Last Week's Higlights

Alright, guys. I am blogging instead of working on my 4 papers or studying for my exams which are all next week, so you better be proud of this commitment. Ok, who am I kidding, I'm procrastinating. :P I'll try to keep this post short so I can get back to legitimate productivity.

Last week was same old same old. Classes are gearing up for finals and the semester long kids are making preparations to leave Sevilla. It will be so weird to be here without them!

Last weekend was absolutely fantastic! My friends Jessica, Michele, and I flew up to Northwestern Spain, an area known as Galicia. We were in the town of Santiago de Compostela, the capital of this area which is known around the world for being a famous pilgrimage destination.

The apostle Saint James (San Santiago) is the patron Saint of Spain. Legend has it that St. James preached in both the Iberian Peninsula and Jerusalem, and after his martyrdom, his relics were transported to the town of Compostela. Ever since St. Jame's relics were placed in the Cathedral, it has attracted pilgrims from around the world. There are several different routes to Santiago de Compostela, starting in England, France, and Southern Spain.

The symbol of the pilgrims is a seashell. There are a few legends explaining why. One is that on route to Santiago from Jerusalem, his body fell off the boat and into the sea. It washed ashore completely unharmed and covered in scallop shells.

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The Cathedral was the highlight of Santiago. It is a beautiful building and it was astounding to think that people have been traveling here for hundreds upon hundreds of years. 

Apart from the Cathedral, Michele and Jessica and I spent a lot of our time walking around the city, which is really easy to navigate. Santiago was magical. It had a really old world feel. Most buildings are made of stone and have moss and greenery overtaking them, which makes the whole city feel cozy and charming. We went to several beautiful parks and just soaked in all the greenery, which is lacking in Sevilla. 

 Michele knew a Spanish university student who lives in Santiago, which was great! It's always a lot more fun if a local can show you around and teach you about the city. We got to eat some fantastic Galician food, a lot of which is seafood because they are so close to the ocean. My favorite thing I ate was an octopus empanada. Since the octopus was mixed into a pastry, you didn't get the full on squishy texture, which is why I think I could stomach it.

Pulpo (octopus) in a storefront window

Our trip to Santiago, while cold, was so fun and relaxing. It was the perfect way to take a breather and chill before the last week of classes and finals. So much has to be done this week; it's a bit intimidating. 

I have made one major dent in my pile of work, and that is finishing the 1100 page  nightmare that is Don Quijote! Don't get me wrong, Cervantes is a literary genius. There are some brilliant ideas and themes hidden within this book, and I'm proud to say that I've read it. I'm also so incredibly relieved that it's over. 

Reading Don Quijote was a lot of this:

Gah, do I have to?

And this:

ummm wat?

And this:

zzzz

But now it's over, and I can just put the book up on my shelf, and point it out to people and say, "Hey... look, I read that. Be amazed. :P" 

Alright, I should really get back to studying. There is so much to be done in a week. I hope to make a blog post about Christmas in Sevilla sometime soon. The decorations and the food are amazing!!! Hasta luego!