Cafe Solo, por favor: Dear Spain, I Love You

Backpacker's essentials in front of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral

Hola amigos y familia!
I have now been in Spain for 31 days, a month that began with walking 10 days straight over 160 miles and has wrapped up in the Andalusian town of Cadiz, where I will be studying until mid-August. I have passed through small cobble stone villages, explored castles, and eaten delicious paella. I jumped off a 20ft bridge into the Atlantic ocean, walked through Roman ruins, and seen the remains of a 2,000 year old apostle. My typical week day now begins with a strong cup of espresso and a piece of toast, class from 9:30-2, usually a beach trip and ends with exploring the streets of Cadiz in the evenings, when Spain comes alive. We have taken two days trips, one to Jerez where we walked through a castle and then tasted wine at the unique Tio Pepe wine bodega, and the other to Tarifa, a wind-surfing beach town with crystal clear waters and sand dunes you can slide down. Oh I almost forgot, I'm studying Spanish too. In class we work on grammar in the mornings and Spanish culture in the afternoon. We exchange with Spanish students who are trying to practice English, trading off in the languages we speak on our "intercambio dates". Although the practice is much needed and they are great resources for help on homework, the best thing about my intercambios is that they have made me tortilla, my new gastronomical obsession. This little piece of digestive heaven consists of potatoes, onions and peppers held together in egg, almost a keesh like consistency. When I crave something sweet, which happens quite often, I simply have to walk about 40 feet out of my building, which happens to be in a Cathedral plaza with an ocean view, to one of the many Cadiz bakeries for a chocolate croissant. The thought of them make my stomach smile.
Spain is fantastic. The people, the food, the weather, the lifestyle. These 31 days have been incredible and its only the beginning. With this blog I hope to give you a snapshot of my experiences, and introduce you to the people I have met and the adventures I have had. The locations, languages, and faces will change. My Spanish will improve while my cultural awareness will grow. Each day I will learn something new about someone, a new perspective on global history, or taste an exotic food. I am approaching this new life with an open mind and an eagerness for adventure, aided with a little caffeine energy boost. Everyday I begin with un Cafe solo, por favor and then explore. Bring it on Spain.

A Taste of The Camino de Santiago