Heading home...

Picasso's Guernica at the Reina Sofia Museum, Madrid

Susana & me with Inma, our tutora and grammar teacher

Susana, Liz, Lila & me before the clausura

One of the best steaks I have ever eaten in my life

La Alberca, Salamanca, Spain

Ahhh!! I'm such a bad blogger! Now I have SO MUCH to update you on! For starters, we didn't end up going to Portugal last weekend. Let's just say there was some miscommunication about the rental car and we weren't able to get one. So, since our bags were all packed, we went to the bus station, asked the people at Information for suggestions on where to go, and got on the next bus to La Alberca - a little town about an hour and a half south of Salamanca, up in the hills. Turns out La Alberca is wonderful - a little cooler and beautiful landscape! We had the most calm, peaceful, relaxing time, and we ate some of the best food we've ever tasted - EVER.

Monday began our last week of classes, and what a week it was. We took 7 exams in four days, and now the mental exhaustion is catching up. I didn't feel quite as good about these exams as I had felt about the mid-terms, but I guess I did okay. We'll get our grades in a few weeks. Thursday evening we had a "clausura" (closing ceremony), followed by a nice reception. It was a great way to end the five weeks we spent in Salamanca.

Yesterday I came in to Madrid and am staying at the home of the Ryans, our family friends from Guatemala days. Today I went into central Madrid and toured the Prado museum (www.museodelprado.es) and the Reina Sofia museum (www.museoreinasofia.es). It was fascinating to see my favorite Velazquez & Goya paintins in person - especially after all the history I just finished studying. And Picasso's Guernica painting at the Reina Sofia was impressive. Now I am back at the Ryans' place relaxing. My flight leaves tomorrow at 11:30 a.m. On the one hand I am very ready to get home; on the other, it seems rather strange to be leaving this place that I have become accustomed to in the last five weeks. It truly is another world here, so once again, modern technology will take me from one reality to another... ah, how I love to travel! :)