bonus: salamanca!

It's not on the list, but I didn't make any rules excluding activities. And honestly, this should have been on my list. Who wrote that, anyway?? Anyway, Salamanca is a small city, famous for its university, and it's only two and a half hours from Madrid. And after almost three years, I had never been, which borders on embarassing, to be frank. So, I did the responsible thing and I bought a bus ticket, booked a hotel, and woke up early to catch the 8 AM bus to Salamanca. This was another solo trip, but I needed some time outside the city on my own to wander aimlessly. I groggily left the bus station, left my bag at the hotel, and grabbed some toast and a coffee on my way to the Plaza Mayor. One of the most beautiful central squares in Spain, it was covered in red and gold and blaring techno music upon my arrival. Why? Because the Spanish National Team had come to Salamanca to play and the entire city was lining up in the plaza, chanting and playing games in inflatable bouncey houses. I can't say I was surprised. The arrival of la selección nacional is rivaled only by the second coming of Christ, and one could argue that not even that could top seeing Iniesta in the flesh. But after passing through the main square with the giant teletron, I started looking for the frog sitting on the skull. They say that if you see it, you'll have good luck in your studies. It's hidden on a the face of the university, which is filled with carvings. And of course, I left feeling lucky. I continued wandering, visiting the cathedral, the public library, and several university buildings, and after all that walking, I ate. Peas cooked with ham, pork chops, wine, chorizo, ham, and plenty of coffee...It was overall pretty delicious. Did I get a bit lonely? Let's just say I was ready to be back in Madrid, refueled and refreshed.