Scavenger Hunt

Today in class we had a scavenger hunt, where we ran around the city asking strangers for directions and finding things. It was a great way to practice my Spanish and to get to know the city. Here are some photos from my group:

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Here we are in front of a famous monument in La Calle de Carlos III.

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This is in front of City Hall.

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This is us “running with the bulls” along La Calle de Estafeta.

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We are in front of a statue of Ernest Hemingway,  who popularized Pamplona and the festival of San Fermin around the world through his books.

A Gigantic Lunch

Today, we went to a place that my friend’s house mom recommended. It was delicious. We ate a three course meal, plus bread and wine, for 12€ each. The waitress had to push 3 tables together just to fit everyone in our group (there were 12 of us), but we all managed to stumble our way through the menu and eat until we were stuffed.

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The restaurant was called something that sounded like “catachu”.

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For my first course, I had a local dish of red beans with some sort of sausage.

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For my second dish, I had fish with green pepper and potato.
For dessert,  I had tiramisu, but it did not last long enough to take a picture…

Classes Begin

Today, I began my Spanish class. I found my way to the college by 8:30 AM, after passing the building three times and asking three people for directions. The classes were long, but for the most part they were interesting. One of my professors, Mikael,  seems to be able to switch between jovial humor and sarcasm to piercing disappointment at the drop of a mispronounced word. He is both hilarious and terrifying, and does a decent American-speaking-Spainsh impression which is both funny and slightly offensive. After class, we ate paella and walked around the main square until it threatened rain and we were all exh

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austed. It has been a long day, so I (eventually) found my way back to my house for a nap and some dinner.  We all spoke of meeting up for drinks later tonight, but I suppose that we will see how everyone feels. I was carrying a folder all day, so my photos of the city are limited.

Pamplona!!

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I have finally arrived at my host family’s house in Pamplona! I just showered, unpacked, and finally felt human again after a long flight. I have also been awake for over 24 hours, so I am a little jet-lagged at this time. It was strange watching the sun set and rise withing the span of a few hours. It felt as though we were moving faster than the sun. I am going to eat with my host family tonight, and then tackle the city tomorrow – after a few hours of much-needed sleep.

Accepted!

I have been accepted into a study abroad program sponsored by the College of Engineering at the University of Kentucky. This June, I will be flying out to Pamplona, Spain in order to complete a 6 week program of study that will center on renewable energy. I have created this blog to document my adventures abroad.

A brief paragraph about the trip can be found in the following link:

http://pamplona.engineering.uky.edu/