Burgos

My Logrono post will have to wait because I just got back into town from Burgos and I had so much fun. It was the first time since I've arrived that I was really really genuinely glad I'm in Spain right now. I have no idea how I am going to see everything in just 9 months.

In Logrono on Friday, Jennis (the other girl from Birmingham) and I went to the necessary offices to get the forms to make the appointments to get the cards to extend our visas. I walked to the bus station in Logrono and bought a ticket for 5:15 pm, which isn't bad but I'd rather have left earlier. So I returned to my apartment to cook some lunch and pack and hang out for a few hours, but then it was suddenly 5:05. The bus station is about 10 minutes away from my apartment, but I managed to get lost and ended up at the train station instead. And it was raining and I was wearing my new boots which I'm not quite used to, and by the time I finally reoriented myself and found the bus station, I was just in time to see my bus pulling out of the carport area. So I spent another 7 euros to get a ticket for 7:30. I was really annoyed with myself and I had left my keys in my apartment, but fortunately my roommates were home.

Fortunately the trip only got better. I got to the bus station 30 minutes early just to be safe. I ended up sitting next to a delightful Spanish girl. We didn't talk until the last 30 minutes of the ride when she asked me if I was burning up (I was). She had actually studied architecture at UC-Davis and is continuing her PhD in Zaragosa but goes home to Burgos every weekend (which seems very common here, going home for the weekend every weekend even if you're in your late 20s). She gave me recommendations on where to eat, and we talked about hamburgers. It was really nice.

I arrived in Burgos at 9:30 pm and my friends Kara (from Palo Alto, lived in Logrono last year and is repeating the program this year in Burgos), John (from Liverpool [I think], doing the program in Burgos), Abby (doing the program in Logrono for the second year and visiting Burgos), and one of the teachers from Kara's school were there waiting for me. We walked to a charming pizza restaurant with a train track along the ceiling and a toy train that came around every once in a while. Everyone was pretty tired, so we walked to John's nice new flat that he is sharing with a police officer named Raquel to watch Love Actually.

The next morning, we stopped at Al Campo, Spain's equivalent to Wal-Mart, where I bought a pack of 6 Snickers for 2.89 (which is really exciting to me; I'm always looking for Snickers), and then took the bus into the center to Kara's apartment. From there, we walked by the beautiful Gothic cathedral and took the stairs to a cafe that has a great view of the city. I'm also always looking for views, but haven't been having much luck except for this time. We had coffee and then went out in search of lunch.

first: I believe this is the Plaza Mayor

second: the streets of Burgos
third: a view of the city
fourth: Kara, Abby, and me
fifth: one of the two rivers that runs through the center

We ran into 3 other English girls in the program who were visiting Burgos and we all sat down to a menu del dia. I tried some of the morcilla (sausage made of rice and congealed pig's blood; it's black) that Abby and John ordered. It could be good if you didn't know what it was. At about 5:15 we met another teacher from Kara's school, Bea, and her boyfriend (Raul, I think) and their friend Javier to drive a little ways out of town and see two monasteries. It was, of course, incredible. Bea, Raul, and Javier were so nice to chaufer us and then they even hung out with us afterwards.

The first monastery we went to was open, so we got to see the sanctuary. It has perhaps the most ornate altar piece I have ever seen. It's also where the parents of Isabella (as in Ferdinand and) are buried. The monks there distill a beverage that's called Chartreuse. It's 71% alcohol. It seems really strange to me that that is what they do.

first: a view of the cathedral

second: a portion of the altar piece; the gold is much more impressive in person
third: the tomb of Juan II and Isabel de Portugal

The next monastery was closed when we got there, but it's where Bea's father was a monk or something before he left and had 5 children. Apparently it's also where the bones of El Cid's horse were found. Both Bea and Raul knew all about these two monasteries and a lot about Burgos so it was almost like a guided tour. The drives to both places were incredible with rolling hills and sunflowers. I'm including a short video because all of the still photos are awful.

After returning to town, we had chocolate and churros (fried dough), which I hadn't had before. The chocolate here is not at all like the hot chocolate at home. It's basically a melted chocolate bar in a cup and it's so rich and wonderful, and then you dip your churros in it. Amazing.
We continued eating for the next few hours, getting tapas at several places in the center of town before heading to a dance club. It was a really nice night. The weather was absolutely gorgeous all weekend, by the way, even though weather.com predicted rain and a high of 50 the whole time.

first: chocolate y churros
second: tapas of quail eggs and chorrizo and red peppers

This morning, we met Jennis (who was in Burgos with the family and friends of her Catalunyan stepmother) for coffee and wondering around for a bit before the 2 pm bus. We went into a museum, but I'm not sure what it was called. It was all works by one Spanish painter during the Impressionism era. There were some nice sketches. The bus ride back to Logrono was nice. Jennis and I sat together and swapped ipods.

first: the courtyard outside of the museum

second: the museum