Madrid and Toledo

After having a couple easy flights and getting into Madrid early on Wednesday morning things have gone great so far. I am picking up more and more on the spanish from the locals but the european spanish accent is definitely different than in Latin America. Madrid is an amazing city and has a ton of history. So far I have seen El Prado, Palacio Real, El Valle de Los Caidos, and El Escorial. The best part of the trip was definitely on Thursday night when I was standing in the Plaza del Colon in Madrid watching the futbol match between Spain and Russia on a huge screen. Spanish futbol fans are very aggressive but get very excited. Definitely an experience. Especially since Spain won. I can only imagine what Sunday is going to be like for the finals. Sunday will be my first day in Valencia so I hope we can find a great place to watch the game. Pictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/joshfisherncsu/MadridElEscorialValleyOfTheFallenAndToledo

First entry

This summer I am studying abroad in Valencia, Spain. I will be studying the Spanish language and culture at the University of Valencia while living with a native Spanish family! Here is an overview of my itinerary:

• Flying from US to Madrid on June 24
• Arriving in Valencia from Madrid on June 29
• Leaving Valencia on July 31
• Arriving in Lisbon, Portugal on August 1
• Returning to US from Lisbon on August 7