Katie Googe and The Quest for the Holy Grail

So, unsurprisingly, when my alarm went off two hours after I went to sleep, it was kind of painful. But I did manage to get myself downstairs and eat breakfast and make it to class.

And I’m not gonna lie: I almost fell asleep in my first class. But so did everyone else. I actually caught one person doing the nod asleep and jerk awake during the lecture. It had been a crazy weekend for all of us, and Monday mornings suck, and there were supposed to be presentations that morning about various things, but neither of the people who were supposed to do the presentations were able to come to class. So, everything was a bit off.

And what, you might ask, happened to the people who were supposed to present that they skipped a mandatory class? Well that’s a great question. So, there are these things called “capeas” that happen in Spain, and never having been to one, I’m not 100% sure what goes on, but from what I can gather there are a bunch of young people at a bull ring, and lots of alcohol, and a small bull. Last Sunday, our dorm had arranged for a group to go to a capea, and a lot of the members of my group went. And early on in the day, the bull escaped its confinement, and was running around where the people were. Before the bull could be returned to the ring, however, there were some of these young people who were taunting it or scaring it or something, and it was trying to get away from them in the easiest path available, a path which took it straight over Pooja. Fortunately, she’s alright. Bruised and sore, but there’s no permanent damage. We are not actually sure how she got away with so few injuries considering she actually got trampled. Especially since she didn’t even go to the hospital, but stayed at the capea. We did eventually convince her to go to the hospital Monday, so we do know definitively that she’s alright. But, she was too sore to get out of bed, and therefore couldn’t come to class and make her presentation. Rocky also went to the capea, and while there she tripped and twisted her ankle, so she couldn’t walk all the way to class to make her presentation.

SO anyway, my first class was hard, because it was confused, and early, and there was absolutely -5 energy in that class, and it is hard to stay alert on no sleep and no energy. Because I usually have a day. I talked about this at the end of Fallas, but even if I get a pittance of sleep, my body gives me one day of being able to function before I crash. But if there is no energy, even I can’t swing it. SO when class ended I put my head down on the desk, and the next thing I remember is the Cine teacher very pointedly wishing us “good morning” in my direction. But I woke up and was able to participate and stay awake much better in that class. We talked about the history of Latin American and Spanish film and the relationships between the countries and all that jazz, and then in the last few minutes we started watching the movie “Hijo de la Novia” (Son of the Bride) which was a joint Spanish-Argentine project that I have already seen. It’s supposed to be a comedy or a happy film. I’m convinced that Spanish speaking countries don’t understand either of those terms. Because I have yet to see a happy movie in the Spanish language. I’ve seen happy German movies. But no happy Spanish movies.

However, since I’d seen it, I begged out, and the teacher let me go early so I could get to my English class something closer to on time. And I did. Dr. Pennock was back, and we had a really great time. Or at least I did. I wasn’t even tired anymore, and we had interesting discussion, and I’m really gonna miss that class. We talked about happiness a lot, since they’re doing vocabulary for that right now. We had to share happy stories, and then listened to a fascinating TED talk by a French man who had become a Buddhist monk. He talked about the definition of happiness and the difference between happiness and pleasure, and a lot of stuff I’ve been thinking a lot about recently. I’m trying to be much more purposeful about my happiness, because I have been happy recently, and I’m not always, and I want to try to preserve this sense of peace and happiness. Because it seems obvious, but life is better when I am happy, and I like myself better. And a lot of the things I’ve been thinking about and trying come from my brushes with Buddhist philosophy: starting with myself, opening myself up to the world, gratefulness, living in the moment, letting go. So it was interesting to hear this talk.

So then I went home and did homework and ate and went to Elena’s class. We wandered around the city looking at graffiti, because that’s art too. Especially in Valencia. Like, seriously, maybe I’ve just not paid attention, but when I talk about Valencian graffiti artists, I’m actually talking about artists, not hoodlums with spray paint and a colorful vocabulary. And a lot of them are older and have websites and styles of art, and actually, quite a few have done installations in Atlanta. So we went around and found some of that. It was cool, even if I was starting to fade. After class we had our meeting, and got plans for the week, and then I went back to my room, and chilled and did homework until dinner. At some point I tried to figure out some travel stuff, but by that point it was past my metaphorical midnight, and I had turned back into a very tired pumpkin, so I just went to bed.

So then Tuesday in lit we did presentations, and I thought mine went well. On my way back from class, I went and scheduled a haircut (oh yeah, fair warning, I got a haircut. It’s short.) and then got a shocking amount done. Like, I did so much Tuesday afternoon. Then at 4 we went to the Cathedral, which was really cool. I mean, I’d been in it before, but I enjoyed having the audioguide to tell me what I was seeing. It did have some interesting stuff, like Saint Vincent’s left arm. On display. In a little silver box. And it looked exactly like you would expect a very old arm to look.  Catholics are weird. It also had some beautiful paintings in the ceiling above the main altar. After so many visits to cathedrals it took me a shockingly long time to realize that it didn’t have a choir, which I find odd. I think something happened to the choir, because there were pieces from the choir scattered around the church, but no actual choir. Also, FYI, I think that the traditional thing where the choir and the altar face each other like [----} is inconvenient. I much prefer it when the choir is up on the next floor, and the singers are above and face the altar like ]----} so that everybody can see the main altar. But I also recognize that old style Catholocism wasn’t exactly about being user-friendly.

 But the most famous thing in the Valencia Cathedral is the Holy Grail. Yup. That’s right. Call off King Arthur and Monty Python, we found it. Now, in my cynicism, I am dubious that the little cup in the back altar of the Valencia Cathedral was used by Jesus of Nazareth to serve wine to his disciples the night of his arrest. But, as a storyteller, I absolutely don’t care. It’s been said that believing something doesn’t make it true, but that’s a lie. Because all stories are true, and some actually happened. And that very old cup with medieval gold handles sitting in the cathedral has a dang good story. It was allegedly brought to Rome by Peter, and when there was turmoil in the city it was sent to Spain for safekeeping. A reasonable enough story, if lacking in the drama of the Arthurian legends. And people have believed it for hundreds of years, so who am I to deny them their story?

SO then after the cathedral I rushed back downtown to get my haircut. It was very interesting trying to communicated how I wanted my hair cut in Spanish, but I figured it out for the most part. I also learned that the rule that you tell a hairdresser an inch longer than you want it is true on this side of the Atlantic too. Whoops. But it’s short, and that’s the important thing, and I’ve gotten nothing but compliments. Even mother didn’t have a heart attack. Which I took as a very good sign. And it’s easy to take care of and going to be great for this summer. So then I went home and did even more work. Yay. Except, actual yay, because I have been so productive lately.

At 8 Elena and I went for currywurst, a German-Turkish fusion dish involving sausage and curry sauce. Apparently it wasn’t like they make it in Berlin according to Elena, but I enjoyed it. And we had a good time. We talked about the Borgias, and Game of Thrones, and How I Met Your Mother, and Once Upon a Time, and traveling and planning, and life. I’m gonna miss talking to Elena when the program ends. We always have a good time.

I came back, worked some more, and headed to bed.

So then Wednesday I woke up a little later and we went on a tour of the old university building. The University of Valencia was founded in like 1502 by the city of Valencia, with permission from los reyes católicos, and the Pope (interestingly enough, it was Alexander VI, the Borgia Pope. Which actually solved a dispute that Alexz, Elena, and I had at the palace in Gandía. Because the seal there looked like one of the seals that form part of the University seal, but Alexz said it wasn't the same. But it was, because the university seal used the Pope's seal as part of its seal. That word sounds weird now. SEAAAAALLL) anyway, and the building was really pretty, and there was a bunch of cool historical stuff in there. We saw the old chapel, which was beautiful, and a meeting room up by the Rector's office, and all sorts of portraits and carvings and such. We didn't get to see the library, which is such a shame, but all in all it was an awesome building, and a great way to spend class. 

When we finished up in there we walked over to the main campus of the University (because the old building is actually closer to our dorm than the main campus. Go figure) and had cine class. We did some review and talked about a few things before watching more of Hijo de la Novia.

Oh, I know this is terribly anachronic, but I want to tell this story. So the week before last at some point I went to the train station to get tickets for Madrid and my weekend trip to Salamanca, and I was there buying tickets from one agent, and another agent walks behind him, and sees me and says something to the first agent. Who promptly turns to me and goes, "Oh, apparently you're famous around here." And it was then that I realized just how often I have gone to that train station in the past few months with a eurail pass and a foreign accent and a complicated and specific itinerary. But, I figure that it is the sign of a good life, and it made me laugh.

But yeah, back to Wednesday. After class I came back and did a project for Elena, which I then presented in class after lunch. The project was on bullfighting, which was... interesting. Elena gave us topics to choose from, and one of them was bullfighting, and Jess and I were the only ones who had been to a fight, so it seemed natural for us to take that one. The only problem with this was that Jess and I were the only ones who had been to a fight. And we kind of forgot how desensitized we got. Jess actually took out some of the gorier pictures before class, but even so the majority of the class looked a little green around the gils when we were describing the fight. Jess had found a video of Ponce getting gored, and when she got to that slide the class begged her not to show it, so we didn't. Even though it's been a while since the fight, and even though I recognize it as animal cruelty, it's still shocking to me how desensitized I am. I had no problem describing the fight in detail, in showing those pictures, but it was clearly difficult for everyone else to hear about it and to see images. And that was a very good reminder.

So then I came back to the room and was all ready to get to work, when Alexz texted and asked why I wasn't with them to go to the Basilica next to the Cathedral, and so I ran downstairs. There were only three of us going, and when we got there we discovered that Mass was going on, so we couldn't visit, so we got ice cream instead. It was a lot of fun. We sat by the fountain and looked at the cathedral and watched the kids mess with the pigeons and just talked. I'm gonna miss that too. Jess and Alexz, and our insanity.

So then I came home and worked and read and did laundry until bedtime. And then Thursday begins my fantastic Salamanca adventure, so I'll leave that for my next post.

Ciao Bella!

Also, photos

 Lots of graffiti

 She's a very professional sort of person.

 some do do tags, in addition to you know,

 art.

 I thought this tree was pretty awesome.

 This is a woman named Julieta.

 This is another professional person, we saw a lot of his stuff.

 We all just thought this was cool.

 This woman was a paper and canvas artist before she moved to walls and buildings, and actually had an exhibition in Atlanta, but it got torn down, because it's Georgia and the art involved a nude.

 This was probably my favorite

 I love the universe inside the person.

 Julieta again, she's a pro. Also, in possession of a very tall ladder.

 It's the Valencia skyline!

 I told you we'd see that artist again.

 This one makes me feel very Poe.

 See, Julieta there at the bottom, though this one is more morbid.

 It's really impressive.

 Now onto the Cathedral.

 I think this is an unobstructed statue of Saint Joe. Good for you Joe, man.

 I do love the ceilings.

 And the stained glass windows.

 The martyrdom of St. Vincent.

 This is a Virgin that a lot of women come to pray before when they are pregnant.

 And they bring her flowers.

 This is St. Vincent's arm.

 Yup, an arm.

 And the certificate of authenticity for his arm.

 ART!

 My homeboy Mark and his creeper lion.

 Oh, these are famous paintings.

 Two of them are Goyas.

 Don't ask me which two.

 I don't even know what they do with these giant silver and gold things, but they're supercool.

 A model of the cathedral.

 a piece of the choir.

Now that I look at these statues, they all seem just slightly confused. Like, "which direction were we supposed to take back there?"

 I also have a weakness for stone lions.

 and ceilings. But you knew that.

 and that's it, the Holy Grail.  It's not very large, but it's in there. 

 And the window references it.

 There it is. that dark smudge is the original cup.

 But they have certainly illuminated it properly. It looks very holy.

 And the woodwork around it is impressive too.

 These chains were give to the cathedral for some reason. Probably involving a saint.

 "Chapel of the Holy Chalice"

 This is Katie's continued amusement at the fact that they use oranges to hold down napkins.

 I told you it was short.

 The old college building with states representing Blasco Ibáñez (an important reformer), the Pope who granted the bull that founded it, a representation of the city, and the reyes católicos

 The inner courtyard of the old building.

The only picture they let me take inside before they told me to stop taking pictures!