My Future Summer Home

First, I know I haven't blogged in 2 weeks, but the internet has been moving like a sloth and it just hasn't worked out. So here I will begin my 2 week catch-up.

I went to visit Marta 2 weekends ago. It was absolutely perfect. I arrived in Santiago de Compostela. We walked around and I saw the breath-taking cathedral and the University, where I am most certain Harry Potter was lurking. I met Marta's boyfriend, Vichy, who is quite the catch. Marta, her friend, Iria, and me went out to for the typical Spanish feast of a lunch. We caught the train to Pontevedra, Marta's hometown, after a quick walk in the park.

Pontevedra is the best place in the world, I think. The region is like the Seattle of America. Everything was green, the roads are all cobbled, and as you wind through ancient Roman ruins, wrought-iron balconied homes, and small shop with smiling owners in the windows you find yourself in mini-plazas with children playing football around fountains of Spanish heroes. It was surreal. The people speak Gallego and Spanish, and they actually smile at you.

Marta's family is officially my Spanish family. Her mom made some of the best food I've ever eaten, her dad insisted on taking tons of pictures of Marta and me and taking me to Portugal for lunch, and her 18-year-old sister, Carmen, told me about the drama in her life while we watched a movie and then I braided her hair before she went out with friends. Marta showed me lots of family pictures and we talked about Spanish weddings, Obama, differences between Spain and the U.S., goals, and funny childhood memories. Saturday, we went to the Atlantic coast less than 20 minutes away to take pictures, and then drove another 30ish minutes to Portugal. The winding roads through hills that could be mistaken as mountains showed the forest landscape on one side and the beach on the other. In Portugal, we could see Spain on the other side of the river. We went to a small outdoor market and then had the "typical Portuguese lunch," which was a 9x13 pan of rice, veggies, and seafood for one person - and that was after soup and bread.

When we got back to Pontevedra, Marta showed me around the town some more. I found where I will one day live in order to be neighbors with Marta After walking through the "old part," we met Vichy for ice cream in the "new part," which had tons of stores, restaurants, and business buildings, and could have been a whole other town on its own. I learned how to make tortilla espanola from Marta's mom, talked to Marta's grandma on the phone, and Marta and I stayed up talking for a really long time.

When I left in the morning I gave 2 mugs in a tin can as a 'thank-you' and Marta's mom cried. Then Carmen cried when I said good-bye. And it was all just a big mess of tears. Marta's dad said I can come back whenever I want and for as long as I want -even forever. I said maybe, but if not I'll at least be back every summer as soon as I become financially stable. :)

I also saw Manuel Lozano, a famous actor about my age - (he played Moncho in La Lengua de Las Mariposas when he was about 6) at the University of Santiago d.C. He took his sweatshirt off and his shirt came with it and Marta and I gave each other a look saying, "How scandalous!" Then she realized who it was and we decided to let it slide.