CADIZ!

This weekend Noemi, Madeleine, and our other friend Ada went to Cadiz! It was a beautiful trip and very fun. We stayed at one of the nicest, if not the nicest, hotel in Cadiz. Because its November, there isnt much tourism, and we got a deal. The hotel even had automatic curtains with a button next to the bed...to sleep all day if you wanted!

We had a great time. What's more, my friend Ashley, who I met at Ravi's house after his memorial service, was able to come to Cadiz from Sevilla where she is working. It was the first time we had seen each other since, so it was a very happy reunion. We stayed up til late in the night talking...it was wonderful to once again have someone by my side who understands exactly what I'm feeling.

Miss you all! Only about a month until I'm home for Christmas!
Some photos, compliments of my friend Ada:

School

Hola hola a todos!

I wanted to take a minute to write a post about how things are going at school. I really like all the other professors I work with. They have helped me a lot in getting acclimated...and they have invited me to so many cafés con leche that I don't think I'll ever be able to repay them. School is much more laid back here than in the states..as you may imagine, like everything else. The teachers do not have their plans for the week all ready a month in advance. They plan on their way to class. They only come to the school building when they have class. So if their first class is not until 10:00, they don't come until 10:00, or 10:05. If their last class ends at 1:50, they leave at 1:50.
This, for me, has proven a bit difficult because I like to have everything planned out, and with two teachers in my family, I have always heard about the great amount of work it is preparing for a week in the classroom. But we get by! Since the kids don't eat at school, they don't have a cafeteria. They do have a type of coffee/snack bar, however. And for the teachers, they have anything you want really. You can get sandwiches (that many of the kids order during recess as a snack), coffee, even beer! Of course, they even sell beer at McDonalds here.
Today I went with my kids on a field trip to the Science Week at the University of Castilla-la Mancha here in Ciudad Real.. It was very neat. They had stands with students and professors from the university doing experiments and showing the kids all aspects of science. It was nice to see many of the kids that may not engage themselves much in class very interested in science and the experiments they were performing. There was also an exhibit on the effects of smoking...hahaaa, that to me seemed like an oxymoron in Spain. EVERYONE smokes here. I hope my students don't start, but I'm sure many of them will soon.
When we got back to school, I had my English class of the 3rd level...so 13-14 years old. They said they had prepared me a song...and then sang the theme song from Spongebob Squarepants...in English! I died laughing...but they sang it very well.

This weekend I am going to Cadiz, a city in southern Spain, that has a beach! I am going with my two roommates, Noemi and Madeleine, and our other friend Ada. Can't wait! Chao!!

Día de Todos los Santos

Dia de Todos los Santos (page 2) < Arts & Culture | Expatica Spain

The part about not disturbing is funny...because I realized that it was All Saints Day when I was RUNNING next to the cemetery and everyone was looking at me like I was offensive. Foreigner? Definitely. I like the idea, though, of All Saints Day and how they celebrate it. It is beautiful to think that there is a day to honor and celebrate all the people we have lost. As I ran by the cemetery, there were hundreds of people, kids to great-grandparents, families together to visit their families members that have passed away. I'm keeping two very important people in my mind today, as well as a few others. I wish I had a better way to honor and remember them, but I guess simply the love I have inside and good memories of all the happy times we had together will have to do.

Listening to this song today:

Detalles

Te quiero mucho y bien comprendelo,
te quiero mucho con toda intensidad,
te necesito, te digo la verdad.
Te quiero mucho,
y pido sin cesar que no me dejes,
hoy que ya te encontre,
pues quiero amarte siempre,
quiero amarte.

Song from the Andalucia tourism commercial
TRANSLATION: I love you, and understand it well, I love you very much with all intensity, I need you, I'm telling you the truth. I love you very much, and I'm begging you not to leave me. Now that I've finally found you, I want to love you forever, I want to love you.



Te doy mi tiempo, te doy mi libertad, mi calor, y mis sueños, mis momentos mágicos, mi entusiamso, mi refugio y todos mis secretos. Te doy aliento y pasión, fuerza, emoción; una sonrisa, una puesta del sol....todo.

Commercial for tourism in the Comunidad Valenciana (where Alicante is)
TRANSLATION: I give you my time, I give you my freedom, my warmth, and my dreams, my magical moments, my enthusiasm, my refuge and all my secrets. I give you my breath and my passion, strength, excitement; a smile, a sunset....everything.

Toledo

This weekend I went to Toledo with my friend Jaclyn. We ended up doing the trip on the cheap because we found we could stay with one of the Auxiliares from Toledo that is doing the same work as we are in Ciudad Real. We stayed with Veronica, who is in her first year, and her roommate, who is in his second year, Powell. We went by bus, and it only took us an hour and a half. We explored all over the city, the narrowest streets I have ever seen, some only 7 feet wide, made in the 15th century. All the buildings there are centuries and centuries old. It's a gorgeous city and has so much history. It is one of the only cities in Spain and almost all Europe where Jews, Muslims, and Christians lived in peace for centuries. They call it the city of three cultures. For this reason you can find so many things to visit: cathedrals, synagogues, mosques.

My long awaited return to Alicante

This weekend I went to Alicante to stay with Aurora and to see the city I love and miss so much. Going back was the most overwhelming deja-vu I have yet to experience. When I saw Aurora there in the train station we hugged and kissed and walked back home with our arms around each other's waists...it was like no time had passed at all, as if I had been there the day before and would be there all the following. It was such a strange sensation walking the streets I had walked so many times, seeing all the same little intricacies that I always seem to notice. Being able to return to Aurora's house and stay in the room I stayed in when I was there was so incredible.
The first thing we did when I arrived was stop by the bakery to get our bread to eat with the meal she had prepared. She made "Arroz a la cubana" which is rice with tomato sauce and an egg on top and bacon. It of course was delicious. When we were at the bakery, Aurora took out her little coin purse to pay and I looked at it, and I looked at it, and then I said, "Pero, mamá, esto es mío!" (But mama, that's mine!!) She looked at me with confusion, then we both laughed. She had been carrying the coin purse I apparently left at her house with her for a year and a half. She found it one day and figured it was her daughter Bea's. When she asked Bea about her cute coin purse, Bea couldn't remember even buying it or seeing it, but she just went along with it.
Turns out that wasn't the only thing of mine that I found at her house. My books from my intensive Spanish class and one of my notebooks were still there on the shelf. She had accumulated a lot of books from the two girls after me, and now has quite a collection of books in English--the Da Vinci code, Kite Runner. She also has my toothbrush still in the cup in the bathroom. Just little things that I guess I forgot and never knew I left, that she just hadn't thrown out as a reminder. I was surprised to find things of my own a year and a half later at her house.
Later that night we decided to dar un paseito around the city and we walked all the familiar streets and she showed me all the things that have changed and all the things that have improved or gotten worse. For example, the TRAM that goes to all the coastal towns north of Alicante from Plaza Luceros, in the middle of Alicante, is now finished! They have a very impressive underground station that passes underneath underground parking garages on Alfonso el Sabio. On Sunday we took to TRAM from Luceros to playa de San Juan (the best beach in Alicante) and it was wonderful. We even SWAM!!!! That's how nice it was.

After having a couple tapas and cañas at Dos Gringos, the new bar that was just a thought when I was there (my friend Julio designed all the logos and menus when I was there, and showed them to me. what a surprise to see them come to reality!) We walked my all my old favorite spots in the Barrio. We walked to the place where Ravi and I so long ago had taken a ton of funny pictures one night. Its on this pedestrian street across the Rambla from the Barrio. Aurora and I were admiring all the adorable little terrazas they have there. I told her about the time that Dylana, Ravi, and I had taken the pictures there on Ravi's second-to-last night in Alicante. All the sudden, we both fell silent. There was a violinist just in front of us and we both realized at the same time that he was playing Aurora's favorite song, "Hallelujah" by Rufus Wainwright. It gave me goosebumps. The right place, the right time, the right people.

Saturday we went to eat churros for breakfast! SOOOO delicious.
Then while Aurora went to buy the things she needed, I took a much needed long walk around the city. I was feeling very nostalgic. I felt at home, but so many things were different. Not in the city, but I was different. Sometimes I wonder who I was before I had all the experiences I have been so blessed to have. They have really helped make me who I am, and the people I met in Alicante and the experiences I had there are things I will never forget. They make up a big part of who I am. I am so thankful to have been able to live a part of my life there. Without Alicante, I wouldn't know Aurora, her family, Ravi, or the wonderful friends I still have from there. Can you imagine how different life would be?
Aurora and I had an interesting conversation on Sunday as we walked by the flat where Ravi lived in Alicante, right next to the train station. She asked me if I remembered when we were all meeting our families for the first time, at the hotel in Alicante. Armando, the director, called her name. "Aurora Romero! con Ravi" He had put Ravi with Aurora. Aurora told Armando that he must be mistaken, she asked for a girl, she didnt allow boys to stay with her because her son doesn't live with her anymore. Armando, making a quick decision, called my name instead. I remember looking at Ravi, and being like, "Sorry!" Of course Ravi pretended to be crushed, but quickly was put with another family. Just think...what if Ravi had stayed with Aurora? Would I have gone with his family? How different the story would have gone, all the way until now.

During my walk, the first place I went was to Ravi's flat. I stood in front of it, took pictures of the balconies, wondering if one of them had been his. I had never been to his family's flat before. I wondered how many times he had rung the bell, or put his key in the lock to open the entry door. I wondered how many times he taken the elevator down and turned right out the door towards the Barrio or the beach. I don't really know what I was feeling in that moment. Longing, I suppose. Wishing for all the time that was lost to come back and to be able to do it all over again. Wishing for more time with him. But that's everyday.

The walk was just what I needed at that moment. I went by all of my friends' flats from when they lived there, remembering all the good times we had.
Alicante is such a beautiful city. There are people there from everywhere, and they live in the street, not indoors. I walked down to the beach, to the hotel Porta Maris, where Ravi and I first met and where he later told me he thought I was boring upon first impression.

Saturday Aurora cooked and the whole family came over--Ana, Juan Carlos, Bea, Jose Carlos, and MARINA! She remembered me, "Breeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen!" and we played for hours and hours. She is unstoppable energy and when she left, Aurora and I were both ready for bed. Afterwards, though, I met up with Julio, one of my friends that lives there. We went to Havana Barrio, one of the new bars, and then went to the Sidreria in the Barrio to try Sidra (cider beer) typical of Asturias, a region to the north. Sunday Aurora and I spent the day at the beach, and then I had to say goodbye, yet once again. The good thing is, though, this time I know it won't be so long before I return.

The whole weekend was great. It was not the same as before, though. I believe it is the relationships we have with others that make us who we are, and this weekend was a perfect example. It was perfect, and I was able to see many people I hadn't seen in a long time. But, nonetheless, there were many very important people missing.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
I went this morning to get my NIE number (for foreigners card, that you can't do ANYTHING without) and I FORGOT MY PASSPORT. You have to get there 30 min before it opens and stand in line and you get a number and you only maybe get in if someone who has an appt. doesn't show up. So I came home, because by the time I realized I didn't have it, after sitting there waiting, they were already giving out the numbers.

On a lighter note, all 33 Chilean miners are safe and the rescue workers as well!

On an even better/more exciting note....I'm going to Alicante tomorrrowwwwwwww!

Wednesday.

Today I finally went back to work. Man, those days off put you in the mood to do nothing! It was a good day though. We started out with the bilingual teachers meetings, like every Wednesday, where all the teachers that teach their classes in English go to coordinate and talk about difficulties with the teachers that can actually speak English. Today it was funny, because after a while of speaking in Spanish, finally the coordinator said, "We need to start speaking in English!" Then, all the yelling and discussing stopped. For once, a room full of Spaniards had nothing to say! Ha! So I started talking, haha, because obviously I have no trouble with English! We ended the meeting with clarifying a lot of doubts they had about commonly used words in the classroom, like "Sit down." "Put the blinds down." "Open your books." "Put your books away." "Did you understand?" We argued awhile over what the Persianas were called...they are blinds that close over the whole window so when you put them all the way down no light enters at all. And of course I said there was no perfect translation because Persianas don't exist in America. And it was funny because they were saying, "Close the shutters." I told them "blinds" were much better although even that is not a perfect translation. I would like to know how rich the person is that invented Persianas.


Then, I was in two classes. After that, I came home, ate a bocadillo with chorizo and tomato and olive oil, then went running for the first time in over a week. All I have to say is, I don't know what I'm going to do when I can't run on the trails I run on now, because its too cold, or when I become to old/overworked to run, if there ever is a day. I think I will just die, maybe. I love it so much, especially here. The trails I find just by exploring make me so happy. Sometimes I will just be running and I'll have to stop--and just stare---because I can't believe I'm there and that I'm running someplace so beautiful. The mountains in the distance are so pretty...if it were drier and desert-y I would say the mountains look like the mountains in Tucson.


I've been a little bit down today because it is hard to escape from the news of the 33 Chilean miners anytime you turn on the TV. So many have been rescued already, by this time. Every time I see the footage though, I can't help but cry. It hits so close to home, and it is such a miracle that today, when they brought the first miners up, I couldn't help but cry and get goosebumps. Part of me is so jealous--and I hate feeling jealous--of the families, because after a mining accident, they still get to be with their families. It blows my mind that not one of the miners died in the accident, out of 33 people, they are all still healthy. It also gives me a lot of happiness to see the rescue though, because I know Ravi is there helping each and every one get out alright. Their families must be overjoyed, but I can't help wondering why them, and why not Ravi? I know these are probably not thoughts that I should be having, but it is impossible not to be reminded that in each surfacing miner's happiness, there is in me a gaping hole left by losing another on a similar way. I have such mixed feelings, it is overwhelming.

I also had my first clase particular today (tutoring!) for the son of one of the teachers at my school, Carmen. His name is Abel and he is studying English at the University in his second year, and he's 18. He speaks very well but they have these really tough exams in December, and he has to speak perfectly on it. He lives, like many of the students here, in a flat by himself, but then he commutes home on the weekends to where his parents live, in a little pueblecito.

Tonight we have Germans making us dinner again.. Wish me luck. The last time this happened, I got super sick. But I don't think it was the food.

New trail I discovered today, looking more beautiful than ever!

I was on the news in Castilla-La Mancha Tuesday! Then this video was played at the parents meeting at my school, on Wednesday. So even though I wasn't there, they got to see me.

http://www.departamentos.ieshernanperezdelpulgar.eu/

I also had some interesting experiences happen today...one of the kids passed out outside the school (one of the Bachillerato students, so a bit older) and was throwing up and the ambulance came. They thought he might have taken drugs. Welp. As the ambulance people were treating him, they had him trying to walk around the school building, and the woman that was holding him up walking, was smoking. The medic. Was smoking while being a paramedic.

Clinic visit

If you have a weak stomach, stop reading here!!!

So I went to the clinic today because I was puking and under, well, a LOT of distress, a lá the big D.

Clinic trip = most efficient thing i have ever done in Spain.
1) I suddenly had a bad bout of the D right when i was walking into the doctor's room. went to the one-er bathroom. a FAMILY walked in on me. A FAMILY. All I could do was laugh (2 hours after)/
2) By the time i got over my embarrassment and exited the bathroom, after them seeing my ENTIRE bottom and hearing me spout things, I went into the office where my roommate Kylah (god bless her soul) had already told the young doc what was going on. i laid on the thing for a total of 1 minute and he asked me...ehhmm...2 questions, whether my appendix hurt and whether i had eaten anything weird.
3) then he wrote me a prescripton. for 3 medicines, which i proceeeded to purchase at the farmacia for a whopping 5.50 euros.
4) no medical history, no co-pay, in and out in less than 20.
And then I proceeded to hit my head on my headboard. Again. When I tried to scoot up.
This day just makes me laugh.

VIVA ESPAÑA! And I really hope to feel better soon.

In Plaza Mayor in Ciudad Real there is a huge clock, and every hour on the hour three men come outside playing instruments and play a tune for about 3 minutes. It wouldn't let me insert a video but if you type in "Ciudad Real Clock" on youtube.com, you can see it.

Today I saw my first plastic-covered stroller, to my dismay, fall is here and soon the babies here will be wrapped in sleeping bags and underneath plastic to protect them from wind, rain, and I guess, breathing in the same air as everyone else.

I just returned from a delightful 2 and a half hour walk with two of my flatmates, Noemi and Madeleine. We went out south of the city in the area called La Vía Verde (the green path, more or less). My legs are sore form walking so much.

Last night we went out to a botellon, which is more or less a parking lot filled with 500 young people drinking. It was fun. Like nothing you could EVER see in the States. Think tailgate, but at night, and no cars, and no food. Later we went to a place called Momause about 10 min from the university and one of the guys we were with was from Kurdistan (I think) and 8 of us--4 american girls, one american guy, 2 german guys, and one kurdish guy, held hands in a circle and did a traditional Kurdish dance that he taught us in the middle of a crowded club on Saturday night in Ciudad Real. So funny.

My new job(s)!

So I will be teaching in a secondary school, mostly kids from age 12-16, for the school year, and there's the possibility to renew my contract if I really want to (gah my mom would kill me). I will be in the math, science, and English classes acting as a TA, basically. These three subjects are taught in English. So far, my schedule is looking pretty great. I do a full day on Monday and Tuesday and Wed/Thursday a half day and I don't have to work on Fridays! I havent set up any tutoring appointments yet. I have, however, started in the classroom. Today I went into a math class of 7th graders with a teacher named Victoria, and an English class with the coordinator of the English program, Teresa. I feel very comfortable there and I like everyone I have met so far. They are much less formal here, with the teacher/student relationship. You can yell at kids and grab them if you really need them to be quiet. And the students kind of yell back. I think thats more just Spanish culture. Everybody tries to talk over everybody else, haha! The kids call the teachers by their first names, all the time. The teachers wear polos and jeans or a sweater and jeans, nothing formal. I brought stuff I know I'm never going to wear. :/

The kids had fun asking me questions in English about Missouri..."Is there a beach" "If you go to New York, how do you go?" "Do you know any famous people?" " "In Missouri, does you eat hamburgers all the time?" but it sounds like "Een Meesoori, duhss yu eht hambehrgehrs aw de tiiiime?" "Ehh, what food do you dehtest? (detest! what a word to know in English) Their accents are very very thick but the more they speak in English, the more they learn. So far, I like it a lot.

Did I mention I loved how cheap it is in this city? My stipend will suffice! Plus tapas are free if you order a drink. They just GIVE THEM TO YOU. Amazing.

My new roommates and my school

These are my new roommates, Noemi, Kylah, and Madeleine. The first two are from the US, Vermont and Florida, and Madu is from France.

My beautiful running trail!

Felicidad

Pues, I'm all set here in my new apartment. I feel so fortunate to have found it and have the great roommates that I do. There's Noemi, from Vermont, Kylah, from Florida, and Madeleine, from France. We speak a lot in Spanish so that is good. When we are all around its always Spanish. Madeleine is learning English, and as I want to learn French, I told her she should help me :) My apartment is nice and it has everything I need. I went grocery shopping and for a run...but I really need to get two important things still, a towel and a pillow. I don't really know where to find them either. Hmm. Good thing I am meeting up with Rosa later and hopefully she can help me find them.

So I am obsessed with this running trail I found in the country. It has the prettiest views and is just wide wide open space with no other people around. Its just flat land with a gravel path running through it, and my roommate Kylah tells me there are even more outside the city.

I'm happy, things are going well. I go to my school for the first time tomorrow. I'm so thankful to be here, to be healthy (despite minor digestion issues, what? my diet is changing) and be able to run and meet good people. I am very fortunate to be here, and I couldn't thank everyone who made that possible enough.

Primer Día en Ciudad Real

My first day in Ciudad Real has gone pretty well, besides getting very lost a few times. The city is really small (wonderfully accessible) but with skinny streets that run in no grid fashion...they are diagonal, sideways, straight, and curvy. They make no sense. I finally got my hands on a good map thanks to my new friend Paige and it helps..mucho. So tonight I went exploring the city a bit more after going to see 2 apartments to maybe rent today. They were both very nice. I'll tell you more about my decisions about flats when I make them (probably tomorrow). I explored a bit then met up with 2 girls and one guy from America. Paige and Janna are both doing the same program I am, and Paige's boyfriend came along for the ride. So we got together in the Plaza Mayor, which was really neat. I passed by a park on my way there where they were having a concert, and 3 hours later, when I left, it was still going on. We sat and talked for awhile (nice to speak English) and then went and got some tapas. We had 2 cañas each (little beers from tap) and they gave us a tapa with each without ordering. With the first round we got calamares, but like full little squids. Delish. Then with the second we got this vegetable/sausage casserole thing. Then we ordered tapas on top of that, and I got the grilled vegetables, which was good. I figured I needed some vegetables--I havent really had a full hot meal in a few days. Tomorrow I get to try out the breakfast here at the hotel, its really nice and I like having the space to myself. I also talked to Aurora today on the phone and it was so great to hear her voice. I also talked to my friend Julio from Alicante. Aurora asked when I was coming and tried to arrange a visit for this coming weekend, but (for the first time ever haha) I told her better to make it the weekend after that so I can get used to this city. Of course then she said "Como te viene mejor, Bryn." Which means whatever works best for you, BRYN. haha. So looks like I'll be making it to Alicante sooner rather than later. CANNOT WAIT. I love Spain so far. Its just as I left it. Just hoping to get settled in rather quickly and work things out. And get started--OH yeah, work! I forgot I came here to work. its easy after sitting for 4 hours at a table eating tapas and beer that I came here to work. Plaza Mayor was bustling with hundreds of people from age 1-101 today from 7-9. I love how that is the Spaniards "out and about" time. its my favorite time of day to be outside. Right when its getting dark.. Its the most crowded time for all the stores and everything. I found a street right off of Plaza Mayor that has all the shops owned by Inditex. Like (avenina maissonave in Alicante) and its amazing..Stradavarius, Bershka, Zara, H&M, Springfield, Pimkie, and Sfera all in the same row. Wish I hadnt discovered it. Might have saved me a lot of money :)

Enough rambling, must hit the hay. Slowly adapting to this Spanish schedule. Its 12:33 am here. Muy buenas.

ESTOY AQUI!

Hi all! I made it to Spain! First off, I was worried I would not make it because the baby behind me on the long flight was crying the whole time. Don't worry though, I got her entire life (6 months) story from her parents. They were going to Valladolid because she is named Alejandra and her great grandmother who is 101 is named Alejandra too so they have to meet. The flight ended up being fine, but I didnt sleep. I sat next to a young Spanish couple who reminded me with their flirtiness and public displays of affection that I was, in fact, returning to Spain. Their thick thick Spanish accents threw me for a loop. I forgot how strong the lisp is here, just a whole different type of Spanish. Upon being jolted awake (ok, I dozed) by the pilots, "Alright, folks, we will be landing in about an hour and we'll be serving you a warm pastry in the meantime" speech, I looked out the far window (i was in the middle section) and saw a fantastic rainbow sunrise. In three perfect lines along the horizon, red, yellow, blue. Ravi had followed me to Spain. Happy as a clam, I prepared for landing.
Then I got to my friend Drew's house in Madrid after a 30 euro cab ride (!) and FINALLY he woke up to let me in after I knocked and waited for 30 min. Whatever. My taxista was from Bulgaria, so his Spanish was worse than mine, so that was interesting, but it was the only language we had in common. He thought I was Spanish until we started talking and I told him I was American. You can fool anybody here, I'm telling you. Spanish? Me?

Then Drew and I went walking around Madrid, we ate a bocadillo with calamari on it. A bocadillo is simply anything on 2 pieces of french-ish bread cut in half longways. Then after a lot more walking, we got a kebab, another of my Spanish favorites. I also had a cafe con leche and tortilla española, rounding out just about all the things I was waiting to eat again in Spain.
So far, so good. A little nervous about finding an apartment. Gonna go get a phone now at this place called Yoigo and set up my plan...esh. But I have to wait til 5:00 when they re-open because OBVIOUSLY, its siesta timeeeee! And everything is closed. Oh to be a Spaniard. Its a good life.
I'll be spending tonight probably practicing up on my "hasta luego"s which really sound like, "a-alego." and my "grapftias".
Hasta pronto.. aalegoooo

Andddd....I'm off! Miss you all already. A new adventure awaits. So excited to be a part of it.

Spain!

Hello all!
I know it has been a long time since I wrote. So much has happened this summer, with DC, and Ravi, that I have completely forgotten that A) I'm moving to Spain in a month, and B) that people want to know what's going on!

I will be leaving Sept 23. I am moving to a small city called Ciudad Real (which means Royal City) which is about an hour south of Madrid and a little bit west. It is within the province of Castilla la Mancha, in the heart of Spain. According to Wiki, "It is mostly in this region where the story of the famous Spanish novel Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes is situated - due to which La Mancha is internationally well-known. Although La Mancha is a windswept, battered plateau, it remains a symbol of the Spanish culture with its sunflowers, mushrooms, oliveyards, windmills, Manchego cheese, and Don Quixote."
They are known for their great "embutido," meaning sausages and hams. CR is a stop on the AVE high speed train as of a couple years ago (thank goodness!) with easy access to Madrid and Sevilla. I don't feel like writing all about it so I might copy and paste some of the info I have from Wikipedia about Ciudad Real.

"After the unification of the Iberian kingdoms under the Catholic Monarchs, Ciudad Real became the capital of the province of La Mancha in the 17th century (1691). This fact favoured its economic development which was spilled into important buildings. The city was founded by Alfonso X in the 13th century (1255) to fight with the Military Order of Calatrava.
The city was surrounded by walls. Nowadays, there are only two parts of the wall left."

The city is also home of the Universidad de Castilla la Mancha. I can't wait to get to know it. Right now the temp there is 95 so pretty close to Missouri. They are known for harsh summers and harsh winters. it seems to stay hotter for longer than Missouri but have a longer, harsh winter in December-March. We'll have to see!

I will be teaching at a secondary school...not sure if it is the post-secondary school type or not. They have one secondary school that goes from age 12-16 and then 2 years of non-compulsory college prep. My school is called IES Hernán Pérez del Pulgar. Hernan Perez del Pulgar is a famous captain of the Spanish army in the 1400-1500s from Ciudad Real.