Cheesy Chocolate Confessionals of a Swiss Weekend

The snow glistened rosy-pink as the sun rose over Paso del Pajares (the pass that divides Asturias from the high plains of central Spain) Thanksgiving morning. The bus zipped nauseously around mountain bends before a 5-hour straight away to Madrid brought us to the airport for our flight to Geneva, Switzerland. Monica, our spunky Bolivian friend with whom we spent four years at the University of Oregon, has been working there since June, and acted as our French tour guide around the impeccably well-kept city. Evan, another dear Eugene friend living in Sanlucar de Barrameda, Andalucia, joined us, too! We were to Couch Surf (for the first time!) with a Venezuelan named Gabriel, and his roommate, Catherine. The connection happened through another Couch Surfer named Charlotte, who'd been to Eugene years ago and had total faith in ANYONE from there! Not only did they provide the coziest sleeping quarters we could have asked for (beds for all three of us!), but they became fast friends in only four short days.

(We HIGHLY recommend Couchsurfing.com to anyone traveling or interested in meeting like-minded people by hosting them!!!!)

Our first full day in Suiza began over Pan du Chocolat and Café o Le
in a corner cafetaria a block away from an impromptu holiday carnaval with screaming circus music and bright lights. Our first bites melted deliciously in our mouths, and became our staple meal (quick, cheap and tasty) over the weekend. Running to hop a tram, we sang the few French phrases we knew in the crisp Swiss climate, overwhelmed with the feeling of experiencing a new country with our favorite people.

The United Nations in Geveva is the 2nd most important only to New York, and we headed there after breakfast with Evan to meet his family friend who works as an Environmental Diplomat for the US. After a brief passport check at the entrance, we were specifically instructed not to leave her side by any means, and yet, to our surprise, once we were inside the UN she gave us a calm "Well, I have a meeting I must go to, but Evan was here yesterday and knows his way around so… have fun! Just try and look like you belong." Yeah right, as if the US would have three young representatives come to the UN in denim jeans and hiking boots. We gave her a big thanks and proceeded to tour the labyrinth-like building as if we owned the place. First the cafeteria, then the library, the hallways laden with artwork donated from countries the world over, an exhibit demonstrating extreme starvation and poverty, we witnessed the 25M dollar ceiling recently purchased by the UN from a Spanish artist (trust us, not really worth the money at this time of global economic crisis), and through meeting rooms with place cards on the tables displaying country names in French such as Japon, Federation de Russie, Portugal, Pologne, Kenya, Irlande, etc. One can only imagine the issues discussed by people from countries on opposite sides of the globe when in these rooms sitting side by side.

During the long weekend we found ourselves in a country that doesn't celebrate this particular North American day of thanks, and yet surrounded by friends old and new in a truly international city. Not a single turkey could be found in Geneva's grocery stores, but we did find the closest family we could have asked for this side of the Atlantic. On a chilly Friday night, Evan and Monica joined us at our Couch Surfing pal Gabriel's casa along with eight other internationals representing five countries. Joining any given conversation during the evening was difficult, as one might encounter: "…y la comida es riquisima…"; "yes, the United Nations is an…."; "…Merci beaucoup!". The tasty food was easily overshadowed by the process in which it was created, and also by everyone's thankful narratives given around the circle.

An unseasonably sunny Saturday was spent wandering the big city in a small city's shoes. Geneva boasts international diversity with its 250,000 residents, and we took advantage by sampling Ethiopian finger-food (literally eaten by the handful), authentic Italian pizza, and Thai curry -- a much-needed break from Spanish pinchos (typical Spanish sandwiches). By nightfall, the city gleamed purple and green, adorned with intricate displays of holiday lights illuminating trees and sidewalks, and resembling a Michael Jackson music video.

We rose with the sun on Sunday, anticipating a day exploring some snow-covered, tiny mountain town. Crossing the border into France by foot, we gazed up and realized the cable car spanning the tall peak was closed for the season. Without a second thought, we began are soggy assent up the trail, until we arrived at Monnetier (just the sleepy town we'd hoped to find on our adventure). Three vendors proudly displayed their modest fare at a Sunday Market: fresh cheese, meat and fish, and fruit. We bought some provisions with the few euros we hadn't exchanged for Swiss Franc and strolled slowly passed colorful cottages. Trudging up the winding road to the summit, we whistled Lion King songs to keep us warm and stuck out our thumbs hopefully each time a car cruised by. After over an hour, our frozen thumbs were successful; Philip, an English-speaking Swiss in his 70's, pulled over, smiling. Simba (funny coincidence), his dreadlocked dog, greeted us with a timid woof from the back seat. He brought us to the sunny summit where we frolicked in fresh powder. Cradled by tall peaks, Geneva appeared much smaller than it feels when you're walking the lively streets. Opposite Geneva, Mont Blanc -- the king of the French Alps and tallest mountain in Europe at 4,800 mts (14,400 ft) -- demanded attention among the dozens of razor-sharp peaks to its left and right.
Our mountain adventure concluded over a bubbling pot of cheese fondue, so deep and decadent we were left in our second food coma of Thanksgiving weekend. We'll be happy not to eat cheese again for a while! We said "au revoir" to our temporarily adopted grandfather with hugs and three kisses (one up from the 2-kiss salute in Spain) on the cheeks. That evening, we feasted on curry prepared by a talented Charlotte and shared more travel stories with our new international friends.

Our ideal weekend came to a close with a quick tram ride to the airport. Handing our passports to the woman at the EasyJet check-in, we were disheartened to hear, "Claire LaPoma, that's you... but who's Evan Kleiman?" DAMNIT! We'd exchanged passports during our UN trip and only had 45 minutes before check-in closed to find Ev and switch back. Our Spanish cell phones didn't work in Switzerland, so we borrowed one from a friendly stranger and called Evan quickly. He would have to travel across town at rapid speed to make it in time. Sure enough, with TWO minutes to spare, we see our tall counterpart running down a crowded airport hallway, passport in hand. Sans formalities and without enough time for even a hug, Ryan grabbed his passport and sprinted to check-in. THANKS AGAIN, EV!!!!

Hope you had a relaxing Turkey Day weekend! To see our photos, please visit: http://picasaweb.google.com/clapoma/CheezyChocolateConfessionsOfASwissWeekend#

Love and besos!

"In the end, it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years." -Abe Lincoln

Explosions in the Sky.. Autumn Arrives

Celebrating Spanish Style

A sky as clear and blue as Crater Lake met the sharp, snow-capped Picos de Europa as we climbed Pico Pierzo in the region of Ponga, Western Asturias. We packed light and hiked in tank tops, our arms browning under the strong autumn sun. Joaquin, the PE teacher at El Batan (Claire's school) who never misses a weekend "de monte", invited us to join him and his family for a steep Saturday hike about two hours from Oviedo. As we twisted and wound around hairpins turns, periodically dodging cows and chickens, we traced our journey on a topographic map and realized just how many peaks Asturias boasts. You could spend lifetime hiking and wouldn't have explored every route.

Good company and conversation led us three hours to the summit, where a 360' view spanned from ocean to mountains. Green folds of terrain swallowed pueblines (towns) far below. The hike allowed us a new perspective of our casa, the beautiful nature surrounding us. A perfect way to take advantage a sunny, late-October Saturday.

This wonderful weekend did not end there. On Sunday, Mayte, an English teacher at Santa Barbara (Ryan's school), invited us to participate in the Asturian tradition of cogiendo castanas (gathering chestnuts) with her family in a nearby pueblin. Rested atop a slope adorned with orchards and pastures, her parents' house has a small garden where they harvest apples for sidra as well as kiwis and other vegetables. Overlooking the striking view, we prepared chestnuts for cooking in a homemade outdoor oven and drank sidra until our customary lunch of Asturian food that resembled Accion de Gracias (Thanksgiving) was ready. I, Ryan, feasted on the fabada that I had heard so much about, a stew of faba beans, blood sausage and pork slowly cooked for hours. Claire was prepared her usual veggie option: fresh tomatoes and canned tuna. Mayte's mother was the most gracious host, who wasn't satisfied until we were in a sedated state of comida-coma.
We realized the unfortunate truth of living in a country that doesn't celebrate Halloween last week as we paraded around the bar-strewn streets of Oviedo sporting our Obama T-shirts, emblem-for-change painted faces and magician capes as "Equipo (Team) Obama." As I, Claire, talked politics with a few foreign zombies, a Spanish woman ran up to me, excited. "Te quiero, te quiero, te quiero (I love you….)," she gushed.
"Como que 'me quieres', mujer? No te conozco! (You love me? I don't even know you!)" I asked, confused.
"No, no, not you! YOU!!!" she said, blowing kisses to a smiling Obama my t-shirt. Obama is more popular here than bullfighting and baguettes combined.

Four days after that rainy Halloween night, Obama kept us all awake until 7 am winning the US Presidential Election.

The enormous sigh of relief and gratitude we now feel is indescribable. It is the first time we can ever say we've felt true pride for our country, as we'd never before been abroad during any presidency other than the eight years of Bush disaster. We will never forget the waves of happiness and pride, the release of shame and anxiety, as we stepped out our piso door and onto Spanish streets Wednesday morning. Not only does this mean our international reputation is one step closer to restoration, but is also an incredible reflection of the progress we have made as a nation. Some might say we elected a liberal black man after eight years of Bush, but we would say a much larger part is due to a changing political climate in the US.

We've both been the butt of criticism, approached by locals young and old throughout our travels, and questioned about our country's political choices. Even during a 20-min taxi ride in Madrid, the taxista attacked us "Americanos", using plenty of dirty Spanish curse words to describe just how "jodido" we've made the rest of the world. Especially after the March 11th, 2004 Al-queda metro bombing in Madrid that lead Spain to pull out of Iraq, Spanish hold strong opinions of the war and our policies. It is tough to try to defend ourselves when Bush was re-elected shortly after the bombing.

Now, we celebrate Presidente Obama's victory over champaign with local Spanish friends and "families". Lucia, Claire's host mama, threw a big dinner party last night, a sign reading "Yes, We Can" hanging proudly in the living room. We spent two days talking US politics in our schools, the 11-year-old students confused and yawning, the Seniors wide-eyed and interested. We look forward to observing the changes in the upcoming months, gaining perspective from CNN International News in English, as well as the many Spanish news channels, newspapers and locals eager to include us.

In two weeks, we will spend Thanksgiving with our dear friend Monica in Switzerland, along with amazing Evan who's teaching in Andalucia. We've also planned a trip to Morocco and Portugal for Winter Break, and to Italy for Holy Week (Spring) vacation. Any insider tips about any of these locations would be most appreciated!

Check out our latest photos at:
http://picasaweb.google.com/clapoma/CelebratingInStyle#
Lots of love and squeezes!

Welcomed Wandering

Paraiso Natural

Sipping sangria on the sunny Costa de la Luz. Bull fights in enormous stadiums. Flamenco dancing under the moonlight. Ask someone to think of Spain, and this is likely what he or she describes. But wander anywhere outside of Andalucia (the largest of the provinces spanning the southern coast), and a country only twice the size of Oregon boasts a diversity of languages, traditions and landscapes.

Directly opposite the Southern Coast both geographically and culturally is our new home of Oviedo in the Northwest province of Asturias. Known as the Paraiso Natural (Natural Paradise), Asturias is roughly the size of Conneticut. A climate of mild temperatures and rainy winters similar to that which is found in Oregon (both are located at the same lines of latitude) produces expansive green hills and apple orchard-crammed countrysides, which lie between the Cantabrian Sea to the north, the high summits of the Cantabrian mountain range to the south, and the Picos de Europa to the east. The population (around 1,100,000 inhabitants) is concentrated mostly in the center in Asturias' three largest cities: Oviedo, the capital city with a population of 220,000, a large university, and enough shopping districts to put Portland to shame; and the coastal towns of Aviles and Gijon. The famous pilgrimage, Camino de Santiago de Compestela, runs through the center of Oviedo - right down our street and in front of our doorstep- on its way west to Galicia. Before our arrival to the Oregon of Spain, we spent a few days in Madrid for an orientation. Having sprinted from one gate to another in Heathrow, London, we weren't the least bit surprised when our bags failed to show up in Madrid. They were delivered tranquilamente to the hotel the next day, saving us an expensive taxi ride by allowing us to cruise the metro easily. Five hundred recently graduated, international 20-somethings filled the hotel's lobby with excited and anxious energy. A constant buzz of multi-lingual conversation filled the air in our dining hall and the private rooms where we attended lectures that revolved around what to expect over these next eight months. The program has nearly 2,500 participants, all here to teach their native language, be it German, Italian, French, Chinese or English. We mingled a lot between meetings, eager to soak up any additional information about apartment hunting and teaching private English lessons. The 15 other North Americans in Asturias were as excited as we were, most having visited Asturias previously on exchange.

For me, Claire, the experience was reminiscent of previous exchange program orientations: many expectations, doubts, hopes and curiosity surrounding the new country we'd call home. As much as I enjoyed meeting the other participants and directors during our long meetings, I was especially happy to stroll Madrid's streets during our free time, snapping photos in Parque de Retiro and Puerta del Sol.

For me, Ryan, it was a very long and muddled day of important details that seemed very reminiscent of university-life, and only one expectation was very clear: although you will be speaking English a majority of the time at your respective schools, for now you better understand fast-paced Spanish with a Spain accented twist because we are going to hammer you with important details regarding your responsibilities as a member of this highly prestigious program. It was a tough contradiction to swallow on my first weekend in Spain after a 6 month break from having spoken and learned the language in Ecuador, and provoked an overwhelming feeling of under-qualification due to the fact that I was surrounded by Spanish major graduate-level students who have lived in Spain before. Thankfully, I had Claire's comprehension at my aid or else it would have been impossible to complete the tasks that were required of us during this past week (establishing residency before setting up bank accounts in order to eventually get paid).

Heading north on the ALSA bus as soon as the orientation ended, we watched dry, brown planes turn to molehills and then to mountains out the bus window as we reached our paradise. Conchi, the head English teacher at Claire's school – El Batan in Mieres - greeted us warmly at the station. She brought us to the piso (apartment) which we'd asked her to check out for us, and we held our breath as we opened the door. PERFECTO!!! The small, cozy, stylish one-bedroom is more than we could have asked for! With views of the surrounding mountains and only a 20-minute-long walk from Oviedo's central park, Campo San Francisco, the location is ideal. Not to mention we have a fruit and veggie shop on one side, a meat shop on the other, and four mini-supermarkets within a four block radius (a perfect compromise for this omnivorous couple). We've been accumulating missing essentials (a toaster, slippers, utensils…) over the past week and are eager to share our new home with anyone who wanders this way. The brand-new sofa bed, complete with fleece we purchased for our guests, can be yours if you feel inclined to come a knocking!!

Our address is:
C/La Arganosa 68, Bajo K
Oviedo, Espana 33013

We began our first week of school in a blur of jet-lag and excitement. It was a hazy week filled with early mornings spent running around the city to a number of gov't agencies, figuring out transportation to our schools, and then rushing to get there in time to introduce ourselves to our teachers and students for some of the last classes of the day. Ryan works in Langreo, and Claire, in Mieres. Both towns lay about 20-40 minutes outside of Oviedo by car, train or bus. These once wealthy, but industrial, pueblines (towns) now face economic hardship after the coal industry slowed and many factories were forced to close. Fewer students attend our schools each year as parents move to find work in other parts. But we have been impressed by the programs, professors and students so far. Both schools are "secondarios", the students ranging from 11-18 years old.

My (Ryan's) concerns over not having had much correspondence with anyone from my school were immediately put to rest when I realized the English director of my school was the Einstein looking fellow I'd previously mentioned to Claire that I'd “wished was my guy because he looks fun,” when we entered the first meeting in Oviedo. Besides speaking English very well, Paco and the rest of my fellow teachers are the most welcoming and comfortable people I could have imagined I would be blindly forced to work with for a school year. I work in the neighborhood of La Felguera, which has a small school of about 300 students, one of the three found in the town of around 50,000 people. My blonde-haired presence was met with giggly, googly-eyed teenagers and overwhelmingly excited teachers, all more than excited to give a gleeful “hello!” or “how are you?”. The two previous language asst.'s were girls from Britain, so they said this is a welcome change. My week consisted of only 6 different classrooms, wherein nearly the entirety of each period was spent talking in English about everything having to do with myself- whether it be about the similarities between Asturias and Oregon, everything futbol, tastes in music, or Hollywood cinema. Their proficiency with the English language at such a young age has left me in total shock. Although it is a pleasantly stark contrast from what we experienced during our month of teaching in Ecuador, I now realize just how valuable it is having previously taught in such a disorganized environment. I (Claire) am focusing on pronunciation and listening skills with classes in each grade. Not all classes are "English"; I also assist in Technology, Math and Music (the latter far more up my alley than the first two). Most of the students speak with confidence and are eager to work with this year's extranjera (foreigner). They have a much more advanced level of English than any of the students I taught during my three stays in Ecuador, and I look forward to taking classes further than colors, numbers and simple sentences. My co-teachers couldn't be more welcoming, inviting us to hike in the mountains on weekends and offering me lifts to and from Oviedo. “Work” will be a pleasure... and I'll have plenty of time for private English lessons in the afternoons in order to fund our travels outside of Spain.

Summer-like weather has us enjoying Oviedo's parks and hiking to the Cristo atop a mountain for a view of the city in our free time. We've visited Claire's Spanish host mom on a few occasions, playing flamenco versions of "Killing Me Soflty" and enjoying her delicious culinary skills. We also spent a lazy Saturday at Paco's large, beautiful villa outside of town, complete with an orchard and garden he spent years creating, and the sweetest dog in Spain. He gave us authentic sidra-pouring lessons (sidra is a hard apple cider that needs to be poured with arm stretched high in order to break bubbles and create its unique taste), general advice, and wisdom coming from a well-traveled teacher born and raised in Asturias. And probably the best fish fillete we will ever eat in these eight months. We ended the night over wine, a fine assortment of Asturian cheeses and classical guitar riffs on the moon-lit patio.

For photos from the past few weeks, check out the album "Bienvenidos a Asturias" on the following link:
http://picasaweb.google.com/clapoma

Viva España!

Once again we find ourselves impatiently awaiting the next big adventure, this time eager for our departure to Spain to teach English for eight months!! We will create our new home in Northern Spain, the province of Asturias, as well as spend time roaming the rest of Europe. Even after a dream-come-true four months in Ecuador and Peru, as many of you read about in this site's sister blog: Wandering Through The Wonder, our thirst for travel was less than quenched; we decided to embark on this next chapter of travels in Europe. Expect new postings and pictures beginning in October! Hasta entonces, pura vida!