Navarra/Huesca Final Day

Sunday was the last day of our class trip.  We again rose early for breakfast (which was not nearly as pleasing...only bread and butter and pastries with our coffee, tea, and orange juice and not a lot of choices).  Then we rode the bus for a little less than an hour all the way up the mountain (we were super close to the Pyrinees (spelling??) and the border Spain shares with France).  There, we visited another ancient castle that appeared from afar to be built into a rock (this one you will have to trust me on until you can see the photos).

As with the last castle, this one was very unadorned, but still quite beautiful.  And with a guided tour here, I really felt like I learned a lot of the history surrounding this beautiful ancient building.  No mishaps here...though I did almost get lost when my class was all ahead of me on the way out and I didn't know where they were.  I called Katie and I think I worried her a bit (sorry!).


After a stop in the gift shop to purchase a few souvenirs, it was back to the bus for the long ride home.  At least this time, the place we stopped at for lunch was not too bad...though I ended up just buying a hotdog and snacks from a nearby convenient store (and then walking into the wrong bathroom at the restaurant...that was awkward...but really what do they expect when they only label the bathrooms with a 1x2 inch thing at the very top of the door...honestly!). Unfortunately, this bus ride was not great for my stomach, so I did not feel too great when I got home and consequently did not eat much at dinner (which I think worried Mari Paz).  And because of the time at which we arrived at home, I was again unable to attend Mass :(

Overall, I was really able to enjoy the trip, despite my misgivings about going after Grandma passed away.  All of us really bonded as a class and my professor really took care of us - making sure we liked things, answering questions, getting medicine for everyone who was sick (which was almost everyone - either getting over being sick or becoming sick...seriously, if I do not catch something, it will be a miracle!).

After the and dinner back at my apartment, I was able to Skype my family for quite a while.  It was great to chat not only with my mother but also with my aunt, uncle, and cousin and later my other uncle who lives in California and whom I do not get to spend a lot of time with.  They were all telling me about the funeral and saying that many people asked about me and were concerned about how I was doing.  Then we just chatted in general.

Later after ending the call so they could eat and then calling again, I had become super stressed about my Phonetics quiz (which is tomorrow...so I really should be studying instead of writing this...) and was crying to my mother and just freaking out in general between wanting to be with my family and the stress of the quiz and general exhaustion from my trip.  She suggested we get off so I could go to bed.  And that is exactly what I did.

Peace and Blessings,
Melanie

Spanish Words of the Day:  piedra - rock/stone,