My Semester Abroad Part 1: Ham, Ham, and More Ham

This semester I have the incredible opportunity to study abroad in Madrid, Spain. I had never been to Europe before arriving in August, so it has already been a huge learning experience and adjustment period for me. Throughout this semester, I will be bringing you along on my journey through a series of articles – I hope you enjoy them as much as I do! 

I began the semester with two weeks in Salamanca, Spain for an intensive Spanish language and culture program before settling into Madrid. Salamanca is known for being a beautiful little city which revolves around the University of Salamanca. The university recently celebrated its 800th anniversary, which initially was difficult to wrap my head around, being that it is almost four times as old as the United States. 

The whole city is made up of the same multi-faceted sandstone, creating an aesthetically pleasing, cohesive architectural look to the city. 

There are two cathedrals in Salamanca, the “old” and “new” – the New Cathedral was constructed between the 16th and 18th centuries, while the Old Cathedral was constructed between the 12th and 14th centuries. I was able to visit both, where I was taken aback by the sheer grandeur of the place and the intricate architecture within. The New Cathedral is wrapped around the Old Cathedral, creating the look of one giant place of worship. It was a bit eerie, as underneath of the structure lies a large tomb, which was marked out by gravestones within the New Cathedral. 

The cathedral at night

A view of the dome in the New Cathedral

The largest adjustment for me came in the form of my diet. Back home, I eat a lot of vegetables, fish, and chicken. I have seldom tried pork or ham, and I tend to eat dinner relatively early. In Spain, that was all turned on its head. To start with, Spaniards eat dinner much later than the average American, typically at about 9 or 10pm. However, the largest adjustment came in the form of eating a LOT of pork. In Salamanca, pork is a large point of pride, being that the aclaimed best pork in Spain is made in the area. I came to find that there are about 50 different types of pork, all of them being very different, and that a simple sandwich of pork and cheese is a very common meal among Spaniards. The pork can be found in just about every part of town in shops and markets, and typically is displayed like so: 

Before departing for Spain, I decided I would try any food that I was offered, because I wanted to experience the culture in every possible way. While there have been certain dishes that I’m not a fan of, I’m very glad that I decided to try everything – after all, better to try something and know I don’t like it than to never give it a chance! 

I have now arrived in Madrid, but that’s a story for another time. Check back for an update soon!