Whose hungry....?
Soooo since the adenvture with Jessica Chaney and Amsterdam I've been on the move again....specifically to BUDAPEST! While I can't say that Hungary was on my to-do list for Europe I am sure glad I went! I crossed the former iron curtain with my friends Dustin, Eddie, Brad, Connor and my roomie Megan. We landed in hungary at 11 am with essentially no clue what the city held for us. The first stop was to get cash out. They use a currency called forients or HUFs, better referred to as monopoly money! In taking out 80USD I got 20,000 HUFs!!!! If that exchange rate wasn't the most exciting way to begin the trip idk what would have been? From getting the money we all headed immediately to get some HUMMUS! This city is crawling with the delicious chick-pea past I have been dying for this whole trip...not to mention they also have BAGELS...jackpot. After enjoying a feast in a park lawn, which we eventually discovered was a dog park, we ventured into the city.
Budapest is located along a river and is technically separated into the cities of Buda and Pest....considering their English connotations I think it was a wise decision to combine the two... As we walked we could see the old soviet influence and remains of WWII. Many of the buildings were dark black from being covered in soot. We quickly learned this was because Budapest was one of the most completely destroyed cities in Europe during WWII and they did not clean most of the buildings due to lack of money. Now there is a mix of the old Pre-WWII buildings such as the castle and churches with the soviet architecture which had a lot of metal and minimal ornateneas. A hodge-podge of a city with a clearly difficult past one could say.
Our first stop was the market. This gorgeous buildings was a site for one of the World Fairs and contains a gorgeous mix of tiled roofing, stained -glass windows, and steel. Inside is two stories of anything you could want. Fresh fruits, meats, and a large array of trinkets. Naturally, I stopped to purchase a spoon to add to my random new collection I have gained in Europe. I also bought some paprika as that seems to be what Budapest is known for...sooo if anyone ever wants to make some deviled eggs I'm your girl! From there we crossed a bridge a walked along Buda which is the older city containing the castle which looks like parliament and a church that looks like a castle...confusing I know. This side appeared dirtier than the other, but something about the dirt made it seem more beautiful in its own way. This side was built into a hill so from atop the castle we were about to see the WHOLE city! We waited up there until sunset when the bridges and gorgeous monumental city buildings lit up! That night we went to an authentic Hungarian restaurant and ate some of the most delicious food in Europe family style. Orange glazed duck, goulash, turkey and bacon stew, potato pancakes, bacon wrapped asparagus, blue cheese and steak salad, potato croquettes, and two bottles of wine. Stuffed and paying under 10$ a person for the meal we left super satisfied. Naturally our next stop was a bar...we found ourselves at a place called ankur which was a bar/club. This extremely eastern European place had graffiti projected on the walls an two DJs spinning euro music. The crowd was all dressed hipster and grungy, legitimately it felt like I imagine Portland to be...from there we made our way to a smaller bar with original newspaper clippings of the Beatles and other Euro bands all over the bathroom. From there Megan and I called it a night while the boys stayed up to watch the UK IU game. UK won. Obviously.
The next day we spent doing what budapestians do best...bathe! There's about 6 baths in the city which consist of naturally heated pools that people soak in all day. Before this Megan and I walked to see parliament which is the most breathtakingly frightful building I have seen...Dracula could easily have called this dark place with huge pointy spires home. After our walking we decided to relax in the baths. While the water smelled like rotten eggs from the sulfur it was the most relaxing day iv had in Europe thus far. We ended the day with the sauna and steam room and went home to continue the day with a relaxing dinner. After a 30 min walk we found out way to the restaurant strip of the city. We ended up at a Indian place called Karma and man we must have all done something great to deserve this karma! The dinner started with appetizers from bubba ganoush to pumpkin soup.... Next I had a delicious chicken with spiced mash potatoes and roasted cinnamon pears...to.die.for. And the total for all of our amazing gourmet meals and wonderful wine? $18.
Needless to say waking up the next day at 4 (3 bc of the time change the night before :/) was hard but the amazingly culture and cheapness of the city made it much harder. The city overall wasn't what I had anticipated. It was much more clearly eastern and different than what I had seen and I loved it! The people were extremely nice and even a bit coy or shy when talking. The city wasn't gorgeous but it was a beautiful mix of the citys history. Despite how much this little city has been through it wears those sooty buildings and soviet remains well and proud as it should....because any country that can survive so much and still have the life and kindness we saw in the people we met should be proud. It makes me sad I only am going to eastern Europe once this trip as I was able to see in Hungary that it has such a unique story and culture I would love to feel more of...but for now that will have to be my little taste of the bloc. Overall for the 50€ flight and 100$ spent all weekend id say budapest was a success and soenthing I am glad I was able to experience and add to my overall understanding of European culture.
I'm now on a flight to the other half of Europe I haven't seen....the north!!! People seem to be critical of this area but I have been able to see the beauty in every culture thus far and I'm sure I will here as well...bring on the fired foods and bad teeth!
Side note: a drunk old Spanish man just handed out muffins to the back of the plane...I. Love. Europe.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Una Semana en la Vida de Estudios Internacionales
A week in the life of study abroad.
So I’m getting worse and worse at this whole blogging thing but all for good reasons! Since my last trip to Paris iv taken some time to recover and start up the adventures and fun again!
First, THE ONE AND ONLY JESSICA CHANEY CAME TO VISIT ME FOR A WEEK IN BARCELONA!!!! For the GWU spring break my wonderful best friend came all the way across the world just to see little old me….and boy was it a good time! First, after a jet-lagged Jessica had about 2 hours of beauty sleep we made our way down to the Gothic Quarter for a BEER FEST…because naturally every person after an 11 hour flight needs that? We sampled a lot of Spanish beers including one which tasted like cereal and another that was bacon and tobacco flavored (insert AMURICA). After this we walked to the beach and then made a little to trip to the MAGIC FOUNTAIN…which if you haven’t guessed, its magical. A huge fountain on Mount Montujic this beaut performs water dances as I will call it to the styling’s of composers from Beethoven to Beyonce. Colors, heights, swirls….it’s like fantasia in real life and during the night on a mountain overlooking all of Barcelona. If Jess flying all the way to see me wasn’t romantic enough…this sure was! We then had a night out on the town, leading to a VERY interesting morning in the Hotel Pultizer….thank you absinthe for the entertainment. That day we toured Parque Guell and the Sagrada Familia, knocking out two of the most beautiful Gaudi pieces and seeing what real Catalan architecture is all about. We got a delicious dinner and went to a local bar called Summon then to a club where we met up with our friend Nicky. The next morning we woke up, put on some sun clothes and headed to the beach in SITGES! There we indulged in the sun and sand while nomzing on a foccia pizza and bottle of rose on the cliffs. The festivities for the day included a old fashioned car parade complete with people decked out in 60s gear, a sand castle competition, and a tour of the Barcardi museum complete with 4 free drinks for 7 euros….bam. now that’s what I call fun in the sun. After an amazing day there we called it a night and woke up early again the next morning to tour some more! Shopping, more eating churros, tapas and jamon, seeing the Ciutadella park, Palau de Musica, and Cathedral, trips to the shots bar, the oldest bar in Barcelona, the beach, the champagneria, and the Boda B sandhich shop were the rest of the weeks shenanigans…making sure we hit all the must-sees of Barcelona. For my last night here with her before she left for the states and I left for Amsterdam was shared with the lovely Marissa Driscoll (My roomie from last semester!!!). We went to the most phenomenal meal at LA FLAUTA nomzing on fried egg meets French fries, freshly sliced jamon, croquettas, and to top it off, flan…all accompanied by two jugs of sangria obviously. After this feast I took the girls out to the famous CHUPITOS shots bar where I went for my bday. We enjoyed an array of shots involving fire, whipped cream, marshmallows, tobacco, and other interesting shot accessories. From there we moved onto meet friends at a bar close by where we ordered 1 liter pitchers of Sex on the Beach, Shakira, and Long Island Ice Tea…needless to say this was our final stop of our fantastic night. The next day Jess and I said our goodbyes after a fantastic week of fun, sun, drinks, food, and catching up!!!!
I couldn’t have asked for a better present than to have someone I love so much come here and share this wonderful experience and city with me. I know while the hangover and suntan will fade, the memories of our SBXII trip will last forever. Thank you again Jess for being such an amazing friend and giving me the BEST week I have had here in Europe!!!! While I can replace the city I live in…this week just reassure me more I won’t EVER be able to replace you girls!!
Following the best week of my time in Barcelona, I departed for Amsterdam with the wonderful Julia and met Nick and Jake there. Per usual we arrived late at night so we couldn’t see the city until morning…but it was worth the wait! We woke up to one of the most quintessential scenes of Europe I have seen. Bikes flood the city, trams run alone cables while hang across buildings, facades are crooked and look like their narrow and tall structures may collapse at any moment, streets are all cobblestone, and canals that wind across the streets. While the red light district and smoke shops are part of the allure of this Vegas-like city, the overall city is much more quaint and untouched than those two industries would allow one to believe. While I did indulge in the French fries, street shows, and tourist allure of it all the part I enjoyed the most was walking the streets. The way the city is laid out is a giant U with smaller Us inside. Each loop has a canal and walking along these is amazing continually crossing bridges and shops, seeing stacks of bikes parked and people strolling with dogs….SOOOO many dogs! NOTE: where there are dogs, there is dog shit. DON’T STEP IN IT…speaking from experience, twice. The architecture is dark, all brink and stones which are a range of browns with some white ones included. The streets are old and use the original cobblestone with tram lines placed into the street and essentially no curbs….a pedestrian’s worst nightmare. We learned quickly that bikers ride freely and quickly throughout the city after a few near death experiences of confusing the bike lane with the pedestrian. The food was what I anticipated, fried and delicious. Words were very funny and sounded like an American accent with awkward “shleevin” and “shloven” sounds. Night life was contained to specific areas of bars, two of which we saw…one called Rembrandt and the other Leidseplein. Both were restaurants turned bars with outdoor sitting. There were club/bar hybrid type options which were interesting but still fun. A recommendation: while the 10 for 10 euros shot deal may be cheap, it’s worth paying more money not to take the sugary disgusting shots they give you. Overall, the city was beautiful and worth travelling getting lost in the maze of canals and side streets just to experience that northern European feel I have yet to have seen.
Clearly I haven’t had a lot of time to blog through all these festivities but for good reason! The next week holds Budapest instore and then 3 days after a fiasco around Europe for my spring break starting in the land of my aggie….SCOTLAND! So off I go and I will be sure to let you know how the remainder of my adventures go. It’s amazing how time flies and how much you can grow in this period. Each city, each weekend, each day, adds just a little more to the experience and what I am coming to learn about this amazing country, continent, and planet. But most importantly myself, because in removing myself from all I know I am constantly being challenged to define who I am in a new setting with new people and customs.
HASTA LUEGO Y BESOS
So I’m getting worse and worse at this whole blogging thing but all for good reasons! Since my last trip to Paris iv taken some time to recover and start up the adventures and fun again!
First, THE ONE AND ONLY JESSICA CHANEY CAME TO VISIT ME FOR A WEEK IN BARCELONA!!!! For the GWU spring break my wonderful best friend came all the way across the world just to see little old me….and boy was it a good time! First, after a jet-lagged Jessica had about 2 hours of beauty sleep we made our way down to the Gothic Quarter for a BEER FEST…because naturally every person after an 11 hour flight needs that? We sampled a lot of Spanish beers including one which tasted like cereal and another that was bacon and tobacco flavored (insert AMURICA). After this we walked to the beach and then made a little to trip to the MAGIC FOUNTAIN…which if you haven’t guessed, its magical. A huge fountain on Mount Montujic this beaut performs water dances as I will call it to the styling’s of composers from Beethoven to Beyonce. Colors, heights, swirls….it’s like fantasia in real life and during the night on a mountain overlooking all of Barcelona. If Jess flying all the way to see me wasn’t romantic enough…this sure was! We then had a night out on the town, leading to a VERY interesting morning in the Hotel Pultizer….thank you absinthe for the entertainment. That day we toured Parque Guell and the Sagrada Familia, knocking out two of the most beautiful Gaudi pieces and seeing what real Catalan architecture is all about. We got a delicious dinner and went to a local bar called Summon then to a club where we met up with our friend Nicky. The next morning we woke up, put on some sun clothes and headed to the beach in SITGES! There we indulged in the sun and sand while nomzing on a foccia pizza and bottle of rose on the cliffs. The festivities for the day included a old fashioned car parade complete with people decked out in 60s gear, a sand castle competition, and a tour of the Barcardi museum complete with 4 free drinks for 7 euros….bam. now that’s what I call fun in the sun. After an amazing day there we called it a night and woke up early again the next morning to tour some more! Shopping, more eating churros, tapas and jamon, seeing the Ciutadella park, Palau de Musica, and Cathedral, trips to the shots bar, the oldest bar in Barcelona, the beach, the champagneria, and the Boda B sandhich shop were the rest of the weeks shenanigans…making sure we hit all the must-sees of Barcelona. For my last night here with her before she left for the states and I left for Amsterdam was shared with the lovely Marissa Driscoll (My roomie from last semester!!!). We went to the most phenomenal meal at LA FLAUTA nomzing on fried egg meets French fries, freshly sliced jamon, croquettas, and to top it off, flan…all accompanied by two jugs of sangria obviously. After this feast I took the girls out to the famous CHUPITOS shots bar where I went for my bday. We enjoyed an array of shots involving fire, whipped cream, marshmallows, tobacco, and other interesting shot accessories. From there we moved onto meet friends at a bar close by where we ordered 1 liter pitchers of Sex on the Beach, Shakira, and Long Island Ice Tea…needless to say this was our final stop of our fantastic night. The next day Jess and I said our goodbyes after a fantastic week of fun, sun, drinks, food, and catching up!!!!
I couldn’t have asked for a better present than to have someone I love so much come here and share this wonderful experience and city with me. I know while the hangover and suntan will fade, the memories of our SBXII trip will last forever. Thank you again Jess for being such an amazing friend and giving me the BEST week I have had here in Europe!!!! While I can replace the city I live in…this week just reassure me more I won’t EVER be able to replace you girls!!
Following the best week of my time in Barcelona, I departed for Amsterdam with the wonderful Julia and met Nick and Jake there. Per usual we arrived late at night so we couldn’t see the city until morning…but it was worth the wait! We woke up to one of the most quintessential scenes of Europe I have seen. Bikes flood the city, trams run alone cables while hang across buildings, facades are crooked and look like their narrow and tall structures may collapse at any moment, streets are all cobblestone, and canals that wind across the streets. While the red light district and smoke shops are part of the allure of this Vegas-like city, the overall city is much more quaint and untouched than those two industries would allow one to believe. While I did indulge in the French fries, street shows, and tourist allure of it all the part I enjoyed the most was walking the streets. The way the city is laid out is a giant U with smaller Us inside. Each loop has a canal and walking along these is amazing continually crossing bridges and shops, seeing stacks of bikes parked and people strolling with dogs….SOOOO many dogs! NOTE: where there are dogs, there is dog shit. DON’T STEP IN IT…speaking from experience, twice. The architecture is dark, all brink and stones which are a range of browns with some white ones included. The streets are old and use the original cobblestone with tram lines placed into the street and essentially no curbs….a pedestrian’s worst nightmare. We learned quickly that bikers ride freely and quickly throughout the city after a few near death experiences of confusing the bike lane with the pedestrian. The food was what I anticipated, fried and delicious. Words were very funny and sounded like an American accent with awkward “shleevin” and “shloven” sounds. Night life was contained to specific areas of bars, two of which we saw…one called Rembrandt and the other Leidseplein. Both were restaurants turned bars with outdoor sitting. There were club/bar hybrid type options which were interesting but still fun. A recommendation: while the 10 for 10 euros shot deal may be cheap, it’s worth paying more money not to take the sugary disgusting shots they give you. Overall, the city was beautiful and worth travelling getting lost in the maze of canals and side streets just to experience that northern European feel I have yet to have seen.
Clearly I haven’t had a lot of time to blog through all these festivities but for good reason! The next week holds Budapest instore and then 3 days after a fiasco around Europe for my spring break starting in the land of my aggie….SCOTLAND! So off I go and I will be sure to let you know how the remainder of my adventures go. It’s amazing how time flies and how much you can grow in this period. Each city, each weekend, each day, adds just a little more to the experience and what I am coming to learn about this amazing country, continent, and planet. But most importantly myself, because in removing myself from all I know I am constantly being challenged to define who I am in a new setting with new people and customs.
HASTA LUEGO Y BESOS
Monday, February 27, 2012
My journey: begin with a Winter Wonderland, pass though a Festival, and continue until you reach the City of LOVE
J'aime l'amour
...I love LOVE...
Sorry it's been so long since I posted, needless to say after a trip to Interlaken, carnival 2 nights after and that following weekend Paris, life's been busy....in the best way possible! So this is going to be a doozie, but bear with me!
Sorry it's been so long since I posted, needless to say after a trip to Interlaken, carnival 2 nights after and that following weekend Paris, life's been busy....in the best way possible! So this is going to be a doozie, but bear with me!
To begin, Interlaken. Easily the closest thing to a winter wonderland I think exists on earth. A cute town settles between two lakes and surrounded by mountains, essentially untouched by the outside world and maintaining all of its perfect Swiss culture and flair. The first day there I made my way down to the lake with friends and after seeing that water and scene I can actually die happy now! Glacier water if you have ever seen it is TEAL. Not a blue/green but teal which is crystal clear and when the sunlight hits it, it sparkles all over.
After our adventure and hour sittin on the lake taking it in (which still wasn't enough time) I left to go PARAGLIDE!!!! This experience was not only an adrenaline rush once you realize your about 5000 feet up with only a plastic bag over your head...but it also was the best way possible to see the entire city for all of its beauty without climbing one of the 15k mountains! The view was nothing I could ever explain and the ability to fly over snow capped mountains onto a meadow below was the most serene and out of body experience I have ever had. I am pretty sure heaven on earth was coined for this city. 
The next day my friend Julia and I decided to hike a mountain! We rented some boots and ventured off on a random path up a mountain....3 hours and a wrong turn up a pig farm, bear crawl up a gigantic hill, and a hike through Narnia, we were at the top enjoying beers and seeing the beauty below us. That night we celebrated out victorious hike with some delicious Thai food which was a wonderful break from the cheese, bread and wine diet I am currently on.Sadly I eventually had to leave this paradise but it wasn't too terrible to say goodbye knowing I would be in Paris with MI AMORE the next weekend!!!
But first...came CARNIVAL! This celebration is the real Mardi Gras and is celebrated in honor of the beginning of lent. The biggest nights of the flamboyant parade are Sunday and Tuesday and Sitges, Spain is the place to be!!! The streets are filled with people dressed in costumes watching floats of any random theme you can think of drive down with dancers all around! Sitges is known for its cross-dressing and gay scene so alot of the float included wonderful drag queens strutting their stuff. Myself, well I went as a bumble bee complete with fuzzy mask, wings and antenna...hey when in Spain?!
The night ended abruptly when our friend got a little sick from all the excitement...and booze. *Note to everyone reading, a night when you must commute for an hour via bus is NOT a night to drink too much!!! Either way it was a generally fun night but next time I attend I will be sure to cut my friends off before I embark on a ride with them!
So for my final trip which I am just leaving as I write this in the worlds smallest airport on my phone is PARIS! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.......where to begin? Well Nick and I decided since we were coming upon the 4 year of us dating we should do something special, so obviously the city of love comes to mind! So just the two of us met in Paris on our 4 year for a weekend of touring, romance, and food (in hindsight...too much food)! Our adventure began with arriving in Paris late Thursday at our little hotel situated near the Moulin Rouge...which also happens to be the sex district so clearly the crowd near our place was a bit interesting. We were starved so being the Americans we are we got pizza and cokes. I will add though this isn't entirely un-Parisian of us as the French are know for cheese and man was it a cheesy pizza.
We woke up early the next morning and started our touring. First stop: SACRED HEART cathedral!!! Clearly the Valkyrie in me was stoked to see this place. While the über catholic Spanish cathedrals iv seen are world-renound, this one definitely stood competition to some of them. Situated atop a hill withr gorgeous steps leading up this cathedral was a perfect way to see the city from afar. We climbed the tower, Quazi Modo style, and we're able to see all of Paris from a tower atop the cathedral....definitely not a bad start to the trip.Next stop, the Opera. While it sounds boring to go to one without seeing a show, the Par
is opera is AMAZING! Poossibly of everything I saw in Paris this was my favorite. Over the top ornate and lush I could just imagine kings and queens seeing shows there as I hope to when I return some day. Gold. Gold. Gold. Painted, sculpted, on chairs and doors, everywhere and sparkling under the dim lights. The real surprise came when we went into the Seating area which is completely covered in lush red velvet...there we saw a traditional french dance team practicing for a show for the weekend. They were doing flips and splits and high kicks all in little heals and too traditional Parisian accordion music. While I would have been happy to pay the 6 euros just to see the opera, the free show was an amazing bonus!
is opera is AMAZING! Poossibly of everything I saw in Paris this was my favorite. Over the top ornate and lush I could just imagine kings and queens seeing shows there as I hope to when I return some day. Gold. Gold. Gold. Painted, sculpted, on chairs and doors, everywhere and sparkling under the dim lights. The real surprise came when we went into the Seating area which is completely covered in lush red velvet...there we saw a traditional french dance team practicing for a show for the weekend. They were doing flips and splits and high kicks all in little heals and too traditional Parisian accordion music. While I would have been happy to pay the 6 euros just to see the opera, the free show was an amazing bonus!After checking into our hotel located next to the oldest street in Paris, we headed off to a night time boat tour! As Nick was the trip planner this little surprise was his doing and I am so lucky he did! Paris by day is gorgeous is amazing in itself...but Paris by night is sheer magic. The river passes through all the main buildings and they are all illuminated by night making for a super romantic and beautiful boat ride. After seeing all the sights in their most beautiful state we had a wonderful dinner in a restaurant situated between the Eiffel Tower and the River... Perfection. The night was still young so we decided to adventure to the Eiffel Tower and see the city from above at night. While it was too cloudy to go all the way up the middle was plenty tall enough to see the city and take my breath away. The coolest part was being up there for the 10 min when the whole tower flickers every hour! I was legit standing inside of the sparkles in the sky!!!!
The next morning we woke up and went to the louvre first thing. The building itself is equally as astounding as the art, spanning over many acres and with amazing ornate architecture. Once inside the museum (which we got into for FREE) we were able to see what weve only ever read about. Roman sculptures, Ancient Egyptian an Greek sculpture and jewelry, French, Spanish, and Italian famous paintings and lots more! The Mona Lisa was probably my favorite...cliche I know, but it was a very surreal feeling to see her in person. And yes her eyes do follow you everywhere, nick and I checked! After an exhaustingly amazing 3 hours there seeing art we made our way over up the Champs Elyse. This is the largest city in Paris and extends from the Louvre to the Arc de Trimoph. From there we made our way to the Eiffel Tower to explore around it by day. While it wasn't as stunning on a cloudy day, the grassy scenery and fantastic crepe carts made up for it! Not to mention the entertainment of an wedding in the middle of it all! After a day of very fulfilling touring and french treats it was time for a nap and then off to diner in the Latin Quarter area around where we stayed. Snails were our first course at this fun dimly lit bar/restaurant. They had been cooked in what looked like a pesto and tasted like garlic popcorn when eaten ontop of bread...needless to say we loved them!!! After a fun and delish dinner we met Nicks friends from Scotland around the St. Michaels bar area. There was a long street of fun bars and street food that looked and smelled amazing! We stopped in a little bar with bad American music and enjoyed the most overpriced beers at the smallest table ever....true Parisians. Then Nick and I walked along the river and were able to see the Notre Dame light up at night!
The last day we woke up and walked about 20 min to the Jardines du Luxembourg. While the trees were bare for the winter, the scene was still gorgeous with a lot of grass, paths, and my favorite...a castle!!!! We strolled back to our hotel and stopped at an amazing bakery to get fresh croissants and quiche. While the prices were steep for a pastry it was so worth it! Then we went to the Notre Dame where a mass was taking place. It was so nice to see it during that time and hear the organ and French songs...definitely worth going to during a mass. From there we enjoyed lunch at a French bistro and indulged in some delicious Brie cheese. With only 2 hours until Nick had to catch the train we grabbed some crepes and wandered a bit near the Hotel du Ville (in honor of louisville) we were pleasantly surprised to find a street performer juggling swords on a unicycle. Then we parted ways ending the most amazingly perfect weekend I could have ever imagined!
Adventure. Romance. Food. Celebration. Youth. Growth.
This has been my past two weeks and I feel more than lucky to have spent them like I have. Thank you mom and dad for giving me this adventure and experience and thank you all who read for your constant love. I miss everyone so much and hope that these posts give you some peace of mind while I'm over here in the midst of financial crisis and protests. I am safe and sound and clearly having the time of my life. I can't explain it but each journey I take a little part of me changes...there is just something about leaving all that you know and discovering someone new and beautiful that makes you a better person...those of you who have studied know what I mean. I am so happy to be able to continue experiencing this crazy European transformation one city at a time.
Valencia. Check. Interlaken. Check. Paris. Check....
Mallorca. Amsterdam. Edinburgh. Dublin. Rome. Amalfi Coast. Budapest....HERE I COME!
Hasta Luego y Besos
Friday, February 10, 2012
Poco a Poco se va a Lejos
Little by Little you will go far
Sorry it’s been so long since I posted…if you’ve seen my FB you’d know I had a crazy week/weekend. Last Monday was my 21st and it was SUPER FUN as I told you…but the more exciting part was last weekend when Nick, Jillian, Alex and Jake came to see me and celebrate Barca style!!!
Nick, Jake and Alex arrived Wednesday and immediately were thrust into the Barcelona lifestyle as we went to a local bar called Obama where legit no one but the waitresses speak English. Afterwards we adventured to a bar called Dow Jones and went to bed at our ooh so cozy hostel so we could enjoy the next day of TOURING!!! Now don’t get me wrong….I love all three of those guys, but sharing a hostel room with 3 boys is something I will never ever do again…haha. The hostel was clean and nice and we actually met some nice kids! For anyone coming to Barcelona look up Equity Point Centric!
The next day we ventured into my favorite area of Barcelona, bari Gotic. I showed them the cathedral where Ferdinand and Isabel greeted Mr. Cristobal Colom, aka Christopher Columbus, after he found the new world. We also saw the old Roman pillars and walls which are the last remaining original Roman pieces in Barcelona and some of the last few in Spain. After our adventuring we came back for a quick siesta before Nick and I came here for dinner with Paloma y Martin! Dinner was fit for a king, and that’s exactly how Paloma intends to treat the novios, or boyfriends, of her girls here. A whole Lamb’s leg cooked with onions and potatoes was the first dish. Followed by salad and complimented by cheese, two bottles of red wine, and the Catalan tradition bread with tomatoes and jamon. Dessert was the most impressive course of all thought…oranges cut and hollowed out, filled with custard made from the oranges and heavy whipping cream I assume, then egg whites whipped and flamed ontop garnished by crushed almonds…yes, I live with Paloma Dean. For only two semesters of Spanish in college Nick held his own surprisingly well although there were times where he’d give me a “was that even in Spainish?” look. After dinner we made our way out for a typical Spanish night on the town
ending with 3 very sleepy guys crashing in the Hostel at 5 am.
The next morning the lovely Jillian Taub and her two awesome roomies arrived and we did more touring than I thought possible in a day. Down La Rambla, into the Market and Placa del Rei, Past Christopher Columbus and the Port, metro and walk to Park Guell, then back to the Hostel for another little siesta. That night we went to your quintessential “down the alley, past the man dressed as a mime, and into the jail-looking door” bar called L’Oveja Negra, or the black sheep. Here the sangria flows like water and the people are an eclectic mix, you can ask Jill about her friends she made from Madrid….but none the less it was a great way to show everyone the locals and a more secluded place in my city.
Saturday we all toured the Sagrada Familia where we all could have spent the whole day just looking at the breath taking architecture. From the stained glass, to the gold leafing on the ceiling, to the melting exterior, I cannot imagine how much grander this cathedral could get and yet the tallest and most major parts of it still have yet to start being constructed. After that we made a trip to Mount Monjuic where I showed the guys the city from above….and even from there you cannot get a whole view of how large Barcelona is in one shot…or 4 for that matter. The night was my fake birthday celebration and the wonderful shot book my friends made was the starting point for the festivities at a shots bar called Chupitos… for all my friends who wondered what shots I took of theirs, well despite the fact this shot bar has about 150 shots a lot of the American usuals were not there. So we made some substitutions. The bourbon (Sarah) tequila (Meredith) Goose (Michelle) Kentucky…Burbon and Beer (thanks again Jill, hahah NOT), Snow White (which was actually a Barcelona BUT theyre the same colors, Reet), Whiskey (Lisa), Absinth (thanks Jake and Alex) and the final shot called a Monica Lewinski (Julia and Meghan my Barca friends)...yes I owe those two some SERIOUS payback! After the pregaming we went to a club and danced the night away…until 5. No better way to celebrate my 21st, in Barcelona, with my friends, dancing until the morning.
The last day we were all exhausted needless to say…while the beach is cold right now it’s still gorgeous and seeing it gets me excited for March!!! The boys left, and well, I’ve been trying to catch up on sleep for a week now. The concept of Juabado, or staying up all night and day Thursday (Jueves) to Saturday (Sabado) night, or really Sunday morning when you get home, is NOT a sustainable life style. But none the less it made for one heck of a weekend with my friends packing in the maximum touring, eating, partying, and enjoying this city and each other I could have ever imagined.
After a month, having gotten to know the city, showed friends around, celebrated my 21st, made so many new friends, settled into a new home stay, taken a trip to Valencia, and improved so much on my Spanish. But now, it’s time to explore Eruope and get to know Spain on a more intimate level. I hope for the next month to be able to meet more locals, feel completely comfortable with the non major city streets, know of a cool bar nearby where not even the bartender speaks English and most importantly TRAVEL…thank god I have 4 months here, 1 just would not have cut it!!! So far my plans include a day trip to Montserrat tomorrow which is about an hour from Barcelona and is known for its mountains which look like stalagmites in a cave, the monastery which is built into the mountains, and VINO ofcorse. The next weekend I am going on a trip to Interlaken which is a sweet village tucked in between two lakes in Switzerland. I plan to hike, sled, visit the chocolate factory, and enjoy the serenity of being in a legitimate winter wonderland. 3 weeks from now Nick and I will be meeting in Paris for a weekend of exploring the city of love…and wine…and bread…and cheese. I’m excited to see our friends we have studying there and spend our 4 year, yes I said FOUR, enjoying such a historical and gorgeous city. For now, I’ll leave you with that taste of my schedule as March is a little crazy and I’m sure your all asleep now anyways.
Sorry it’s been so long since I posted…if you’ve seen my FB you’d know I had a crazy week/weekend. Last Monday was my 21st and it was SUPER FUN as I told you…but the more exciting part was last weekend when Nick, Jillian, Alex and Jake came to see me and celebrate Barca style!!!
Nick, Jake and Alex arrived Wednesday and immediately were thrust into the Barcelona lifestyle as we went to a local bar called Obama where legit no one but the waitresses speak English. Afterwards we adventured to a bar called Dow Jones and went to bed at our ooh so cozy hostel so we could enjoy the next day of TOURING!!! Now don’t get me wrong….I love all three of those guys, but sharing a hostel room with 3 boys is something I will never ever do again…haha. The hostel was clean and nice and we actually met some nice kids! For anyone coming to Barcelona look up Equity Point Centric!
The next day we ventured into my favorite area of Barcelona, bari Gotic. I showed them the cathedral where Ferdinand and Isabel greeted Mr. Cristobal Colom, aka Christopher Columbus, after he found the new world. We also saw the old Roman pillars and walls which are the last remaining original Roman pieces in Barcelona and some of the last few in Spain. After our adventuring we came back for a quick siesta before Nick and I came here for dinner with Paloma y Martin! Dinner was fit for a king, and that’s exactly how Paloma intends to treat the novios, or boyfriends, of her girls here. A whole Lamb’s leg cooked with onions and potatoes was the first dish. Followed by salad and complimented by cheese, two bottles of red wine, and the Catalan tradition bread with tomatoes and jamon. Dessert was the most impressive course of all thought…oranges cut and hollowed out, filled with custard made from the oranges and heavy whipping cream I assume, then egg whites whipped and flamed ontop garnished by crushed almonds…yes, I live with Paloma Dean. For only two semesters of Spanish in college Nick held his own surprisingly well although there were times where he’d give me a “was that even in Spainish?” look. After dinner we made our way out for a typical Spanish night on the town
ending with 3 very sleepy guys crashing in the Hostel at 5 am.The next morning the lovely Jillian Taub and her two awesome roomies arrived and we did more touring than I thought possible in a day. Down La Rambla, into the Market and Placa del Rei, Past Christopher Columbus and the Port, metro and walk to Park Guell, then back to the Hostel for another little siesta. That night we went to your quintessential “down the alley, past the man dressed as a mime, and into the jail-looking door” bar called L’Oveja Negra, or the black sheep. Here the sangria flows like water and the people are an eclectic mix, you can ask Jill about her friends she made from Madrid….but none the less it was a great way to show everyone the locals and a more secluded place in my city.
Saturday we all toured the Sagrada Familia where we all could have spent the whole day just looking at the breath taking architecture. From the stained glass, to the gold leafing on the ceiling, to the melting exterior, I cannot imagine how much grander this cathedral could get and yet the tallest and most major parts of it still have yet to start being constructed. After that we made a trip to Mount Monjuic where I showed the guys the city from above….and even from there you cannot get a whole view of how large Barcelona is in one shot…or 4 for that matter. The night was my fake birthday celebration and the wonderful shot book my friends made was the starting point for the festivities at a shots bar called Chupitos… for all my friends who wondered what shots I took of theirs, well despite the fact this shot bar has about 150 shots a lot of the American usuals were not there. So we made some substitutions. The bourbon (Sarah) tequila (Meredith) Goose (Michelle) Kentucky…Burbon and Beer (thanks again Jill, hahah NOT), Snow White (which was actually a Barcelona BUT theyre the same colors, Reet), Whiskey (Lisa), Absinth (thanks Jake and Alex) and the final shot called a Monica Lewinski (Julia and Meghan my Barca friends)...yes I owe those two some SERIOUS payback! After the pregaming we went to a club and danced the night away…until 5. No better way to celebrate my 21st, in Barcelona, with my friends, dancing until the morning.
The last day we were all exhausted needless to say…while the beach is cold right now it’s still gorgeous and seeing it gets me excited for March!!! The boys left, and well, I’ve been trying to catch up on sleep for a week now. The concept of Juabado, or staying up all night and day Thursday (Jueves) to Saturday (Sabado) night, or really Sunday morning when you get home, is NOT a sustainable life style. But none the less it made for one heck of a weekend with my friends packing in the maximum touring, eating, partying, and enjoying this city and each other I could have ever imagined.After a month, having gotten to know the city, showed friends around, celebrated my 21st, made so many new friends, settled into a new home stay, taken a trip to Valencia, and improved so much on my Spanish. But now, it’s time to explore Eruope and get to know Spain on a more intimate level. I hope for the next month to be able to meet more locals, feel completely comfortable with the non major city streets, know of a cool bar nearby where not even the bartender speaks English and most importantly TRAVEL…thank god I have 4 months here, 1 just would not have cut it!!! So far my plans include a day trip to Montserrat tomorrow which is about an hour from Barcelona and is known for its mountains which look like stalagmites in a cave, the monastery which is built into the mountains, and VINO ofcorse. The next weekend I am going on a trip to Interlaken which is a sweet village tucked in between two lakes in Switzerland. I plan to hike, sled, visit the chocolate factory, and enjoy the serenity of being in a legitimate winter wonderland. 3 weeks from now Nick and I will be meeting in Paris for a weekend of exploring the city of love…and wine…and bread…and cheese. I’m excited to see our friends we have studying there and spend our 4 year, yes I said FOUR, enjoying such a historical and gorgeous city. For now, I’ll leave you with that taste of my schedule as March is a little crazy and I’m sure your all asleep now anyways.
Happy Valentine’s Day to everyone! And hopefully I’ll be posting soon! Miss and love you all and look on my FB for pictures and more current status updates!!!
Hasta Luego y Besos
-Cacky
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
semana tres...
The end of week three...the start of week four.
WEEK 4 began today. A month is enough time to make a painting or perfect a new dance piece....however, I can assure you it will not be enough time for me to consider myself a citizen officially of Barcelona by the end of this week. There is still so much to see, learn, feel, taste, and explore but I am sure that at the rate I have seen things the first three weeks I will know this city well by the end of month four.
Hopefully, the visitors I have coming this weekend will be helpful in exploring the city with me. Nick and his friends Alex and Jake are making a trip to Barcelona to see yours truely this Wednesday...aka tomorrow!!! Then Friday, Jillian and her friends arrive and the party begins! I hope to take them to the big market (per request of Jilly), parque Guell, Mont Monjuic, La Sagrada Familia, and hopefully a Barca game at Camp Nou. We're all going to cozy up in a hostel on Gracia in the center of the city and see what its like to be a real Euro tripper.
But back to what iv already done....last weekend IES took a trip to Tarragona and Valencia. These two cities lie along the coast of Spain to the south. The trip started in Tarragona where we went on a tour/tasting of the TORRES vineyard. After this we headed on a 4 hour ride to Valencia. Needless to say getting everyone tipsy before a bus ride with about 30 kids they didn't know was a great idea of IES to ease the awkwardness. I was lucky with my bus and my roomie for the trip… Julia! All the kids from my Spanish class took over the back of the bus and I enjoyed having 10 hours of nothing to do but get to know them all better.
The ride consisted of terrain that ranged from beaches to forests to mountains to shrubby land…and ORANGES!!! Im sure all of you have heard of Valencia oranges. They’re amazing and as we saw on the way down, plentiful…you can even smell the citrus when driving by. Once we arrived at the Holiday Inn (my bus got screwed on the hotel…) we had some time to explore…aka nap and drink the wine we bought. After that was a night of recovering from the 8 am departure and bus ride. The next day we were able to see the old city. The streets are old and unlike the gothic undertones of Barcelona, the lasting architecture of Valencia is mostly Baroque. It’s ornate and grand appearance is clearly displayed in the cathedrals, two of which we saw. The city overall is more quaint than Barcelona, with men playing violins and organs in the narrow and winding streets. We also had the chance to go to the Palau de Artes y Ciencas…google it… This huge and modern building is supposed to be the center of arts and sciences for Europe at present. I actually cannot even describe the buildings as they were unlike anything I have seen before and completely shocking in such an old city. After our time in the city we were given crappy paella (which is supposed to be the best in Valencia) and told to rest before our journey back.
On our way back we stopped again in Tarragona. This time it was in the heart of the city where we did a tour of the old ruins. The city overall is very quaint and has some of the most amazing ruins I believe I will ever see. A half of an arena where chariot races took places remains with tunnels and crevices all underneath. The old gardens and castle walls stood atop a hill where you could peer over and see the whole fortress and city. My personal favorite was the coliseum which sits ontop of the beach essentially. All throughout the city were street vendor and performers trying to make money off the many many tourists who come each day to see the amazing ancient sights. After a quick but amazing tour we stopped for a special Spanish dinner in a small town nearby. The main reason for our stop was special onions famous to the region. I am going to butcher this name but it is something like Calcutes which consists of taking long grilled onions and dipping them into a special hummus like sauce and lowering them into your mouth like a five year old with spaghetti…bib included. Really. Accompanied with wine which you pour directly into your mouth and pass around this meal was very fun to eat and delish as well. After sufficiently stuffing ourselves with onions we headed back on the smelliest bus ride ever potentially.
Overall, I really enjoyed the time to see another part of Spain. While I didn’t find either city to be as awe inspiring as Barcelona I appreciated and enjoyed hearing their history and seeing their culture immensely. Tarragona was my favorite and I would love to have the chance to adventure there again for more time. I also think that this experience was what a lot of students needed to leave their group of friends and get to know other IES students. I got to know so many great people even better and made new friends I wouldn’t have if not for the trip. It was interesting coming back…I think seeing the bright lights and the Placa de Catalyuna and feeling a sense of ease after the long ride was the first time I realized this is actually my home. Not just a vacation but a place where I am starting to feel so comfortable and settled in.
On another note, my 21st was wonderful and I thank you all for your love which I felt so strong a million miles away! My host mom made me a delish lemon cake and my new friends and I danced the night away…the real festivities will come this weekend though when I can be with some of my close friends and show them my city. I am so excited to be able to share this experience and the place I have fallen in love with, with them. Being translator will be interesting as I’m still working on my own Spanish skills but it’ll be fun to show them all aspects of this culture including the language we speak. I am sure this weekend will give me lots of amazing stories so make sure to check in next week for them!!!!
Love and miss you all
Besos,
me and some friends in Valencia
Arts and Science center in Valencia
Cathedral de La Virgin Maria....a dentro es bastante bontia
WEEK 4 began today. A month is enough time to make a painting or perfect a new dance piece....however, I can assure you it will not be enough time for me to consider myself a citizen officially of Barcelona by the end of this week. There is still so much to see, learn, feel, taste, and explore but I am sure that at the rate I have seen things the first three weeks I will know this city well by the end of month four.
Hopefully, the visitors I have coming this weekend will be helpful in exploring the city with me. Nick and his friends Alex and Jake are making a trip to Barcelona to see yours truely this Wednesday...aka tomorrow!!! Then Friday, Jillian and her friends arrive and the party begins! I hope to take them to the big market (per request of Jilly), parque Guell, Mont Monjuic, La Sagrada Familia, and hopefully a Barca game at Camp Nou. We're all going to cozy up in a hostel on Gracia in the center of the city and see what its like to be a real Euro tripper.
But back to what iv already done....last weekend IES took a trip to Tarragona and Valencia. These two cities lie along the coast of Spain to the south. The trip started in Tarragona where we went on a tour/tasting of the TORRES vineyard. After this we headed on a 4 hour ride to Valencia. Needless to say getting everyone tipsy before a bus ride with about 30 kids they didn't know was a great idea of IES to ease the awkwardness. I was lucky with my bus and my roomie for the trip… Julia! All the kids from my Spanish class took over the back of the bus and I enjoyed having 10 hours of nothing to do but get to know them all better.
The ride consisted of terrain that ranged from beaches to forests to mountains to shrubby land…and ORANGES!!! Im sure all of you have heard of Valencia oranges. They’re amazing and as we saw on the way down, plentiful…you can even smell the citrus when driving by. Once we arrived at the Holiday Inn (my bus got screwed on the hotel…) we had some time to explore…aka nap and drink the wine we bought. After that was a night of recovering from the 8 am departure and bus ride. The next day we were able to see the old city. The streets are old and unlike the gothic undertones of Barcelona, the lasting architecture of Valencia is mostly Baroque. It’s ornate and grand appearance is clearly displayed in the cathedrals, two of which we saw. The city overall is more quaint than Barcelona, with men playing violins and organs in the narrow and winding streets. We also had the chance to go to the Palau de Artes y Ciencas…google it… This huge and modern building is supposed to be the center of arts and sciences for Europe at present. I actually cannot even describe the buildings as they were unlike anything I have seen before and completely shocking in such an old city. After our time in the city we were given crappy paella (which is supposed to be the best in Valencia) and told to rest before our journey back.
On our way back we stopped again in Tarragona. This time it was in the heart of the city where we did a tour of the old ruins. The city overall is very quaint and has some of the most amazing ruins I believe I will ever see. A half of an arena where chariot races took places remains with tunnels and crevices all underneath. The old gardens and castle walls stood atop a hill where you could peer over and see the whole fortress and city. My personal favorite was the coliseum which sits ontop of the beach essentially. All throughout the city were street vendor and performers trying to make money off the many many tourists who come each day to see the amazing ancient sights. After a quick but amazing tour we stopped for a special Spanish dinner in a small town nearby. The main reason for our stop was special onions famous to the region. I am going to butcher this name but it is something like Calcutes which consists of taking long grilled onions and dipping them into a special hummus like sauce and lowering them into your mouth like a five year old with spaghetti…bib included. Really. Accompanied with wine which you pour directly into your mouth and pass around this meal was very fun to eat and delish as well. After sufficiently stuffing ourselves with onions we headed back on the smelliest bus ride ever potentially.
Overall, I really enjoyed the time to see another part of Spain. While I didn’t find either city to be as awe inspiring as Barcelona I appreciated and enjoyed hearing their history and seeing their culture immensely. Tarragona was my favorite and I would love to have the chance to adventure there again for more time. I also think that this experience was what a lot of students needed to leave their group of friends and get to know other IES students. I got to know so many great people even better and made new friends I wouldn’t have if not for the trip. It was interesting coming back…I think seeing the bright lights and the Placa de Catalyuna and feeling a sense of ease after the long ride was the first time I realized this is actually my home. Not just a vacation but a place where I am starting to feel so comfortable and settled in.
On another note, my 21st was wonderful and I thank you all for your love which I felt so strong a million miles away! My host mom made me a delish lemon cake and my new friends and I danced the night away…the real festivities will come this weekend though when I can be with some of my close friends and show them my city. I am so excited to be able to share this experience and the place I have fallen in love with, with them. Being translator will be interesting as I’m still working on my own Spanish skills but it’ll be fun to show them all aspects of this culture including the language we speak. I am sure this weekend will give me lots of amazing stories so make sure to check in next week for them!!!!
Love and miss you all
Besos,
me and some friends in Valencia
Arts and Science center in Valencia
Cathedral de La Virgin Maria....a dentro es bastante bontia
Monday, January 23, 2012
La empiece de semana tres!
The Start of Week Three
So my last blog was 3 days ago and since then a lot of exciting things have occured!!!!
First off...im living with famous people. legit. My host father Martin, is the grandson of the Attorney who was best friends and lived in Parque Guell with Guell and Guadi!!! Now his cousins live in a beautiful white house that overlooks the UUBER famous park and the entire city. Ya hes kinda a big deal. THEN we discovered Marin's father had tea with Picasso while they were both living and studying in Paris....ya my host dad is a BFD.
...Speaking of Picasso....we went to his museum here! It was wonderful. Settled in an area called the Gothic Quarter, the building it was in was almost as breath-taking as the pieces. From his time in Spain to his time in Paris, from his Blue phase to the creation of Modernisme...it seemed not all of the hundreds of paintings in there could have been his. My favorite of all was his interpretation of Velasquez's painting Las Meninas where it seemed Picasso developed an obsession with the young girl in the painting...creepy but interesting.
After the museum we ventured down the small and windy streets to find a HUGE cathedral. Come to find, we had stumbled upon the Cathedral de la Seu. Apparently, it was there where Christopher Columbus greeted the King and Queen of Spain to announce of his successful trip to the Americas. Also, Disney Reference, like the gargoyles in the Hunchback there are gargoyles here where boiling oil was poured into as a form of execution…some places even have eerie dark stains :/. After that we went inside a huge area which had candles and small gated rooms with different religious figurines and pictures to giving offerings and light candles to. In the middle were swans and what we called the Fountain of Youth…but it was just a really nice fountain.
After a long first week of class Saturday day my roommate in I spent all day in the house and bed recovering and preparing for Today, which was a big day of touring!!! We woke up early and headed on the Metro to see the Park Guell (ya know where my host dad has family). It was about a 10 min walk uphill from the metro to the entrance but we didn’t mind because it was a gorgeous sunny day! We entered from the font and worked our way up to the large area of mosaic benches which overlook all of Barcelona. Then we hiked up through gardens to get to Martin’s family house!! It was gorgeous with the oranges and pretty flowers against the white stucco house. We then wound our way back down through various bridges, alcoves, houses, gardens, terraces, tunnels, and many other amazingly crafted and designed architectural pieces. We saw Guadi’s house and while in the park were able to take a small trip into his mind it seemed. All the colors, and big pillars, the random nooks and crevices, the rounded and grand edges, the playful and fantastical…it was his world he had created in the middle of this huge city and it was amazing to be a part of it and escape.
If that wasn’t enough we then came back and went to a local pub for the Barcelona game. It was a place underground with old sports memorabilia, photos of Frank Sanatra, and tables made out of kegs. Clearly the best place to see a game. The atmosphere was different than the last, much older crowd who it seemed had been fans all their life. The crazy lady running the bar brought everyone drinks and stopped in between taking orders to shout on her amplifier at the screen. The newest thing we learned was the Messi cheer…which is simply people yelling Messi for about 2 minutes after his first goal. A dog even watched the game with us…showing this love of Barcelona goes way beyond what we consider being a sports fan in the US. Barca won 4-1 not surprisingly, as everyone here says…people don’t ask “did Barcelona win?” they ask “how much did Barcelona win by?”
After all the excitement of the day we were ready for some food and boy did we get some. Pieces of meat that were like groumet beef jerky started us off…then we moved on to the Paella. This Spanish delicacy was just as perfect as I had hope. Its like a Gumbo but better. Rice, shrimp, mussels, peas, onions, garlic, potatoes, green peppers, clams, chicken, and a tad bit of sugar…all mixed with Paloma’s years of experience and practice. Easily the best meal I’ve had here!
Classes at UPF start tomorrow and while I’m extremely nervous for my all Spanish course I think I will be able to manage. If not, well there’s always taking a class in my native language rite? So far the classes are amazing and I can’t wait to immerse myself even further into this city and the customs which is what I think a lot of my classes will do. But I better head to bed, First day of real school tomorrow and I can’t be late!
Until we meet again….
Besos
So my last blog was 3 days ago and since then a lot of exciting things have occured!!!!
First off...im living with famous people. legit. My host father Martin, is the grandson of the Attorney who was best friends and lived in Parque Guell with Guell and Guadi!!! Now his cousins live in a beautiful white house that overlooks the UUBER famous park and the entire city. Ya hes kinda a big deal. THEN we discovered Marin's father had tea with Picasso while they were both living and studying in Paris....ya my host dad is a BFD.
...Speaking of Picasso....we went to his museum here! It was wonderful. Settled in an area called the Gothic Quarter, the building it was in was almost as breath-taking as the pieces. From his time in Spain to his time in Paris, from his Blue phase to the creation of Modernisme...it seemed not all of the hundreds of paintings in there could have been his. My favorite of all was his interpretation of Velasquez's painting Las Meninas where it seemed Picasso developed an obsession with the young girl in the painting...creepy but interesting.
After the museum we ventured down the small and windy streets to find a HUGE cathedral. Come to find, we had stumbled upon the Cathedral de la Seu. Apparently, it was there where Christopher Columbus greeted the King and Queen of Spain to announce of his successful trip to the Americas. Also, Disney Reference, like the gargoyles in the Hunchback there are gargoyles here where boiling oil was poured into as a form of execution…some places even have eerie dark stains :/. After that we went inside a huge area which had candles and small gated rooms with different religious figurines and pictures to giving offerings and light candles to. In the middle were swans and what we called the Fountain of Youth…but it was just a really nice fountain.
After a long first week of class Saturday day my roommate in I spent all day in the house and bed recovering and preparing for Today, which was a big day of touring!!! We woke up early and headed on the Metro to see the Park Guell (ya know where my host dad has family). It was about a 10 min walk uphill from the metro to the entrance but we didn’t mind because it was a gorgeous sunny day! We entered from the font and worked our way up to the large area of mosaic benches which overlook all of Barcelona. Then we hiked up through gardens to get to Martin’s family house!! It was gorgeous with the oranges and pretty flowers against the white stucco house. We then wound our way back down through various bridges, alcoves, houses, gardens, terraces, tunnels, and many other amazingly crafted and designed architectural pieces. We saw Guadi’s house and while in the park were able to take a small trip into his mind it seemed. All the colors, and big pillars, the random nooks and crevices, the rounded and grand edges, the playful and fantastical…it was his world he had created in the middle of this huge city and it was amazing to be a part of it and escape.
If that wasn’t enough we then came back and went to a local pub for the Barcelona game. It was a place underground with old sports memorabilia, photos of Frank Sanatra, and tables made out of kegs. Clearly the best place to see a game. The atmosphere was different than the last, much older crowd who it seemed had been fans all their life. The crazy lady running the bar brought everyone drinks and stopped in between taking orders to shout on her amplifier at the screen. The newest thing we learned was the Messi cheer…which is simply people yelling Messi for about 2 minutes after his first goal. A dog even watched the game with us…showing this love of Barcelona goes way beyond what we consider being a sports fan in the US. Barca won 4-1 not surprisingly, as everyone here says…people don’t ask “did Barcelona win?” they ask “how much did Barcelona win by?”
After all the excitement of the day we were ready for some food and boy did we get some. Pieces of meat that were like groumet beef jerky started us off…then we moved on to the Paella. This Spanish delicacy was just as perfect as I had hope. Its like a Gumbo but better. Rice, shrimp, mussels, peas, onions, garlic, potatoes, green peppers, clams, chicken, and a tad bit of sugar…all mixed with Paloma’s years of experience and practice. Easily the best meal I’ve had here!
Classes at UPF start tomorrow and while I’m extremely nervous for my all Spanish course I think I will be able to manage. If not, well there’s always taking a class in my native language rite? So far the classes are amazing and I can’t wait to immerse myself even further into this city and the customs which is what I think a lot of my classes will do. But I better head to bed, First day of real school tomorrow and I can’t be late!
Until we meet again….
Besos
Thursday, January 19, 2012
nueva semana, nueva casa
New week, new house!
This past weekend was great as you can see from my pictures on facebook. Even though classes officially started today, I'm still in high spirits and enjoying all Barcelona has to offer.
Today I moved in with a great girl named Meghan! My new house has a doctor as "mi padre" and a sweet older woman named Paloma as "mi madre". She cooks wonderful food, their house is amazingly gorgeous, and wine is poured freely and frequently here. I am so happy and can't wait to have the rest of my time at this place. Tonight she made us paella and delish bread with jamon (ham...which is 10x better here than the US) and tomatoes, and a yummy salad. I had my first mussel and it was amazing....although iv been told the US doesn’t do them as well so my last may also be in Barca. Overall this couple is very sweet and has already told me to tell my family we’ll do dinner here one night when they visit...hear that mom????
Tonight was the big Barcelona vs. Madrid game and literally the whole city shuts down to watch it. Meghan and I (wearing my barca scarf) ventured near our house, only to find everything was closed except small restruants with overly-crowded flat screens. We obviously squished into one and enjoyed the scene. Despite the 80 cent beers called Estrellas, equivalent to Natty, and standing for two hours standing the atmosphere was amazing. After each goal everyone embraces and does the standard Barcelona double cheek kiss...as if the game is a matter of life and death. They scream, they embrace, they cheer, they groan, they live. That is what Spain does; soccer. After watching the game, I am more sure than ever that they do it better than everyone else.
So far I’ve only had my Spanish class but tomorrow I start Cities and Urbanism in the US and Europe. It should be a great class and I hope to learn a lot about the layout of Europe and why it developed this way…did I mention every intersection has a diamond in the middle, random?....My UPF classes begin the 23 and we only have about 10 weeks of those but I am taking one in full Spanish so I think 10 weeks will be more than enough! Haha while I completely speak English with Americans, I’d say half my interactions a day are in Spanish weather at a café, or home, or on the bus…you do actually have to speak Spanish in spain!! And I’m loving every second of that!
All in all its been a crazy week and a half...an incense freak-out, loosing/having a phone stolen, more taxis taking us the wrong way because they assume we're stupid, spending more than I thought (as my host my says Nada es barata...nothing is cheap) here, and moving all of my life in two bags to a new home. But I’ve never been happier. I am learning the street, I know my way around and what general direction to go, I am confident and aware when I walk…I feel like maybe by the end of this all I won’t be an extended tourist but a Barcelonan. I've learned to apprecite the way they kiss when they see each other, and take 30 min to enjoy a tinsy coffee, or how people play songs in the streets and the buzzing of motorbikes keeps the city from becomming silent...it all makes me feel so alive and understand what people mean when they say life slows down here...you cant actaully stop and begin to enjoy all the small things in life.
Viva su vida.
For this week I'd like to say to Barca’s win, and a smooth transition for me!
Besos
This past weekend was great as you can see from my pictures on facebook. Even though classes officially started today, I'm still in high spirits and enjoying all Barcelona has to offer.
Today I moved in with a great girl named Meghan! My new house has a doctor as "mi padre" and a sweet older woman named Paloma as "mi madre". She cooks wonderful food, their house is amazingly gorgeous, and wine is poured freely and frequently here. I am so happy and can't wait to have the rest of my time at this place. Tonight she made us paella and delish bread with jamon (ham...which is 10x better here than the US) and tomatoes, and a yummy salad. I had my first mussel and it was amazing....although iv been told the US doesn’t do them as well so my last may also be in Barca. Overall this couple is very sweet and has already told me to tell my family we’ll do dinner here one night when they visit...hear that mom????
Tonight was the big Barcelona vs. Madrid game and literally the whole city shuts down to watch it. Meghan and I (wearing my barca scarf) ventured near our house, only to find everything was closed except small restruants with overly-crowded flat screens. We obviously squished into one and enjoyed the scene. Despite the 80 cent beers called Estrellas, equivalent to Natty, and standing for two hours standing the atmosphere was amazing. After each goal everyone embraces and does the standard Barcelona double cheek kiss...as if the game is a matter of life and death. They scream, they embrace, they cheer, they groan, they live. That is what Spain does; soccer. After watching the game, I am more sure than ever that they do it better than everyone else.
So far I’ve only had my Spanish class but tomorrow I start Cities and Urbanism in the US and Europe. It should be a great class and I hope to learn a lot about the layout of Europe and why it developed this way…did I mention every intersection has a diamond in the middle, random?....My UPF classes begin the 23 and we only have about 10 weeks of those but I am taking one in full Spanish so I think 10 weeks will be more than enough! Haha while I completely speak English with Americans, I’d say half my interactions a day are in Spanish weather at a café, or home, or on the bus…you do actually have to speak Spanish in spain!! And I’m loving every second of that!
All in all its been a crazy week and a half...an incense freak-out, loosing/having a phone stolen, more taxis taking us the wrong way because they assume we're stupid, spending more than I thought (as my host my says Nada es barata...nothing is cheap) here, and moving all of my life in two bags to a new home. But I’ve never been happier. I am learning the street, I know my way around and what general direction to go, I am confident and aware when I walk…I feel like maybe by the end of this all I won’t be an extended tourist but a Barcelonan. I've learned to apprecite the way they kiss when they see each other, and take 30 min to enjoy a tinsy coffee, or how people play songs in the streets and the buzzing of motorbikes keeps the city from becomming silent...it all makes me feel so alive and understand what people mean when they say life slows down here...you cant actaully stop and begin to enjoy all the small things in life.
Viva su vida.
For this week I'd like to say to Barca’s win, and a smooth transition for me!
Besos
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