The first stop of our excursion was a monastery in Santa Maria La Real de Nieva. There were several large columns that surrounded the monastery, each topped with a religious image or symbol. We learned that Lilies symbolize the purity of the Virgin Mary and hunting lions symbolize the killing original sin. Although the monastery was built in a Romantic style, there was a gothic influence in the arches of the columns. We learned a lot about the religious art and symbolism in the monastery.
After the monastery, we went to a winery that is famous for their white wines. We studied the machinery and learned about the engineering behind the winemaking process. We learned about one machine in particular that would slightly pop the grapes and then apply pressure to release the liquid. Nitrogen is then pumped into the mixture to prevent oxidation of the wine. In large tanks, the sediment is separated from the liquid by the force of gravity. Next, the temperature is lowered to prevent the natural yeasts from fermenting for too long. Clay is then added to attract the proteins in the wine to reduce the cloudiness and clarify the wine. We also learned that the salt byproducts from the process are sold to makeup companies for exfoliants.
Our next stop was visiting a restored castle in Coca. The first room in the castle was an adoration room with pews and a tabernacle. We then climbed up the winding stairwells to explore the other rooms of the castle. One of the rooms we visited reminded us of the Wolves Ears at NC State. In the room, we stood far away from a friend and talked into the wall and we could hear each other perfectly. We continued climbing to the roof of the castle where we could see for miles in every direction. Even in the rain, the view was spectacular.
After lots of exploring, we were all ready for a delicious lunch. We ate lunch in a small town called Turegano. We ate lamb and gazpacho, traditional meals in that region. We drank red wine with gaseosa, which slightly carbonated our beverages. This is very Spanish and makes it able for you to drink a glass of wine without getting intoxicated. For dessert, we enjoyed home made Flan.
After lunch we went to Pedraza, a city surrounded entirely by walls with only one door. While we walked up, each car entering and leaving the city had to take turns driving through the door. We walked around the city and took lots of photographs. It was really interesting to see so many old castles because there is nothing like that at home in the United States.
After a long day at the Monastery, the Winery, and La Ruta de los Castillos, everyone was ready for a well-earned siesta!
Si hablas español, sigue leyendo…
Ayer, fuimos a un monasterio para estudiar todos los imágenes y símbolos religiosos en los capiteles. Nos gustó aprender sobre el estilo de la arquitectura y como es románico pero los arcos son góticos. Después, fuimos a un viñedo y una bodega para aprender sobre los vinos. Aprendimos cómo funcionan las máquinas y cómo se producen los productos. Probamos los varios tipos de vino y nos gustaron mucho. Luego pasamos mucho tiempo en La Ruta de los Castillos. Aunque llovía mucho, nos divertimos porque no hay nada como los castillos antiguos en los Estados Unidos. Fue muy interesante y aprendimos mucho sobre los castillos. Después de mucho ejercicio caminando en los castillos, teníamos mucho hambre. Almorzamos en un restaurante y comimos cordero y gazpacho, comida típica de esa región. Luego, visitamos una cuidad con murallas en su alrededor y solo una puerta. La excursión fue muy impresionante y una nueva experiencia muy divertida para todos.
After the monastery, we went to a winery that is famous for their white wines. We studied the machinery and learned about the engineering behind the winemaking process. We learned about one machine in particular that would slightly pop the grapes and then apply pressure to release the liquid. Nitrogen is then pumped into the mixture to prevent oxidation of the wine. In large tanks, the sediment is separated from the liquid by the force of gravity. Next, the temperature is lowered to prevent the natural yeasts from fermenting for too long. Clay is then added to attract the proteins in the wine to reduce the cloudiness and clarify the wine. We also learned that the salt byproducts from the process are sold to makeup companies for exfoliants.
Our next stop was visiting a restored castle in Coca. The first room in the castle was an adoration room with pews and a tabernacle. We then climbed up the winding stairwells to explore the other rooms of the castle. One of the rooms we visited reminded us of the Wolves Ears at NC State. In the room, we stood far away from a friend and talked into the wall and we could hear each other perfectly. We continued climbing to the roof of the castle where we could see for miles in every direction. Even in the rain, the view was spectacular.
After lots of exploring, we were all ready for a delicious lunch. We ate lunch in a small town called Turegano. We ate lamb and gazpacho, traditional meals in that region. We drank red wine with gaseosa, which slightly carbonated our beverages. This is very Spanish and makes it able for you to drink a glass of wine without getting intoxicated. For dessert, we enjoyed home made Flan.
After lunch we went to Pedraza, a city surrounded entirely by walls with only one door. While we walked up, each car entering and leaving the city had to take turns driving through the door. We walked around the city and took lots of photographs. It was really interesting to see so many old castles because there is nothing like that at home in the United States.
After a long day at the Monastery, the Winery, and La Ruta de los Castillos, everyone was ready for a well-earned siesta!
Si hablas español, sigue leyendo…
Ayer, fuimos a un monasterio para estudiar todos los imágenes y símbolos religiosos en los capiteles. Nos gustó aprender sobre el estilo de la arquitectura y como es románico pero los arcos son góticos. Después, fuimos a un viñedo y una bodega para aprender sobre los vinos. Aprendimos cómo funcionan las máquinas y cómo se producen los productos. Probamos los varios tipos de vino y nos gustaron mucho. Luego pasamos mucho tiempo en La Ruta de los Castillos. Aunque llovía mucho, nos divertimos porque no hay nada como los castillos antiguos en los Estados Unidos. Fue muy interesante y aprendimos mucho sobre los castillos. Después de mucho ejercicio caminando en los castillos, teníamos mucho hambre. Almorzamos en un restaurante y comimos cordero y gazpacho, comida típica de esa región. Luego, visitamos una cuidad con murallas en su alrededor y solo una puerta. La excursión fue muy impresionante y una nueva experiencia muy divertida para todos.
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