a little piece of alcalá

it's official. i live in a romance novel. 

creamy pastels? rose bushes? gazebos?
now let's just find mr. tableta de chocolate to complete this picture.

these ivy adorned apartment windows, half-hobo-half-artists-with-two-foot-long-beards and beautiful spanish architecture has me thinking, "i can't believe i live here".

~la universidad de alcalá original~
we toured the original universidad of alcalá. we learned that the students there originally had to wear the catholic priest robes to school (real cute) and punishment there was slight of severe. if a man was caught speaking in english or spanish (they could only speak latin) or talking to a girl, he was thrown into the cellar for three days...without food.
let's hear one for the 17th century!

~madrid spain study abroad fall 2012~
that's a lot of estrogen

~plaza de cervantes~
the platha de thervantes is the #1 hot spot here in alcalá.
every elderly person in town emerges from his alcove to come watch the community hang out. children run around while young lovers (and the old people too) make out on the benches. it is actually my favorite.

~five spaniards on a bench~
the older folk really do hang out on the benches. look, all five squeezed on there.

~let the ferias begin!~
our group arrived just in time for the ferias, a week long festival with music, parades, dancing and a lot of happy people. the night activities begin around 8:00 and end around 2:00 in the morning.

see that balloon guy on the right? these guys with balloons purse their lips and make this super obnoxious squeaky sound to get your attention. at first, you think the squeaky sound is cool, but then you walk five feet and find two more squeakers. then three more. then suddenly you're surrounded by the squeakers.

we are hoping that these lights stay up for the next few months!

~dancing~
so maybe the couples don't have the best form, but i love that the whole community comes out to enjoy a night on the town together.

and dancing can help anyone to fall in love.

that's real love right there.