Clases nuevas

I didn't think that Spain could get any better, but it has! On Monday, July 4, Term 2 began. I love my new professor Chitty (yes, like chitty-chitty bang bang), and it doesn't start until 9 a.m. so I get to sleep in an extra hour every morning! After class, I spent the afternoon on the beach playing volleyball and bodysurfing the waves. Later that night some friends and I went dancing! We went to Havanna for salsa dancing and LOVED it. Then we ended up at Mulligans where there were only a few other people and our large group. We danced the night away, and it was one of my favorite nights out! What a great 4th of July!

On Tuesday morning I was rather tired in class, but it was engaging and I learned a lot! When I got home I took an impressive siesta (I am getting good at those). I then went with the new group of students to the castle again. I will always be amazed by the view of Alicante from the top of the castle! I had my last salsa dance class, and it was great! After that, we ate supper quickly then headed out for another night in the city!

Me at the castle... what a gorgeous view!

Wednesday was just a normal day of class and beach time. When I get back to the States I am going to miss hanging out along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea almost every day! :(

On Thursday I spent time on the beach with some friends, again. It never gets old! We started learning Flamenco in my dance class. It is fun but challenging! Afterwards I met up with my intercambio Carlos and his friends, and we had a great time!

Friday came quickly, and class flew by. Olivia and I went with Carlos to Elche, a nearby city after lunch. It is a very beautiful city with forests of palm trees! It is actually the palm tree capital of Spain! How interesting! We enjoyed our time with Carlos' mom eating delicious cake as well as touring the city and it's museum. There is a rivalry between Elche and Alicante, so Carlos kept asking us if we liked Elche better. All I have to say is that Alicante is my home here in Spain. :)  After a long day of seeing the town, we went out for a little dancing then headed home. It was truly a perfect day!

Palm trees... how beautiful!

On Saturday morning our program traveled to Guadalest, my favorite place so far. It is a little town tucked inbetween gorgeous mountains. There we hiked up a small mountain to see the view from the castle. The most impressive part was the unbelievably blue water surrounded by breathtaking waters. You can't tell me there is not a God! After working up a sweat in the heat, we ate paella at a restaurant... so delicious! To end the day, the group headed to the nearby Fuentes de Algar to swim for a few hours. The site was, once again, GORGEOUS and the water freezing cold (yet refreshing on such a hot day). When we went home, we were wiped out and ready to sleep.

So bright and blue!

Beauty.

One of the water falls!

On Sunday some friends and I took the tram to a cute town called Altea. There we walked through the pueblo antiguo (old town) and spent time on a rocky beach (which was splendid!). It was such a beautiful day, and I really enjoyed the town. That night we headed out with our friends for ice cream!

Beautiful Altea

Yesterday (Monday night) I had a lovely time tutoring Paula in the afternoon. Her new favorite song is "skidda marinky dinky dink!" As soon as we finished our lesson, I changed and made my way to the beach for my first windsurfing lesson. I loved it more than I thought I would! :) Afterward Olivia and I went out to eat at a wonderful Italian restaurant with our friend Dani and two of his friends. It was his last night in town before he went back to London to work. We will miss him and his English accent dearly! I went from the restaurant to Havanna to go salsa dancing (SO FUN!) for an hour or so, then returned home to sleep.

Today I found my grammar class to be quite interesting (we talked about chess and the vocabulary for all the pieces, actions, etc...). Afterwards I relaxed and did my homework until it was time for windsurfing. Today we learned how to use the sail to turn. It took me a while to get it, but I eventually was successful! Next I headed to flamenco dance class then home for supper. Now I am getting ready to go out. Everyone goes out on Tuesdays! I can't believe that I am over halfway done here! Carpe diem!