5 de Julio Alcala, Spain

There are storks (ciguenos) everywhere in Alcala.  That is why this is their symbol.  It's pretty cool.  They have these huge nidos (nests) that weigh like 80 kilos, that's like 170 pounds.  It's cool.  They are everywhere.

Cervantes' plaza again

more pretty flowers

Cervantez's statue with Don Quixote

We took a tour of the University.

This is the cieling! Amazing!

This is the room where people had to give their discourse in Latin in order to graduate.  If they missed one question they were taken out the failure door and spit on until they were as white as snow is what the tour guide said!

Pretty flowers at the Plaza de Cervantes

This is all black electric tape and it is on like 4 different walls and surfaces.  When you look at it from just the right angle it all comes together. It is pretty amazing!  This was an art project at the University of Alcala.

I will never look at a cobblestone, pebbled walk way the same again.  Those men doing back breaking work.  Hand picking the rocks to put into the pathway.  Just thinking of the time spent makes me ill and it was soooo hot outside.  Amazing stuff.

Yet another kind of salad.  Yummy!  I have learned that Olive oil, vinegar and salt make a delicious dressing.

Lentejas son la comida de las viejas.  Si no te gusta, las dejas.  I love lentil soup.  Made me miss my mom!

We had lunch at the University. It was so good and the cheapest meal we have had by far. Only 8Euros for the menu del dia.

Profe Knapp got fish.  On this occasion, I was glad I didn't, because the bones...too many, too much work.  I've become a lazy american.

Profe Meredith got pork chops and fries.  It's funny because fries comes with meat here.  I guess we Americans took it one step further and added a bun!

Yummy, yum, yum!  Torta de San Marcos.  It's a traditional dessert.  This was my first time having it and p.s. I loved it!

K, this was the cutest little girl ever.  She was sitting at the table next to us.  Well, she wasn't her mom was. She was over at our table while we, "oohed and aahed" over her.  She was so cute.  Susy said she must be like what our professor was like as a child.  Always going over to other people and making friends, because our professor can get anything and make anyone her friend.  She is amazing.  I have to say I love her!

The plaza de Cervantez

Okay this is way cool!  These are candied almonds or almendras garrapinadas and the mojas or nuns make them.  But these aren't just any nuns.  As you can see below there is a box that is on a rotating thing and you go up to the "window" and ask for what you want and then you put your money on the spinning thing and it spins into her. She puts the thing you asked for on the turn table and turns it to you and you get it.  All of this without seeing each other, only speaking.  I had heard of convents for nuns, but I didn't realize that they have no contact from the outside world. 

I met this group of girls from Brazil studying here for a month like us.  They speak Spanish and Portuguese.  They were so cute.  One of them said, "For an American you speak Spanish really well!"  I'm not gonna lie, that made me feel good!  I'll take a compliment on my language skills or the lack of them any day!

I just thought this was cool!  There are special places to ride bikes (just like in the US) but more prominent, because more bikes get ridder here.