Salamanca, Mom and Dad Visit!!! ~ Happening With Hillary

Hey everyone! Sorry it's been awhile since I have updated! This will be quite a lengthy post.

So two weekends ago I went to Salamanca with my friend Kelsey because we both have Spanish pen pals who go to the University there. We have been communicating for about a year now, so we were very excited to make plans to meet them while we are here in Spain!

We arrived there Friday morning and we walked around the city a bit on our own and did some exploring. I realized that it reminded me quite a bit like Granada, except Salamanca is even a bit smaller. The atmosphere is very friendly and the architecture is beautiful - the Plaza Mayor is where mostly everyone hangs out, and on Saturday there were even a few mini-concerts going on! We met Kelsey's pen pal Friday night and she was very nice! We ended up having some pizza and hung out with her and her friends later that night as well. On Saturday we did some sight-seeing such as the Cathedral and the University, which are sooooo beautiful! On one of the doors to the cathedral there is an astronaut and a gargoyle holding an ice cream cone, of course I had to scope them out and take pictures of them! Also on one of the university buildings there is a "lucky frog" - if you can find the frog, it is said to bring you good fortune in your studies at the university! Of course I was determined to find that as well, and it didn't take me as long as I thought it might have! The cathedral was so amazing - not only did we get to see inside the main floor, we also got to explore the entirety and we went up to the roof of the cathedral! It was quite a view. Saturday night we met my pen pal, and it was so exciting! Finally being able to meet with him after emailing back and forth for a year was such a neat experience. We also hung out with him and Kelsey's pen pal and her friends again that night. Sunday we were sad to go :( We had a great time with our friends and enjoying the beautiful sights of Salamanca. I would love to go back and visit again someday!

After getting home from that trip, I really started looking forward to seeing my parents!! But of course nothing would be easy for us... My parents left to come here last Wednesday and were set to arrive in Granada that Thursday morning, but Spain is really idiotic and planned a nation-wide strike against a proposed budget plan by the government. All businesses shut down, including most transportation services, of course that had to be my parent's flight included. They were trapped stranded in Madrid trying to figure out their way to get here, and unfortunately for them they don't know a lick of Spanish, which made matters worse. Fortunately, they found a hotel to stay in for Thursday night, and were planned to take a flight early Friday morning to get here, until more complications arrived. Friday morning was complete chaos at the airport the day after the general strike. Everything was a mess, everywhere was crowded, and the workers were not helpful at all. My parents ended up missing their flight because of complications with the airport company, so I just told them to press their luck by taking the five hour bus ride. They FINALLY made it, a day and a half later than expected, but it is better late than never, I suppose, right? I was just relieved to see them and excited to finally show them around Granada!

Friday night we just relaxed and walked around a little bit. Saturday we explored some of the town, and went to the Cathedral and the Mirador de San Nicolas. We did a lot of walking! Sunday was the grand visit to the Alhambra, which I was happy to see that they enjoyed! We were there for nearly five hours! Monday and Tuesday were shopping days and more sight-seeing. We went to the Science Museum which was a lot more fun and exciting than I would have first imagined. We really had a great time together! I will post some photos for you all to see. Also, Sunday began the "Semana Santa" which is the celebration of Holy Week here in Spain. It is especially popular in Granada, and every day of Holy Week there are multiple processions, or parades, which take place during the center streets of Granada. We saw the first ones on Sunday night and they were really exciting. The floats are held up by any where near twenty to a hundred or so people, and they are floats of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. They are all hand-crafted and painted, etc. They are really beautiful up close and it is a very emotional time for the Spanish people.

I am really glad my parents got to come visit me and experience a little bit of the Spanish lifestyle! Granada is a beautiful city and I am glad they enjoyed it! Love ya mom and dad!

As for the rest of the week, I am headed off to Dublin, Ireland tomorrow until Easter Sunday! Hope you enjoyed this post - here are some pics!

Plaza Mayor in Salamanca