“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller

*¡Beso!* ¡Beso!*

Did you know that when Spaniards, or los españoles, greet each other they always give each other one kiss to each cheek? This is true between men and women, and women and women. Men greet one another with a firm handshake. It is very normal, and would even be considered rude to not give a kiss.

And here is another interesting thing… here in Spain, all of my friends and teachers call me Victoria. Although this is my name, “Tori” is not a common name in Spain. Instead, the nickname for Victoria is “Vicky”. What do you think some other Spanish names would be?

I saw this advertisement, or annuncio, in the Metro Station, and thought of you all! Here are some examples of Spanish names. Which ones are your favorite? What would you like your Spanish name to be?

Have you been able to make any plans to visit the ancient Seven Seas? Can you still remember the names of all seven? And how about those Spanish dishes? Hope I did not make you all too hungry!

As I mentioned in the last post, I was about to embark on my next journey, this time to Salamanca!

On the way to Salamanca, my group and I stopped in a city called San Lorenzo de El Escorial, where there is a 16th-century monastery, or  monasterio, built when Phillip II was king. Today this building is a monastery and a school for kids your age! You can also find a church, a library of over 40,000 books, and the tombs of royal family members from the 1500’s.

Salamanca is a city in western Spain, in the community of Castile y León.  It is known for its’ beautiful buildings, and excellent universities. Some of the best Spanish language classes in the world are taught in Salamanca. In fact, The University of Salamanca, which was founded in 1218, is the oldest university in Spain!

One of the many beautiful buildings in Salamanca is  La Catedral Nueva, which started to be constructed in 1513, and finally finished in 1733! Here is a picture of the front of La Catedral.

Here is something you all might find interesting, too! Because La Catedral is quite old, it often needs reconstruction… which in 1992, led to one prankster carving this into the wall of La Catedral!

Do you remember the picture of the bear statue found in Plaza Mayor in Madrid? Well, did you know that almost every city in Spain has a Plaza Mayor? Here is a picture of the one in Salamanca!

On our way home from Salamanca, we stopped in another city called Ávila. In this city, you can find a very large, very famous stone wall! This is impressive because it was constructed in the 11th-14th centuries. This medieval work has a perimeter of approximately 2,516 meters (8,254 feet), and 12 meters (40 feet) tall!

This weekend, I will be going to Granada… we are going to see Al Alhambra! I’ll be taking lots of pictures for you all, so please send me any questions you may have about my travels, or any other part of my life here in Spain.

¡Dos besos!

Tori a.k.a. Victoria