The most famous part of the Universidad de Salamanca is the Fachada de la Universidad. On the façade, is a tiny frog carved into the sculpture. Supposedly, if you can find it without anyone helping you, you get good luck. Can you find it?
La Fachada de la Universidad:
The University also has a very old and very famous library you can tour:
The defining feature of the Salamanca skyline is the Cathedral (which is actually two cathedrals: the larger Catedral Nueva and the smaller Catedral Vieja. In the 18th century a massive earthquake, or terremoto, ripped through the entire Iberian Peninsula and damaged much of Salamanca. A man, called Mariquelo, climbed to the top of the bell tower of the new cathedral to ring the bells and warn the city. In memory of this feat, every October 30th Salamanca holds a festival called Mariquelo Day, which is composed of a parade, speaches, and of course...an honorary Mariquelo climbing to the top of the church's tower (yes, that's without safety harnesses or any of that good stuff!)
La Catedral Nueva:
The street outside the Cathedrals, Rua Mayor, looks like this:
There is also a well-known Art Nouveau museum in Salamanca. (Art Nouveau is a decorative style of artwork from the turn of the century...think Moulin Rouge.) The architecture and stained glass is really pretty, but when I went to see the exhibits last time I was here, I wasn't too impressed. Here is the outside of the museum, La Casa Lis:
On Friday, some of us decided to go swimming at the Piscina de la Almedilla. At indoor pools in Spain, it's mandatory that everyone wear a gorra de baño, or a swim cap, in order to enter the water. At outdoor pools, swimmers don't have to do this however, as the atmosphere is more laid back. I got a kick out of seeing swim lessons being taught in Spanish, since I used to teach them myself! Additionally, in Spain, lifeguards have a great deal of training, often military experience, and thus they are older and much better paid than the teenagers who often take the position in the United States. Here is a picture of the pool we went to:
Friday evening, we went to the Plaza Mayor to hang out for a little while and eat some tapas (appetizers). Here's a picture of my new friends Erica, John, Chris, and I in the Plaza:
There are always different things going on in the plaza, and on Friday there happened to be a street performer. Some sort of a mime/goth/comedian/stuntman, his biggest act was riding a unicycle through a double dutch jump rope...that was on fire. It was pretty cool to watch:
Ever thought about how electric sockets and light switches look in Spain (and most of Europe, for that matter)?
Or what about the fact that puppies are just as cute in Spain as they are in the U.S.?
If you like puppies, check out the video I took of the ones above that I found in a shop window:
To finish off before I go to bed, here are 10 random facts I bet you didn't already know about Spain:
1.) Eggs are never refrigerated...Americans just think they need to be.
2.) Mullets are everywhere.
3.) McDonalds and Burger King have beer on the menu.
4.) If a waiter brings you your check at a restaurant without your asking, it's incredibly rude and a sign he wants you to leave.
5.) Going running/jogging outside is just plain weird.
6.) There are no leash laws for dogs...there are no "clean up" laws for dogs either...
7.) Gas in Spain is currently at the U.S. equivalent of $12/gallon!
8.) If you enter a store without saying hello to the person working there, you are being rude.
9.) About 90% of males (adults and kids) wear speedos.
10.) Peanut Butter is in the "foreign foods" section of the grocery store.
Up next will be posts on the bull fight I went to in Ávila, and my trip to Madrid today!
¡Buenas noches a todos!
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