¡Feliz Navidad!

Toledo has adorned the Casco (the historic neighborhood, where I live) with beautiful lights. The main street from the Plaza to the Cathedral has a "roof" of draped lights complete with "chandeliers" and many other streets have unique presentations as well. I love walking around at night; if only there were a little snow, too!

It is hard to believe Christmas is so close! I will be home in about 32 hours or so (not that I'm counting!). My flight leaves Madrid tomorrow at 6:40 AM, so I will head to the airport late tonight and camp out for a few hours before boarding. I am almost ready to go, too! (Almost).



Here are a few tidbits from the last week that made me smile:

A paper airplane, decorated and all, from Ángel in third grade:


A bow made from a tissue and colored purple, from Sandra, in first grade:


And a letter asking for forgiveness from Pablo, a five year old, for misbehaving in our private lesson:


Though the cookies I made don't taste nearly as great as when Mom and I make them at home, the teachers loved them!



I am so anxious to spend time with my family! I hope and pray that your holidays are filled with joy and peace. "Let your hearts be light!"

Un abrazo y ¡feliz navidad!

P.s. I posted pictures from my trip north! Click the link on the right to see them. Merry Christmas!

Nahi Euskal Herriko I

(I think that is how you say "I love País Vasco" in Vasco).



This weekend in País Vasco (Basque Country) was absolutely lovely! The ocean views, the tapas, the weather (it didn't rain!), the people, the culture, the history...I loved it!



We rented a car in Toledo and left Thursday morning for San Sebastian. We arrived mid-afternoon and after settling into our hostel we walked along the coast. It was a beautiful walk, and I took picture after picture of the water (and I now realize that they are all very similar...). There were some pretty big waves, and it I made a game of trying to capture a picture without getting drenched!




(These pictures are all from San Sebastian on Thursday afternoon; I'm writing this at work and I don't have any other pictures uploaded!).

Friday morning we wandered around town, stopped into a neat bookstore, picked up picnic materials from an underground supermarket (it was literally underneath the plaza outside our hostel), and went to the beach! We enjoyed our lunch and the incredible views for a few hours. Then, we went back to the hostel to clean up before venturing into France for the evening. We were only 30 minutes from the Spanish/French border, and decided to hop over for dinner. We ended up in the splashy (pun intended) resort town Biarritz just after the sun had set. We took another, this time chilly, walk along the beach and took what pictures we could in the dark. We walked through the town, which is full of shops and restaurants. We ate in a very small but lovely restaurant. There was one friendly waiter, and when we asked if he spoke Spanish or English (we forgot our French phrasebook!) he replied: "Habla little". Our attempts to communicate were quite entertaining and our dinner was delicious. We drove back to San Sebastian for the night and said goodbye to the city in the morning.

Saturday we left around 12:00, after another stop by the beach, to drive to Bilbao. The main reason we rented a car was to travel the coast on our way. It was lovely! Breathtaking view after breathtaking view. We stopped for lunch in another resort town and ate at a table practically on the sand. It was chilly, but sunny. We tried the local cider (I didn't care for it) and with full bellies we were on the road again. After another stop in a small, colorful town, we turned south for Bilbao, with a brief drive through Guernica. Guernica is the subject of Picaso's famous painting; it was targeted and destroyed by bombing under Franco's direction in 1937. Franco used the city as an example, warning the Basque people to quell their hunger for independence.

We arrived in Bilbao around 6:00pm and settled in our hotel. We went for tapas to a restaurant recommended in the guidebook. It was a beautiful building opened in 1903! It was very popular, and thus very crowded. I love the theory of tapas, but I still get overwhelmed in the busy bars. We did discover the pichos morunos. In the back corner of the bar was a father-son duo with a rectangle box of charcoal, cooking skewers of meat. The line was long, but well worth the wait. They were delicious!

We caught the first half of the Barcelona-Real Madrid game, but left when it was tied 1-1. The drive wore us out, and we were wary of the early morning on Sunday...

We left the hotel around 8:30 in search of the old neighborhood and it's bustling market. We arrived too early for any bustle, but were able to quietly peruse the few tables (mostly full of books and antiques, though I did see a live-bird display...) before the square filled. We had coffee and pastries, followed by chocolate con churros and tortilla...not exactly well balanced, but so delicious.

We then went to the Guggenheim Museum, the must-see attraction in Bilbao. It was very interesting! Modern art isn't my favorite, but the building is fascinating.

While we were walking to the car we spotted Subway, and picked up sandwiches for the road. Yum!

And that was that, we were heading home to Toledo. We arrived without incident, except for some confusion around Madrid (read: we didn't know which highway to take). It was tiring, but a wonderful trip!

Spain has four distinct and official languages, each in a separate region. Castellano (what we know as Spanish) is spoken in the central and southern parts of the country; Gallego is spoken in Galicia, in the northwest; Catalán is spoken in Cataluña in the east (where Barcelona is located); Vasco (Euskedi, in Vasco) is spoken in País Vasco to the north. Castellano is spoken in all parts, but the other languages are also very widely used. Luckily, communication is not a problem, because most people speak both.

There is a strong push for independence from Spain among the Basque people. You may be familiar with the ETA, which is the Euskadi Ta Askatasuna. It translates to Basque Homeland and Freedom, and operates as a paramilitary group promoting independence. Previously, the group partook in terrorist activities against the Spanish government. I learned from a teacher that the violence has subsided and the group has promised to work more peacefully towards their goals.

I didn't notice any anger or resentment. Just lovely people and lovely cities. And an interesting language. For example:
"I enjoyed my holiday in Basque Country." translates to: "Nire opor gozatu I Euskadi."

The language is ancient, and it has not been reputably connected with any other language. It was likely spoken before Indo-European romance languages.

On another note, guess what?! I will be home in just one week (from tomorrow)!! I was told by a teacher that my excitement makes me look very pretty. Haha.

I hope all your Christmas preparations, both in your home and in your heart, are going well!

Un abrazo.

Rapid Fire

It is really late over here (late for this old lady, anyway) but I am determined to give you a recap of the last week(s) before I leave tomorrow for Pais Vasco!

Bear with me, I am about to bombard you with potentially very boring anecdotes from my life. As the students say in gym class: Ready, steady, GO!

I had two lovely Thanksgiving dinners. We celebrated on Thursday with a small group (we even included two Spaniards!) and a big meal. And on Sunday someone in my program hosted many of the auxiliares for another delicious meal and pleasant afternoon. Here are pictures of Thanksgiving Thursday:

The food:



The company (minus two):



This has been a pretty easy week: Tuesday was Día de la Constitución and therefore a national holiday (day off work) and tomorrow is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, which is also a national holiday. And, we have what is known as a "puente" (bridge), so Friday is a day off work, as well (though I normally have those free)!



Saturday I went with friends to have churros con chocolate. Translation: pure sugar heaven:


After that we went to the public library to do some work, and we discovered a new, beautiful study room! I'm going to call it the West Wing, due to it's somewhat secretive location (Sorry, I am not referencing the television drama, but my favorite Disney movie instead...I am a child):



Sunday I went to Cuenca with Jessica, Alex, and a professor from Jessica's school. It was a beautiful, sunny day (though chilly). Cuenca is known for the "casas calgadas", which are hanging houses built into the chiseled cliffs. We went to The Museum of Abstract Art. I am not normally a huge fan of abstract art, but thoroughly enjoyed the museum, and found a few artists I really like. It helps that Raquel is an artist and was able to help interpret the art work. We found another art museum-modern art-but we just took a quick walk-through to see the building (quite impressive, I think it was once a monastery/church). Here are a few pictures, but more to come next week:







This dish is typical of Cuenca. Part of me does not want to admit what it is, since I did indeed eat some. Intestines. Gross, I know. It didn't taste horrible, though I probably won't eat it again. But, you know what they say: When in Cuenca, do as the Cuencans.


Yesterday I spent most of the day in bed with another yucky cold (I feel much better today, so I am hoping the extra rest did the trick!) and writing a paper for my online class. When I couldn't stand being cooped up anymore, Jessica and I went searching for a quiet cafe to study and read. We couldn't find one that wasn't busting at the seems, but we did stumble upon a free art exhibit!

It is a collection of Baroque art (one of my favorite periods in art history), and mostly Spanish painters. There is currently a photography exhibit featuring the nature in Spain's 13 National Heritage cities. A neat realization: both Toledo and Salamanca made the list; I have called two of the thirteen cities home! Another interesting fact is that the museum used to be a church. I saw my friend Patricia at the exhibit, and she said that the Church in Spain has had to sell a few properties to the government; there are too many big, beautiful buildings to maintain. I am at least glad that this is being used as something as worthy as an art museum!


As we were walking home, brainstorming dinner plans, we came across a new bakery that opened recently just down from our building. We went in "just for a look" and left with a spinach quiche, blueberry cheesecake, and a free sample of hot chocolate. It was all delicious-perhaps dangerously so.

Happy Constitution Day, Spain!

The Christmas lights are up and on in Toledo! I didn't think the streets could get much prettier, but they certainly have. I love it; I finally feel like Christmas is approaching. Speaking of Christmas, I will be home in two weeks to celebrate the holidays! I cannot wait!




This week's timing of holidays is especially sweet because Tuesday and Thursday are my days at the preschool; and I mean no offense to the little ones, but I relished the break. I must say, it is sweet to hear the excited "Hello, teacher!" while walking through the hallways.

I am really enjoying teaching the science classes. I don't know if I have two great classes, or if I have a captive audience (unlike P.E. where they just want to run around and play soccer-ahem, "fútbol"), but I love these two hours. I think it is because I feel the most useful.

Today after school there was a "tortilla y tapas" competition! It was pretty delicious-I can't say I minded eating with a purpose to determine the best tortilla (it is one of my favorite Spanish dishes: an egg and potato deal, similar to a fritata. But different; I am determined to learn how to make it one of these days!). I actually made bruschetta (way to represent America, I know) to "enter" in the competition, but I left in a hurry this morning and forgot to bring it!

Phew! There you have it. You can't say I didn't warn you.

As I said, tomorrow I am going to San Sebastian, and Bilbao on Saturday. We (Jessica, Alex, and Greyson-another from my program) rented a car (that was a learning experience...) so we are heading out on our first Spanish road trip! Saint Christopher-please protect us!

Much love y un abrazo muy fuerte.

A joy of teaching preschool...

Singing this song until my voice is gone (especially bad when I wake up with a sore throat):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YViTTwA2IK4

I apologize if you end up singing it to yourself all day! Join the club!

I will write more later. I just wanted to share that song...haha.

Learning the Language

The English language, that is. Last week I had a few funny/interesting moments when asked about English.

Cristina, a second grade teacher, called me into a debate with Miguel, a student teacher (with whom I have an English conversation class). Earlier that week, when Cristina asked Miguel "How are you?", he responded: "I'm good." She promptly corrected him, saying that "I am well" is the appropriate response. He challenged her. This is where I stepped in, and said that, though "well" is the correct usage, "good" is commonly (if not more commonly) used as a response. However, as a true student would, I just now looked up the difference, and found this interesting explanation:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/good-versus-well.aspx

I am teaching a unit on Healthy Habits to 1st and 2nd graders. I explained the difference between one tooth and many teeth, but then felt silly when I said: "We use a tooth brush and tooth paste when we brush our teeth." Luckily, no one called me out on the peculiarity of that sentence.


A friend in the university has a few qualms with the English language, including our penchant to "make up" words. He used "to google" as an example. I would argue that this occurs in every language, to some extent.

During one of my private conversation classes, I had to explain "shopping spree" to someone. It was an interesting thought process, and there is not a direct translation into Spanish. (I started with: "It is every woman's dream..." Kidding; I ended with that line).

Another idea difficult to translate? Thanksgiving. The name translates into "Día de Acción de Gracias" but the meaning is a challenge to convey well. The history isn't such a beautiful thing to explain, but the celebration into which it has evolved? I absolutely love.

I had a lovely celebration on Thursday with Jessica, a friend Alex, another American and two Spaniards. We did our best at recreating our favorite dishes, and it turned out quite well! Nothing like home, but it certainly brought a sense of comfort. I have another dinner on Sunday with a group of people from my program. Pictures will follow!

I hope you all enjoyed a lovely holiday with your families, and took time to give thanks for all the blessings, both big and small.

Un abrazo.

Thankful Thoughts

Happy, happy Thanksgiving!

I will admit, it is strange, and quite sad, to be anywhere but home with my family this time of the year.

However, in the true spirit of the day, I am focusing on all for which I am thankful. And it is quite a list!

This family:


This sweet, sweet boy:


This boy (also very sweet!):


These friends (there are many, many more!):






This beautiful city I am able to call "home":


Among other things:
*My faith; I appreciate more than ever my relationship with God, and feel particularly blessed to be able to so openly practice my faith.
*My education, and the opportunities made available to me; especially my thesis work last spring.
*My health, and the health of my family members. I am grateful we do not have to struggle daily with life-threatening diseases.

Though I am very homesick today, I appreciate the reminder of all my blessings. I hope you all enjoy the day, and find and appreciate all the wonderful blessings in your life!

And remember:

"It is not the happy who are thankful, it is the thankful who are happy."

Much love today, and always.

Sarah

Friend

I am almost shaking in excitement because I am about to leave for the train station; I am going to Madrid to pick up Mary, a dear friend from Bellarmine. She is spending the semester in Sweden, and is flying in for the weekend! I can't wait to see a familiar face and catch up with her!

Un abrazo.

El colegio

Hello, I know my blog posts have been sparse lately, and I apologize. Life is busy, but going well, overall. I am still missing home like crazy. And the weather is turning cold! And rainy. The time has come to purchase a winter coat. And buy an umbrella (I lost the one I brought from home, at an inopportune time).

It is tough being away from home at this time of year. My sweet nephew celebrated his first birthday yesterday. His beautiful mother, my wonderful older sister, has a birthday next week (but for my sake, I won't post her age!). And of course, there is Thanksgiving soon-it hurts to miss that day.

On the bright side (I keep trying to focus on the bright side), I will be in the states on December 22! So soon! I need to keep that in mind. I am looking forward to the time with my family so very much.

Anyway, I have been wanting to write this post for awhile. I am going to explain a little bit about the educational system in Spain, as there are a few differences.

Infantíl (Preschool): three levels for ages three, four, and five years.

Primaria (Elementary, primary school): there are six levels, starting with the 1st at age six, until age 11 in level six.

Secundaria (Middle school): there are two cycles of compulsory secondary education, the 1st (ages 12-14) and the 2nd (ages 14-16). This is the end of the obligatory education. Students may now leave school to seek employment, continue to vocational training, or complete secondary education to prepare for university.

Bachillerato (non-obligatory high school): at this level, students complete a core curriculum and choose certain concentrations based upon personal interests. At this point, students complete an exam in order to enter the university.

My job:
I teach at a public preschool and primary school, CEIP (Colegio de educación infantil y primaria) San Juan Evangelista. This is one of two primary schools in Sonseca. There is one large secondary school in Sonseca as well. My campus is actually divided into two buildings, one with preschool and levels one and two. The other building houses levels three, four, five, and six. There are three-four classes for each group, each with at least 20-25 students.

I work with students from age three to age nine. Per my program guidelines, I do not have my own classroom. Instead, I move from class to class and assist the teachers with their lessons. My purpose is to provide a native accent for the students to hear.

Science and Physical Education are partially taught in English, and these are the classes I work with the most (except for the preschoolers), Science and PE. Essentially, I explain the lessons to the students. I speak slowly and use lots of gestures. Their English level is impressive, but not near perfect. There are certain classes that have better English comprehension skills than others. The students who understand less often get frustrated with me, and often give me sass. The teachers of the upper levels are very helpful, and I rarely have to do much disciplining.

So, there is a little bit about my days! Below are a few pictures (I took them on my iPhone, while walking and trying to not look creepy. I apologize for the quality).

Un abrazo.





P.s. My short getaway to Madrid was great! It was a beautiful, sunny day-maybe the last of the warmth we will have this year...I enjoyed just walking around the city (and some Thai food!). A blog post is coming, and hopefully before I'm home for Christmas, hah!

Sweet Escape

Holaaaa:

Lo siento que no he escrito esta semana; fue muy ocupada y dificil. Y por eso, esta mañana voy a Madrid con dos amigas. Nos quedamos allí por la noche y regresaremos mañana. Un pequeño escape!

Hasta mañana.

Helloooo:

I am sorry I haven't written this week; it was a very busy and tough week. And so, this morning I am going to Madrid with two friends. We will stay the night and come back tomorrow. A little escape!

Until tomorrow!

Great Hearts

"Great hearts, my dear master, should be patient in misfortune as well as joyful in prosperity."
-Miguel Cervantes, Don Quixote (Chapter LXVI of the Second Part)

I will confess, I have not read Cervantes' great work. Soon, perhaps. I found this phrase on the internet, and I liked it. So here we are.

Though I haven't read the book, I did visit Consuegra, the city with the windmills which inspired the scene in Don Quixote. It is a charming little pueblo about one hour south of Toledo. We (Jessica, my roommate, and Allyson, a friend from the program, and I) took a bus and enjoyed abundant sunshine (which was quite a treat considering the rain we had here last week) while we walked along the quiet path connecting the windmills.

There is also a castle along the path; unfortunately we could not go inside because we arrived just as it was closing for siesta...

It started raining as we were waiting for our bus, so we were very thankful we had sunshine for our climb, because it was very windy at the top of the hill.

Make sure you look at my album for more pictures and anecdotes!

Un abrazo.

Sarah

Rome, Sweet Rome

I had the most lovely of weekends in Rome. The best part? Being with my family. Ana, Doug, William and I had a quiet weekend which we filled walking throughout the city and enjoying delicious coffee in small cafes and parks. Ana and Doug had already taken in much of the sights, and I visited Rome in 2010. Therefore, we didn't feel pressure to rush around taking in all there is to see (and there is certainly a lot to see!).

Highlights:
How the Italians flocked to little William! And he is quite the charmer, and ate up the attention.

Young Italian men blaring the bass from their itty, bitty Smart cars.

The weather was beautiful! Warm and sunny everyday. It could not have been better.

Speaking Spanish to a sweet nun in The Church of the Sacred Heart. She was able to tell me the story of St. Raphaela, who was born in Spain and founded this nun's order. I was able to translate for Ana and Doug. William wasn't interested.

Seeing William crawl! It is so hard being away from him; I know he will change so much in the stretch from January-July!

Just hanging out with my sister and best friend.

The pizza!

It was so refreshing and relaxing to spend time with people I know, not to mention three people I love so dearly. It was just the pick-me-up I needed!

I know this isn't the most informative blog post; but, honestly, this trip was more about spending time with my dear family than it was about seeing the city! Not to say that we didn't soak up Rome-we did! I have a fully detailed posting about my trip last year here:
http://sarahelizabethspain.blogspot.com/2010/04/roma-firenze-e-milano.html

Here are a few pictures, but I am currently uploading an album to my Picasa page-be sure to check it out!





I haven't been to work since last Thursday-I miss my students! Today I had an appointment to extend my visa/secure my identity card. By the time that meeting ended, I didn't have enough time to make it out to Sonseca for more than one class. I will work tomorrow and then start my weekend again...I am actually looking forward to a normal week!

Un abrazo.

This week...end!

Here is a quick summary of my week:

I called in sick to work on Tuesday and finally went to the doctor; I couldn't swallow without wincing in pain. I wasn't sure that the doctor understood me well, but she sent me to the pharmacy for two different medicines. Wednesday morning I was significantly improved. Wahoo!

This week I handled the gym classes on my own (the classroom teacher accompanied me) because the regular gym teacher is out on paternity leave (in Spain, when a woman gives birth, the father has one month leave as well! Nice!). We played Halloween-themed games, and I gained popularity (at least that's what I tell myself. Maybe they are secretly laughing at me) for wearing a witch's hat...

I also started two private lessons with children of different teachers. One class is a group of 2 three year old and 2 five year old cuties. They are a handful, but absolutely adorable! The other class is with a second year university student who wants conversation practice; the opposite end of the spectrum from the little ones! I also have a few other classes in the works.

Right now I am taking a break (one of many...) from packing. Tomorrow afternoon I will be in Rome with Analise, Doug, and William! I am SO excited. Soooooooo excited. I will be sure to take lots of pictures and soak up the luxury of family time.

Here are a few pictures from this past week (nothing like Rome), just to keep things interesting:



I am curious about the history of this building. So interesting!


I am ready for school: I have my bag, my lunch, my purse, and my hat.


Spain's (quite literal) version of RedBull.


I have no idea how this car is parked here. If you look closely, there is a post behind it, which means the driver must have backed down this narrow street:

I don't understand.

Un abrazo. Y ciao!

Un mes ya se fue!

One month ago today I said my tearful goodbyes and boarded the plane...ten hours later I made my way through Madrid to Toledo to begin this wonderful adventure! It is difficult to believe that it has already been a month! Sometimes, it feels like I have been here for quite awhile, but mostly it feels like I just arrived. I think one thing is certain: my year here will fly.

While organizing my pictures (look to the right for a link!) I perused an album from Spain, 2010, aptly (and wittily?) titled: Holy Toledo. I laughed as I looked at pictures of places that are now familiar sights. During that day trip, and for months to follow, I never once thought I would be living in Toledo in two short years. Or Spain, for that matter. It is funny, how life works.

Stumbling across inspirational quotes seems to be a habit of late; here is another that I found recently, which reminded me that no matter how carefully I plan my life, God has created something much grander for me, if I would only take part:

‎

"We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us."
-Joseph Campbell

I suppose it is fitting that on my one month "anniversary" with Spain it rained. It was a dark, rainy morning and it continued to pour throughout the day. Thankfully, by the time I had to walk through Sonseca and later through Toledo, the sun had returned.

And, the rain made for very pretty skies this evening:


So blue!


Ah, Toledo (and think, the really beautiful vista is behind me!).


It kind of resembles a tornado. Thankfully, it is just a cloud.


I love the river.


And I like this roof!

Un abrazo.

Please, don't panic...

I wrote my last post in both Spanish AND English. I write in Spanish first so that I avoid merely translating from English to Spanish; I prefer to force myself just to think in Spanish...So scroll down and enjoy!

Here is a quote I found recently on a friend's blog. I like it and want to share it with you:

"We get one story, you and I, and one story alone. God has established the elements, the setting, the climax and the resolution. It would be a crime not to venture out, wouldn't it?" -D. Miller

Have a blessed, happy week!

Las fotos

(En español)
Por fin, he organizado mis fotos. Tuve que hacer una página nueva.
La direción está abajo.

Fue un fin de semana muy tranquilo. El viernes hice algunos recados por la mañana y por la tarde descansaba un poquito. Jessica y yo hemos intendado de encontrar una fábrica de cerveza local pero no tuvimos éxito. En fin, fuimos con otra amiga a una tetería. Comé una crepe maravillosa con leche consensada y caramelo. ¡Increíble! Bebí té del chai delicioso. Yum!

El sábado teníamos una misión comprar mantas. Solo teníamos sábanas. ¿Y el tiempo de yo estaba alardeando? Se va esta semana. Por eso, fuimos al centro comercial, Luz del Tajo. Hay autobuses que van allí, pero para coger el autobús siempre es una aventura. Llegamos y buscamos y disfrutamos el tiempo. Y encontramos las mantas en un supermercado que tiene toooooodo.

Por la noche, caminamos por la ciudad para hacer fotos. La catedral está iluminosa por las noches de los fines. Y es maganifica.

Bueno, está semana hago cosas muy sencillas para celebrar Halloween! Y el viernes estaré en Roma con Ana, Doug, and William!

(In English)
I have finally organized my photos. I had to create a new page for this year's collection. The address is below.

I had a very quiet weekend. Friday I ran some errands in the morning (which means around 11:30) and relaxed a bit in the afternoon. Jessica and I tried to find a local brewery, but did not succeed. So we met another friend and went to a tea place (one of the leftover influences of the Moors are the Arabic-themed "teterías"). I had an AMAZING crepe with condensed milk and caramel. It was incredible. I also had delicious chai tea. Yum!


One heavenly crepe.


Yummy mint and chai teas.


My roommate, Jessica, and me.


Saturday we had a mission: to buy blankets. We only had sheets until now. And that wonderful, warm weather about which I was bragging? It is leaving this week. In fact, right now we are waiting for rain...I can't believe it. Typing that word feels wrong! In any event, the temperature is inevitably going to drop, and we need blankets. We went to the shopping mall, Luz del Tajo (Light of the Tajo-the river around the city). There are buses that go there, but it is always an adventure to catch the right line. We evenutally found the mall and wandered around and enjoyed the afternoon. And we found blankets, at a reasonable price and of reasonable quality. They were in a supermarket that has everything; similar to a Wal-Mart but on a smaller scale. And without the logical organization of American stores.

We took a walk last night to take pictures. The cathedral is illuminated on weekend nights, and it is beautiful (don't worry, the pictures are posted!).

Well, this week I am doing simple things to celebrate Halloween with the students. Although, I was unable to find a huge bag of candy to share, and what is Halloween without candy? I did buy a witch's hat and plan on wearing all black...obviously I could have spared a bit more creativity...

Here is the link for pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/hess.sarah.e

(For future reference, if you look on the right hand side of the page, you will see a link to the pictures).

Enjoy!

Un abrazo.