Flamenco, Tortilla de Patata, and Senderismo

Sorry it’s been a while since my last update, but I’ve been busy traveling, eating, and dancing Flamenco. I can’t believe that time has flown by so quickly!

There’s nothing like getting to know a country through its culture. As part of our cultural enrichment, my program through ISA (International Studies Abroad) has offered us a series of cultural experiences. Follow along to see me live like a Spaniard!

Flamenco

One of our first cultural experiences was a flamenco class.

Flamenco is full of passion, rhythm, and emotion. It is an art form in and of itself, a symphonic mix of dancing, singing, and storytelling that originated in Andalusia in the south of Spain.

Flamenco is characterized by intricate footwork, elaborate movements of the arms and wrists, clapping, stomping, and profound facial expressions. Even with my dancing background, coordinating my arms and feet was difficult.

Taking a flamenco class made me want to become a flamenco dancer.

What a beautiful, fun, expressive way to move the bodies God made for us!

Gastronomy

Next up, cooking class!

In our cooking class we made paella, tortilla de patata, crema de Catalan (which is a Spanish crème brulee), and sangria.

Of course, our meal was accompanied by bread. Bread is an essential part of every Spanish meal. According to the Spaniards, "Comer sin pan es una tristeza!"

Comer sin pan es una tristeza!

While paella might be the most well-known Spanish dish in the rest of the world, the most authentically Spanish dish has got to be tortilla de patata. Tortilla de patata is a very simple dish made with potatoes, eggs, and (sometimes) onion. Apparently, there is a hot debate among Spaniards about onions and their place in tortilla de patata. I am a firm member of the “con cebolla” party.

Other characteristic Spanish foods that I’ve tried include:

• Huevos rotos or “broken eggs” (any dish with fried eggs but usually potatoes, eggs, and ham)

• Croquetas (balls of deep-fried bechamel sauce, mashed potatoes, and ham)

• Patatas bravas (fried potatoes with a variety of sauces)

• Jamón Ibérico (an elite variety of ham)

• Hornazo (a pocket of pork and chorizo eaten in Salamanca)

• Tarta de queso (Spanish cheesecake)

• Chocolate caliente con churros

The churros in Spain are not covered in cinnamon and sugar, but when dipped in the thick, rich hot chocolate they’re a heavenly treat.

Veranillo de San Martin

Earlier this month we experienced several days of beautiful weather with sun and warm temperatures. In Spain they call this “Veranillo de San Martin” or “Little Summer of St. Martin” because they attribute the good weather to St. Martin whose feast day is November 11.

To take advantage of this “little summer” I tried to spend as much time as possible outside.

I went horseback riding for the first time! Now I can say I have ridden a camel and a horse!

My horse’s name was Arena which means sand in Spanish. He was a rather strapping horse in my opinion, but a little bit slow at times.

We rode through the countryside and crossed the river Tormes at several points. Don’t worry, they gave us tall riding boots so we wouldn’t get wet!

One glorious Friday afternoon Rodrigo and Roberto from ISA took us on an informal bike tour of Salamanca. We rented bikes and rode along the river to Santa Marta de Tormes, a pueblo on the outskirts of the city.

Another day we sat by the river with a view of the cathedral and sketched. I felt like an artist living her best life in Europe.

Senderismo in Bejar and Candelario

Dying to see some beautiful nature, we went hiking in the Sierra of Bejar and Candelario, a short bus ride from Salamanca.

We walked through the countryside and the Castañar de Bejar, a natural area aptly named for its chestnut trees (castaños).

It was just the right time to see the fall foliage turning beautiful shades of golden yellow and orange.

Our hike also took us to a waterfall called La Garganta del Oso (the Throat of the Bear).

Before returning to Bejar we took a detour to Candelario, a quaint medieval village with flower boxes adorning the windows of the houses and streams running along the streets.

We finished our hike the best way possible: with a huge plate of patatas bravas!

Día de Acción de Gracias

This year I spent my first Thanksgiving without my family. How sad is it that Spaniards don’t have a holiday devoted to eating turkey and apple pie with their families and giving thanks for their many blessings?

The ISA office kindly organized a special Thanksgiving dinner for us with turkey, gravy, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin tarta de queso (not quite pumpkin pie but close enough).

This kind gesture made me feel taken care of and miss home a little bit less. We are so thankful for Beatriz, Rodrigo, Roberto, and Silvia!