Fun times in Spain :)

A few more pictures ~

Another beautiful view from the castle

Grandma and I were trying to stay out of the wind.  I'm pretty sure I told her the story here of my friend Sarah Kok who, wherever we go that's historical she slams my head against the wall and says "Put your face on history!!"  :)

This is the train station in Denia where you can go anywhere along the coast from Denia to Alicante (down south). 

Some typical buildings and the tourist Denia shop where my Dad got the English newpaper circulated in Denia. 

It was amazing to have my Dad and Grandma come visit me in Spain!!!  I loved spending time with and showing them Spain!  On Sunday that first day Maite and I went to pick up my Dad and Grandma in the airport.  They wouldn't let us meet them at baggage claim but there was a little hole in the paper covering the doors that we could look through and wave at them!  I had a huge smile on my face all morning!  We did a little walking through Valencia (where they flew into) and ate lunch outside which was very nice.  After taking the two hour bus ride around countless round abouts we went to our house so that Dad and Grandma could rest a bit and see where I live.  Then came all of the amazing goodies that my Dad and Mom sent from home including friendship bread and special k squares that I shared (encouraged by my Dad :) with my classmates, cheese-it's, leggings, a little blue clutch purse from my Mom for valentine's day and lots of great movies from my Dad!  That night we went to mass with Maite.  Later Maite told me that they were they first family (in twenty some years) to go to mass with her.  As soon as she saw my Dad kneel on the kneeler, she knew that he was a good and Christian man.  She loved my Dad and Grandma and they loved her as well!  On Monday I went to school and met my Dad and Grandma after to go visit the flea market that evidently does not stay open as long as I thought so it was a bit like a gold rush ghost town - everyone packing up and leaving.  But they did get to see a couple of the stands with lots of purses, shoes, clothes, and stuff.  Monday at 2:30 we had lunch with Maite at home.  She made them cheese and ham appetizers, meat, salad, bread, fruit, and I can't even remember what else but we were stuffed after!  All very good.  Then my Dad and Grandma got to experience one of my favorite parts of Spain - the siesta!  We took a nap :)  Good times!  Later we walked to the sandy beach and then spent some time talking at the hotel :)  On Tuesday we went to Benidorm a large town about an hour south of Denia.  It has an amazing beach.  We had lunch there and then walked around, shopped a bit and saw the beach!  On Wed. in between classes Dad came to the school and we had "cafe" with my teacher (even though none of us had coffee - Diet Coke for my Dad and me :)  After school we again had lunch with Maite.  Delicious again and very filling!  Then we went to visit the castle of Denia.  It was interesting and fun but very windy!  Since we were a bit chilled and windblown, I suggested that we go to Valor – a chocolate churros shop / restaurant.  Ah!!  Delicious!  I let Maite order the chorros and they brought out a tower of them!  They were delicious especially dipped in the vat of melted chocolate we got as well!  After my Dad and I ran to the grocery store to grab some cheese, crackers and a pizza baguette for me we went back to the hotel, ate dinner, talked and played garbage rum!  (A card game).  On Thursday Dad and I had breakfast together in the hotel dining room before I got a massage in the hotel spa!  Amazing!  Sort of different as the lady did not leave the room for me to change before she started the massage – but I suppose as there are many topless sun bathers here that is normal . . .  very relaxing though and after I felt like a new person!  When I came upstairs where my Dad was using my computer, there was a whole team of bike racers sitting in the lobby with him in full racing outfits!  After my one class on Thursday we ate lunch at a restaurant by the bus station.  The waiter noticed that we were Americans and offered to bring us a selection of tapas which ended up being very good!  They included cod croquets, bread with a tomato sauce, a fish platter and a vegetable platter.  Afterwards we went to the mall (to which you need to take a 20 minute bus) and shopped a bit.  My Dad said it was interesting to see the popular styles in Spain.  It was very fun and he bought me some clothes that will hopefully not shout American as my jeans and t-shirts so often do.  On that note – I have been really enjoying my new clothes and since it has been in the 70’s I have been wearing some skirts as well and am enjoying blending in a bit more.  Although I definitely stood out today when it was in the 70’s and sunny and I was wearing a jean skirt, flip flops and a pink shirt and everyone else was in boots and winter coats!  After the mall we went home, got some dinner again at the grocery store, packed up, and then played some more cards.  We got a grand total of 2.5 hours of sleep before we met the taxi driver at 3:30 the next morning.  The flights home were all good so I hear and now they are safely home.  I had an amazing time and would love to have more visitors :)

I finally figured out how to watch NCIS online since hulu doesn’t work abroad!  My linguistics independent study class finally passed through and I will be starting a study on the languages and different linguistic aspects of Spain soon!  On Monday I started my ethnographic study at a Christian school here – Alpha and Omega, also the protestant church that I attend.  I am observing / helping in a second grade class room.  The kids are absolutely adorable!!  I helped them color, learn some English and play outside.  I arrived early and sat outside at a picnic table with one of my friend’s mama’s who works there (she was supervising recess).  A few first graders ran up to talk to her and one little girl looked at me with surprised happiness and gave me a huge hug!  Then she asked “quien es?” “who are you?”  Ah!  She was so cute!  It is a 30 minute walk up to the school but it is well worth it as the kids are a blast to be around!  The teacher I am working with is from Michigan!  It’s a small world! 

On Thursday we leave as a big group for Toledo, Madrid and Segovia.  It should be a blast and I will have pictures and blogs about it when I get back next week.  I hope everyone is doing well at home!  Xoxo, Jenn

My first visitors of many . . . :)

This was the start of an awesome week when my Dad and Grandma Beth visited Spain!!!

This is in Valencia where we spent a couple of hours walking around and eating lunch outside under the sun :)

My Grandma, Maite (my Spanish mama) and me

There were really pretty buildings everywhere!

It was so fun to have them come visit!!

The weather was perfect too - it was in the 70's and sunny!

Here is Maite (Maria Teresa) showing off her new earings - a gift from my parents for her taking such great care of me! 

This is me at the school where we take classes.  It is a building used for night classes for adults and we take classes in the mornings. 

University National of Distance Education

My Grandma :)

The park just outside the school.

Absolutely beautiful beaches!! This is in Benidorm where we went on Tuesday for lunch and shopping :)

Unfortunitely the weather wasn't super as you can see by the dark rain clouds but it was still really fun!

Me with my umbrella and my Dad with his super awesome new european hat that he bought because of the rain and of course as soon as he bought it the rain stopped! 

My Dad and Grandma :)

My Grandma and me!

A huge rock island off the coast of Benidorm

Great picture :)

In Benidorm my Dad bought me this amazing skirt for my Flamenco dance class~!

I loved playing around in it and now I can really do all the moves the teacher shows with the skirts~!  Side note - In flamenco dancing it is very different from the ballroom dances I have done as you usually stomp and then start again on the same foot - it is not oh, if you just stepped on your right foot then your left foot is open so we'll step on that one, nope it's kind of tricky!

Very fun to twirl in :)

This is the hotel where they/we stayed.  It has an awesome outdoor pool that has three levels!

View from outside our window.

Grandma and Dad walking around the Marina of Denia

There was a lot of walking!!  At home we drive everywhere!  Here I walk ALL the time!!!  I have already worn out a couple pairs of socks!

This is my neighborhood :)

My Grandma and me standing in front of my house!

Maite serving lunch - fish (shrimp and muscles and something else) and rice and salad and bread and fruit and cheese and ham and dessert and - tons of food!!  All delicious :)

Maite was very excited about my skirt and got a scarf of hers that matched my skirt, then put her crown and sash on me from when she was the queen of the house of Andalucia (she is an amazing Spanish dancer too!)

A view of the harbor from the casatle.

The town.  On Thursday we went to the castle.  It was a climb but very fun!

You can't tell here but it was sooo windy!

Cool shot!

I thought I didn't have that much to say :)

This weekend a couple girls and I went to Alicante for the day.  We took the train that passed by beautiful landscape and arrived in Alicante at a balmy 70 degrees F!  It was a beautiful day.  We had brought sack lunches and after walking around the town and seeing a large food market we ate our lunches on a bench in front of a large fountain.  Side note, in the food market we took advantage of the free bathrooms (most places make you pay for something to use their bathroom).  So anyways, the toilets were very skinny (no rims) and the toilet paper was on a roll by the sinks – just one.  Maybe there is a reason they are free!  After lunch we walked in a park with work out like machines for kids.  It was so fun!!  The three of us girls took turns playing and taking pictures.  There was also a group of Muslim women enjoying the play ground too!  We all laughed at how we were acting like little kids J After that there was a street like Las Ramblas in Barcelona with trees on either side, outdoor restaurants and small shops.  I bought two DVD’s from one street vendor; RED and Knight and Day which interestingly they dubbed Noche y Dia (NIGHT and Day).  I am so excited to finally have some movies to watch!  Next we went to one of the castles.  It was a long steep climb but beautiful views and very fun!  It overlooked the ocean and the whole city with the mountains in the background!  That night when I got home, my mama and I watched RED.  She told me that it was dubbed in a South American accent instead of a Spain accent.  I don’t know if it was because of that or because I had seen the movie before but it was very easy to understand (even though it did not have subtitles)!  On Sunday after church I talked with a girl that I met on the train back from Alicante who goes to our church (one of my friends with me already knew her).  She is from Austria and is very nice.  I talked with her and a couple of Spanish girls that I met (one that went to Calvin for the semester two years ago).  It was very fun and exciting to talk normal conversations with girls in another language!  It’s a totally different thing than talking with American friends in Spanish.  We are planning on going to a youth group dinner / fiesta this Friday.  It is an Italian dinner (spaghetti!!)  I can’t wait!  We have to wear something red, a heart and make some sort of head wear (all of which I do not have) – another reason to go shopping!  At lunch I was talking with my mama (who by the way has a very extensive background in flamenco and sevillana dancing) and I told her that I would not have my heels for Flamenco dance class until next week (as my Dad and Grandma Ehlman are coming to visit!!!)  So she got up from the table and brought me a pair of her dancing shoes with heels!  They fit (mostly) as she is probably just around 5 foot even and I am 5’9’’ they were a little small but worked for one class.  Dance class that Monday night was amazing!  Flamenco is fun – but with heels it is fantastic!!  You really get to stomp and pound your heels into the floor!  Really really fun.  In class we are learning the mambo and are on to the third step of the Fandango.  Yesterday I started and finished a book on my kindle (I love reading!) Today was very busy.  After classes I went home with a school friend, whose mama’s apartment looks like a shrine to Marilyn Monroe – love it!  Afterwards we went to la oficina (a restaurant where the owners are very nice and occasionally let us have our treats for free!) to talk about our plans for spring break.  There are four of us girls and we are planning on a week in Ireland and a week in England!  So excited!  Next we went to the first day of a girls Bible study us Calvin students are starting.  We went to a park and sat out in the sun – it was really nice (55 degrees F and sunny).  After that I went with two other girls to meet our ethnographic study professor (a Calvin graduate that married a local Dénia man) to go up to Alpha and Omega.  Besides being our church, it is also a school from babies all the way to high school students.  I am going to be doing my ethnographic study there in a second grade class room and I am very excited! The director told me that in that class they work on songs and some pronunciation which should be great!  After a great Skype date with my parents J I am off to have dinner, watch some TV and STUDY!  We have a test Friday on the very beginning of Spain’s history and then on Monday we have a literature test – lots to study!!  This Friday is the annual Calvin cold knight club jump into the frozen seminary pond.  As we “unfortunately” cannot be there we get to run into the Mediterranean and count that!  We are hoping for nice weather – it’s forecasted to be 57 and sunny - a whole lot better than below 40’s and icy!  I hope everyone is doing well in the states!!  Hasta luego, Jenn

Fotos de Barcelona! :)

The amphitheater in Tarragona!

                                                       The roman drinking fountains :)

                                         There are tons of orange trees here!! It looks so good!

This is Park Guell, designed by Gaudi!  Very cool!!! :)

I love all of the colors and awesome designes!

The cieling of the bottom part of the park (underneath where everyone is walking above).

The roof of Casa Miel!

The stained glass windows (better pictures on facebook but they are all long ways and I don't know how to flip them on here).

Same here - more on facebook.  This is the Sagrada Familia!

This is the food market - so much food!  They had everything from meat, cheese, bread, fish, fruit, vegitables, everything!

An overlook of the city from near the Olympic stadium.

My friend Hannah and I at Camp Nou! :)

I was so excited to be there!!  There motto is "Mas que un club" More than a club. 

This is in the vineyard underground - they store all the bottles there because the temperature is stable.  This part was just the museum.  They have over 3 million empty bottles there because they never reuse a bottle!

This is the train driver!  I had a front row seat! :)

Then we got a taste of the cava - but since there were high school students there they only gave us a non alcoholic version

Outside in the vineyards - they are everywhere!

This is the beach town we stopped in for lunch the last day.  In the background you can see the castle!! Castles have become old hat here (not really!) I see one everyday on my walk to school - how cool! :)