7 other American universities that take classes with us, the theology class is only offered to Marquette students. We're the only catholic school here that has a theo requirement. Because of this there are a grand total of three students (including myself) in this class. Since there are only three of us we are forced to participate, pay attention and be prepared for class since if you don't it's pretty obvious. My phonetics class should be really interesting and helpful. It will help me with my pronunciation and boost the confidence I have in my Spanish  speaking ability! Spanish Literature is just like other Spanish lit classes I have taken, but we are reading things I have never heard of so I'm excited to explore further into the readings. 

The way that classes are organized here is really different from what I am used to. I have classes every day except for Wednesday and only for 3 hours each day. Classes aren't like in the US where they are Monday, Wednesday, Friday but instead they are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Friday. I'm finding that I have a lot more free time here than I did when I am at Marquette. I'm sure once classes pick up I will have a lot of homework to do during my free time. 

That Friday, I went with Carolyn out to where she lives. She is working as a nanny in Pozuelo, which is about 30 minutes by bus out of the city. I went with her to volunteer at a club for girls. That Friday was the first get together for the club so they were having a party to start off the year. Carolyn and I went with one of her friends and got to run one of the activities. It was so fun to be around the kids and use my Spanish. I hope I get to go back and help out with the club again! 

On Sunday, I got up early in order to meet up with the rest of the group for Chocolate con churros. This is a delicious Spanish snack mainly eaten for breakfast. The restaurant is open 24/7 though so you can eat it whenever! It's basically plain churros dipped in hot chocolate syrup. It's so rich and delicious! After that we went as a group to the Rastro. The Rastro is a huge flee market that takes place every Sunday in Madrid! It was so crowded but if you really searched there were some great deals! I plan on going back when it gets chillier out so there is less of a crowd. 

As for life in general, I am doing great! I am absolutely in love with Madrid and Europe in general! Everything I experience is new and amazing and I can't get over the fact that this is real life! I love my home stay and my Senora! She is a sweetheart and cares so much for all three of us (Allegra, Allie and me). The weather here is still pretty nice. It's only chilling in the mornings and gets up to 80 degrees during the day! I have made some amazing friends in the last six weeks and I'm so glad I get to experience all of this with them! 

Oh and by the way. Sorry for any previous grammatical errors you may have seen in my blog. I went back and looked through my previous posts the other day and realized I really need to edit what I am typing! :D I'll work on that! :D 

That's all for now! Love and miss you all!!! :D

Chocolate con Churros! :D 

Is this real life? Or the Lizzie McGuire Movie?

My weekend in Rome was a dream come true! Never in my lifetime did I think I would get to fly off to Italy for the weekend! I am incredibly grateful for all the opportunities I am getting while I am here in Madrid! Rome was just one of the places that I hope to visit while here and I don't know if anywhere else can top it! 

On our first full day in Rome we got up fairly early to head out to Old Rome. We decided that we wanted to walk everywhere all weekend so that we could see more of the city! This was a great idea until we realized that the map we had was not very good or detailed and none of us knew more than two words in Italian. After a while though we figured out that most Italians will understand Spanish if you speak that, but they will answer in Italian which we couldn't understand. Also, I found it interesting that it seemed like there are a lot more Italians who speak English compared to the amount of Spaniards that speak English.

Once we found our way to the Coliseum we got to go inside and look around. It was so unreal to be inside the Coliseum. It's something you learn about all the time, but to actually see it in person is unbelievable. After walking through the Coliseum in awe we headed over to see the Forum and Palatine Hill. Both of these places were just as amazing as the others! This area includes old ruins of royal palaces. When you walk though it you are actually walking through where the palace would be if it was still standing! It's really strange to think about! That night I got my first taste of real Italian Gelato and it was amazing! 

On day two we decided to head over to Vatican City! Again, it was hard to believe that I was walking through St. Peters square and standing in an area with such rich history! Alyssa and I went through the Vatican Museum together! It is full of so many old sculptures and pieces of art. One of my most amazing parts of the museum are the ceilings. Every ceiling was different and so detailed. Once you walk though the museum you end up in the Sistine Chapel. Walking into the Sistine Chapel was another time that I couldn't believe that I was actually there! It still seems unreal that I was standing in the Sistine Chapel seeing the paintings of Michelangelo in person. The whole chapel was absolutely breathtaking and indescribable. After going through the museum and the Sistine Chapel we got to go inside of Saint Peters Basilica. St. Peters is a huge church, in fact it is the biggest catholic church in the world! My camera decided to die right when we got into the Basilica which was unfortunate, but looking back I am kind of glad it did die. Because it died I got to actually take in the beauty of the church rather than being preoccupied with taking pictures! 

After going on the tour and eating lunch, we met up with some of our other friends and together we explored more of Rome! We walked past a beautiful castle, over the "Angel Bridge" and though the most gorgeous plaza! We found a place to eat dinner, not before almost starting an Italian war though. For anyone who plans on going to Rome in the future here is a tip: don't joke around about fresh food with Italians, they will get really protective over their restaurants and take it really seriously. The restaurant we had dinner at was right across the street from a gelato place so of course we had to have more! 

On our last day in Rome we still needed to hit up a few of the larger, famous monuments. We began by walking towards the Pantheon. On our way there we stopped to take a look at the Spanish Steps. I honestly wasn't as impressed with the Spanish Steps as I thought I was going to be! However, the view of Rome from the top of the steps was absolutely unbelievable. One of our last stops was the Trevi Fountain. Yes, I did through a coin into the fountain, so I will be returning to Rome someday! After that the guys ran off to a concert and Alyssa, Carolyn and I celebrated our last night in Rome with amazing pasta, wine and tiramisu! We headed back to the Trevi fountain to see it at night! It was just as gorgeous then as it was during the day! 

The whole time we were there the weather was absolutely amazing! It felt like it was the middle of the summer and not the end of September! I could not have asked for better weather! Also, the group I traveled with was amazing! We had so much fun together! I'm so proud that we managed to figure everything out by ourselves! 

Sunday was another long travel day. Our flight was at 9 am so we had to head to the airport super early. Over all it was a fantastic weekend! Again, I can not express how grateful I am for this experience and all the rest of them I am going to have this semester! 

Coliseum!! 

View of Coliseum and Palatine hill! 

St. Peters Basilica, Vatican City

At the top of the Spanish Steps! 

Real Italian gnocchi!! :D 

21 in Roma!!!

Where to even start with my birthday! How about with the wonderful birthday dinner my Senora made me!! Since I was leaving for Rome on the afternoon of my birthday she decided that we would celebrate the night before. Victoria (my senora) was so excited to celebrate my birthday. She made what I wanted for dinner, which included Tortilla Espanola, delicious veggies and (of course) chocolate ice cream! They sang to me and I got a candle in my ice cream! It was great to have a birthday dinner with my Spanish family, since when I first decided to come to Spain I was sad that I wouldn't get to celebrate with my family and friends at home. This was almost as good!! 

My actual birthday was kind of dull at first. I had two finals to take in the morning and then I had to go straight to the airport in order to fly off to Rome!! It was a long day of travel. Carolyn, Alyssa and I got to the airport super early (because none of us like to be late) so we waited around for two hours before our flight took off. Of course our flight was delayed a little also. It was a day full of waiting. Once we landed in Rome we had to wait even longer for the shuttle to the center of Rome. Once we got to the center of Rome we had to find somewhere to stay. Yes, I did go to Rome without knowing where I was going to be staying. I don't recommend that to anyone. While it worked out fine for us, it's always better to know where you are going to be staying. By this point, I was feeling a little bummed because it was my 21st birthday and all I did was travel all day. Three of the guys I was traveling with noticed and they bought me a birthday bottle of wine that we all shared to celebrate my birthday and the fact that we were in Rome! It was really sweet! 

I traveled with a fairly large group (8 people), which makes it difficult to make decisions that everyone is okay with. We noticed this right away, when we were searching for somewhere to eat, since by the time we figured out where we were staying and everything it was already around 11:30 pm. We were all starving so we went to the first restaurant we found and agreed on. I had some delicious lasagna, free birthday hot chocolate (one of my friends told the waiter it was my birthday) and a birthday toast with my friends!!! 

After dinner, all of us were exhausted and (at least all the girls) wanted to go to bed. But, according to my friends I was not allowed to go to bed since it was my 21st birthday. It was a good, chill night with a few of the guys in the group. So while I didn't have the typical American 21st birthday experience, I ended up having a great day and night!  I mean I was in Rome!!! 

Birthday dinner at my home stay!! 

Carolyn and I on our way to Rome!!!

First dinner/birthday dinner in Rome with the group! 

I wish I could move my feet that fast...

Week four brought on nothing all that new. It was the last week of my orientation class though so that was exciting! However, that also meant three tests, two papers and a presentation (all in Spanish) to prepare for. I thought I was only here to have fun, I didn't know I would have to study!! Don't worry I'm just kidding! I'm learning a lot and loving it!

While the week was pretty normal, the weekend was exciting! On Friday the 23rd the Marquette group went to see Flamenco dance. It is an amazing form of dance. The dancers are so passionate and intense about it. According to one of my friends (who is a dancer), Flamenco is like tap but on steroids. One of the dancers was male and he honestly didn't stop moving for a good 10 minutes. It was so impressive.Unfortunately, I brought my camera but forgot the battery in its charger so I didn't get any pictures of flamenco. That night also included my first experience with the 6am metro! While it is nice to not have to pay for a taxi home or wait for one of the creepy night buses, it is sort of hard to stay awake until 6am.

We also went to Reina Sofia that weekend. Reina Sofia is one of the larger and more popular museums in Madrid. It holds work by Dali, Picasso and many more. The highlight of this museum was being able to see Picasso's "Guernica" in person. I have seen pictures of it so many times before, but to stand literally 10 feet away from it was amazing. I'm not even that big of an art fanatic and I was speechless looking at it.

Overall, it was a good weekend! The more time I spend in Madrid the more I love it!

Excursión a Segovia!

Saturday the 17th was the first time that I got to travel outside of Madrid. We didn't go very far, only an hour away to Segovia, Spain. After a very pretty and short bus ride, we arrived in Segovia. The first thing I saw when I got off the bus was the acueducto. The aqueduct is huge! According to my professor (who literally knows everything there is to know about anything) the aqueduct was built without using any sort of cement to keep it together. It is about 2,500 feet long and was used for 2 thousand years! It amazes me that a huge structure of rocks held together only by gravity and pressure is still standing!

For most of the day, we got a tour around the historic parts of Segovia! My professor, Abrantes, talked so much about architecture and the history of all the different buildings. As interesting as all the information was, it was hard to pay attention because I was trying to take in all the beauty of the city! Even though I needed to pay attention because a lot of what he was talking about is going to be on my final!

We got to see the Catedral de Segovia. It was absolutely gorgeous. The cathedral was Spain's last Gothic building and was built during the renaissance. When I first walked into the cathedral, I honestly could not believe how pretty it was. Everything was so detailed and amazing! I have never seen anything like it! There was so much history behind the cathedral also! After walking around the cathedral for a while, we got to have a much appreciated lunch break!

The best part of the day was saved for last, the castle! The castle we went into is simply called the Segovia Castle. It once housed Isabel and Fernando, who are both really important people in the history of Spain. Walking through the castle was kind of unreal! It's strange to think that the castle is older than the United States. Once we got a tour of the castle, we got to climb up to the tower! This was possibly my favorite part of the day! To get to the tower, you had to climb up this minuscule winding staircase for a little while. The staircase was only big enough for one way traffic, which became a problem because it was the only way up or down from the tower. I was talking to some of my friends about how hard it would have been to get down from the tower in a hurry. There is no way anyone could get down the staircase very fast since it is so steep and very windy! Though the climb up was a little difficult, it was so worth it when I got to the top! The view of Segovia and the surrounding areas was breathtaking. You could see the cathedral off in the distance in one direction and the rolling hills and mountains in the other direction. It's almost indescribable how beautiful it was!

After a long day of walking and touring Segovia, we headed back to Madrid for the rest of the weekend!

 Acueducto 

 Catedral de Segovia

Castle! Castle! Castle! 

 View from the tower! AMAZING!