On Friday morning, our group of new faculty and a few returning teachers took a coach bus to Cercedilla, a small village about an hour outside of Madrid. From there, we drove into the hills to a natural pool and day picnic area. We set up our spo, and I headed out with the majority of the group on a hike. We hiked about 6 miles up and down this large hill with beautiful views at the top! It was a great hike, and everyone was very eager to chat along the way. I got to know a few people that I’ve already been talking to, and talked a lot more with a few others. One was the school’s personnel director/HR lady who taught Spanish at Phillips Andover and Exeter in the early 2000s. It was fun to talk about living in the northeast and her US experience! After returning from the hike, we had a major potluck. Most of the staff cooked various dishes, and we ate very well. There was a nice mix of American food and Spanish food, including classics like Spanish tortilla, ham (jamón ibérico), and a Spanish empanada. After lunch, we lounged and swam in the pool before heading back home for the evening.
On Saturday morning, I took the metro a few stops north and met my Yale friend Sofia (who has been living in Madrid for the summer) and her dad (who is visiting). Together we boarded the high-speed train and 25 minutes later we were in Segovia! The high-speed train stops a bit outside of the city so we waited a bit for a bus, and crowded in for the 15-minute ride to the center. After a short walk, we looked up and saw the towering Roman aqueduct, which was impressive. We walked up to get a few different views of the aqueduct before heading to amble through the historic Jewish quarter. On the way, we stopped at the towering cathedral. Inside, it is impressive, with beautiful stained glass and chapels. It also had an extensive painting exhibit beneath it. We had lunch, and I (bravely, I might add) tried morcilla (blood sausage). We skipped out on the local classic cochinillo (roast suckling pig), but I’ll have to return for it next time. Finally, we made our way to the Alcazar (castle/fortress) on the edge of the old city. According to Disney, it inspired the Snow White castle! We walked the few hundred steps up to the tower and had an amazing view of the city and the surrounding hills. On our way back to the train station, we enjoyed ponche segoviano, a Segovian dessert with layers of sponge cake and cream covered in marzipan. It was delicious, but very rich.
After arriving back in Madrid, I met a few work friends for 1 euro tacos and margaritas before heading home to bed! Sunday (today) was a much more relaxing day. I headed to the gym, went for a long walk, called friends and family, and read/napped on my couch. Tomorrow I head back for another week of teacher training!
Abe Tolkoff 