Despite the insanity of winter storm Juno, somehow my flights managed to leave on time and get me to Spain an hour early. After taking a red-eye, I can honestly say from personal experience that airplane food is just as bad as they suggest on TV, but it is not nearly as hard to recover from jet lag as I would have supposed. It was such a pleasure to get off the airplane and be greeted by the smiling faces of the PRESHCO team that I was filled with an energy I definitely had not gained from the plane and I couldn't wait to explore. After spending a few hours in Madrid waiting for the rest of our group to arrive, we hopped on a bus to travel to Salamanca, a famously old college town.
The first place we went to after arriving in Salamanca was the Plaza Mayor, a large open space outlined by tapas bars and panaderias with chocolate y churros. A personal favorite of mine: Meson Cervantes, with a glass of sangria and a tapa for a little less than 3 euros. 
The next day we took a tour of Salamanca. This is a picture taken from in front of the cloister across the street of the building near the front of our hotel (the hotel is the building on the right). It just looked incredibly European.
We also visited the cathedral in Salamanca, or I should say both cathedrals. Unlike most European cities, this one got to keep both of its cathedrals because rather than destroy the old one to make way for the new one, they kept the old one so that the students in the town could use it to study.
Word to know: Sabio - if it is put behind your name, it means you are very studious, wise, and have studied deeply
We also visited the university there. On the side of the building, if you look close enough, you can find a frog, which is good luck. Because the sculpture put a frog on the building, it is now the symbol of Salamanca. See if you can find it in this picture.
If you haven't found the frog yet, it is sitting on top of the skull on the left.
After spending two nights in Salamanca, we hopped on the bus again, this time heading to Segovia where we visited the Alcazar, or the castle. This castle was also unique because it had both an older and a new section, and the majority of what we saw had been restored to match what the castle had once been because it had been destroyed in the fire.
We did walk to the top of the tower, thighs burning, close quarters, spiral staircase, but it was worth it for the amazing view of the city.
Also, in the center of the city there is an old Roman aqueduct.
For the next week at least, as we tour around Spain, I will be found behind my camera, trying to capture what I see. However, I am trying to improve my Spanish and am learning some new words, such as the expression "ea" or "ae-a" that basically means "I acknowledge what you have said but I don't want to talk about this." Or "propina," the tip at a restaurant. Not a thing here. Also that a "vegetable sandwich" comes with tuna in it. The past couple of days have been full of adventures, and I look forward to finding new ones in Madrid.
