Daisies and Raindrops Lining the Spanish Cement

So I'm here. Yes. In Spain. In La Rioja, Callahora specifically. And I love it. After a 9 hour flight to Paris, a less than two hour flight in a smaller jet to Bilbao, and then finally an hour or so long car ride,  two days ago I arrived and walked into the bedroom I'm sitting in now.

Hit the run way and BAM... no crash, just a sign. Yeah.

For those of you who don't know, I'm spending 6 weeks in Spain with a friend named Cristina. She came and lived with me in Utah for a month, and now I'm here. We met each other via her aunt and e-mailed for a little less than 2 years, and then we decided to do this private exchange.

So jetlag and all, we went out two nights ago. All I can say is, so many kisses. Every person, two kisses on the cheeks for hello, and then some expect a kiss or two for a goodbye too. I knew this was the custom, having been here two years ago already, but it gets somewhat tiring after you do it to person after person after person. 

Yesterday we explored a dinosaur park. It was actually pretty interesting, and had an addition of a pool and a ropes course (which we never did, but I think we might go back). Following exploring the park, we went to eat in a restaurant that mimicked an older pueblo atmosphere. For example, it had an entrance floor made of stone and an old fashion door. 

So about ordering at a Spanish restaurant, when it comes to lunch (and dinner tends to be the same), you usually order the first dish, second dish, and then dessert. I won't go into grand detail about my meal, but for my first dish I did have something worth mentioning, as it's a traditional northern Spain dish that I had never even heard of before. Directly translated, the dish "migas con huevo frito" is "bread crumbs with fried egg." What happens is stale bread is mixed with a tiny bit of water to soften it, some chorizo, and then it's baked and topped with a fried egg. 

On our way home, we stuck daisies in our hair. And after exploring a swimming hole between pueblos, it started raining. So here are some pictures. 

Cristina, me, and Cristina's younger sister Ines. 

Rain hitting the swimming hole

Okay... I'll take more pictures. I promise. We're going to Galicia on Monday, so I'll be sure to take tons and tons of pictures then. As for now, that's it.