Pues, hola amigos :) Yo estoy tan emocionada para hablar de la semana pasada. Yo he visto tantas cosas increíbles. Yo estoy tan suerte para estar aquí en España. Toda la gente en mi grupo son amables y divertidos. ¡Y la familia Stallings es inreíble! En serio, Hermana Stallings es la madre perfecta a todos de nosotros.
Pues, yo tengo muchas fotos de la semana pasada. En el sábado pasado, fuimos al Valle de los Caídos. Lo siento que la primera foto es de allí. Yo no me gusta el lugar mucho. Fue oscuro y un poco creepy. Pero fue interesante y el edificio fue hermoso.
Alrighty time for a little English up in hurr. I am so excited to tell yall about this last week. I have seen SO MANY INCREDIBLE THINGS! I'm so lucky to be here in Spain. I'm truly loving every minute of it. Everyone in the group is so nice and so fun! And the Stalling's are all so great! Sister Stallings is honestly the most motherly woman eva. She takes such good care of all of us. We're so lucky :)
So I've got tons of photos from this last week. Last Saturday we went to this place called the Valley of the Fallen. Sounds like something out of Lord of the Rings huh? haha. Ok, so I'm very sorry that the first pics on the post are from here, only because it was a little dark and creepy there. I'm not totally sure how I felt about the place. The building was beautiful, and the cross memorial was incredible. But the whole place had kind of an eerie vibe. It was built under the direction of dictator Francisco Franco to be a monument in honor of those who had fallen during the Spanish Civil War. The part that gets me is that there was forced labor involved and deaths involved and some other things that just don't quite tickle my fancy. But it was still great to see and to learn about it. It is now a monastery and when we went, there was a Mass going on. They had a choir there singing a choral mass which was great to hear. Especially the Kyrie. Favsies. Don't get me started. Also inside, next to the alter, were the tombs of José Antonio Primo de Rivera (he was the leader of the fascist party) and Franco himself. Again, not my favorite thing in the world. But good to experience. (Lastly, my unexplainable fear of monks did not help the situation. It's really a long story. I know they are all really great people :) seriously. It's just me.) Anyway, El Valle de los Caídos. Glad I went. Always great to obtain knowledge.
This would be the memorial cross. The picture hardly does it justice. Seriously, when we came around the side of the mountain and it was just there? It was incredible. This thing is huge.
This is the monastery. It faces out to the Valley where the remains of 40,000 of the "fallen" lie.
This is a sculpture. I think it is death. I also think it looks like a dementor.
OK! Now on to happier things :) this is Natalie and I in front of a castle in Mansanares. This castle was so fun because we got to go up on top of it!!!
Michael y Audi on my balcony in my garden. They were staying for oranges (say all that with a british accent... and in Spanish)
My twisty staircase. It's like, everyone wants pictures with it when they come to visit.
Side view of the south tower. (I really don't know which way is south...)
Mis amigas Kylie y Hope
Audi, Nat, y yo
The view. Tan hermosa :)
Just peeking out the window :)
Close up of one of the towers
MONDAY
Vale, ese fue un día durante la semana. Yo vi ese y pensé que fue tan cómico.
These seat are for the elderly... and for people who eat too many Happy Hippos.
En frente del museo de Reina Sofia. Fuimos allí para el noche de hogar. Tiene las obras de Picasso!!!
This is in front of the Reina Sofia museum. We went for FHE on Monday.
It's got Picasso's works :) too cool, huh?
So, after the museum, Audi, Nattie, and I hung in Madrid with Rachel y Jonny Stallings. It was my first time seeing the place at night and it was GORGEOUS!!!! Can't wait for my parents to see this :)
Gelato 4! Stracciatella is still favsies.
TUESDAY
(Happy Birthday ERIC MOSS)
This is in a metro station in Madrid. So much love happening right here.
Ok, this is a good story. Pepsi people were handing out free Pepsi's at the station. Trying to promote their newest kind. We call it Pepsi MAX. It has EXTRA CEFEINA! (That means extra caffeine...)
So, everyone in the group was getting them but I passed. I don't do caffeinated pop.
But then I was thinking.. today is my dad's birthday. Wouldn't he want me to try it? So... I did. IT WAS GOOD. Cola is some good tasting stuff. Here's the bad news. I downed the bottle in about 15 minutes. Then I got super sick. Probs the worst night of my life.
Never again will I give in to the temptation that is Pepsi-cola.
Happy birthday pops.
OK! So the reason we were all in Madrid was for the FÚTBOL GAME!!!!!! Real Madrid versus Getafe
Da boys won 4-0 with Ronaldo gettin a hat trick.
Sups fun game except for that I was sick from a caffeine hangover.
BWIN
FRONT ROW SEATS! Ronaldo got us those really good seats (Thanks Baby!)
Devaun and I (notice there are two whole rows between us and the wall :) haha)
God Bless America. Can I tell you it took me like 10 seconds to figure out why they weren't playing our National Anthem? Boy did I feel dumb. Vive España!!!!
That'll move the CHAINS!!!!
WEDNESDAY
Wednesday night was the funnest night ever!!! The group went in to Madrid to see a REAL LIVE FLAMENCO SHOW! It was seriously SO incredible!!! These were the most talented dancers I have ever seen. I so wish I could have taken pics or a VIDEO!!!
This is my favorite picture. Ever.
I almost stepped on a snail. GARY!
Again with the parking....
THURSDAY
This is at a National park outside of Cuenca! It was way cool! For lots of it it felt like we were walking on the moon. The rock we were walking on was so bizzare! cool though :) anyway, this is Spencer climbing down the crevasse.
Cool rock
Moon rock with pretty purple flowers (weeds?... flowers :)
So.. Ben found a lizard. And put it in Natalie Sandberg's shirt. Yep. He's just a charmer.
Elephant :)
Daaa Bears
I was bored on the bus to Cuenca. I took this picture of my Dakine mochila with the BYU Study Abroad symbol on it. When I was looking through my pics I saw this and thought, "Man, that's a dumb picture." I subsequently thought it would be funny to put it on my blog because my mom doesn't like dumb pictures. So... here it is.
Love you mommy :)
This is cuenca!
And Cuenca
AND MY FAVORITE PART OF CUENCA!
Audi's cute shoes in Cuenca
Audi and I
CONGRATS!
Cutest little Spaniard woman :) Just before I took this pic, she had been pouring her dirty water down a rain sewer on the street. Seriously the greatest thing I've ever seen.
Ok. So this is my friend will. Please notice that this picture was taken indoors at out director's house.
Yes, he is wearing his sun glasses.
Now notice that we are outside. In Cuenca. And no, he is not wearing his sunglasses.
He is a man of mysteries.
Pretty door in Cuenca :) This is a little school :)
Beautiful
Audi and Ben
Will and I.
Now he's wearing his glasses and all is well in the world.
:)
This is the Our Lady of Grace Cathedral. I want to say it was built in like the 1100's or 1200's
Things to observe:
1- Nat's face
2- Rylee's face
3- My roommate is a turtle
This one goes out to mi padre
Ok. So this door is a little crooked. And I think that's why I love it.
Cuenca has this primary colors theme going on. I totally loved it.
Also, Cuenca had this guy on a bike. That was fun.
I took this pic on accident and I love it! SO does Audi!
Primary colors are 1, 2, 3 :)
Beep. Hello, you've reached the house of Bilbo Baggins.
I can't make it to the door right now but you may let yourself in. If you can fit.
Schweppes Naranja. Good stuff :)
This guy was drunk. And he had soul :) He was a total crooner.
As was this guy :)
More architecture in Cuenca
Me and Audi
FRIDAY
VALENCIA :)
Just so we are clear. Valencia is my favorite city in Spain as of yet. It was soo beautiful. And so ALIVE!
First we payed Wizard's Chess
Then we toured the Lladró factory. That's right people. LLADRÓ.
For those of you who know me (NATALIE CONSTANCE MCCHESNEY) one of the things I have been most excited for was to get a hand made Lladró IN SPAIN. Beautiful Mother is the piece I love :)
And we got to see the factory where everything is done. It was incredible. Everything is done completely by hand. We got to see how they did moldings, painting, FLOWER MAKING, and the like.
I had never been so excited in my life.
So sweet :)
This piece is called Natalie McChesney and Rikki Moss back when.
Unbelievable
Ok, so every flower is made by hand. Petal by petal. We watched a woman working on some. It was UNREAL. Between being awestruck at my surroundings and the guide talking SUPER fast, I had a hard time catching a lot of things. But apparently, the artists who get hired to work in the Lladró house have to go through 3 years of training after they get hired. How crazy is that?! 3 YEARS OF TRAINING!!! But it is clear why! These pieces are incredible and the people who make them are too!!!
The Black and White collection. Love it :)
This is the piece I want when I get married. It's called El Día Mas Feliz in the Black and White collection. (I like it even better than the regular!)
This is so gorgeous. It reminds me of the Flamenco we saw last week. Our guide was telling us that it's very rare to see such vivid colors on the ceramics because Lladró's just usually have very hushed color tones. He says that sometimes special editions have bright colors and certain collections do.
Dedicated to Natalie Constance
These flowers would have taken FOREVER to make! So many petals!
:)
Fierce. I'm so in love with this
Tan feliz :)
Inspiración, Sentimiento, Expresión
Jazz trio. Represent :)
ANOTHER FAVORITE!!!
Se llama Quiero Ser Como Tu
I want to be like you :)
After the Lladró excapade, we went to the Sea World of Valencia
Spain meets Epcot
Cool bird in the bird house. Sorry it's not the best pic
whale
Oh. hey :)
Shark (chomp chomp)
Then Audi fell asleep inside the aquarium. So funny. She's probably gonna kill me if she finds out I posted this picture. I love her :)
Dolphins :) They speak spanish
This little guy and I were making eyes :)
ÑAM ÑAM ÑAM
Gelato 5... and 6...
Ok here's what happened. A group of us went out for dinner. I was so hungry. So after I order my dinner I ran to a Gelato shop with Audi and ate it while I waited for my dinner. Then we ate and hung out in Valencia all night. We all stopped at another gelato shop and I couldn't help but get another. Everyone else was doing it ;) hahaha
So now I have new favorite flavor. It was FERRERO ROCHER GELATO! it was incredible.
In all honestly. Chocolate and hazelnut is the best thing that has ever happened to this girl.
This kid had psycho hair.
SATURDAY
More Valencia :)
Ceramics market! It was so cute!
Market WOOOMAN on her way to da market :)
La Catedral de Valencia. It was absolutely stunning. AND there was a wedding happening while we were there! So precious :)
Audi and I with our sups posh headphones. We aren't tourists. Nope.
Stone carvings still get me. Every time. It's just incredible.
Another one for mom's wall :) it's got that blue in it that you love!
Art on the arch. Some of these little guys didn't have heads.
hey guys
Front view
How cute are they?
Valencia is the birthplace of Horchata. I didn't get to try it :(
BUT! I will when I go with my parents :)
Also Paella. Both on my To-do list
Ok. Valencia has this GIANT indoor market. We went. I almost passed out.
These little guys are called Nisperos. So tasty.
Eggplants. Favorite color. Not favorite food.
Fresas :)
The biggest grapes I've ever seen! I wish I would have had something to compare them to in the pic!
Literally as big as the strawberries.
Assorted fruits
Cebollas :)
ZANAHORIAS!!!
Mushrooms. Took this pic fo ma daddy
"That's a lot of oro"
La Lonja de la Seda
And the outside of it.
My new best friend. Valencia is famous for these things. And I really don't know what it is! It's almonds in some sort of... tasty thing. All I know is it is dang tasty :)
And then we went to the beach :) twice :)
Audi with Hermanos Stallings
Audi and I
Me and Jonny en la playa
Alright friends. It has been a great week. And another good one to come, I'm sure :)
I want to end with a couple quick shout outs. This is my best friend. Her name is Ashley. I miss her like no one would believe and I love her so much. She sent me this picture of her rock climbing at Taylor's Falls and I love it. She'll also probably be mad when she she's it on my blog but it's ok because we are best friends. Miss you baby. Love you!!!
Second, my dear friend McKay will be entering the MTC this week on Wednesday to serve the Lord for two years in the Russia, Samara mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is the best friend I could ever ask for. And he is seriously going to change lives in Russia. I am so proud of him and so happy for him. I wouldn't want him anywhere else than where he is going to be.
Vale, les quiero amigos :) ¡Hasta pronto!
S feliz :)
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