Endings, Beginnings, and a Day Trip

I think this island is in a perpetual identity crisis. First of all, it has not one, not two, but THREE official languages. Spanish (of course) Catalan (which usually, but not always, sounds like Spanish), and Mallorquin (a dialect of Catalan native to Mallorca). So, anything packaged is usually in Spanish and Catalan. Same with signs and things like bus announcements. But then add to this mix a huge population of German immigrants. So every menu tends to be in Spanish, German, and English, for the tourist population. Same with tourist transportation or, for example, the information here at the hotel. Now add to that the fact that this place looks a heck of a lot like Southern France or the French Riviera. And then consider the idea that they tout themselves as both enthusiastic tourist destination and, just twenty minutes away, an untouched wilderness of tropical flora and fauna, and beaches not accessible by car. What do you get? I'm still trying to figure that out, honestly.

All I know is that I am still enjoying every minute of my time here. I can't believe it's been just over two weeks and at the same time, I can't believe two weeks have already passed. Friday was the conclusion of our first intensive class and it was a great feeling to have accomplished so much and earned legitimate graduate credits in such a short amount of time. There was also a collective feeling of sadness (though brief, in light of the weekend ahead) about leaving our class behind. Luckily, many of the same people will be in my  next class this week but naturally, it will be a different experience with a different teacher.

We took our professor out to lunch on Friday to celebrate the end of the course and show our thanks for his teaching. We went to an authentic Spanish restaurant where they did not stop feeding us for about two hours. We must have eaten at least five courses. The food here has been both great and...interesting. The olives and the olive oil are to die for. So is the fresh produce and abundance of dried fruit. Egg dishes are very popular here (which is great for me!) and often mixed with potatoes, baked into tortilla (the Spanish version of fritatta) or served over french fries. And the ham here is a big deal. Not like American Christmas ham. More like Italian prosciutto. Usually served sliced right off the bone and eaten with bread and cheese. But mostly, I've been spending my extra euros on ice cream. Mmm.

Yesterday, some of us traveled to the town of Soller (pronounced soy-air), which was recommended in my guidebook. We took an old fashioned wooden train to get there, which traveled through several tunnels in order to get through the large mountain range that cuts through the island. As we got closer, the landscape changed from busy roads to dusty mountains, olive fields, lemon trees, and the scenery was graced by an occasional wild goat. In Soller, we checked out an awesome Picasso/Miro art exhibit, wandered the streets, admired the items at the local outdoor market, and ate delicious orange-flavored ice cream, which the town is famous for.

We also traveled to a nearby port/beach, which was GORGEOUS. And spent the afternoon in the water and napping on the sand. A perfect Saturday in Mallorca, I think. Today was another Sunday of recovery, and a day to prepare for a new week ahead. We just returned from our second program orientation, which was almost identical to the first, save for a few new faces and an opportunity to meet our new professor who is apparently a rancher's wife from South Dakota. Despite this fact, she seems pretty cool :)