Spring Break

The only thing that stood in the way of me and the long-awaited Semana Santa Spring Break was my C1 Spanish Certification Exam. Despite months of practice exams and grammar exercises, nothing could have prepared me for the Colombian painter who mumbled his way through the interview that made up the first part of the listening portion of the exam. That said, I feel confident about my oral exposition, so-so about my formal letter, and 100 percent certain about my reading comprehension (which is the only competency that high school and university language classes drill into your brain, in my experience). I won’t find out the results for another two months, but a trip to Colombia in the meantime may be the only way I’ll stand a chance of passing next time!

PRAÇA DA LIBERDADE: The central square of Oporto and its city hall

     Having truly done the best I could on the DELE exam, I was finally free to go with my girlfriend to Oporto, Portugal for three glorious days. Unlike London or Paris, Oporto is off the beaten path, so it’s relatively cheap. We flew in on a 20€ RyanAir flight and checked into a pleasant hostel with a friendly owner, João. I took PORT299 Portuguese for Spanish Speakers, so I know enough of the local lingo to make native speakers (including all taxi drivers and João) laugh at my sorry attempts to communicate, but I got the sense that their jests were in good fun. 

FRANCESINHA: A mouth-watering sandwich typical of Oporto that's
packed with meat and covered in melted cheese and beer sauce

CARNE ASADA: A smorgasbord of meat hot off the grill

     We did two free walking tours, which was more than sufficient exercise given that Oporto is an enormous valley with two massive slopes on either side of the river. The city’s history is genuinely fascinating- from the café where J. K. Rowling was inspired to write Harry Potter to King Pedro IV who fled to Brazil to escape Napoleon’s advancing army. As for nourishment, the famous Port dessert wine we tasted after a tour of the winery was tart but exquisite, and the heavy, luscious local food was to die for. I highly recommend Oporto if you’re on a budget and looking for a nontraditional European city.

DOM LUÍS BRIDGE: At 172 meters, it was the longest metal arch bridge in
the world at the time of its construction in 1886. 

A NIGHT TO REMEMBER: Constructed by Téophile Seyrig, who was the apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, the bridge almost looks like the Eiffel Tower on its side
(...which proves I'm no expert on architecture!)

     We flew back early Wednesday morning with the intention of using the rest of the vacation to explore Madrid and the gems that surround it. Before anything, however, we had a recovery day and watched two excellent Mexican movies, Nosotros los Nobles and No Se Aceptan Devoluciones, as a means of broadening my cultural understanding of Mariana’s home country. Both were hilarious and quite enlightening- I recommend them for anyone who studies Spanish. The rest of the weekend was spent touring Madrid and its surrounding communities, which are truly spectacular and their historical importance can’t be underestimated. After two and a half months here, I still have not experienced even half of the unique cultural attractions that the Madrid region has to offer.

PALACIO REAL DE MADRID: Originally a 9th-century fortress that
 burned down in 1734 and was later rebuilt by King Philip V, it is
the largest palace in Europe by floor area with 3,418 rooms. 

REAL JARDÍN BOTANICO: Sublime afternoon touring the royal
gardens rich with tulips blooming in the fragrant spring air

ARANJUEZ: An outlying town with picturesque gardens, it is
one of the Royal Estates of the Crown of Spain.

ATLÉTICO: An exciting fútbol match complete with fans taking it way too seriously
(I mean it's not like we're talking about a rivalry match-up in the SEC or anything)

As you may have concluded, I have fallen hopelessly, desperately in love, which is one of the joys and dangers of studying abroad. It’s been awesome having a travel companion with whom to see the sites, taste the food, and share the memories. What’s more, whether it’s a silly inside joke or a teary-eyed fight, with Mariana my Spanish is constantly improving (her English… not so much). It’s heart-breaking to imagine splitting up in five weeks when I leave the country, but the impending denouement makes each moment that much sweeter. It’s as they say: “Don’t be sad that it’s over, just be happy that it happened at all.”

P.S. If anyone could give me a good Spanish translation of that last quote, that would be invaluable seeing as Mariana doesn’t seem to share that buoyant sentiment!