First Saturday in Segovia

Hola! 

Today is our first full Saturday in Segovia! Crazy, right? For the past two months, we have had excursions or day trips every Saturday, but this weekend we are free! It's fun to see the city on its busiest day of the week. The streets are filled with people and there is commotion all around - I love it.

With a free day comes more time to explore! Thus, I decided to run the town this afternoon and I ended up finding the most spectacular running path. Naturally, I documented my experience and thought I would share it with you. ¡Disfruta!

Cheers,
Anna

Running in Segovia - Part II

Hola! 

The other day, my friend Nikki posted an Instagram photo that really made me think. Like me, she enjoys working out and last year studied in Segovia. The photo she posted was a side-by-side comparison on her past and current running locations (see below). The caption of her picture was "scenery sure has changed over the year," which made me realize how blessed I am to have such an amazing running course. In my humble opinion, it is one of the most spectacular paths in the world. It truly makes you feel as if you are running in a fairy tale.

With this, I want to express my gratitude to Segovia for providing a safe haven in which I can run. I am grateful to live in a city that values the active lifestyle and has created paths designed specifically for runners and walkers alike. It's something I do not want to take for granted, and for that I thought it deserved a second entry.

Below you can find Nikki's Instagram photo and a video of a recent run. Enjoy! 

Seeing this comparison really made me appreciate the running path I have in Segovia (left photo)

Quick video of a recent run:

Oh, and one more thing! Like I said before, Segovia supports health and wellness, which can be seen in its free exercise parks. They exist throughout the city and allow people to work out outside of the gym! I approve! 

Cheers,
Anna 

CARNAVAL

Hola! 

Today, I am blogging about the Spanish tradition of Carnaval. Now, I do realize that this is a belated post, as the festival occurred February 8-12, but better late than never, right?

Hope you enjoy the video! 

CARNAVAL: an annual festival held during the Friday to the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, which marks the beginning of Lent.

We had a great time dressing up and celebrating Carnaval. In essence, it was a mix of halloween and mardi gras - it is a family friendly holiday celebrated by all! 

Cheers,

Anna 

Typical Spanish Meals

Hola! 

I'm finally home! Our trip to Andalucia was wonderful, but it feels great to be back. Segovia truly feels like home now, which makes me smile. Going into the semester, I hoped that Spain would one day become a second home, and I can now say that it has. When the bus rounded the corner last night and faced the beautifully lit aqueduct, all I could think was "Ah, home at last." With this, I decided to forgo a long post about Andalucia (don't worry - it will come later this week) and write about something more routine: food.

What do typical meals look like you may ask? Well, let me show you.

El Desayuno:

I eat "el desayuno" before I go to school in the morning, normally around 8:45 AM. Typically, it consists of café con leche, Fitness cereal and an apple. ¡Delicioso! 

Fitness is a tastier version of Special K

La Comida:
La comida is the biggest meal of the day, and I eat it with my family around 2:00 PM. Unfortunately, I have not been able to take any pictures of my meals. Don't let that fool you into thinking that they're not delicious, though (I just feel awkward taking the pictures when the table is packed). Dani, a woman who works at our house, makes la comida every afternoon and she is a great chef! 

This meal consists of freshly squeezed orange juice, two plates, and un postre (dessert). We start with either soup or a pasta dish. Next, we have fish or meat with vegetables. To end, we have un postre, which is yogurt or fruit. 

Needless to say, this is my favorite meal of the day.

La Cena:
When I get home at night, I have la cena with Marta. The boys normally eat this meal around 9:00 PM, whereas Marta and I eat at 9:30 PM*. I enjoy this part of my day for many reasons. To start, the food is always fresh and healthy. More importantly, though, is that I get quality time to chat alone with Marta. Sometimes, we sit and chat for an hour during la cena. 

*9:30 PM is early to have la cena. Many of my friends eat this meal around 10:30 PM.

Marta's typical salad: mixed greens, pimientos, tuna, crab,
corn, cucumbers, and  dressing of olive and vinegar.

Miscellaneous Notes: 
One thing I love about the food in Spain is that it is all fresh. Being close to the ocean, we eat fish that was caught the day before. Similarly, the fruit and vegetables are all grown in local gardens. Trust me, you can taste the freshness! 

Secondly, Spaniards follow the Mediterranean diet. That is, they consume large quantities of fish, vegetables, and olive oil. Having studied this diet last semester, I am aware of its proven health benefits and for that I am glad to live in a family that follows it!

Extra virgen olive oil 

One last point! 
This entry would not be complete without including the following Spanish cuisine:

Tortilla con patatas
Ingredients: potatoes, eggs, onions, and olive oil.

Sangría
Jesús (bartender at Oso Blanco)
makes the best sangria in Segovia!

Paella 
This dish consists of Spanish rice and an array of seafood. 

Cheers,
Anna

21

Hola! 

As of today, you will be reading a blog written by a 21 year old! That's right, today is my birthday! It has been a fabulous day filled with spending time (albeit sometimes over Skype) with close friends and family - I could not have asked for a better day. 

This morning, I woke up early to study for my first midterm of the semester. Specifically, I had an exam for my class called Español Avanzado (Advanced Spanish). After, I had another class and then went home for la comida (lunch). I was able to invite a friend, so Maddie came with me. It was great! We ate in the dining room, which was decorated in festive Spanish colors. We had a feast - and I'm not using that word lightly. The meal consisted of five courses: stuffed pimientos, revueltos de gulas, ensalada, fish dish, and créme brulee with ice cream. Oh, and we also had high-quality red wine. We ate like kings! 

In the afternoon, I went back to the university for class and then stayed after to Skype family and friends. What a great way to end the day! 

Highlights of day

• Skyping my friends and family (Kristin, Lauren, Mom, Dad, and Grandma)
• Receiving thoughtful cards and gifts from friends 
• Lauren sent the most thoughtful gift in the mail, filled with inside jokes and a homemade card. 
• Maddie gave me lovely baked goods, a cute scarf, and a stylish statement necklace. They were all just my style - I loved them! 
• Erin gave me cute bobby pins, which was a great gift because she is a hair master! I always run to her to have my hair braided or styled.
• Cindy and Mike sent me money for STARBUCKS. Enough said.
• Marta gave me a beautiful bracelet! I love it.
• Watching Maddie attempt eat revueltos de gulas, otherwise known as eggs and worms. 
• BOOKING MY LONDON FLIGHT - See you on April 11, United Kingdom!
• Receiving a note written by my seven year old self (see below)

What I wanted to do on my birthday - 7 years old

Pictures from the day

Cheers,

Anna

PS. We are going to Andalucia (Granada, Sevilla, Córdoba) tomorrow at 6:30 AM (hence why we didn't go out tonight). Again, I am not bringing my computer, but I'll be back in Segovia on Tuesday night! 

¡Vamos a Lisboa!

Hola! 

As you know, this past weekend I went on an adventure to Lisbon, Portugal. Specifically, I went on this spontaneous trip with Rachel Kelzenberg, Joe Balder, and Ben Broos. They can attest to the fact that I was recording videos with my FlipCam the entire time - here is the result! 

Cheers,
Anna 

Mesón de Cándido

Hola! 

Today, Marta and I were chatting over dinner when I asked her, "Is there any food that is typical of Segovia?" She replied, "Yes- Cochinillo! It's famous!" 

I remembered hearing about this dish. The Segovia 2012 group told us all about it, and even included it on their "Bucket List" for us:

"Try cochinillo (Segovian famous dish)"
is on the bucket list!

Cochinillo 

I started to ask questions about it. What is it? Where do you eat it? Do you like it?

She graciously answered my questions, then commented "My grandfather invented it."

WHAT? I thought I misheard her! 

Marta proceeded to tell me about the history of her family. Apparently, her family has owned the restaurant Mesón de Cándido for multiple generations, and her grandparents made it famous by creating the dish cochinillo. Now, this may not seem like a big deal (I know I would have brushed it aside), but it became so famous that people started coming from around the world to try it. There are pictures of her family with U.S. presidents (e.g. John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon), members of Spanish royalty, and countless other celebrities. There are even three books written about her family! The pictures posted below are photos from one of the books:

Cary Grant in the Mesón de Cándido

Sophia Loren in the Mesón de Cándido

Salvador Dalí in the Mesón de Cándido 

The Mesón de Cándido is still famous today and continues to attract famous people. There are pictures around our house of Marta posing by royalty, such as the King and Queen of Spain. It's incredible. 

Also, I should note that her family also owns a five-star hotel and another restaurant. They also own a foundation called the Fundación Cándido. My friend recently informed me that my host family is part of the "richest family in Segovia" - and now it makes sense! She is so humble though, I would have never known this unless my friend told me. 

Monument dedicated to her grandfather located in central Segovia

If you want more information about her grandfather, feel free to check out his Wikipedia page and foundation page:

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/C%C3%A1ndido_L%C3%B3pez_(cocinero) 

http://www.mesondecandido.es/ingles.html

Oh, and here are just two of the YouTube videos about the Mesón de Cándido:

Segovia, Spain #7 Restaurant Meson de Candido

Homenaje Candido Mesonero Mayor de Castilla Parte 1

Cheers,

Anna