I have officially come to the end of my six weeks studying in Salamanca, Spain, and it is definitely bitter sweet. The past six weeks have been incredible-- I've met a lot of great people on this trip, learned a lot both in and out of the classrooms, and seen a lot of diverse and exciting places. The adventure isn't over, though; this morning, bright and early, I hopped on a train to Valencia to start my four week internship. I'm ready for the change of scenery, I'm excited to have a bit more freedom and responsibility, and I'm thrilled that I'll be able to spend all my spare time at the beach! However there's many things about Salamanca that I already miss!
The people: As I already stated, the other people on the trip have played a large role in it being so enjoyable. There were 37 JMU students on the trip, most of whom I really like. Of the 37, only three of us are traveling to Valencia to work. One of the two happens to be a friend, so I'm excited to spend time with her in Valencia, but I am going to miss having the rest of the group around. Aside from the other JMU students, I am going to miss my Madre. She has been so sweet and helpful, and though I was initially a bit skeptical about the idea of living in someone else' home for a month and a half, I really enjoyed that aspect of the trip. In Valencia I am living in an apartment, and I am excited about that as it will be yet another new experience, but I will miss the ease and comfort of living with my Madre.
A Walkable City: Salamanca is small. Not so small that there's nothing to do and no where to go, but small enough that you could probably walk from one side of the city to the other in about an hour if you walked briskly. Here, that is not the case. Valencia is the third largest city in Spain, behind Madrid and Barcelona, and it definitely has more of a big city feel. I like big cities, so that's not really an issue, but it was nice not to need to take alternative forms of transportation to get around Salamanca. In Valencia my feet are not going to suffice 100% of the time. That means I will have to figure out the bus system, metro or cab system in order to get to some of the places here that are farther away.
The old world feel: Something that made living in Salamanca unique and exciting was all the old architecture. Valencia actually has its fair share of cathedrals and other older buildings with history, but while those places are scattered around Valencia here and there, in Salamanca the major part of the city looks like you walked into Spain a few hundred years ago. Don't get me wrong, Valencia is beautiful! The buildings here have their own style, completely different from those in Salamanca, but still spectacular. There is much more white here, for starters, which might have something to do with the fact that were right on the Mediterranean Sea. I just know I'm going to miss strolling down the Salamanca streets and walking into a Zara that used to be a monetary. Because there, everything was old and it was wonderful. After all, they don't call it the Golden City for no reason!
The Plaza Mayor: Yes, Valencia has plenty of plazas, but there is something really special about the Plaza Mayor of Salamanca. For starters, I am whole heartedly convinced it is the most beautiful in all of Spain. The plaza in Salamanca is one of only two entirely enclosed Plaza Mayors in Spain, the other being the Plaza Mayor in Madrid. I will miss sitting at my favorite café after class, ordering a drink while I finish my homework. I will miss grabbing an ice cream cone and sitting in the middle of the plaza people watching. I will miss meeting there with friends for coffee, tapas, or a drink. It really was the center of everything there, and I loved it! Seriously, the US is doing something wrong by not adopting the concept of a large, beautiful plaza filled with open air cafés.
So there are lots of things I miss about Salamanca, but there are also so many great things in Valencia that I can't wait to experience! Today I took a walk around the city near my apartment. A friend of mine who did Salamanca and is also in Valencia lives in the same apartment, one room over, so we were able to explore together. We mostly just walked around to get a feel for the area near our apartment because the city is so large, we barely made a dent in it! I'm hoping tomorrow to make it down to the beach. We have orientation in the morning and afternoon, but after that we should have free time!
I'll give more details on Valencia as the week goes on!
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| Last night out in Salamanca with the group |
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| With my Madre the night Saturday night |
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| Bullfighting area down the street from my apartment in Valencia |
Hasta Luego!
Aubrey
