Hi! 2 months later...

So clearly I'm horrible at keeping people updated by means of this blog...I'll try and be better about it, or at least better than updating it only once every 2 months. Sorry!

In the last, well, 2 months since I've written, I've finished my Intensivo course (a month-long intensive Spanish course where they drill it into your head for 4 hours a day, 5 days a week, for 4 weeks), and this week started my actual classes. I think they'll be really challenging but hopefully I'll enjoy them. I think I'm going to be taking an art history class covering the prehistoric age to the Renaissance, which should be interesting. I'm also continuing to take the Culture class taught by our program directors over here, as well as 2 grammar classes which should be good to help me solidify my grammar.

Last week, after midterms, I took a trip with 4 other girls to San Sebastian, a city in northern Spain in the Basque Region. It's so beautiful there--so much GREEN! It reminds me of the Pacific NW. The city is right on the water literally, so you get the best of both worlds--the green rolling hills which I've heard look like Ireland, and the Mediterranean/tropical feel of the beach. There is a castle on one side of the city, so on the first day we hiked up to the top of it to take in the gorgeous view of the city and the sea below.
The second day of our trip we went to Bilbao, a small city about an hour outside of San Sebastian, where the Guggenheim Museum is located. It was a neat museum, but very modern...almost too modern for my taste but it was interesting and enjoyable all the same of course. One of the works of art that is famous there is a giant dog made out of flowers that sits outside of the entrance to the museum. It's really neat, and so huge!!
We also did a number of other things in San Sebastian, including visiting a fresh produce market and going on a walking tour of the city. The last day we took a boat ride out of the bay and around a bit of the mainland, and hiked to the other side of the city where there is also a big hill/small mountain you can go up and enjoy the view from up top. It is supposedly "one of the prettiest views in all of Spain" and I definitely think that's true.
San Sebastian was really amazing! I miss the green :) But tonight, in 2.5 hours (it's midnight here so at 2:30 in the morning) we're leaving on a bus to go to Valencia for 4 days since we have another break this weekend. I'm really excited! Valencia is know for its silk, and paella. I just hope I can sleep on the bus since it's a 7.5 hours busride! Yikes! :)

Hope you're all doing well. I've already been here almost 2 months! (And I've only written in my blog like 3 times.) And that means I have 2 months left. Wow. Time flies. I'm enjoying it so much more now that I'm settled in.

Have a lovely Thursday! It's 4 minutes until Friday here, but most of you are still in the middle of the day...

Take care,
Kailey

p.s. I've tried loading pictures up here but it doesn't work for some reason...hopefully I'll figure it out so I can show you some of the places I've been :)