While taking a The school hosted an excursion on Saturday to Zamora and Toro, two small cities about an hour from Salamanca by bus. Mr Buddha Bear was ready for adventure, so he came along with us. Our first stop was Zamora where we toured a Castle, the first part of which was constructed in the Eleventh and Twelfth Centuries. It is truly beautiful and recently restored so that it is accessible for viewing. As I was climbing on of the turrets of the Castle, I noticed one of our students in the corner peeing on the Castle. I was so dumbstruck at the sight of someone pissing on a historical Site, that all I could say was WTF. When confronted later he seemed to honestly not understand that there was anything inappropriate about his behavior.
Well after the peeing on the castle incident, the day turned upward. We strolled around the city and came across a small plaza where these strange trees literally grew together through their branches. I was sitting having lunch by myself quietly when one of the students came over and started talking to me. We had a very nice conversation. Then later a couple of other students (from other schools) and I started talking and had a very interesting conversation about the Spanish Civil War and its affect on modern day Spain. I hit the jack pot, two conversations in one day! I was ecstatic, almost jumping out of my skin with excitement.
Then we hopped back on the bus and went to Toro, an even smaller place which looked like one of the cities you would find between Bakersfield and Fresno. We wandered through the streets, more or less left ot our own devices to find something interesting. We found a Romanesque Cathedral. It wasn't open, so we only saw the exterior, which was lovely.
After Toro we went to the countryside to a winery for an education in wine making and some wine tasting. I bought some cheese and olive oil as a present for the woman who has been cooking my meals and doing my laundry. Her name is Tori and she is wonderful. If you are ever in Salamanca, her home is a great place to rent a room. You can't get more authentic Spanish than this.
Then that evening we went to a Bodega in a cave, abou fifty feet under ground down some very knarly stairs. We had a delicious dinner with tortilla, chorizo, cheese, ensalada, and ribs. Yummy!! It also included lots of beer and wine, apertif and cigars. and drinking wine out of this glass thing that has a spout. You tip your head back and pour a stream of wine through the air and into your mouth.The kids were all very drunk.
We all went outside for the cigar smoking. While wewere standing around outside a couple of the kids started talking to me. One asked me how long I had been sober. I told her and she said that was great. I said I thought so. We talked a little about my past. Her boyfriend started talking to me .He took a picture of me at the castle when I was leaning on the castle wall staring into space. I didn't know he had taken a picture, but he showed it to me later and it was really a nice picture. These are both very nice young people. The adult in charge threw up on the bus on the way home. lol So glad I don't do that shit anymore. But it was fun and I had lots of laughs and actually had five good conversations about real stuff, which is more than I have had in the whole time I've been here.
I am looking forward to coming home, though I am sad to be leaving here. I came to learn Spanish and I did learn some Spanish, but I learned much more about me. Funny how that works. I love my life and I feel blessed to feel.
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