Weekdays in Pamplona

Weekdays in Pamplona are always exciting as we have our afternoons free from classes to explore and go on excursions. Some days we have a group-planned excursion like kayaking, visiting a winery, or going to a museum.
Usually I wake up too late to have a “sit-down” breakfast, so I’ll run down to the cafeteria and grab a toast and some fruit before I go to the bus stop. The bus usually comes at 9:01 and again at 9:17, making the first bus a little early for class and the second a little late, so most mornings I took the early bus to be safe. We have language & grammar class from 9:30 to 11:00, with our amazing professor Miguel! He’s a great teacher and we do so many different activities in class that I really think are improving my Spanish. After that we have a 30-minute break where I will either run down to the cafeteria and get a croissant or café con leche for a snack or do some work in the classroom. From 11:30-12:15 we have a culture class with a different teacher (Antoní is the best!) that is not graded and we learn things about Spanish culture like food, common slang, and pop culture.
Around 12:30 we have a meeting with our Professor Brucato from Northeastern and Professor Raffa from UNAV. This class varies in time and usually is just a meeting about what activities we have planned for the week and we get some background information about the places we will visit. After this meeting my friends and I like to go to the tavern style café in the university’s main building for some fresh strawberries and whipped cream! I used to have it all the time when I was little and I have rediscovered my love for this delicious snack in Spain.
Lunch at the residence starts at 1:30 and usually we don’t know what it is until we get there, so its always a surprise. Most shops and businesses close from 1-4 every day, so during this time I’ll catch up on some homework, take a nap, or go sit in the park near our residence on sunny days. At 5:00 pretty much every day my roommate and I have gone out to explore and browse Pamplona’s amazing shops. This is always a fun time as the stores here have such unique items and there are always new things to see (and buy!).
Around 8:30 we have dinner at the residence and meet and talk with everyone about our day. Dinner is eaten very late in Spain so after we eat we either go to our rooms and relax before bed, or if we aren’t too tired go to our favorite spot Cien Montaditos! This restaurant is a Spanish chain that has 100 “little sandwiches” (which is its name translated) and has “vino tino” or a wine soda for really cheap! The food quality is so-so but the tinto is the best! Walking back from Cien Montaditos is peaceful since the route is through the park next to our residence. Pamplona weekdays are equal parts routine and exploration, which is the perfect balance for a dialogue experience. Each day is a new start to seeing our little city and I can’t wait to have more daily adventures!