Thursday, July 16, 2009
It was fun, Spain. See you soon!
Well I've been abroad for 6 months and I'm headed back to the USA tomorrow. The past week and a half of Sanfermines was too crazy to describe in a blog post but I'll be sure to tell you all about it the next time I see you in person!
Thursday, June 25, 2009
First Time EVER On a Horse
Today I finally got up the nerve to ride one Irene's family's horses. It was scary and exhilarating all at the same time. I learned how to walk and trot, but we're saving gallop for another day. Most of the time he had the horse connected to a lead but then he let it go and even taught me how to use the reigns, very exciting! I'll say I'm going to be very sore tomorrow.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Barcelonaaaa
Barcelona was a beautiful city on the beach and I had a really great time!
We left Monday but first went to the Aerodrome in Santa Cilia to watch Nieves and Jusep (who we stayed with in Barcelona) fly their motor-free planes (scary stuff) and then ate a nice lunch before heading to Barcelona. It was about a 4 hour car ride and we arrived at night, ate some embutidos which are sausages and pepperoni type foods and cheese and then went to bed to get an early start.
Our first day in Barcelona we saw almost everything on our bus tour. There were three different routes and we were determined to see them all and we did! We were lucky to get a very sunny and hot day out, but with a nice breeze so the bus ride was enjoyable. It was a hop-on hop-off type deal so we decided to explore Parc Guell, one of Gaudi's many works of art in the city. He has a very whimsical architecture, using lots of colorful tiles and curvy lines.
Then before going back to the apartment we took a stroll down La Rambla, a street filled with lots of strange sites and people, which apparently turns pretty sketchy at night. After starting the bus tour at 10 AM and finishing at 8 PM we were wiped out. We ate more embutidos and cheese in the house with pan tumaca (bread with tomato and olive oil).
The next day we walked around the Gothic quarter and then after lunch we went to the beach. We couldn't enter the Cathedral because I was wearing shorts, but we just wandered around all the small streets and went in a few cool shops. The beach was perfect, not too hot with a nice breeze. Later I took a dip in the Mediterranean, which wasn't warm, but definitely warmer than Maine water in the summer. Anne-Sophie's friend Chancy from AFS staying in Barcelona (who also happens to be from Maine and met Irene at Sunday River) came to the beach to join us.
We then went to Maremagnum which is this mall-type area in the port that has waterfront tapas. Mercedes had her glass of wine and we enjoyed some tapas on the water. It was really a beautiful and cool area. We wanted ben and jerry's but they closed right before we got there so we had to downgrade to McDonald's ice cream. Mercedes' friend Judit showed up who's father owns a bunch of hotels and drives a convertible two-seater Mercedes. When Chancy found out that was the car she was giving him a ride home in he was SO excited, it was priceless and we got some good pictures with the car. The next day we saw a Maserati in the parking garage and he was equally as excited.
The next morning we went to have our VIP breakfast in the hotel Prestige where Judit lives, it was on one of the hippest and most central streets in Barcelona. They had a nice spread of fruits and breads and cheeses. Then we went to the Pueblo Espanol which is a representation of all the different types of architecture you find all over Spain and has replication of actual houses and buildings from different towns. Then we dropped Chancy off at the beach and went to eat lunch at a little neighborhood restuarant that Nieves and Jusep always eat at, I got gazpacho (a cold tomato soup) and salmon. That night we ate in a beautiful restaurant on the water in the port and all ordered Fideua, a specialty in Barcelona which is a noodle and seafood dish which was delicious!
We ate breakfast the next day at the Prestige again and then we went to our last stop the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's imensely impressive church that is still being constructed. It was a bit of a rip-off to go in for 10 euro and because of the construction you couldn't really see and then had to pay 2.50 to go up in the elevator, which I also assumed would be a rip off, and that gave me half a heart attack because we were up so high. Really the most impressive parts are the two facades.
Overall I though Barcelona was a very interesting city with architecture that is just incredible. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back some day. The only problem is they speak Catalan, not Castellano (Spanish) but it's pretty easy to understand and you can get around in Spanish just fine.
We left Monday but first went to the Aerodrome in Santa Cilia to watch Nieves and Jusep (who we stayed with in Barcelona) fly their motor-free planes (scary stuff) and then ate a nice lunch before heading to Barcelona. It was about a 4 hour car ride and we arrived at night, ate some embutidos which are sausages and pepperoni type foods and cheese and then went to bed to get an early start.
Our first day in Barcelona we saw almost everything on our bus tour. There were three different routes and we were determined to see them all and we did! We were lucky to get a very sunny and hot day out, but with a nice breeze so the bus ride was enjoyable. It was a hop-on hop-off type deal so we decided to explore Parc Guell, one of Gaudi's many works of art in the city. He has a very whimsical architecture, using lots of colorful tiles and curvy lines.
Then before going back to the apartment we took a stroll down La Rambla, a street filled with lots of strange sites and people, which apparently turns pretty sketchy at night. After starting the bus tour at 10 AM and finishing at 8 PM we were wiped out. We ate more embutidos and cheese in the house with pan tumaca (bread with tomato and olive oil).
The next day we walked around the Gothic quarter and then after lunch we went to the beach. We couldn't enter the Cathedral because I was wearing shorts, but we just wandered around all the small streets and went in a few cool shops. The beach was perfect, not too hot with a nice breeze. Later I took a dip in the Mediterranean, which wasn't warm, but definitely warmer than Maine water in the summer. Anne-Sophie's friend Chancy from AFS staying in Barcelona (who also happens to be from Maine and met Irene at Sunday River) came to the beach to join us.
We then went to Maremagnum which is this mall-type area in the port that has waterfront tapas. Mercedes had her glass of wine and we enjoyed some tapas on the water. It was really a beautiful and cool area. We wanted ben and jerry's but they closed right before we got there so we had to downgrade to McDonald's ice cream. Mercedes' friend Judit showed up who's father owns a bunch of hotels and drives a convertible two-seater Mercedes. When Chancy found out that was the car she was giving him a ride home in he was SO excited, it was priceless and we got some good pictures with the car. The next day we saw a Maserati in the parking garage and he was equally as excited.
The next morning we went to have our VIP breakfast in the hotel Prestige where Judit lives, it was on one of the hippest and most central streets in Barcelona. They had a nice spread of fruits and breads and cheeses. Then we went to the Pueblo Espanol which is a representation of all the different types of architecture you find all over Spain and has replication of actual houses and buildings from different towns. Then we dropped Chancy off at the beach and went to eat lunch at a little neighborhood restuarant that Nieves and Jusep always eat at, I got gazpacho (a cold tomato soup) and salmon. That night we ate in a beautiful restaurant on the water in the port and all ordered Fideua, a specialty in Barcelona which is a noodle and seafood dish which was delicious!
We ate breakfast the next day at the Prestige again and then we went to our last stop the Sagrada Familia, Gaudi's imensely impressive church that is still being constructed. It was a bit of a rip-off to go in for 10 euro and because of the construction you couldn't really see and then had to pay 2.50 to go up in the elevator, which I also assumed would be a rip off, and that gave me half a heart attack because we were up so high. Really the most impressive parts are the two facades.
Overall I though Barcelona was a very interesting city with architecture that is just incredible. I'm definitely looking forward to coming back some day. The only problem is they speak Catalan, not Castellano (Spanish) but it's pretty easy to understand and you can get around in Spanish just fine.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
It's been a while... here in Pamplona!
I've been pretty neglectful of the blog for a while so I thought I'd do an update. Last week was exam week which was pretty stressful since I was pretty much out of order due to food poisoning (my own diagnosis and own fault) for most of Saturday and Sunday. I think I did okay on my finals, I think it was my Cuba paper that suffered the most, but I guess I have to wait and see. It was weird to say goodbye to everyone when I didn't really feel like I was leaving, I had a big dinner with all my friends Thursday night at a Mexican restaurant which was delicious and a really great time.
I left Friday morning to catch the 8 oclock bus but I wasn't thinking about the holiday (something with San Isidro, Madrid's patron saint) and that everyone had a long weekend, so that bus was full and I was lucky to get a ticket for the 10 AM one. But after a little bit of a wait and then a 5 hour bus ride, I arrived and went upstairs to wait for Irene but she was running all around the bus station looking for me. I had a sandwich with them and we headed out and went to Irene's English classes that she gives. They are in an English teacher named Maria's house and students come at certain times based on age. There was a group of 3 eight year old (I think) boys who we played boggle and hangman with. Irene beat me in boggle by three words... pretty sad. After we took the bus to the center of town and walked around for a while. It's a really pretty city, not too big but still has lots of shopping.
After I had the exciting task of sitting in the back of the car as Irene had driving lessons. In Pamplona it is much more difficult because they have to learn on a standard and in a city. Anyways it was quite a nerve-wracking experience, she wasn't that bad, it's just her stops were a little abrupt. Afterwards we met up with her mom and her mom's friend and cousin in a bar near the plaza. I said goodbye to Irene for the weekend so she could go stay at her grandmother's house and study for a big Chem exam on Monday.
I got the feeling the bar was kind of "their place" because they knew everyone that worked there. We went to the terrace which was a covered outdoor seating place and sat with an older gentleman whose sons I think own the place (I'm not exactly sure but that's what I got out of the conversation). We ordered ham, a Spanish specialty, and some sort of variety of chicken fingers. They then proceeded to all fight over the check and the older man ended up paying for all the wine and tapas. I was so ready for bed after a week of exams and a day full of bus riding and going around Pamplona. They have a pretty long car ride home because they actually live in a small town about 35 minutes outside the city. But it is very peaceful, with a river flowing by and they even have two horses.
The next day the weather was beautiful. I sat out in the sun for a while reading a book in Spanish about Hemingway's experience with San Fermin, the running of the bulls festival that I will be here to experience in July. I've heard a little bit about it at least every day, so I'm getting really excited for it. After I read a little bit I went to the store with Mercedes, Irene's mom, to look for a bigger paella pan for the big lunch she was putting on. I helped her with as much as possible but she was running around getting things ready so mostly I just opted to stay out of her way. I met a bunch of their friends and it was a great time. Tons of good food, lots of wine, and lots of laughs. Anne Sophe (the student from Canada they are hosting) and I took a Spanish style siesta after dinner and they all found it funny that the two non-spanish girls were the ones to take a nap.
The next day was another big food day. We went to Huesca up in the mountains for Nieves' birthday (Mercedes' cousin I think) Because the night before they had chuleton, a big steak, for dinner and I was still too full to eat after the paella, Anne Sophe and I decided to order it for lunch. It was HUGE. I think it gets translated to T-bone steak, although it wasn't exactly, maybe prime rib but not that good. I got a piece that was way too hard to cut though so I pretty much just destroyed it and I felt like a little girl when Mercedes had to cut it for me. And of course there was birthday cake, and I HAD to try both kinds, so on top of salad, sausage type appetizers, and a monster steak and fries, I had to eat too slices of cake. Needless to say I didn't eat dinner again.
Monday and Tuesday while Irene had more exams I was just kind of lazy around the house, reading a bit, unpacking my suitcase, and watching tv with Mercedes (which eventually turned into napping on the couch). We did however go to their version of Sam's club or Costco called Makro to help out with the shopping and we loaded up on food. Today Irene doesn't have any exams or school so we'll get to hang out, maybe go for a run, and do a bit of sunbathing if the sun doesn't go away.
I left Friday morning to catch the 8 oclock bus but I wasn't thinking about the holiday (something with San Isidro, Madrid's patron saint) and that everyone had a long weekend, so that bus was full and I was lucky to get a ticket for the 10 AM one. But after a little bit of a wait and then a 5 hour bus ride, I arrived and went upstairs to wait for Irene but she was running all around the bus station looking for me. I had a sandwich with them and we headed out and went to Irene's English classes that she gives. They are in an English teacher named Maria's house and students come at certain times based on age. There was a group of 3 eight year old (I think) boys who we played boggle and hangman with. Irene beat me in boggle by three words... pretty sad. After we took the bus to the center of town and walked around for a while. It's a really pretty city, not too big but still has lots of shopping.
After I had the exciting task of sitting in the back of the car as Irene had driving lessons. In Pamplona it is much more difficult because they have to learn on a standard and in a city. Anyways it was quite a nerve-wracking experience, she wasn't that bad, it's just her stops were a little abrupt. Afterwards we met up with her mom and her mom's friend and cousin in a bar near the plaza. I said goodbye to Irene for the weekend so she could go stay at her grandmother's house and study for a big Chem exam on Monday.
I got the feeling the bar was kind of "their place" because they knew everyone that worked there. We went to the terrace which was a covered outdoor seating place and sat with an older gentleman whose sons I think own the place (I'm not exactly sure but that's what I got out of the conversation). We ordered ham, a Spanish specialty, and some sort of variety of chicken fingers. They then proceeded to all fight over the check and the older man ended up paying for all the wine and tapas. I was so ready for bed after a week of exams and a day full of bus riding and going around Pamplona. They have a pretty long car ride home because they actually live in a small town about 35 minutes outside the city. But it is very peaceful, with a river flowing by and they even have two horses.
The next day the weather was beautiful. I sat out in the sun for a while reading a book in Spanish about Hemingway's experience with San Fermin, the running of the bulls festival that I will be here to experience in July. I've heard a little bit about it at least every day, so I'm getting really excited for it. After I read a little bit I went to the store with Mercedes, Irene's mom, to look for a bigger paella pan for the big lunch she was putting on. I helped her with as much as possible but she was running around getting things ready so mostly I just opted to stay out of her way. I met a bunch of their friends and it was a great time. Tons of good food, lots of wine, and lots of laughs. Anne Sophe (the student from Canada they are hosting) and I took a Spanish style siesta after dinner and they all found it funny that the two non-spanish girls were the ones to take a nap.
The next day was another big food day. We went to Huesca up in the mountains for Nieves' birthday (Mercedes' cousin I think) Because the night before they had chuleton, a big steak, for dinner and I was still too full to eat after the paella, Anne Sophe and I decided to order it for lunch. It was HUGE. I think it gets translated to T-bone steak, although it wasn't exactly, maybe prime rib but not that good. I got a piece that was way too hard to cut though so I pretty much just destroyed it and I felt like a little girl when Mercedes had to cut it for me. And of course there was birthday cake, and I HAD to try both kinds, so on top of salad, sausage type appetizers, and a monster steak and fries, I had to eat too slices of cake. Needless to say I didn't eat dinner again.
Monday and Tuesday while Irene had more exams I was just kind of lazy around the house, reading a bit, unpacking my suitcase, and watching tv with Mercedes (which eventually turned into napping on the couch). We did however go to their version of Sam's club or Costco called Makro to help out with the shopping and we loaded up on food. Today Irene doesn't have any exams or school so we'll get to hang out, maybe go for a run, and do a bit of sunbathing if the sun doesn't go away.
Monday, April 27, 2009
Work. Work. Work.
Well the end of semester workload has hit pretty hard. And unfortunately my body decided to have a breakdown right at the worst time. I got really sick on Saturday night with a terrible migraine and I have a paper due today, so yesterday was spent scrambling to feel better and to finish the paper. Next week I have papers due Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday and the following week is finals. So chances are you won't be seeing many updates because I'll be pretty bogged down in work.
The weather has been pretty nice. I've been trying my best to get outside and enjoy Madrid before this part of my trip ends. Retiro is a wonderful park, it definitely rivals Central Park. I've also been busy trying to get jobs set for this summer and next year at school.
May 15 I'll be off to Pamplona!
The weather has been pretty nice. I've been trying my best to get outside and enjoy Madrid before this part of my trip ends. Retiro is a wonderful park, it definitely rivals Central Park. I've also been busy trying to get jobs set for this summer and next year at school.
May 15 I'll be off to Pamplona!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
The San Francisco of Europe: Lisbon
So the title and picture of this blog sum up a lot of what I thought of Lisbon. It was a really cool place. Very charming and tons of beautiful views. It was very hilly and the streets were all cobblestone which made things pretty slippery sometimes. Sometimes it got a little difficult because I was travelling with 6 other girls (it was supposed to be 7 but Tamara got the flu the day before we left) and coming to agreement on plans was tricky. The weather was pretty bad Friday and Saturday but Sunday after the majority of the group left and just Jill and I had the day to explore, the weather was beautiful. It was a wonderful trip and a great way to finish up my travels outside of Spain. Next time I'll be on a plane will be for my trip home. But for now I've been to Ireland, England, Portugal, France, and the Netherlands, and if you count Spain that's 6 countries... not bad! I'm going to miss this whole jetting away to another country for the weekend thing. Only two and a half weeks left of class, 4 papers, 3 finals, and then I'm off to Pamplona!Here are a few pics from Lisbon:
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