3 month mark and Medieval Market

So, its official.  One third of my exchange is over.  I really don't like to think too much about it, it seems like just yesterday that I was squished between those two Catalanes on the freezing 10 hour flight over here.  My Spanish is still far from perfect, my friends still constantly have to correct me and I think both parties are getting a little exhausted, but when I take a step back its amazing to see how far I have come.  I (more or less) understand most of my classes now and I can talk to strangers and friends alike without that crippling inner panic attack.

This weekend in Caceres, there was a medieval market, and it was so cool!  The market is held because anciently Caceres was the crossroads of three different cultures: Arabic, Jewish, and Christian.  So, every year they have this market with decorations, stands, and food from each filling the old part of the city.  It was amazing to think that once upon a time,  there was actually something like this happening here! It was beautiful and I brought my camera to fill up my memory card but it decided to choose this weekend not to work and break my heart.

Next weekend, my family and I are going to Madrid! I am so so so excited, as I have only seen it from the airport.  It will also be awesome to see all of the christmas lights that people have told me are amazing.

Besitos!

Bailey

Las Castanas

So,  this past weekend was a little tradition in my city known as las castanas (translation: the chestnuts).  Originally, the tradition was that everyone went out into the campo and ate and roasted chestnuts and had a good time.  Lets just say times have changed.

Now for las castanas, the teenagers as young as 13 go out to a park near the city that is part of the university and drink.  A lot.  Seriously the amount of alcohol consumed on this one day was insane.  Three people had to be sent to the hospital because of overdoses (two of them were from our school, and our school is tiny, a bit embarrassing).  I will admit it was fun to see all of my friends and hang out in the park but it was just not all that it was made up to be.  Maybe I was just too sober ;)

After, I decided to go home a little early so I left with one of Carmen's friends.  For some reason still unknown to me, we WALKED HOME.  from the countryside.  to my apartment in the city center.  I have to admit I felt pretty adventurous.  Adventurous and dead, but adventurous! There were also some great views of the parte antiguo all lit up and on a hill (sounds like a bible verse, something about a city on a hill can not be hid?)  Anyways I looked it up later and it turns out the walk was only a couple of kilometers but I was so tired...

So all in all I have pretty mixed feelings about the castanas.  Sorry that this post is super random, its late here and I'm tired, but I promised my spanish friend Marina I would update my blog tonight (te quiero <3)

besitosss

Bailey