Internetless

I am sorry for the delay in updating my blog, I have been without Internet at the flat for about two weeks now. The previous contract expired and we called to set up a month-to-month contract for us, as no one is going to be there for a full year, and, surprisingly, the company is in no hurry to come and finish the installation of our new router. Needless to say I am less than thrilled about this situation as it means that my productivity level has gone up, but also I can't call home from the privacy of my own flat. I will try to quickly update everyone on my life in Spain.

Work has been going quickly, this is the shortest trimester of the year, and next week is evaluations (I don't really have much to do with grading the students, but it means that my work load is really light because there are lots of reviews and not so many new topics). I finally solved a mystery that has been driving me crazy.  All year there has been a little girl, with a bowl-cut and retainer (one of those girls who you hope puberty is good to or life may be rough), that always comes up to me and 'Hello Tiffany, good morning/afternoon.' To which I always say 'You too' but think 'Who the hell are you?' I paid extra close attention in all of my classes, she is not one of my students. She is a level younger than my youngest class, but she asked what my name was and goes out of her way to say hey to me. In conclusion, I am not crazy and did not forget a student, she is just a funny little girl.

The past two weeks my friends and I have started a new Sunday tradition, 'family lunches'. Lunch is the most important meal of the day in most European countries, and on Sunday most families get together. They even invite the relatives. Europeans are much braver than Americans in that aspect. My friends have been missing this tradition and their homes (though no one quite as much as me, 17 days until my folks are here!!!) and so we have been making makeshift family meals together. Two weeks ago the Italians cooked and we ate at Giorgia's flat. I was full until this week's meal. This week there was French, Italian and Spanish food. After Spring Break it will be my turn to cook up some American dishes....which is a task easier said than done, everyone wants burgers. I told them I can't promise they will taste great, as I've been a vegetarian for ten years, but it's what they want. And I'm not one to disappoint.

Lunch at Giorgia's

Although we have not been blessed by the Internet gods, the sun god has been good to us the past couple of weeks. The weather improved and this weekend we found ourselves on hikes, picnics and enjoying all the sun we could, before today. The forecast calls for a week of rain now. These are shots from our hike on Saturday:

 Starting the hike

 Abandoned house (most likely housed pilgrimages like all the other dilapidated houses on the camino)

 Giulia napping, and me, chowing

 Waterfall

 Giorgia, Elena, Francesca and Giulia

 Tiffanía the Explorer

 Francesca 

 Bridges...

 And more bridges.

So much fresh water and green

Trekkin' on

This week is going very slowly, the closer it gets to my folks coming, the slower the time passes. There is a teacher at my school going to visit his daughter studying in the US the same day I meet up with my folks, and we are dying it is taking so long. Ideally the time should speed up now though, I have a busy week ahead of me and then a trip this weekend. I am going with the Italians to Pontevedra, a town an hour south of here, and to see some Celtic ruins. Then the following weekend to Salamanca (this is the plan, but plans aren't really a thing here...) I am enjoying the improvement in the weather, good company, learning lots of incredibly helpful Italian phrases (jokes) and counting the days...

(sorry for the lack of photos too, I am writing at work, and without Internet at home couldn't share more)