This fall I will be studying abroad in Toledo, Spain. The city is about a 20-30 minute train ride south of Madrid and has a rich and intriguing history. A former capital of the Spanish Empire it was also a place of coexistence between Christians, Muslims, and Jewish cultures. Not only that but it is also famous for the metal working industry and was where the famous Renaissance painter, El Greco, did much of his work. I am looking into how to transport some swords home for my brothers but am a little worried about how TSA would feel about it.
The program I am studying is through the University of Minnesota and entails a home stay and courses through a Learning Abroad Center (all courses will be taught in Spanish). As excited as I am about the program, I was very sad to find out that I would be arriving just a week after a festival known as La Tomatina. It is held in Buñol, a small Valencian town, and takes the prize for the world's largest food fight. On the last Wednesday of August about 150,000 tomatoes (~40 metric tons) and 40,000 tipsy people (equipped with goggles and gloves) collide for an hour of total chaos. Below are five rules laid out by the city to ensure that it "remains a celebration."
- You must not bring bottles or other type of objects which could cause an accident.
- You must not break(knot) or throw T-shirts.
- The tomatos must be squashed before throwing them, to avoid hurting people.
- You must be careful of any lorry.
- When you hear the second shot, you must stop throwing tomatos.
The dates for the upcoming years are as follows:
August 28, 2013
August 27, 2014
August 26, 2015
For anyone that is interested, just keep me posted. It is a sure thing that I will be attending at least once in the coming decade.
I plan on using this blog to give readers a sense of Spanish culture through the lens of a college student, share stories, and post pictures. Well now it is off to finish unpacking from a summer away and re-packing for Spain.
Adiós.
Hello Claire! I'll be the first one to creep on your blog. I know my friend bought a bunch (he kept going back into stores and getting "just one more") of knives/ small swords in Toledo. I don't think he had a problem with TSA. Check out the Noche Vieja Universitaria in Salamanca if you're still there, that's another fun festival. Let me/ Anne know if you want any travel, food, homestay, etc tips! Q todo pase bien!
ReplyDeleteWhatup ClaireBear
ReplyDeletethanks for the heads up on the knife policy ashley! i think i'll definitely have to take a few back home. As for Salamanca that festival looks really cool but i think by then I'll be traveling outside of spain. But I am headed to Salamanca on september 28th for a weekend with my program. i might need a "must do list" from you.
ReplyDeletestacieG: whatupppp backatcha