Time
to update the fans:
I
absolutely love this place.
It’s
been awhile since I blogged so I am just going to write as many things as I can
remember from this past month…
People
I love my suitemates! They are from
South Korea, Sweden, and the U.S. I couldn’t be any luckier:)
Also, the people here are old, haha.
Salamanca has one of the oldest populations in Spain. But just because they’re
old doesn’t mean they’re not active. They’re constantly walking around or
taking multiple workout classes.
The babies are treated like royalty.
The only strollers that seem to be available are the high end ones that
you would see a celebrity strolling their baby around in. Every
other person you see has a chihuahua, yorkie, or little white dog. I think it’s
fair to say that Spain is associated with sunny warm weather but it hasn’t been
that way yet. People are bundled head to toe and the women love their fur
coats that are really cheap here but look pricey.
No one speaks English in Salamanca
and don’t seem to be interested in learning it either… so my Spanish has
improved! If you try to speak Spanish they will respect you a lot more.
 |
| Con mis amigas en La Plaza Mayor |
- There is always somewhere new and exciting to discover, whether it’s an old building, grocery store, tapas bar, or shoes store
- People worship Zara here, it’s packed every hour of the day that it’s open
- There are pastry shops and cafés on every corner
- There is no Starbucks but “Salamanca Coffee” is very very similar
- I love the gym that I go to here, I only have to walk downstairs and it’s right next door!
- Most of the places I would tell you about are food places (not a surprise I know) so there are more details on food below haha.
 |
| Cathdral |
 |
| Living on the edge |
 |
| New Cathedral |
 |
| Ruins Salamanca |
 |
| Salamanca Cathedral |
Food
Typical Spanish meal times: 8-10
breakfast, 2-4 lunch, 8-10 dinner (and no snacking)
Everything is under 3 euro here and
if it’s over, people reconsider (or at least I do) if they really need it or
not. Example, I can get a pack of four yogurts for 1 euro, a big box of
strawberries for 2.25 euro and beer/wine is cheaper than water here. Sometimes,
tapas are free if you order a beer or glass of wine…which is 1 euro. In
conclusion, eating out in Salamanca is the same price as eating at home or
less. Salamanca has amazing tapas but you definitely need to enjoy the
following ingredients: fish, ham, cheese and eggs.
This is going to shock anyone who
knows me well but the McDonald’s here is amazing. They make everything fresh
for you (from the bun to burger to fries) when you order. It also doesn’t
leaving you feeling regretful and sick because they make their product
different than in the U.S.
The common labels you see everywhere
are sin azucar (w/o sugar), sin lactosa (w/o milk), and sin gluten (you get the
picture). I feel like the “without sugar” label is so popular because
their sweets have plenty of sugar in them to make up for the rest.
 |
| Chocolate con churros |
Fiestas
- It’s true that people don’t go out until around 1am and stay out until the sun comes up
- You’ll hear more American music than Spanish songs
- It’s easier to eat later here because most people will grab a tapa and drink at one bar and go to the next bar until it’s time to go out and stay out
- Club doesn’t open until 3 or 4am
- I don’t go out unless it involves food
Additional thoughts
- No one wears shorts to the gym
- There are no water fountains anywhere so people walk around with a 1.5 L water bottle
- No one pays for music here; they illegally download everything and so you’ll be working out to Sorry originally by Justin Bieber and they’ll play the same song but always someone else singing it
--
Read more from Gabrielle at https://gabriellemuscari.wordpress.com/.
If you're interested in the AIFS Study Abroad in Salamanca: Semester or Academic Year program, check this out: http://www.aifsabroad.com/spain/salamanca/
Read more from Gabrielle at https://gabriellemuscari.wordpress.com/.
If you're interested in the AIFS Study Abroad in Salamanca: Semester or Academic Year program, check this out: http://www.aifsabroad.com/spain/salamanca/
