Emily: Week 4 Barcelona Letters
October 6, 2011Dear Spanish Political Science Class: Talk about a lot of catching up on history this girl has to do! Why is it that in the US we only learn about the US government, but in other countries, they learn about their governments and those of other countries….
Dear Madrid: You are beautiful. I loved how I could actually read signs (in Barcelona, most signs are in Catalan with Spanish underneath). You almost have a semi-New York feel to you–although New York is definitely much more fast paced (You are still located in Spain!)
Dear Spanish Royal Palace: Are a few of your rooms over the top? Yes. Does any “house” actually need over one thousand rooms? No. Do these questions really matter? No. With the help of Rick Steves, my new friends and I toured you on Sunday and I think we were all feeling that you could be our second home–especially since you are only used for ceremonial purposes (Even King Juan Carlos thinks you are a little too much! Ha!)
Dear Toledo: Here I thought Madrid was beautiful–but you take the cake! Especially for this girl who has had a soft spot for history her entire life (I mean how many 1st graders do you know that played “indentured servants”). Walking around your maze-like streets and occasionally going in circles only adds to your charm. Be sure that I will recommend you as a place to see for all those going to Spain. I still cannot believe that many of your roads in the city have been around for over 300 years! It seems like they are constantly doing road construction in Minneapolis…
Dear Ave (pronounced Ah-vay) Train: You are a fun way to travel. Going at speeds around 160 mph across the Spanish terrain was definitely more interesting than an airplane (please don’t tell my boyfriend that…in his eyes airplanes trump all other forms of transportation).
Dear October: You are already here. How you showed up so fast is beyond me as I can still remember my cramped 7-hour plane ride over here perfectly. I need to book my plane/train tickets if I want to see anything besides Barcelona.
Dear Readers of this Blog: I am sorry that I am not including pictures with my posts lately. As some may know, I am only using my iPad while in Spain (the heavy lap-top that must stay plugged in at all times remained in South Dakota). The only problem is my iPad doesn’t exactly let me easily put my pictures from my camera on here (if there is an easy way, please do share!) I do promise that when I get back to the States around the 1st of January, I will share some of the best ones!
