Ahh, Mangos!

I'm eating a fresh mango that my host mom cut up for me. Well, cut it off the pit. She didn't really need to cut it up for me. I just re-read my title and realized that I hate technology because there is no way of conveying emotion. When I typed it I was imagining my tone resembling, "Ahh shoot!" But it came across aw a relaxed feel. Like I'm laying in a hammock underneath two palm trees eating a mango and drinking a piña colada. False. Although a bit later I might go out with some friends and get a mojito.

Currently I am sitting in the host mom's apartment and I'm working on some flashcards. I've been having issues with remember little phrases and words so I'm starting to crack down. Over the course of the past three days I have made over 250 little scraps of paper that all have Spanish phrases scrawled all over them. I also found this really cool website for practicing conjugating verbs. It tells you your percent right, will time you if you want, and it has a cute little frog that wears a hat that cheers you on. Well, he doesn't move... But I like to imagine he's cheering me on! It covers all languages (French, Spanish, etc.) so anyone learning a language might find it useful. There you are my friends.

https://conjuguemos.com/index.php

I've been practicing my 8-foot tail off!

As I had promised, I would talk about my trip to Toledo, Segovia, and Burgos. All were beautiful in their own way. Burgos was nice because it had a really pretty river cut through town and the Catedral de Burgos was... Well, is was simply amazing. I saw a painted work by da Vinci in there. It was simply breathtaking... Truly amazing. See for yourself.

I don't think I will ever be able to get over how beautiful their history and how fantastical their cathedrals are. Everything is just so... Elegant. And magical. Magical is the perfect description for Toledo too. Fun fact: That was the place where all of the weaponry and metalwork was done for The Lord of the Rings. Yeah, I went there. No big deal. Anyways, the reason their smithing is so famous is because of the river that essentially makes their city an island. It separates the old town from the new. The runoff from the rocks adds an amazing mineral to the water. Way back in the old days they discovered this magical mineral when their weaponry always cut, had amazing elasticity, and promised a good fight. All of the metal-work to this day, all the swords, knives, pocket-knifes, etc, are all made in the city. They pride themselves on it. And why not? That's pretty frickin' cool if you ask me.

While I was in Toledo, it was the annual festival celebrating El Grecco. Also amazing. I saw El entierro del Señor de Orgaz. Yes, I saw it in person. No, I was not allowed to take pictures. Yes, I got as close as I could, which was about 7 ft. away. Kinda cool. ALSO! I don't know if you know this about me but I am literally in love with marzipan. If you think it's gross you can leave, because it's amazing. They make the most amazing marzipan in Toledo. My friend suggest a shop to try, we went in.... I will forever be ruined of any other marzipan again. They had some with sweet pumpkin folded inside. SWEET PUMPKIN! They also had one covered in pine-nuts as well as the marzipan fruit (which had a chocolate filled inside that when you bit into it, the flavor of whatever fruit you had, would gush out of the chocolate like a wave of liquid happiness).

Segovia and Toledo were both very warm. My PNW blood couldn't take the dry heat. But they were beautiful. I went to a castle, yes a real life castle, in Segovia. I also stood in the center of the Roman Aqueducts. That was a wave of history. Ha-ha. Wave. Water. Get it? Daire made a funny.

Anyways, I have to get back to the grind of verb-practice.

Until next time!