The coming of September brought a miraculous breeze from the English Channel that cooled down the days by at least ten degrees. Hopefully the 90 degree weather will not return, because 77 is much more comfortable…

Our class outing that afternoon was much more scenic and interesting, much more so than our three and a half hour class. We split into two groups, each one with our own Salamanca native tour guide-woman, and walked around part of the historical district of Salamanca. We first entered the Plaza Mayor and learned the history behind it. After centuries of invasions of the Greeks, Romans, el invasion visgoda y árabe (Moors), and the “reconquista,” or re-conquest, of Spain between 711-1492, the architecture of Spain has a plethora of influences. The plaza follows the “Palacio” architecture: large walls that span out, usually with a repeated yet intricate pattern throughout. Above the arches that line the bottom of the plaza are the busts of former kings, aristocrats, and artists. She also pointed out the large arched entrance where traditionally the bulls would enter the plaza during festival season.

We then walked to San Esteban, one of the older churches in town. We were able to go to the church’s center courtyard and peer into the praying rooms of the convent. They was very simple: a short wooden door gave way to a small stone room with only room for one kneeling nun. There was a small stone pedestal where she could put her elbows and pray to the crucifix in front of her. The chruch’s geometric ceilings and round arches showed Arabic influences.
Next we toured the Univeristy of Salamanca. We stopped in front of the infamous “fachada,” or old and intricately carved facade of the university wall. Amongst all of the carvings, there is rumored to be a small frog sitting among some skulls… this represents life overcoming death. Century old myth claim that if students find this magical frog, then they will do well on their exams. We stood there for awhile, but it would take months to find it.

Across the square from la fachada is the old medical school office and building. I could see hints of old red graffiti, each bearing the same symbol. Apparently, once students passed their medical exams and officially became doctors, they would use bull’s blood to paint the symbol that spells “VICTOR” for “victory,” before throwing a fiesta. Maybe once I become a doctor, I will go back to Wait Chapel and draw the symbol with a sharpie...

The university’s old library is now a museum. Once section was especially exceptional: they preserved the original painted ceiling of the library’s rotunda. It was supposed to represent the sky, but it was covered with mythical interpretations of the zodiac sign. The university was not only known for its medicine, but also for its philosophy, theology, and economics. Centuries later, it is now renowned for languages, humanities, medicine, law and theology.

Our second to last stop was to one of the aristocrat’s houses. I honestly do not remember too much about the family, because at this point, we had been on this tour for an hour and a half, and I was preoccupied with taking pictures.

The last half hour focused on the “new church,” and by “new” they mean 500 years old. The church was split into two parts: the old side and the new side. I was able to climb up to the roof of the church and look over the rooftops of Salamanca. Some of the rooftop arches we had to walk through were rather short, but I fit thru them quite comfortably :) The others, well… Needless to say, it was very windy at the top, but the view during dusk was priceless.



After the tour a small group went to the Plaza Mayor for more helado. This time I got the dulce de leche ice cream…. Mmmmm, just thinking about it makes me hungry. My madre cooked this fish broth soup with noodles; it sounds digusting, but I promise there was no fishy flavor at all. Surprisingly, it is much milder than a chicken or beef broth. She then brought out a plate with an open tortilla, sautéed ground beef with peppers, and melted crumbling cheese on top. I asked my host parents what they called this dish, and they said, “taco Méxicano!” I could not help but laugh… this was a far cry from taco bell or Mi Pueblo: it was much better.

The day ended on a bittersweet note. I was able to find some internet with Glynnis, but thanks to my dying battery, my short skype session left me wanting more. I’ll save any more complaints about the situation; I can’t really do much but work with what we have… it’s quite ironic actually. I am here, loving and living next to the jewels of Spain, and yet I am overcome with sadness that I cannot share these experiences firsthand with the ones I care about most. Hopefully this blog helps; I know it gives me a little bit of peace.