Bit of a "salty" start to my day and my walk to school...

I woke up this morning and the sun was shining and I knew it was bound to be a good day!  I got all my stuff together to bring to the bathroom and turned the water on to make sure the water would be hot (sometimes it's not and I have to tell my host mom and she runs downstairs and does something magical because then there is hot water about 2 minutes later).  So I got in the shower and the first 20 seconds were pretty warm.  As I was putting the shampoo in my hair, the water turned icy cold.  Shoot.  So for the next 30 seconds, I took the fastest shower ever, trying to rinse all the soap out of my hair.  I figured I was already in the shower, and my host mom wasn't home, so I may as well make the best of the situation.  I laughed when I got out because I was super awake!  Maybe cold showers from now on before grammar class?  Maybe then I'll be awake for that class because apparently we are "bellezas durmientes" aka Sleeping Beauties according to the professor.  At least we're beautiful I guess?

After the shower, I finished getting ready and went downstairs for breakfast.  I normally eat a yogurt and a piece of fruit, so I went to get a yogurt.  It said "natural" which means it tastes kind of sour and not sweet like the normal kind, so I thought it would be a good idea to put some sugar in.  I poured quite a bit in because I've seen my host sister Laura doing this, and stirred it all around.  Took a big bite because I was pretty hungry.  Sooo disgusting!  I put salt in.  Fail número dos.  So now my mouth has been watering all day.  Spain keeps things interesting.

After those two incidents, nothing else exciting happened.  Went to school.  Came home.  Ate lunch.  Went back to school for my tutor session for grammar.  Before the tutoring session, I took some pics of Alcalá so I can show you a little bit of my walk to school everyday.  I also took some more pics of the main plaza because it was too tempting (I already have lots but whatevs).  I also got some pics of the cigüeñas (storks), because Alcalá is famous for them.  Apparently they're endangered but there's a bunch of them in Alcalá!  Apologies if already said this in a previous post.  But my walk to school is pretty sweet if I do say so myself, or at least the last 5 of the 40 minutes is sweet.  Not quite the Pine Grove at Hope College but it's a good alternative for the next two months.

After the tutoría, I walked around Calle Mayor or as my host dad calls it "Main Street" and people watched.  The street was so much busier than normal.  Probably because the weather is so great here now!  60s and sunny.  Lovin' it.  But I saw my host mom's sister, Pilar, in a store and it was nice to see a familiar face and to have a conversation.  It made me feel like Alcalá is becoming a little more like a home because people actually recognize me and know my name!  Before leaving, I bought myself some candy from a candy store to eat on the way home as a treat for signing up for the tutoría because I hate going, but they are good for me in the long run because they are helping me improve me Spanish.  I also bought some flowers for my host mom as a 'thank you' for bringing me to the train station at 4:30 in the morning.  They were greatly appreciated.  Well that's it for today.  I have to get up half an hour earlier tomorrow because our professor missed a class and is making it up by adding half an hour onto 3 classes, which means grammar at 8:30 for two hours.  What joy.  ¡Hasta luego!

My lame attempt at showing you my walk to school, I guess I could videotape it but no one has the time or the patience to watch such a boring thing...






My street...

Fountain on the way to school, 1/3 of the way there, still about 25 minutes to go...




Long stretch in between the next two pictures.  During this time I will find a few car lots selling the tiny European cars, laundry hanging out of apartment balconies, the grocery store, tempting little fruit store that I always want to stop in but know that I should probably avoid, multiple shoe stores to be avoided, Lacoste store that is fun to window shop in but also to be avoided, (pretty much anything shopping related is to be avoided or maybe a better way of putting it is that I can walk by it every day but must forbid myself entrance because a few Euros might be "missing" after I venture inside), and other small wonders...



Gettin' closer...







This is part of my University, but I don't take classes here because it's for native Spanish students. Shoot.








What I see when I round the corner for the final stretch of my walk...






Made it!  35/40 minutes later. This is my school.  I spend more time here than I would like, but I guess that is why I came.  It used to be a church, but I guess it was converted to a school?  Either way, it's a pretty cool place to learn.







¡Hola cigüeñas!









More of the beautiful Plaza de Cervantes. Spring is here!











Trying to be artistic. The trees here are so cool though and I hope they start to bloom some, but I've been told that I'll be gone before they do.  Bummer.  I can still hope though :)

Necessary to add.  No.  But in this bag contains the wonders of gummy cherries, watermelons, and strawberries.  Any one who knows me, knows that I love sour gummy things and this little store has the best kinds!  MMMM...