First Impressions of Spain

Hola amigos,

I made it to Spain safely today! I barely slept on my flight (that was delayed over an hour due to lightning storms around DC), but Iḿ so very happy. I loved my brief impressions of Madrid walking around killing time before I had to meet at the statue of Christopher Columbus to go to Toledo. I think my friends and I accidentally wandered into some kind of restricted zone, because the street was barred off and guarded by a man with a gun. I apologized when I realized we were on the wrong side of the barrier, and he seemed amused at how flustered I was and told me, "Itś cool!"in English as he let me back through the barrier. One thing that frustrates me is how people will automatically switch over to English, but I´ve been told that, in Toledo, unlike in Madrid, not as many people speak English.

Toledo is a giant maze! Honestly, the landscapes remind me of driving through parts of Kentucky, with sheer cliffs dropping off. From a tower within la Fundacion where Iḿ learning Spanish, the red tile roofs looked so close and numerous that they made me think of a city made of gingerbread houses all piled on top of one another. The streets are winding with many steep, cobblestoned hills, and I cant wait to get lost in them!

I ADORE my host family. I have a Spanish hermanita named Carmen. Sheś very sweet, and she loves to read. Her parents told me she likes American music, including Leonard Cohen (sheś only 10!), but NOT Bob Dylan. She told me in Spanish that she dislikes his voice. (Of course, my own sister Dottie said the same thing, but now she has Dylan on her iPod, so Iḿ set on changing Carmenś opinion, as well, over the course of my stay!) The mother is so kind and lovely, and she told me I was guapa which of course was very nice of her. The father is from the south of Spain, so heś very hard to understand. He told me he likes American Westerns (he likes Clint Eastwood, so weĺl have to watch Dirty Harry together!). When they told me about their small house in the country (to which they invited me!), they said that there are horses and bulls, and the father says he likes to pretend heś a cowboy as he rides a horse with all the bulls nearby. I cracked up.

Iḿ very nervous about the language barrier. Iḿ mostly frustrated because I love my host family SO SO much, and I want to be able to talk to them because theyŕe everything I could have ever hoped for and more. They know Iḿ nervous, and the mother actually said SHEŚ very nervous, so Iḿ sure weĺl get along.

Sorry for missing punctuation in places, Im still getting used to this Spanish keyboard... I have to go to dinner now! Yumyum. Oh, by the way, Iḿ giving up my vegetarianism in Spain, at least just to try the real Spanish food. Pray for my degenerate vegetarian soul!

Ciao,
Anna