Hola todos! Don't worry, I won't write in Spanish- you don't want to translate and I don't want to write it. This summer I have been living in Salamanca for 6 weeks. In my mind, I was going to blog for WeAreIU all the time, however, I ended up soaking up the culture instead of writing. So now that it is finals week, I am doing what I do best - procrastinate.
The Cursos Internacionales program in Salamanca is fantastic. They have a lot of options for both additional classes and excursions. The classes they offer range from Spanish guitar, Spanish dancing, to Spanish cooking. Since I love to eat, my roommate and a couple friends all signed up for the cooking class together. It was a 4 day class where we met every day for an hour and a half and watched a professional chef cook. We each got to help with about one thing a day. I thought it was going to be a home-ec type class where they just kind of let you go, but I'm glad it wasn't. I got to eat magnificent food every day. It only cost about 35 euros to participate if I remember correctly.
The foods we made (and recipes I get to take home)
- Gazpacho
- Paella
- Tortilla Española
- Arroz con leche
- Torrija
- Sangria
My favorite meal was definitely the torrija - it's a fancy Spanish version of french toast. You let milk soak with citrus peels and cinamon overnight, and then you dip bread in it and then deep fry it. It's basically delicious. This treat also came on the week where I was craving french toast, so it was a win-win.
I strongly suggest taking an additional class if you study abroad. It was a great way to meet other students, and I also got to eat great food.