Drip, drip, splash

So I am wired on coffee, and stationed at a Internet cafe in Salamanca. The graceful beauty of Salamanca´s sandstone buildings is unappealing this morning since its fucking miserable out. The curse is necessary. I want to emphasize the cold wetness.

This morning I hit the trendy Delicatessen coffee shop a few doors down from my pension for coffee and some reading. Then I quickly walked up the street to the corner coffee shop for more coffee and a pastry and contemplated putting on the new sweater I bought between the two.

Too wired on caffeine to sit and read all morning, I decided to venture out for an umbrella. I´ll have you know that while packing, I thought about bringing the emergency small umbrella I bought in Austria a couple of years ago. But I didn´t. And now I have another that looks just like it. 

However, even with an umbrella, I am not dying to do the Almanac convent tour as I planned, so I am here doing Internet errands, waiting until they open again this afternoon in hopes that there will be less rain.

I am particularly interested in checking out the convent that rents part of its space to a nightclub, which is apparently a great place to go at 5 am.

Yesterday, it rained on and off, but I had a great day aimlessly wandering around this small city. After taking many, many pictures, I think the quality is starting to improve. It´s hard to tell on the LCD, but I have hope.

The architecture here is breathtaking and involves some fun. There is a frog hidden in the etchings over the entrance to the university. If you can find it, it brings good luck and marriage (gulp!) within the year. I thought I found it, but it seemed too easy. It was. I found the top of the staff of Ferdinand. Even with specific directions on where to find the frog, I didn´t see it. Phew.

On one of the big cathedrals there is also an astronaut to be found. He was etched in a couple of years ago when restorations were being done. I like my imposing Renaissance Catholic structures with some humor.

Tomorrow, I catch a 6-hour train to San Sebastian, on the northern coast. Friday I meet Kristen in Bilbao.I´m keeping my fingers crossed for weather worthy of an expletive. Fucking gorgeous is the one I am rooting for.