1/8/2013
Toledo – Bilbao, Spain
Woke up, got ready, ate breakfast – just a regular morning.
Left the hotel at 9am in order to arrive at Bilbao on time for 3pm. The
six-hour bus ride wasn’t as bad as you would think. I had fun and the scenery
on the way was beautiful (it got more beautiful the closer we got to Bilbao).
We had a lunch stop in the middle, but the food was really nothing special. Now
for the good part… So we arrived in Bilbao at 3pm and I looked out the window
and could see all of the home stay families eagerly waiting. My heart really started pumping then!
We all got off the bus and got our luggage and I waited with my roommate,
Melissa, while our home stay mother came up to us. Her name is Rosa Maria and
she is the typical little old lady type, very sweet and soft-spoken… however
her Spanish is muy rapido! As if my Spanish comprehension isn’t bad enough, I
cant even understand the words I do know in Spanish when she speaks! Her
daughter was with her, as well as her daughter’s girlfriend. We all exchanged
names, as well as two kisses… one on each cheek (that’s something I’ll need to
get used to). Then we headed to her casa! Well, everyone except her daughter
because she had work. Rosa Maria’s house is absolutely beautiful! She has the
cutest little things all around her home that just makes it feel like… well,
home! She took us out on her terrace and we got to know each other. Well, Rosa
Maria and her daughter’s girlfriend got to know Melissa… I just sat there,
smiled, and nodded. I picked up some words, but the majority of them were lost
on me. I hope I start to pick it up quick! Melissa did translate for me and I
can infer some, so communicating is difficult, but not impossible. Melissa and
I unpacked and settled in before dinner, which, thankfully, was earlier than
the usual 10pm. We sat down for dinner at 7:00 with my home stay mother,
sister, sister’s girlfriend (sorry, I cant remember their names!), and Melissa.
We had cheese, meats, croquetas (fried rolls of food – these were spinach
croquetas and ham croquetas), chicken with peppers and onions (prepared as if
you were to put them in fajitas), other food that I just cannot describe
(sorry!), and wine! I got seriously full. But everything was so amazing. I can
definitely get used to her cooking! It was really nice having Rosa Maria’s
daughter and her daughter’s girlfriend at dinner because they acted as sort of
a buffer. They know a little
English, compared to my home stay mother who knows none and they find the
language barrier between all of us very funny. It made dinner go smoothly. Anyways,
I had an early morning Spanish language placement test, so it was early to bed
for me (especially since I didn’t have to wait until 10pm for dinner)!
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