Santiago de Compostela

We´re staying in the old town, so our walks have been on gorgeous, narrow, stone-paved streets lined with expensive restaurants and gift/souvenir shops. The big draw to Santiago de Compostela is the pilgrimage that starts in...France, I think...and ends here at the cathedral. Gorgeous cathedral, in which St. James´s remains supposedly lie. They´ll let you walk behind the alter & touch the back of the statue...some people even put their arms around his neck and/or kiss his back. For a religion obsessed with not putting faith in idols, I find it interesting that there´s so much emphasis on statues and other representations of saints, etc. But as I said, the cathedral was impressive, and there were confessional booths lining the walls. Some people were actually using them. I considered it, but the fact that I´m not catholic (or even religious) was a deterrant.

Today we found a cafe tucked a couple streets below the cathedral where they had a menú (first course, second course, dessert and drink) for 8.50 Euro, which is a pretty good deal. The cafe was super ecclectic: in old town, so two of the interior walls were made of ancient stone, but the rest of the decor was ultra modern, and then the music was like 40´s/50´s sock hop ("Crocodile Rock" actually played while we were in there!). It appeared to be owned/operated by two women in their 40´s, and the one working the front was very nice. She didn´t bat an eye when I accidently ordered polla (dick) instead of pollo (chicken). I, on the other hand, was incredibly embarrassed: I know better than that! Ah, well. I chalk it up to the lack of sleep.

Unbeknownst to us before arriving, it was St. James´s day on the 25th, and so they´ve had a week of festivities (free concerts & other events) that are just ending today, Tuesday. What this means is that every man, woman and child is out all night until 5 or 6 in the morning, carousing in the streets and squares, whether they have to work the next day or not. Our hostel room happens to be street-side, so between the yelling, singing, sirens, traffic noise and emergency construction noise (a water pipe broke & they were jackhammering for a couple hours starting around 1:30am), we probably didn´t sleep more than 3 hours total last night. Siesta today worked out a little better, only because there were fewer people in the street since they were all taking siesta too and because there was no construction noise.

I haven´t really taken any pictures yet...afraid my camera will get stolen if I carry it around...but I´ll try to take some this afternoon/evening and post them once I get back to my computer in Madrid. ¡Hasta mañana!

Vamos pa´ Galicia

This afternoon Julie & I are headed to Santiago de Compostela in Galicia. I´m looking forward to being on the coast...perhaps will not be so hot there. The heat here yesterday made me feel nauseaus! Not being able to eat much yet & doing so much more walking than I´m used to probably doesn´t help. Hmph.

Finished reading the new (and last) Harry Potter yesterday afternoon & then took a 3 or 4 hour siesta. We took it easy last night, wandering out of the hostel around 10pm to find a little food & hard cider at a nearby Irish pub before returning & going to bed. The pub was nearly deserted when we got there, which was a nice change from the pressing crowds we´ve experienced everywhere else. Julie´s hoping Galicia will be less crowded, but I´m not so sure that will be the case, since it´s my understanding that it´s where the Spaniards take their vacation.

Met the directors of TtMadrid (my TEFL school) today. Mom had sent me a FedEx there, so Julie & I went by to pick it up. Natasha & Temura are both very friendly...and they like Harry Potter. =*) Temura hasn´t read HP yet, so I promised to give her my copy of the book when I get back. Natasha is from England & will be running the school on General Yagüe, and Temura is Australian & will be running the school I´ll be attending on Atocha.

Am feeling a little better (mentally, physically, emotionally) everyday, though I still view every person as a potential pickpocket and I´m not ready to think about being here until December, much less until June or July. I´ve wanted to get back on the plane home since my wallet was stolen, and I´ve finally convinced myself to at least stay for the TEFL program. Once I´m there, maybe it will be easier to imagine staying longer. But every day that goes by that I´m not stolen from again gives me more strength.

Sunday

First let me say thanks to all those who have left comments or email me about my blog. THANKS! It means a lot to know you´re reading and wishing me well.

Met my Facebook friend J. last night & he took us around to some tapas bars near our hostel. J. is very nice, a perfect gentleman, will slow down his speech for me if I request it, and is interested in North American culture and in practicing speaking English. As they say here, "es buena gente": "he´s good people." We didn´t stay out too late though because I hadn´t taken siesta & was pretty tired. Still battling jet lag. However, I did get the chance to corner him about the bidet thing, and here´s the story: although it´s true that Spain´s sewer system did not used to be able to handle toilet paper, it can now, so people DO flush their used TP. The bidet was invented in France and adopted in Spain for the purposes I guessed about, but they´re no longer widely used here in Spain. They still put them in new houses, but more as tradition and to demonstrate wealth than for practical use.

Today met one of my soon-to-be roommates, Sara. She let me drop off my big suitcase and my backpack at the flat so that I could travel lighter into Galicia. She seems nice, and the flat is fine: small but fairly clean, and I´ll have my own little bedroom with desk and armoire. There will be four of us in the flat, three women and one man: Sara, Laura, Pedro and me. Only Sara was home at the time of my visit though, so I have yet to meet the others.

After dropping off my bags & grabbing something to eat, we went to the Prado museum, which has free admission all day on Sundays. (Hooray!) I had been before, but the museum was actually smaller than I remembered (or maybe I just saw a lot less?). I saw all my favorite Velazquez paintings again, so that was cool.

Oops! Just realized I am out of time. More later!

Saturday

Only have 4 minutes left on my time (Julie & I are sharing a pay computer), so will have to be brief.

Was depressed this morning. Thank goodness for Julie, or I would spend all day in bed with the covers over my head. Have major culture shock & it´s a struggle to not give up & just go home. Julie made me get up & take the metro to the Museo Reina Sofia. Feeling better this evening. More tomorrow.

safe arrival

I´m on pay Internet, so I need to make this brief. I did arrive safely in Madrid, although 2 hours late, and did not get any crap from the police about my birthdate on my passport not matching the birthdate on the customs form. Yay! Spent the time on the plane trying to sleep, read Harry Potter, not throw up (motion sickness), and freaking out in the manner of "OH MY GOD WHAT HAVE I DONE???" Julie was waiting for me after baggage claim. Yay! Then we took the Metro to our hostel and my wallet was stolen--literally right from under my nose. And s/he took my cheque book too. Not-so-yay...but at least all I had in my wallet was 2 credit cards and a phone card. Credit cards have been cancelled. Mom is sending me backup, and I still have my traveler´s cheques.

I MISS MY MOM!!! (And, of course, my friends, but mostly right now I could use a hug from my mom.)

Will post more in another day or two, but that´s all for now.

Here I go!!!

Am at the Super 8 near the airport, ready to fly out in the morning. Had a lovely farewell dinner with my parents and some close friends tonight (see picture). Am feeling loved, and excited about my "extended vacation"--as I have come to call it--in Spain. (If I think of it as "moving" I start to cry.) Also very excited about starting (& probably finishing) the new Harry Potter book tomorrow. I'll check in as soon as I can once I get to Spain to let you know I've arrived safely.

CHANGE IN PLANS

YAY YAY! FedEx has picked up my passport! It'll be here by 4:30pm tomorrow. JUST in the nick of time...provided nothing untoward happens to the FedEx plane. (fingers tightly crossed!)

And aside from it being great that we don't have to drive to Seattle tonight, it also means I get to keep my hair appointment tomorrow morning! ;*)

going to Seattle

DOH DOH DOH!!!

It's after 5pm Eastern time, the online status check indicates that my passport has NOT been sent yet, and the phones at the National Passport Info Center are so busy that the automated thingamajigger won't even let me be on hold; it just tells me to call back later. So Mom & I are heading up to Seattle tonight and I have a 12pm appointment tomorrow to go apply & get my passport in person. I'm trying to see it as an exciting adventure, but I'm still too annoyed right now. Hmph.

sunday update

Was away at the beach all weekend for La Gran Fiesta with several close friends. Had a fantastic time, as evinced by photo.

Checked my passport status online when I got home and it was still "in process," which means it has not been mailed yet. F^&#!!! Will call them first thing tomorrow to ride them about getting it out by the end of today. I DO NOT want to have to drive all the way up to Seattle on Tuesday!!!

In other news, my Facebook friend J. in Spain read this blog and messaged me to contradict my bidet theory: he says that Spaniards in fact DO flush their toilet paper. I've asked him what the heck the bidet is for then. Will let you know what he answers.

bidet theory confirmed!

My friend A.P. went to Japan in June & told me about some super-cool toilet he had in one of his hotel rooms that was a toilet/bidet combined. When he pushed the button with the picture of the man on it, it sprayed a jet of warm water directly at his anus. Then he pushed the button with the picture of the woman on it ('cause he's a curious guy), and it sprayed a jet of warm water from his anus down past his taint to the back of his balls & back to his anus. Then he pushed the button with the picture that looked like fireworks (like I said: curious) and it sprayed a shower of refreshingly cool water over his whole bum. AWESOME! I want one! =*)

another passport update, et al

Called the National Passport Info Center again today & talked to someone who actually sounded like he knew what he was doing. He sent an email to the place where they have my passport application, requesting that they get it processed & mailed out no later than Monday. He said if I still did not have my passport by Friday that I should call again. In the meantime, I can now check the status online. I couldn't check it before because someone had entered my DOB incorrectly, but the guy I spoke to told me what birthdate to enter and sent another email to the place where they have my passport application, asking them to correct my DOB. Fantastic.

Update on the travel plans with Julie: we have reservations! Hooray! We'll be staying in a pension in Madrid on July 27, 28 & 29, and then we'll fly to Santiago de Compostela on the 30th. Spend two nights in Santiago & then take a train or bus to A Corun~a, where one of my Facebook friends lives. Three nights in A Corun~a, a bus or train back to Santiago, and then a flight back to Madrid on the 4th. One more night together in a hostel and then I check in to my school-arranged accommodation on the 5th. (Did I mention they found me a cheaper one? This one is only 350 Euro for the month. Yay!) Am very much looking forward to seeing Julie again and spending lots of time in cafes, museums and bars with her. =*)

One week and three days until I fly out!!! (Assuming, of course, that I get my passport by then.)

Passport Update

Well, since I have about 2 weeks until I fly out, I was allowed to speak to someone at the U.S. passport office about my application status. Was afraid they would not even have a record of it because when I tried to track the status online it said it couldn't find it (even though they'd cashed my check), but the guy I spoke to on the phone didn't have a problem finding it. (Whew!) He said he'd upgrade my application to expedited and they'd FedEx it overnight once the process was complete. I asked, "Then I'll get my passport before the 26th?" He replied, "You should."

What else was I supposed to say? Seems like he did what he could. So the plan now is to wait. I'll wait until the 23rd, and if I still don't have my passport, I'll call again & go up to Seattle on the 24th.

Keep your fingers crossed for me!

small revelation

I think the whole bidet thing starts to make a lot more sense when you think about the logistics of a sewage system not designed to accept toilet paper. In Spain you are not supposed to flush your used toilet paper; you're supposed to throw it in the garbage. But if I were to use toilet paper there like I do here, that would mean I'd be emptying the wastebasket quite often and would have to use latex gloves to do it. So I was trying to think about how that would work & why I never saw wads of feces-stained toilet paper in the wastebasket during my homestay, and I think the bidet is the answer. Think about it: if things get messy, you just shift over & wash it off rather than using a ton of toilet paper. Seems like it would be much cleaner too, 'cause you can never get 100% clean with toilet paper in my experience.

I feel silly spending time thinking about how I'm going to go to the bathroom in Spain, but it's amazing how complicated things can get if flushing toilet paper is not an option. Ah, the things we take for granted about our culture. Who knew I'd have to relearn potty protocol???

no news & other news

No new news on the passport front. I *would* have called the passport office today, except I realized that it was the 4th of July, which happens to be a national holiday, and government offices are closed. But will get on it first thing tomorrow!

In other news: I am completely & utterly hooked on Facebook and have already made "friends" with several people who live or will soon live in Spain; I have preordered the 7th & final Harry Potter book and plan to save it to read on the plane; I bought a digital camera so that I can post pictures of my adventures abroad on this blog; and Mom comes home from AZ tomorrow (hooray!!!).

Also, still have not finalized travel plans with Julie and am a little worried we will not actually be sleeping in a hotel, hostel, or other similar establishment because the entire continent of Europe goes on vacation in August and probably made their reservations, oh, last year. But we are confident, capable, independent young women who do not fear sleeping in the great outdoors! Unless there are bugs. But surely there must be a village or two in northern Spain that are not inundated with tourists... Surely??

Oh, yes, and the friend-of-a-friend with the flat in Madrid emailed me to say her first possible house sitter (a native madrileno) IS going to stay at their flat for the month of August, so I emailed my school and asked them to find me a cheaper room. Was tempted to ask the friend-of-a-friend how old her house sitter is and whether he is handsome and single, but I restrained myself. Have not yet heard back from the school, even to say they received my request. Hmph. Suppose they are busy this time of year.

still no passport

I was hoping it would be here when I got back from my trip to P-town, but it is not. And when I tried to track my application online last week, they had no record of it. Despite the fact that they cashed my check in May. Hmm... I think I'm going to have to call them tomorrow to make an appointment.

3 weeks and one day until I leave for Spain!!!