Today was the day to relax and catch up from all the travel. Thankfully my dad brought me a book that I've found very interesting and have been reading throughout my travel here before I sleep. (They are reading it Sunday nights at the Kannemans).
We woke up about 11:30 and got ready and took the metro to the beach, Barceloneta. We slept on the beach for a while and just enjoyed the beautiful water and serene day best we could.
When we finally decided to leave we walked around the Barri Gothic (Gothic Quarter) for a little bit and saw some plazas and fountains. We walked back to Las Ramblas and back to our hostel.
Tonight we made our own dinner again to save some money for all that we spent this weekend between food, the metro, and entertainment! Tonight we have to leave and take the Barcelona Bus to the airport at 3:30 am...don't think that will be my favorite part!
Sunday, March 28, 2010
3/27
We made today our Gaudi tour day! Our friend from Sevilla, Meaghan, got into Barcelona today and is staying in the hostel with us. Meaghan, Brittany, Evie, and I all decided to walk around and see the various Gaudi architecture (without entering because it was too expensive!) We saw Casa Milau (would have been about 15 euro to go in), Casa Bilba (about 12 euro) from the outside.
We next headed out to the Sagrada Familia the giant church that Gaudi is most known for. It was very impressive from the outside (the result of more than 100 years of work!) but we didn't go inside. The church is unfinished and uses the funds it gets from visitors to continue the work. Gaudi died in 1926 and it is still a work in progress!!
After Sagrada Familia we bought Subway (the sub of the day footlong was still equivalent to 8 US dollars!) and took the metro to Park Guell which is the only Gaudi architecture that is free! It was very beautiful and impressive. His work is curvy and unique with a lot of mosaic work. There is also a bridge under which rocks are hanging...seeming as if they might fall on you at any moment.
When we were done with the park we went to the hostel and decided to cook our own food tonight. There was pasta (leftover from someone else) and we bought some spaghetti sauce and salad ingredients to make a cheap cheap and delicious meal. After dinner we decided to go to Opium a club that is literally right on the beach (you can sit outside under umbrellas and see the beach).
All in all it was a SPECTACULAR day apart from my pickpocketing experience. I don't look forward to remembering it but someone stole my camera out of my purse without me even noticing. Talk about upseting...I feel miserable for it but there is nothing I can do.
We next headed out to the Sagrada Familia the giant church that Gaudi is most known for. It was very impressive from the outside (the result of more than 100 years of work!) but we didn't go inside. The church is unfinished and uses the funds it gets from visitors to continue the work. Gaudi died in 1926 and it is still a work in progress!!
After Sagrada Familia we bought Subway (the sub of the day footlong was still equivalent to 8 US dollars!) and took the metro to Park Guell which is the only Gaudi architecture that is free! It was very beautiful and impressive. His work is curvy and unique with a lot of mosaic work. There is also a bridge under which rocks are hanging...seeming as if they might fall on you at any moment.
When we were done with the park we went to the hostel and decided to cook our own food tonight. There was pasta (leftover from someone else) and we bought some spaghetti sauce and salad ingredients to make a cheap cheap and delicious meal. After dinner we decided to go to Opium a club that is literally right on the beach (you can sit outside under umbrellas and see the beach).
All in all it was a SPECTACULAR day apart from my pickpocketing experience. I don't look forward to remembering it but someone stole my camera out of my purse without me even noticing. Talk about upseting...I feel miserable for it but there is nothing I can do.
3/26
FRIDAY! We woke up and got the free breakfast that the hostel was offering us of cereal and toast. It wasn't too bad and I got 2 glasses of orange juice as well. Our hostel is decorated nicely with murals of the Mediterranean Sea and other hanging decorations remniscint of the sea. We are staying in a mixed dorm with 16 beds (16 other people, mostly girls but some guys too). It was the cheapest option, we are staying here for 54 euro for 4 nights.
Brittany and I started to walk around and found an amazing fountain to take a few pictures at, and got to see Las Ramblas during the day. Las Ramblas is a street with many vendors and street artist along it. There were people who sounded just like birds, caricature artists, pet vendors, food vendors, human statues, and much more.
We decided right away (actually not right away, Brittany and I are both very indecisive so it took quite a bit of walking and questioning before we decided) to see the beach! We took the metro to Drassanes which lead right up to the enormous Colombus Monument at the harbor. The harbor was completely full of all kinds of sailboats and was GORGEOUS! The water was so blue and so was the sky, it was incredible! We walked along the harbor and then eventually reached the beach (Barceloneta) seeing many monuments and interesting architecture along the way.
We stopped for a very early dinner (5 pm) on our way to a park from the beach. We got another three course meal for 10 euro. I got salad, ternero (bull) and cake. The bull tasted exactly like pot roast with potatoes and veggies to go with it. After we were refreshed we continued on to the Citadel Park where we saw a Gaudi Fountain (Gaudi Cascada) that was breathtaking. It is enormous in size with many different fountains comprising the entire waterwork. There are golden statues on top of an architectural piece that complete the scene.
We took the metro home and then met up with a girl we had met in our hostel named Evie. Brittany, Evie and I all went to a place called Travel Bar where we met up with a bunch of others going on a "pub crawl" where we get to see about 4 Barcelona nightlife places in one night. We went to a couple different places including Chupitos, and then the club Catwalk that was right on the beach!
Brittany and I started to walk around and found an amazing fountain to take a few pictures at, and got to see Las Ramblas during the day. Las Ramblas is a street with many vendors and street artist along it. There were people who sounded just like birds, caricature artists, pet vendors, food vendors, human statues, and much more.
We decided right away (actually not right away, Brittany and I are both very indecisive so it took quite a bit of walking and questioning before we decided) to see the beach! We took the metro to Drassanes which lead right up to the enormous Colombus Monument at the harbor. The harbor was completely full of all kinds of sailboats and was GORGEOUS! The water was so blue and so was the sky, it was incredible! We walked along the harbor and then eventually reached the beach (Barceloneta) seeing many monuments and interesting architecture along the way.
We stopped for a very early dinner (5 pm) on our way to a park from the beach. We got another three course meal for 10 euro. I got salad, ternero (bull) and cake. The bull tasted exactly like pot roast with potatoes and veggies to go with it. After we were refreshed we continued on to the Citadel Park where we saw a Gaudi Fountain (Gaudi Cascada) that was breathtaking. It is enormous in size with many different fountains comprising the entire waterwork. There are golden statues on top of an architectural piece that complete the scene.
We took the metro home and then met up with a girl we had met in our hostel named Evie. Brittany, Evie and I all went to a place called Travel Bar where we met up with a bunch of others going on a "pub crawl" where we get to see about 4 Barcelona nightlife places in one night. We went to a couple different places including Chupitos, and then the club Catwalk that was right on the beach!
3/25
Class today was torture! All Brittany and I could think about for the entire class time was Barcelona, Barca, Barca, Barca!!! When our class ended at 11 am we headed straight for the bus stop because a bus was coming at 11:15 and our flight took off at 1:35.
We made it to the airport where there was a crazy amount of people waiting for our flight! Fortunately we were near the front of the line so we got good seats on the plane (Ryanair is open seating). I had my backpack and another bag of food including chocolate donuts that I had to disguise with my jacket and they barely made it on (you can only have ONE bag including a purse onboard and it has to be very small!)
We arrived at the Girona Airport about an hour and fifteen minutes outside of Barcelona and got roundtrip bus tickets for 21 euro. We rode the bus into town and then wandered the city for about an hour looking for our hostel and peeping in shops and stores. We arrived at Barcelona Mar Hostel and settled in before heading out again to get dinner.
We went to Chuquito (on Las Ramblas) and got a three course meal! We started out with some tapas of meatballs, chicken wings, and beef followed by chicken paella. I realized for the first time that my Senora has made me chicken paella lots of times, I just had not realized it because it is essentially just a casserole of meat, rice, and possibly some veggies. For our dessert we got tiramisu! The entire meal was very good but a bit pricey.
After dinner we went to a club called Guru and danced all night long! It was not very good but it was close to our hostel and an easy walk after a day of traveling. We met some people from Amsterdam and they taught me a phrase that I will say to Nel when I visit there in April ("Thank you for letting me stay with you").
We made it to the airport where there was a crazy amount of people waiting for our flight! Fortunately we were near the front of the line so we got good seats on the plane (Ryanair is open seating). I had my backpack and another bag of food including chocolate donuts that I had to disguise with my jacket and they barely made it on (you can only have ONE bag including a purse onboard and it has to be very small!)
We arrived at the Girona Airport about an hour and fifteen minutes outside of Barcelona and got roundtrip bus tickets for 21 euro. We rode the bus into town and then wandered the city for about an hour looking for our hostel and peeping in shops and stores. We arrived at Barcelona Mar Hostel and settled in before heading out again to get dinner.
We went to Chuquito (on Las Ramblas) and got a three course meal! We started out with some tapas of meatballs, chicken wings, and beef followed by chicken paella. I realized for the first time that my Senora has made me chicken paella lots of times, I just had not realized it because it is essentially just a casserole of meat, rice, and possibly some veggies. For our dessert we got tiramisu! The entire meal was very good but a bit pricey.
After dinner we went to a club called Guru and danced all night long! It was not very good but it was close to our hostel and an easy walk after a day of traveling. We met some people from Amsterdam and they taught me a phrase that I will say to Nel when I visit there in April ("Thank you for letting me stay with you").
3/24
Today was the day! I took two exams (4 hours of essay tests!) for my movie classes that were essay writing. When I was finished I was too pooped to sit another two hours in my third class so I just decided to go home and get lunch (I also had forgotten to ask my Senora for a bocadillo so I would have had to starve and wait til dinner at 9!).
I barely made it home in time to eat lunch and then Mary and I went and sat by the river to lay out. We laid by the Torre Del Oro wearing shorts (and people looked at us like we were crazy because to them it is still cold!)
At some point it started to rain so we quickly ran into McDonald's to escape the bad weather. I got a Cono Kit Kat and Mary got a fruit yogurt. We waited out the rain and then went home.
I went to sleep for about 3 hours because I suddenly started feeling very sick. When I woke up at about 9 pm I went upstairs for the pasta dinner and started to feel a little better after a while. I went to bed early so that I would be prepared for Barcelona tomorrow!
I barely made it home in time to eat lunch and then Mary and I went and sat by the river to lay out. We laid by the Torre Del Oro wearing shorts (and people looked at us like we were crazy because to them it is still cold!)
At some point it started to rain so we quickly ran into McDonald's to escape the bad weather. I got a Cono Kit Kat and Mary got a fruit yogurt. We waited out the rain and then went home.
I went to sleep for about 3 hours because I suddenly started feeling very sick. When I woke up at about 9 pm I went upstairs for the pasta dinner and started to feel a little better after a while. I went to bed early so that I would be prepared for Barcelona tomorrow!
3/23
After the usual 9 am class I headed over to the API office to type up some stuff (notes from my movie classes) and print it out. I also printed out the plane and train tickets for this weekend with Brittany. I looked up some google maps from bus stations (from the airport) to hostels and from hostels to train stations. I printed that out as well and then hurried home just in time for lunch.
Following lunch I walked over to the riverside to study for my two tests for Wednesday. I sat for a while reading them over when suddenly a bellbottom (city worker with funky pants) rode up on his bicycle, offered me an orange tree flower, and continually tried to engage me in conversation. I made it very clear that I was trying to study! We talked for a while which was fine, but I still needed to study so I left! I went home to study and relax until 8:30 when I met up with my second intercambio Dani to go to the Sevilla FC game! We met at the Puerta de Jerez metro station to head out!
The game turned out to be a lot of fun. Sevilla played Xerez (Xerez colors are blue and Sevilla is red). My intercambio brought this scarf thing that you are supposed to wave and chant when Sevilla is winning. The far end of the stadium contained people who stood on their seats for the ENTIRE game chanting and singing cheers for Sevilla, which was interesting to watch. Sevilla made a goal on a foul but within the last 2 minutes of the game Xerez scored and we tied!
Following lunch I walked over to the riverside to study for my two tests for Wednesday. I sat for a while reading them over when suddenly a bellbottom (city worker with funky pants) rode up on his bicycle, offered me an orange tree flower, and continually tried to engage me in conversation. I made it very clear that I was trying to study! We talked for a while which was fine, but I still needed to study so I left! I went home to study and relax until 8:30 when I met up with my second intercambio Dani to go to the Sevilla FC game! We met at the Puerta de Jerez metro station to head out!
The game turned out to be a lot of fun. Sevilla played Xerez (Xerez colors are blue and Sevilla is red). My intercambio brought this scarf thing that you are supposed to wave and chant when Sevilla is winning. The far end of the stadium contained people who stood on their seats for the ENTIRE game chanting and singing cheers for Sevilla, which was interesting to watch. Sevilla made a goal on a foul but within the last 2 minutes of the game Xerez scored and we tied!
3/22
EXAM PREP! On Wednesday I have 2 midterms (in both of my movie classes) so today we discussed the movies we had watched and their themes and other details in my Contemporary Spanish Cinema class.
Later in my Image of Spain cinema class we watched a new movie (not on the Wednesday test). It was ridiculous. I still can't decide if I liked it or not. The movie was called "Abre Los Ojos" which means "open your eyes." You can find a synopsis of the video here.
In my last class we did something we had been waiting the first two months for....we went to the Archiva de Indias! The Archiva de Indias is a place that holds the maps and letters that the Conquistadores sent back to their mother land. Turns out that our teacher worked there for 12(?) years! He was very excited to take us around and show us everything (that he is an expert on). Going to the Archivas was a cumulation of everything that we have learned so far in the class. One interesting thing that I noted was the simpleness of the maps. All the maps look like child's drawings with trees and ships colored in with pencils (or crayons!).
After class, I met with a second intercambio who had been emailing me (named Dani). We went to the pizzeria and shared a pepperoni since I was so hungry! We went to the Joyeria (jewelry store) where I bought some earrings but they had broken! He helped me ask them to fix them so now they are in the shop getting repaired. After that we went to El Corte Ingles to get a computer cord that he needed. We switched back and forth between English and Spanish the whole time. On the side of the road we saw a beggar with signs saying..."por vino," "cerveza"...etc. which meant for alcohol, and there was another sign that said, "por lo menos, sincero" which Dani taught me means "at least I'm honest"....he also said to use al menos instead. Now I use it all the time!.......at least I'm honest....
Later in my Image of Spain cinema class we watched a new movie (not on the Wednesday test). It was ridiculous. I still can't decide if I liked it or not. The movie was called "Abre Los Ojos" which means "open your eyes." You can find a synopsis of the video here.
In my last class we did something we had been waiting the first two months for....we went to the Archiva de Indias! The Archiva de Indias is a place that holds the maps and letters that the Conquistadores sent back to their mother land. Turns out that our teacher worked there for 12(?) years! He was very excited to take us around and show us everything (that he is an expert on). Going to the Archivas was a cumulation of everything that we have learned so far in the class. One interesting thing that I noted was the simpleness of the maps. All the maps look like child's drawings with trees and ships colored in with pencils (or crayons!).
After class, I met with a second intercambio who had been emailing me (named Dani). We went to the pizzeria and shared a pepperoni since I was so hungry! We went to the Joyeria (jewelry store) where I bought some earrings but they had broken! He helped me ask them to fix them so now they are in the shop getting repaired. After that we went to El Corte Ingles to get a computer cord that he needed. We switched back and forth between English and Spanish the whole time. On the side of the road we saw a beggar with signs saying..."por vino," "cerveza"...etc. which meant for alcohol, and there was another sign that said, "por lo menos, sincero" which Dani taught me means "at least I'm honest"....he also said to use al menos instead. Now I use it all the time!.......at least I'm honest....
Sunday, March 21, 2010
3/21
Today can be summed up with one sentence: I discovered all that I was missing in the past month and a half in one day. Talk about a revelation.
Got up at the crack of dawn to walk my dad to the bus station and send him off, that was sad, I miss his company already.
Then I went back to sleep for a bit before getting ready and heading to Parque Maria Luisa just before 11 am. In the park there was a cute little flower market today and an orchestra tuning up for a concert in the park at noon. I met my new intercambio Ricardo and his friend Veatriz. I had such a great time talking with them (in Spanish) because I could understand them perfectly and felt comfortable enough to talk!
We went to a little table outside and sat and talked and drank coffee. They are going to show me around for Semana Santa and hopefully next time that we meet we will play Spanish pictionary to help me improve my vocabulary :)
I went home and made some delicious nachos for lunch and started to work on my blog (I had a lot of catching up to do since I was so busy this weekend with my dad) until I had to leave to meet Sarah, Carrie, and Ariel to walk to church. We decided to go to a different church tonight that had a 6:30 pm service.
The church turned out to be incredibly far away (at least 45-50 minutes walking from my house!...and that was at a very very brisk pace!) but incredibly worth it! The music was great, the people were great, and the sermon was great...not to mention the snacks afterword...but that's not what sold me! It just so happened that about 5 or so other kids from my program had been attending there as well which was cool to see them!
Tonight I treated myself to a pepperoni pizza (which I heated in the microwave at home) that I expected to be great. It wasn't too wonderful, but it was sustenance for the evening.
Got up at the crack of dawn to walk my dad to the bus station and send him off, that was sad, I miss his company already.
Then I went back to sleep for a bit before getting ready and heading to Parque Maria Luisa just before 11 am. In the park there was a cute little flower market today and an orchestra tuning up for a concert in the park at noon. I met my new intercambio Ricardo and his friend Veatriz. I had such a great time talking with them (in Spanish) because I could understand them perfectly and felt comfortable enough to talk!
We went to a little table outside and sat and talked and drank coffee. They are going to show me around for Semana Santa and hopefully next time that we meet we will play Spanish pictionary to help me improve my vocabulary :)
I went home and made some delicious nachos for lunch and started to work on my blog (I had a lot of catching up to do since I was so busy this weekend with my dad) until I had to leave to meet Sarah, Carrie, and Ariel to walk to church. We decided to go to a different church tonight that had a 6:30 pm service.
The church turned out to be incredibly far away (at least 45-50 minutes walking from my house!...and that was at a very very brisk pace!) but incredibly worth it! The music was great, the people were great, and the sermon was great...not to mention the snacks afterword...but that's not what sold me! It just so happened that about 5 or so other kids from my program had been attending there as well which was cool to see them!
Tonight I treated myself to a pepperoni pizza (which I heated in the microwave at home) that I expected to be great. It wasn't too wonderful, but it was sustenance for the evening.
Quiero escuchar tu dulce voz
rompiendo el silencio en mi ser
se que me haria estremecer
me haria llorar o reir
y caeria rendido ante Tí
I want to hear your sweet voice
breaking the silence in my being,
it would make me tremble,
would make me cry or laugh
and I would fall down prostrate before you.
3/20
To Malaga! We caught an 8:30 am bus to arrive in Malaga at about 11 am. The entire ride was gorgeous with beautiful mountain views (though we slept through most of it). We were hoping for a sunny beach day, but no such luck. Despite the clouds we were able to have a wonderful day touring the city and being together.
When we got to the train station/mall we decided to buy a "Tour Malaga" pass wo we could hop and off of the bus as we pleased. We were also able to ride on the open top and listen to the tour guide through earphones that were included!
One of the first good looking stops was the beach Malagueta. Unfortunately due to the cool weather and lack of sun we decided to skip out on the beach today.
When we got to the Gibralfaro stop we decided to hop off. This stop was at the top of a beautiful mountain outside of a castle entrance. Castillo Gibralfaro is situated at the top of a mountain and has a pleasant path that leads down the the famous Alcazaba. The Castillo had a bunch of paths within the castle walls which made for a great sight of the city below. The first picture depicts this and the following pictures show views of fountains and other city buildings including the bull ring.
We continued on our way which was cool because we saw some interesting architecture like the castle turrets and huge walls with arches. We went on a part that was like a tower at the end, but dad couldn't fit in without ducking, he was too tall! On our way down to the Alcazaba from the Castillo dad was very fascinated with the giant cacti the grew all around!
We walked down the path to the Alcazaba and met some guys from my school in Sevilla (who were also American). In fact, one of them was in my Contemporary Spanish Cinema class and I didn't even realize it. We looked around for a while but we were both a bit tired of walking already from the Castillo. We sat down and then dad said "Ok, we got to get going, this is embarrassing that these little kids can go faster than I can" when he saw some young children running up the hill!
We walked a little ways once we exited Alcazaba so we could catch the part of the bus tour that we would miss if we had gotten on the bus at the Alcazaba exit.
We got off the bus again at the Picasso Museum exit and headed in. Dad really liked how in the pamphlet it stated "when one thinks of Picasso's art--an art made with the assertive expressiveness of the hand of a five-year old." The cubist effect is neat because, as we were taught in the El Prado Museo Madrid by our guide, it combines all the desired aspects of something 3-D into the 2-D. The only downside is, that it does look like a five-year old drawing :)
We also just so happened to walk past where I might have been if I had chosen to study in Malaga instead of Sevilla--Universidad de Malaga. We also got a good view of the outside of the Cathedral but didn't go inside.
Right before the bus stop we hopped into a cafe to try some Malaga wine. It turned out to be a sweet sherry that tasted like raisins. It was good along with the oranges I had bought from El Corte Ingles. It was drizzling the slightest bit so we were able to stay away until our bus came!
We took the bus back to the station and arrived back in Sevilla at about 8 pm. We decided to run to my apartment and his to change and freshen up and then we went out to dinner at a place near his apartment called Atahualpa. It was Argentinian food and right off the bat we got good service and good food. I would venture to say it was my favorite Spanish meal thus far! The camarero (waiter) brought us fresh warm bread and succulent green olives. We ordered a skillet of meat for two and the camerero brought it out to us on a cutting board darkened on the outside but not the inside. When we cut up the meat we could dip the meat in the scalding juices on the skillet to cook it to the desired temperature, rare, medium rare, well....that we wanted. It also included french fries and we got a blueberry cheesecake when we were finished! We went back to dad's apartment and skyped mom for a bit before hitting the hay.
When we got to the train station/mall we decided to buy a "Tour Malaga" pass wo we could hop and off of the bus as we pleased. We were also able to ride on the open top and listen to the tour guide through earphones that were included!
One of the first good looking stops was the beach Malagueta. Unfortunately due to the cool weather and lack of sun we decided to skip out on the beach today.
When we got to the Gibralfaro stop we decided to hop off. This stop was at the top of a beautiful mountain outside of a castle entrance. Castillo Gibralfaro is situated at the top of a mountain and has a pleasant path that leads down the the famous Alcazaba. The Castillo had a bunch of paths within the castle walls which made for a great sight of the city below. The first picture depicts this and the following pictures show views of fountains and other city buildings including the bull ring.
We continued on our way which was cool because we saw some interesting architecture like the castle turrets and huge walls with arches. We went on a part that was like a tower at the end, but dad couldn't fit in without ducking, he was too tall! On our way down to the Alcazaba from the Castillo dad was very fascinated with the giant cacti the grew all around!
We walked down the path to the Alcazaba and met some guys from my school in Sevilla (who were also American). In fact, one of them was in my Contemporary Spanish Cinema class and I didn't even realize it. We looked around for a while but we were both a bit tired of walking already from the Castillo. We sat down and then dad said "Ok, we got to get going, this is embarrassing that these little kids can go faster than I can" when he saw some young children running up the hill!
We walked a little ways once we exited Alcazaba so we could catch the part of the bus tour that we would miss if we had gotten on the bus at the Alcazaba exit.
We got off the bus again at the Picasso Museum exit and headed in. Dad really liked how in the pamphlet it stated "when one thinks of Picasso's art--an art made with the assertive expressiveness of the hand of a five-year old." The cubist effect is neat because, as we were taught in the El Prado Museo Madrid by our guide, it combines all the desired aspects of something 3-D into the 2-D. The only downside is, that it does look like a five-year old drawing :)
We also just so happened to walk past where I might have been if I had chosen to study in Malaga instead of Sevilla--Universidad de Malaga. We also got a good view of the outside of the Cathedral but didn't go inside.
Right before the bus stop we hopped into a cafe to try some Malaga wine. It turned out to be a sweet sherry that tasted like raisins. It was good along with the oranges I had bought from El Corte Ingles. It was drizzling the slightest bit so we were able to stay away until our bus came!
We took the bus back to the station and arrived back in Sevilla at about 8 pm. We decided to run to my apartment and his to change and freshen up and then we went out to dinner at a place near his apartment called Atahualpa. It was Argentinian food and right off the bat we got good service and good food. I would venture to say it was my favorite Spanish meal thus far! The camarero (waiter) brought us fresh warm bread and succulent green olives. We ordered a skillet of meat for two and the camerero brought it out to us on a cutting board darkened on the outside but not the inside. When we cut up the meat we could dip the meat in the scalding juices on the skillet to cook it to the desired temperature, rare, medium rare, well....that we wanted. It also included french fries and we got a blueberry cheesecake when we were finished! We went back to dad's apartment and skyped mom for a bit before hitting the hay.
3/19
Dad and I got up and met at Plaza de Cuba at the bridge at 8:30 this morning. We went to the next bridge over on our way to Plaza de Armas for chocolate con churros a fattening and sweet breakfast that easily held us over til lunch time! The lady was very nice and made us fresh churros!!!
(End picture: some beautiful begonias we saw on the way to the station, I am keeping pictures of all my favorite flowers I see in Spain so that I won't forget them when I get back!)
We then met at the bus station at Plaza de Armas to leave for Italica with my group from API. About 6-8 other girls showed up (the rest of the group was either traveling or chose not to come) and Kepa, our API director met us there and bought the tickets. He even paid for dad's ticket! We had a nice 20 minute bus ride to Italica where we saw the ancient Roman ruins. There were mosaics that were well kept, a stone oven, and especially a large and open coliseum.
We got back from Italica around 1:30 and headed to Pans & Company to grab a fast sandwich lunch. From there we headed to La Catedral. Dad was enthralled by the enormous and intricate stained glass windows everywhere.
Below is a picture of dad standing next to Christopher Columbus's burial site. Dad got to see the enormous gold wall depicting stories from Jesus' life and the Altar de La Plata (Silver Altar). After that we went up the 35ish ramps to the top of the Giralda where we were able to get a spectacular view of the city. We also visited the Tesoro room (Treasury) where we saw golden articles with sparkling gems, a large treasure with a thorn from Jesus' crown of thorns in it, and many old realistic paintings of popes, apostles, and figures in Jesus' life. Last but not least we spent a little time in the Plaza de Los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard) upon our exit from the Cathedral. We intended on visiting the Real Alcazar (real=royal) but it was closed for the day since the president was visiting! We went back in the Cathedral for a longer look.
When we got our fill of the Cathedral and it was about to close (around 5 pm) we headed back home for a small break and then over to the Guadalquivir River. We took a nice kayak ride on the river for an hour (from about 6:30-7:30). We kayaked past two bridges and almost got to the third before turning around. Dad was worried for most of the ride that we might capsize because the kayak was very unstable!
Tonight we met up with Sarah at the bridge again but this time she joined us for dinner. We wanted to go to Los Coloniales because I had gotten the suggestion a few times--from girls I live with, and also a girl who I was on drill team with who went here last semester. When we got there however it was already pretty packed! We ended up instead going to a little place called Meson Cinco Jotas. It was a very nice place and pretty pricey but good. Dad tried a fish stew and Sarah and I both got beef. We shared a bottle of pink wine that was a little fruitier since Sarah hadn't tried wine alone yet. We also got gelato at Las Rayas which was pretty delicious for dessert!! We went back to dad's apartment afterward and stayed up talking a little too late! Sarah was able to get her abundance of things too :)
(End picture: some beautiful begonias we saw on the way to the station, I am keeping pictures of all my favorite flowers I see in Spain so that I won't forget them when I get back!)
We then met at the bus station at Plaza de Armas to leave for Italica with my group from API. About 6-8 other girls showed up (the rest of the group was either traveling or chose not to come) and Kepa, our API director met us there and bought the tickets. He even paid for dad's ticket! We had a nice 20 minute bus ride to Italica where we saw the ancient Roman ruins. There were mosaics that were well kept, a stone oven, and especially a large and open coliseum.
We got back from Italica around 1:30 and headed to Pans & Company to grab a fast sandwich lunch. From there we headed to La Catedral. Dad was enthralled by the enormous and intricate stained glass windows everywhere.
Below is a picture of dad standing next to Christopher Columbus's burial site. Dad got to see the enormous gold wall depicting stories from Jesus' life and the Altar de La Plata (Silver Altar). After that we went up the 35ish ramps to the top of the Giralda where we were able to get a spectacular view of the city. We also visited the Tesoro room (Treasury) where we saw golden articles with sparkling gems, a large treasure with a thorn from Jesus' crown of thorns in it, and many old realistic paintings of popes, apostles, and figures in Jesus' life. Last but not least we spent a little time in the Plaza de Los Naranjos (Orange Tree Courtyard) upon our exit from the Cathedral. We intended on visiting the Real Alcazar (real=royal) but it was closed for the day since the president was visiting! We went back in the Cathedral for a longer look.
When we got our fill of the Cathedral and it was about to close (around 5 pm) we headed back home for a small break and then over to the Guadalquivir River. We took a nice kayak ride on the river for an hour (from about 6:30-7:30). We kayaked past two bridges and almost got to the third before turning around. Dad was worried for most of the ride that we might capsize because the kayak was very unstable!
Tonight we met up with Sarah at the bridge again but this time she joined us for dinner. We wanted to go to Los Coloniales because I had gotten the suggestion a few times--from girls I live with, and also a girl who I was on drill team with who went here last semester. When we got there however it was already pretty packed! We ended up instead going to a little place called Meson Cinco Jotas. It was a very nice place and pretty pricey but good. Dad tried a fish stew and Sarah and I both got beef. We shared a bottle of pink wine that was a little fruitier since Sarah hadn't tried wine alone yet. We also got gelato at Las Rayas which was pretty delicious for dessert!! We went back to dad's apartment afterward and stayed up talking a little too late! Sarah was able to get her abundance of things too :)
3/18
Did the class thing this morning and then got ready to pick up my dad at the airport. His flight got in at 12:50 and I took the 12:30 bus to get there right on the dot (its about a 20 minute bus ride). I saw him come down the escalator and go the opposite direction. Forgetting that he still had to pick up his checked bag I ran in after him and called to him! He didn't hear me, and the woman at the desk inside nicely told me that I needed to leave because my entrance was NOT permitted! about 20-30 minutes later my dad came out and I was sooo excited to see him!
On our walk to his hotel (the Resitur Apartments in Triana) we stopped at a little restaurant and sat outside in the sun to eat. It was right outside my school, the university! My dad got Migas (migas=crumbs, hormigas=ants!) for an appetizer, fish for his meal and kiwi for dessert. I got a salad with tuna, bacaloa (fish) en salsa (sauce), and kiwi as well.
We then headed to his apartment which wasn't too bad for the money and a close location to me.
We next decided to walk around for a little bit and went to see La Catedral, Real Alcazar and Plaza Nueva from the outside. We also went to the Barclay's bank so dad could withdraw some money. After that we headed to the bridge where we met Sarah Wishnew (my cousin) at 5:30 pm. We walked to my University to see it as well as some other things and then to Plaza de Espana where there was a lot of construction going on at the fountain. We got some good pictures though!
Plaza de Espana is right at the back of Parque Maria Luisa, a gorgeous park with fountains, a stream, gazeebos, bridges, and a wide variety of plants, flowers, and paths. We decided to rent a 4 person (but can hold up to 6!) bike with a cover to ride around the park "to see twice as much in half the time!" We went for 1/2 an hour (which is 12 euro a bit expensive!).
Following that we headed to Hotel Alfonso XIII to see the courtyard and just check out the inside. It was pretty incredible, but we didn't stay for long. We went and sat by the fountain and talked until Sarah had to meet up with her professors at 8 for dinner. My dad and I went to Kiosco de Las Flores (a recommendation from Professor Manuel!) for dinner and sat on the patio with a perfect view of the Guadalquivir River and Torre de Oro! We got fried little shrimp (basically in a patty) with french fries and arroz con leche (sweet rice with milk) for dessert after a recommendation from Sarah to try that dessert. We went to bed decently early for Spain time realizing that we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow!
On our walk to his hotel (the Resitur Apartments in Triana) we stopped at a little restaurant and sat outside in the sun to eat. It was right outside my school, the university! My dad got Migas (migas=crumbs, hormigas=ants!) for an appetizer, fish for his meal and kiwi for dessert. I got a salad with tuna, bacaloa (fish) en salsa (sauce), and kiwi as well.
We then headed to his apartment which wasn't too bad for the money and a close location to me.
We next decided to walk around for a little bit and went to see La Catedral, Real Alcazar and Plaza Nueva from the outside. We also went to the Barclay's bank so dad could withdraw some money. After that we headed to the bridge where we met Sarah Wishnew (my cousin) at 5:30 pm. We walked to my University to see it as well as some other things and then to Plaza de Espana where there was a lot of construction going on at the fountain. We got some good pictures though!
Plaza de Espana is right at the back of Parque Maria Luisa, a gorgeous park with fountains, a stream, gazeebos, bridges, and a wide variety of plants, flowers, and paths. We decided to rent a 4 person (but can hold up to 6!) bike with a cover to ride around the park "to see twice as much in half the time!" We went for 1/2 an hour (which is 12 euro a bit expensive!).
Following that we headed to Hotel Alfonso XIII to see the courtyard and just check out the inside. It was pretty incredible, but we didn't stay for long. We went and sat by the fountain and talked until Sarah had to meet up with her professors at 8 for dinner. My dad and I went to Kiosco de Las Flores (a recommendation from Professor Manuel!) for dinner and sat on the patio with a perfect view of the Guadalquivir River and Torre de Oro! We got fried little shrimp (basically in a patty) with french fries and arroz con leche (sweet rice with milk) for dessert after a recommendation from Sarah to try that dessert. We went to bed decently early for Spain time realizing that we had a long day ahead of us tomorrow!
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