Parque Juan Carlos I

We decided to use some of our spare time to check out a massive park dedicated to one of the previous kings of Spain, there were supposed to be some tandem bikes for us to rent but they were all out when we went so we just walked around and checked everything out....

 Hand statue in the park... pretty cool

 Ya, definately was ready to throw up here

We had to break a couple of the rules in the park to be able to get to this ledge

Of course no trip is complete in the park without sitting in gum!

Oviedo and Leon

 The Church of St. Mary at Mount Naranco, or in spanish, La Iglesia de Santa Maria del Naranco... was a palace and then a church dating back to 848, consecrated in 866!

 Don't know why but it's suprisingly fun

 These pictures above and below show the amazing architecture and craftmanship of El Catedral de Leon.

Burgos and Santander

 The Cathedral of Burgos

A night view of Santander, coastal town in the north of Spain

Saying Good-bye to Santander

Segovia

SEGOVIA!!!

So just chillin right now at 1 a.m. on the couch resting my feet after a long day while watching an edited version of Saving Private Ryan. Today we went and visited Segovia which is a town to the north of Madrid. The hour and a half ride to the small city was very scenic and well worth the trip, check out some of the pictures below:

 The aqueduct located behind these flowers and buildings is the most intact roman aqueduct in the world.

In fact the aqueduct splits the city in two, is still technically useable and was used up until about 1930 even to bring water into the city.

 Sitting under one of the arches on the hill of the aqueduct.

 One of the churches that houses a lot of the tombs of past bishops with the Gothic style church in the background.

This castle is actually one that is claimed to be the inspiration behind Walt Disney's castle at Disneyland.

Day-2 Visit to Madrid

DAY 2

So today as a group we all went in to check out the capital, Madrid. Its about a 15 minute train ride into the center of the city and to be honest it is absolutely gorgeous! There are so many different things to see and learn about. Even though the city is very modern, there is still a lot of history behind it. Below are some of the pictures taken.

This is a picture of a plaza right next to our university known as the Plaza de Cervantes...

The Royal Palace of Madrid. This is the official residence of the Rey de Espana.

We walked a long time so I decided to take a nap like the spaniards do it... However, I think the guy on the left may have had a little help from the can below him?



Finally Here!!!

Well I'm finally here and I am tired! After a straight 24 hour travel time we got into Madrid and went straight to the families that we are living with. Dick, my roommate, and I got lucky because the lady we are living with is chilean so we are excited for the food! I got the opportunity to have my first siesta after lunch and it was much appreciated. After siesta we took a quick tour to see the city and university. I cannot believe how, may I just say cultured? the city is. Everything here is so rustic and has so much history and events it has gone through. Can I just say, I'm excited? I can't wait to take in all this country has to offer for this Emigrant to Espana.