Bienvenidos a España

After a crazy day of traveling (which actually felt like 4 days) I have arrived in Toledo, Espana.. 


I had a wonderful send off at the airport from my parents, kat and seth. And then a not so wonderful flight delay, which caused a lot of waiting.. and napping on the airport floor.

Followed by 30 U of M students running through the ATL airport so we wouldn't miss our connecting flight to Madrid. With a little turbulence, and not a lot of sleep, we made our way to Spain. The flight went quickly and before I knew it, I was standing in the bright morning sunshine of Madrid. 


We took a bus to Toledo, where we were dropped off at the school (aka la fundacion or la fund) where we had some time to settle in. I love my dorm room. Its a single, and it is the perfect size for all of my things. I'm so excited! I'll post pictures of my room as soon as all of my stuff is put away


Of course we had to go exploring with our free time. A group of us walked around for an hour and a half.. I was immediately reminded why Toledo is known for its hills, and that is because they are giant. My legs were tired within the first 3 minutes of walking, but I'm sure in no time I'll be used to it. The city is like a little maze, with cool shops scattered all around. Toledo is stunningly beautiful, and I am excited to spend the semester here.

This is the entrance to the school. It seems really small but it's actually a really large building.

 

Here is the view of the cathedral from the tallest tower of the fund. There are windows on all sides of the tower so you can see the city from every angle. Its so beautiful

These are the hills that surround the main part of Toledo, which is enclosed by walls. There are a lot of cool houses and buildings up on the hills.

An aerial view of Toledo.. Taken from the 9th floor of la biblioteca (the library). The library in Toledo is enormous- actually, it's one of the largest in Spain.

From the main plaza in Toledo, you can look out this key hole and see the surrounding hills.

This is a close up view of the cathedral.. It's huge, and only 2 blocks from the school.

Now, it's 10 pm in Spain, 2 pm at home, and I am exhausted. We have our placement exams tomorrow morning at 9 so I'm calling it an early night. I can't wait to see what this semester has in store, because I am already loving every moment I spend here.. I especially love the people in my program. Everyone is so nice and we are all becoming fast friends. This is only going to make the experience that much more meaningful.. 

I'll post more pictures of my dorm and of the school manana. 

Besos y todo mi amor,

Chels