Hi. Just quickly rushing through an airport. Free internet if you purchase a soda = great. Will post tonight or tomorrow. TG
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Day 42 – Madrid
Today we will be flying to Madrid. We walk to Central Station and take the airport train. Amsterdam’s airport train is great. It only costs about $5 and is very convenient. It seems to run every 10 minutes or so. While waiting in line to board the plane, the ticket agent woman pulls two young women out of line. Just as we are handing in our boarding passes, one of the women comes over and asks why she is being asked to wait to board. The ticket agent says that she is trying to board with a suitcase that is not hers. The young woman argues, saying of course it hers. The ticket agent says they know it is not hers and security is coming. Once on board, the captain makes an announcement that there is a ten minute delay due to congestion and also someone is working on a problem with their luggage and we will be leaving soon. Further special announcements are made only in Spanish, but I can surmise that something is happening with the luggage and it will be another half hour. It turns out that they are unloading everyone’s luggage and re-checking it. We can see this out our window. After sitting on the plane for two and a half hours, we finally take off. The two young women were never allowed to board and I never find out why they felt the need to check everyone’s luggage. This flight was on VUELING. Everything was okay, but we had the longest check-in line yet. We were at the beginning of the line and it took us an hour. The seats on the plane were leather and very comfortable. But, there was absolutely no leg room and it felt like the seatback in front was almost in your face. The flight attendants didn’t really speak much English. There was a short wait for the luggage to come out onto the carousel. It was clearly a budget airline. It was fine, though, and I would fly it again. We take the airport bus to the metro station. Then we take two metro lines to get to our hotel. It is hot and involves a lot of lifting of the suitcases, up and down stairs. But, I am triumphant that the trip for the three of us only cost 6 euros. We check into the HOTEL PLAZA MAYOR. We have a simple triple room, just three beds with a tiny bit of space around them. It is nice and cool, so the kids collapse into their beds while I investigate what to do this evening. The hotel receptionist is extremely helpful and recommends a restaurant and a flamenco show. A man overhears and says we simply must go to the restaurant and that his favorite dish there is the roasted pig. The receptionist makes all of our reservations for us, even changing everything when it turns out this evening’s show time has been changed. We got to RESTAURANT BOTIN for dinner. We have garlic soup, salad, steak, roasted pig, fried eggplant, green beans with jam, ice cream and rice pudding. It is nice and cool, so we take our time and relax over dinner. Then, we go to a FLAMENCO show which was recommended by the hotel. I can’t remember the name, but it started with a “C” and was located very near the main plaza. It is like a supper club. While we wait, I am wondering if this is going to be too touristy. Once the show starts, I am surprised by the quality. There is a group of 4 musicians and 4 dancers. I don’t know anything about flamenco, but it seemed to me that this was a very authentic show. The rhythms and the beat the performers made with their feet while the dancer was dancing were enthralling. We enjoyed the show very much. The kids enjoyed it too, although they say that The Blue Man Group is still by far their favorite. The show ends at midnight and we walk back to the hotel, across the Plaza Mayor. The plaza is bustling, with people milling about and sitting in the cafes. There is a rock concert in the center of the plaza. We arrive at the hotel in just ten minutes. It is perfectly located, just outside the main plaza. |
Day 43 – Salamanca
We wake up bright and early, which is not so easy when you are in Spain and everyone seems to stay up so late. We pack up one more time. I am getting sick of packing and unpacking all the time. We thought we put everything we would need on top of each suitcase, but of course it turns out that we need things from the bottom, so we have to disrupt everything in the suitcases. And we have the tiniest room, with space for three beds and not much room to walk around the beds. We hail a taxi to Atocha station. But the road seems to be closed. The taxi driver mutters my favorite Spanish phrase. One I remember from seventh grade Spanish class. Que bar-bari-dad. I don’t know exactly what it means. Something like, “What the heck?” or “Oh my gosh!” He says it over and over again as we try to go one way and then another and find several of the roads blocked. It turns out there is a marathon or something in Madrid today. It is a Sunday. Finally, we get to Atocha station. It is a beautiful station, with a huge soaring roof and tons of plants and trees in the central area. We stop at customer service and the lady gives us a timetable for Salamanca. She points us in the direction of the ticket office. We wait in line at the ticket office. When it is our turn, the nice man informs us that the trains to Salamanca do not leave from Atocha station. They leave from Chamartin station. What?! We are exactly one hour early, so he says we may be able to take a local train to Chamartin and still catch our train to Salamanca. So, we go running off looking for the local train. We see a sign for the metro. Did he mean the metro? We stop in a ticket office and ask a lady. She says we do not want the metro, we want the local train. As we continue running along, suddenly we see a ticket machine for the local trains. I hurriedly look for money to purchase the tickets. The machine won’t take my money. Aargh. Wagh. We see a sign that says our train is leaving in one minute. I find another bill and the machine takes it. With tickets in hand, we rush to the train. We get on and a few seconds later, it pulls away from the station. Fifteen minutes later, we arrive at Chamartin. We now have half an hour left until the Salamanca train’s departure. I ask at an information window and he says we must have the tickets before boarding the train. While waiting in a huge line to buy the tickets, a window opens up specifically for the Salamanca train. A group of 5 people are buying tickets and asking a lot of questions. An older lady pushes in front. A woman tells her to step behind. She steps behind the woman, but is still in front of us. We have 18 minutes to go. The group is still buying their tickets. The woman tells them to hurry up and that there is no time to ask questions. Then it’s the woman’s turn. DS1 and I debate whether to knock the older lady out of the way. He convinces me not to. Lucky for her, she is quick. Finally, it is our turn, we pay in cash and run away with our tickets. Ten minutes to find the train. The gate is right there, so we get on the train with five minutes to spare. Eeww. We have a relaxing 2 and ½ hours on the train. When we arrive at Salamanca, I try to call our contact so she can tell us how to pick up the keys to our apartment. The call will not go through. For ½ hour I keep trying different combinations of numbers on our international cell phone. Eventually I find a pay phone and the tone I hear seems to indicate that the contact’s phone is busy. Finally, she answers the phone. The first number I had dialed on the cell phone turned out to be correct, but her phone was busy. We go outside the train station to the taxi stand. After standing there for a few minutes, waiting for a taxi to come, DS2 points out the sign which says “Dial-a-taxi”. So we dial a taxi and it comes immediately. We pick up the keys at a hotel and then schlep our luggage 15 minutes to our apartment. It is a basic dorm-type accommodation. It is big, though, with 5 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Even though it is simple, we like it. Today is Sunday, so everything is closed. We can’t even buy groceries. We find a restaurant with seats outside and have a big plate of meats and a big plate of salad. We are so hot that we keep ordering sodas and water. We are eager to see what our time in Salamanca will be like. |
Unfortunately I just found your trip report this morning. I read up to Day 16 and will have to read more to catch up.
I'm really enjoying it. Your family is really lucky. :) ~amelie |
"Que barbaridad!" - I love it!
Good to hear all is well. What a variety of experiences you have had! (To say the least) When you are finished, I will have to copy each day to a Word processor to re-read it all at once. Take care and keep it coming! Linda |
travelgirl2 - After all this time you make just the tinest grumble about packing and unpacking. You are a saint.
Keep it coming - it is a terrific report. Thanks again. Sandy |
You are a saint; if I have to pack and repack more than twice, I grumble!
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Day 44 – Salamanca
We have come to Salamanca to take Spanish classes with Enforex. The kids will be attending a summer camp. There are 60% Spanish kids (learning English) and 40% kids learning Spanish. They have classes for 3 hours a day and then camp for the rest of the day. Most kids sleep over, but a few kids attend day camp. I will be attending Spanish classes for adults. We have 4 hours of classes and then another optional hour of cultural class. In the morning, I walk the kids half an hour to their camp. The little streets are a somewhat confusing. When we arrive, no one is around yet, so we wait. Another family comes. It turns out that they are American also and their kids are similar ages to DS1 (13) and DS2 (11). I can see the relief on my kids’ faces. I am happy to find out that the other mom (I’ll call her Connecticut Mom) will be taking classes with me too. Eventually, someone comes by who speaks English. His name is Jose and he is the camp coordinator. He is very friendly and welcoming and we like him immediately. He gives us the weekly schedule and explains how the camp works. He introduces us to Ruben, the camp director, who seems to speak only Spanish. We also meet the camp nurse. Ruben and Jose are so accommodating - they tell us we can bring the kids 30 minutes early so they can have breakfast at camp. This will allow us moms to get to our class on time. They also say the kids can stay late any night they want to. Usually, pick up time is 8 pm. But, the kids sleeping over have dinner at 9 pm and then an activity at 10 pm, so our kids can join them until 11 pm, if they want. The kids go off to start their day and Connecticut Mom and I go off to our classes. It’s about a five minute walk. When we get to the adult school, we have to take a placement test. As I am taking the test, I can’t stop from laughing out loud. I had four years of Spanish in school. But, that was 25 years ago. The test is really hard. I am laughing because I am randomly choosing the answers on the last half of the test. I am placed in the advanced beginner class. It turns out to be perfect for me. We have one instructor in the morning for two hours. Then we have another instructor for the last two hours. Then there is the optional cultural class, where they discuss Spanish foods, geography, history, politics, etc. We only speak Spanish in class. As my creaky brain starts remembering things, I am surprised to find that I am totally loving it. Maybe I will have to keep taking Spanish at home too. After class, I hurry back to the apartment. I want to get to the grocery store and stock up on things for the apartment. We need all the basics: sponge, dishwashing liquid, detergent for the clothes, toilet paper, paper towels, garbage bags, etc. I also buy some food. I go to the apartment and unpack everything. I am starting to feel more settled now. Then, I decide to go back to the store and buy a fan and some bath towels. Our apartment doesn’t have these and the school has promised to provide them, but they haven’t arrived yet. At 8 pm, I go get the kids. They are happy and excited and they’ve had a great day. On the walk home, we pick up a pizza from Duomo’s Pizza (they deliver in thirty minutes and their logo is a big red dot – sound familiar?). |
What a great language learning experience! The kids will probably learn more there than in several years of US school Spanish.
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Another terrific thing for you to do on your adventure! My son has just spent 6 out of the last 12 months learning Spanish in Cuernavaca, Mexico. I cannot explain how much he has grown as a result. Your boys are truly fortunate!
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Day 45 – Salamanca
Today in class, I get fined twice for using English. We put 10 cents into a piggy bank each time we speak something other than Spanish. Most of the people in my class are 18-20 years old. Besides me, there is one other middle-aged lady. My classmates are from Japan, Holland and Germany. There are no other Americans in my class. It is funny when the instructor asks us to describe our idea of a perfect weekend. My partner tells me that he would like to go to the bar all night long and have ten shots and a few beers, then sleep late, then start all over again the following afternoon. Lots of young people come to Salamanca for the party life. After class, Connecticut Mom and I go out for a nice, leisurely lunch. It is nice to have a break from rushing around touring. We walk around the town a little and then I show her where the grocery store is. Later, back at the apartment, DS2 calls to tell me that he has scraped his knee pretty badly, but the nurse isn’t in and no one has really helped him with it. He fell while running and someone just ran water over the scrapes. He doesn’t know what to do, but he knows that something should be done. He doesn’t want me to pick him up early, so we decide he can wait until I come at 8 pm. When I get to the camp at 8 pm, the doors are locked. I call Jose to let me in. As he lets me in, I notice that he doesn’t look so good. He tells me that he is sick and has been sleeping all afternoon. I go off in search of DS1 and DS2. When I find them, I am appalled to see DS2’s leg. He has about a two inch abrasion across his knee, surrounded by many six inch long scrapes down his leg. The blood has run down his leg and is hard and crusty. There is dirt in the wound. He tells me he has been swatting away the flies from the blood. I am a little upset. I stop a monitor (which is what they call counselors) and ask him, in Spanish - Where is the nurse? Is there medicine for this? It has been a long time (3+ hours) and no one has done anything? The monitor cleans up DS2’s leg, telling me the nurse has been in town. Notwithstanding DS2’s leg, the kids are both having a great time. The English-speaking kids tell me that they all looked up how to say “bleeding to death” in Spanish. Ha ha. At least they learned something. I am surprised when DS1 and DS2 ask me if they can stay until 11 pm. I am happy they are enjoying camp, so I say okay. I do not want to walk 30 minutes home again, though, so I meander through the Plaza Mayor. I pick up an English newspaper and have a leisurely dinner at DON MAURO in the Plaza Mayor. At a few minutes before ten o’clock, everyone lets out a gasp as the plaza lights are illuminated. It is truly gorgeous. At 11 pm, I pick up two tired kids and we walk 30 minutes back to the apartment. We find three fans waiting for us at the apartment. The school must have delivered them while we were out. We have found the school to be very accommodating. While making our arrangements, before the trip, I felt like I didn’t have too much information. Finally, about a week before our arrival, we received some emails with information on what to bring to camp, confirmation of our apartment and some maps showing the location of the apartment, camp, and school. I knew the details would work themselves out eventually, but for a planner such as myself, I would rather have known all the details further in advance. Once we arrived in Salamanca, we found the people at school and camp to be so nice. Everyone had a great attitude and tried to be very helpful. Sometimes it took a little while for things to work out, but I think that is because people’s sense of time here seems different from mine. There were two ladies at the school who were available to answer any questions on the town, the school, suggesting weekend trips, etc. They were helpful to us so many times. |
Oh travelgirl, you are such a great traveller and mother and I love your sense of humor. The kids telling you they learned how to say "bleeding to death in Spanish"..I know some mothers who would not have laughed. It is funny however!!
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Day 46 – Salamanca
In the morning, I have to go to the pharmacy to buy some medicine and bandages. It doesn’t open until 9:30 am. Everything here opens late in the morning. Most places also close in the afternoon for a few hours. It is hard to get on the right schedule. You just can’t drop by the store and pick something up in the morning on your way to work. As I walk the kids to camp later in the morning, I am determined to speak with someone about what happened to DS2 and the lack of assistance he received. I find Jose and show him DS2’s leg. He is very sympathetic and asks DS2 how it happened and how he is feeling. He says he is sorry and that he did not know about it because he was sick in bed. I say it is okay and that DS2 is okay today, but I wanted him to know that no one did anything. He says no, it is not okay and he is sorry. (I just love him!) I give him a card with my international mobile number written on it, for emergencies. I also give my number to the nurse. He says he was in town and didn’t know anything about it. He tells Matt to come by later and he will change the bandages. I also stop by the director’s office, where we speak in Spanish. I give him my number too. He says he will tell the monitors that if they see a problem like this, they should make sure it is addressed. He also calls the nurse over to make sure he is aware of the situation. It makes me feel much better to have discussed this with everyone. It was not really a big deal, but I felt that it should have been handled differently and I want to register a small complaint. At the same time, I also mention to the director how much my kids love this camp. Another lazy day passes. I’ve missed my classes, but somehow Connecticut Mom and I manage to go out for lunch. We go to THE DELICATESSAN, which we like. I try one of the dishes we learned about in our cultural class - pisto. It is similar to ratatouille. It is served with a fried egg on top. It is delicious. Then we have fried fish. And wine. I find a bookstore and buy some Spanish-English dictionaries. I make another stop at the grocery store. I’ve found that you really can’t buy very much when you are carrying it home. And we are drinking a lot of bottled water, which is very heavy. I think the store offers free home delivery for purchases over 40 euros (if I’m reading the sign in Spanish correctly), but I am never home, so I don’t follow up on this service. I pick the kids up at 11 pm. DS2 tells me that the nurse sought him out, cleaned out the cut, and changed his bandage. Once again, the kids have had a great time. They have put on a show and are covered in face paint. At midnight, they wash up and go to bed. |
I am definitely enjoying your travels vicariously. How did you find out about the school? Do they have a website? And how much is it, if you don't mind. Sounds like a great experience.
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maureencol - I found out about Enforex from a Fodor's poster. Their website is www.enforex.com
It cost me 280 euros + 65 euro application fee + 28 euros for textbooks. This was for 2 weeks of classes. Each day, we had four 55-minute classes plus a 55-minute cultural course. For each kid, it cost 525 euros for 2 weeks of day camp. I think they may have had a 65 euro application fee too, but I don't remember for sure. If they had slept over at camp for 2 weeks, it would have cost 995 euros for each kid. I think Salamanca was a very nice city to study Spanish. The Spanish spoken there is very pure and easy to understand. Also, the city is small, so it was nice to be able to walk everywhere. From our apartment to the school was about a 30 minute walk. |
I'd love to be able to hear your kids still talking about this trip when they're in their 60s!!!!!! What a wonderful experience for all of you. Just enjoying this so much.
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Travelgirl, I don't want to spoil the ending or anything, but are you home safe and sound now and are the boys in school? What a culture shock it must be for them, to have to sit at desks again! I can just see the "what I did this summer" essays!
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Day 47 – Salamanca
It’s another sunny day in Salamanca. The weather here is great. It is very warm during the day. It is a dry heat, not humid. At night, it cools off nicely. I’ve read that the temperature difference between day and night can be as much as 30 F. My legs are tired. I have been walking for at least 3 hours every day for the last few days. Camp, class, lunch, grocery store, bookstore, pick up kids at 8 pm, make dinner, bed. In class, they re-arrange the classes a little bit. Three people move from advanced beginner back to beginner. Connecticut Mom moves from beginner up to advanced beginner. I think it is a shame that there is not a class between beginner and advanced beginner. The beginner class is working on the alphabet. The advanced beginner class is expected to know quite a bit, including conjugating verbs in the present tense. Everyone starts with a different base of knowledge, so placement is a bit tricky, without there being a class tailored individually for each student. After camp, the kids tell me that they don’t think they are learning too much so far in their language class. It seems that they have put all the younger English-speaking kids together. Some have had a full year of Spanish in school, while some know hardly any Spanish at all. In class, they work on the alphabet and play Battleship. This session of camp is the last for the summer and, with about 60 kids, it is quite small. I think they had a lot more kids earlier in the summer. Maybe they could split the kids up more then. The kids recognize, however, that they are learning a lot of Spanish by just being here, with their normal interactions with the staff and also the Spanish-speaking kids. DS1 teaches the Spanish kids how to play blackjack. They teach him some Spanish games. At night, the kids talk about their Spanish friends and also the friends they have made from other countries. I think that it is the interaction with all these kids across cultures that my kids are most enjoying. They also enjoy the activities and think that Jose and the monitors are “cool”. They are already talking about coming back next year and whether I would let them sleep over at camp. Connecticut Mom and I toy with the idea of taking all the kids to Portugal for the weekend. It is about 4 hours away, by car. Aveiro is the nearest beach to Salamanca. Finally, we decide it will be just too much for us. The kids are disappointed. Now they can’t say that they’ve been to Portugal too. |
I'm about halfway through what you have written so far and I'm loving it! Reading your report reminded me that my Great Grandmother visited Japan and China. I had to go grab her passport to see when she was there and it was in 1969. I imagine it's changed a bit since then!
Thanks for sharing all of this, travelgirl. Cindy |
Thanks Sundowner. It must have been fascinating visiting those places in 1969. It sounds like your Great Grandmother was ahead of her time!
missypie - you're right! |
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