Coffee and Beaches and Mountains Oh My!

Well things are going just great right now... I know it will make everyone happy and relieved to know I have finally figured out the coffee situation.. The world can continue on it's peaceful course now (it was almost a crisis I'll admit it. And if you have ever seen me without coffee you would know). I suppose it is a good thing but it's also a teriffying thing to see how different I am now that I have coffee in the morning. I am more alert and much happier! I finally went to the store (taking moms advice) and looked for some instant coffee. They have it everywhere. I feel like I was definitely missing out on some basic Spanish custom of drinking instant coffee. In the mornings I get up and grab my coffee out from under my desk (I don't want my host mom to be offended... but I also don't want to try to have that complex conversation with her either). I put some milk and water in a mug and then heat it up in the microwave and then add the coffee and then BAM! Cup o' Joe for the morning. It's been great... Yesterday was a local holiday in Oviedo so everything was closed and we didn't have class. It's an ancient holiday that dates back to some time where the queen of Asturias gave all of the peasants the day off and also gave them all a sandwich to eat in the park. Today people still take sandwiches to the park and apparently it is still quite the big deal around here. Everything was closed in Oviedo so Ryan and I decided to hop on a bus to a nearby city called Luanco for some time in the sun. It was so nice! We spent all day on the beach relaxing and listening to music. The beach we went to was hidden in a little alcove so the waves weren't very big and it was really shallow which was totally my pace as far as the ocecan goes. After our nice peaceful Tuesday it was back to the grind finishing up a week of school. School hasn't been too bad so far but it does get a little hard to pay attention after four hours of nothing but Spanish. The classroom makes me feel very smart because the professor is so enthusiastic whenever we get anything right so it gives me a false impression of my speaking abilities.. These are quickly dashed once I get back out on the streets and try to purchase allergy medicine at the pharmacy. Ryan and I made a pathetic attempt to try and act out "allergys" to the clerk at the pharmacy and eventually gave up and asked if they spoke English. We struggled our way through asking her if they were "non-drowsy" as well. One of my favorite things so far about Spain is listening to stories from my friends about all the funny things that have happened to them while trying to communicate with the locals in Oviedo. One of my friends tried to get some coffee to go this morning so she went into a cafe and said "cafe ir porfavor" which directly translates into English as "cofee to go please". The people at the cafe laughed and laughed at her because in Spanish "ir" means "to go" but it refers only to objects and people that can actually move so they made a joke about how the coffee was going to leave with her from the cafe. Sometimes the communication barrier here can be frustrating but for the most part the people here are incredibly patient and understanding. And now for the latest update on my whereabouts and experiences in this beautiful country. I think Spain is the hidden gem of Europe... You don't ever hear people really talk about Spain but it has been one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen and I wish I could spend some time in southern Spain so I could compare. Northern Spain has been nothing like I was expecting. It is so green and mountainous here in Asturias! It was rainy and foggy today but we went up into the mountains to see a couple small fishing towns one of which has an ancient basicalla at the top of a mountain with a chapel in a small cave on the side of a mountain. It was one of the most phenomenal things I have ever seen. I wish my pictures could do it justice. The long windy road up to the basilica was lush and green with little cottages covered in flowers and moss lining the roads. After we visited the church we climbed even further into the mountains to see the lakes although there was so much fog we couldn't see more than two feet in front of us. I am kinda sad that we couldn't see the lake very well because there are supposedly some amazing views from the top but at the same time the fog was beautiful and quite unlike anything I have ever seen before. The long windy road up to the lakes was incredibly narrow and dropped off on both sides at some point.. It reminded me a lot of the Road to Hana in Hawaii or a very green version of Hell's Backbone in southern Utah. It was an adventure to say the least! I know I probably sound like a broken record at this point but I need to say it again: I am so happy to be here! This truly has been the experience of a lifetime. I am also really thankful for the kids I've met here and have become such close friends with. You really bond with people when you are trying to survive in a foreign country together. Anyways, after this we went back down the mountain and crossed this huge river a couple of times which is apparently the river we are going to go kayaking down in a couple weeks! We ended up in a small fishing village on the ocean which had some of the most amazing views I have ever seen! We climbed to the top of this grassy hill on one side of the beach and had an incredible view of the rocky cliffs and ocean below. At the top of this hill was a small church and a quaint stone trail that lead to it. I have to say Europe is far exceeding my expectations and it has lived up to every vision I have ever had of what I thought it would look like here. Needless to say our excursion today was something I will remember for the rest of my life! I am currently back at my house right now writing my blog and watching the rain outside. Tonight my friends and I are meeting up after dinner to go see a movie in Spanish and then we are headed to a local Karaoke bar my host mom has been telling me I need to go to. After that we might go dancing somewhere...? I'm not sure I will make it that long considering the Karaoke bar doesn't even open until midnight! Most clubs and bars in Spain don't open until 2 am and then they stay open until 8 am... I will never be able to experience the bar scene like a true local I guess and honestly I'm not too sad about it. I like going to bed at a reasonable time! Tomorrow afternoon I am meeting my friends at the local Sunday market in "Old Oviedo" near the cathedral. Markets have taken place in this spot for many centuries in Oviedo so it will be cool to experience that. After that we might go on a hike depending on the weather and then we are headed to a cafe to plan our free weekend. Next week we don't have class on Friday and they are giving us the weekend to go explore. My friends and I are planning to take a bus to San Sebastian and Bilbao which are on the coast of Spain near the border of France. Apparently the beaches there are some of the best in the world. There is the Guggeneheim museum in Bilbao as well which I am really excited to see. As of next Wednesday I am officially halfway through the program and I can't believe how quickly the time has gone by! There are many more adventures to be had before the end and I will try to keep my blog as updated as possible with tales and pictures! ¡Hasta Luego!