Week 2 in Review: Beautiful Sunsets and Mandatory Wine Tastings

Hola a todos!  This week has completely flown by!  It was twice as quick as our first week here in Cádiz which worries me about our two remaining weeks here.  Here’s a breakdown of the past week’s events:

Monday began our second week of classes.  We refrained from going to the beach so that we could finish our homework during the afternoon and meet up with the group that night.  We met at a beach on the northern part of the peninsula where there is a lighthouse!  From there, we watched the sun set together.  It was absolutely beautiful- probably one of the most gorgeous sunsets that I have ever seen. 

Tuesday presented us with a diverse experience during school: During the last hour, we met in the courtyard and paired off with Spanish students who are currently studying English at the university.  It was such a neat experience!  You wouldn’t even imagine how much easier it is to speak with someone of your own age when you’re practicing your foreign language skills.  We found out how much that we had in common with these students so it was so enjoyable to speak with them.  The experience improved our confidence in both our speaking skills and in our comprehension skills. 

On Wednesday, we went to classes, came home, took siestas (I just love how the entire city shuts down for 2 hours each afternoon to take a nap – why can’t America adopt this concept?), and went into town after dinner.  We found a place that has 1€ drinks and tapas on Wednesdays – who can beat it?  As my dad put it, “that sounds dangerous.” But it was really nice to have a glass of sangria and some fries and sit in the Cathedral plaza with the group. 

After class on Thursday, we embarked on an excursion, organized by the University of Cádiz, to a nearby town called Jerez de la Frontera.  The place’s claim to fame is that it is home to a seemingly ancient vineyard and wine company called González Byass.  They are apparently known worldwide for their wines and sherry wines.  Have you ever heard of Tio Pepe?  It is their most famous sherry wine.  

While at the vineyard, we toured the wine cellars (which smelled wonderfully of wine), learned about the company’s rich history, and saw the its huge collection of wine barrels signed by many famous people including Steven Spielberg, Prince Philip, Chelsea Clinton, and my personal favorite:

 We then boarded a cute little red train and drove through the vineyard.  

Our ride concluded at arguably the best part of the (mandatory) excursion: the wine tasting!  We each got to try two of González Byass’s sherry wines.  I’m not really a sherry person but they were not that bad!  Very strong, of course, but very good.  We felt very classy.

 I do think that the best part of this trip was that it was a mandatory wine-tasting excursion.  How often does that happen?  Certainly not at Villanova!

Friday was a beach day.  The weather was perfect, as it always was, so we took siestas in the sun.  I’m going to warn you all now that you may not recognize me when I get home; four weeks’ worth of laying in the sun works wonders for one’s skin pigmentation.  In other words, I’m a bronze goddess by now.  That evening, we met up with one of our graduate assistants, Paula, for frozen yogurt in the town.  Frozen yogurt is the new sensation out by Villanova but it does not seem to be too prominent yet in South Jersey.  However, in Cádiz, there is basically a frozen yogurt place on every street corner.  This one is our favorite because they take the frozen yogurt, put it on an ice slab (just as they do it at Coldstone), and mix the toppings in.  So delicious!  That night, we went to bed early because we would be going on an excursion to Gibraltar the next day.  That day was so exciting that I decided that it needed its own post.  Stay tuned!

I also want to make note of three interesting things:

1.      For all the Laffertys and other cereal lovers: I have discovered the greatest cereal in the world here: Muesli.  If you have never tried it, you need to.  It is similar to granola but has nuts and other things that make it so delicious.  I could honestly eat it every day for the rest of my life and be happy.  It’s that good.  And no, I was not paid to advertise for it.

2.      Minn and I keep commenting on how spoiled we are here.  We go to class in the morning and then return home to a three-course lunch on the table.  We put our dishes in the sink and are off to the beach for the afternoon.  We return home to piles of clean laundry, and in a few hours’ time, dinner on the table.  We are so well-taken-care-of here that it is almost easy to take it for granted.  It sure is quite a life.  I have a feeling that I will be experiencing reverse culture shock when I reenter the United States (and reality when I return to Villanova one week later for preseason) in 2 ½ weeks (!). 

3.      Fun fact: Since it doesn’t snow in Cádiz, they have rain globes instead of snow globes!  Too cool.