A Weekend At Home.

I went home last weekend. I'm not talking about Missouri nor even the United States; I'm talking about Salamanca. Home is somewhere you are at ease; where you can be yourself; surrounded by family - people who know and understand you. It's so nice to go home: to Salamanca.

Sometimes when you have something in mind that you realllly want to do,  you won't let anything get in your way - not even the idea of traveling alone. This past weekend, I went to Salamanca - alone - yet, in reality I was far from "alone". 

The trip began quite funny actually... While waiting in the train station in Navalmoral to go to Plasencia (where I would catch the bus for Salamanca) I met an old man. While I couldn't understand a word he said, I was able to make out "hace frio" - which if you were in Navalmoral on this particular day, you would have known how freezing cold it was outside and that everyone's conversations were something about the cold weather. Well, to help me translate the rest of the conversation, I called on the help of three guys my age who were sitting to my right.  Here is where it gets interesting. Of these boys, one studied computers with my friend Ismael, another was from Merida where my friend Dioni is from, and they all study at the school where my friend Oscar's dad is the director.  phewww! Long story short, these guys were shocked that after only a few short months I had met/become friends such fine people from this area. I was invited to sit with them on the train where we shared stories and they practiced speaking English with the American girl. :) We laughed a lot and are now friends on Tueni. jaja

Just 45 minutes later, the train arrived in Plasencia. I met up with Lyndsy, Melissa, and Melissa's friend to go shopping. It was nice hanging out with them as it had been a while since I had seen them. Melissa made us lunch (chicken/tomato/cheese/olive oil bocadillos) and I went on my way to get the bus for Salamanca. A nice quick visit, time to catch up and share a few stories. 

Buying cheese and tomatoes for our bocadillos at the market in Plasencia.
You can see part of the old walls that use to enclose all of the town.

Salamanca

I stayed with my friend Tasos, who is so kind to welcome me to his house whenever I need to "go home". He cooked me dinner, turned the heat wayyyy up, and gave me keys to come and go as I pleased. I stopped by Rafa's cyber to torment him (which he loves!) and we enjoyed catching up on our lives since December 2009.  After getting ready, I headed out to the bars to see who I could see. I started where I usually start on a night out on the town in Sali- debajo el reloj. I saw Manny in the Plaza, he hooked me up. (If you know Manny, you know this means drink cardssss!!!! ...and I do mean cardssss.) Then, as i was walking to Irish, I saw Jim - at his normal post on C/ Iscar Peyra. It was so nice talking to him - memories of Summer of 2008. In Irish I watched the Irish Rover Band which is managed by none other than Miguel the Best.  I also saw several other Irish Rover regulars which is always a nice welcome. :)

The night was no where near over, as I proceeded to go to Medievo, Elektrotaco, Chupiteria and later to Paniagua. I ran into Jorge and Nacho in Chupiteria and was so happy to find them! I drug Nacho with me to Elektrotaco to pick up Rafa to go to Paniagua where we split Calimocho liters all night, enjoying the company of Seodhna, an Irish girl who i met last year through Rafa. The night was too fun...and ended like most nights do - in Khandavia. 

I can't go to Salamanca without taking a picture of the golden streets and buildings!
Iglesia of the Pontifica (the private university) and Casa de las Conchas

Irish Rover Band (and Miguel in orange!)

Seodhna's friend, Seodhna, Rafa, yo, Nacho "Cheese" in Paniagua

Saturday was suppose to be spent in Toro/Zamora on a wine tour hosted by Irish Rover, but plans changed since I was too late to get a ticket. Boo. Anyway, it was the best thing that could have happened since I spent Saturday day shopping for new jeans (since I don't have a dryer, each time I wear them they get BIGGER!) I went to El Fogon, Lourdes' restaurant, to see Lorena, my old host sister - Lourdes' daughter. OMG. I can't say how much the restaurant smelled like Lourdes' kitchen. Amazing! Lorena was surprised to see me, as she shouted "hola!" from the small round window in the kitchen door. She came outside and immediately said "Ah, have you been to visit my mom? She will love that you are here - you need to see her!" And so I went. I actually ran into Lourdes in the street just as she was leaving the house to go to the restaurant. She was excited to see me, as she yelled "buenas Whit" from far away, down the street! She invited me to have dinner with her and the girls who are living with her this semester. I couldn't have been happier!

We always told Lourdes to open a restaurant... and now she has one!

Being back in Lourdes' house was just like going home. I didn't know whether to smile continuously or to cry... I chose to smile continuously! I was so happy to be home. Lourdes and I talked about my semester in Salamanca, my job now, my old Salamanca roommates, stories from when I lived with her, my future, etc. It was so nice to relive these old memories and to toss new ones around. Dinner was prepared - brushetta, spinach pastries, and gnocchi pasta. It tasted just like Fall 2009. Of course, I wasn't shy and had several helpings - Lourdes kept said "come! come! eat! eat!" and even followed it up by "Whit isn't shy, she will eat." And I did. I had a good helping of fruit too... seriously, one year later and nothing has changed. Well, the bathroom has had a makeover and my old room has two strangers living in it, but nothing else. Lourdes' hospitality and the warmth of being home is still very much unchanged. I enjoyed getting to know the girls living with Lourdes right now, as we shared stories about Salamanca for about an hour after dinner ended. I then joined Lourdes to watch Sexo en Nuevo York (Sex in the City) which was on tv. While watching tv, I received a text from Allyson, an English teacher in another town in La Vera (we met in Caceres during orientation - she went to MU!) and she said she was in Salamanca. We met under the clock and started the night at Cubic (chupitos gratis!) and then proceeded to Paniagua...Daniel's...a few new places...then to Chupiteria. At Chupiteria I was greeted by none other than Yussef, Jorge, and Nacho. I was so happy! I spent the rest of the night with Yussef in Chupiteria and Potemkin (a new favorite!) 

Allyson and I in the Plaza Mayor (it was freezing!)

On Sunday, Tasos and I met up with Allyson and her friends in Van Dyke to have some tapas and canas before leaving. Allyson offered to give me a ride home to Navalmoral since she had to drive through Navalmoral on her way to Losar de la Vera. It was nice to be traveling via car and not spending extra time waiting around for buses or trains from Plasencia to Navalmoral. I enjoyed our roadtrip - listening to Jack's Mannequin and making fun of the drunk Spaniard in the back seat! 

Sunset from the car - somewhere between Salamanca and Navalmoral.

Can you see the snow in the mountains behind this tiny pueblo?!

All in all, it is weekends like these that make this job placement so enjoyable - time to go home when I need a weekend away.  While I was a bit hesitant about coming to Extremadura (As Joelle, a fellow auxiliar, says: "Extrema-what?") I couldn't be happier with Navalmoral's relationship to Salamanca; because, in Salamanca, I know I always have friends/family waiting to welcome me home.