Barcelona day two b
After I wrote you, I took a three hour nap [I don't feel so bad about getting a lot of sleep because 1.) I got up at a normal time today and b.) my program director told us it is very important to be well rested the first week.] I just realized that I miss New York for having 24 hour stores. The tap water here is really gross [I'm spoiled by NYC tap water and well water in RI] and I want to buy a bottle of water but I don't think that any stores are open right now.
I just discovered that we are staying in the Gran Hotel Havana tonight and tomorrow night. On Wednesday, we are checking out in the morning and meeting our families in the afternoon.
My roommate arrived while I was sleeping. She is really nice. Her name is Shea and she is from Indiana. There are a lot of kids from the Midwest on the trip. Believe it or not, there is another girl from Rhode Island on the trip! I got so excited! Us Rhode Islanders must stick together. She is from Smithfield. I don't know where she goes to college.
After my nap, we had our first meeting at 5:30 in a a conference room on the first floor of our swanky hotel. All of the program people have a strict Spanish-only policy. The program director is from Kansas so his Spanish is easy to understand; the other program people are all from Spain and their Castilian accents are hard to understand [but I love it anyway]. The meeting was just an overview and gave warnings about pick-pocketing, places you are most likely to be robbed, etc. Then we broke off into four groups with "Guardian Angels" [students from the university] as our guides. First, we went to see the actual university.............. it's like a dream! It's an old stone building with turrets and wooden doors like a castle. It looks like Harry Potter. We walked through the main entrance which had vaulted ceilings and sculptures of saints. We passed through to a gorgeous garden with terraces, a fish pond, and large overhanging trees. It was so beautiful! It makes Columbia look lame! I can't wait to take classes there!!!!!!
After that, we wandered through the city with our guardian angel, Eric. He took us to an ATM and an internet cafe. I had already explored most of the places he took us. After much disorienting wandering, we some how arrived back on Gran Via, the road that the hotel is on, and we had dinner as a full group at the hotel. Dinner was delicious. I inadvertently ate squid but it was good so I kept eating it. Who knew?!
I've been tired; I guess I'm still jet lagged. So I went to my room after dinner. I talked to Chuckie, my cousin from Penn State who is in Rome for the semester, on Skype. :) It was fun to talk to him and he told me I could visit whenever since he has extra room in his apartment.
My roommate is sleeping because she just arrived today and is tired. I have to go.
Love, Caroline
I just discovered that we are staying in the Gran Hotel Havana tonight and tomorrow night. On Wednesday, we are checking out in the morning and meeting our families in the afternoon.
My roommate arrived while I was sleeping. She is really nice. Her name is Shea and she is from Indiana. There are a lot of kids from the Midwest on the trip. Believe it or not, there is another girl from Rhode Island on the trip! I got so excited! Us Rhode Islanders must stick together. She is from Smithfield. I don't know where she goes to college.
After my nap, we had our first meeting at 5:30 in a a conference room on the first floor of our swanky hotel. All of the program people have a strict Spanish-only policy. The program director is from Kansas so his Spanish is easy to understand; the other program people are all from Spain and their Castilian accents are hard to understand [but I love it anyway]. The meeting was just an overview and gave warnings about pick-pocketing, places you are most likely to be robbed, etc. Then we broke off into four groups with "Guardian Angels" [students from the university] as our guides. First, we went to see the actual university.............. it's like a dream! It's an old stone building with turrets and wooden doors like a castle. It looks like Harry Potter. We walked through the main entrance which had vaulted ceilings and sculptures of saints. We passed through to a gorgeous garden with terraces, a fish pond, and large overhanging trees. It was so beautiful! It makes Columbia look lame! I can't wait to take classes there!!!!!!
After that, we wandered through the city with our guardian angel, Eric. He took us to an ATM and an internet cafe. I had already explored most of the places he took us. After much disorienting wandering, we some how arrived back on Gran Via, the road that the hotel is on, and we had dinner as a full group at the hotel. Dinner was delicious. I inadvertently ate squid but it was good so I kept eating it. Who knew?!
I've been tired; I guess I'm still jet lagged. So I went to my room after dinner. I talked to Chuckie, my cousin from Penn State who is in Rome for the semester, on Skype. :) It was fun to talk to him and he told me I could visit whenever since he has extra room in his apartment.
My roommate is sleeping because she just arrived today and is tired. I have to go.
Love, Caroline