Hi!  This is my blog from Stockholm, Sweden.  In this picture I am with my friend Tina and right behind us is the flower market where there were flowers but we didn't buy anything.  Right behind us is a mall and we ate our lunch there.

This is a picture of a historic museum.  I saw Vikings and Romans.  I only saw a few things about the Romans, but the Vikings weren't all about war.  The Vikings also sacrificed men in ceremonies.  At the exhibit we saw two animals that were sacrificed in a ceremony.  Their skeletons were built back so we could see what they were.  They were a big horse and a little dog.  I'm sad for the dog 

'cause I like dogs a lot.

This picture is of a kite festival.  I didn't get a kite.  It was sad, but at least I had some appelsin juice.  It's kind of weird because appelsin means orange.

This is me and Tina again in the streets of the old city.  Nearby we got some ice cream.  My mom got raspberry licorice.  I got pineapple.

This is a fountain.  It's not working right now, but it kind of looks like it's falling on my head.  I bet some of you might laugh, but it's really not that funny.  It was in the middle of a plaza.

These are three guards at the Swedish national palace.  They were changing places.  One was staying at her position but two other guards were going to see what else was happening.  Each one of them had a pistol and a bayonet.  A bayonet is a gun but it has a knife on it.

This is a French navy boat.  If you want to know what it was doing in Stockholm, it was just there for one day before going to Helsinki.  This sailor talked to us and agreed to have his picture taken with me.

This is a new friend that I made in Sweden named Jack.  It's pronounced like "yak" the animal, but his name is Jack in English.  Tina helped me communicate with Jack.  I used sign language and asked her for Swedish words if I needed to talk to him.

Here are three videos we took.  One is of me being a Viking, riding on a goat statue and throwing a spear.  The second is of my mom climbing on some ropes at the park, and the third is of my mom on a zipline again.  Bye!  See you next time for my last blog entry!

Hi!  This is my last blog for Salamanca.  I'll have a few other ones in Helsinki, Stockholm and Madrid.  I'm going home soon to see my class, friends, park, school, dogs, my Wii, my Playmobils and everything else that's there.  I'll be home in a week!

 This is the book fair and me reading.

This is Family Day.  We're at a cafe in a park.  You can't see them but I guarantee we are in a park and at a cafe.  The thing in my hand is a new Playmobil.  It's a guy with a torch, a cannon and a huge axe.

 These are my two new dogs that my mom got me because I was feeling homesick.  I still am because I have lots of animals at home and only a few here.

 This is a football game.  Futbol is the Spanish word for soccer.  Sadly, Salamanca lost to Zamora. But Salamanca lost by only one point, 2-1, so it was almost a tie.  The game had extra minutes added!  You can see video below the picture of the soccer game.

 This is a lizard on a wall.  We saw it while we were coming back from a class that my mom teaches here.  We had a hard time catching up with it.  BUT finally we got a shot!  It's right beside the dark hole in the middle.

And this is a ladybug.  I found it on one of the benches so I took a picture or two I think.  I'm glad I didn't sit on that bench because I would have sat on the ladybug and I like animals.

Well, that's it for now.  BYE!

Portugal

 Hi, everyone!  This is Margaret, Benji's mom.  Benji is taking a little break from his blog so I am going to tell you about our recent adventures.  What you see above is a very typical meal in Salamanca:  salad, ham, cheese, several varieties of cured meat, and tortilla española.  Tortilla española is a fantastic firm omelet made with eggs, potatoes and olive oil.  Benji loves it!  The above was an actual dinner prepared for us by our host-mom, Beatriz!

 See the frog on top of the skull?  You are lucky, because it is much harder to see in person, being way up on a carved archway at the University of Salamanca.  Seeing it brings you good luck in your exams if you are a student!  The frog has become a symbol of Salamanca.

 The Plaza Mayor now houses the big annual Feria del Libro!  ¡Por las noches los vendedores de libros no están allí, pero cada día la plaza está llena de gente leyendo y comprando libros!  ¡Es muy emocionante!

 Okay, here begin the pictures from our visit to Portugal with our friends Maggie and Kendall.  Here you see Maggie, Benji and Kendall pumping water by hand from a tributary of the Rio Douro.

 And here's Benji with the prize: water!  In the past, this water would have been carried up nearby hills for family use.

 The old castle and cathedral of Miranda do Douro, a town in a *very* remote part of Portugal, the northeastern corner.  We found that every self-respecting castle and cathedral were to be found on top of the nearest mountain or cliff (or hill at least!).

 Benji buffs up in Portugal!

 A beautiful old cathedral and the Museo Grao Vasco in Viseu, Portugal.

 Across the plaza, Viseu's beautiful NEW cathedral!

 While enjoying a gelato in Viseu, we listened to these traditional Portuguese musicians jamming in preparation for a performance (perhaps related to the big wedding we saw going on at the new cathedral).  They were assisted by lots and lots of cold beverages.

 They call Aveiro the Venice of Portugal.  We loved it, especially the gondola ride!  The local sweets were very interesting--really more like bread inside, not sweet, but with a powdered sugar coating.  Sea salt production has been very important in Aveiro's history, and the gondola company gave me and Maggie each a bag of sea salt in celebration of Dia de la Madre (una semana antes de nuestra Mother's Day).

 We took advantage of the fact that Aveiro is about five miles from Portugal's Atlantic coast to visit the ocean.  As you can see, Benji didn't enjoy it at all!!

 Back in Spain, Kendall and Benji check out Ciudad Rodrigo, a walled city (on, you guessed it, a hill).  This town defended itself against instruders using its location and incredible fortifications from the 12th century (that's the 1100s!!!) until 1812.  It is still a thriving little town, just with fewer battles.

 Maggie, Benji and Kendall prepare to approach the castle!

In the distance, you can see a bullfighting ring.  We're not sure if it is still in use.  Bullfighting has been outlawed in some parts of Spain.  This picture was taken from one of the lookout points in Ciudad Rodrigo's awesome surrounding wall.

That's it for this time!  Thanks for reading.  Hopefully, Benji will be back at the helm for our next entry!

Hola.  Me llamo Benji y es otra vez mi blog.  Today is Tuesday, May 1.  It's a holiday here, Workers Day.  So it's like a weekend but not for you-all!  Sorry!  

Well, my mom did buy me a two wheeler scooter.  It's really cool, I'm telling you.  It's about the best thing.  My mom bought me a scooter because over here in Spain, most people walk everywhere and I get tired when I walk.  Instead of having to walk, why not scooter??  

I'm living with a family here.  Their names are Beatriz and Emma.

Ahora voy a mostrarles unas fotos de mi familia española, una foto de mi patinete, una foto de la catedral, una foto de un pájaro azul que me gustó, unas fotos de mi mismo, y un vídeo de mi mamá on a zipline.

Bye-bye, again!