¡CAMPEONES DEL MUNDO!

I had a very booked and busy week in Spain! I took a day trip to Toledo this week where we visited various religious sites such as synagogues and cathedrals. There, I really witnessed the cross-cultural interactions between the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations living together in Spain. I especially saw it in the arches of the buildings. For example, one building would have both Gothic arches indicative of Christian architecture and horseshoe arches indicative of Muslim architecture. Jewish individuals would often commission works from Muslim architects, reflecting this idea of tolerance and even collaboration.

Over the weekend (one of the free weekends we have during the program), I went to Valencia. This was more of a relaxation trip because it consisted of going to the beach, tanning, and having a nice dinner. The buildings in Valencia were actually very beautiful and colorful! I will say the one downside of the city was just how humid it was. Compared to Madrid's preferable dry heat, I felt more "sticky" in Valencia which was not the most ideal. However, that made our visit to the beach that much more enjoyable! The water was nice and refreshing (but not too cold which I appreciated).

We returned back to Madrid on Sunday at noon, which was just in time to get ready for the World Cup final! ¡Vamos España! I have always been a fan of Spain's national team, even before having come to Madrid. Many of the Spain players play for my club team, FC Barcelona so I have always enjoyed watching them. Now, it is so much more fun to watch a national team than a club. There is such an intense rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona, but when it comes to international tournaments, people just forget about the drama altogether and come together to watch the team thrive which I find to be so beautiful.

And now... the biggest update of the week! Spain won the World Cup!! We watched the game at Plaza Selección, which is near our residencia. It was incredibly packed even 3 hours before the game had started! However, we made it in and had such an unforgettable experience. I have always been a fan of Ferran Torres (even defending him when his performance was less than ideal), so getting to watch him score the winning goal in the World Cup final was so surreal and amazing to see! After the team lifted the trophy, everyone left the plaza and headed to the Cibeles Fountain to continue celebrations. It was one of the most chaotic yet fun experiences because everyone around me was celebrating by climbing stoplights, setting of fireworks, and just jumping up and down together.

Coming off such a wonderful week in Spain, I am thrilled to continue exploring the country!