Spring Break Part 1

BUDAPEST!!!

DAY 1:
the trip started out really really rocky when we got into budapest and realized that hardly anybody around us spoke a word of english, we had no forints (the outrageous money system they use) to our name, and no map in our pockets. getting on the metro to the hostel was interesting... communicating to the women at the booth with low grunts and a lot of pointing seemed to work pretty well but i recommend that if you ever travel to budapest, you at least have a few frases of their gibberish worked out (seriously, hungarian sounds nothing like anything i've ever heard before). Finding the hostel was an adventure in itself but it wasn't the first bit of excitement that we'd have the night we got there. we found the building the hostel was in about 2 hours after getting in (what should have taken 20 minutes or so. haha.) We buzzed the 2nd floor, let ourselves in the huge front door, and started climbing the stairs. The only problem was that there wasn't a single light in the entire place and somehow, we were still outside (a courtyard in the middle of the building). three girls, three full backpacks, and a can of pepper spray... we were hardly moving convinced that someone was playing a cruel joke on us and leading us to our deaths. Finally upon reaching the second floor, the lights flash on, and we are greeted with a friendly hello from the hostel man. he couldn't understand why we had been so scared and said he'd never heard anything about the "scary entrance" before but brushed it off as he showed us to our room.

that sounds like some dramatic ghost story but i swear it was one of the scariest entrances to a new place in my life

anyways, luckily that was the only bad thing i have to say about the hostel. It turned out to be the absolute best one i've seen in europe... the people who worked there were amazing planning out our days, making us tea and coffee, and bringing us out at night. the mattresses were orthopedic and more comfortable than anything i've slept on since the states and we met new people who were also traveling every night we were there.

DAY 2:
The first day we took a long walk down the main stretch of high end stores (budapest's michigan avenue) which was pretty but nothing we could afford except for a bagel and coffee (the first bagel i've eaten since being here.... HEAVEN!!) It only cost us 600 forints each! (and before you freak out mom and dad... that's about 2 euros or $2.50) At the end of the stretch, we found the big park in budapest with lots and lots of grass, trees, parks, cafes, etc. We bought cotton candy (300 forints ~ a euro) and layed in the sun for awhile (every day that we were there it was sunny and about 75 degrees (be jealous :P). Afterwards we rented a 3 person bike and rode around the park for 20 minutes while all the adults gave us weird "aren't you too old for that" looks but at least we had fun doing it. We stumbled into a flea market after biking and bought a few things for people back home (note to readers: do not buy ANYTHING from men in budapest who wear only underwear and fanny packs... even worse if they speak in only low grunts not knowing a bit of english. my friend stephanie bought a bracelet from a man like that and now is trying to get rid of the nasty rash it left on her arm. hahahahah.) After the flea market, we ate some lunch, walked around for a little bit, paid for a bathroom stop (how bogus is that... they've never heard of free public bathrooms), and then headed back to the hostel. By that time we didn't want to venture too far away from the hostel having been gone all day and went to the italian restaurant two buildings down (another note to readers: never get italian food in eastern europe... the pasta we ate was like licking a salt block. they must have boiled it in salt water... we didn't even eat half and our sodium levels sky rocketed). By the time dinner was done, we decided it was best to just go back to the hostel. We stayed in for the rest of the night talking with other people staying there... germans, an austrailian, british couple, and a few hungarians... probably the most of random mix of people i'd ever seen but it turned out to be a good night.

Day 3:
We talked with the hostel guy in the morning about what else he would recommend that we see in the city... after hearing about an underground hospital built into the mountain, we decided that is where the day would start us out at. We headed out early and got to the hospital just in the nick of time for the start of the next tour. We really had no clue what to expect, were a little worried when we got there when they boasted about the biggest wax figure collection in europe, but were glad we did it when the tour was over. It turns out that it was in use as a hospital all throughout World War II and prior mostly as a hospital for soldiers but also for citizens in the surrounding area. The whole place was really kind of creepy feeling but it made sense when we heard the stories behind it and all the things that the hospital had seen.... bombing after bombing after bombing of the city and dealing with the victims that numbered in the hundreds each week. What was also cool about the tour was that they showed us a new part of the underground network, a secret bomb shelter that was just discovered in 2002. It's where they had hidden top secret projects and would take care of the victims of an atomic bomb if there was ever an attack. The fact that I've now seen it is incredible because it's only been open since 2007 and just a handful of people have seen it since then. My only complaint was the 40 year old men from Minnesota who continuously hit on us during the tour and proceeded to invite us out for drinks afterwards. Luckily I had a good excuse... meeting up with my friend Rich from home who was just getting in from Vienna that day. Catch you never creepy old men!

Seeing Rich again was amazing!!! a familiar face from home is the best thing in the world to see. We checked him into the hostel and went for a traditional hungarian lunch... meaning more or less a hearty meal of meat and potatos. It was delicious but we couldn't stop laughing each time the hungarian waiter came to the table answering anything we said with "Yes please". "A Coca-cola?" "yes please". After lunch we ran into a giant protest (which are super common in Europe) and watched it for awhile until we were too creeped out by the hungarian police with their riot shields and billy clubs to stick around (remind me to show you videos of some of the protests I've seen when I get home... they're intense. you'll understand why we didn't want to stand around) We decided afterwards to go to the last day of this big art festival in Budapest the people at the hostel told us about... probably one of the coolest things I saw in Budapest. We looked at some amazing photography on display and relaxed on the grass for a long time after seeing that a group of performers were setting up. We never expected that we would be watching fire dancers perform in Budapest. We watched the whole show which was pretty impressive and then headed back to the hostel with a few bottles of wine planning to just lay back and chill for the rest of the night. We met a bunch of people again in the hostel and basically had a replay of the night before but better since I got to catch up with my friend Rich.... first time I'd seen him since New Years.

Day 4:
to be continued tomorrow... gotta get my beauty sleep :)

Crazy Crazy Crazy Week

Really old draft that i never posted... worth seeing i guess since i haven't written in so long.... sorry you guys :(

Wednesday the 18th was my friend Tony's 22nd birthday and we decided that it had to be a good night for him. He's one of the nicest and coolest people I've met here (he actually reminds me of my oldest brother a lot) and that meant all the more reason to give him a birthday that he'd never forget. We all talked to him the day of and wished him a happy birthday but said that unfortunately, we wouldn't be able to go out that night leaving just him and his roomate to go out. In actuality, we had been planning all week on surprising him at our favorite local spanish bar. The night 0f his birthday, everyone but his roomate went there and got set up with cake, drinks, and a birthday crown for him. From there we waited for him and his roomate Felipe (the only one Tony knew was coming) to arrive. We yelled surprise when he walked in and the night began. From there we went to one more bar and talked and laughed the whole night through. Everyone had a blast and at the end of the night, Tony thanked us all for one of the best birthdays in his life.





The next Friday, nobody had classes so Alex, Stephanie, and I planned for a picnic on the beach with lots of food and some wine. We sat along the ocean for hours talking and the group kept growing. We met a few more Americans from our same study abroad program and later, when the sun started to set, decided to join them for happy hour at some bar. It was supposed to be just a quick stop with the guys so they could have 1 euro beers but we ended up staying out until almost nine talking and getting to know our new friends. When we all started to get hungry, Alex and I decided that we were both wanting a hamburger from this new hamburger place we've found here. Everyone who we have brought there since discovering it have agreed that it has the best burgers you can buy outside the US. After filling up on amazing (close to) American food, Alex and I got a call from our friend Pablo who lives in Barcelona asking us to come hang out with him and his friends. I wanted to practice my Spanish and meet all his friends so of course we said yes and went to meet him. We met up with him outside a subway stop and went to yet another bar (haha quit judging me... I hardly drank anything. It's what the spaniards are always doing because meeting up at a bar here is like meeting up at a coffee shop in the US) and played card games in spanish for hours at their favorite bar. It was so much fun! and they were so nice to want to help me with my spanish and anything else I had questions about. By 3am, they were just getting started and decided they wanted to go dancing at a club but Alex, Steph, and I were exhausted and headed home. The thing with Spaniards is that they don't go out at night until like midnight or 1am so it's very common to come home at 8am after a night out... I think they're crazy.

my first visitor in Barcelona!! and Valentine's weekend

Bhavik (aka my boyfriend) became my first visitor in Barcelona when he came to see me on Valentine's day weekend! He only was able to be here for a day and a half but he was at least able to see the top things on his list, meet a lot of my friends, and also got invited to dinner by my host family. It was awesome to play tour guide having now learned so much about Barcelona and Bhavik says that he had a lot of fun here too.

He got here on Friday early in the afternoon and Alex, my friend Stephanie and I met up with him at the bus stop. We all got big hugs and I introduced everyone before Bhavik had to run to check into the hostel. We both went in expecting the worst of the worst based on our previous experiences but were pleasantly surprised to find the opposite. It wasn't infested with cockroaches or with creepers or anything like that... actually it was a full apartment with rooms they rent out to groups of people and it was really nice! We had a balcony overlooking the street and a mini chandelier hanging from the ceiling. It may not have been exactly like home but it was definately worth the money we spent for once. I guess there actually are hostels in the world where you can go and not have to worry about catching something. haha.

After letting him get settled in and to relax a little bit, we took a walk down las Ramblas (the main tourist spot in Barcelona with lots of shopping and street performers) and then we met up with some more friends at our favorite Mexican restaurant for just something to drink and snack on before dinner that night. He met my friends Tony and Nicole and Alex and Stephanie met us there too. We got a table and we able to stay and talk for about an hour or so before having to run back to my house here for dinner with my family. Lola and Carlos invited him over as soon as they knew that he was coming and Lola made a huge meal for everyone. We got to the house and started with introductions (thank God my family here speaks a good amount of English otherwise Bhavik would have been lost) and then dinner came shortly afterwards. It was so much fun! and Lola and Carlos turned it into a big event with all mine and Alex's favorite Spanish dishes and one of the "best wines in Spain". We even ate at the "celebration table" where they say they only eat when they have important guests or big events like birthdays. I still can't believe that they were so open to having him over to the house and were so gracious with the food and such. We had lots of little finger foods, baked artichokes (my favorite!!!), spanish tortilla (Lola makes them the best), 2 big salads, bread with tomatos (a spanish specialty), and a few more little side dishes. We were already stuffed when she brought out a huge bowl of fruit salad but somehow managed to finish the whole bowl. The fruit here is a hundred times better than the fruit in the US... even Bhavik was raving about it. He now admits that he's jealous of the food I eat every night and especially jealous of the fruit and my awesome host family. That's exactly what I wanted to hear :) haha. After we were done with dinner, Enrique (the youngest) entertained us with jokes and we all talked for a long time with Bhavik before we had to run out of the house again to meet up with friends. Neither Bhavik or I could thank my family enough. The food that night was especially amazing and I'm still thankful for them having him over.

We met up with all my friends again in the center of town and got to meet my friend Nicole's boyfriend too who was also here for the weekend. All of us went to a small bar to sit and talk for awhile and then to our favorite bar in Barcelona where we have made friends with the bartender. We only stayed out for a few hours mostly just talking and letting everyone get to know the boyfriends but it was a lot of fun. Going to bed early was the best thing since Nicole and I still had to show the guys as much as we could see of the city the next day.

Bhavik and I woke up pretty early and then I took him to Park Guell so he could see one of my favorite parts of the city. It was packed with it being Saturday and evidently a big tourist weekend but we saw more of the park that day then I ever got the chance to see before and on a absolutely beautiful day. We stayed for a good 3 hours, got a bite to eat, and sat in the grass taking in the sun. We looked over the city from the 2nd tallest hill in the city and took lots of pictures. He had a huge smile on his face the whole time... that place really is like a dream world but I swear Gaudi must have been crazy to come up with such ideas.

Afterwards, we took the train down to Gaudi's probably second most famous landmark in Barcelona, the Sangrada Familia (the Gaudi chapel). It was the first time that I had ever seen it too but I expected something different. The side that Gaudi designed and helped built was really really neat and like nothing I've ever seen but the newer side (built after his death still according to his designs) wasn't nearly as cool. It doesn't exactly match the rest so that took away from it but the chapel as a whole is still pretty cool. It's still under construction and is not supposed to be done for a long time but I'd love to see it when it is finally finished. Each design element has a different meaning and is symbolic of something but it won't really have as much of an impact until it is officially done. I want to see it then.

After the chapel, we decided to get a bite to eat at a small restaurant next to the chapel... traditional Spanish paella (seasoned rice and vegetables) and patatas bravas (spanish potatos) and just talked for a long time. Then we took a nap back at the hostel before going out again for dinner that night... lots of good food! We decided to eat with our friends for Valentine's Day and not make any big deal about it. We ate at an inexpensive but really nice restaurant just off the main plaza and stayed there for probably 4 hours talking, eating, and drinking cheap wine (because we're all poor :( ). Afterwards we were thinking that we'd end up going out but instead Bhavik and I just went to get some ice cream and then to bed. It was his last night here and he had to catch a taxi at 4am to the airport so it was probably better that way. Even though it was only a really short trip, it's awesome to see a familiar face and get that taste of home. Just know that I miss you all so much and I can't wait to be back with so many stories and experiences to share with all of you. Maybe you guys can catch me up on what's cool in the states and what I've missed. I'm realizing that I'm SOOO... out of the loop. I can't even tell you what the cool song is on the radio or what movies have come out since Slumdog Millionaire which is the newest movie here right now. They're so far behind! At least I'll have lots of things to do when I get home :)

Rome, Paris, and More Barcelona!!!

Lots and lots of Pictures!!! About freaking time... I know. Enjoy!

Viva la Paris!

Wow... I'm getting progressively worse at doing this on a regular basis but I'm trying to get back into doing it daily.

PARIS!!!

Paris is one of the most incredible places I've ever seen and the Eiffel Tower is amazing!! I left on Thursday with my friends Alex, Nicole, and Felipe and landed in Paris at about sunset that night. Flying over it was beautiful and I couldn't help but crawl into Alex's lap in the window seat to get my first view of the Eiffel Tower in the distance. We landed and made our way to the hostel which was ridiculously creepy and coming down with a cockroach problem but functional. My expectations for hostels nowadays are dropping more and more so i'm not as disappointed when a cockroach or two are sitting in the closet. At least they weren't in the room I was staying in... just my friends. Anyways, we got settled in and went to get our first taste of french cuisine. Near our hostel was this restaurant that evidently is pretty famous but reasonably priced so we ended up eating there. We had big salads, the most amazing beef I've probably ever had, chocolate mousse, and wine... all included. We also became friends with the waiter named John who judging by the name, I would have never guessed that he was originally from Egypt. He was extremely nice though, translated the menu for us, and offered to show us a good bar or two in the area the following night if we felt up to it. We agreed, made plans, and went back to the hostel to get some sleep before waking up to see Paris in the morning.

By 9am, we were up and out the door and on our way to our first destination, Notre Dame. The church is beautiful and I loved the gargoyles and stained glass but it seems more and more wrong to me that churches like the Notre Dame get turned into tourist destinations. I don't want to know how many pictures there are of people standing infront of Jesus on the cross holding up a peace sign. It kinda loses it's purpose when people decide that rather than being a place to look around and enjoy, it's a perfect photo opportunity for their next facebook profile picture.

Anyways, after walking around the church for awhile, we stopped in a French cafe for breakfast... croissants, coffee (which is no match to the amazing spanish coffee I've been drinking), and orange juice... very french. We then walked to the memorial sight for the French victims of the Holocaust and to the oldest church and tree in Paris. We saw a guillotene that was actually used during the French Revolution and the most famous bookstore in France. We sat around the grounds of a french palace for a little bit and then made our way to the Louvre where we were able to see the Mona Lisa, Venus of Milo, The Wrath of Medusa and soooo... many more famous pieces of art. The crowd surrounding the Mona Lisa is ridiculous!!! Everyone pushes up to the velvet rope to see it and takes 30 pictures of the painting before turning around to get their picture infront of it. I thought it was hilarious to watch and had to take a picture of it but got yelled at by the security man for doing it. I don't know why that would be a problem and not the giant crowd actually taking pictures of the painting itself but whatever. We then walked on to get hit on by two french securtiy men (asked out for coffee because we are "so beautiful) and then I bumped into two of my friends I had met in Rome. I am realizing more and more since I've been here how small of a world it really is. What are the chances that you just so happen to be in the same city in the world at the same time unintentionally let alone the same room in the same building? We got a picture to prove to our friends that we ran into eachother and then said goodbye. Afterwards, Nicole, Felipe, Alex and I decided that after seeing 2/3 full wings of the Louvre, we'd seen enough and continued on to see my favorite part of Paris, the Eiffel Tower!!!!

The sun had just set when we walked up and saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time up close. It is incredible!!! I am so glad that we went to it at night because I think it was a heck of a lot prettier lit up than it is during the day especially when it starts twinkling at the start of every hour for 5 minutes. I took pictures of it probably every 10 feet that I walked and when I finally got to the base, Felipe was already there with a cup of coffee for me to drink next to the Eiffel Tower. I had been telling them for the entire week prior to being there that I dreamed of drinking a cup next to it and he wanted to surprise me by having one waiting for me when I got there. It could have been the best tasting cup of coffee I'd ever had... either that or it was just because I got to drink it next to the Eiffel Tower in Paris. Either way, I couldn't wipe the smile off of my face.

Next, we went up the tower to the very tip-top and caught one of the most incredible views I have ever seen. It is definately worth doing at night because the city looks absolutely gorgeous with all the lights and in comparison with the pictures I've seen up top during the day, we got the better deal. We were up there for probably a solid half an hour or so before we headed back down but before we could, I had to make a call to my mom from the top of the eiffel tower in paris. It was a short phone call that probably cost a fortune but she was one of the people who I knew would have wanted to be there with me. I'll have to bring her and my dad someday when I get all my student loans paid off... they really deserve it after all they've done for me.

Anyways, I walked away from the tower with the biggest smile that I've had on my face for a long time and the day wasn't even over yet. We were starving after all the ridiculous amount of walking we had done all day and knew of the perfect place to fill our bellies. It's this small restaurant by the hostel we were in with fondue and baby bottles full of wine. The food was great and the experience was like nothing else that I've ever seen. You walk in to a packed room with two long tables on each side and no gaps between you and the person next to you. In order to get to the booth against the wall on the opposite side of the table, the little French man grabs your hand and helps you to step over the table and down into the seat. Little appetizers come first with little glasses of margaritas or something like that followed by fondue and baby bottles of wine (it's what they're know for). It was really funny to look around and see people from all around the world from ages 20 to 50 sipping on wine out of a bottle but to an outsider we all probably looked crazy. We had desert, payed the crazy French owner, and then made our ways back to the restaurant we had gone to the night before to meet up with John, our Egyptian friend.

After he got off work, we all headed down to this surprisingly low-key bar next to the Moulin Rouge for a few drinks before we were so exhausted from the long day that we couldn't keep our eyes open for any longer. When I say that it was surprisingly low-key, I mean that I'm surprised that there wasn't dancing and strippers dancing on the tables. Just about every single other bar, store, or club near the Moulin Rouge involved sex toys and dancing/stripping women. I guess it's more or less because of the impressions I got from the movie "The Moulin Rouge" but the moden day one isn't nearly as innocent. There's not even much to see besides the neon windmill but it was neat nonetheless. We got to the bar and only stayed for about an hour before we said goodbye to John and headed back to the hostel to get some much needed sleep before we needed to wake up again ready to go for another long day.

Felipe had us all dressed and out the door again by 9 insisting that he let us sleep in but I'm not sure that I could anything less than sleeping to 11 as sleeping in. We went first to the Arc of Triomph built in the center of Paris in honor of Napoleon. It was neat but I can't say that I was thrilled to climb to the top so early in the morning with sore feet from so much walking the day before but it was worth seeing. I wish the we could have gotten a little nicer weather but seeing the Eiffel Tower in the mist and all the streets radiating out in all directions from the arc was pretty cool.

Afterwards, we walked down avenue Montaigne which is basically the equivalent to Chicago's Michigan Avenue just to find out that the only thing we could afford was McDonalds. I got a burger having decided that croissants were airy dough balls that don't fill you up. A burger, fries, and a coke was perfect though since I was really starting to crave some good old American food. At least their McDondalds in Paris are fancy though because I didn't feel nearly as bad grabbing such terrible food since dining in means eating in a leather booth with nearly nice-restaurant-like decorations. I guess they don't quite understand the concept of cheap fast-food restaurants.

After filling our stomachs, we went to the Orsay Museum which houses some of the most famous pieces from Van Gogh, Monet, and Manet. It's placed in an old train station which must have been beautiful itself in addition to all the artwork is in my opinion, a must see in Paris if you have the time. I really liked seeing it and I think the rest of the gang would agree with me too.

After spending at least 2 hours at the museum, we hopped on a train to the Palace of Versailles just outside of Paris where we were not prepared for snow but were surprised by a couple inches. We were freezing having been spoiled with the beautiful, almost always sunny weather of Barcelona but seeing the palace was well worth the trip. I wish we could have seen more of it except for the bedrooms, the hall of mirrors, and random meeting rooms but it was still cool to stand on the same ground that the king and Marie Antoinette walked on. The hall of mirrors was my favorite part and looking out the windows at the grounds of the palace. It would be well worth it to go back someday during the spring or summer when the gardens are blooming. It would be absolutely beautiful. Going there really made me want to watch the movie Marie Antoinette so I could better understand the significance of Versailles but that'll have to wait now until I get back to the states. I'll have a whole list of movies to watch when I get back.

We left Versailles after it closed for the night and walked into heaven (aka Starbucks) where we warmed ourselves up with coffee like we drink at home, talked with all sorts of people, and ran into more friends from home. The coolest people I'd say that I met in Paris was this husband from egypt and his wife originally from the US, both of which had just moved to France. The wife was especially interesting to talk to and was eager to hear about us, where we're from, and where we're going in life. We talked for at least an hour before realizing we had to grab a train back to Paris but we both wished eachother luck in life and said bye. We jumped on the train back to Paris eager to get out of the cold and starving once again for a good meal.

We picked out a restaurant just across the river from Notre Dame called Pizza Marzano and had the most amazing meal any of us had had in a very long time. It was a typical European meal... 4 hours!!! but we talked a lot, ate great food, and drank the best wine I've ever had. I ordered a pizza and scarfed the whole thing down on my own and then one of the best desserts I've ever had too. The French really do know how to do food right. I find that the longer I'm here, the more European I become as far as my eating habits go. We always rush everything so much in the states but here, eating any meal is a long process. Four hours to any American sounds ridiculous but here that's pretty typical. I'm going to get back to the states and freak out when I only have a half an hour for lunch. That's unheared of over here.

After dinner, we went back to the hostel for one last night in the hole in the wall and then left the following morning. It was an amazing experience and Paris is definately a must-see city but coming back to Barcelona was a great feeling. I still like Barcelona over any of the other cities I've visited in Europe and appreciate it a lot more (especially the weather :D). France is amazing though too including the people... we didn't come across a single French person who wasn't willing to help us out and everyone was really really friendly. I'm not sure where all the stereotypes come from but now actually having gone to Paris of all places see it exactly in the opposite way. We had absolutely no problems. Also, the food (for the most part) is delicious! They know how to do food but they eat way to much bread. The thought of a croissant now makes me sick and it was two days before I wanted any bread again having ate so much in France. Spain still takes the prize for the best cup of coffee too!

When in Rome... :)

Rome is beautiful.... much much different than either barcelona or anywhere back in the states but still amazing. I left on thursday morning for the airport and got to Rome with no problems what so ever. Getting into the airport on the other side was no process at all... they didn't even stamp anybody's passport. I waited in the airport for Bhavik to come and pick me up since I didn't want to navigate Rome by myself and after a short time, he was finally there and we headed out to check in at the hostel. It was the first hostel I had ever stayed in so I don't have anything to compare it too, but both Bhavik and I thought it was really creepy. We walked into the tiny front entry way and were shocked when we were greeted by at least 10 people. A few introduced themselves, offered us drinks (no thanks!), and then we were showed around. We got our keys and went to find our beds in a creepy, practically empty room. There were two beds, 2 wooden chairs, a small closet, and a bedside table. The walls were completely bare except for a mirror and the floor was cold and dirty. We both looked at eachother ready to get the heck out of there but decided to make the best of it. Advice to anyone who ever is considering staying in a hostel... bring a pair of flip flops and your own sheets if possible. It would have made it a lot more comfortable. At the very least, it was an experience. We did meet some cool people though!

Anyways.... after a little time at the hostel to get settled, we decided to go out and get some food and walk around for a little bit before going to bed. We walked around the area around the hostel for probably an hour before we settled on mediocre pizza since nothing else was open but it wasn't terrible. The suckiest part about Europe a lot of the time is that people actually sleep and stores close unlike our 24 hour Walmart's and Walgreen's in the US. Dessert was really good though! We had gelatto (italian icecream for those of you that don't know) for the first time that weekend but after that I was addicted. In the first 48 hours, I'd say I ate gelatto at least 4 times. I didn't really get the chance to see much since I was exhausted from traveling but I was at least I got some italian food the first night there!

The next morning, Bhavik had class so he "hired" Jim to show me around Vatican City and the Basillica until he got out. I met Jim (aka one of my best guy friends) at a metro stop close to the Vatican which was exciting since I hadn't seen him since before Christmas and then my tour began. He's a history major so he insisted that I let him giving me the "grand tour" and I let him but I'm pretty sure it just fluffed his ego. He wants to start giving free tours to tourists now... what a nerd. Anyways, the Vatican was amazing!!! I saw where the pope lives, the Basilica, and the Swiss guards that protect it. Lots of pictures to come! (let me know if you're still not able to see them) The Basilica is HUGE. If you look at the pictures and at the letters that line the celing, you can get an idea of just how huge. The letters by themselves are 6 feet tall but they look tiny stories above your head. The big black and gold altar is more than 7 stories tall! It's beautiful! The sheer size alone makes it an amazing building and then you get to the artwork. You'll have to see it for yourself... like every other picture I've taken, nothing does it justice. Also, there are all sorts of popes, bishops, and saints buried under the Basilica making it all the more special. It's definitely one of those places to see before you die.

After that, Jim and I headed back to their school/residence hall/dining hall (all in the same building) to meet up with Bhavik and surprise my roomates from school. They didn't know that I was coming so we made it sound like they just found some random person on the street that they needed to see and they came down to find me. I think it took both of them a second to put it in context but they both ran into my arms straight afterwards. It was so good to be with all my closest friends again! and in Rome?!?! The whole trip felt like a dream. I got to look around the "rome center" and meet all their friends for awhile before Bhavik and I went out to get some food and then went back to the hostel to get changed for dinner. Dinner was nothing fancy (since we're poor college kids living in Europe ($$$)) but it was amazing to be back with my friends. It's a little piece of home and familiarness that I think I needed.

Later that night, we went out to this bar with all my friends and some of their new friends too (who are also amazing people!) that was called "Stairs". We had so much fun! It was like a reunion but better since we were in Rome. By the end of the night though, we were all partied out and went home or moreso to the hole in the wall to get some sleep. Surprisingly, I slept like a rock.

In the morning, we woke up reasonably early to meet up with everyone in Vatican City so we could all go to the Vatican Museum. It's a lot to take in in just a couple hours but I had the chance to see some amazing things that a lot of people will never have the chance to see in all of their lives... the sistene chapel for one was beautiful! I really didn't know what to expect having only seen bits and pieces of it but wasn't disappointed. In addition to that, I stood infront of famous paintings and statues that I never even imagined I'd be able to see. Standing there feels absolutely surreal!

After the museum, Bhavik and I went to check out the Colosseum, the Roman Forum (the oldest part of Rome), and the surrounding areas. The Colosseum was exactly what I expected it to be (although I only got to see the outside since tours ended early in the afternoon). He and I sat next to it for a long time sitting, talking, and watching person after person trip over a loose comment. It was hilarious but maybe we sound crazy... it's probably one of those you had to be there things. After that, we walked around the outside of the Roman Forum (again it was closed to visitors walking through it because everything in Europe is closed when you want to see it) but I can it least say it looks really neat from the outside. It's incredible to be walking around ruins that are 100's and 100's of years old because we have nothing like it in the states. The history in Europe is so extensive! It still amazes me that something can be so old and yet still be standing so well preserved. I definitely want to go back to see everything for longer and to see more. You can't see Rome in 2 days.

We headed back to the Rome Center after the Colosseum for dinner and meeting back up with friends. Dinner again was basic (pasta (of course!), vegetables, and fresh cheese!) but delicious! That night we went out for more gelatto (over a hundred flavors to choose from!!!) and got to see the Pantheon at night. It's one of the best preserved buildings in Rome and probably one of my favorites. It looks really pretty at night! After that, I unfortunately had to say goodbye to everyone because my plane was leaving at about 9am the next morning but I know I'm probably going to see them in mid-march in Madrid. It'll be a really cheap trip for me and a lot of fun to see them again! I can't wait! Bhavik and I went back to the hostel for the last night, talked for a little bit and then passed out for a short night of sleep. I had to wake up at about 6am to get to the airport in time for my flight. Saying goodbye sucked but I get to see him again this coming weekend for Valentine's day so at least it's not too long. I can't believe it's already here already! I'm really excited to show him around Barcelona. It's an amazing city! and I can't wait to show him around and impress him with my Spanish! I actually met a women on the metro today that told me that my Spanish is excellent. I'd say I'm getting close to fluent but my speaking skills still aren't perfect. I want to leave here speaking it like a Spaniard. My host family says I'm on my way!

I'm in Rome!!! Vatican City, the Parthanon, and the Colosseum.... no big deal :)

Pics to come... the ghetto hostel and everything

No more ham!!!

Sorry it's been so long since I last wrote! It's been busy this past week now that classes have actually started. Time for an update!

My roomate Alex came down with what we thought was the flu but it turned out to be some nasty infection. She went to a english doctor here on Thursday and got prescribed 3 different types of medicine to get better. She was (needless to say) cooped up in bed for most of the weekend. I went out on Friday night to the same fairie bar that I mentioned in one of my past blogs because it's got such a cool atmosphere. Since there were just 4 of us (my friends Nicole, Tony and Felip) and we are all in upper level spanish classes, we decided to speak in Spanish the entire time that we were there. It wasn't difficult at all and we kept it up for about 2 hours before finally going back to English. It's a lot easier to practice when you're with people of your own age and level. We're thinking of doing it again next time we all go out together and make it a routine. After that, we walked down Las Ramblas to the "Obama Bar" in Barcelona. Everyone here loves Obama since Bush refused to ever talk to their current president but to have built a bar in his honor outside of the US seems crazy to me. We went in since we had only heard good things about it and probably just spent a half an hour or so talking before the cigarette smoke started to bother us and we started our walks home. One thing I don't think that I will ever get used to is how everybody here smokes. It would be really nice to be able to go to some public place without getting everyone's second hand smoke. I get headaches from it a lot.



Saturday was really low-key. Both Alex and I slept in and didn't wake up until it was just about lunch time. We went to eat at a cafe in the area and ordered hamburgers hoping for a good old American meal. It was good but I've never heard of putting hamburgers on what looks like french bread. Maybe they've never heard of hamburger buns. I decided to stay in that night to spend the it hanging out with the 3 kids and Alex since the parents were going out for dinner and a movie. We played Wii with the kids and 2 of their friends, ate pizza in front of the tv, and watched "There's Something About Mary" in spanish with english subtitles. I don't know if movies here get the same ratings as in the US but I at least thought it was inappropriate for a 10, 12 and 13 year old. The parents rented it for them though so either they didn't know how the movie is or were okay with it. The kids kept looking to me and Alex to catch our reactions but we really were trying to play dumb like we didn't understand the jokes either. It was so hard to keep a straight face! As soon as the movie ended, all three of the kids went into full-on cleaning mode. We couldn't believe our eyes when the started bringing dishes to the kitchen, wiping down the table, and throwing out all the garbage. The 13 year old Lucia even pulled out a broom and dust pan to pick up the crumbs on the floor. They were cleaned up and ready for bed in 15 minutes flat without anybody even saying a word to them. I don't know if it's a cultural difference or if Lola and Carlos are just outstanding parents but the kids really do amaze me sometimes. I wish the kids I babysit around that age were so willing to clean up after themselves and go to bed on time. I've practically dragged kids up the stairs kicking and screaming for bedtime in the US. I'm not sure what they do differently here but I want to learn.



On Sunday, Alex was feeling better and felt up to going out so we tried to go the "el parque del laberinto" or the park of the laberinth. I only saw one picture but it looks like something straight out of a Harry Potter movie so I really wanted to go see it. It took us probably an hour or more walking and jumping from metro to metro so we were especially disappointed when we got there and found out that it was closed for repairs. I don't know if you saw on the news but... Barcelona and the surrounding area has had some crazy weather lately including outrageous winds on Saturday that knocked down trees and even caved in the ceiling of a sports arena. I guess there was also damage to the park that we had come so far to see so we didn't get to see hardly anything but I definitely want to go back. Now that we know where it is, it won't take half as long. We got back to the house and I did homework for the rest of the day so I could go to bed early. We do so much walking that I feel like I cannot sleep enough.



On Monday, I had classes from 9am to 1:30 and then again from 3:45 to 7:30. It's the worst day of the week by far for me but I'm still enjoying all my classes so it's not quite as bad as it sounds. It makes it so much better that my final class of the day is art so I hardly count that as a real class. I enjoy it so much that it flies by in what seems like a half an hour at most. By the time I was done with class, I was so tired that I headed straight home for dinner and then to bed shortly afterwards. Needless to say, I slept like a rock that night.



Tuesday was a really easy day since I only had art class at 9 to 10:30am and then am done for the day. My friends Tony and Nicole met up with me afterwards and since we all had nothing better to do, we decided to wander around the city for the next 3 hours or so. We saw two cathedrals, walked down a ton of small un-named streets (at least that's what I'm beginning to think since the street signs are so obscure that I hardly bother looking anymore. A tip if you ever are trying to navigate Barcelona... look on the walls of buildings... there tend to be little plaques declaring the street names there), and got some lunch at a little flaffle place. One of the cathedrals absolutely deserves mention. If you ever visit Barcelona, make sure to visit the Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral. It puts everything in perspective... we are small and insignificant. The ceiling seems to be 100 feet above your head and there are probably at least 30 stained windows to look at. Pictures could never do it justice but I'll attach one so you can at least understand how incredibly tall it is. I can't get over the fact that they built it in the 1300's! The stained glass windows are definately something you have to see for yourself to appreciate... so much detail! After our couple of hours of wandering, I took a walk over to the copy shop to pick up one more book for classes and then made the trek home from there. It's a long walk but it was so gorgeous out that I didn't mind at all.... blue skies, lots of sun, and a perfect temperature. I know you guys are jealous :P I got home and napped for a little while before dinner, finished all my homework, and went to bed. It was a good day :)

Today, I went to classes from 9am to 1:30 and then had class again that afternoon. My last class is one about communication, language, and culture of Spain and Latin America. Today, we had a field trip to the "Museum of Chocolate" here in Barcelona which was small and simple but really cool. Basically it consisted of elaborate, chocolate sculptures and information about chocolate's influence in history. I'm not sure how she's going to tie it into the class but it was interesting enough. Afterwards, I went with my friend Nicole to the "Museum of the History of the City". It's a required field trip I had to make for my history class about Barcelona but it was really amazing. Most people don't know that Barcelona actually began as a Roman City. Below the museum is the Ruins from the city dating back as far as 12BC. We have nothing even close to it in the states. We had an audio tour that told us about the good personal hygiene of the Romans (they had perfume, lotions, makeup, and even tools for shaving), how they made wine, accesories that they wore (everything from rings to charms for clothing), and about their clothing and laundry. It was amazing to be walking through ruins underneath a building. Nobody even knew that they were there originally but now they've uncovered more than anyone knew existed and still are discovering more. The history here is amazing! I came home for dinner after that and after this will be working on homework and then packing... I'm leaving for Rome tomorrow!!! I can't wait to see my boyfriend and friends there! and of course the city! I cannot even imagine what it's like. I'll bring my camera and take lots of pictures so you guys can see too. Also, I'm going to try to update between now and the end of the weekend but if I can't get my hands on a computer then I'll let you know how everything went on Sunday when I get back.

I miss you guys!!

ps. When I get back to the US, I am never going to want to eat a single piece of ham again. No matter how hard I try, I can't get away from it. I got a turkey sandwich the other day... with ham!?! You guys don't understand how disgusting it is and yet the Spaniards eat it like it's essential to life... gross

stupid spanish keyboard ñ瀪¿¡¨

sooo... i was going to finally update my blog between classes today but it´s still going to have to wait because it would take me hours on the spanish keyboard I´m using. That´s definitely not an apostrophe. I swear you guys will have it soon... sorry for the delay

One piece of news tho... I leave for Rome tomorrow morning! So excited!

Long Day in a Small World

Today was a really long day but for the most part it was good. I woke up early and ran to my history of Barcelona class and sat through a hour and a half long lecture about how history has shaped the layout of the city today. We also talked about why the people are the way they are and what events shaped them. We basically did an overview of the entire course today and we'll go into details from here. I'm really thankful that she is a good lecturer because othewise a 9am history class would probably bore me to death. It'll be really cool when we go on field studies outside the classroom... I think she has 3 planned throughout the semester.

After history, I went to my spanish class next door and was there for the next 2 hours and 45 minutes! I like the teacher but majority of my class came to Barcelona only to party and drink. The girl I'm always stuck sitting next to and doing partner activities with never does anything and just spends the entire class period texting on her blackberry. The worst part is that nobody else wants to sit next to her either because nobody wants to listen to clicking for nearly 3 hours. At least I'm learning everything especially well because I practically do all the activities by myself... I'll be an expert by the time the semester is over at this rate.

After class, I met up with my friend Tony who has a break at the same time as me. We went to some big plaza to eat our lunches and talked for about an hour and a half about all sorts of things... life, family, our significant others, and why we're in Barcelona. We sat next to this HUGE arch that I wish I had a picture that I could show you or be able to describe it but I forgot my camera and am not that good with words. It still amazes me how different everything is here. One big cultural difference is that when we were sitting on this wall just off the path, people would walk directly next to where we were sitting rather than letting us have our bubbles and them theirs. They have no concept of personal space here. When you're going to talk to a Spaniard, you gotta pray that they don't have bad breath or a mint at least because otherwise you'll smell it. Oh... and also, when Tony and I were talking about family, I mentioned that I have family that live around San Fransisco (where he's also from). It turns out that he and my Aunt and Uncle both live in Alameda, CA which I thought was crazy... just a small island in all of California that both of them happen to live on. The longer I'm here for the more that I realize that it is a extremely small world. How outrageous would it be if they were neighbors or lived down the street from eachother or something like that?

We walked back with 20 minutes or so to spare before our next classes. I went to find my cinema class for the first time since switching my schedule around the day before. I was the first one to sit down followed by two other girls that hadn't been there the day before either. Class started and I was still optimistic but no more than 5 minutes into the hour and a half long class period, I was half asleep. I don't know if it's the professor, the class, or the subject but I struggled to keep my eyes opened. I got through it but it wasn't exactly my cup of tea (so say my English friends). I decided with 5 minutes left in the class that since this is my semester that I'm determined to enjoy, that I would switch to another class that I enjoyed more. I left at the end of the class and changed my classes once more... this time to a class entitled "Language, Culture, and Communications" or something along those lines. It focuses on Spain and Latin America and sounds really interesting. It'll be taught in Spanish but I feel good about it because first of all I found out that I have two good friends in the class to help me out and second, I live with a family that can help me figure things out outside of class too. Lola and Carlos are both really encouraging... they thought I was crazy to be "so good at spanish" and not to be taking courses in spanish. I guess I'll likely never have the opportunity again so I figure... why not?

I took the train home after classes rather than walk like my original plan because I was absolutely exhausted. I can't believe that I'm still up right now typing but at this point, I'm on a roll with these daily blogs so I had better keep it up. I did some homework for awhile before getting the chance to talk to my friend Kelly back at Loyola and then getting called for dinner. Dinner tonight was great again (2 days without ham... I must be lucky!)... baked cauliflower, potatoes, and cheese, a salad, bread, and calamari rings. For dessert we had fruit and some of the cheesecake leftover from a couple days ago. Again, it was amazing... no jamon in my stomach!

Then after dinner, I went back to my room with a pot that Lola gave me when I asked for suggestions on what to draw for art class. I forget what she called it but I guess it's typical in Spain in small towns to keep their water cold. It's really cool because of the shadowing but kinda tough to draw. I'm attaching a picture of what I have so far next to the pot because I'm not sure that I like it. Let me know what you think I may able to do better... constructive criticism. But for now, I'm going to sleep on it and take another look in the morning. I'm pooped! It's been a long day and I'm just ready to pass out now... Talk to you soon. Adios!

PS. The pics are of Lucia with a yogurt mustache :), kiwi (yum!), my dinner tonight, and my drawing. Lola thinks I'm crazy for taking pictures of all our food but she had to admit that the kiwi picture was cool (que chullo!)

Sensual Drawings and Artichokes

I woke up early today (again...) for classes but this time I at least wanted to. I'm so excited to be taking an art class. I get really nervous when the crazy professor walks around behind me to check how I'm doing but it seems that he likes me. He thinks I draw "sensually"... lol whatever that means. He wants me to look up an artist "Rousseau" before next class because he thinks that I'd really like him. I guess he was a customs officer with no training in art at all but his paintings are supposed to be amazing. He then went on to say that I am "more than a pretty face". At least he'd rather make comments to make my face turn red rather than yelling at me like he does some of the other kids. I'm attaching the drawing that I was working on today so you can tell me if you think that it's "sensual" too. lol. Our homework for next Monday is to pick two objects and to draw them. For one, I'm considering this old fashioned alarm clock I have in my room but the reflections in the silver are more difficult than I thought they'd be. We'll see how I feel about it when it's done... I have all week to draw something else if I decide to do so.

After class, I went to talk to an academic advisor about changing some class about politics to one that I am actually interested in. She helped me out and I ended up getting my first choice. Now I'm in a class entitled "Cinema and the City: Barcelona through the Camera Lens". It sounds really interesting! It'll be all in spanish so I can get credit for my spanish major and I may be able to get credit towards my art minor too. We'll learn about filming and the general process, watch lots of movies/documentaries about Barcelona, and for the final project, we have to go out and make our own movie. How cool does that sound!?! I'm so excited to be taking classes that I want to take and not ones that someone else tells me I need to take. It makes getting up for class a lot easier at the very least. It also made my schedule so that when we have fridays off because of trips that IES plans (that's at least 5 times throughout the semester), I'll have 4 day weekends! That means lots of traveling and cheaper flights for leaving during the week :)

After getting my schedule finalized, I walked to the bookstore to pick up all my books for classes and walked home from there. It's like a 45 minute walk but it seems to go by fast because there is so much to see. Everything is beautiful! I love people watching here too... there are a lot of similarities but differences too. I came back to an empty house :), made myself a sandwich and popcorn, and started drawing and doing some homework for awhile. It was a relaxing afternoon.

The presidential inauguration was on here at around 6pm here so I sat down with Alex and Lola to watch that... my biggest complaint is that they kept dubbing in spanish and catalan over what they were saying in english. It was interesting to watch from outside the states but I can't really tell you if it were any different from watching it there. I doubt that I watched Bush's inauguration and if I did I don't remember it. You'll have to tell me what it was like there... I'm sure it was on every channel with coverage all day. Chicago must have been crazy...

Afterwards, Lola, Enrique, and I talked in the kitchen for a little bit while she was fixing dinner... some funky looking biscuit things with beef and cheese in the middle, rice, and a big batch of baked artichokes! I love the artichokes she makes but the whole meal was delicious! For dessert we had fruit again but everyone was especially excited about having kiwis. They were perfectly ripe which I guess is rare to find in Spain.

After dinner, I finished all my homework, hung out with the kids, and am now getting ready for classes tomorrow. It won't be too bad (2 classes in the morning 9-1:30 and a class in the afternoon 3:45-5:30) but I think I want to make myself a lunch so I don't have to spend more money on food. It gets expensive really fast (lunch is the one meal we have to fend for ourselves). We have some food in our room though so I can make a sandwich or something and grab a coffee or something rather than having to buy a full lunch.

Something that I keep forgetting to mention is that since being here, I dream every single night and remember all the details. Before I left, I hardly ever dreamed and if I did, I was lucky to remember anything that I dreamed of. I think that it's because I'm experiencing so many new things that it's got my mind going all the time. I think it's also because this is what I've dreamed of doing since I was little. I'm starting to try to do things for me now and not for anyone else and I think that's a big part of it. I've met a lot of people who say you could never do that or you shouldn't bother trying... I'm doing what I want to do no matter what anybody tells me. It's the most amazing feeling in the world to be doing something that I set out to do all by myself. I came to Barcelona because I wanted to come here not because my friends were doing it or because somebody told me I should. I was scared to death to come here by myself but I didn't and I couldn't have done it better. From now on, I'll do things for myself and not for anybody else.

I hope you appreciate the photos of food... my family here makes fun of me for taking pictures of everything. Anyways... I miss you guys :) besitos

Art Class with a Mad Man

Today was the first official day of classes. I woke up extra early so I could stop by the book store before my 9am class and still had to practically run. I made it with just seconds to spare and sat down in my first class "Barcelona: the Cosmopolitan City". The professor seems nice and although the subject isn't something that I'd usually really enjoy taking, it should at least be entertaining. I'm most excited about the field trips and glad that she says it's hard to get anything lower than an A. That always makes it easier if you're learning it more for yourself than for the grade.

My next class was a 7 credit spanish class which I've been doing since last week. Most of the kids in my class are cool and I really like the professor. She mainly teaches us stuff that we can use on the streets like the slang, common expressions, gestures they use all the time, and stuff about the culture as a heads up. We've talked about our host families and stuff that we thought were weird that they do, about the food we've been eating, and our homes in general. Today, we learned a lot of vocabulary about the human body and then went on to talk about expressions they use in regular conversation. That'll come in handy because sometimes my family here says things that do not translate at all like "he/she is taking your hair". In spanish, it means the same as our expression "he/she is pulling your leg"... good to know.

After class, I hopped on the metro and was thrilled to come home and find the house empty. Silence! I spent an hour just sitting in my room by myself drawing for a little bit and then going online. I was gladd to have a little me time today. Tomorrow should be even better if all goes as planned... I want to drop one of my classes that I'm in for a different one. If I can add a mon/wed class somewhere between 1:30 and 5:30 then I'll have thursdays off completely and just one class on tues 9am-10:30. We have a lot of fridays off because of optional trips with the study abroad program so that would give me 4 day weekends every couple of weeks... perfect for traveling!

At 5:30 I had an art class that I just picked up today. It was the one class that I really wanted to take but wasn't placed in up until this morning when I talked to someone from my program. Luckily, there was one spot left. Lola said if there wouldn't have been that I'd just have to "complain, complain, complain" and if that didn't work that she would. She thought it was absolutely outrageous that I couldn't get into the class that I wanted to. I'm so glad my host family is cool. I love them! Anyways, when I got to art class, I walked into the classroom to find a chubby man with a full beard and plaid shirt already waving his arms infront of the class. I sat down at the long white table with the other 16 kids and tuned into his lecture. He lectured for probably the first half of the class and after he was sure that we knew what he wanted from us, he handed out 8x11 sheets of paper. We all took two and started drawing the displays he set up in the middle of the table. Ours was a plastic water bottle filled with water and a bouquet of plastic flowers. On the table next to the makeshift vase was 3 plastic fruits... I guess it didn't really matter what it was that we were actually drawing since the whole lecture was on making things proportional. Soon after we started drawing, he walked to up behind a kid sitting 2 chairs away from me and asked something along the lines of who the chinese kid's name is. The kid sitting there turns around pissed and says that he's actually half philipino and half white. The teacher appologized and goes "I know, I should have said asian". I wonder if he realizes how bad he insulted that kid. Maybe that's considered okay to do in Spain but everyone else in the room had their jaws dropped to the floor. It was after that when he started yelling at this girl for not listening to a single word he said. He repeated many times that we should start with the basics and then add details worrrying only about proportion but she immediately went into the details. Then she gave him lip and he stood up and made a speech that if we didn't want to learn that we should get up and leave. It's funny that I like him. I guess I tend to like the professors that everyone else hates. I'm excited to be finally taking an art class even if he is crazy.

I got home from class at about 8 and was absolutely starving. Something smelled good so I had high hopes for something other than ham and was not disappointed. We first had some bread with olive oil and salt, a salad, and a "puree of pumpkin". It was basically pumpkin soup but it was delicious! The main course was some sort of fish that was really good! I ate like 4 big pieces on top of everything else. For dessert, we had fruit (like always) and some homeade cheesecake made by Lola herself. It was a really good night to come home hungry. Over dinner, the whole family sat down to teach us to random spanish expressions that I wasn't taught in class today. They're really good at helping us with our spanish... we practice what we learn every night at dinner. I'm learning a lot

Anyways, I'm going to pass out. I'm tired yo... and I have class tomorrow at 9am so I'd better get some sleep. I'll talk to you guys soon

Day at the Beach

Last night, I went out with a group of 5 of my closest friends here to this bar that is a very local spot. Everybody there was speaking in spanish except for us which I thought was awesome. It's good practice to be able to go out and talk with the locals and order drinks in spanish since some of my friends speak very little spanish so I can't speak it on a daily basis. The bar was called Forest of the Fairies or something like that and the inside is decorated like a fairie tail. Looking at the ceiling is like looking up into a tree canopy and there and mock-trees and flowers throughout the place. It was like walking into a story book. The only weird thing that we noticed was that there was no music but actually it was really nice because we found a table and talked for a few hours.

That bar closed at about 1:30 so we took a long walk through the city to a popular bar called Chupitos or "Shots". I swear that there is a wall of like 100 shots that they'll make for you so rather than picking one at random, we asked the bartender about her favorite. The first Alex and I tried together was an "orgasmo". The bartender made us turn around and face away from the bar and take the shot without looking back. As soon as we each took it, they put a head massager on our heads... it was weird but the shot tasted like chocolate. The second one that we had was a complete surprise... I don't even know what it was called. She handed us a skewer with a marshmallow on the end and suddenly starts a fire on the bar. Nicole, Alex, and I started roasting them over the fire until they were done, dipped them in our shots as instructed, drank them down, and then ate the marshmallow. That one was really good too. Other people from our group got the fire shot which they actually light on fire before you do it. My only complaint about the bar in general is that it is tiny! We hardly could move so after we each had 2, we left for a long walk home. Alex and I walked with Tony and Felipe back to our place and they only had a few blocks walk after dropping us off. Overall, it was a good but pretty chill night.

Today, Alex and I woke up at 11 for breakfast and then went back to bed about 2 hours afterwards because we were still exhausted. I don't know what it is but I am always exhausted here. It's probably just that we are constantly running around sight-seeing and I walk EVERYWHERE. I think that'll get better as I get used to it. If I keep it up, I'll be in awesome shape by the time that I get back to the states. I am really considering getting a membership for these bicycle rental stops rather than taking the subway everywhere. First of all, I'd be able to see a lot more of Barcelona, it's a lot better for me, and I think it would be cool to cut out the need to pay money to get some place. I think some of my friends think that I'm crazy but I think it would be awesome to ride a bike to class (all downhill :)) and walk home. I'd only have to pay for the initial membership fee and it's unlimited from there. Let me know if that sounds like a good idea or if I sound just crazy.

After waking up from a nap, I found that I had received a text from a friend saying that we should meet up. He said he was going to be at the Columbus Statue at 4 and that we should meet him there so then we could walk to the beach together. Alex and I met him there at 4 and walked to the boardwalk to meet up with Nicole and Tori. Port Vell is gorgeous! There are hundreds of sailboats with taller masts than I have ever seen. All over the boardwalk, there are palm trees, performers, and tons and tons of people. I'll have to go back with my camera when it's charged again to take pictures so you guys can see too. We got down to the ocean and the sun was starting to set. Needless to say, it was beautiful. You get a nice view of the city, the mountains, and the ocean all from the same spot. We stayed there for a long time looking at rocks, relaxing, and taking pictures. I think what I'm going to do from now on is to collect a single rock from each country/beach I go to and as much sea glass as I can find. I am considering making a mosaic when I get home with them.

The sun was just about done setting when we decided that we were all getting hungry so we found a restaurant close to the beach to get dinner from. Being that it was Sunday and that Sunday in the Hernandez house is traditional spanish food, I chose to get something familiar... Lasagna! It wasn't exactly what I'm used to but it was really good. The cheese was like nothing I've ever had before... sorta runny and almost white in color but it was delicious. Afterwards, we all left to make our ways back home so we could be there by 8 pm (dinner time in Spain). I was satisfied with how full I felt which I figured was a good thing. Dinner's always a big surprise and it's better to go in feeling full if you're not sure that you're going to like what's being served. We also have extra food in our room in case we have issues with the meal.

Dinner consisted of tortillas espan~oles (basically a patty of eggs and potatos), salad with bits of tuna, some sorta funky cheese, and my worst nightmare bits of what she calls ham. I think knowing what to expect as far as taste-wise helps because we were able to eat a little more than last time. Eating it sandwiched between pieces of bread or the egg helps a lot. Chasing it with a cucumber or something like that with a completely different taste tricks your taste buds long enough to let it go down. Three glasses of water were also a welcome part of my meal.

Now, I'm about to get ready for bed since the official first day of all classes is tomorrow. Afterwards, we're thinking that we'll take a walk down to the "Barrio Gotic" or the gothic neighborhood to see another market that's supposed to also be beautiful and Santa Maria del Mar Chapel. If I can, I'd also love to see the Sagrada Familia (another Gaudi masterpiece that's still under constuction) which I've been dying to see since I knew I was coming to Barcelona. It's another one of those things that you'll need pictures to understand so... those will soon come. For now, I'm going to get my stuff ready for classes and then go to bed. I'll talk to you all soon.

PICTURES!!!

I finally got the link up... click the picture below and it'll bring you to the picture website. There's A LOT! It took me all day to do so I hope you like them. Let me know what you think.

Miss you guys and love you! Talk to you soon

Also, if you get skype you can talk to me... my screen name is kellsbells30

My Pictures

Photobucket Album

Trying to put up some pics... Finally!

Hey all! I've finally put up all of my pics up on my computer and now it's just a matter of getting them on my blog. There are a lot! so I'm working on cutting them down and putting up the best ones but its going to take some time. You guys will finally understand why I feel like I'm dreaming... expecially when you see the pics of Park Guell. Gaudi must have been a nutcase to come up with something like it. You'll see :)

I miss you guys but you'll hear from me soon. Love you!

It won't let me upload more than that so that's just a teaser. I'm going to get a photobucket so you guys can look at all my pictures and it'll be a lot easier for me too

Long couple of days

I've only been here for just over week now but it seems like a month or more. I've got my suitcases (although one came back broken) finally so that's helped get me settled a lot but it's not quite home yet. It still feels a lot like vacation with all the site seeing and the walking we've been doing. My feet and ankles need a break! We've also had spanish class everyday this week which has had me up by 8:30 every morning. Now that it's finally the weekend, I'm going to sleep in at least one day so I can be ready to go again. I feel tired all the time but I think that's because it's the first week and they've had us running every single day since we've been here.

Besides all that, the other day Alex and I walked home from class together. It was a 40 minute walk or so (although I could have done it alone in a half an hour or less... she always complains that I walk to fast) but it was a gorgeous day (55 degrees and sunny :)) so I wasn't too frustrated with her. We stopped by a grocery store on the way home and picked up some food for our room. Lunch is the only meal we aren't provided with and eating out everyday gets too expensive so we're planning to start coming home to eat more often. The neighborhood is beautiful! I don't know how to explain it... everything from the McDonald's to the nicest hotel in the city deserves to have a picture taken of it. Everything is so put together. Everyone has balcony with iron railings and plants and flowers hanging out over them. Every building is made with bricks and stone rather than cheap material you see in the US. I'm taking lots of pictures which should be up soon but still not enough. You really have to come to see it. That night we took it easy with a meal of some sort of fish (something you have to get ready for if you ever come to Spain... they love seafood!) then bed. It was basically a catch-up day without any spectacular events.

Yesterday, we went to class in the morning and afterwards walked to Park Guell with some of my closest friends that I've met here so far (Nicole, Felipe, Tony). We stopped at a small cafe place to pick up sandwiches and wine (don't freak out lol... you're allowed to drink in the streets here. In fact, when we were walking around the park passing around a bottle, a cop we walked past just nodded at us and smiled). The park is like nothing you've ever seen in all of your life. It's designed by the architect Gaudi who's also designed a bunch of other buildings and stuff here in Barcelona but I can't help but think he was crazy for coming up with a place like Park Guell. It looks like it came straight from a dream. The entrance for example looks like a gingerbread house. Within are fountains, trails, lots of areas to eat and explore, and the longest bench in the world. I love seeing all the palm trees and cactus here. Who would have known that they would be able to survive in low temps around 30 or so (as cold as winter here gets). You should see the Spaniards tho... they are bundled up in 50 degree weather like someone in Chicago bundles up for going out in weather below zero. It's actually really funny to hear them complain about how crappy the weather is when it is 50 degrees and sunny. Anyways, we sat down, ate, and drank for awhile before taking a walk around. We first met a crazy hippie man selling jewelery on a blanket who talked to us for awhile in a mixture of Italian, Spanish, and English. I don't know that we would have understood a word he was saying if it weren't for my one friend who's also fluent in Italian. At the very least, he was a very nice man who gave us free necklaces for watching his stuff while he ran to talk to his wife. We also walked by a few performers including a violin player who's from the US but is bussing around Europe and the hippie man's wife who was singing and playing guitar in the center of the park.

Next, we headed up a huge hill to see "the greatest view of Barcelona that we'll ever see" and when we got to the top, we weren't disappointed. We could look over all of the city and even to the ocean. We took turns pointing out where we live, taking pictures, and sitting and talking for awhile before deciding that it was getting a little dark and walking back down. On the way out, we ran into a group of kids speaking english (you have no idea how excited you get here when you hear someone else speaking your language) and talked for long enough to find out that they were from Manchester, England. They were all about our age and really nice but only in Barcelona for one day so they asked us what was a good bar to go to here in the city. We offered to meet up with them latter and show them around which they agreed to and then we all parted.

Tony, Alex and I walked together back to our apartments (lots of walking!) and talked and took even more pictures along the way. One thing that I'm realizing more and more that is different about Europe is that constuction and remodeling is not something that is hidden behind curtains or anything like that. You can practically walk right through a construction site with no problem what-so-ever. I was even taking pictures of that because like I said absolutely everything here is beautiful. Tony says he wants to take a full day with me just to walk around and take pictures because I'm inspiring or something like that. He says he never knows what to take pictures of but that I have an eye for it. We also talked about my ambitious plan to run a half marathon and he says that he'd help me train. We're going to start running in Park Guell together so he can coach me and keep me motivated. He took a psychology class on excercise or something of that sort and wants to be a coach someday so it's also good practice for him. Another thing that's much more popular in Europe is riding a motorcycle. They are everywhere! Just about everybody and their uncle drives one and they are parked everywhere including in the sidewalks. I can't imagine being a truck driver or something like that here trying to avoid hitting the motorcyclists.

That night, we met the english kids out infront of the Hard Rock Cafe in the center of the town. We went to the bar "L'ovella Negra" or the Black Sheep and sat there for hours getting to know the kids. They were hilarious and extremely nice so we stayed out until 3 in the morning talking and laughing before deciding that we all needed to go to bed. They had to be at the airport by 6 so I think that was a good choice on their part too. We got home and crashed almost immediately but we're more than glad we went since now if we ever want to go to England, we have a place to stay.

Today started with class (again!), lunch afterwards with Alex and my friend Paul, and then a walk around the big outdoor marketplace here. Lunch was outside on the street just off the main stretch in Barcelona. We ate a very traditional spanish meal of tapas, paella (rice with bits of veggies, seafood, and meat throughout) and a cup of Sangria (wine with fruit in it). Today marks the first day I've ever tried clams, mussels, shrimp (legs, antennae, head and tail still attached), squid, or octopus. I won't go as far as to say that I'll order them next time I go out but I guess they were worth a shot.

Afterwards, we went to "La Boqueria" that sells everything from chocolate to bunny which they eat here. We walked past stand after stand after stand with fruit, meat, fish, candy, wine, and nuts. It's really pretty so I took lots of pictures but I bet you could drop a lot of money there (especially at the candy stand). The closest thing I've ever seen to it in the states is the fish market in Seattle but even that doesn't quite do it. I managed not to spend any money today on it but I guarantee I'll be back there soon to buy some candy and gifts for my people back home.

We came home and slept after that before going out again with our R.A. Pablo who basically makes sure that we're doing okay in our homestays. We met a bunch of kids from the study abroad program who also live in the area and drank and ate at a local bar. We were going to go to see Flamenco dancing before Pablo realized that there were so many of us coming but I think I'll definitely have to check it out another night. It's supposed to be awesome with a professional dancer and live music. I'll let you know how that goes when I finally get over there.

Anyways, I'll try to be better with updating this daily. I've been running all the time so I keep on putting it off but now I'm regretting that since this now took me twice as long as I hoped it would. I'm going to bed now but I'll have pictures up tomorrow. It's on my to do list! Love you guys and miss you lots! Talk to you soon!

ps. Leave some comments so I can get your reactions too. I'd also love to hear about what's going on in the states and how you guys like freezing your butts off while I run around warm in a sweatshirt here :P

Besalu and Vic, Barcelona Night Life, and Interesting Spanish Cuisine

Alex and I went shopping on Friday after her orientation ended and before mine started. She was looking for a over the shoulder bag that zips (harder for pickpockets) and I was looking for something to wear since I still didn't have my bags (and still don't... ugh!). We both found what we were looking for at a store called Zara and I only spent 20 euros on some pants and a cute top. After that we had lunch at a little sandwich shop where we talked for probably 2 hours or so before I had to go to orientation. Restaurants aren't much different from the US except that it is not customary to tip unless they do outstandingly well (even then you'de only give 5-10%) and when you are ready to go you have to actually ask for the bill rather than them waiting just until you are done eating and rush you out of there.

Orientation was relatively boring... most of the information we already knew because we have brochures with all the same information. I did meet a girl though but since I suck at names I don't remember her's but she's from LA like a lot of other girls in the program. There are also a lot of people here from Chicago, Penn State, and the University of IL. So far most of the people I meet are cool but there's also a lot of spoiled, high maintenance brats... I'll just avoid them :)

After I got home, I took a three hour nap (my siesta) and woke up to dinner. We had a salad with bits of fish with oil and a little salt, pasta with bits of hot dogs, and more fruit. Only the kids, Alex, and I sit down for dinner together. Lola and Carlos (not Pablo.. name confusion) sit down to dinner just the two of them when we are done. That's different than the US and somthing I have to get used to. After dinner, Lucia, Elena, and I talked and I told her about some of the pets I have back at home (how do you describe a ferret?). They have a parakeet, a bunny named Espoti (aka Spotty in English), Turtles, Fish, and Enrique has a pet snake. I couldn't keep Elena's attention for long though since she just started reading Twighlight in Spanish.

My dad called a little before midnight and I basically updated him on missing suitcases and stuff. I was also glad to talk to my mom for awhile after she got home from work. It was nice to hear some familiar voices. They had nothing new to tell me except that they got a clock for the family room with Chicago and Barcelona time so they know when to call me and when not to. After hanging up, I passed out almost as soon as I hit the pillow.

Yesterday, we went on a trip into the mountains to see the towns of Besalú and Vic. We got tours all in Spanish with a thick spanish accent but I think I understood quite a bit of it. I had to wake up at 7 to be at the buses by 8 and was planning on just grabbing something and running out the door, but instead I ran into the kitchen to find Lola making me breakfast. I scarfed everything down and ran out the door thinking for sure that I'd miss the bus but we didn't end up leaving until 8:30 waiting for people who were even later than I was. We drove out of the city and up through the mountains (which remind me of the foot hills outside of Denver) to get to our first stop Besalú. I'm posting pictures since I can't begin to describe to you what I saw. In the pictures you'll see chairs mounted to walls which the people I met on the trip and I thought were hilarious but I'm not sure why they were mounted to the walls. There was also another that was a good 8 feet tall or so.

After that, we headed to Vic which was further out in the mountains. I didn't like it quite as much as Besalú but the cathedral there was beyond incredible. My camera started to die at this point so there's only a few pictures of the inside but it's the only one like it in the world... completely unique. I don't know if the pictures do it justice but at least you'll have an idea. From the outside it looked like nothing so everybody's jaws dropped to the floor when they walked in. We also got the chance to sit down for lunch in Vic (a full 2 and a half hours!). I met up with 3 kids named Nicole, Filipe, and Tony afterwards and we went to this small family owned and operated restaurant. It was a completely random choice but ultimately good deal with 2 courses, dessert, a coffee, juice, and another drink of your choice for 12 euros whether that drink was wine, beer or whatever. Lunch is their biggest meal of the day here so don't be shocked by all the food. I had peach juice, a spinach crepe which was my favorite part unlike anything else I've ever had, a variety of meat with beans for the second plate, some puffy thing with fruit in the middle for dessert, and coffee (made extremely strong... you should have seen the packet of sugar it came with despite that the cup was so small that you could only grip with 2 fingers). After that, we sat and talked for probably 2 hours before heading back to the rest of the group. It is so nice to just sit and relax rather than knowing you only have an hour or so for lunch like in the US.

We got back to Barcelona at about 6:30 but with a GIANT protest going on in the center of town, we had to take the round about way through an outrageous amount of traffic until they finally decided we weren't going to be able to make it into the center of town. If you think you've seen protests in the US, you haven't seen anything like it unless you were part of the civil rights movement. There were thousands of people marching through the center of town with flags and banners and signs, chanting protests against some war, and standing ontop of newspaper stands and stuff. Helicopters were buzzing overhead while police stood by in case things went bad with squad cars and police vans. Anybody who wasn't involved in it was mostly just walking by like it was relatively normal or walking closer (chances are that they were tourists) to snap pictures or join in. The program leaders kept telling us how they were sure it was safe but then continued to warn us that we should not join no matter what. A few of us walked to the center to see if we could pick up our suitcases that had been lost but came back empty handed. The program center wasn't open probably because of the protest.

I went home frustrated about my suitcase and upset when I realized that if IES had closed on Saturday and not gotten my suitcase delivered, that I'd have to wait until Monday. I'm so tired of wearing the same rotation of clothes and not having my webcam, or having my toiletries to clean up with. I feel bad having to borrow everything from my host famliy and roomate. On top of that I had a sore throat (probably because of traveling) and was exhausted from the day. Staying in was really tempting but my roomie and a couple friends dragged me out of the house. I didn't think anything else could get to me so I agreed, got ready, and went out just to realize that my debit card wouldn't work. All I had was 8 euros but I convinced myself that now, nothing else bad really could happen unless I am the unluckiest person in the world.

A group of about 10 of us went to this irish bar (maybe it improve my luck ;)) and I ordered my first legal drink ever, Malibu with pineapple juice. It was delicious! We basically sat back and relaxed for awhile and talked and took in the sights. There was a group of a ton of guys belting out every song that came on (American music like "Uptown Girl" which they played multiple times, "We are the Champions" and stuff like that). Another group was chanting "We are hull" over and over again in the back of the bar but even after asking them what hull is, I still don't know what exactly it means (crazy English dudes!).

Next, we decided to go to a club a few blocks of the way from the bar. We tried to make it there by 2am so we could get in free but ended up being like 5 minutes late. There was no way in hell we were about to pay 15 euros to get into the club so instead, a couple of the girls in the group worked some magic and got all 6 of us (4 girls and 2 guys) who wanted in for free with just a little bit of charming the bouncer. The rest of the line ended up having to pay :) Alex bought me a vodka cranberry and we danced all the way up until 4am. It was all european techno but we really did have a blast and felt good about it having not spent a dime to get in. My only complaint about it was the smoking. It's been a year since all of Chicago and many places in the US went smoke-free so coming home reeking like smoke sucks and I'm not used to that yet. The cooler thing about spanish culture is that when you meet a new person, rather than shaking hands, a kiss on each cheek is your introduction. In my opinion, that's a lot cooler than our hand shake in the US.

Today was the first time that I actually took it easy and slept off the jet lag. Alex and I woke up at 8:30 for breakfast but at about noon, we jumped back into bed and passed out until 4. At that point, I woke up and showered but got out still feeling pretty crappy from the cold I probably caught on the airplane so I went back to sleep. I'm hoping it doesn't last long and that it's just a little bit of a sore throat from the stress and lack of sleep. Besides sleep, I mostly was getting the few things I have settled in and taking it easier before spanish classes start tomorrow. I also went to watch the kids play in the family room for a little bit. They've got a Wii but were playing games I've never seen before. The cutest part was that when one of them was playing and getting close to winning, they all started jumping up and down for her and Carlos and Lola came from the other side of the house to watch too. They are really a cute family.

Dinner was interesting but extremely tough to stomach. When you hear Spanish ham, most of you probably expect something similar to the ham we eat in the US. You have no idea. Lola put out 4 different kinds of meat for us to try but I can't tell you what they all were. The smell was absolutely disgusting... probably worse than anything else I've ever smelled and trying to eat them was torture. I honestly thought I was going to puke all over their table. At one point, Lola came to check in on us to see how we were and felt the need to show us where she got one of the meats from and pull a pig leg out from the opposite side of the kitchen (a gift from her mother and her absolute favorite). You could clearly see where she had scraped pieces from the leg and served up on the plate. I'm really glad she didn't show us where the others came from but we had a full plate and she asked that we try them all and report back which we liked the best so we could have it again. Every single one made us gag so ultimately it was which one we could best cover up by chasing it with bread or water or whatever else was on our plates. I felt bad for not finishing the whole plate but I think leaving leftovers is better than throwing up everything. At least they enjoyed the leftovers. After we assured Lola we were done and pick out the one that was most bearable, she popped a piece of pig leg in her mouth like it was candy saying that it was her absolute favorite. When we offered a piece to Enrique, he did the exact same thing looking all excited and thanking us like we had given him a piece of bubble gum. I can't believe that someone would enjoy eating this kind of stuff. These spaniards must have really screwed up taste buds. Up until now, I've had no problem eating everything on my plate but after tonight, I'm nervous about what she'll bring out tomorrow.