We arrive!

Coming from Delaware, Rhode Island, New Jersey and upstate NY, our group began to coalesce at JFK on Sunday evening, thanks to wonderful parents and mostly cooperative traffic. With plenty of time to check in, stand in lines, get a dose of x-rays, and stand in more lines, we boarded our plane on Iberia Airlines and took off for Spain at 10:00 PM. Roughly 7 hours later and well into Monday morning (Spanish time), we landed at Barajas airport ready to be swept away to our final destination of Segovia, which lies 50 miles north and west of Madrid. Students were met by their host mothers who'd been waiting for them at the base of the Segovia aqueduct, a monumental structure and testament to Roman engineering skills. After lunch with host families, settling into our new surroundings, and time for a brief siesta we rejoined as a group and strolled through this beautiful medieval city encased by limestone walls, stopping along the way to hear our guide, Ricardo, explain the lore of its buildings and earlier inhabitants. After some map study and general orientaion of major streets and landmarks, by the end of the day everyone was able to head back to their host families on their own in time for dinner. Tomorrow each student will be retracing her steps to meet at the Centro de Estudios Hispánicos for our first class on the history and culture of Spain. Hasta entonces. -Dra. Shaw