Reunidas' Graduation
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Six Georgetown students chose to attend the very first closure ceremony organized for Reunidas' students.
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Students were named individually and received a diploma and the "beca" of Philosophy and Letters.
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Speakers included the different UCM authorities, a professor, a student...
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and the US embassy adjunct cultural attach?? and WIP Program director (both former Reunidas students).
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A student/professor dance troup completed the ceremony with dances of the Bolero school ...
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and Flamenco.
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The Geography and History faculty choir opened and closed the event.
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The UCM invited us all to drinks and tapas at the end.
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Now we are REAL Complutense students!
Cordoba and Granada 09
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On our last excursion to Andalucia, with our trusty driver, Santiago.
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Following the teachings of Seneca, we enter Cordoba in a most stoic manner.
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Cordoba courtyards are famous for their flowers.
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We were able to visit the courtyard of a private home.
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Visit to the XIVc sinagogue in the Jewish quarters
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The womens'squarters of the sinagogue were upstairs
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"Calle de las Flores"
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Cordoba's Great Mosque
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Strolling through arches built in VIII-Xc
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Rest stop on the way to Granada...and old train station in Luque.
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Spaniards promoting Spanish products!
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Granada: Walk through the Albaycin and the doorways to "carmenes"
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Students at dusk with views of the Alhambra in the background
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Fernando and Ani enjoy the view from San Nicholas every time.
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Arabic group dinner of salads, lemon drink and couscous
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Moroccan tea "measures up"
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Women surround Columbus and the discovery!
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Corral de Carb??n (old inn and market plaza)
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Alcaiceria: The traditional silk market with three anxious buyers.
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Royal chapel where the Catholic King and Queen were buried.
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Palace of Charles V at the Alhambra
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Visiting the Nazari palaces of the Alhambra
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Arabic princess greets us at her palace (Cuarto Dorado)!
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Comares Palace reflecting in the courtyard pool
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Students peering through the columns of the Lion courtyard
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A view of the Albaycin from the Alhambra
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Shocking news heard in the corner of the Secrets Chamber!
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Partal Palace with Complutense students
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Don reading poetic inscriptions from the Alhambra in the romantic gardens.
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Generalife gardens
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Generalife palace courtyard
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The Comillas students at the Generalife
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Following the water steps (and ready to splash someone)
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Resting at the military fortress of the Alhambra.
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On the highest tower, and the highest point, students view Sierra Nevada and Granada.
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After the long day, the bath house for a merited moment of relax and fun.
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Students enjoyed soaking in the pools and massages.
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With tea breaks in between.
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Next day we visited the Cartuja monastery. The austere courtyard and rooms contrasted with....
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the very baroque church
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Granada from the San Cristobal viewpoint.
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Walking through the upper quarters of the Albaicin towards the Sacromonte caves.
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The cave complex demonstrated the way of life of the gypsies that lived there.
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In the caves you could get hitched to almost anyone (or anything!)
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Last views of the Alhamba
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It was a great trip (they said, clicking their heels)
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Yes...it was (sshhhh)
Food, wine and the great outdoors!
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Preparing for a cooking class
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Menchu giving important instructions
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Allison, the kitchen aid
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Mini tortillas looking good!
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An international collaboration to make this paella.
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And then came the best part....
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Wine is a complicated science
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Ready to observe, smell and taste
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Not even having to look at our notes
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Hiking to the Pedriza mountains
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Don's king of the mountain
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Taking a break for lunch
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Real Hoya troopers!
Toledo 2009
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Toledo presents itself (April 25, 2009)
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Group picture
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Santiago del Arrabal: a good example of mudejar art
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This Puerta del Sol looks nothing like Madrid's!
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Christian and Victoria at the Cristo de la Luz mosque
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Enjoying the views (Lauren, Raquel and Tanya)
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Maybe I need to steal those pins to not get hitched!(Ryan and Virgen Alfileritos)
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Narrow streets and the cathedral's belltower in the distance.
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Toledo's cathedral and students
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Cathedral and students
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Nap time
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Gigi loves those little nuns making mazapan.
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Burial of Count Orgaz (Greco). We couldn't take a picture of the real one...
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Tanya and Jen meet Don Quijote
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Making damasquino jewlery
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Mimi and Kyla at the synagogue El Transito
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Visiting the older sinagogue, Santa Mar??a la Blanca
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Cloisters of San Juan de los Reyes
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Jorge and Marco enacting the sculpture on the wall
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Andrea and Kendra in the upper cloister
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Two new students to the program! (Victoria and her parents)
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Crossing the San Martin bridge in direction home.
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Last views of this fascinating city.
Segovia 2009
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March 28, we ventured to Segovia to see the "Disney inspired" castle
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Church of the Vera Cruz: home to knights of the Holy Sepulcher in 1208.
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The ritual chamber where they were supposedly knighted.
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Leaving the central chambers to see the church's apse.
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Burial site of the "living dead!"
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Segovia means an aqueduct and Candido restaurant (how did the waffles get in?)
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Roman aqueduct dating from the first century and still standing!
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Students pose in front of XII c. church San Justo (with storks nesting in tower)
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The romanesque frescos in the apse were impressive.
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Walking up the Calle Real, Kendra comes across the Casa de Picos (XV c).
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Isabella and Jorge pose near a XV c. palace with "esgrafiado" decoration.
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Brett and the lioness...
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Plaza de Medina del Campo with afamed statue of Juan Bravo and a romanesque church (San Martin)
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Students at the Plaza Mayor posing in front of the cathedral.
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A typical Segovian meal: white broad beans...
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and suckling pig. The chef demonstrates its tenderness by cutting with a plate.
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Jorge celebrates having an ear and Franscesa is "aghast" with the sight (but loved the taste).
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Snow surprised us after lunch
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A great opportunity for Ani and Marco to show off their fancy rain ponchos!
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Preparing to visit the Alcazar (castle)
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Kathy and Isabella found their knight in shining armour!
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Don, on the other hand...got caught (doing what?)
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XVc. mudejar ceiling in the throne room.
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Checking to see if they can open the secret passage door.
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..."And God was not happy with King Alfonso's comment" (as lightening struck the castle)
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Walking through the Jewish quearters
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Over the river and through the woods.... to our bus we go.
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With a quick stop at the XVc Jewish cementary outside the Segovian walls.
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Last views of Segovia...and hopies for a sunny day on our next visit.
Extremadura 2009
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First stop: gas station to fix the bus!
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Merida: Roman Ruins
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The Roman amphitheater built in the year 8 bc
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Students on the bleachers listening to Fernando (our guide)
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In the lion's den!
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Roman theater (16 bc)
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Fernando explains that we are seated where free men and merchants sat back then.
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Ready to be on stage.
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Walking through the city of Merida we ran across a number of Roman structures.
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Roman art museum
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We saw from Roman mosaics to statutes
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Surpisingly, some seemed SO realistic!
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Enjoying the museum's architecture (designed by Moneo)
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Arab city walls: checking out the view of...
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...the Roman bridge or of the guys?
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After all that attention, most of the men pose again near the Milagros acueduct!
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Caceres: A night walk the the medieval quarters
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"So...you think you'll grant me my wish?" (touching Saint Peter toes will get you hitched)
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Group dinner: Extremenian cheese, croquetas, peppers, grilled meats....
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Dessets are always a must!
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Caceres during the day: we could see tons of storks and their nests.
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Arab cistern
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Caceres' Plaza Mayor
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Last stop: Trujillo, birth place of the conquistador Pizarro.
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Enjoying the sunny day
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Hanging out at the plaza's fountain
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Walking through the old streets
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Views from the castle up above
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Walking the walls
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Checking out the last views before our return to Madrid.
Orientation-Spr09
Orientation Spring 2009 -001
Welcome dinner with tapas
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New students met year students
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and Spanish mentors
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Puerta del Sol: The bear nd the strawberry tree (symbol of Madrid)
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Walk through old Madrid
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Plaza de la Villa
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Before visiting the Royal Palace, the group poses.
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Interesting characters
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Royal Palace
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De Madrid al cielo! (Casa del campo in the background)
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Walking through the center
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Some students made it to the Egyptian temple Debot.
Christmas party 2008
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the old fashion way...at home!
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We had forgotten how to bake cookies. And Ryan didn't even know how to wear an apron!
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Decorating brings childhood memories...Look! It even brings a child (Paul)!
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Donique and Paul found skateboarding more entertaining.
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Mentors arrived to the party
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Colleen and her reindeer Allison!
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white elephant gifts for all!
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A party without music is not a party! (well....actually Miky, Ani and Carlos palyed the guitar, but it looks great on Donique!)
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Everyone sang Spanish and American Christmas carols and made as much noise as possible!
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Happy holidays to everyone!
Thanksgiving 2008
Thanksgiving 2008
We enjoyed a meal at the famous Botin restaurant. Turkeys baked in an oven dating to 1725!
Host families
and GU alumni joined us on this day.
So did friends
(Tulane director and her family)
At this table
former program students, present participants and mentores gathered.
Edmund's host family
sister got in the "young people" table!
This sums it up!
A thanksgiving between peoples of two cultures: Spanish and American.
Sevilla 2008
Sevilla
Students enjoyed a warm weekend down south (Nov 8-9, 2008)
Juan, our guide,
gave us an informative and enjoyable explanation on the city and its monuments.
Cathedral
Third largest in the world and first largest in the gothic style; it was overwhelming!
In the cathedral
we saw unexpected things such as Christopher Columbus' tomb...
...a crocodile, elephant tusk and bit
(and why not?...a love story attached!)
La Giralda
This minaret-now bell tower- isn't only impressive from the ground, but also up top!
Views from the Giralda
included the cathedral's rooftop, the bull ring and much of Sevilla.
Group lunch
at a restaurant with fragments of a XI c arab bath house.
Ryan almost gets run over by
a garbage truck in the narrow streets of Sevilla.
Casa de Pilatos
A XVI c palace with incredible courtyards,....
ceramics tiles,...
(climbing up to the first floor)
mudejar rooms...
(that surround the main courtyard)
and gardens.
(there were two very different ones)
As night set in
we walked around the center to enjoy the illuminated buildings
street shows...
(It's really one man bent over using hands and feet)
monuments...
(Torre de Oro, XII c)
and riverfront.
(view of a bridge connecting Sevilla to Triana)
The group poses next to the river
that harbored all the naval traffic from the Americas (XVI and XVII centuries).
Real Alcazar
Sunday morning promised to be a feast to our eyes.
Casa de Contratacion
The commercial offices dealing with all the trade to America
Pedro I palace (XIV c)
The main courtyard with the reflecting pool.
Surrounded by stars
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The walls were effusively decorated
in the thone room
The gardens also merited a visit
where we heard about prank water plays, orange tree labyrinths and...
a siesta pavillion!
Built for Charles V, it was a favorite nap place during hot summer days.
This exotic tree served as a bench
for a rest stop along the way.
Leaving the palace
the Giralda tower reminded us that we were still in Sevilla.
Santa Cruz neighborhood
Juan explained the history of this former jewish quarters.
Tabacco factory
Carmen studies her aria (cheat sheet in camera) while Raquel smokes a cigar.
Plaza de Espagna
Final stop was the Maria Luisa Park, home to the Iberamerican Expo in 1929.
The group poses on one of the bridges
The brick building complex was decorated with colorful tiles.
The whole building
had booths with tiled representations of all the Spanish provinces
We seek our next destination: Madrid
(though had to settle for a picture since it was under restoration!)
But before leaving Sevilla, a food stop
for typical Andalusian fried fish (bought by weight and served in paper cones).
And who could resist
these ice cream cones?
El Escorial -Valley of the Fallen
San Lorenzo de El Escorial
Monastery's Patio de los Reyes. We tried to find the golden brick!
Escorial. Architecture museum
threatened by the claws...
Going back to the car
after eating lunch in town.
Eerie entrance to the Valley of the Fallen
Fortunately, the weather wasn't as menacing as it seems in this picture.
Valley of the Fallen
About to enter the tomblike basilica where franco is buried.
Galicia
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The two Marias greeted us upon our arrival to Santiago de Compostela.
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In the moring haze, we see the famous pilgrimmage cathedral.
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We are about to enter the cathedral from the oldest door: Puerta de Platerias.
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Does anybody ELSE want to look under the horses' webbed feet???
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The Botafumeiro: The enormous incense burner that swings in the cathedral.
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Santiago Cathedral's main door
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Up on the rooftop
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viewing the town below us.
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Place where old vestiments were burned on the roof.
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Museum of the Galician people. It was hard to choose a stairway.
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The "Tuna" played in the Plaza del Obradoiro during our night stroll.
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The music and Edmund got the whole group swinging!
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Sunday morning: the home of author Rosalia de Castro (Padron).
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Now this is a real kitchen!
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Moring market in Padron. Among the goods we found the octupus breakfast stand!
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When in Padron, do as the locals...an octupus and ribeiro snack.
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A visit to Rias Baixas. We toured the Arousa fior on a boat, all to ourselves.
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We learned about muscle, scallop and oyster cultivation as seen above water...
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...and below! Muscles cling to the ropes for a couple of years.
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The best part was sampling the muscles. The were soooo fresh and good!
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Aargg...we're going under! Is this the Titanic?
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Feeding left over muscles to the sea gulls
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Yikes! The bird just pecked my finger!
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Donique sneaks to the captain's cabin to stay away from the killer birds.
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Taking a walk to la Toja island, Allison dons a new left foot!
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Toja Church is covered with scallop shells
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Everyone wants to leave their mark!
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Combarro: a small fishing town on coast with typical graneries called Horreos.
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Edmund is still in a dancing mood after last night.
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Stone buildings, horreos and cruceiros represent much of Galician culture.
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Meiga o bruxa?
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Monday in A Coruna. First stop, the Tower of Hercules (roman lighthouse).
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Up on the top, the views were as spectacular as the wind was strong.
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Edmund, the trolley conductor (pss... Edmund, the front is on the other end!)
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At the port with the "glass city" behind us.
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We were definitely in A Coruna on September 29, 2008!
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"Hug me brother" (Ryan reunites with a Magnolia tree)
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Plaza Maria Pita. Inspiring us to defend ourselves from pirates (unless one is Johnny Depp)
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Plaza del Comic: Students find their childhood friends.
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Doing the Pink Panther strut
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A couple of inseperable couples!
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One always finds time to walk on the beach!
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In the aquarium, Donique holds a starfish...
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....while Ryan designs his favorite merperson!
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Exhausted, we take the train back to Santiago.
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Night train to Madrid. Sorry Edmund, Ani's in this cabin acting as chaperon!
Jerez de la Frontera
Direction: Jerez
Land of horses, flamenco and sherry. A road trip shared by GU students and alumni.
Horse farm
We are invited by GU alumna, Rosemary Blake and her husband Luis Gonzalez.
Watching the horse show
we saw a variety of equestrian feats.
Mares all in a row
... until one trip and dragged the rest!
Barrel racing
harness style!
Colts, fillies and mares
reunite
Marisela at the entrance
of the horse farm
GU students meet alumni
before the tour
At the stables
a tour guide explains different aspects of the farm
Colleen and the horse
share an inside joke
Donique and Allison
made friends fast
Dr. Ryan
ready to perform horse surgery!
Women
a la Jerezana!
Jerez de la Frontera
we spent the afternoon in the city
Jerez's fortress
held a XIXc pharmacy
and XIIIc olive oil press
(Ryan is a bit "stubborn," eh?)
GU students and alumni club members
with the cathedral in the background
Dinner starts with appetizers
at the Gonzalez-Byass winery.
Sherries and tidbits
were abundant
The Royal cellar
All GU participants pose next to the wine barrels signed by Spanish royalty.
Among these very same wine barrels
we shared a delicious dinner
with interesting conversation
about Georgetown with alumni
We are treated to a late night
flamenco show just for our group
Though it was late at night
the amazing footwork "kept us on our toes."
The next morning we had a very
special tour of the winery with the great great grandson of the founder.
with a train ride included!
(Donique...don't fall out, you don't have a door!)
We learned about the vineyards,
how vines were pruned and the special caracteristics of the soil.
The process of making sherry
is explained
Yeast forms on the surface
and different generations of wine are combined in a cascade fashion.
We also saw famous signatures
on the wine casks
Old bandy stills
Our guide explains this process as well.
Original wine laboratory for 1800's
Luis Gonzalez explained how his great, great grandfather first developed wines.
Students pose next to
Tio Pepe!
This one is more manageble
(Perfect for Allison and Donique)
Group photo
with Ismael (GU club president) and Luis Gonzalez (host and family member of winery) in the center.
Sherry sampling
with ham and cheese appetizers.
A final toast
from organizers to the group