Rainy Valencia

Rain and Valencia are not two words that are normally used in the same sentence.  All the guidebooks boast that Valencia is a sunny, warm spot in Southern Catalonia with great walking tours. Unfortunately, these past three days there were not sunny and warm; they were the opposite: wet and dreary. The IES pre-planned trip went south real fast with complaining girls who wanted to stay dry and lazy boys who would rather sleep than listen to the poor tour guide. I'll admit, I did make a complaint or two about the weather, but really tried to make the most of my time in Valencia.  Before getting to Valencia, we stopped at the Torres Winery, where we had a lovely tour of the vineyard and learned about their wine-making process. At that point, the rain had not begun. We arrived to our hotel Wednesday evening and were given a few hours of free time before dinner.  Two of the girls and I decided to venture out and find one of the restaurants/ bars written up in a guidebook.  We found the spot with little confusion and ordered ourselves a pitcher of "Agua de Valencia." Oh, baby was this orangey-sangria-like drink tasty. So tasty that we ordered a second pitcher.  Then came dinner and afterwards we ventured out to a bar that our teachers just so happened to be at.  I've gotta say there's nothing like watching your spanish teachers dance.

Christina, Nicole & I after having our first taste of horxata

Thursday came and went with more touring around. My favorite part was visiting the cathedral where the supposed chalice that was used at the Last Supper is safely held. I also tried horxata, which is a white sugary drink made from tiger nuts and other things like water. We also visited the aquarium to see some spanish fishies. The neatest part was the dolphin show! Even though it was held outside, we sat there and enjoyed the squeals of the children in the row in front of us every time a dolphin moved its fin.  Thursday night was spent in the hotel room watching professional ice-skating and talking with Nicole and Christina. We happened to be talking a tad too loud around 12:30 am and a mysterious woman named "Claudia" called us to say quiet down. That's when we decided it was bedtime for fear of angering Claudia. 

Today (Friday) was perhaps the most drab day -- pouring down rain and a short tour around Tortosa, which included very little retainable information.  Keep in mind that our tours were conducted in spanish. Onward we went to a restaurant whose specialty is calçots, which are sweet onions that you dip in a sauce and eat in an unusual manner, hence a bib is worn. The 2:45 pm lunch was much needed after a gloomy day of traveling by bus.  Finally, I arrived home, to Barcelona, earlier this evening. Since Mercedes is away this weekend, visiting her friend in Madrid, Anjali and I are preparing dinner for ourselves tonight.  And by preparing, I mean: we're heating up the food Mercedes pre-cooked and put in the fridge for us. 


¡Qué alegría estar en casa! 

Cosas Pequeñas

As I took my seat on el ferrocaril, I rifled through my bag to find my phone and check for missed calls, messages, etc. As I flipped it open, I found no missed calls, no messages, nada.  I tucked it neatly back into my purse and thought about what little things have changed since I've been in Spain.  As you can see below, my phone is a sassy red color and brings me back to the pre-smartphone era.  When I do use Little Red (that's its name), it's usually just to make a phone-call to confirm plans.  I rarely text, which is probably the biggest change in my method of communication over here.  

Along with Little Red, I always carry my super fancy set of keys, my metro ticket, lipgloss, a hair clip (duh), and some moola.  Personally, I think the euro is very pretty.  The downside is that our dollar is so weak compared to it. Bummer for my bank account, which is declining wayy faster than I had anticipated. I took my passport out to take with me to Valencia tomorrow because I usually don't carry it with me, just a copy. 

Hasta el fin de semana!

Mads

The Venice of Spain

This past weekend I took a trip outside of Barcelona to Girona, Spain.  Upon arriving in the new part of the city, we decided to go to the customer service desk and ask for a map.  Stupid us, they don't have maps of the city! Why would we even ask for a map? Oh, and you should have seen the look the woman gave me when I asked her (in spanish) how to get to the Cathedral. Her response to me was pointing with her finger to the left. Thanks for the help. Luckily, my traveling companions and I weren't completely void like the customer service lady and came upon the medieval part of Girona within ten minutes of walking. This is where the fun began.  We were welcomed into the old city by a group of street performers with faces painted white and lips a shade of blue, all dancing and leaping around to a tune you'd hear in Fantasia. After they handed out free candy (mine turned out to be a throat lozenge), we headed towards the medieval wall.  We were about to start scaling this giant wall when we finally found stairs leading up.  The view was sensational! The different colored rooftops set in front of steel gray mountains and a blue sky was absolutely breathtaking.  After walking along the wall, we ended up at La Catédral de Girona.  The audio tour made our visit even more interesting because we were given descriptions of memorials made for saints and features of the cathedral.  We walked through all 27 stations, listening closely to the all-knowing audio machine.  By the end of the tour, all four of our stomachs were growling so we rushed to find a restaurant. Mistake #1: Waiting too long to eat and settling for a less than mediocre restaurant. Somehow we managed to find the worst restaurant in Girona.  The paella was soupy, the wine was stale, and the chicken in the sandwich a tad too chewy for comfort. After laughing until we nearly choked on our "food," the group decided this called for a bar crawl. So, onward we went to another restaurant/ bar where we ordered a liter of sangria (Don't worry, Mom, we got bread with the alcohol too). I'd say things were looking better for us already. After another quick stop into a pastry shop, we returned to the train station. Our day in Girona was over, but the memories will live on. It really is a beautiful place to visit and I recommend checking out the charming city to anyone who can.

Sunday was another adventure, but within the city of Barca.  Colleen and I walked up (literally, the incline of the streets is insane) to Parc Güell.  Many other people had the same idea as us.  There were couples, families, friends, residents, visitors, vendors, and so on. The last time I was at Parc Güell, the atmosphere was completely different.  I loved just strolling around, sitting on the bench, observing and listening to live music.  Not only was the park a hit, but the little sandwich place we found near it was a winner too! Both of us savored our grilled sandwiches with cheese and veggies.  Plus, I really dug the cozy atmosphere with funky wall colors, chalkboard menu and mosaic coffee tables.

And so, there you have it. Now, week three has already begun and the homework load is increasing.  I think I'll survive though...we leave for Valencia on Wednesday morning! All the Liberal Arts & Business students in IES take this trip, which is included in our tuition.  I'm really excited to explore Southern Catalonia and don't mind the fact that during our bus ride we stop at a winery for a wine tasting. I'm crossing my fingers for good weather! Hasta luego!

Spoiled

Earlier this evening, while skyping with Lindsay, she asked me what a typical day for me was like. I had difficulty thinking of a response and the more I thought about it, the more I realized that there hasn't been a  typical day for me here.  Each one is different.  Sure, you could say that there is a pattern to my day: Wake up, tea and cereal, class, lunch/ tapas, walking around, sightseeing, then resting before dinner.  However, every day I see something new, do something new, eat something new. I guess that's sort of the appeal of study abroad, right? Vale.


Entonces...está día fue muy bien porque comí mucho! Translation: I ate a ton and loved it. First, Maddie and I took a stroll from the IES Center into Barceloneta to a little place called "Bo de B". The build up for this place was appropriate because my sandwich was fantastico! It was one of those meals where you're sad when it's over. 

Pollo con queso y tomates, lechuga y aceitunas

Not only did I get to enjoy this savory sammie, but I was prepared a three course meal tonight para la cena.  Si, es verdad. Mercedes had a few of her girlfriends coming over and invited Anjali and I to join them for dinner. We accepted and God am I happy we did! First, we had spinach and zucchini soup mixed with some peanut sauce and a salad with balsamic vinaigrette dressing.  For the main course there was risotto and mushrooms topped with asparagus.  And for dessert, there was chocolate mousse with caramel and graham cracker crust. I'm spoiled, so what? Dinner was really fun because we were with four spanish-speaking women who we could practice our spanish with.  I understood a lot of what they were saying and could communicate fairly well (still improving).  Although, I did get lost in the conversation at times because of the rapid pace of speaking.  You think American women speak loudly and quickly? Spanish women are worse. 


T.G.I.F.
Mads

Check, check, and check!

My list of things to do while in Spain, let alone Europe, is quite extensive.  I can happily say that today I got to check a few of these things off of my list.  1) I bought a 3-month student metro pass, which reminded me that I'm not leaving this country anytime soon, 2) I had my first plate of paella, and 3) I saw Parc Güell. Numbers 2 and 3 will be repeated activities, but I'm proud to say that I accomplished both today.  The paella was...different, for lack of a better word.  It was basically what I was expecting, except for the octopus legs and full-bodied shrimp.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed it and all, but I think there may be other types of paella I'd like to try without all that fishy stuff.  The lunch itself was great, mostly because there were four of us: Anjali, Deniz, and her friend Lee, and the conversation (and vino) was muy bueno! After lunch, I took my first siesta. I awoke around 5:00pm, had a cup of tea, and put on my running shoes.  Anjali and I mapped out how to get from our place to Parc Güell and it was a success! We didn't get lost and arrived at the park as the night was falling.  People were out walking alone, in pairs, and with dogs.  It was beautiful and I can't wait to go back and take pictures.

Pigeons

One thing stands between me and completely falling in love with this city: the pigeons. They are flying rats with no regard for humans! These....creatures love to flock together in plazas and start flying about in all directions.  The day when one of those things flies into my face is the day I start crying in public in a foreign country. Let's pray that doesn't happen, though.  

THE ENEMY

Anywhoo, today was a relaxed day with class in the morning, an errand to get notebooks with classmates and coffee with Deniz.  We may have bopped into Zara afterwards for some necessities. Then, this evening I went on a "sunset jog" with other IES folk and two friendly supervisors. I can thank Miss Maddie Teren for the soreness I'll be feeling in my legs tomorrow. Just keeding. The jog was great and I got to see even more of Barca! We started off with a light jog from the IES Center and continued down past the Arc de Triumf, through la Ciutadella (the biggest park in Barca), and wrapped around the boardwalk and back.  As tired as I was at the end, I felt really good and sweaty.  My day in it's entirety was a good one and I hope I have many more like it!

Now, it's time for me to digest my dinner and pick out an outfit for my first real day of classes tomorrow. Yes, I'm planning my outfit just like when I was 5 years old and refused to let anyone else dress me.  But, before I go, I'll leave you with a picture of what Mercedes made for dinner tonight. Per usual. 

Cauliflower con queso, ensalada y chorizos

Getting Lost: Not the Worst

Today, I found out what a Sunday in Barcelona is like.  The atmosphere of this lively city changes to a quiet town with few open stores and less crowds.  Today, I also found out that a little more research ahead of time can go a long way.  What I mean is: before taking off to go find a particular famous park (Parc Güell) maybe look up decent directions.  Anjali, Colleen, and I started off on our journey very optimistic, but after wandering around and asking for directions in broken spanish, we gave up and went to eat. Once again, here comes the part with food (unfortunately, I have no pictures to show for it).  As we sat in the small cafe and sipped down our café lattes, we came to the consensus that we should choose another, warmer day to find the park.

Enter: Deniz and Mo.  While waiting for the ferrocaril to take us back to the center of the city, we randomly ran into Deniz and Mo. It was such a lovely surprise to see their shining faces! (Literally, they were a little shiny from the sweat they worked up on their hike.) Den was sporting a Zeta tee, which reminded me that back at Miami it was Bid Day! It made me wish I could be there to celebrate the incoming babies with the rest of the girls.

The rest of my Sunday was más relajado.  I talked with friends, had tapas, and was home by midnight. I have officially spent one full week in Barcelona and haven't even scratched the surface on everything I want to do and see while here.  As overwhelming as it all can seem sometimes, I just have to remember that I'm here for four months. Weird. All in all, this first week has taught me a lot and it's only the beginning.

Several things I learned from this week:
1. Catalan is not at all like Spanish
2. To avoid getting lost, figure out directions ahead of time
3. Getting lost isn't the worst thing because you end up seeing a lot while walking around aimlessly
4. There's nothing like a good talk with a good friend over tapas and a drink

WWATD (What Would a Tourist Do)?

If you have no interest in reading this entire entry then here are the spark notes: My day was long. It consisted of morning class, some shopping, and a tour on the life and art of Picasso.

After my first spanish class of the semester, I found a spot by one of the fountains in Plaça de Cataluyna.  The sound of the stampeding water drowned out all of the other city noises - I couldn't hear the cars zooming by or the people talking as they walked down the street.  What made this even better, was the the heat from the the bright sun beating down on me. 

I could've sat there forever, but after about ten minutes of being a loner, I headed over to the IES Center right before the Picasso tour began.  The tour was fantastic, yet I was slightly tired and starving so my attention span was short. We walked the streets of Barrio Gótico again, while hearing about how Picasso came to Barcelona as a young boy.  His life is fairly fascinating.  He spent his adolescence in Barcelona where he learned about women and sex, which one can see through some of his paintings and sketches.  He lived and spent the majority of his time with fellow artists, in places like 4 Gats (Cats).  Maybe this is horrible to admit, but I still find myself looking at some of his work and thinking 'I could do that.'  And then, there are the ones I look at in awe.  Picasso's Doña amb Montenilla is one of those curiously beautiful paintings with tons of small brush strokes and parts of the canvas that look unfinished.  

The narrow alleyways and streets we walked down were more charming than I can put into words.  The mix of antiquity and modernity in Barcelona is what makes it so appealing. I guess the nightlife isn't so horrible either.  There's nothing like walking down Passeig de Gracia and overhearing a group of girls talking about one of the many clubs they went to the other night, knowing full well that they went to that club thanks to the hard work of a club promoter (shout out to Michael Jordan Barcelona and Kyke Navarro). Barcelona has SO much to offer! I'm in love...with love (that's for you, Seton).

Ok, so I'm wrapping up this post with another photo of food. I had to take a picture of the tasty dinner Mercedes (my Señora) cooked up for us tonight!

Ensalada caprese y pizza con verduras

Manzanas con canela (cinnamon)

Buen noche,

Mads

Post Numero Uno

After creating this blog, I inevitably had to decide whether this would be one of those witty blogs, or rather a more sentimental type of blog.  I decided that I did not want to choose, so be forewarned that this blog of mine may be somewhat inconsistent.  


My first four days in Barcelona have been filled with a mix of emotions and thoughts.  I'm constantly intrigued by the people and things I see in this city.  Yesterday, I had slight moments of missing America...mostly just missing being in constant communication with friends and the feeling of knowing where I'm going instead of looking like a moronic tourist. 


Today was the first day that I truly felt like I had a unique Barcelona experience.  Some classmates and I were sent on a scavenger hunt in el Barrio Gótico.  Although we ended up going in circles, we were able to see a beautiful and older part of the city.  There was a plaza named after the single tree standing in the middle of the cemented square, another hidden plaza where a group of young children played fútbol, a man playing beautiful music from a wooden flute, and the Catédral de Barcelona, which has been under construction since 1298.  Un tiempo largo, si?  As we pieced together the clues and directions given to us, we got to learn more and more of the history of Barcelona. Did you know that many, many years ago Barcelona was called Barcino? As you can see, I'm a fountain of knowledge now.


I feel morally obligated to end this post by mentioning some of the delicious food I ate today. While exploring the side streets by Las Ramblas, two friends and I came upon a restaurant called "Bar del Pi" in La Plaça del Pi earlier today. I enjoyed una ensalada griego con vino blanco. Can you say delicioso? I could get used to this whole vino and tapas thing.

Hasta luego,
Mads