Today we had a choir concert to celebrate the lighting of Alcala's Christmas lights for the season. We sang both English Christmas carols and traditional Spanish Villancicos, and finished up the concert with Silent Night in English, Spanish, and German. It was quite nice, although I may have screwed up some of the lyrics in a couple of the Villancicos (since we never practice them! Rar!).
Afterwards, we went to a reception for the whole audience and the choir, where they served us large cups of chocolate, churros, and pan frito, which I hadn't tried before. It's like a cross between french toast and a donut, and I will definitely make some when I get home. After eating, a few of the choir members and I wandered around town.
Alcala's Christmas lights are beautiful. They hang between the buildings along all the major roads, and then the Plaza de Cervantes is tiled with net lights. Plus, there is a huge belen (nativity scene) in the central gazebo.
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
British Adventure Part 2
London.
What a grand city. It feels so much larger than the other big European cities I have been in, partly because it is and partly because the interesting bits of it are all spread out instead of clumped together in one section.
Tim and I headed into the city early Saturday morning with his roommate Emilio and Emilio's girlfriend, Hannah. We got a deal on train tickets with bus and tube passes and I sure am glad. We made great use of the tube that day.
Emilio and Hannah had plans of their own, so we split up and started out the day at Buckingham Palace, which was sort of cool. We decided not to stick around for the changing of the guards, though, since really they are just walking back and forth. We then walked through the park up to the London Eye, Parliament, and Big Ben. That clock is amazing. You don't even see it as you approach because the other buildings are also tall, but when you turn the corner, BAM! You just look up and up and up.
After taking a bunch of photos, we headed down the Thames to drop off our stuff at our hotel. On the way, we stopped for a picnic lunch of PB&J sandwiches, a delicacy I had been missing in Spain.
We dropped off our things and then took a bus and a tube northward to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. There, I met my daily tree quota and was happy to find the Peter Pan statue (Peter Pan was raised by fairies in Kensington Gardens). We spent most of the afternoon strolling around the parks until it was time to head over to Westminster Abbey to hear their choral Evensong.
The Abbey was amazing both inside and out. The outer brickwork was really unusual, and the inside, especially the rose window, was phenomenal. Tim and I got to the Abbey just in time for the Evensong, which is the service that ends each day. The service was performed by the Abbey Choir, which is made up of men and little boys (in adorably frilly red robes). The choir began singing from behind us, which gave an ethereal quality to the music I had never heard before. I had chills through much of their performance. I think I understand now why churches have choirs; listening to them was a truly spiritual experience.
After the Evensong, Tim and I wandered over to Trafalgar Square, where the National Gallery is located. Along with the Louvre and the Prado, the Gallery is one of the best art museums in the world, so I was quite excited. Inside was a wonderland of art from the Renaissance masters to the Impressionists. We saw paintings by Michaelangelo (unusual, since he only ever painted four canvases) and a sketch by DaVinci (gorgeous). I was particularly thrilled to find Velasquez's Venus en el Espejo (Venus in the Mirror), since I had studied it in depth in my art class.
After we couldn't take in any more art, Tim and I went out to dinner at a pub he recommended, Waxy O'Connor's. That place is so Irish it's ridiculous. I got a pint of cider (didn't realize that pints are ENORMOUS) and tried sausages and mash (quite delicious). It was a pleasant way to spend a drizzly evening, and I think the highlight of my night was singing the Pogues' Christmas song with everyone else in the pub.
We rounded out the evening by looking at Christmas lights, being caught in a crowd of hundreds of drunken Santas, and visiting Picadilly Circus (not a circus) and Covent Garden (not a garden). We also took another look at Parliament and the Eye at night.
In the morning, we went to the East side of London to check out St. Paul's Cathedral (very grand), the Milennium Bridge (another Harry Potter location) and the Globe Theatre. The theatre was closed when we got there, though, so we wandered and wandered and happened upon Sir Francis Drake's pirate ship, Southwark Cathedral, the Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London (not a tower). What is with the British and their misleading naming conventions?
When the Globe opened, we took a tour, which was pretty neat. I guess the old one burned down long ago when a stage cannon lit the thatched roof on fire, but the new one was built exactly the same way, right down to the materials and construction methods used. It was definitely a good way to learn about Shakespeare. We also saw a demonstration that showed us how clever costuming was used to transform young boys into onstage women. It worked really well!
After we finished exploring the museum, Tim and I had just enough time to grab some lunch (more pasties - yum) and see the outside of Sherlock Holmes' house before it was time for me to get on the bus for the airport. I'll never forget my British adventure.
What a grand city. It feels so much larger than the other big European cities I have been in, partly because it is and partly because the interesting bits of it are all spread out instead of clumped together in one section.
Tim and I headed into the city early Saturday morning with his roommate Emilio and Emilio's girlfriend, Hannah. We got a deal on train tickets with bus and tube passes and I sure am glad. We made great use of the tube that day.
Emilio and Hannah had plans of their own, so we split up and started out the day at Buckingham Palace, which was sort of cool. We decided not to stick around for the changing of the guards, though, since really they are just walking back and forth. We then walked through the park up to the London Eye, Parliament, and Big Ben. That clock is amazing. You don't even see it as you approach because the other buildings are also tall, but when you turn the corner, BAM! You just look up and up and up.After taking a bunch of photos, we headed down the Thames to drop off our stuff at our hotel. On the way, we stopped for a picnic lunch of PB&J sandwiches, a delicacy I had been missing in Spain.
We dropped off our things and then took a bus and a tube northward to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. There, I met my daily tree quota and was happy to find the Peter Pan statue (Peter Pan was raised by fairies in Kensington Gardens). We spent most of the afternoon strolling around the parks until it was time to head over to Westminster Abbey to hear their choral Evensong.The Abbey was amazing both inside and out. The outer brickwork was really unusual, and the inside, especially the rose window, was phenomenal. Tim and I got to the Abbey just in time for the Evensong, which is the service that ends each day. The service was performed by the Abbey Choir, which is made up of men and little boys (in adorably frilly red robes). The choir began singing from behind us, which gave an ethereal quality to the music I had never heard before. I had chills through much of their performance. I think I understand now why churches have choirs; listening to them was a truly spiritual experience.
After the Evensong, Tim and I wandered over to Trafalgar Square, where the National Gallery is located. Along with the Louvre and the Prado, the Gallery is one of the best art museums in the world, so I was quite excited. Inside was a wonderland of art from the Renaissance masters to the Impressionists. We saw paintings by Michaelangelo (unusual, since he only ever painted four canvases) and a sketch by DaVinci (gorgeous). I was particularly thrilled to find Velasquez's Venus en el Espejo (Venus in the Mirror), since I had studied it in depth in my art class.
After we couldn't take in any more art, Tim and I went out to dinner at a pub he recommended, Waxy O'Connor's. That place is so Irish it's ridiculous. I got a pint of cider (didn't realize that pints are ENORMOUS) and tried sausages and mash (quite delicious). It was a pleasant way to spend a drizzly evening, and I think the highlight of my night was singing the Pogues' Christmas song with everyone else in the pub.We rounded out the evening by looking at Christmas lights, being caught in a crowd of hundreds of drunken Santas, and visiting Picadilly Circus (not a circus) and Covent Garden (not a garden). We also took another look at Parliament and the Eye at night.
In the morning, we went to the East side of London to check out St. Paul's Cathedral (very grand), the Milennium Bridge (another Harry Potter location) and the Globe Theatre. The theatre was closed when we got there, though, so we wandered and wandered and happened upon Sir Francis Drake's pirate ship, Southwark Cathedral, the Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London (not a tower). What is with the British and their misleading naming conventions?
When the Globe opened, we took a tour, which was pretty neat. I guess the old one burned down long ago when a stage cannon lit the thatched roof on fire, but the new one was built exactly the same way, right down to the materials and construction methods used. It was definitely a good way to learn about Shakespeare. We also saw a demonstration that showed us how clever costuming was used to transform young boys into onstage women. It worked really well!After we finished exploring the museum, Tim and I had just enough time to grab some lunch (more pasties - yum) and see the outside of Sherlock Holmes' house before it was time for me to get on the bus for the airport. I'll never forget my British adventure.
Monday, December 7, 2009
British Adventure Part 1
My trip to Britain got off to a bumpy start. Due to storms in Madrid and London, my flight came in about two hours late, and I didn't get to Hatfield until about 1:00 AM. I was glad to find Tim at the train station, and the two of us went home and crashed. The next morning, we got up and Tim made me a full English breakfast, which turns out to be almost exactly like breakfast at IHOP. Yum.
After Tim got back from class, we had some tea and crumpets and took a bus over to St. Albans, a nearby town. It's a cute little place, full of half-timbered buildings and a nice clock tower. We visited the St. Albans museum, where I learned about everyday English life from Medieval times up to today. We then headed over to the cathedral, which was really pretty spectacular, even as cathedrals go. I especially liked how it was situated on its own grounds instead of surrounded by other buildings; it made it seem even bigger than it was. Near the cathedral, one finds Verulamium Park, so named for the Roman city that used to be there. You can still see a bit of the walls, but it started raining pretty hard, so we didn't explore too much.
To get out of the rain, we stopped into Ye Olde Fighting Cocks Inn, which holds the Guinness World Record for oldest pub in England. Whether it's the oldest or not, it is a very nice place: low, cozy ceilings, a crackling fire, and lots of comical artwork on the walls. Tim got a Guinness and we sat for quite a while just enjoying the atmosphere and the dryness. When we left the pub, we decided to go home, although I did do a bit of Christmas shopping before we took the bus back.
Something odd about Britain: the sun sets at 3:45! Ugh!! I don't know why anyone decided it was a good place to settle, but I couldn't live with so little sunlight.
The next day, we got up early and headed to the train station, only to find that we would save a ton of money if we waited an hour and a half to go. British train schedules are funny that way. So, while we waited, we wandered around Old Hatfield. We found out that apparently Elizabeth I was living there when she found out she would be queen, and that's kind of neat. We also found a pretty church with an old churchyard. It was a little sad; people used to die really young.
When we got to Oxford, it was just about lunchtime, so we stopped at a park by the river and ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies! :-)
Oxford is absolutely gorgeous. I would love to go to school there (provided their sunset was later than 3:45). The town seems to be composed of about 45% colleges and 45% churches, with a few markets and pubs sprinkled in. First we wandered around town, admiring the "dreaming spires" it's famous for, and then we headed over to Christ Church college and cathedral. The cathedral was nice, but I'll admit that my favorite part was, as per usual, the grounds. Lovely grass. Just lovely. Also, we learned that many scenes from Harry Potter were shot in the college (yay Harry Potter!), and that Lewis Carroll worked there (Alice was the Dean's daughter).
After we got tired of looking at colleges, Tim and I grabbed a Cornish pasty (pronounced PAST ee, not PASTE ee, like what I thought). I do not understand why people think British food is bad. It was delicious.
As we were walking down a road, Tim noticed a giant sign that said STEAMPUNK. This was fortuitous. The Oxford science museum was housing the first-ever Steampunk Art exhibit, which was probably the coolest thing I saw in Oxford. For those of you who don't know, Steampunk is a cultural movement that adds a Victorian twist to futuristic technology. In art, this means some very interesting combinations.
The last stop on our agenda was the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford's art museum. They had quite a lot of neat Egyptian art, including all four layers of a mummy/sarcophagus. We walked around until we were too tired to think about any more art, and then headed home on the train. It was an excellent day.
After Tim got back from class, we had some tea and crumpets and took a bus over to St. Albans, a nearby town. It's a cute little place, full of half-timbered buildings and a nice clock tower. We visited the St. Albans museum, where I learned about everyday English life from Medieval times up to today. We then headed over to the cathedral, which was really pretty spectacular, even as cathedrals go. I especially liked how it was situated on its own grounds instead of surrounded by other buildings; it made it seem even bigger than it was. Near the cathedral, one finds Verulamium Park, so named for the Roman city that used to be there. You can still see a bit of the walls, but it started raining pretty hard, so we didn't explore too much.
To get out of the rain, we stopped into Ye Olde Fighting Cocks Inn, which holds the Guinness World Record for oldest pub in England. Whether it's the oldest or not, it is a very nice place: low, cozy ceilings, a crackling fire, and lots of comical artwork on the walls. Tim got a Guinness and we sat for quite a while just enjoying the atmosphere and the dryness. When we left the pub, we decided to go home, although I did do a bit of Christmas shopping before we took the bus back.Something odd about Britain: the sun sets at 3:45! Ugh!! I don't know why anyone decided it was a good place to settle, but I couldn't live with so little sunlight.
The next day, we got up early and headed to the train station, only to find that we would save a ton of money if we waited an hour and a half to go. British train schedules are funny that way. So, while we waited, we wandered around Old Hatfield. We found out that apparently Elizabeth I was living there when she found out she would be queen, and that's kind of neat. We also found a pretty church with an old churchyard. It was a little sad; people used to die really young.
When we got to Oxford, it was just about lunchtime, so we stopped at a park by the river and ate our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chocolate chip cookies! :-)
Oxford is absolutely gorgeous. I would love to go to school there (provided their sunset was later than 3:45). The town seems to be composed of about 45% colleges and 45% churches, with a few markets and pubs sprinkled in. First we wandered around town, admiring the "dreaming spires" it's famous for, and then we headed over to Christ Church college and cathedral. The cathedral was nice, but I'll admit that my favorite part was, as per usual, the grounds. Lovely grass. Just lovely. Also, we learned that many scenes from Harry Potter were shot in the college (yay Harry Potter!), and that Lewis Carroll worked there (Alice was the Dean's daughter). After we got tired of looking at colleges, Tim and I grabbed a Cornish pasty (pronounced PAST ee, not PASTE ee, like what I thought). I do not understand why people think British food is bad. It was delicious.
As we were walking down a road, Tim noticed a giant sign that said STEAMPUNK. This was fortuitous. The Oxford science museum was housing the first-ever Steampunk Art exhibit, which was probably the coolest thing I saw in Oxford. For those of you who don't know, Steampunk is a cultural movement that adds a Victorian twist to futuristic technology. In art, this means some very interesting combinations.The last stop on our agenda was the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford's art museum. They had quite a lot of neat Egyptian art, including all four layers of a mummy/sarcophagus. We walked around until we were too tired to think about any more art, and then headed home on the train. It was an excellent day.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Laundry in Spain
There are many things that I miss about the USA. First, of course, is my family and friends, but a close second is my laundry room.
Let me tell you about laundry in Spain. When you want to wash your clothes, you must first schedule your laundry time, since there are only three functioning washers to serve a dorm complex of hundreds of students. You get one hour. If you show up 5 minutes late, you miss your chance. However, if you show up on time, you will always have to wait to start your load, because the washers take more than an hour to run a cycle.
So you get to the laundry room with your clothes, ready to wait to start your load. You then find the laundry ladies, who are usually hiding somewhere in the back, smoking or talking on the phone. They will silently glare at you the first few times you say "Perdon" until eventually one of them will get up to come sign your card, which gives you permission to do three loads of laundry per month (no drying included).
When your washer opens up, you put in their nasty soap, which may or may not stain your clothes blue, and start your load. Careful not to turn your back, or the lady may start the load before you put your clothes in, without asking you whether you have colors or whites or what size load you have.
When your washer is done, if you want to use a dryer (which I have to do if I want my jeans to continue fitting), you pay 2 euros and get a dryer coin, which gives you an hour of drying time. There are two dryers: one, which you have to kick to start, makes a horrible screeching sound. The second, as I found out today, does not dry your clothes at all, but rather heats them up to a lukewarm, wet state. Heaven forbid you should ask for a refund or another dryer coin. The unfriendly lady's only response will be (in Spanish, obviously) "It's not my problem if the dryers don't work. I'm leaving."
I hate it! I hate it I hate it I hate it! I can't wait to go home where things and people WORK and I can do my laundry without any "help" from anyone else.
Okay, rant over.
Let me tell you about laundry in Spain. When you want to wash your clothes, you must first schedule your laundry time, since there are only three functioning washers to serve a dorm complex of hundreds of students. You get one hour. If you show up 5 minutes late, you miss your chance. However, if you show up on time, you will always have to wait to start your load, because the washers take more than an hour to run a cycle.
So you get to the laundry room with your clothes, ready to wait to start your load. You then find the laundry ladies, who are usually hiding somewhere in the back, smoking or talking on the phone. They will silently glare at you the first few times you say "Perdon" until eventually one of them will get up to come sign your card, which gives you permission to do three loads of laundry per month (no drying included).
When your washer opens up, you put in their nasty soap, which may or may not stain your clothes blue, and start your load. Careful not to turn your back, or the lady may start the load before you put your clothes in, without asking you whether you have colors or whites or what size load you have.
When your washer is done, if you want to use a dryer (which I have to do if I want my jeans to continue fitting), you pay 2 euros and get a dryer coin, which gives you an hour of drying time. There are two dryers: one, which you have to kick to start, makes a horrible screeching sound. The second, as I found out today, does not dry your clothes at all, but rather heats them up to a lukewarm, wet state. Heaven forbid you should ask for a refund or another dryer coin. The unfriendly lady's only response will be (in Spanish, obviously) "It's not my problem if the dryers don't work. I'm leaving."
I hate it! I hate it I hate it I hate it! I can't wait to go home where things and people WORK and I can do my laundry without any "help" from anyone else.
Okay, rant over.
Cordoba
On Saturday afternoon, I took a bus from Granada to Cordoba, with the objective of seeing the grand Mezquita. Upon my arrival, I was struck by two things: first, Cordoba is very compact, and second, everything in Cordoba seems to be under construction. It's like Spain is trying to create jobs or something. I didn't do much sight seeing, as it was already dark, but I did get some dinner and headed to bed early so I could get up at the crack of dawn.
In the morning, I was greeted with rain. And not just rain. A driving, Noah's ark, Tapico-style inundation.
Now, the rain wasn't all bad. Some positives:
1. I got to see some gargoyles doing their job.
2. Free food! Cordoba is absolutely filled with orange trees, and the rain was heavy enough to knock off some of the ripe ones, which I pocketed and ate with lunch. Yum.
3. My shoes got a bath.
Determined to still see the city, I went ahead and slogged over to the Alcazar of the Christian Kings, which turned out to be pretty cool. They had a large collection of Roman mosaics, as well as more Arabic baths and a small dungeon.
After that visit, I went to the Mezquita-Catedral to hear Mass, which put everything in perspective. It was the first Sunday of Advent, so the cathedral was decked out in purple, and just splendid. I could finally understand everything the priest was saying, and he gave a nice sermon about how we should let the weather remind us to stay awake and always be watching out for the ways God touches our lives. He also told us not to be concerned with the little petty problems of this world, like the rain, since they don't matter in the scheme of things. And he was right - who cares about the rain when I'm SO LUCKY to get to be here at all?
The old Mezquita part of the cathedral is amazing as well. I knew there were arches, but I didn't realize there would be so many; it is a veritable forest in there! I can't wait to get the pictures unstuck from my camera's internal memory so I can show you.
After Mass, the rain had mostly subsided, so I made a quick jaunt to some of the city's historical attractions: a Roman temple and bridge and some really old water mills, which were pretty neat. I didn't have a whole lot of time, though, before I had to get on the bus for the long ride home.
Good weekend.
In the morning, I was greeted with rain. And not just rain. A driving, Noah's ark, Tapico-style inundation.Now, the rain wasn't all bad. Some positives:
1. I got to see some gargoyles doing their job.
2. Free food! Cordoba is absolutely filled with orange trees, and the rain was heavy enough to knock off some of the ripe ones, which I pocketed and ate with lunch. Yum.
3. My shoes got a bath.
Determined to still see the city, I went ahead and slogged over to the Alcazar of the Christian Kings, which turned out to be pretty cool. They had a large collection of Roman mosaics, as well as more Arabic baths and a small dungeon.
After that visit, I went to the Mezquita-Catedral to hear Mass, which put everything in perspective. It was the first Sunday of Advent, so the cathedral was decked out in purple, and just splendid. I could finally understand everything the priest was saying, and he gave a nice sermon about how we should let the weather remind us to stay awake and always be watching out for the ways God touches our lives. He also told us not to be concerned with the little petty problems of this world, like the rain, since they don't matter in the scheme of things. And he was right - who cares about the rain when I'm SO LUCKY to get to be here at all?The old Mezquita part of the cathedral is amazing as well. I knew there were arches, but I didn't realize there would be so many; it is a veritable forest in there! I can't wait to get the pictures unstuck from my camera's internal memory so I can show you.
After Mass, the rain had mostly subsided, so I made a quick jaunt to some of the city's historical attractions: a Roman temple and bridge and some really old water mills, which were pretty neat. I didn't have a whole lot of time, though, before I had to get on the bus for the long ride home.
Good weekend.
Granada
This weekend, Ashley and I headed off to Granada to see some Muslim-influenced culture firsthand.
We got up SUPER early on Friday morning to take a train to a five-hour bus ride. Since I had just finished my giant research paper the day before, I was pretty tired already. When I got there, though, I wasn't sleepy anymore. Granada is soooo beautiful!
It's right in the midst of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. And when I say "in" the mountains, I mean that the city is literally built on top of the mountains and in some cases built into the rock. Like basically all cities in Spain, Granada is historic and pretty, but it just has something special about it, something extra. Maybe it's the mix of cultures, or maybe it's all the street markets. In any case, I loved it.
Once we managed to find our hostel (the directions were actually right!), we settled in and headed over to our first destination: the Arabic baths. The Arabic bathhouse, or Granada Hammam, is fairly famous, and I think I can see why. It may have been a little pricey, but it was really nice and relaxing. They had various rooms with baths, which were basically like small swimming pools filled with different temperatures of water: ice cold, hot, and medium. The bathhouse itself was quite pretty, as it was based on the original Moorish bathhouses in the city (and we went to an old bathhouse at the Alhambra; it really does look a lot alike). There were columns, tile designs, and lots of candles. The two hour bath also came with a fifteen minute massage and lots of mint tea. Mmmmmm...
After the baths, we went back to our hostel to take a siesta, and then went out for a light dinner. That night's activities included Gypsy hunting. We walked over to the Sacromonte, the barrio where the Gypsies live. (NOTE: I say Gypsies because the Spaniards refer to the Romanians as "gitanos", but they're not nomads or anything, they're just not very popular.) We mostly found a lot of dogs and cats, but we did see some cool houses and flamenco bars built into the cuevas, or caves, and we heard/saw some Gypsies singing to the moon! One man we just heard from a distance, and then we saw some kids singing flamenco and clapping around a small campfire they had built on the sidewalk. The whole experience was a bit surreal.
On Saturday morning, we woke up before dawn to head over to the Alhambra, since we were (mis)informed that the tickets always sell out. The Alhambra is a pain to get to, and a pain to enter, but it is definitely worth it. Not only do you get to see the fabulous palace where the Muslim Nazari rulers of Granada lived for 200 years, you get to see the beautiful gardens of the Generalife, another palace where Carlos V lived, an old bathhouse, a church, and an art museum. It is like a whole little city inside the city. The palace was neat to see, especially after writing so much about those darn musulmanes. The architecture is so distinctive; parts of it almost make me think it inspired Gaudi when he was making his drippy sandcastle buildings. The Alhambra took about four hours to tour completely. Awesome.
For lunch we cooked up some leftover pasta and powdered tomato soup we found on the free shelf of our hostel's kitchen (yay for free food) and then walked over to the Mirador de San Nicolas to see a beautiful panoramic view and see and hear some more flamenco.
After that, though, it was time for me to catch my bus to Cordoba, so I left Ashley to finish up her visit.
We got up SUPER early on Friday morning to take a train to a five-hour bus ride. Since I had just finished my giant research paper the day before, I was pretty tired already. When I got there, though, I wasn't sleepy anymore. Granada is soooo beautiful!
It's right in the midst of the Sierra Nevada mountain range. And when I say "in" the mountains, I mean that the city is literally built on top of the mountains and in some cases built into the rock. Like basically all cities in Spain, Granada is historic and pretty, but it just has something special about it, something extra. Maybe it's the mix of cultures, or maybe it's all the street markets. In any case, I loved it.Once we managed to find our hostel (the directions were actually right!), we settled in and headed over to our first destination: the Arabic baths. The Arabic bathhouse, or Granada Hammam, is fairly famous, and I think I can see why. It may have been a little pricey, but it was really nice and relaxing. They had various rooms with baths, which were basically like small swimming pools filled with different temperatures of water: ice cold, hot, and medium. The bathhouse itself was quite pretty, as it was based on the original Moorish bathhouses in the city (and we went to an old bathhouse at the Alhambra; it really does look a lot alike). There were columns, tile designs, and lots of candles. The two hour bath also came with a fifteen minute massage and lots of mint tea. Mmmmmm...
After the baths, we went back to our hostel to take a siesta, and then went out for a light dinner. That night's activities included Gypsy hunting. We walked over to the Sacromonte, the barrio where the Gypsies live. (NOTE: I say Gypsies because the Spaniards refer to the Romanians as "gitanos", but they're not nomads or anything, they're just not very popular.) We mostly found a lot of dogs and cats, but we did see some cool houses and flamenco bars built into the cuevas, or caves, and we heard/saw some Gypsies singing to the moon! One man we just heard from a distance, and then we saw some kids singing flamenco and clapping around a small campfire they had built on the sidewalk. The whole experience was a bit surreal.
On Saturday morning, we woke up before dawn to head over to the Alhambra, since we were (mis)informed that the tickets always sell out. The Alhambra is a pain to get to, and a pain to enter, but it is definitely worth it. Not only do you get to see the fabulous palace where the Muslim Nazari rulers of Granada lived for 200 years, you get to see the beautiful gardens of the Generalife, another palace where Carlos V lived, an old bathhouse, a church, and an art museum. It is like a whole little city inside the city. The palace was neat to see, especially after writing so much about those darn musulmanes. The architecture is so distinctive; parts of it almost make me think it inspired Gaudi when he was making his drippy sandcastle buildings. The Alhambra took about four hours to tour completely. Awesome.For lunch we cooked up some leftover pasta and powdered tomato soup we found on the free shelf of our hostel's kitchen (yay for free food) and then walked over to the Mirador de San Nicolas to see a beautiful panoramic view and see and hear some more flamenco.
After that, though, it was time for me to catch my bus to Cordoba, so I left Ashley to finish up her visit.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Thanksgiving
Today, my americanas and I made ourselves a Thanksgiving feast. I am quite proud of what we managed to scrounge together. I made turkey-and-stuffing roll-ups in our toaster oven, Ashley made baked sweet potatoes, Morgan made mashed potatoes and gravy, and the rest of the girls pitched in to bring salad, veggies, rolls, and dessert. The only things we didn't manage to find were cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie.And now, my Thankful List:
1. Family. I don't think I've ever missed you guys quite so much. I love you and can't wait to see everyone in a couple of weeks!
2. Friends. I am thankful to have made new friends, and even more cognizant than before of what wonderful friends I have always had.
3. Spain. I am grateful to have had the chance to come here and have adventures. I can't believe how fast it has gone by.
4. The USA. Spain is great and all, but it has made me really thankful to be an American.
5. RyanAir, OU, Mercadona, and hostelworld.com. Without these businesses, I would not have been able to afford this semester.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Our Gay Apparel
Funniest pair of culture shocks today:While walking to choir, I nearly bumped into a man wearing stiletto heels, plaid pajama pants, a leopard print shirt, a fur vest, and sparkly purple eyeshadow. No one else on the street batted an eye at this ensemble.
During rehearsal, we sang Christmas songs from around the world. One of these was Deck the Hall, which, due to its Olde-English lyrics, was a bit difficult for the Spaniards. When we got to "Don we now our gay apparel," what came out was "Don't we know our gay apparel?"
Why, yes you do, Spain. Yes you do. I can only assume what they must think Christmas is like in America...
Monday, November 23, 2009
Mountains
Yesterday, my intercambio partner, Ana, and her husband, Yuogo (I'm not sure about the spelling, as he is Brazilian and his name is Portuguese) took me to the Sierra de Madrid to see the mountains.
Wow.
I love mountains. I love how many mountains Spain has, and I love that they're close enough to go for an afternoon to study and hike.
The river Manzanares that is so pitiful in Madrid is much prettier in the mountains, and the trees were gorgeous. I didn't ever want to leave, but eventually we got too cold to study and headed home. It was a lovely day.
One other interesting thing: in the car ride on the way home, I got to try yerba mate, a South American drink. It's kind of like a tea, but they crush the herbs into a paste and then pour hot water into it. You then drink the resulting liquid through a special filter so that you won't get a mouthful of plants. It was bitter, but good, and it was fun to try something I had to read and write about on one of my practice AP exams. Also, I learned from the AP exam that sharing yerba mate is a sign of goodwill and frienship, so I guess Ana, Yuogo and I are all friends now. :-)
Wow.
I love mountains. I love how many mountains Spain has, and I love that they're close enough to go for an afternoon to study and hike.The river Manzanares that is so pitiful in Madrid is much prettier in the mountains, and the trees were gorgeous. I didn't ever want to leave, but eventually we got too cold to study and headed home. It was a lovely day.
One other interesting thing: in the car ride on the way home, I got to try yerba mate, a South American drink. It's kind of like a tea, but they crush the herbs into a paste and then pour hot water into it. You then drink the resulting liquid through a special filter so that you won't get a mouthful of plants. It was bitter, but good, and it was fun to try something I had to read and write about on one of my practice AP exams. Also, I learned from the AP exam that sharing yerba mate is a sign of goodwill and frienship, so I guess Ana, Yuogo and I are all friends now. :-)
Friday, November 20, 2009
Toledo
Today our Spanish Civilization class took a trip to Toledo, home of mazapan (marzipan) and Spanish steel. When we arrived, we first took in a beautiful view of the city from across the Tajo river. We crossed a Roman bridge into the city, where we began our exciting learning adventure.Now, I really do like history, and I really do like Carlos. But our trip was an awful lot of both. We visited el Monasterio de San Juan de los Reyes, which was quite beautiful, and learned about the different crests of Spain (pre-Reyes Catolicos, post-Reyes Catolicos). Next we headed over to a converted synagogue. This was actually interesting because the Catholics did a really abysmal job of redecorating when they moved in. You can see a clear division between the original synagogue and the new Catholic altar.
From there, we visited the door of la Posada de la Hermandad. Let me show you how enthralling it was to sit and listen to Carlos talk outside the door of la Posada de la Hermandad.
At least Antonio looks happy.
We then had some free time, which my friends and I used to go see the Alcazar. It was pretty sweet, and on the way we went shopping to find mazapan (marzipan) and swords! I didn't try the marzipan, but I did have an interesting discussion about knives with the owner of one of the sword shops.
Weirdest happening of the day: after free time, Antonio was excited about a "treat" he bought for us. It turned out to be Eucharist bread. I did not eat any. I just don't think that it belongs out of church, and it's not exactly a tasty snack. However, it did seem to represent rather well the way the Spaniards feel about religion. Hardly anybody really practices anymore, but it's a strong part of the country's collective memory.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Intercambios
A snippet of life in Spain: today, I met with my intercambio partner so that we could practice our Spanish and English together. On our way to a cafe, she met a friend that she hadn't seen in years. Then, inside the cafe, her friend found one of his friends, whom I had met before at a book club meeting. Delighted to have reunited in such a lucky way, they decided to share a hookah, and we all sat around for hours drinking tea and discussing nature and music.
:-) I like how everyone in Spain gets to know each other a little because they are always outside in the streets walking around and talking. It's fun!
:-) I like how everyone in Spain gets to know each other a little because they are always outside in the streets walking around and talking. It's fun!
Monday, November 16, 2009
Tim's Visit to Spain
This weekend was a blast. Tim came to visit me in Spain, and I had a lot of fun showing him around. Plus, I finally got to see all the stuff in Madrid that I hadn't gotten around to.
The weekend started out on a bad note, as Tim's flight landed late and caused a chain reaction of problems that ended with him spending the night in a bus station and me spending the night worrying about him. When he finally made it to Alcala in the morning, we ate some tortilla (my first time making it by myself!) and took a much-needed nap.
In the afternoon, we explored Alcala. I took him to the botanical gardens, which have gotten a lot prettier since the weather has cooled down. In town, we walked around the historic buildings, ate some kebabs (still probably my favorite food in Spain) and visited la Casa de Cervantes, where we saw some neat old and foreign editions of el Quixote. We also tried Rosquillas de Alcala, a sort of tiny layered donut smothered in orange frosting. Apparently they are only made here, and I've been meaning to try them for weeks. In the evening, we visited the medieval Murallas and the Museo del Toro Bravo, one of my favorite places in town. There, this old man with a mile-long beard has filled a shop floor to ceiling with hundreds of his own colorful paintings.
Friday night, we came home and played Hoteles with my roommates. They are such fun kids. It's a pretty fun game, very much like Monopoly, and I won! Muahahahaha...
Saturday morning we took a train to Madrid and set out to run the gamut of historical sights, all of the various Puertas and Plazas and Iglesias. Some highlights: la Catedral de Almudena, where we climbed up in la cupula for a spectacular view of Madrid; la Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, a HUGE domed church; and el Rio Manzanares, which turns out to be a very sad trickle of water. We also visited el Palacio Real, which is mind-blowing. Much of the palace is decorated in the Rococo style, which means that everything is decorated, opulent, shiny, and overdone. It is also absolutely enormous.
In the evening we walked up to el Templo de Debod, which was pretty neat. How often do you get to see an Egyptian Temple in Spain? (Also, no, the Spanish did not steal it. It was a gift in return for aid.) After walking all across the city, we were pretty tired, so we decided just to have a quiet evening in and get up early the next day.
On Sunday, I was thrilled to return to both la Reina Sofia (in the morning) and el Prado (in the evening), where we spent hours poring over paintings. It was fun to see how much I could remember from art class, and even more fun to see beautiful masterworks in person.
In the afternoon, we headed to el Parque de Buen Retiro, which was decked out in some splendid fall foliage. We took a rowboat out on the lake to enjoy the scenery and watch the park-goers. I even got to row for a while! :-) We also stumbled upon la Rosaleda, a large round rose garden that I had completely missed on previous visits. It seems like every time I go to the park I discover new things to like about it. It's still my favorite place in Madrid.
That night, after some tostas, we headed up to the Nuevos Ministerios station to go our separate ways. It's always a little sad to say goodbye, but it was a great weekend!
The weekend started out on a bad note, as Tim's flight landed late and caused a chain reaction of problems that ended with him spending the night in a bus station and me spending the night worrying about him. When he finally made it to Alcala in the morning, we ate some tortilla (my first time making it by myself!) and took a much-needed nap.
In the afternoon, we explored Alcala. I took him to the botanical gardens, which have gotten a lot prettier since the weather has cooled down. In town, we walked around the historic buildings, ate some kebabs (still probably my favorite food in Spain) and visited la Casa de Cervantes, where we saw some neat old and foreign editions of el Quixote. We also tried Rosquillas de Alcala, a sort of tiny layered donut smothered in orange frosting. Apparently they are only made here, and I've been meaning to try them for weeks. In the evening, we visited the medieval Murallas and the Museo del Toro Bravo, one of my favorite places in town. There, this old man with a mile-long beard has filled a shop floor to ceiling with hundreds of his own colorful paintings.Friday night, we came home and played Hoteles with my roommates. They are such fun kids. It's a pretty fun game, very much like Monopoly, and I won! Muahahahaha...
Saturday morning we took a train to Madrid and set out to run the gamut of historical sights, all of the various Puertas and Plazas and Iglesias. Some highlights: la Catedral de Almudena, where we climbed up in la cupula for a spectacular view of Madrid; la Basilica de San Francisco el Grande, a HUGE domed church; and el Rio Manzanares, which turns out to be a very sad trickle of water. We also visited el Palacio Real, which is mind-blowing. Much of the palace is decorated in the Rococo style, which means that everything is decorated, opulent, shiny, and overdone. It is also absolutely enormous.In the evening we walked up to el Templo de Debod, which was pretty neat. How often do you get to see an Egyptian Temple in Spain? (Also, no, the Spanish did not steal it. It was a gift in return for aid.) After walking all across the city, we were pretty tired, so we decided just to have a quiet evening in and get up early the next day.
On Sunday, I was thrilled to return to both la Reina Sofia (in the morning) and el Prado (in the evening), where we spent hours poring over paintings. It was fun to see how much I could remember from art class, and even more fun to see beautiful masterworks in person.
In the afternoon, we headed to el Parque de Buen Retiro, which was decked out in some splendid fall foliage. We took a rowboat out on the lake to enjoy the scenery and watch the park-goers. I even got to row for a while! :-) We also stumbled upon la Rosaleda, a large round rose garden that I had completely missed on previous visits. It seems like every time I go to the park I discover new things to like about it. It's still my favorite place in Madrid.That night, after some tostas, we headed up to the Nuevos Ministerios station to go our separate ways. It's always a little sad to say goodbye, but it was a great weekend!
Saturday, November 7, 2009
La Ruta de los Castillos
Yesterday, our Civilizacion y Cultura class went to see two Spanish castles. We left at 9:00 am on a bus and set off for Manzanares el Real, a tiny town in the mountains with a large medieval castle. The countryside reminded me of Scotland; it even had heather on the hills!
As we pulled up to the castle, a huge arco iris (rainbow) appeared in the sky and didn't go away until after we left over an hour later. It was magical!
After spending a little time wandering around the outside of the castle, we went inside, where we saw old tapestries, suits of armor, and a giant "king sized" bed. However, it was never a royal castle; only lesser nobility lived there. After a tour of the inside, we climbed up to the roof, where we had a great close-up view of the towers. It was also cool to see the slits used to shoot arrows and the holes that allowed boiling oil to be poured on intruders.
Bidding the rainbow goodbye, we climbed back on the bus and set off for Segovia. When we arrived, we saw the giant Roman Aqueduct, which was built 2000 years ago. The aqueduct was absolutely mind-blowing. This structure is immense, and it is held together entirely by the force of gravity - not an ounce of mortar was used. The stones were leveled and balanced perfectly in an amazing feat of engineering.
After the aqueduct, we split up for lunch. Mark and I went into a pastry shop to grab something to eat, but when we came out everyone else had left. That turned out to be okay, though, as we had a good time wandering around the small city's narrow streets, pretty parks, and old churches. We also saw the Cathedral, which is a bit busy but still very beautiful.
When we met up with everyone in the Plaza Mayor, it was time to head over to the Alcazar (fortified palace). This palace dates from the Reconquista and was home to Ferdinand and Isabel, los Reyes Catolicos. It also served as inspiration for the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty! It was cool to wander around the inside and see the thrones, weapons, armor, and tapestries from the Middle Ages. In the Sala de los Reyes, there were about 50 statues of all the Catholic Kings during the Reconquista up to Juana la Loca, the mother of Carlos V.
However, the best treat was still to come. We climbed the 156 winding steps to the top of the main tower for a fantastic view of Segovia and the surrounding countryside. Up there, we noticed graffiti from 1936, the year of the Spanish Civil War. I kept moving from one side to the other, as all the views were equally beautiful. No one really wanted to go down, but eventually we had to get back on the bus to Alcala. All in all, it was another great trip.
As we pulled up to the castle, a huge arco iris (rainbow) appeared in the sky and didn't go away until after we left over an hour later. It was magical!
After spending a little time wandering around the outside of the castle, we went inside, where we saw old tapestries, suits of armor, and a giant "king sized" bed. However, it was never a royal castle; only lesser nobility lived there. After a tour of the inside, we climbed up to the roof, where we had a great close-up view of the towers. It was also cool to see the slits used to shoot arrows and the holes that allowed boiling oil to be poured on intruders.Bidding the rainbow goodbye, we climbed back on the bus and set off for Segovia. When we arrived, we saw the giant Roman Aqueduct, which was built 2000 years ago. The aqueduct was absolutely mind-blowing. This structure is immense, and it is held together entirely by the force of gravity - not an ounce of mortar was used. The stones were leveled and balanced perfectly in an amazing feat of engineering.
After the aqueduct, we split up for lunch. Mark and I went into a pastry shop to grab something to eat, but when we came out everyone else had left. That turned out to be okay, though, as we had a good time wandering around the small city's narrow streets, pretty parks, and old churches. We also saw the Cathedral, which is a bit busy but still very beautiful.
When we met up with everyone in the Plaza Mayor, it was time to head over to the Alcazar (fortified palace). This palace dates from the Reconquista and was home to Ferdinand and Isabel, los Reyes Catolicos. It also served as inspiration for the castle in Disney's Sleeping Beauty! It was cool to wander around the inside and see the thrones, weapons, armor, and tapestries from the Middle Ages. In the Sala de los Reyes, there were about 50 statues of all the Catholic Kings during the Reconquista up to Juana la Loca, the mother of Carlos V.However, the best treat was still to come. We climbed the 156 winding steps to the top of the main tower for a fantastic view of Segovia and the surrounding countryside. Up there, we noticed graffiti from 1936, the year of the Spanish Civil War. I kept moving from one side to the other, as all the views were equally beautiful. No one really wanted to go down, but eventually we had to get back on the bus to Alcala. All in all, it was another great trip.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
Halloween
Last night I had a small Halloween (here it is pronounced HALLoween) party for my roommates and some friends. They don't really do Halloween here in Spain, so it was fun to show my roommates how we celebrate it.
I bought a calabaza (pumpkin), so we made a Jack-o-lantern and roasted some pumpkin seeds. Mary was so excited - "It's just like a movie!" she said (in Spanish). Then we colored Halloween pictures and Mary made some paper chains for decorations.
We also had fun coming up with costumes. I went as a zebra, Ashley was a cat, Mary and Saray used their scrubs and my face paint to become "zombie nurses," and Juan went as a sunburnt tourist.
When the rest of my friends came over, a full-out dance party broke out. Juan played DJ, and we had a great time dancing and drinking "pocion de calabaza" (orange soda) and "sangre" (sangria).
I bought a calabaza (pumpkin), so we made a Jack-o-lantern and roasted some pumpkin seeds. Mary was so excited - "It's just like a movie!" she said (in Spanish). Then we colored Halloween pictures and Mary made some paper chains for decorations. We also had fun coming up with costumes. I went as a zebra, Ashley was a cat, Mary and Saray used their scrubs and my face paint to become "zombie nurses," and Juan went as a sunburnt tourist.
When the rest of my friends came over, a full-out dance party broke out. Juan played DJ, and we had a great time dancing and drinking "pocion de calabaza" (orange soda) and "sangre" (sangria).
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Cuenca
Yesterday our art history class took a trip to Cuenca, a small mountain town with a neat modern art museum. The museum is inside las Casas Colgadas, some of the world's first "skyscrapers." The buildings are up to 10 or 11 stories tall and built right into the side of a cliff, so that they appear to be hanging (colgada) over the edge. Since it's on a cliff, though, we got to hike up a small mountain to get there.
The museum was very cool, with lots of examples of modern art from various Spanish painters. The guide was really nice, too, and she actually got me to understand some of the art! Amazing, since I usually think that modern art looks like something that happened by accident. There was also an interesting exhibit about the human retina and colored light. Each white room was lit with an intense color. The color is shocking at first, but after a couple of minutes, the walls appear white again, until you go to the next color.
Ashley and I spent our lunch break exploring the town (all two roads) and eating the BIGGEST bocadillos in the world! Mmmmm...
I want to live in Cuenca when I retire. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. Since it was fall, the trees had all turned a beautiful golden color. The town is flanked by a pair of rivers, the buildings are all old and traditionally Spanish, and there's a great view of everything because it's so high up. I love it!
After the break, we toured Cuenca's cathedral, which is decorated in a very eclectic mix of Gotico, Barroco, and Plataresco styles. It was pretty, and the stained glass was phenomenal. After the visit, though, it was time to get back on the bus. Hasta luego, Cuenca! I'll see you when I'm old!
The museum was very cool, with lots of examples of modern art from various Spanish painters. The guide was really nice, too, and she actually got me to understand some of the art! Amazing, since I usually think that modern art looks like something that happened by accident. There was also an interesting exhibit about the human retina and colored light. Each white room was lit with an intense color. The color is shocking at first, but after a couple of minutes, the walls appear white again, until you go to the next color.Ashley and I spent our lunch break exploring the town (all two roads) and eating the BIGGEST bocadillos in the world! Mmmmm...
I want to live in Cuenca when I retire. The scenery is absolutely gorgeous. Since it was fall, the trees had all turned a beautiful golden color. The town is flanked by a pair of rivers, the buildings are all old and traditionally Spanish, and there's a great view of everything because it's so high up. I love it!After the break, we toured Cuenca's cathedral, which is decorated in a very eclectic mix of Gotico, Barroco, and Plataresco styles. It was pretty, and the stained glass was phenomenal. After the visit, though, it was time to get back on the bus. Hasta luego, Cuenca! I'll see you when I'm old!
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Paris, Je T'aime
Okay, I have a lot to say about Paris, but I realize that not everyone will want to read a novel, so here is the Cliff Notes version:
Paris is, in a word, wonderful.
The city is built to impress. When you are there, it becomes obvious that many people through the years have lived there and thought, “I think I’ll build something big and beautiful to show how powerful I am and how great France is.” From the Arc de Triomphe to la Tour Eiffel, the city is full of structures that make you look up and say, “Wow.”
Surprisingly, I think that perhaps my favorite part of Paris was its natural beauty. Its wide avenues are lined with large trees, and the Seine is a beautiful backdrop for the city’s architectural wonders. Paris is also dotted with parks and gardens, which allow for relaxing walks and picnics (and also give a home to the city’s many joggers). Plus, since it was autumn, the trees were all changing colors.
If you want more detail, read here:
On Friday, I arrived early and spent the morning wandering around the city and impatiently waiting for Tim to get there. I visited the Museum of Perfume, which had a large collection of antique perfume bottles and some neat old distillery equipment. Around 4:00 I met Tim at our hotel, the Luna Park Hotel (which was much nicer than I had hoped, and pretty close to all the attractions). It was great to see him after being apart for way too long, but we were both anxious to get out and see the city.
After a quick picnic dinner of bread, ham, and cheese (Brie! How French!), we made it to the Louvre. I had no idea how BIG it is! Wow! When we got there, we spent a bit of time standing outside wondering which one of the giant buildings it was. Turns out it was all of them. Since it was Under-26 night, we got in for free and spent a happy evening wandering around the wonderland of beautiful paintings, sculptures, and ancient artifacts. I had heard from everyone that la Giaconda (Mona Lisa) was tiny and difficult to see, so I was skeptical, but we turned a corner and there it was, plain as day! There wasn’t even much of a crowd, and it was really cool to see such a famous painting. We also saw lots of old tapestries, a room of enormous Assyrian centaurs, and tons of Renaissance paintings and statues. As an added bonus, the museum itself is a work of art. It was once a palace, so every available surface is decorated with murals and carved wood and sweeping stone staircases. We weren’t ready to leave when the museum closed, but we were both beat from traveling, so we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.
In the morning, we woke up early, bought some tasty pastries (Pain au Chocolat? Yes, please!), and headed out for an epically long day of sightseeing. The weather was a bit cold and drizzly, but I kind of think that sort of weather suits Paris. Our first stop was Notre Dame Cathedral, which is every bit as spectacular and gloomy as it looks in the Disney film. We spent a little while admiring the magnificent architecture, then headed over to Saint-Chapelle, which was...
...closed. Not to be discouraged, Tim said “Let’s see what’s down this road,” and off we went, where we were delighted to find Place de Saint Michel, with its large fountain honoring the saint, and l’Eglise de Cluny, a neat old church surrounded by a peaceful garden. Further down the road we found Luxembourg Gardens, which may be my favorite place in Paris. Lovely old statues, well-tended flowers, and tons of beautiful, colorful trees... if there weren’t so much else to see in the city I could have easily spent a whole day there. Outside the gardens, Tim noticed a large dome in the distance and we went to investigate. It turned out to be the Pantheon, an impressive building that houses the tombs of some of France’s great intellectuals: Marie and Pierre Curie, Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, and Alexander Dumas. It was really cool to think about those people really existing.
After lunch, we realized that we had gotten completely side-tracked, and headed back to Saint-Chapelle. This was also a good decision (it turns out you can’t really go wrong with Paris). The Saint-Chapelle is famous for its stained glass windows, which basically illustrate the entire Bible. The glass is incredibly bright, sparkling, and detailed. The upper chapel is so beautiful that the church has installed special benches (not pews) for people to sit and admire the glass.
From there, we strolled down the Seine to the Place de la Concorde, which is the entrance to the Champs d’Elysses, a long stretch of grand stores and more trees. That avenue leads to the Arc de Triomphe, which is even more impressive than it looks in pictures. Napoleon was one powerful guy, and he wanted you to know it. Tim and I climbed up the winding spiral staircase to the top of the Arc, where we took in a breathtaking view of the city.
After coming back down, we took a much-needed break for crepes and a bit of sitting. Paris is exhausting!
We still had some time to kill before we had planned to be at the Eiffel Tower, so we crossed the Seine to check out the Petit et Grand Palais (two glass-topped buildings) and le Hotel des Invalides and le Musee de l’Armee (a cool building surrounded by antique cannons). As the afternoon ended we headed over to the evening’s main attraction: la Tour Eiffel.
It is SO TALL. Unimaginably tall. The kind of tall you can’t capture in a photograph. It’s pretty, too, especially when they light it up for the night. We headed up the stairs just after dark. At the second floor (we didn’t pay the extra 7 Euros to take the elevator to the top) we were presented with a spectacular view and had a good time picking out all the places we had gone that day. I understand now why Paris is called the City of Lights. It was wonderful. Plus, as a bonus treat, there was a light show on the tower with sparkling strobes and colored lights.
After reluctantly coming down, we grabbed some dinner at a Chinese place (I know, how authentic) and walked home via the Moulin Rouge. It was cool to see it in real life, but we didn’t want to go in to see a sleazy and expensive cabaret, so we dragged our tired feet back to Luna Park and went to bed. I haven’t slept that soundly in a long time.
In the morning we slept in a bit, were delighted to find out that we had gained an hour of visiting time due to daylight savings time, and headed out for a little more exploring. We saw the Bastile monument, although the tower is long since demolished, and not even a ruin remains. We went to the little island in the river, Ile Saint-Louis, where we saw a lovely old church. A little French man inside told us about their organ, which they had just finished restoring (in Italian! I still understand Italian!). Then we sampled a bit of Berthillon ice cream, which is unique to that one island. It was delicious, and very, very dense.
Afterward, we checked out the nearby Jardin des Plantes, which turned out to be a lovely park and a good spot for a picnic. Sadly, after lunch it was time to leave. Three days was not enough time to spend in such a wonderful place, and I certainly wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Tim again, but all good things have to end sometime. Au revoir, Paris!
Paris is, in a word, wonderful.
The city is built to impress. When you are there, it becomes obvious that many people through the years have lived there and thought, “I think I’ll build something big and beautiful to show how powerful I am and how great France is.” From the Arc de Triomphe to la Tour Eiffel, the city is full of structures that make you look up and say, “Wow.”
Surprisingly, I think that perhaps my favorite part of Paris was its natural beauty. Its wide avenues are lined with large trees, and the Seine is a beautiful backdrop for the city’s architectural wonders. Paris is also dotted with parks and gardens, which allow for relaxing walks and picnics (and also give a home to the city’s many joggers). Plus, since it was autumn, the trees were all changing colors.
If you want more detail, read here:
On Friday, I arrived early and spent the morning wandering around the city and impatiently waiting for Tim to get there. I visited the Museum of Perfume, which had a large collection of antique perfume bottles and some neat old distillery equipment. Around 4:00 I met Tim at our hotel, the Luna Park Hotel (which was much nicer than I had hoped, and pretty close to all the attractions). It was great to see him after being apart for way too long, but we were both anxious to get out and see the city.
After a quick picnic dinner of bread, ham, and cheese (Brie! How French!), we made it to the Louvre. I had no idea how BIG it is! Wow! When we got there, we spent a bit of time standing outside wondering which one of the giant buildings it was. Turns out it was all of them. Since it was Under-26 night, we got in for free and spent a happy evening wandering around the wonderland of beautiful paintings, sculptures, and ancient artifacts. I had heard from everyone that la Giaconda (Mona Lisa) was tiny and difficult to see, so I was skeptical, but we turned a corner and there it was, plain as day! There wasn’t even much of a crowd, and it was really cool to see such a famous painting. We also saw lots of old tapestries, a room of enormous Assyrian centaurs, and tons of Renaissance paintings and statues. As an added bonus, the museum itself is a work of art. It was once a palace, so every available surface is decorated with murals and carved wood and sweeping stone staircases. We weren’t ready to leave when the museum closed, but we were both beat from traveling, so we headed back to the hotel for a good night’s sleep.In the morning, we woke up early, bought some tasty pastries (Pain au Chocolat? Yes, please!), and headed out for an epically long day of sightseeing. The weather was a bit cold and drizzly, but I kind of think that sort of weather suits Paris. Our first stop was Notre Dame Cathedral, which is every bit as spectacular and gloomy as it looks in the Disney film. We spent a little while admiring the magnificent architecture, then headed over to Saint-Chapelle, which was...
...closed. Not to be discouraged, Tim said “Let’s see what’s down this road,” and off we went, where we were delighted to find Place de Saint Michel, with its large fountain honoring the saint, and l’Eglise de Cluny, a neat old church surrounded by a peaceful garden. Further down the road we found Luxembourg Gardens, which may be my favorite place in Paris. Lovely old statues, well-tended flowers, and tons of beautiful, colorful trees... if there weren’t so much else to see in the city I could have easily spent a whole day there. Outside the gardens, Tim noticed a large dome in the distance and we went to investigate. It turned out to be the Pantheon, an impressive building that houses the tombs of some of France’s great intellectuals: Marie and Pierre Curie, Voltaire, Rousseau, Victor Hugo, and Alexander Dumas. It was really cool to think about those people really existing.After lunch, we realized that we had gotten completely side-tracked, and headed back to Saint-Chapelle. This was also a good decision (it turns out you can’t really go wrong with Paris). The Saint-Chapelle is famous for its stained glass windows, which basically illustrate the entire Bible. The glass is incredibly bright, sparkling, and detailed. The upper chapel is so beautiful that the church has installed special benches (not pews) for people to sit and admire the glass.
From there, we strolled down the Seine to the Place de la Concorde, which is the entrance to the Champs d’Elysses, a long stretch of grand stores and more trees. That avenue leads to the Arc de Triomphe, which is even more impressive than it looks in pictures. Napoleon was one powerful guy, and he wanted you to know it. Tim and I climbed up the winding spiral staircase to the top of the Arc, where we took in a breathtaking view of the city.After coming back down, we took a much-needed break for crepes and a bit of sitting. Paris is exhausting!
We still had some time to kill before we had planned to be at the Eiffel Tower, so we crossed the Seine to check out the Petit et Grand Palais (two glass-topped buildings) and le Hotel des Invalides and le Musee de l’Armee (a cool building surrounded by antique cannons). As the afternoon ended we headed over to the evening’s main attraction: la Tour Eiffel.
It is SO TALL. Unimaginably tall. The kind of tall you can’t capture in a photograph. It’s pretty, too, especially when they light it up for the night. We headed up the stairs just after dark. At the second floor (we didn’t pay the extra 7 Euros to take the elevator to the top) we were presented with a spectacular view and had a good time picking out all the places we had gone that day. I understand now why Paris is called the City of Lights. It was wonderful. Plus, as a bonus treat, there was a light show on the tower with sparkling strobes and colored lights. After reluctantly coming down, we grabbed some dinner at a Chinese place (I know, how authentic) and walked home via the Moulin Rouge. It was cool to see it in real life, but we didn’t want to go in to see a sleazy and expensive cabaret, so we dragged our tired feet back to Luna Park and went to bed. I haven’t slept that soundly in a long time.
In the morning we slept in a bit, were delighted to find out that we had gained an hour of visiting time due to daylight savings time, and headed out for a little more exploring. We saw the Bastile monument, although the tower is long since demolished, and not even a ruin remains. We went to the little island in the river, Ile Saint-Louis, where we saw a lovely old church. A little French man inside told us about their organ, which they had just finished restoring (in Italian! I still understand Italian!). Then we sampled a bit of Berthillon ice cream, which is unique to that one island. It was delicious, and very, very dense.
Afterward, we checked out the nearby Jardin des Plantes, which turned out to be a lovely park and a good spot for a picnic. Sadly, after lunch it was time to leave. Three days was not enough time to spend in such a wonderful place, and I certainly wasn’t ready to say goodbye to Tim again, but all good things have to end sometime. Au revoir, Paris!
Saturday, October 3, 2009
O Valencia!
This weekend was another grand adventure. After having two sets of travel plans with two groups of people fizzle out, I decided to take a trip on my own... to Valencia!
With very little planning, 40 euro and a backpack, I set off for the Mediterranean Coast of Spain. I took a train to Madrid and then caught a bus to Valencia. The bus ride was a lovely one that took us through rolling hills, vineyards, rivers, and mountains. However, it was also four hours long, and I was more than ready to get off the bus by the time we rolled into the city.
Valencia couldn't be more different from Madrid. The first thing I noticed was the humidity; after a month in an extremely dry climate, it was strange to be in such a humid one. You can feel the nearness of the ocean. It's also much more relaxed than the sometimes frenetic capital city. The streets are quieter, there is less trash, and people even talk slower.
After wandering around for a bit, I made my way to my hostel, which turned out to be in an old, converted convent. It was clean and cozy, and I shared a room with two Australian women.
I walked around town a bit more before the sun went down, and saw several beautiful churches and what seemed to be an old castle. For dinner, I looked around until I found a restaurant that didn't look too expensive, and then ordered some Paella Valenciana. Contrary to common belief, paella is not always a seafood dish; the "original" paella (according to the Valencians) is a rice dish with chicken, peppers, green beans, and butter beans. It was delicious.
I turned in early and woke up the next morning just before sunrise, planning to walk to the beach. It turns out it was farther than I thought. I walked through town, then headed down into Valencia's Turia river valley park, which crosses the city lengthwise and goes almost all the way to the sea. I saw the coolest playground EVER - a "giant" plastic sculpture of Gulliver that you can climb on. His shoes and his hair are slides!
After walking all the way through the park, I came out near the City of Arts and Sciences, which is a set of beautiful, modern structures made primarily from glass. I stopped to admire, but it was still closed, so I continued on to the beach.
The Mediterranean is beautiful. I had heard that it was a calm sea, but it really was quite wavey. It's also much, much warmer than the Atlantic. I only waded in a bit because I couldn't stay too long and I didn't want to swim alone anyway, but I did ask a little old Japanese lady to take my picture in the sea. She did so, and when I ran back up to get my camera and say thank you, she replied "I take two!! One of you, and one of running! Like Baywatch!"
After a couple of lovely hours at the beach, I walked back to the City of Arts and Sciences to visit l'Oceanografic, the largest aquarium in Europe. It was spectacular! The outside part reminded me of Sea World, with various zoo exhibits and animal shows. It was neat to see walruses that understood Spanish!
Belowground, there were a series of gigantic tanks and even more gigantic plexiglass tunnels that formed a labyrinth of undersea life. The tubes were the best part, because you could see the fish swimming around you from all directions. I especially liked the sharks. There was also a plexiglass "bubble" you could sit in that demonstrated the strength of an ocean wave. It looks a lot different from under the water. Those fish really get shaken up!
Outside the aquarium, I tried Orxata, the traditional Valencian drink. It tastes like a very thin, sweet milk, but I was not a huge fan. It made my throat feel itchy and weird. But hey, it was worth a try.
I definitely could have stayed in Valencia for a few more days, but it was time to catch the bus back to Madrid. Adios, Valencia!
With very little planning, 40 euro and a backpack, I set off for the Mediterranean Coast of Spain. I took a train to Madrid and then caught a bus to Valencia. The bus ride was a lovely one that took us through rolling hills, vineyards, rivers, and mountains. However, it was also four hours long, and I was more than ready to get off the bus by the time we rolled into the city.
Valencia couldn't be more different from Madrid. The first thing I noticed was the humidity; after a month in an extremely dry climate, it was strange to be in such a humid one. You can feel the nearness of the ocean. It's also much more relaxed than the sometimes frenetic capital city. The streets are quieter, there is less trash, and people even talk slower.
After wandering around for a bit, I made my way to my hostel, which turned out to be in an old, converted convent. It was clean and cozy, and I shared a room with two Australian women.
I walked around town a bit more before the sun went down, and saw several beautiful churches and what seemed to be an old castle. For dinner, I looked around until I found a restaurant that didn't look too expensive, and then ordered some Paella Valenciana. Contrary to common belief, paella is not always a seafood dish; the "original" paella (according to the Valencians) is a rice dish with chicken, peppers, green beans, and butter beans. It was delicious.
I turned in early and woke up the next morning just before sunrise, planning to walk to the beach. It turns out it was farther than I thought. I walked through town, then headed down into Valencia's Turia river valley park, which crosses the city lengthwise and goes almost all the way to the sea. I saw the coolest playground EVER - a "giant" plastic sculpture of Gulliver that you can climb on. His shoes and his hair are slides!
After walking all the way through the park, I came out near the City of Arts and Sciences, which is a set of beautiful, modern structures made primarily from glass. I stopped to admire, but it was still closed, so I continued on to the beach.
The Mediterranean is beautiful. I had heard that it was a calm sea, but it really was quite wavey. It's also much, much warmer than the Atlantic. I only waded in a bit because I couldn't stay too long and I didn't want to swim alone anyway, but I did ask a little old Japanese lady to take my picture in the sea. She did so, and when I ran back up to get my camera and say thank you, she replied "I take two!! One of you, and one of running! Like Baywatch!"After a couple of lovely hours at the beach, I walked back to the City of Arts and Sciences to visit l'Oceanografic, the largest aquarium in Europe. It was spectacular! The outside part reminded me of Sea World, with various zoo exhibits and animal shows. It was neat to see walruses that understood Spanish!
Belowground, there were a series of gigantic tanks and even more gigantic plexiglass tunnels that formed a labyrinth of undersea life. The tubes were the best part, because you could see the fish swimming around you from all directions. I especially liked the sharks. There was also a plexiglass "bubble" you could sit in that demonstrated the strength of an ocean wave. It looks a lot different from under the water. Those fish really get shaken up!Outside the aquarium, I tried Orxata, the traditional Valencian drink. It tastes like a very thin, sweet milk, but I was not a huge fan. It made my throat feel itchy and weird. But hey, it was worth a try.
I definitely could have stayed in Valencia for a few more days, but it was time to catch the bus back to Madrid. Adios, Valencia!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
White Night
Last night a bunch of us international students went to La Noche en Blanco, or White Night, in Madrid. Basically, everyone stays up all night long and there are many free cultural events throughout the city. There were street musicians wherever we went that ranged from harpists to jazz bands to a guy with a huge set of water glasses playing Beethoven.
We also went into what we thought was going to be a tour of the Royal Palace but turned out to be a tour of the Royal Kitchens (yes, really). It was still neat, though, to see where everything happens behind the scenes. We saw an entire pig being dried on one wall, and there was a whole room full of cheese. I was also picked by one of the chefs to take a cheese on a walk with a sausage leash while he made barking noises. I guess if you're down underground cooking all day, you're bound to become a little strange.
Last, we walked down Gran Via, one of Madrid's largest streets, which had been converted into el Camino de Luz for the night. The city blocked off the street, so it was full of people instead of cars, and then shut off the normal building lights, replacing them with colorful projection lights. It was like walking through a movie set.
Saturday, September 19, 2009
Guadalajara
I'm fairly sure that yesterday was the strangest day of my life. It was certainly the strangest day I've had in Spain.
On a whim, I decided to go to Guadalajara, a nearby town (and the namesake of Guadalajara, Mexico). No one else wanted to go with me, so I walked to the train station and took a twenty-minute train ride over to the town. Unfortunately, as soon as I got off, I realized that I was nowhere near the main part of the city. So, after wandering around for a while, some nice people told me I needed to get on the number two bus, so I found a bus stop and got on.
Here's where the adventure begins.
I asked a little old couple next to me where I should get off if I wanted to see the main part of town. "Oh!" they said (in Spanish), "We're going there too! You can just get off with us." This sounded fine to me, so I did. I didn't realize that I had just signed up to spend the entire day with them.
When we got off the bus, the little old lady (whose name is Victoria) asked me to carry her suitcase. Figuring it was the least I could do after they showed me where to go, I carried it for her for a few blocks. Getting suspicious, I asked where we were going. "To lunch!" they said, "You must go to lunch with us!" It was 15:00 (oh, Spain) and I hadn't eaten yet, so I followed them to a restaurant where I ate a delicious tortilla sandwich. They insisted quite adamantly that I was not allowed to pay for lunch, and also bid me to order dessert (I may not have been too hard to convince) and share a glass of white wine with them, since they had ordered a whole bottle. “We Spaniards are very generous,” explained Victoria. “Besides, we each have two pensions.” I learned that this couple was just dating; they were both married once but were now widowers.
After lunch, they informed me that we were going to a bull fight (yes, we). Apparently, I had lucked out and come to Guadalajara on the day of their biggest annual festival. There were bands playing music in the streets (including Be My Girl, which is apparently a worldwide pep band phenomenon) and colorful decorations everywhere, but the main attraction was the bull fight. I honestly didn’t know if I even wanted to see a bull fight, but Victoria handed me the suitcase again and away we went.
The bull fight was not as bad as I thought it would be, and parts of it were actually quite beautiful. Yes, the killing of the bulls was gruesome, but truthfully not that much worse than what I imagine they go through in the meat industry, and at least here they have a good life before the fight. The horses were absolutely gorgeous, too, and they seemed to do a kind of dance with the bulls. The matadors were dramatic and over-the-top. But I think the most interesting part was watching the audience. The Spaniards (and there were almost no tourists present) loved it! They were cheering, clapping, and singing along with the wonderful band. It really is a tradition and a favorite spectacle for them.
After the bull fight, I told my kidnappers/hosts/Spanish grandparents that I really did have to go so that I would make it to the train on time. They insisted on walking me there and hugged me goodbye. Victoria told me I reminded her of her daughter. It was kind of odd, but sweet in a way.
So, all in all, it was a most interesting day. It wasn't at all like I had expected, and I'll have to go back to Guadalajara if I want to see the churches and castles I had originally intended to see, but I had a lot of fun! Every day is a surprise here.
On a whim, I decided to go to Guadalajara, a nearby town (and the namesake of Guadalajara, Mexico). No one else wanted to go with me, so I walked to the train station and took a twenty-minute train ride over to the town. Unfortunately, as soon as I got off, I realized that I was nowhere near the main part of the city. So, after wandering around for a while, some nice people told me I needed to get on the number two bus, so I found a bus stop and got on.
Here's where the adventure begins.
I asked a little old couple next to me where I should get off if I wanted to see the main part of town. "Oh!" they said (in Spanish), "We're going there too! You can just get off with us." This sounded fine to me, so I did. I didn't realize that I had just signed up to spend the entire day with them.
When we got off the bus, the little old lady (whose name is Victoria) asked me to carry her suitcase. Figuring it was the least I could do after they showed me where to go, I carried it for her for a few blocks. Getting suspicious, I asked where we were going. "To lunch!" they said, "You must go to lunch with us!" It was 15:00 (oh, Spain) and I hadn't eaten yet, so I followed them to a restaurant where I ate a delicious tortilla sandwich. They insisted quite adamantly that I was not allowed to pay for lunch, and also bid me to order dessert (I may not have been too hard to convince) and share a glass of white wine with them, since they had ordered a whole bottle. “We Spaniards are very generous,” explained Victoria. “Besides, we each have two pensions.” I learned that this couple was just dating; they were both married once but were now widowers.After lunch, they informed me that we were going to a bull fight (yes, we). Apparently, I had lucked out and come to Guadalajara on the day of their biggest annual festival. There were bands playing music in the streets (including Be My Girl, which is apparently a worldwide pep band phenomenon) and colorful decorations everywhere, but the main attraction was the bull fight. I honestly didn’t know if I even wanted to see a bull fight, but Victoria handed me the suitcase again and away we went.
The bull fight was not as bad as I thought it would be, and parts of it were actually quite beautiful. Yes, the killing of the bulls was gruesome, but truthfully not that much worse than what I imagine they go through in the meat industry, and at least here they have a good life before the fight. The horses were absolutely gorgeous, too, and they seemed to do a kind of dance with the bulls. The matadors were dramatic and over-the-top. But I think the most interesting part was watching the audience. The Spaniards (and there were almost no tourists present) loved it! They were cheering, clapping, and singing along with the wonderful band. It really is a tradition and a favorite spectacle for them.After the bull fight, I told my kidnappers/hosts/Spanish grandparents that I really did have to go so that I would make it to the train on time. They insisted on walking me there and hugged me goodbye. Victoria told me I reminded her of her daughter. It was kind of odd, but sweet in a way.
So, all in all, it was a most interesting day. It wasn't at all like I had expected, and I'll have to go back to Guadalajara if I want to see the churches and castles I had originally intended to see, but I had a lot of fun! Every day is a surprise here.
Monday, September 14, 2009
Gardens and Cathedrals
The rest of my weekend was a little slower than the first half, but just as enjoyable. On Saturday I went to the botanical gardens across the street to walk around and read a book. It wasn't like botanical gardens in America; there was only one of most types of plants, and there weren't many flowers, just lots of bushes. However, it was still pretty in its own way, and very peaceful. I was there for 3 hours before I saw another human being. Plus, there was a raised platform that offered a great view of the mountains.
Sunday morning, I went to mass with my friend Joseph in Madrid's cathedral. It was strange hearing the service in Spanish, especially since there was no printed version of any of the hymns or readings. The whole mass was lovely, though, especially with the spectacular backdrop of the Gothic arches and stained glass windows. 
After mass, Joseph and I grabbed a bite to eat at a cafe (goat cheese and tomatoes on toast, mmmmmmmm) and walked around the city for a bit. We checked out el Parque de Retiro, Madrid's giant public park (it's bigger than Central Park). I LOVE it there! The lake, the trees, the architecture; everything was beautiful. It also had a nice, relaxed atmosphere. There were people sleeping and picnicking in the grass, children playing futbol, and several groups of musicians giving free performances. All in all, it was a great day.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Classes, Madrid, and a Barbecue
Well, the first week of classes is over, and I think they are going well. After a brief freak-out because one of the classes I needed was cancelled, I found out that I can retake a class I took last semester for a different credit (weird, I know, but they seem to be fairly different so far). So my final schedule is now:
Spanish Civilization and Culture
Latin American Civ. and Culture
Latin American Literature
Grand Masters of Spanish Painting
The literature class looks to be very interesting because there's a strong focus on women writers, of whom I have seen nothing in previous literature classes. I know I'm going to love the art class. However, there is one weird glitch in my schedule - I now have the same professor for three out of four classes. As he said, "You're going to hate me!" Oh well, que sera, sera.
Yesterday, three of my friends (Morgan, Sky, and Christina) and I went to Madrid to explore a different part of the city. After a ride on the train, we walked up America Avenue to Main Street, taking in the sights.
We stumbled upon the Reina Sofia art museum when we saw some big glass elevators and decided to investigate to see if we could take a ride in one. Turns out, we could, and the museum was great! We saw original works by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Francisco de la Goya (my personal favorite). We didn't have nearly enough time to see everything, but admission is free for students, so I expect we'll be back.
After the museum, we browsed through various shops and sampled Spanish foods. I tried a small chocolate mousse pastry at a Pasteleria, and we shared a Tortilla Española, the famous Spanish omelet full of potatoes. Both were beyond delicious. All in all, it was a great trip, but we had to head back at sunset because we had been invited to a barbacoa, a Spanish barbecue.
A few guys who live in our apartment complex were having a barbecue on their patio. They dragged all their sofas and chairs outside and grilled up some Spanish bacon (which is nothing like American bacon, to my dismay) and some Pincho Moruno, which was possibly the best thing I've tried in Spain so far. It's basically small chunks of pork rolled in spices and grilled on skewers. Mmmmmm....
...This country is going to make me fat. Oh well.
After dinner, the guys turned on some music and the barbecue turned into a dance party. The whole fiesta was great fun, and I made some new friends, including Maryana, a Russian girl studying Spanish to become a translator. She and I got to talking, and I hope we can meet up more in the future, because she seems really sweet.
Well, Adios!
Spanish Civilization and Culture
Latin American Civ. and Culture
Latin American Literature
Grand Masters of Spanish Painting
The literature class looks to be very interesting because there's a strong focus on women writers, of whom I have seen nothing in previous literature classes. I know I'm going to love the art class. However, there is one weird glitch in my schedule - I now have the same professor for three out of four classes. As he said, "You're going to hate me!" Oh well, que sera, sera.
Yesterday, three of my friends (Morgan, Sky, and Christina) and I went to Madrid to explore a different part of the city. After a ride on the train, we walked up America Avenue to Main Street, taking in the sights.
We stumbled upon the Reina Sofia art museum when we saw some big glass elevators and decided to investigate to see if we could take a ride in one. Turns out, we could, and the museum was great! We saw original works by Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso, and Francisco de la Goya (my personal favorite). We didn't have nearly enough time to see everything, but admission is free for students, so I expect we'll be back.
After the museum, we browsed through various shops and sampled Spanish foods. I tried a small chocolate mousse pastry at a Pasteleria, and we shared a Tortilla Española, the famous Spanish omelet full of potatoes. Both were beyond delicious. All in all, it was a great trip, but we had to head back at sunset because we had been invited to a barbacoa, a Spanish barbecue.A few guys who live in our apartment complex were having a barbecue on their patio. They dragged all their sofas and chairs outside and grilled up some Spanish bacon (which is nothing like American bacon, to my dismay) and some Pincho Moruno, which was possibly the best thing I've tried in Spain so far. It's basically small chunks of pork rolled in spices and grilled on skewers. Mmmmmm....
...This country is going to make me fat. Oh well.
After dinner, the guys turned on some music and the barbecue turned into a dance party. The whole fiesta was great fun, and I made some new friends, including Maryana, a Russian girl studying Spanish to become a translator. She and I got to talking, and I hope we can meet up more in the future, because she seems really sweet.
Well, Adios!
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Orientation and the First Weekend
Well, the bus system isn't nearly as difficult as I feared. Sometimes the lines are a little bit confusing, but once you're on the bus it's fine, and most of the bus drivers and passengers are happy to answer questions and explain if you ask them in Spanish.
After wandering around to various academic buildings, Ashley and I managed to find the IUIEN (now called Instituto Franklin) building and our orientation session. Orientation was really helpful in explaining how things work around here, the placement exam was pretty easy, and I was able to sign up for all the classes I need.
On Thursday afternoon, we took a tour of Alcala, which turns out to be a very pretty city (although much larger than I thought - about 200,000 people live there!). Cervantes is everywhere in the city - I have already seen two or three statues of el Quijote, and there's a big one of Cervantes himself in the middle of the main plaza (aptly named la Plaza de Cervantes). The Alcainos have also preserved the house where Cervantes was born and the church where he was baptized. For lunch, we went to a bar and ordered sodas that came with tapas (small portions of food). My delicious lemon soda came with a bowl of sausage and potatoes and a piece of bread - all for only 2 euros!
On Friday, we had more orientation sessions and then took a trip to Madrid! I had never been on any train except the zoo train before, so I was pretty excited to ride on one. I like train travel - it is nice and smooth. In Madrid, Carlos (our tour guide and also the professor of two of my classes) led us around the city showing us the sights. The architecture in Madrid is absolutely beautiful. The old part of the city is mainly from the 13th century, and the new part is ultra-modern and chic. The main plaza, la Plaza del Sol, is shaped like a sun with streets shooting out of it in all direction like rays. I can't wait to go back and explore more of the city.
On Friday night, Alcala held a huge party in honor of "Los mayores" (the old people). There was live music and dancing in the Plaza, and the whole town was out eating, drinking, and strolling.
Yesterday was pretty quiet during the day. Ashley and I went to el Corte Ingles, the Spanish equivalent of Wal-Mart, and bought some stuff for our dorm. Then, at night, I went out with a big group of new friends (Americans and Spaniards) and walked around to various discotecas (including one that played the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears!). I am actually sore from dancing so much.
Things I have learned:
1. In Spain, a kebab is not something that is eaten on a stick. Kebab is actually the Turkish word for grilled meat. This meat is usually cooked on a rotating spit and then shaved off and served on pita bread. My Spanish roommates were really confused when I told them that in the US, a kebab is skewered on a small stick. Also, kebab sandwiches are really, really delicious.
2. The Spanish really do like to stay up late, including old people and little kids.
3. Many Spanish women carry fans to stay cool in the hot sun. I bought one and I plan to use it even after I come back to the US (Texas is hot, too!).
After wandering around to various academic buildings, Ashley and I managed to find the IUIEN (now called Instituto Franklin) building and our orientation session. Orientation was really helpful in explaining how things work around here, the placement exam was pretty easy, and I was able to sign up for all the classes I need.
On Thursday afternoon, we took a tour of Alcala, which turns out to be a very pretty city (although much larger than I thought - about 200,000 people live there!). Cervantes is everywhere in the city - I have already seen two or three statues of el Quijote, and there's a big one of Cervantes himself in the middle of the main plaza (aptly named la Plaza de Cervantes). The Alcainos have also preserved the house where Cervantes was born and the church where he was baptized. For lunch, we went to a bar and ordered sodas that came with tapas (small portions of food). My delicious lemon soda came with a bowl of sausage and potatoes and a piece of bread - all for only 2 euros!
On Friday, we had more orientation sessions and then took a trip to Madrid! I had never been on any train except the zoo train before, so I was pretty excited to ride on one. I like train travel - it is nice and smooth. In Madrid, Carlos (our tour guide and also the professor of two of my classes) led us around the city showing us the sights. The architecture in Madrid is absolutely beautiful. The old part of the city is mainly from the 13th century, and the new part is ultra-modern and chic. The main plaza, la Plaza del Sol, is shaped like a sun with streets shooting out of it in all direction like rays. I can't wait to go back and explore more of the city.
On Friday night, Alcala held a huge party in honor of "Los mayores" (the old people). There was live music and dancing in the Plaza, and the whole town was out eating, drinking, and strolling.
Yesterday was pretty quiet during the day. Ashley and I went to el Corte Ingles, the Spanish equivalent of Wal-Mart, and bought some stuff for our dorm. Then, at night, I went out with a big group of new friends (Americans and Spaniards) and walked around to various discotecas (including one that played the Backstreet Boys and Britney Spears!). I am actually sore from dancing so much.
Things I have learned:
1. In Spain, a kebab is not something that is eaten on a stick. Kebab is actually the Turkish word for grilled meat. This meat is usually cooked on a rotating spit and then shaved off and served on pita bread. My Spanish roommates were really confused when I told them that in the US, a kebab is skewered on a small stick. Also, kebab sandwiches are really, really delicious.
2. The Spanish really do like to stay up late, including old people and little kids.
3. Many Spanish women carry fans to stay cool in the hot sun. I bought one and I plan to use it even after I come back to the US (Texas is hot, too!).
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
First Day in Spain
Hola!
Well, I'm here, and my first day in Spain was certainly an interesting one.
My plane ride was mostly uneventful, but I did meet a few other kids who were headed to Spain to study abroad. The guy I sat next to, Mark, was even studying at the same university as me! We spent much of the plane ride talking about our upcoming experiences. I didn't get to sleep at all, but the airline food was actually pretty good - pasta spinach alfredo.
When I got off the plane, I sat around in the airport for a few hours and then took a bus to my dorm. The dorm rooms are all right, and I was assigned a room with another girl from OU, Ashley, who I met this morning.
After moving in, Ashley and I went grocery shopping, where we were alarmed to discover that you can buy unrefrigerated eggs.
This afternoon I watched The Lion King (el Rey Leon) with some of the other kids who live in my dorm, Cristian, Mary, and Juan (all Spaniards). They seem really friendly, and they all did the face-kissing thing (which I learned is called a "bisou-bisou" for the French word for kiss).
All in all, I think things are off to a pretty decent start. Orientation is tomorrow, which means that I also need to learn to use the bus system tomorrow.
Facts I learned today:
1. Jamon Serrano is not actually ham; it tastes more like cured bacon.
2. Everyone in Spain smokes. Everyone. All of the time. They smoke in the airport, they smoke in the grocery store, they smoke in the common room of my dorm. If I ever get lung cancer, I am blaming the Spaniards.
3. Lemon soda with no bubbles is absolutely delicious.
Con un "bisou-bisou",
Katie
Well, I'm here, and my first day in Spain was certainly an interesting one.
My plane ride was mostly uneventful, but I did meet a few other kids who were headed to Spain to study abroad. The guy I sat next to, Mark, was even studying at the same university as me! We spent much of the plane ride talking about our upcoming experiences. I didn't get to sleep at all, but the airline food was actually pretty good - pasta spinach alfredo.
When I got off the plane, I sat around in the airport for a few hours and then took a bus to my dorm. The dorm rooms are all right, and I was assigned a room with another girl from OU, Ashley, who I met this morning.
After moving in, Ashley and I went grocery shopping, where we were alarmed to discover that you can buy unrefrigerated eggs.
This afternoon I watched The Lion King (el Rey Leon) with some of the other kids who live in my dorm, Cristian, Mary, and Juan (all Spaniards). They seem really friendly, and they all did the face-kissing thing (which I learned is called a "bisou-bisou" for the French word for kiss).
All in all, I think things are off to a pretty decent start. Orientation is tomorrow, which means that I also need to learn to use the bus system tomorrow.
Facts I learned today:
1. Jamon Serrano is not actually ham; it tastes more like cured bacon.
2. Everyone in Spain smokes. Everyone. All of the time. They smoke in the airport, they smoke in the grocery store, they smoke in the common room of my dorm. If I ever get lung cancer, I am blaming the Spaniards.
3. Lemon soda with no bubbles is absolutely delicious.
Con un "bisou-bisou",
Katie
Friday, August 28, 2009
T minus four days and counting!
There's only a few more days until I leave for Spain! I'm more than a little nervous, but I'm also just as excited. I'm already almost packed, and I just have a few more details to work out before I leave.
I am really going to miss all you people back home, so I have set up this blog to help us stay in touch. I'll post every few days about my adventures (I'll try to keep it short and sweet) and I'll add some pictures so you guys can see what I'm up to.
Four more days! Yikes!
I am really going to miss all you people back home, so I have set up this blog to help us stay in touch. I'll post every few days about my adventures (I'll try to keep it short and sweet) and I'll add some pictures so you guys can see what I'm up to.
Four more days! Yikes!
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