tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4569611729663509092024-02-26T02:22:05.146-06:00Miña terra galegaO̶c̶h̶o̶ Dieciséis meses en OurenseCynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.comBlogger35125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-66827548182088239892014-06-10T19:05:00.002-05:002014-06-10T19:05:22.163-05:00The University of Salamanca Makes the US Look like an Infant<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TUb5WfPakXxMyDrx8WwfIPJmDQXPnAl66pBt2n-MDXBBZgrlwf4xLQHpEXq6oy1ICYD13L2_oKEFlnr2V4tx7oCA5wfNdP3ytvJ6NJ6Cq3Dg-DA0lB_uIBRrDK3hFG7gE8h1HJVLZxQ/s1600/IMG_5191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6TUb5WfPakXxMyDrx8WwfIPJmDQXPnAl66pBt2n-MDXBBZgrlwf4xLQHpEXq6oy1ICYD13L2_oKEFlnr2V4tx7oCA5wfNdP3ytvJ6NJ6Cq3Dg-DA0lB_uIBRrDK3hFG7gE8h1HJVLZxQ/s1600/IMG_5191.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Huerto de Calixto y Melibea</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On my never-ending quest to conquer more of Spain, I up and booked a ride to Salamanca, Spain over the weekend! Salamanca is a city close to Galicia, about three hours away via car. It has a historic University, founded in 1134. Let's take a minute and look at that number. 1134. It's like...that should be someone's address...1134 Main Street. But it's the year the University was founded and that's pretty dang old and that's pretty dang cool! It's also the site where Christopher Columbus came to state his case for traveling west to find India. The University is truly the heart of the city, as a ton of people (30,000) study there, and everywhere you go you see students and ancient campus buildings. Also, the city has a vibrant nightlife since there are so many young people around!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DLsF4mhajiFP5vM7QMNAILvqzn9viAaljc91COzlNHdUNcZ9Bwjm6MDogLtvA1cmzFI29TftMGu_jczF-WR3yo-txZ5rnX9pqZBJLHqMZWHW9nUI5Gg6gjfg7UD6urIzTK8lZKr1HyA/s1600/IMG_5089.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3DLsF4mhajiFP5vM7QMNAILvqzn9viAaljc91COzlNHdUNcZ9Bwjm6MDogLtvA1cmzFI29TftMGu_jczF-WR3yo-txZ5rnX9pqZBJLHqMZWHW9nUI5Gg6gjfg7UD6urIzTK8lZKr1HyA/s1600/IMG_5089.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Plaza Mayor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since this was a last minute trip for me, I went ahead and explored it all by myself! I hadn't done this since my trip to Dublin two years ago and man was I out of solo-traveling shape! My kind BlaBlaCar driver dropped me off directly in front of my hostel, where I proceeded to just lay for awhile. Why did I do this? Because I wanted to and there was no one else to make me move if I didn't want to!!! :) Eventually I did get my lazy booty up to wander around the city a bit. The most impressive thing of the night: Plaza Mayor. I knew that it was a focal point of the city, but being there truly reminded me of Venice, Italy with the whole center lit up in a romantic glow! I sat there and gazed at the site for awhile. I also took the time to explore the city a bit, to get lost four times, locate the tourist office, and scope out some bars for the big soccer game the next day...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzB49vV9lEi01bI6r0HKe0PwHamU87kN9yEVCYHXhp4AazkTbxDC8ezaIJk9nTPjjCp4HzQWY_dxTM1KR6FO8L3nSZ8321e36hgXynl08kLxnzpLQqtN9TLO1jx2G5mbUUDFpcgGlY6Ic/s1600/IMG_5113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzB49vV9lEi01bI6r0HKe0PwHamU87kN9yEVCYHXhp4AazkTbxDC8ezaIJk9nTPjjCp4HzQWY_dxTM1KR6FO8L3nSZ8321e36hgXynl08kLxnzpLQqtN9TLO1jx2G5mbUUDFpcgGlY6Ic/s1600/IMG_5113.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the<i> convento</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM9miRJfYEdd7D9LDCy8_by9PGqo9vZHrbLuJuezUz8RG3502ED2sWW_cbGJhNi2SFc8pUGwG16mbPVcS0vqDWTU2PcBHN93aWXsXFLiuK5aYvvY7hnrtdJHnBmwOwZU3Ms_l6Gyow2E/s1600/IMG_5122.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglM9miRJfYEdd7D9LDCy8_by9PGqo9vZHrbLuJuezUz8RG3502ED2sWW_cbGJhNi2SFc8pUGwG16mbPVcS0vqDWTU2PcBHN93aWXsXFLiuK5aYvvY7hnrtdJHnBmwOwZU3Ms_l6Gyow2E/s1600/IMG_5122.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the <i>convento</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next morning I hit up the tourist office to get a map, then jumped right in to my site-seeing itinerary! First stop: Convento de San Esteban. Well, I wish I could say this was my intended point of departure for the site-seeing, but in truth I got lost while looking for the entrance to the Cathedral (the biggest building in the city...I am rusty at this solo-traveling thing) and I happened upon the convent and so I went in! It was a very peaceful and beautiful place :)<br />
<br />
Next stop was the old + new Cathedral! The old cathedral is a smaller chapel-like place, with the <i>claustro</i> attached. Very cute...and what's more, there was a wedding going on!! As soon as I saw the couple up at the front I started weeping tears of joy...just kidding. But I totally did take an extreeeemelyyyy long time taking my photos in there, in an effort to wedding crash a bit. I also passed through the new cathedral which is directly connected to the old one, which also had its beautiful details. You also can't beat the wonderful aroma of incense in a cathedral :)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVSzQnDwRsZhWtJbolX0XjChLMtuwRFw28MnljJaIHnpVsOPwfnLHELJtXvZgzY5-cxJNWJqijDtLX-NUjfL6yU70EorybLp9Mm6xEhif0Rq5Bz5hH5m6YluABg-o-XoIuBswKa1zRKk/s1600/IMG_5154.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVSzQnDwRsZhWtJbolX0XjChLMtuwRFw28MnljJaIHnpVsOPwfnLHELJtXvZgzY5-cxJNWJqijDtLX-NUjfL6yU70EorybLp9Mm6xEhif0Rq5Bz5hH5m6YluABg-o-XoIuBswKa1zRKk/s1600/IMG_5154.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Awww</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymsol1BcjoCH2Aeygy8fIUqHFMV33xLUfasSlW6zPSYJEaY_yMBClb5xVttkUNyfF68vK7CsyiELo0R1XqzDcUSvTfeEBqooCmJd0cQfE3Q-aPt5PEU6MpddZHVhWqw90Vax18NIV-qI/s1600/IMG_5176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgymsol1BcjoCH2Aeygy8fIUqHFMV33xLUfasSlW6zPSYJEaY_yMBClb5xVttkUNyfF68vK7CsyiELo0R1XqzDcUSvTfeEBqooCmJd0cQfE3Q-aPt5PEU6MpddZHVhWqw90Vax18NIV-qI/s1600/IMG_5176.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNk1ifl45Pk9oxUVrIW5HNtR1AoN7Ig_l7-PnWI2pGay1meicQ2qle9nIhxTQpkqiUEpm3gPZTY4rUCUbheK5jVQGEJw78xc7AYcW3zU1ceoBaz9Y073iQ_nbxAb3bRcRP1BG84nIF98/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdNk1ifl45Pk9oxUVrIW5HNtR1AoN7Ig_l7-PnWI2pGay1meicQ2qle9nIhxTQpkqiUEpm3gPZTY4rUCUbheK5jVQGEJw78xc7AYcW3zU1ceoBaz9Y073iQ_nbxAb3bRcRP1BG84nIF98/s1600/IMG_5182.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBXg4SqFmNAfFOnENXZ1XL9jj9-a4y90IDEngEQMxpNAu1pOt-g3PCPVw7RvLkAyLWr8bRoDGaWggZrf78PEes3RL3kDcuzvjOsvCrB6OrtQ6R4EKCAESismEEjDcBr97nbOr1bAY2z4/s1600/IMG_5225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoBXg4SqFmNAfFOnENXZ1XL9jj9-a4y90IDEngEQMxpNAu1pOt-g3PCPVw7RvLkAyLWr8bRoDGaWggZrf78PEes3RL3kDcuzvjOsvCrB6OrtQ6R4EKCAESismEEjDcBr97nbOr1bAY2z4/s1600/IMG_5225.JPG" height="465" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing up Ieronimus, a view of the New Cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next I stopped by a large garden with great views of the city, walked down to see the Salamanca Roman Bridge (I may be biased, but Ourense's better!) and then I continued on to a visit to Ieronimus, the tower of the cathedrals. Here I found myself, once again, climbing up a million stairs to the highest point in the city! This climb was a bit more tourist friendly, as you could stop at every floor and read a bit about the history of the Cathedral while you caught your breath. I didn't bother to count the stairs but there were a ton and I felt myself getting very short of breath and thinking I might simultaneously have a heart attack and a panic attack from the claustrophobia-inducing, steep and numerous stairs. The view from the top was great though, and I got to hear the bells chime a lot while I was up there! Totally worth it.<br />
<br />
The last part of my day was supposed to be dedicated to a shopping mall...I Googled <i>centro commercial</i> quickly at the hostel before setting out. Once I got to the location I saw a large Corte Ingles...but no centro commercial of my liking!!! I asked some people about the other shopping center and they said it was outside of the city and I would need to get a car or bus. Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! So I took the time to wander around a bit more, found some tempting restaurants for the next day, and I had time to rest a bit at the hostel.<br />
<br />
Then. It was time for a very important <i>partido de futbol</i>: Real Madrid vs. Atletico de Madrid.... Champions League Final. I don't want to get started on the details as to why FC Barcelona was not in this match, but just know that I was highly displeased and upset about the results this season. Anyway, I was rooting for Atletico even though they stole the<i> Liga</i> title from Barcelona, just because of the mere fact that I loathe Real Madrid with the passion of a million burning fires. Everyone on that team (besides maybe Casillas) could easily play the lead role of the villain in any movie. Everyone oozes evil, arrogance, and greed. UGH. Anyway. Long story short, Real Madrid won...I stomped out of the bar, went straight to my hostel, tried going to sleep but heard too much commotion on the streets of people out celebrating. BAD NIGHT.<br />
<br />
The next day was my last, and originally I had planned to find a bus to make it out to that shopping center I was dying to visit. Before checking out of my hostel and heading there, I checked online to see the hours of the mall... of course, the stores were all closed, it was a Sunday! Ugh this is something I will not miss about Spain!! Thankfully I caught that minor detail of opening times before I got all the way to the mall! I went ahead to the next step in my itinerary: an Art Museum!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1f6oDmfB85g8ptR7SPtpahcfAtrAcsUcm4SfxJ8F5kYGoWL3r4aCsjSdvxO9cR6iycOW7blREx6c0WQMpN54RzzvhgtvBnilNX9AqeSoPriVclHdzdnGRj59LFbJ_zquMP5h02BXFrw/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI1f6oDmfB85g8ptR7SPtpahcfAtrAcsUcm4SfxJ8F5kYGoWL3r4aCsjSdvxO9cR6iycOW7blREx6c0WQMpN54RzzvhgtvBnilNX9AqeSoPriVclHdzdnGRj59LFbJ_zquMP5h02BXFrw/s1600/IMG_5271.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Casa Lis</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Casa Lis, the art deco and art nouveau museum, was great! I was almost entirely surrounded by elderly people but the stuff in there was cool. Pictures weren't allowed, but I was able to snap a photo of the beautiful stained glass that decorates the whole building. There was a big variety of exhibits, mostly focused on ceramic figurines, glass sculptures and paintings. There was also an interesting (for lack of a better term) exhibit on vintage dolls... so you entered these two huge rooms and you were immediately getting stared down by hundreds of beady little eyes!! There were also some original cupie dolls...something I think my sisters would have gotten a kick out of :)<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn6NfAGf7X9rqNwbYq1wUwlcS5u5PNWvQr4XTb0ggEf9hCJ0ZMWPWa0lo9VDJEcq_4lAFFAraXp5kdQH3gDUaWW7o4KFARS6K8HOdRWtGgXJhErW7hBNe630Yu08_0NnrPzlG4GSHNqI/s1600/IMG_5277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDn6NfAGf7X9rqNwbYq1wUwlcS5u5PNWvQr4XTb0ggEf9hCJ0ZMWPWa0lo9VDJEcq_4lAFFAraXp5kdQH3gDUaWW7o4KFARS6K8HOdRWtGgXJhErW7hBNe630Yu08_0NnrPzlG4GSHNqI/s1600/IMG_5277.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">University</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
My last site-seeing stop was the historic University! I was hoping to arrive in time for a tour...but I got lost and arrived 15 minutes after the last tour started :( But I still got to see the famous front of the University, where you're supposed to search for the hidden frog in the midst of all the other sculptured details in the door. Everyone was crowding around the area next to the frog so it wasn't quite difficult to find. Legend has it that those who attend the University and find the frog (without the assistance of anyone else) will graduate or something like that. An old guy stopped me and said "Hey...do you want to know the REAL story behind the frog?" I shrugged and said yes. He proceeded to go into a twenty minute discourse about the king and the king's son and how the frog represented sexual immorality and the son died because of it. After I politely said thank you, he then proceeded to tell me the story about various other famous parts of the city... I had to escape so I looked at my non-existent watch, thanked him for his time, and speed walked the heck away!!!<br />
<br />
I had a couple hours to spare so I stopped by a Mexican restaurant to get my fill (Bien Trucha is still a million times better), and laid in a park for a bit to take in the sun. Eventually it was time for me to meet up with my next driver, and I probably didn't last more than 30 minutes in the car before dozing off! I was exhausted from my three days of walking around non-stop, and I was excited to get back to my Ourense and back to my own bed :)<br />
<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-50330966946371086062014-06-01T18:35:00.000-05:002014-06-01T19:01:43.519-05:00Oh, Valencia!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6gIAF-kd7Ec-nY514U3efbugywlWST5cIImYtrNABJpO0sE0zzK8tSTTdyonZ-GNrA1zmPxbZZkXYkKXH6Jnl3WXIFF2TRwKBxGOlx_eGFHBSPmeqW6CbEPyVQNfeV4ud1nuz0ejTOA/s1600/IMG_4941.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX6gIAF-kd7Ec-nY514U3efbugywlWST5cIImYtrNABJpO0sE0zzK8tSTTdyonZ-GNrA1zmPxbZZkXYkKXH6Jnl3WXIFF2TRwKBxGOlx_eGFHBSPmeqW6CbEPyVQNfeV4ud1nuz0ejTOA/s1600/IMG_4941.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City of Arts and Sciences</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
During my time in Spain, I have made it a goal to become an expert in all things Spanish, covering every corner of this country and knowing every major city and even villages, being able to list off all the major traditions and the differences between the provinces, distinguish the different dialects and languages etc. And I have not even come close to achieving this goal 100%. I have humbly come to realize that it would take way more than two years to even attempt such a feat. Even so, I can still try my utmost at getting to many cities, and when the opportunity arose for us to visit Eddie's family in Valencia, I was quite excited!<br />
<br />
We were sitting around during <i>Semana Santa</i>, thinking of where we could make a last-minute trip to. Unfortunately, flight and hotel prices skyrocket during this week. But then, I found a 50 euro round trip flight to Morocco!! I looked up an apartment, figured out how to get the airport, places to go in Rabat, etc, and then I went to buy the flight...and realized that I had looked at the flight for the wrong month. That's why it had been so incredibly cheap. Oops. But Eddie's cousin coincidentally invited us to Valencia soon after! So just like that we packed up, found a route to Valencia on BlaBlaCar, and made the 10 hour journey across Spain to Valencia!<br />
<br />
We arrived to Valencia during the late afternoon on a Wednesday. We were beyond exhausted and dirty, but were able to muster up some energy (and spray ourselves with perfume lololol) to meet with Eddie's whole family! It was cool and strange at the same time to be meeting the people I had only seen in pictures before. Everyone was very welcoming and friendly, so it was a good start to the trip. We got the chance to try Valencia's style of <i>patatas bravas</i>, which is potatoes with mayonnaise plopped on top and some paprika on top of that...pure, simple, genius. And that night Anabel (Eddie's cousin) made us dinner, which we had with her family and another of Eddie's cousins, Raul. The bed was calling our names pretty early that night, so we passed out pretty soon after dinner.<br />
<br />
Sidenote: Eddie's cousin Anabel has two children, the youngest of which is 11-months old and was crawling about...he was the cutest little bundle of blonde-haired-blue-eyed joy!! And I know little Damy isn't so young anymore but the little guy still made me think of him!! DAMY I MISS YOU!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreZUSZyeOhUOtaMeR3TzfvsBQSYbUcfVLWfkzlyE1zAp2HQMAmUV9ohGycu61Lg63Zn9AsSI82wipI68dbjcSO-XAF7MDFpJdIey0bRaz0Ok7naWBYrvob_R3pRyDNS6NgVBscVz1WM0/s1600/IMG_4967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhreZUSZyeOhUOtaMeR3TzfvsBQSYbUcfVLWfkzlyE1zAp2HQMAmUV9ohGycu61Lg63Zn9AsSI82wipI68dbjcSO-XAF7MDFpJdIey0bRaz0Ok7naWBYrvob_R3pRyDNS6NgVBscVz1WM0/s1600/IMG_4967.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at these cuties!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
The first thing on the agenda for Valencia the next day was to visit the City of Arts and Sciences. Basically it is an area a bit south of the city where there is a cluster of museums: a science museum, an aquarium, a planetarium and cinema, and I don't know what else. It's very impressive to marvel at, because its a long stretch of super modern buildings, probably the most modern stretch of land in all of Spain (well, the parts of Spain that I've seen anyway!) I still can't quite wrap my head around it, because you have this modern area of Valencia and then you go to the center of the city and it is 100% traditional Spanish with the cobblestone narrow roads, the ancient cathedrals and such.<br />
<div>
<br />
The only place we actually visited at the City of Arts and Sciences was the aquarium: Oceanografic. I was 100% satisfied with the place! It was very impressive. We were there for a few hours, enjoying all the animals and the sun that shone that day. The best exhibits were the ones where you walked through a tunnel and were just surrounded by ocean all around you...especially the shark tank one! I'll admit that I was a bit nervous walking through that one...but to anyone who knows me it should be no surprise since I have a modest fear of sharks...<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbN74si-gnd8xuIFSrrlZ3T23YvYzJoE4456Dj7iK0rSaWhKFddn_wuvO3r18Aq1OEVsRAEhHlj5mUAwNOH6WfgViJ7RsA-FIQiikpjKAiCTcs_HrroMF3qh40mGahPyDyVNqnm3EkYs/s1600/IMG_4914.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbN74si-gnd8xuIFSrrlZ3T23YvYzJoE4456Dj7iK0rSaWhKFddn_wuvO3r18Aq1OEVsRAEhHlj5mUAwNOH6WfgViJ7RsA-FIQiikpjKAiCTcs_HrroMF3qh40mGahPyDyVNqnm3EkYs/s1600/IMG_4914.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nervous smile...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxkd1HMJwtwPronioN9Y_6fsDTkJrTPzoPerzc50Lk8ic-VbtzLism4atVDaJSmhEnD6TvDNnHJWB6dXOcix2piPldUgZZIQqBqrG0T098g6SM4xuu159WpGrIc4fgyhmyxwk3o39NoE/s1600/IMG_4923.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWxkd1HMJwtwPronioN9Y_6fsDTkJrTPzoPerzc50Lk8ic-VbtzLism4atVDaJSmhEnD6TvDNnHJWB6dXOcix2piPldUgZZIQqBqrG0T098g6SM4xuu159WpGrIc4fgyhmyxwk3o39NoE/s1600/IMG_4923.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaTkgC6o9-DBXF77yAGQz-NZLQ4ETN2yu_ymOr5mulZbtiC7QY3MSd4xBRExkMcJbrnPQHHWRMcpVIKSVlAIJ3rPWTeIqXl9QNAmT5BRVLaGsr8QMvyiatyw_MGa1wW_qHth1_o_qlEM/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaTkgC6o9-DBXF77yAGQz-NZLQ4ETN2yu_ymOr5mulZbtiC7QY3MSd4xBRExkMcJbrnPQHHWRMcpVIKSVlAIJ3rPWTeIqXl9QNAmT5BRVLaGsr8QMvyiatyw_MGa1wW_qHth1_o_qlEM/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaTkgC6o9-DBXF77yAGQz-NZLQ4ETN2yu_ymOr5mulZbtiC7QY3MSd4xBRExkMcJbrnPQHHWRMcpVIKSVlAIJ3rPWTeIqXl9QNAmT5BRVLaGsr8QMvyiatyw_MGa1wW_qHth1_o_qlEM/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyxfrOvSPkhgE66qF7xWpd7bNiLBvlC5JRHdZEPZGkLENn1eS7yRc2Xtoe3waiC_tM69mysK7ptCJCetye98VHTyuaqT8Qw3_9gqWl3VzKETzq1mmChx8UCd32PboxOKlPtFnNkF-TUE/s1600/IMG_4884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbyxfrOvSPkhgE66qF7xWpd7bNiLBvlC5JRHdZEPZGkLENn1eS7yRc2Xtoe3waiC_tM69mysK7ptCJCetye98VHTyuaqT8Qw3_9gqWl3VzKETzq1mmChx8UCd32PboxOKlPtFnNkF-TUE/s1600/IMG_4884.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Afterwards we tried the famous Valencian Horchata drink...however I personally find the Mexican kind to be much better :) We also ventured over to a shopping center just because I love them and so good ol' Eddie endured a couple hours of me living out my shopping desires! Afterwards we went to the center of Valencia just to have a look around at everything. It is a typical Spanish city in every way, there was nothing that seemed out of place; there were the beautiful old buildings, the smaller streets, the bigger shopping streets, the bustling plazas, and palm trees! Valencia's cathedral is especially impressive, in its very ornate and beautiful architecture! It has two towers that you can climb up and get a view of the whole city. I think this is becoming one of my favorite things to do in cities...climb to the highest point usually up an ungodly amount of stairs, that way you can get a good work out and your reward at the end is a gorgeous view!! Unfortunately for me, we did not have time at this moment to make the trip up the tower because we had an appointment to get to....<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXCJQVVqUv37H8IFfPQOsREyL9i9DM_HuA60ziVwPUg86ykckBb7QzDP1rRgk3TF9fs9A4jzO-CpD-_8_Jo20ptpXAkIem_ViMUnyyOtuoBTh8VRDDLypoix-ScFYqrbw95XTpYxLrDk/s1600/IMG_4950.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWXCJQVVqUv37H8IFfPQOsREyL9i9DM_HuA60ziVwPUg86ykckBb7QzDP1rRgk3TF9fs9A4jzO-CpD-_8_Jo20ptpXAkIem_ViMUnyyOtuoBTh8VRDDLypoix-ScFYqrbw95XTpYxLrDk/s1600/IMG_4950.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside the cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEoMzpCKAdHZZ5pi8fZJH1Hw91DmsbxZhEBxFu0tGHalT_jXEb0MlKoM-4cDt1KI4M0E3vDHAOPZQVgsEyIf2RBdUa_qN6m_S1FVJDVbIziIMcyhY8Hnym47-0M1VLQHqI3zVADqgFd8/s1600/IMG_4954.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEoMzpCKAdHZZ5pi8fZJH1Hw91DmsbxZhEBxFu0tGHalT_jXEb0MlKoM-4cDt1KI4M0E3vDHAOPZQVgsEyIf2RBdUa_qN6m_S1FVJDVbIziIMcyhY8Hnym47-0M1VLQHqI3zVADqgFd8/s1600/IMG_4954.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the cathedral</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
We had another "live escape" game we had to get to! Apparently these are getting to be popular in various tourist destinations. The one we did in Valencia was called X-Door and it was similar in idea to the one we did in Munich, called HintQuest! It was quite a different theme from the Munich one, a bit less organized, but still another fun way to pass an hour! Again I can't delve into details because we're sworn to secrecy... just kidding. But it would ruin the fun for the future participants!<br />
<br />
We ended the night by going out to this sweet gourmet hamburger place that Anabel's boyfriend works at. It felt quite American, with the variety of burgers and toppings to put on them...it reminded me of Red Robin! But it was not quite as greasy as the American version, no one touches us when it comes to greasiness. After dinner we headed home...we had had a long day and were looking forward to getting some shut eye.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxQMbyIiZO2pLtLj8MAOsaKSvdHzxpUb2sB-PynLS0brOCK35StLxK4o4LkcQ_WZQuvCCYkpgRbf52cECFQG6FnDu9D9G9qR851b7O99Q6tmJ_xNPVl_xVbYbSJ_tOruvCFi9t4RE0sE/s1600/IMG_4971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxQMbyIiZO2pLtLj8MAOsaKSvdHzxpUb2sB-PynLS0brOCK35StLxK4o4LkcQ_WZQuvCCYkpgRbf52cECFQG6FnDu9D9G9qR851b7O99Q6tmJ_xNPVl_xVbYbSJ_tOruvCFi9t4RE0sE/s1600/IMG_4971.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
Day three was the one I was most excited for because it included an afternoon at the BEACH! And we had perfect weather for it, too! And we could actually go IN the water because it wasn't -20C like the water in Galicia! Ugh, so nice. But it also made me long for some Chicago beaches, which have even warmer water and the skyline in the background!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfVT_zZYmjzXXyrsuTwhwsc5eDEH_vcfJtHMlyzC60uZIQh0OrnuCLxY8BJxCToG-mSIC6GBR-MWWhPXD-PXq2OmaCW94PIhHfzEFWtCUmTXvxFuKVRrjN8qjzoIPZlDX_GJehI4wQUs/s1600/IMG_4973.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbfVT_zZYmjzXXyrsuTwhwsc5eDEH_vcfJtHMlyzC60uZIQh0OrnuCLxY8BJxCToG-mSIC6GBR-MWWhPXD-PXq2OmaCW94PIhHfzEFWtCUmTXvxFuKVRrjN8qjzoIPZlDX_GJehI4wQUs/s1600/IMG_4973.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad view at the beach :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSybL-6Uc_cUGMmXAnq2ZfQRTkFFKFcjPz5BNLsGZf9h8SsmI5e8wvCWSgp5vQf3iFBK3V3E7HHaabw7fhFIfHtSdcMBSlmRf5UCYXzMYnB2zaMMuX7MZs2UC0uzHvs2GU1f1xseS8Gc/s1600/IMG_5001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSSybL-6Uc_cUGMmXAnq2ZfQRTkFFKFcjPz5BNLsGZf9h8SsmI5e8wvCWSgp5vQf3iFBK3V3E7HHaabw7fhFIfHtSdcMBSlmRf5UCYXzMYnB2zaMMuX7MZs2UC0uzHvs2GU1f1xseS8Gc/s1600/IMG_5001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steak in some sort of tomato sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUkbzmruaeVQbyTQIFdMIyzZsF9WaMRd8CTiCrIyzuwEESfg8pO2DyIcZo8alrUBckWnZ3uJ0l18LbCQjxtUuCEgITf42dDNX6mOXBY0CSzVAyeJ26cAWBphTzP5gLbKk0x8-kKz_umo/s1600/IMG_4998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiUkbzmruaeVQbyTQIFdMIyzZsF9WaMRd8CTiCrIyzuwEESfg8pO2DyIcZo8alrUBckWnZ3uJ0l18LbCQjxtUuCEgITf42dDNX6mOXBY0CSzVAyeJ26cAWBphTzP5gLbKk0x8-kKz_umo/s1600/IMG_4998.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Merluza</i> (hake fish?) in a creamy vegetable sauce</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We were starving after a few hours at the beach, and wanted to find somewhere good to eat. Good ol' Eddie was very patient with me, because I was very picky about where I wanted to go. We even sat down at one place that looked decent but then I wanted to leave because the people at the table next to us were giving me weird vibes and the waiter didn't come to take our order after almost ten minutes of having sat down. Deuces, restaurant. We wandered for another half an hour because nothing looked good to me until we finally found a small place that was perfect! I think the wait was worth it! We ate very well and fairly cheap, and it was typical Valencian food. Eddie lived in Valencia when he was very young, and some of our food even reminded him of his childhood :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We made our way home afterward, quite exhausted. After taking showers we hung out a bit with the family, but I also had to make time for a little nap! When I woke up it was already time to get ready for our night out. The plan was to stop somewhere to get some tapas and then go watch a Flamenco show!!! It had been far too long since I'd seen flamenco, and while I accepted the fact that whatever flamenco we saw in Valencia would probably not compare to the authentic thing in Andalusia, I went into the show with an open mind.</div>
<br />
Before we arrived to the show, we stopped to get some quick tapas. We got a bit lost on the way to the show, so we just picked a bar that was nearby. We sat down, ordered drinks and asked the waiter to recommend some food to us. He proceeded to recommend some p<i>atatas bravas, pulpo, lacon, empanada, croquetas</i>... we told him we were looking for something that was typical of Valencia. To which he responded: "Oh, but this is a Galician bar!" ...Really? Of all the bars in Valencia to end up at, we end up at <i>un bar gallego</i>. Oh well! Bring on the <i>bravas, croquetas,</i> and <i>estrella galicia</i> beer!!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5s8-l7EyI1EmKOONTcw8ZJbPlOoOrr7PasnJFHJtuPAACGUFKcMV6-BklwJj0a6R9u0K8DkQ3NuFZ_Gjnsme2Im1_wBEB_yqxa8FYLpHxBM799_f9w0tnZVNv4MFKH_J_o0OcDc5iggA/s1600/IMG_5014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5s8-l7EyI1EmKOONTcw8ZJbPlOoOrr7PasnJFHJtuPAACGUFKcMV6-BklwJj0a6R9u0K8DkQ3NuFZ_Gjnsme2Im1_wBEB_yqxa8FYLpHxBM799_f9w0tnZVNv4MFKH_J_o0OcDc5iggA/s1600/IMG_5014.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">GET IT girl</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We ate quickly and it was all delicious (obviously.) then ran over to catch the show. It was already packed! We ended up having to stand near the back of the bar but we could still see the show very well. As soon as I heard the Spanish guitar start going, I was smiling from ear to ear. There were two women who danced...one was younger with a very distinct style of dance, she included some moves that I swear looked like she was doing the robot. But the other older woman HIT IT SO. HARD. AND. SO. WELL. I was so impressed! She also sang as she danced which I still can't quite comprehend. It was definitely a touristy place, there were some people who tried to clap along with the dancers when they started <i>las palmas</i>...and then quickly stopped when they saw that it wasn't the typical rhythm of clapping! The show ended around 1 in the morning and since the metros were already closed we hailed a taxi to take us home.<br />
<br />
Our last day in Valencia was undoubtedly the greatest! We set out in the morning for the family's house out in the country, and this is where we stayed a majority of the day. It was a perfect house, secluded out in an open field, with the sun beating down as we sat out on the huge terrace! We were there with two of Eddie's cousins and their families, and also his aunt and uncle. This uncle was just the most hilarious jolly old guy. He never stopped making jokes and swearing and complaining that he gets no respect and messing around with his grand kids. He also immediately took his shirt off when we got to the house to work on his tan, no shame, I loved it. They all treated me so kindly! Eddie's uncle showed us how to make paella, so I took the best mental notes of my life:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Step 1: Gather ingredients: meat (usually rabbit and chicken), vegetables (lima beans and green beans ONLY!), tomatoes, rice, salt, coloring, oil, water</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTIPxpFOYRYNJf-cQy6DLRAdwGGquE4LcOBw3ybVqUm9XL8sl9T07qQFteyeXDqP6A0d9NbN15oJ8Er_5n0HkMEQsXk0LHrc-TAamJn_DGZczmG-YeC6xvdDUnsU5soOHT84vkFgUtvs/s1600/IMG_5017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWTIPxpFOYRYNJf-cQy6DLRAdwGGquE4LcOBw3ybVqUm9XL8sl9T07qQFteyeXDqP6A0d9NbN15oJ8Er_5n0HkMEQsXk0LHrc-TAamJn_DGZczmG-YeC6xvdDUnsU5soOHT84vkFgUtvs/s1600/IMG_5017.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Step 2: Heat up the paella pan! (I gotta get me one of these!)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRNcJvyE3hb7doQ8m35F5VMyLkjekdlsI8uWyrwBEqrstAcwSqrOnt2-NCOBMySZTcbGcb7924LOvLXRjwEkGvy9AMVJpKpBQJY3NU-ge1A_vhXq8RaP09n49M6uasQvsAerX8GBWhqM/s1600/IMG_5027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVRNcJvyE3hb7doQ8m35F5VMyLkjekdlsI8uWyrwBEqrstAcwSqrOnt2-NCOBMySZTcbGcb7924LOvLXRjwEkGvy9AMVJpKpBQJY3NU-ge1A_vhXq8RaP09n49M6uasQvsAerX8GBWhqM/s1600/IMG_5027.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Step 3: Slowly cook the meat in the oil</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_8eNFfszBmzsT_3SU4GsZzci3pJ4t0WB4uQStTU2TPMv1vxYIefBpXDzUGa9HWNpzSq2zRofcoCZS3S181DN5VvS8fuMMoLwOI5e0wywaZV96rvmZQ0CGAyk2EFUSz5yJn6TsWRSolQ/s1600/IMG_5029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW_8eNFfszBmzsT_3SU4GsZzci3pJ4t0WB4uQStTU2TPMv1vxYIefBpXDzUGa9HWNpzSq2zRofcoCZS3S181DN5VvS8fuMMoLwOI5e0wywaZV96rvmZQ0CGAyk2EFUSz5yJn6TsWRSolQ/s1600/IMG_5029.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Step 4: Add the vegetables to cook once the meat is almost done</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdREcsIoNTk0jTDHF3Ltsx4kNcxOsFXHZu268ZkWC1mH0Rkbkcyr6qlJQYL4ErUy6hAyBJtEP5c-is039BGTfYqpowTzNrreJpX3Sebehmo5K1OoN0dXXugIpPxESR-0_uOahyphenhyphenZVL6qHQ/s1600/IMG_5030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdREcsIoNTk0jTDHF3Ltsx4kNcxOsFXHZu268ZkWC1mH0Rkbkcyr6qlJQYL4ErUy6hAyBJtEP5c-is039BGTfYqpowTzNrreJpX3Sebehmo5K1OoN0dXXugIpPxESR-0_uOahyphenhyphenZVL6qHQ/s1600/IMG_5030.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Step 5: Add the water and rice, and tomato. Let cook for strictly 20 minutes!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnriQZwv0WLEkVuuG3AWuFbTqMv1RWUQQ23h4obUI82zHJrwBlDhfOPGjB_rR7xlzHq3Y8Pa8OzxM4BxWvtAmAwocmJnk0VK4fU9rRKP4KFgP3l0oDHa794Pd9GU64DEq7NoDyLU1QUfA/s1600/IMG_5032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnriQZwv0WLEkVuuG3AWuFbTqMv1RWUQQ23h4obUI82zHJrwBlDhfOPGjB_rR7xlzHq3Y8Pa8OzxM4BxWvtAmAwocmJnk0VK4fU9rRKP4KFgP3l0oDHa794Pd9GU64DEq7NoDyLU1QUfA/s1600/IMG_5032.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Step 6: EAT UP (drizzle with some lemon if desired)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9vYa5Bo66EVo5idHwcbdBUKVIyCjmwRYwTYMTW4WFW3O_MKknf15C3VQv4CMHftL9DGBhpWoorZGKPd5kbwijCSVTGrVTM3JUMCXVUGXspsfD5k36Uzvukq-JuPn3UFUarD7TRJnyRM/s1600/IMG_5033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk9vYa5Bo66EVo5idHwcbdBUKVIyCjmwRYwTYMTW4WFW3O_MKknf15C3VQv4CMHftL9DGBhpWoorZGKPd5kbwijCSVTGrVTM3JUMCXVUGXspsfD5k36Uzvukq-JuPn3UFUarD7TRJnyRM/s1600/IMG_5033.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I have tried a bunch of different types of paella since I've been here, and this was by far the greatest. It was so flavorful and juicy and perfect!! I hope I can recreate it when I get home!<br />
<br />
We had a big family lunch of the paella, and sat around the table talking and having dessert and drinking <i>licor cafe</i> and other <i>digestivos</i> afterwards while the children played around us. It was the perfect little afternoon!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWawFxRr6G8RDlrA7z-_fKSzN3h_MoXtBchqne0EDmVK4tMwRQ3oeiMGRwoFaVyGqVWfAAxBffLyTlMRW1OWghlqwyoZhCTXSeFiYPL-pZ-By68dWpsEHoHlT-8MnNDpLEAAW62HnWT_w/s1600/IMG_5043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWawFxRr6G8RDlrA7z-_fKSzN3h_MoXtBchqne0EDmVK4tMwRQ3oeiMGRwoFaVyGqVWfAAxBffLyTlMRW1OWghlqwyoZhCTXSeFiYPL-pZ-By68dWpsEHoHlT-8MnNDpLEAAW62HnWT_w/s1600/IMG_5043.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
That evening we walked around Valencia center one last time, stopping to get frozen yogurt to put the cherry on top of our trip. I was very happy with our trip there overall, and it was certainly more for the family aspect of it than the attraction of the city itself! As I sit here writing this, I have less than two weeks left in Ourense, and I am oozing with <i>ganas</i> to be with my family. So Valencia was a nice way to be with family I now have here while I wait to get back to the States :)<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaTkgC6o9-DBXF77yAGQz-NZLQ4ETN2yu_ymOr5mulZbtiC7QY3MSd4xBRExkMcJbrnPQHHWRMcpVIKSVlAIJ3rPWTeIqXl9QNAmT5BRVLaGsr8QMvyiatyw_MGa1wW_qHth1_o_qlEM/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaTkgC6o9-DBXF77yAGQz-NZLQ4ETN2yu_ymOr5mulZbtiC7QY3MSd4xBRExkMcJbrnPQHHWRMcpVIKSVlAIJ3rPWTeIqXl9QNAmT5BRVLaGsr8QMvyiatyw_MGa1wW_qHth1_o_qlEM/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2F1.bp.blogspot.com%2F-PkNF0B2zlYc%2FU4iA92VPWqI%2FAAAAAAAABa4%2FOHU27Vq-dBE%2Fs1600%2FIMG_4850.JPG&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRaTkgC6o9-DBXF77yAGQz-NZLQ4ETN2yu_ymOr5mulZbtiC7QY3MSd4xBRExkMcJbrnPQHHWRMcpVIKSVlAIJ3rPWTeIqXl9QNAmT5BRVLaGsr8QMvyiatyw_MGa1wW_qHth1_o_qlEM/s1600/IMG_4850.JPG" -->Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-3992613367174172862014-05-11T16:39:00.001-05:002014-05-11T16:39:27.019-05:00Two-Day Barcy Frenzy!BARCELONA! WITH MY SISTERS! AND ALL OF OUR BOYFRIENDS! LESS THAN 60 HOURS TO DO EVERYTHING! READY SET GOOOOOOO<br />
<br />
Things started out perfectly...originally Eddie and I were going to arrive about an hour and a half later than everyone else to the airport. But our flight got in a bit early, and theirs got in a bit late, so TA-DA we ran into each other near the exit! We piled into two taxis and drove to our apartment, catching up a bit on the ride over. It was already past 11pm when we got to the apartment, but we were all starving so we headed out for dinner. We loaded up on <i>jamon, croquetas, pimientos, pulpo</i>, and <i>vino</i> then went home, exhausted.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8d0UMXbzd4lfGrl2j50Ozjm_xcH-d37hpzNwEzGBNaKubhpbkX2btGObtXfN8g8pR2iSgIVLgkDsWzYJEnwDvhtIHGUsrbgSwUr0ZxltKk96E85oO_txzUnlWBZWxG60k4yoCLKzwg9E/s1600/IMG_4674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8d0UMXbzd4lfGrl2j50Ozjm_xcH-d37hpzNwEzGBNaKubhpbkX2btGObtXfN8g8pR2iSgIVLgkDsWzYJEnwDvhtIHGUsrbgSwUr0ZxltKk96E85oO_txzUnlWBZWxG60k4yoCLKzwg9E/s1600/IMG_4674.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erica and Me and Churros and Chocolate :D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Churros were the first thing on the agenda for the next morning! We found some perfect churros; they were nice and sugary with the chocolate thick just the way it should be. I was reminded of New Year's Day 2013, getting churros with Alex, Kevin, and Jill and just downing my cup of chocolate after I finished the churros. Some things never change.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPSrNRglNcH8p7L2dPizaxVpb7e70VdTHEPyRi7W77BRGw_qlWaAjvIvXEmoVPgdku2eVIzw9v-4bIJqvvPpBSQ9PU_RNUi3XvED7ebnTR2oj1wEA1cM1jYNIeI2jB0AXvTC1qEF97EQ/s1600/IMG_4695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzPSrNRglNcH8p7L2dPizaxVpb7e70VdTHEPyRi7W77BRGw_qlWaAjvIvXEmoVPgdku2eVIzw9v-4bIJqvvPpBSQ9PU_RNUi3XvED7ebnTR2oj1wEA1cM1jYNIeI2jB0AXvTC1qEF97EQ/s1600/IMG_4695.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Park Guell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had less than 48 hours left in Barcelona, so we were quite pressed for time. The sites we saw and the time we spent at each place was an abbreviated version of what I would have liked to have shown everyone!! Barcelona has so many things and two days is not enough. The first thing on the list: Park Guell. This has always been one of my favorite little fantasy lands! There were some changes to the park since the last time I'd been there, though. Namely you have to PAY to enter now! And you can only enter at a specific time during the opening hours, and there are no men illegally selling souvenirs and no people playing live music... so it's actually less lively in the park than it usually is! But it will always be a must-see of Barcelona :)<br />
<br />
Afterwards, we stopped by a nearby restaurant and everyone got their fill of paella. Next we headed to Las Ramblas! The shopping street was crowded and lively as always. I usually make it part of my routine to get a huge scoop of gelato in Las Ramblas, but it was quite chilly out so I passed. The weather in general in Barcelona was super windy and colder than it's ever been in the times I've visited! It surprised me because I had never seen Barcelona as anything less than a sunny perfect paradise!! Anyway, we continued on to La Boqueria as well. After gazing at every possible organ of the pig that was for sale, I decided to buy something chocolatey. Everytime I go to La Boqueria I see the awesome chocolate and candy stands, I take a photo, and then I continue on without sampling anything. This day, I decided to do something whacky and actually buy something! I ended up selecting a golf ball-sized mound of chocolate covered slivered almonds. The man weighed the chocolate and told me with a pleasant smile "5 euros" (around $7). I asked him to repeat the price, I must have heard wrong. "5 euros". Darn it. I emptied out my wallet to pay that man. And you better believe I devoured every last crumb of that tiny chocolate ball!!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD_lxzlIi5LPJhs7Kz3SsopoVU-JjPS52SEu1Zi3_VdLPitln6XxFTKCG1F2_E7NgoLc1Q2T6GiPiLyxbarx1YyeooImGtf3wxv8eaS8ZopBq6xFpDhVPaz9nCK_vLIzgk27e9zAP8Ak/s1600/IMG_4744.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpD_lxzlIi5LPJhs7Kz3SsopoVU-JjPS52SEu1Zi3_VdLPitln6XxFTKCG1F2_E7NgoLc1Q2T6GiPiLyxbarx1YyeooImGtf3wxv8eaS8ZopBq6xFpDhVPaz9nCK_vLIzgk27e9zAP8Ak/s1600/IMG_4744.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sagrada Familia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next we wandered about a bit more, stopping by the Cat statue for Erica before stopping at a tapas place for dinner! We wandered around quite a bit in the Latin Quarter in order to find the perfect place. I wanted to try somewhere I hadn't tried before that would give everyone else a good tapas experience, so we walked into this one place that looked inviting yet not too pricey. Turns out, it's the same owner as the restaurant I went to with my American and French buddies last New Years :) So it was obviously a great choice!<br />
<br />
The first thing on the agenda for the next day was to visit the Sagrada Familia. We emerged from the underground metro to a Barcelona that literally almost knocked us off our feet...it was so windy! I could only compare this level of wind to Iowa winters, it was outrageous. It was also a bad day to have chosen to wear a dress. Oh well.<br />
<br />
So we did a quick visit to the cathedral, stopping to gaze at it from every angle but unfortunately not going inside due to time constraints. We wandered away from the cathedral next to get some lunch. We had the perfect Catalan food experience at this cellar-like restaurant called La Bodegueta de Verdaguer, where the waiter/owner recommended to us the perfect array of tapas, all of which were delicious. I would recommend this place to anyone who visits Barcelona!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7846_hRopbh9KCFewgUjpdaKKPTPJ2Bc7b9D7-m8mABA97l_EwqrwxdY034ZeVyICvqlbb1zAB5cxaoBYVcnwLItlRIUuukH_eX-LZGfZySYvsGqllQqYqCTjQDk6TnfY8C9AQRuqlY/s1600/IMG_4760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS7846_hRopbh9KCFewgUjpdaKKPTPJ2Bc7b9D7-m8mABA97l_EwqrwxdY034ZeVyICvqlbb1zAB5cxaoBYVcnwLItlRIUuukH_eX-LZGfZySYvsGqllQqYqCTjQDk6TnfY8C9AQRuqlY/s1600/IMG_4760.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">La Bodegueta de Verdaguer</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Next we walked down Passeig de Gracia to get a view of two other Gaudi buildings! First we went to Casa Battlo, which apparently was under construction. But don't worry, the construction tarp that covered the entire building at least had the photo of what the real Casa Battlo looked like underneath lolololl! We continued to Casa Mila which was not under construction. I was hoping to go into one of the houses, but with the time constraint along with the 25 euro entrance fee, we passed :)</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We continued our stroll, heading to Barceloneta and stopping to get some ice cream and crepes along the way. Eventually we made it to the beach, where the wind was amplified at least tenfold. It was hilarious, I thought we were straight up going to get blown into the Balearic Sea. We all took the time to take photos, and my sisters and I were reminded of an infamous photo from our childhood where we are all posing in front of Lake Michigan and everyone looks good and then you see me with my childish afro blowing every which way into the wind. I'd like to think that in the photos taken at Barceloneta, everyone was doing the Cynthia-hair-everywhere beach pose.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF6m0Rt4exhj8KJg52xYW9TNbWyoI1HM9ehKwwdmBoIr6QCzuXOyT50t98t9v0GOVDfEti-yA6jAcEtZFlJ-5CWDTddTWKMQWDaIQ-4EmcMmYSIcmwJKLU7YG8obBLMzgAnrIPhoRiAg/s1600/IMG_4768.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVF6m0Rt4exhj8KJg52xYW9TNbWyoI1HM9ehKwwdmBoIr6QCzuXOyT50t98t9v0GOVDfEti-yA6jAcEtZFlJ-5CWDTddTWKMQWDaIQ-4EmcMmYSIcmwJKLU7YG8obBLMzgAnrIPhoRiAg/s1600/IMG_4768.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Erica</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg3l05QurouQ3QrrsIF0sSy0v02kLCflYe3-F2JAOBDzJbrxMhXmVMng2WCKZD40ktgVJF0q_-FSYjSN-_12nEcfNhCQrE5noq5o3rWVWu_3Y0QSot0JRbQ8s-8s3V06ucCmEzmfBk9U/s1600/IMG_4770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPg3l05QurouQ3QrrsIF0sSy0v02kLCflYe3-F2JAOBDzJbrxMhXmVMng2WCKZD40ktgVJF0q_-FSYjSN-_12nEcfNhCQrE5noq5o3rWVWu_3Y0QSot0JRbQ8s-8s3V06ucCmEzmfBk9U/s1600/IMG_4770.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ian and Sofia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxQFP30OyuXESuYgTRBfkwTv3epwARN5OIp2sXl8bm0zs1HKLfHoe-ilkRADAUWvMAllBfLnnLNK9XD93n1ul-ujBxRaP54WgAvAfoV0mjia7TGc8b7SZ4SVoZ0XCa3OtG728bB77MX8/s1600/IMG_4773.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQxQFP30OyuXESuYgTRBfkwTv3epwARN5OIp2sXl8bm0zs1HKLfHoe-ilkRADAUWvMAllBfLnnLNK9XD93n1ul-ujBxRaP54WgAvAfoV0mjia7TGc8b7SZ4SVoZ0XCa3OtG728bB77MX8/s1600/IMG_4773.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Eddie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We headed back to our apartment afterward to rest a bit and pack up. We were determined to find a super awesome joint to have our final dinner together! I had done some research for cheap, delicious restaurants in Barcelona, which was quite difficult. I had also been looking for places that served genuine tapas when you ordered a drink, which is even more difficult! I had in fact found three places that fit into one of the two categories...and literally zero of the three of them ended up being still in business... Nice goin, Cynth! But Erica found an awesome place that served food from Basque country in Spain, and we had a perfect last dinner. We ordered one round of food and ended up ordering even more because it was so delicious!<br />
<br />
We headed back to the apartment to finish packing. We all had veryyyy early flights the next morning, so we should have just gone to bed. But instead we stayed awake talking in the living room until about 3 in the morning, at which point I said "Oh shoot. We need to leave for our flight in an hour so maybe I should start packing..." But it was a perfect last night and I was soooo happy to see my sissies!! Writing this blog post now is making me quite nostalgic to be back home in Chicago with them and the rest of the family. One month from today I will be on my flight home, though! So let the countdown begin :D</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbqfHA9LCcqh6W0zsqito9muwFIxMvrNx_zBdz9Pi0KMiRVnYNfH_R87C0myvGQE7Qk9_ll-fThr-TU3KLysbe3rXfQ-I1ocdSgy81v47ffxetj-E8Egd2dCKLSHaKFrMxie4WGe-ijk/s1600/IMG_4782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLbqfHA9LCcqh6W0zsqito9muwFIxMvrNx_zBdz9Pi0KMiRVnYNfH_R87C0myvGQE7Qk9_ll-fThr-TU3KLysbe3rXfQ-I1ocdSgy81v47ffxetj-E8Egd2dCKLSHaKFrMxie4WGe-ijk/s1600/IMG_4782.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The millionth photo I've taken from my favorite spot in Barcelona :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-67695052333011915192014-04-25T14:03:00.000-05:002014-04-25T14:03:29.881-05:00München on some bretzels, 'wurst, and schnitzel (lololol)<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK2aFfK9CYk6QkoHoxCrzkgxMHzyJ3dbL1rDBrlnTRa7N0omd8z9Rkm3GTs_6K1JuoHcoXWrfpsYmKBdf0VNBMZ0u9DUQ0yiYqQJCfIxf8tYKd7GippsUkaK-LLrpNrLRX3h0UyzLly8/s1600/IMG_4625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrK2aFfK9CYk6QkoHoxCrzkgxMHzyJ3dbL1rDBrlnTRa7N0omd8z9Rkm3GTs_6K1JuoHcoXWrfpsYmKBdf0VNBMZ0u9DUQ0yiYqQJCfIxf8tYKd7GippsUkaK-LLrpNrLRX3h0UyzLly8/s1600/IMG_4625.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretzels + Beer = Munich</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Traveling via the S-Bahn train from the airport to central Munich, we emerged from the tunnels with a winter wonderland surrounding us! Well, there wasn't actually any snow on the ground, but there were huge flakes falling from the sky which was quite exciting for us!<br />
<br />
<div>
</div>
<div>
We unwound at our apartment, while trying to make a game plan for the rest of the day. It was snowing, big wet, relentless, puddles of snowflakes, and many of the things I had listed for us to do were outside (i.e., go on a tour, drink beer outside, eat food outside, go to parks, eat a picnic with beer at a park, etc). We finally settled on going to the city center and exploring, </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We took a nice long walk through the city center, stopped by some shops, and ended up at<span style="font-family: inherit;"> Weisses Bräuhaus for a late night snack and cold brew. I ordered a pretzel soup while Eddie ordered some sausage, and we got two different beers to sample as we snacked. A perfect little first dinner! And by first dinner, I mean, we later went home and ate a second full meal/dinner. If I were to give Munich a theme, it would have to be sausage (bratwust, weisswurst, bierwurst,) bretzels (pretzels) and beer. Our diet was almost exclusively based off of those items during our stay here.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Day 1: Getting to know Munich</u></span></h2>
</div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PfNJI7_Em22Y0DD7pMNjhWDgWHsv5JsI-R7FO4LXTg6W85po84OjwrvsIKF_U3Kw2dF2d38X0TVOT9HxnMHivonM81lwnph2ahR6gruHWMighEAa-OGgxMtkDopW84AwoIFjmg6eVXU/s1600/IMG_4420.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9PfNJI7_Em22Y0DD7pMNjhWDgWHsv5JsI-R7FO4LXTg6W85po84OjwrvsIKF_U3Kw2dF2d38X0TVOT9HxnMHivonM81lwnph2ahR6gruHWMighEAa-OGgxMtkDopW84AwoIFjmg6eVXU/s1600/IMG_4420.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lady on the right!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our first full day, we did a Sandeman's free tour in Spanish. It was very complete, (we also made a stop at Starbucks! first time in forever!!...where I proceeded to order a hot chocolate...) starting snowing partway through, but the sun emerged near the end of the tour. It was cool because one of the places we walked through, Odeonsplatz, we later saw featured in some indie movie that was on TV.<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
After the tour we walked through a cute little market, where I posed by some pretty flowers and some angry woman scolded me and said "NO PHOE-TOES". Funny how that seems to be a universally known phrase in every country. We also walked up a tower at Peterskirche which, per my count was 307 steps but according to Eddie, 295, and according to real facts, was 306 steps (WINNER WINNER WINNER :D )... There were some great views of Munich from here, but unfortunately a cage preventing us from getting any Cynthia-approved couple photos. Still got a nice self photo with the New Town Hall, as well as a view of some traditional Bavarian buildings, which I love!<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzDYJ3Fps2TwzpQBzAp4U0fFOViFA_UlDzO1YvNHxWe_Txewb0-8qvHdqwX2Y5QeI9iXkR2ztsC49VjvNuZW_JZp4ClucqtiRmAJFr2u9-NPID67Ag-1_FqylKheyj6ZDHlASIf_k944/s1600/IMG_4434.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXzDYJ3Fps2TwzpQBzAp4U0fFOViFA_UlDzO1YvNHxWe_Txewb0-8qvHdqwX2Y5QeI9iXkR2ztsC49VjvNuZW_JZp4ClucqtiRmAJFr2u9-NPID67Ag-1_FqylKheyj6ZDHlASIf_k944/s1600/IMG_4434.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New City Hall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UEiPb9CYNwzJqEpA5SX5uPPTJ-lt6yg2D0puSf30GbYL0UFxxLlEhyMIKYsuB5B7ttft5lgOFbY95arc7XEPU-sZGDlga7cXkek5KS3YdBu4To2Bn7P3ijqUNnbaBv6C_S_Gpj1MJpU/s1600/IMG_4444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7UEiPb9CYNwzJqEpA5SX5uPPTJ-lt6yg2D0puSf30GbYL0UFxxLlEhyMIKYsuB5B7ttft5lgOFbY95arc7XEPU-sZGDlga7cXkek5KS3YdBu4To2Bn7P3ijqUNnbaBv6C_S_Gpj1MJpU/s1600/IMG_4444.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bavaria! (Old City Hall)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We headed down from the tower, and my butt and thighs were convinced that I'd done about 500 squats after so many steps! We ate lunch at Augustiner Beerhaus, which is just one of the many beer houses there are in Munich. This was one of the best parts of Munich... getting to taste an array of beers that were all made right there in the city. Our waitress wasn't the kindest nor the most patient lady, but we had a good meal and some good beer!</div>
<div>
<br />
Next, we took a hike to visit the Alte<br />
Pinakothek art museum. I was super excited because it's one of the top rated things to do in Munich, but we came at a baaaad time because half of the museum is under renovation! Famous artists like Rubens, Rembrandt, El Greco, da Vinci...all their stuff happened to be in the part that was closed. It was still great to wander around an art museum, though!<br />
<br />
We ended the night with a soccer match!!!!!!!!!...on television. I wanted to watch some German soccer but Bayern Munchen wasn't playing in town that weekend, so we watched it on the big screen at a local bar! It's fun to compare the different level of emotion expressed by football fans across Europe. In Spain, it's nonstop old men cursing at the screen for ninety minutes of soccer. In Munich, the fans would cheer loudly after a goal for a solid 20 seconds, then resume their normal seated positions. To each their own!<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Day 2: Neuschwanstein Castle!</u></span></h2>
This was perhaps one of my favorite days of our whole three-city trip. We were off to visit the castle that inspired the Disneyland castle! We loaded up on German pastries then got on a train where we trekked two hours westward toward Fussen, Germany. The landscape grew continually more mountainous the further we went. Once we arrived at the train station, snow capped mountains were all around us. After a short bus ride, we arrived at the cutest village that sits beneath the castle! And we saw this beauty looming high above us :)<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxGdKWxODkcg2DxYAe6A9rAb_70WrPHXlXzu4HUxWnWtF81rPokQoTWT3A_rD6Iod6YUybc2yQsHHOkLn0PlaHL-BctySukdAw5BOgeXwKYo0WpOjZhkv69Lr7rj-99E51qYOdrTtqmQ/s1600/IMG_4482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQxGdKWxODkcg2DxYAe6A9rAb_70WrPHXlXzu4HUxWnWtF81rPokQoTWT3A_rD6Iod6YUybc2yQsHHOkLn0PlaHL-BctySukdAw5BOgeXwKYo0WpOjZhkv69Lr7rj-99E51qYOdrTtqmQ/s1600/IMG_4482.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My house</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I should really be more clear and note that there are actually two castles that we visited in this same area. The first one is Hohenschwangau, and it is...basic. Look at me, a snooty little princess-wannabe saying that Hohenschwangau castle isn't good enough lololool. It's just not as magical looking as Neuschwanstein. And I think that is a fair judgement. See for yourself!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iwVP76HX9y-lldJVIs1bhGtQUC_vAYNFFQFseDJkGVS1YYYCP-iebmcTlSE4RJFyHHZlAuBimdVHjuJ3iXJlQNBV1t4W1cMruIogGv1lZsYN1E1Xmhm7HBHpPLMRP7N7TKsXIUFnBFE/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iwVP76HX9y-lldJVIs1bhGtQUC_vAYNFFQFseDJkGVS1YYYCP-iebmcTlSE4RJFyHHZlAuBimdVHjuJ3iXJlQNBV1t4W1cMruIogGv1lZsYN1E1Xmhm7HBHpPLMRP7N7TKsXIUFnBFE/s1600/IMG_4477.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hohenschwangau Castle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Since we were in the village anyway, we did visit Hohenschwangau, which was a quick 10 minute climb up the hill, and another quick 25 minute guided tour. We then walked the 20 minutes up the mountain to Neuschwanstein, where all the magic happens! It's a beauuuutiful castle, but it's surrounded by thick woods so there aren't super great angles for me to pose like a princess and pretend that I own the castle, but we still managed to get some other good shots!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTJd278qzgRQjJrUI9f5yD_p8eUTdLE2OSaKrlfJj0MnX5i6ryySJvVugKkf0pol4I6rOjMNovu4eqJZYoJZDpBWgXjpHc0P3m721vj1R5vN8-O7sjkNOZU3YOOPm_zWE5EOP2aD0FHM/s1600/IMG_4601.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioTJd278qzgRQjJrUI9f5yD_p8eUTdLE2OSaKrlfJj0MnX5i6ryySJvVugKkf0pol4I6rOjMNovu4eqJZYoJZDpBWgXjpHc0P3m721vj1R5vN8-O7sjkNOZU3YOOPm_zWE5EOP2aD0FHM/s1600/IMG_4601.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZT3vOWqp9yybaC8Hk2jCnH__3iReL-IxPN-iXVyI9g0PGz1l3S9TI0IpGl2P_vTwiPiWhCOxKeRIhdttMz2Xeubg-VOfJAAGE9DvRDl7HDT7Qdjlvqs7VIEGVaR3bH2Nhf-6iZ1pSeA/s1600/IMG_4575.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJZT3vOWqp9yybaC8Hk2jCnH__3iReL-IxPN-iXVyI9g0PGz1l3S9TI0IpGl2P_vTwiPiWhCOxKeRIhdttMz2Xeubg-VOfJAAGE9DvRDl7HDT7Qdjlvqs7VIEGVaR3bH2Nhf-6iZ1pSeA/s1600/IMG_4575.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9kqjIWw8oT_HCZj4zB-6LUMuQ3sh1S0pSvs94nNlaIuIxcWWlqZeLCIYmE6xLM23LwdVUVWWij2HfsVVBmbdckhNJr4_Qgn1EM7cq-MUoX5rWjMRghiE_UQ_D-QEgxKLMjhB6nJVGro/s1600/IMG_4596.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgd9kqjIWw8oT_HCZj4zB-6LUMuQ3sh1S0pSvs94nNlaIuIxcWWlqZeLCIYmE6xLM23LwdVUVWWij2HfsVVBmbdckhNJr4_Qgn1EM7cq-MUoX5rWjMRghiE_UQ_D-QEgxKLMjhB6nJVGro/s1600/IMG_4596.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Loved the mountains surrounding the castle!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjns257-cBQ3utFmVbVszcOE7gifYhossZAvYGWN99l3iDgNez8_AnobmlVFnXyOZhfTfcaKNJelq6kvpl6Qo0Har3ic03juVCZrnN0KHe9JTAR1W6qys2jNlQULX9zk_prsQ88RtA94/s1600/IMG_4606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjns257-cBQ3utFmVbVszcOE7gifYhossZAvYGWN99l3iDgNez8_AnobmlVFnXyOZhfTfcaKNJelq6kvpl6Qo0Har3ic03juVCZrnN0KHe9JTAR1W6qys2jNlQULX9zk_prsQ88RtA94/s1600/IMG_4606.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A carriage ride down from the castles</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We were exhausted after going to the castle, but we had to muster the energy and intelligence for the last task of the night...HintQuest!! This was a really nerdy but thoroughly enjoyable experience... it's a live escape game, so, pretty much the hosts of the game lock us in a room with no directions other than "look for the clues and solve the puzzles and you'll find out how to escape". I've never done anything like it, so it was awesome! I can't go into details of the procedure, because that could ruin the surprise for other people, but if anyone is curious just ask me about it in person :)<br />
<br />
<h2>
<u><span style="font-size: x-large;">Day 3: Relaxin'</span></u></h2>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CEx_sBbppV1_NyHgc4EmoQYETLBhBDcAMedsKXE7oOqtPrcZTUvOO7dXiQ7wc-8fmPkgKF1c7icLzK54ieffEVy6o-vKRJIdx5sl6Cwb-5P2ViGXnoOTrih7MD5ankmEoGFX8aW-TEU/s1600/IMG_4626.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8CEx_sBbppV1_NyHgc4EmoQYETLBhBDcAMedsKXE7oOqtPrcZTUvOO7dXiQ7wc-8fmPkgKF1c7icLzK54ieffEVy6o-vKRJIdx5sl6Cwb-5P2ViGXnoOTrih7MD5ankmEoGFX8aW-TEU/s1600/IMG_4626.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a>Our last day we packed up our stuff and headed out for a couple more stops in Munich. First up was Paulaner am Nockherberg! This is the place where the famous Oktoberfest takes place! We ate at the restaurant, where I got to try the dark beer that was currently in season. Not my favorite German beer, but I drank it all anyway. It was finally a nice, warm, sunny day and it was great to just veg out on the terrace of the restaurant. We left this place around 3pm...and we noticed that many traditionally dressed young people were starting to fill the main plaza area. Munich has the famous Oktoberfest at the end of September, but in March, when we were there, they have a "Starkbierfest", or a dark beer festival. Essentially the same idea as Oktoberfest, but on a smaller scale. So all these people were starting up the party at 3pm!<br />
<br />
<br />
We ended our time in Munich with an afternoon stroll in Englischer Garten. We got some ice cream, listened to some music, and sat in the sun. This huge park and the activities going on there reminded me a lot of Grinnell's Mac Field during the Spring. People were sprawled out on blankets, others were playing frisbee, having a picnic, or sharing a brew! It was great and made me somewhat nostalgic.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RluRsWXbjZFsKebeUtXbAy6ZxLxY81-R2dZkG3fWV9FiI0DnpoLDXdBtGPV0Nb2V5qFZ1mwTMvMTbR-HGdp8B-kzIjiLgIWLqYLMnGBwldBLe2SbIKNCee8oAa-SFaVc8I_7ct4OLkk/s1600/IMG_4659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-RluRsWXbjZFsKebeUtXbAy6ZxLxY81-R2dZkG3fWV9FiI0DnpoLDXdBtGPV0Nb2V5qFZ1mwTMvMTbR-HGdp8B-kzIjiLgIWLqYLMnGBwldBLe2SbIKNCee8oAa-SFaVc8I_7ct4OLkk/s1600/IMG_4659.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoA13j4dCO-MaR7WuW0wvy2b9Cm9b3GCTlLdnZWOVcF9COi96eNu_HcTFyOtCw1gPNqmDETyvpa8w6gx7uCUFxMUsgWf1u7m0Ot3wWw1ZAN3A9uYBP1M8LmNPHwP8P7a_y01QVkjsca8/s1600/IMG_4647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzoA13j4dCO-MaR7WuW0wvy2b9Cm9b3GCTlLdnZWOVcF9COi96eNu_HcTFyOtCw1gPNqmDETyvpa8w6gx7uCUFxMUsgWf1u7m0Ot3wWw1ZAN3A9uYBP1M8LmNPHwP8P7a_y01QVkjsca8/s1600/IMG_4647.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></div>
This was our last stop in Munich, and it was perfect. We slowly made our way to the airport for our late night flight to Barcelona...where I was to be reunited with my sisters after seven months of not having seen them!!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-86389738540299508502014-04-04T13:01:00.000-05:002014-04-04T13:01:43.510-05:00HEJ Stockholm!<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Hej!</i></span> (Pronounced, in a very enthusiastic tone: HAY!)<br />
<br />
This is the way we were greeted by every person we spoke to in Stockholm, Sweden, always with a smile, and always as a strong interjection! Of course, this is Swedish for "Hello", but it was funny to think that everywhere I went people were just greeting me with an informal "Hey" in English.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSjEpxJp16VKjW1mQGDBTymU_LlL7uMHPQVoOUqkwRWwxc4kBh2c2JPMODGDS_I7rmf51l2DBQ2JYoolz3-b4yqwsjstWHfjfYMGHKWa4dTheW9HcLpNjb_hfatB1pq51CpV2BcmUSyw/s1600/IMG_4187.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggSjEpxJp16VKjW1mQGDBTymU_LlL7uMHPQVoOUqkwRWwxc4kBh2c2JPMODGDS_I7rmf51l2DBQ2JYoolz3-b4yqwsjstWHfjfYMGHKWa4dTheW9HcLpNjb_hfatB1pq51CpV2BcmUSyw/s1600/IMG_4187.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
In the first leg of our three city trip, Eddie and I took a three hour flight from Barcelona to get to Stockholm. In preparation for this trip, I checked weather.com twice daily to see if a miracle would occur and the weather would NOT be freezing. To my dismay, the weather forecast showed a steady range of 25-34ºF for our trip. I haven't experienced a real winter since 2011/2012. Ourense winters don't get much colder than about 40ºF. Last year, I went to visit Poland where it was 29º and I cursed incessantly as soon as I set foot outside and I had serious concerns about my health. Yeah, I've turned into a baby. This being said, I prepared for Stockholm adequately; I packed sweaters, my winter coat, riding boots, wool scarves, wool socks, under shirts, over shirts, etc.<br />
<br />
Of course, the whole time we were there, the weather turned out to be a balmy 52ºF. Oh well.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.thelocal.se/userdata/galleries/se/3090/28752.755.566.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://www.thelocal.se/userdata/galleries/se/3090/28752.755.566.jpg" height="239" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Literally what I saw at every bus stop<br /><i>Thelocal.se</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our first night there, we took time to walk around the neighborhood in which we were staying, bought some groceries, and relaxed after our long trip. We did immediately notice the cleanliness, organization, and cordiality of people, but it was something we kept getting reminded of the whole time we were there. The streets were spotless: there was no litter, and no trails of urine or dog feces laying around like there is in Spain. When waiting for a bus, people would get in line, even if the bus hadn't arrived (Anna Bosak you would have been in heaven here). The bus drivers themselves would always smile at you as you were getting on the bus. I asked for directions several times and everyone was very much obliging, always with a smile. (Thank God almost everyone also spoke English. Swedish sounds like a mixture of French/Italian/German/Arabic to me). One day at a small cafe, which didn't have more than six tables, we noticed that, like clockwork, whenever a new customer came in and started looking for a place to sit, someone who was at a table would vacate their spot for them. We were witnessing this from our own table, thinking how cool and polite everyone is, and then we got up to leave at the same time a big family came to eat. They must have thought we were vacating our table for them so the father came and said something nice to us, and made motions to show "Thank you". We pretended that that was totally our plan, and said "You're welcome".<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yBWPdnwDxyaVMBonukTFZqf5tyC_yEE6j8P8In98MROfdiaq9012GHXlzq2Tx13CQWgBwI2_x34Q71hEEd7OkGzFWn559SCTpERplzix7KaltUOpsxCaRVjr4asqhWwIvMtCX3hjuCU/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9yBWPdnwDxyaVMBonukTFZqf5tyC_yEE6j8P8In98MROfdiaq9012GHXlzq2Tx13CQWgBwI2_x34Q71hEEd7OkGzFWn559SCTpERplzix7KaltUOpsxCaRVjr4asqhWwIvMtCX3hjuCU/s1600/IMG_4102.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a><br />
Our first day out was a loaded one. On our master itinerary (Anna, you would also be proud of the six-page schedule I created) I had scheduled two museums for us to<span style="font-family: inherit;"> visit on the area of Stockholm known as Djurgarden. The first museum, the Vasa, is a larg</span>e exposition of a huge shipwreck from the 1600s. It was cool hearing how it was built and seeing a bunch of gadgets recovered from the wreck. Just the mere size of it was cool to see. In the picture at the right, I am on the third floor of the museum in order to be eye level with the ship! Unfortunately, you couldn't actually go on the ship and thus we were unable to take any 'I'm King of the World' photos. This is also the first place where I noticed it might be worth it to someday hire a personal photographer on trips if I ever have an insanely high salary. We picked out two different women to take a photo of us, and were confident with each one's photography abilities since they had each been snapping away on their own big, seemingly professional cameras. And each photo they took is pretty much a brown blur. Is my camera too low of quality for their abilities, or are their abilities too low for my wee little red camera? I will ponder that thought for a moment and retain the conclusion for myself... So anyway, throughout our trip we have a lot of individual photos but not as many couple photos as we would have liked!<br />
<br />
<br />
Next up on the itinerary was the Nordic Museum. I loooved this place...it was essentially a museum that showed the evolution of Swedish culture through the years. Everything from furniture, clothing, food, traditions, tableware, and jewelry was displayed. The furniture was especially cool to see because Sweden is always associated with IKEA and sure enough, even some of their furniture from past centuries has had some of the basic, clean, IKEA designs we see today! I also liked going through the hall which displayed different Swedish traditions. The one I have pictured here, St. Lucia, which is the girl with a candle crown, brought back especially fond memories of reading the American Girl series about the Swedish chick Kirsten!! At the end of the museum there was also a small exhibit highlighting stripes! Seems simple, but I loved it--it showed how stripes have been used over the years, especially in clothing, to depict power, and how stripes can be manipulated to create illusions such as the picture you see here to the right!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrulBvQT6DnQ6rt79wN-Q2vB5-6SAUgaap-BJh-g8uxUmNo8HAA4LUPr9tnKZoDRnK6ZgnAnmxsWZra5hACXR3i8Y0ivw8kLQYpr67Ev8vf7Nge1mNrvPm3euiNd8ElHyjrsQEsc3Bz0/s1600/IMG_4121.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkrulBvQT6DnQ6rt79wN-Q2vB5-6SAUgaap-BJh-g8uxUmNo8HAA4LUPr9tnKZoDRnK6ZgnAnmxsWZra5hACXR3i8Y0ivw8kLQYpr67Ev8vf7Nge1mNrvPm3euiNd8ElHyjrsQEsc3Bz0/s1600/IMG_4121.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Lucia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09INIHOFIHWtpV8rbnn-sBNww-oqrJWFbopN4k7ldyH0ibMjlf7uHIP5Uh2zBzr4WMOr4IiycAfpWKvOXTqJPaJbrbsYR8x0f1aXZZxS9G1dSP05i5hmN4sDuMGRQm3hPBpoxuki01jI/s1600/IMG_4125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh09INIHOFIHWtpV8rbnn-sBNww-oqrJWFbopN4k7ldyH0ibMjlf7uHIP5Uh2zBzr4WMOr4IiycAfpWKvOXTqJPaJbrbsYR8x0f1aXZZxS9G1dSP05i5hmN4sDuMGRQm3hPBpoxuki01jI/s1600/IMG_4125.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a>We wandered ar<span style="font-family: inherit;">ound Djurgarden for</span> a bit until we worked up an appetite for lunch. We hit up Ostermalm Saluhall, a big indoor market. There we ate like royalty... (and also paid as if we were as rich...) Fish is really big in Stockholm, so I tried a fish soup, while Eddie tried the fresh salmon. Both were delicious! Before heading out of the market, a decadent chocolate masterpiece caught our eye... it was a fudgey chocolate cake with piles of nutella frosting and drizzled with more chocolate and chopped hazelnuts. I declared then and there that it was the greatest cake I've had in years. (Yup, it even beats Funfetti cake). I unfortunately have no photo evidence of this cake, because as I've said many times before, I often times don't even stop to breathe let alone take a photo when masterful food is presented before me...I just dive right in.<br />
<br />
That night we hit up Fotografiska, a photography museum. We passed an uncomfortably large number of hipsters on our way into the exhibition, but I cautiously strolled on. And I'm glad we did! There was a bunch of cool photography in the museum, some not so cool photography, and an interesting bookstore. I wish it would have been a bit larger, I could have gone on looking at more photography for another hour or two! This concluded our long day, and we went back to the apartment, absolutely beat.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkDqz3fuohyphenhyphen4zNq7KEuvboTWHTSMMPd5C-pJ8ygN73iRkhgh7lh7lcJAUkUokndyHORY3w4EWb5Id2dEtXek1WhORQnzvrlwDiXizZQSpE3en5TbnU1lli_DMEY9KDsZv07QdZ_Gq3VY/s1600/IMG_4138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpkDqz3fuohyphenhyphen4zNq7KEuvboTWHTSMMPd5C-pJ8ygN73iRkhgh7lh7lcJAUkUokndyHORY3w4EWb5Id2dEtXek1WhORQnzvrlwDiXizZQSpE3en5TbnU1lli_DMEY9KDsZv07QdZ_Gq3VY/s1600/IMG_4138.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A photo from my favorite exhibition. It was a series of adolescent girls in motion, symbolizing the changes they encounter during that period of their lives!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next day, after our breakfast at home, we went on a Stockholm Free Tour. It was great! We passed many notable places of the city, such as the building where the Nobel Prizes are given out each year, a popular bar whose name translates to 'vomit', the H&M headquarters, (I always thought that store was German! Wrong!) and the most expensive shopping street in Stockholm, with its own rookie security guard monitoring back and forth! Ooh we also learned that the term "Stockholm Syndrome" originated from a bank robbery that occurred back in 1973 in central Stockholm. The thieves took in several hostages, who, after a period of six days developed empathy for the thieves, and eventually these hostages protected the thieves when they were trying to escape from the bank.<br />
<br />
Next we wandered around a bit, trying to work up a bigger appetite since we were inevitably going to spend a huge load of money on lunch. We settled on a cafe that was recommended by our tour guide, and it was some decent food! Cheaper than most places, yet still expensive. To get an idea of how expensive Stockholm is, we ordered from the lunch menu at this cafe, and by ordering a small appetizer, two non-alcoholic beverages, and a lunch plate each, we paid about 550 Swedish kronor, or 60 euros, or about $84. And this was a cafe, not a nice restaurant by any means! AND this was during lunch hours. During dinner, prices can double!<br />
<br />
After lunch we went home to refuel, and take a nap. Well, I took a nap anyway. That night we were going on a pub crawl and I was assuming we'd have a long night ahead of us! I was wrong.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjrJIBnQuY72iafCeLLkEEcL4bMx2cWV7yCd4_evdFrkcuHpEXZ-Idt5Bavbm2XlouGXV2s8Jlr1GZfegmCdtPrf9LAkWrNdQ1N8O-D6pPpuybaqZ-qMnRbNAGLMKH4fPwCQuJb4f420/s1600/IMG_4215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHjrJIBnQuY72iafCeLLkEEcL4bMx2cWV7yCd4_evdFrkcuHpEXZ-Idt5Bavbm2XlouGXV2s8Jlr1GZfegmCdtPrf9LAkWrNdQ1N8O-D6pPpuybaqZ-qMnRbNAGLMKH4fPwCQuJb4f420/s1600/IMG_4215.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We watched many rounds of Blackjack but were never brave enough to try!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We did in fact go on the Pub Crawl, and it started at the first bar at 7pm. We were dumbfounded as to how to fit this into our essential eating schedule. We usually eat dinner at 9pm...and we don't start heading out to bars until 12-1am. We got to that first bar a bit before 8pm, and did the whole "crawling" thing, talked to some interesting people, had an Irish man accuse our pub crawl host of sexually assaulting his friend, Eddie won a darts competition, drank our occasional beer, and so on and so forth. We got to our final destination around 11:30...this was mentioned on the flyer as a "night club" when in fact it was...I don't even know what. First of all, it was agonizingly obvious that the place was meant for an older crowd. The dance floor consisted of a small 10' x 10' square, with a DJ playing songs whose beats went no faster than "Every Breath you Take" by The Police. And the songs that did originally have a faster beat were remixed by the DJ to a slower beat. Hilarious. The rest of the place was part bar, part lounge, part blackjack tables. An odd, odd, place. Around midnight, I decided that I would really like to try the food stand across the street, and we made a dash for it. Best decision of the night.... our tour guide had also recommended this type of food, which is sort of like a pita stuffed with mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and a hot dog. It's no KFC Bowl but it was DELICIOUS ALL THE SAME!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPV2-eEO9H1OiDTAvG54FajSOoV-37cRuWtwqoHjZ2eD6LVQDgKeXtLVaWBH5_hxtRP8X46C-Hg9jX7Ey2-WHax46bu76kLdO7fyoySFlelbLZgERpPSSFly4rnsNpfgoKdiR34H-bwYo/s1600/IMG_4240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPV2-eEO9H1OiDTAvG54FajSOoV-37cRuWtwqoHjZ2eD6LVQDgKeXtLVaWBH5_hxtRP8X46C-Hg9jX7Ey2-WHax46bu76kLdO7fyoySFlelbLZgERpPSSFly4rnsNpfgoKdiR34H-bwYo/s1600/IMG_4240.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drottningholm Palace</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We slept in a bit the next morning, then set off for Drottningham Palace! This is Stockholm's Royal Palace where the royal family stays, and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Palace itself is about 30-45 minutes out of the city center, but in my research I had come across many people remarking of its beauty so I thought it'd be worth it to go! We took a train out toward it, and then a bus to the palace itself. Driving up to Drottningholm was a little magical experience in and of itself. The Palace looks out onto a lake, so you its large reflection in the water! We wasted no time in going to take photos in front of the palace.<br />
<br />
We spent the next couple hours exploring both the inside of the Palace (which was very limited, we spent maybe twenty minutes inside) and then the extensive gardens. The gardens itself were worth the visit, in my opinion. I'm sure they're even more beautiful when Spring is in full bloom, but it was great to just wander past so many lovely bushes and into the woods, to see this Chinese theater and to witness the beautiful palace from afar!<br />
<br />
After our visit to the Palace, we made our way back to Stockholm Central. We wandered around a bit, searching for food, when we had a great idea: to eat at Pizza Hut. Eddie had never eaten at a Pizza Hut, and I had long since been craving its oily pan crust goodness, so we went full speed ahead to it. And it was probably the best meal we had in Stockholm, not to mention the cheapest!<br />
<br />
Our last stop of the Stockholm trip was Skogskyrkogården, a big beautiful cemetery, and yet another UNESCO World Heritage site! This was a perfect place to end the trip...it was so peaceful and gorgeous, especially since we arrived at sunset. There were a few people jogging through the paths, some people visiting tombs, and others just sitting around reflecting. I wish we had had more time there, but, we got lost, and we had to make it back onto the metro before our three day pass expired, so time was limited! But I think we got to see the most beautiful parts of the cemetery.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGKzgweciN1v4VJOXxm2mFzg996-wcJrSbya2if4sm_bv7nJNdlgU-M3n-o_bhZEOuHfrj_sZv1xbbi9TMEvT2X0scQaVAKmBg7n-wsUzwR5WZCMNv4UBzmuAj_m5zEJQ2ClCtBDbHpQ/s1600/IMG_4306.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVGKzgweciN1v4VJOXxm2mFzg996-wcJrSbya2if4sm_bv7nJNdlgU-M3n-o_bhZEOuHfrj_sZv1xbbi9TMEvT2X0scQaVAKmBg7n-wsUzwR5WZCMNv4UBzmuAj_m5zEJQ2ClCtBDbHpQ/s1600/IMG_4306.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkFwW-QXm-s_zcq5k4YuqAWHrvRab-Gu9gLwN1wiZNmGn4MZoaqSGlmLhHJ7yucUDGFa_8N2d2PajNaK_j9i9jrU2YD1ujBUiCSTNjrZ93jDAHuBPeRvyVrXfRBGchnsVUb4kZoHqdt4/s1600/IMG_4321.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZkFwW-QXm-s_zcq5k4YuqAWHrvRab-Gu9gLwN1wiZNmGn4MZoaqSGlmLhHJ7yucUDGFa_8N2d2PajNaK_j9i9jrU2YD1ujBUiCSTNjrZ93jDAHuBPeRvyVrXfRBGchnsVUb4kZoHqdt4/s1600/IMG_4321.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX0CZzcAFG54paeohNfNrTX78U6UQktmDnjZM08xmfnLTOk-6BGV38bTXOTfJvr8B_uGSIZNDZnjZNyyXez7WKyJFjIC9XOuQkSYXyRMSWHb9h8ZLD6W2EQNmj5TUr8aHkWL33xHsLWc/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKX0CZzcAFG54paeohNfNrTX78U6UQktmDnjZM08xmfnLTOk-6BGV38bTXOTfJvr8B_uGSIZNDZnjZNyyXez7WKyJFjIC9XOuQkSYXyRMSWHb9h8ZLD6W2EQNmj5TUr8aHkWL33xHsLWc/s1600/IMG_4322.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
And so we went back to our apartment, packed out bags, prayed to the discount airline gods that our suitcases weren't weighed the next day, and went to bed to get some sleep in order to energize ourselves for the next destination: Munich, Germany!<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-23999001588810331772014-02-23T15:17:00.000-06:002014-02-23T15:17:30.428-06:00Toulouse, France: La ville rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5SGJAncRHdXjoHo82LdAc77SBKcGR8HEoZbOLJV-h8eYcY1amQRzKomGEmKJATsFYHUU3tkH_SdYW106rMmIZVBvHFOR8KfGI0ztOb7rLjEQypyWPAJ1A-9Kp38NTluapsO7doJrOns/s1600/IMG_3832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS5SGJAncRHdXjoHo82LdAc77SBKcGR8HEoZbOLJV-h8eYcY1amQRzKomGEmKJATsFYHUU3tkH_SdYW106rMmIZVBvHFOR8KfGI0ztOb7rLjEQypyWPAJ1A-9Kp38NTluapsO7doJrOns/s1600/IMG_3832.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A park in Toulouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
After my 3+ weeks of relaxing during winter break, I went on a trip to France to visit my friend Ashley! We had been throwing around ideas for places where we could travel together, but in the end we settled on my visiting her during her birthday weekend. And anyone who knows me knows that you don't have to ask me twice to go to France!<br />
<br />
Before boarding my plane from Madrid to Toulouse, I stayed a night with my two friends Nicole and Judy in Madrid. I got to Madrid without a hitch, and found myself happy to be back there! I visited Madrid back in 2011 while I was studying in Granada, but hadn't returned since. I was thrilled to be in a full blown metropolitan city after four months of little ol' Ourense! I took advantage of being in this urban area by getting some much desired fast food. To be honest, I have been craving Subway like nothing I've ever experienced before, but alas, I didn't run across any during my night in Madrid. I did get my fill of pizza though :D<br />
<br />
I arrived to the girls' apartment, where we caught up for a few hours. We were all in Ourense together last year as English auxiliaries so it was nice to catch up with them. Since I had a flight to catch in the morning I was planning to get some rest and to just have a quiet night in, and I even took a nap in the evening. Thirty minutes into my nap I awoke to this:<br />
<br />
"Hey Cynthia... we're thinking about going to see a Real Madrid game? Our friend has Sky Box seats."<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8igYFPFqQDTyf9kkJrl4xd1j73otWkJ6g50a2c2g70Zh3A37PmYHLBvkADJGdoZ_CSelaJPUy_OjUb3Gk5ZH9DFt0G2GNN2gDHK14veYMJWlgbh5C5SQ4tRxtE6JbsZQOs-auvrewqRI/s1600/IMG_3809.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8igYFPFqQDTyf9kkJrl4xd1j73otWkJ6g50a2c2g70Zh3A37PmYHLBvkADJGdoZ_CSelaJPUy_OjUb3Gk5ZH9DFt0G2GNN2gDHK14veYMJWlgbh5C5SQ4tRxtE6JbsZQOs-auvrewqRI/s1600/IMG_3809.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Sky Box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
UM. WHAT.?.?.?.?.? Yes, I know I'm not the biggest Real Madrid fan. Actually, I can't call myself a fan of them at all. But more important than that, I am a soccer fan. A fan of all Spanish soccer. So you should have seen how quickly I awoke from my slumber.<br />
<br />
We got dressed, went to the game, and just lived like queens up in that Sky Box. There were appetizers before the game, unlimited drinks during the first half, more tapas during halftime, and even more unlimited drinks during the second half. And dessert to top it all off at the end! This experience could have only gotten better if it had been Barcelona playing instead of Madrid. The only downside of watching from the sky box was that people up there seem to be more interested in socializing and drinking than watching the game, but who am I to complain!! After the game we headed back to the apartment (there was no need for dinner...I had eaten probably two meals' worth of food in appetizers) and I gathered my things together for my flight the next morning.<br />
<br />
The next day, as I was boarding my plane it fully dawned on me that I was going to France. My flight attendants greeted me with "<i>Bonjour, madam</i>" and I was a happy camper. I must have gotten a little too much in a French daze or perhaps a little too confident with my French language experience... because later on while on the plane, I was half asleep and offered a drink and, in my best French accent, I chose a <i>jus du pomme </i>(apple juice) which my flight attendant happily presented to me...then told me it costs <i>trois euros</i>. Um, three euros for two sips worth of juice? I quickly reverted to flustered English, saying, "Oh...shoot...sorry, I didn't realize you had to pay... nevermind..." at which point she snatched the <i>jus</i> away and pompously pushed her food cart away. What a <i>pute</i>.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmEYeUsWSjjx2zME6l81LQK7CfkuKuCklWMRgbYTlXxptxHaIhHJ9_Qjz7yqJ7zgSonjPgQ83q7hnUVBGkKEAQMKi9LgOH-qeWmiaC32CEvpjpc1ZOWZnxb2P8qNIIAHDYPkGSBNX3q4/s1600/1510405_10153702271825398_1330220824_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLmEYeUsWSjjx2zME6l81LQK7CfkuKuCklWMRgbYTlXxptxHaIhHJ9_Qjz7yqJ7zgSonjPgQ83q7hnUVBGkKEAQMKi9LgOH-qeWmiaC32CEvpjpc1ZOWZnxb2P8qNIIAHDYPkGSBNX3q4/s1600/1510405_10153702271825398_1330220824_n.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me, Ashley, and her friend Julia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<u><br /></u>
I arrived to Toulouse with Ashley waiting for me at the airport! We got on the bus to get to her apartment where catching up/English jibber jabber/gossiping quickly commenced. Upon arrival to her apartment, I was swiftly served cheese, bread, Speculoos, (What a perfect host!!!) and the talking continued. It was grand. Eventually we did have to get up and be productive, because that night Ashley was having her birthday party! We provided some appetizers, but everything else was provided by the generous guests! It was awesome getting to meet Ashley's French as well as American friends, and it felt good to be at an American style party again. It was also nice to get back to my roots and eat all the food in sight when the night neared its end and people were less suspecting...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkM56bJnpOhrRfBPD2Oi0XoSWvo8Bzynf3772OTfqFvhHZqpoWPrLM7MVocIWU0eAU1P9eLBpkuvQfWzxqHjP8fBJM3OdTBgPbSa1mxyKMl5A89C1RakDbQgR4Ms_W0uSdRZoHcS-unpY/s1600/IMG_3831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkM56bJnpOhrRfBPD2Oi0XoSWvo8Bzynf3772OTfqFvhHZqpoWPrLM7MVocIWU0eAU1P9eLBpkuvQfWzxqHjP8fBJM3OdTBgPbSa1mxyKMl5A89C1RakDbQgR4Ms_W0uSdRZoHcS-unpY/s1600/IMG_3831.JPG" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pink city</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day was to be a relaxing day of shopping! And exploring more of Toulouse. We walked around to the center of Toulouse, which was just minutes away from Ashley's apartment. Toulouse is a lot more urban and cute than I expected. Well, any French city you come across will inevitably be 'cute', charming, etc. Toulouse is known as <i>la ville rose</i>, the pink city, because from an aerial view, all of its red buildings give the illusion of a pink city. Toulouse had a ton of shopping areas and parks and restaurants and also has its own metro, so it's bigger than I expected. We took advantage of the <i>soldes</i> going on, aka <i>rebajas</i> aka the awesome post-Christmas sales that a majority of stores in Europe have!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNlNhXSBspomPk8HmEy6NnQnqXB5_w5Zcju8GNN6dIHasregT2j7B6akPq-wfXhzJD-Nq-g2klVvnpFFLovVCAisDNoLPcDd7UKhdz_aJ8VoAtk_cNuF2Yu1FvPUtvAlnb9NSIeMG7L0/s1600/IMG_3838.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxNlNhXSBspomPk8HmEy6NnQnqXB5_w5Zcju8GNN6dIHasregT2j7B6akPq-wfXhzJD-Nq-g2klVvnpFFLovVCAisDNoLPcDd7UKhdz_aJ8VoAtk_cNuF2Yu1FvPUtvAlnb9NSIeMG7L0/s1600/IMG_3838.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My spectacular French meal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As the night wound down we headed to our final destination of the night: <i>Le May</i> restaurant for some typical French eats! Early on in my trip, Ashley had told me that food and meals are very significant in French culture. It's typical to have meals that last two or three hours. That sounded like a long time to be sitting around to me, but this night at the restaurant, Ashley and I had ourselves a wonderful three hour meal, where we talked forever about life. :) Aside from the conversation, the food itself was sooooooo good, the best meal I have had since I don't know when. I ordered<i> du canard</i> (duck) which came with<i> des legumes et pomme de tierre </i>(vegetables and a baked potato) and it was DIVINE. So juicy and so greasy and so flavorful: I was an immediate fan. And to end the fabulous meal<span style="font-family: inherit;">: </span><i>crème brûlée</i>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">True blue, french-made, </span><i>crème brûlée</i>. <span style="font-family: inherit;">S</span>uper good! It's like a more flavorful flan with the famous carmelized layer on top. Ashley also ordered a dessert we shared, which was a moist, fudgey, brownie cake with a side of ice cream. Oh my gosh I was so happy. And to truly finish my french food experience Ashley treated me to a pistachio macaroon as a third dessert :)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
The next day we made a short trip to nearby Albi. It was a half-hour train ride along the French countryside! Albi is known for its large cathedral, which is really quite immense and impossible to miss once you approach the city center. The only problem with the cathedral is that we struggled to get a perfect picture! It's most picturesque if you capture it from the other side of the river, such as in this photo:<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPS35kice5noVSSgOTs7KbPWepAESO59dmGl3lXyPJlYECdfXLFUkn02CwSuwPYJEPn-3AEDGOxAns5bKPSZoUyizF1bwqtQnBQjbFg-OVUM-EX1OhmI3ulWunyqoR9aQCXHzBU3AZzU/s1600/IM3670-catedral.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPS35kice5noVSSgOTs7KbPWepAESO59dmGl3lXyPJlYECdfXLFUkn02CwSuwPYJEPn-3AEDGOxAns5bKPSZoUyizF1bwqtQnBQjbFg-OVUM-EX1OhmI3ulWunyqoR9aQCXHzBU3AZzU/s1600/IM3670-catedral.jpg" height="482" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good photo, not mine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
but due to the sunlight that day (or my photography skills?)...this is the best photo I got:<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwes6cAOTFAz6zJ2FHX3jmH2Ie1s1NQyzBJFMxq_jx4GRyhTyBC6wABjhPDhwzASQiYZXhED4e1in_kT5Oled1mXcmM1oSD-I0WxMecUi9S59S5u2v6C-Qj662UeNadCBFie5diZ7ibU/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihwes6cAOTFAz6zJ2FHX3jmH2Ie1s1NQyzBJFMxq_jx4GRyhTyBC6wABjhPDhwzASQiYZXhED4e1in_kT5Oled1mXcmM1oSD-I0WxMecUi9S59S5u2v6C-Qj662UeNadCBFie5diZ7ibU/s1600/IMG_3850.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My photo -__-</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We wandered around Albi, exploring the quaint cobble-stoned streets, and eventually had to settle somewhere for lunch....and guess what we found...SUBWAY!!! Maybe I should be embarrassed to admit that I went to an American chain food restaurant during my trip to France...but I'm NOT. I had a magnificent meatball sub on wheat. Living in a small European city away from American fatty food will do these things to you.<br />
<br />
After our meal we strolled through a park where it seemed like half the city had come out to enjoy the good weather, we quickly stopped by the cathedral since mass was about to start, and we ended our Albi trip by grabbin<span style="font-family: inherit;">g a nutella </span><i>crêpe</i> <span style="font-family: inherit;">to eat. I </span>was more than satisfied! We made our way back to Toulouse, where we had a quiet night in. My flight back to Santiago was early the next day.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gwl3k5dFQH_u4K1ZU9OND4Zzt4rl6skDkJRlTyhG9KmmDkbACothwtLObREFZjEatm1JfpX0KGRbHmyQqMBwZ64PO5ELpdM7k3kLP0ySwomLdXWcKOnmhQEU0BVHstvEeDnvSRkBcw4/s1600/IMG_3866.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0gwl3k5dFQH_u4K1ZU9OND4Zzt4rl6skDkJRlTyhG9KmmDkbACothwtLObREFZjEatm1JfpX0KGRbHmyQqMBwZ64PO5ELpdM7k3kLP0ySwomLdXWcKOnmhQEU0BVHstvEeDnvSRkBcw4/s1600/IMG_3866.JPG" height="409" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Albi with Ashley!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next morning it was pouring as I left Toulouse. I guess it was Galicia weather welcoming me back before I even got back into its territory. My final experience in Toulouse consisted of not having enough money to pay for a tea (3 euros??? I'm used to paying 90 centimos in Ourense), and having to run to an ATM to take out 10 euros which I later found out cost me an extra 4 euros for taking out cash at a foreign cash machine. Thanks a lot, France!!!!!!!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
But all is forgiven. <i>J'adore la France toujours!</i><br />
<i><br /></i>Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-66088178188688131762014-01-24T08:24:00.000-06:002014-01-24T08:24:42.621-06:00Boas Festas!Happy belated Holidays! Winter time in Spain means lots of parties and time off work, which means lots of wine and lots of family, which means lots of food and lots of happiness! Here is a breakdown of how I spent my holiday season.<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Thanksgiving</span></span></h2>
<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnhSVTWd-QmqEfnX4hyphenhyphenLf42SNT1Fv9LGxbaxcPUN48V-VwhT00LyGW7DFqAJf95Z26c6sLmAwO73liqVIGH99kzomRLh9Erg3K52RDlTkQ6KrPkg_rBk2qQrLEkOnokjoVhnQCwLJVKg/s1600/IMG_3548.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidnhSVTWd-QmqEfnX4hyphenhyphenLf42SNT1Fv9LGxbaxcPUN48V-VwhT00LyGW7DFqAJf95Z26c6sLmAwO73liqVIGH99kzomRLh9Erg3K52RDlTkQ6KrPkg_rBk2qQrLEkOnokjoVhnQCwLJVKg/s1600/IMG_3548.JPG" height="480" width="640" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">The epitome of American holidays: Thanksgiving. It also happens to be my favorite holiday. Christmas is great, Easter is cute, but Thanksgiving is the embodiment of my binging dreams realized. Unfortunately, Thanksgiving isn't celebrated in Europe! Makes sense though, with the whole holiday revolving around the Americas being "discovered", why the heck would Europe be excited about that? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large;">So anyway, due to the lack of local Thanksgiving celebrations, I repeated what I did last year and celebrated with a group of Americans, dabbled with a Brit and some Spaniards! I can't compare this year's celebration to last year's because 1) I have poor memory 2) they were distinct groups of Americans 3) the food was different but all delicious. What can one truly complain about at Thanksgiving? "UGH I only had five helpings of pumpkin pie this year instead of the six last year. This SUCKS" heh heh heh. I forget what I made last year...but this year I made a cheesecake with a nutella ganache sauce and I am proud to say that I think I have topped Grinnell D-hall's version (now if only I could do the same with the baked ziti...). As with every year, this Thanksgiving ended with me feeling bloated and slightly ill and thus deciding to go to sleep...but it wouldn't be Thanksgiving if my day didn't end as such!! </span><br />
<br /></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Christmas</span></h2>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQuuQ1BreCOfv_lO1KkGxKF-MbascybiCuMcd7qRXo-ZOY3rmh0YwCHQ7PMhQuuCUnIeAfCuwLjOlMd-r1FtZQjj95yELpG-h605wWQAxobFYcwfaJelw0MeFAbJSIGsA4E5ryzMQCuU/s1600/IMG_3594.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEQuuQ1BreCOfv_lO1KkGxKF-MbascybiCuMcd7qRXo-ZOY3rmh0YwCHQ7PMhQuuCUnIeAfCuwLjOlMd-r1FtZQjj95yELpG-h605wWQAxobFYcwfaJelw0MeFAbJSIGsA4E5ryzMQCuU/s1600/IMG_3594.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our own little creation!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmEh4l8_Ja5jgOGRiulQ1jFSZRNhfERu-VKsnLmL_kpy-t4slQN588E9ni6RsRSTSxcRqIj9vrdw89Hv9Ilk7C4q0EhIsfTKMJibTr207mFZOBRVbDZ5i5GvZ1-Ep_U-tphQPTz5s2mo/s1600/IMG_3643.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLmEh4l8_Ja5jgOGRiulQ1jFSZRNhfERu-VKsnLmL_kpy-t4slQN588E9ni6RsRSTSxcRqIj9vrdw89Hv9Ilk7C4q0EhIsfTKMJibTr207mFZOBRVbDZ5i5GvZ1-Ep_U-tphQPTz5s2mo/s1600/IMG_3643.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Professor's Christmas Dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Although it takes away a lot from the glory of my birthday on the 29th, I still find the place in my heart to forgive Christmas and enjoy it a little (lololol). We decorated our house the weekend after Thanksgiving and I am very proud of how things turned out! We made our own little tinsel hanging things and decorated our tree in classy white lights and gold ornaments. I have to give props to my friend and room mate from last year, Anna, for injecting me with the Christmas spirit that I haven't felt since I was a child. This spirit is very much alive with me this year as well! So we decorated our house while listening to classic Christmas songs, and we even bought a little pine scented oil to burn as we decorated :) </span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-weight: normal;">The Christmas season was getting into full swing and I was absolutely having every second of it. I started practicing "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" with my younger students the week after Thanksgiving. I was so excited when I first saw "Merry Christmas" written in the Zara display in late November. Seeing the mall fully decorated with Christmas ornaments and lights warmed my heart. And I had one of the most enjoyable nights of Christmas celebrations when I went to my school's professor Christmas dinner--I know the professors so much more than I did last year and it really makes a difference!</span></span></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPetx95pu80shMRbud48c4B1yDN2L-p9Fb6VlJpGO0kwi02CQEVY0uE0XCpKmqxZrw-2_WkcRUpkjEamPRYvUpOMeS1MK467dt07lUkIMs-C1_SmGm9KGhQbZ6XTnI9vCqp0q57yw5FA/s1600/IMG_3706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPetx95pu80shMRbud48c4B1yDN2L-p9Fb6VlJpGO0kwi02CQEVY0uE0XCpKmqxZrw-2_WkcRUpkjEamPRYvUpOMeS1MK467dt07lUkIMs-C1_SmGm9KGhQbZ6XTnI9vCqp0q57yw5FA/s1600/IMG_3706.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dessert!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFP6swk0YbuXDkyy6Sq8Ml5dviB2zW72tmRbtMb6mt_j3y7_NQCvl_8mhpzcjQsxfDe3KJRo4OceXsR0Ktj9d-qTF3UDUKeab_MxTINieJt4xDXjTWlHZBMyFU6bvUSnx-tT7akfZKYAU/s1600/IMG_3695.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFP6swk0YbuXDkyy6Sq8Ml5dviB2zW72tmRbtMb6mt_j3y7_NQCvl_8mhpzcjQsxfDe3KJRo4OceXsR0Ktj9d-qTF3UDUKeab_MxTINieJt4xDXjTWlHZBMyFU6bvUSnx-tT7akfZKYAU/s1600/IMG_3695.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mashed potatoes, dinner rolls, mac and cheese, and chicken</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">It was all a happy <i>epoca</i> leading up to a cute little Christmas with my favorite man, Eddie! Typically, Christmas eve, or <i>nochebuena </i>is big here, and people eat dinner consisting of lots of seafood: prawns, scallops, shrimp, mussels, crab, etc. So that is what I ate at the professor's Christmas dinner, but for our little family dinner we decided to just make whatever our (my) heart desired and not adhere to any of the traditional Spanish dinner rules. So, what did we make? As an appetizer we mounted piles of cheese and <i>jamon serrano</i> on a plate (I suppose that is actually quite Spanish...but next we ventured away from the typical!), which we followed up with buttery mashed potatoes, baked mac and cheese, and honey roasted chicken! No, there were no vegetables to be found in our meal but we didn't want to be too healthy. Dessert was (and always is) my favorite part: Pumpkin Cheesecake and Pecan Pie. It was my first time making each of these and I was 100% satisfied with the results!! So we ate all of this, rolled around and complained about how full we were, drank some wine, opened our gifts, got dressed and went out to one of the village bars to finish off the night! <i>Bo Nadal!</i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1yyZ_xVdxEY648BMvM1jtbjZ0DjU4c3Od0HRYrttYE1L82UrJVyXrjDtOW07STq-SXfAUM9WxpDg4KgC6Js5uAs82rt3lS87FKOytrurX1LeJZ7JTbvIozA_S1nEtvy9En3vHOU-5w0/s1600/IMG_3723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1yyZ_xVdxEY648BMvM1jtbjZ0DjU4c3Od0HRYrttYE1L82UrJVyXrjDtOW07STq-SXfAUM9WxpDg4KgC6Js5uAs82rt3lS87FKOytrurX1LeJZ7JTbvIozA_S1nEtvy9En3vHOU-5w0/s1600/IMG_3723.JPG" height="640" width="480" /></a></div>
<h2>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;">
New Year's Eve</span></h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Last year, for New Year's Eve I found myself atop Montjuic in Barcelona, screaming "<i>BONNE ANNEE</i>" at the top of my lungs with some of my favorite French and American people around me. It was...the bomb. This year was a much tamer affair; we stayed at home, made a nice little dinner, and rang in the New Year from the comfort of our couch. We had gone out for a long night a couple days before for my birthday, so we weren't dying to have another wild night so soon after! </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrcZZP9gqxMZsw5v50Yft6mW2zOmaYdHPg8hak6c4WXdmbdWmGWdcuZH-75ScQQierDDXsdhYYuXczQ5sygRpk6YkjDRqP82RGLPQTqcX0UHgkg2l9RkUWEez0GohrqtiXIynuaJYRlA/s1600/IMG_37764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrcZZP9gqxMZsw5v50Yft6mW2zOmaYdHPg8hak6c4WXdmbdWmGWdcuZH-75ScQQierDDXsdhYYuXczQ5sygRpk6YkjDRqP82RGLPQTqcX0UHgkg2l9RkUWEez0GohrqtiXIynuaJYRlA/s1600/IMG_37764.jpg" height="480" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Birthday Dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Spain's version of New Year's is pretty distinct from a traditional American New Year's. First of all, because of the meal schedule (I assume), it's typical for people to eat dinner as a family (which is traditionally between 9-10pm), enjoy the midnight countdown together, and then the <i>jovenes</i> go out to party with their friends afterwards. It's nice to see this holiday so family-oriented! I'm used to saying good night and Happy New Year to my family around 6pm at which point I go out and celebrate wildly with friends. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEijIbH-wqwphPomOwupBAXsH62QC3yBxZ1h97EsyiYHameQCKJf3F3yKpLLaq4OKZktn8LFw8DWC2sh4D1ZXd3N4ybQz2A5uoNpFAJbumHFgqWw49YH-LWvesQxIOSoNpdt37wslF8bQCTMWm0TlwpxfR6pGEklOcxlEALggQY_UOYTJ7v7eawi" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" class="irc_mut" src="http://www.4onatrip.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/IMG_8130-1024x768.jpg" height="298" id="irc_mi" style="margin-top: 34px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hmm...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Also, Spain has a cool tradition of eating twelve grapes to ring in the new year. Essentially, 16-20 seconds before midnight there's a bunch of chiming on TV to warn you to get your grapes ready, and then for the last twelve seconds of the year you are to attempt to eat twelve grapes for good luck. Everyyyyyyone in Spain does it! Sounds easy, but I dare you all to try it! At midnight I had eight grapes in my mouth and only two making their way down my esophagus. At a supermarket I had seen a tiny can of twelve handpicked seedless grapes but those appeared to be a bit suspect, so we opted to challenge ourselves with seeds! And failed. But it's all about the experience :)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span> <br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Reyes Magos</span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;">January 6 is known as <i>el dia de los reyes magos</i>, </span><span style="font-size: large;">or "Magic King's Day" (aka the three wisemen). This is truly the big winter time holiday for Spaniards, from what I can tell. Christmas and Santa Claus/Father Christmas are slowly becoming more and more prominent, but most people as young as 30 years-old will tell you that when they were children, winter was all about <i>los reyes magos</i> and Santa Claus was just an urban legend from a faraway country! Essentially, the children behave exactly as they would with Santa Claus...but with one of the three kings: <i>Baltasar</i>/Balthasar, <i>Gaspar</i>/Caspar, and <i>Melchor</i>/Melchior. Kids have their favorite <i>rey</i> to whom they write a letter requesting gifts. On January 5th there is a big procession welcoming the <i>reyes</i>, and this is called the <i>cabalgata</i>. Apparently they throw out candy to all the children and, I don't know, they wave? Anyway, because January 6th is a holiday, everyone has vacation up until at least January 8th! I took advantage of this very long break by going to visit France...</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEijIbH-wqwphPomOwupBAXsH62QC3yBxZ1h97EsyiYHameQCKJf3F3yKpLLaq4OKZktn8LFw8DWC2sh4D1ZXd3N4ybQz2A5uoNpFAJbumHFgqWw49YH-LWvesQxIOSoNpdt37wslF8bQCTMWm0TlwpxfR6pGEklOcxlEALggQY_UOYTJ7v7eawi" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEijIbH-wqwphPomOwupBAXsH62QC3yBxZ1h97EsyiYHameQCKJf3F3yKpLLaq4OKZktn8LFw8DWC2sh4D1ZXd3N4ybQz2A5uoNpFAJbumHFgqWw49YH-LWvesQxIOSoNpdt37wslF8bQCTMWm0TlwpxfR6pGEklOcxlEALggQY_UOYTJ7v7eawi" --><!-- Blogger automated replacement: "https://images-blogger-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/proxy?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.4onatrip.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2012%2F12%2FIMG_8130-1024x768.jpg&container=blogger&gadget=a&rewriteMime=image%2F*" with "https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEijIbH-wqwphPomOwupBAXsH62QC3yBxZ1h97EsyiYHameQCKJf3F3yKpLLaq4OKZktn8LFw8DWC2sh4D1ZXd3N4ybQz2A5uoNpFAJbumHFgqWw49YH-LWvesQxIOSoNpdt37wslF8bQCTMWm0TlwpxfR6pGEklOcxlEALggQY_UOYTJ7v7eawi" -->Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-22964015711965899352013-12-15T16:21:00.000-06:002013-12-15T16:21:44.252-06:00Pueblo Living<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUP51e1A6F7I-lhLEgQykWGA0oJn5PZkvXFsXTpOb3BMWdCsygE5JL3LyDDb_4hW4EPNp_9rFhPpawHTWyJzSBo-3wz3jAeWNGUc1T9UCqn3LiFxAFyGVvaIn2tyQrPFPSB9l67ImADQ/s1600/IMG_3474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDUP51e1A6F7I-lhLEgQykWGA0oJn5PZkvXFsXTpOb3BMWdCsygE5JL3LyDDb_4hW4EPNp_9rFhPpawHTWyJzSBo-3wz3jAeWNGUc1T9UCqn3LiFxAFyGVvaIn2tyQrPFPSB9l67ImADQ/s640/IMG_3474.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our street in Sobrado</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
One ordinary September day, I was walking through our village of Sobrado do Bispo, minding my own business. As I was walking, I came across a group of three elders, talking about who knows what in their Galician language. I continued on without acknowledging them, as I always do when I'm in Ourense. Last year, I quickly learned that smiling or acknowledging people as you pass them by is not standard Ourense behavior. Acting in such a manner provokes strange stares from women or, worse, big overtly friendly and slightly suggestive smiles from particular older males.<br />
<br />
So, as I said, here I am innocently walking in Sobrado, and I pass by this group of elders. I continue walking, their voices serving as background music to my little Cynthia world. I'm about 20 meters away and the voices are still quite loud. 40 meters away, still loud. Doesn't sound usually get quieter as you distance yourself from the source? I turn on my "Spanish active hearing" (yes, I have been here for two years but I still have to actively listen in order to figure out what people are saying), which, in reality is only half useful because the elders are speaking Galician. So my Spanish active hearing detects something along the lines of "HEY. Why don't you say good afternoon?". Oh f, they're talking to me! I turn around, laugh nervously, and send a "<i>buenas tardes</i>" their way. From that point forward, I have never passed by someone in the village without greeting them. You should see me nowadays. I'm now the one who will call out from across the street "<i>hola</i>" to someone who doesn't even realize I'm there. I just want to keep my bases covered.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6u1laQddE4iT3CJO2TyYD2DUTqUy4eL7Fska2TPlZ8KMuwzZA0AA3g19t5-OtMdJ6yq5e8q7Q4tIlkbwysAwgqhaRGGvwDBtaTRYD6trDYlrhKKIBvTgbhz3hoRBEs2tpgqMDHyo2bg/s1600/IMG_3478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu6u1laQddE4iT3CJO2TyYD2DUTqUy4eL7Fska2TPlZ8KMuwzZA0AA3g19t5-OtMdJ6yq5e8q7Q4tIlkbwysAwgqhaRGGvwDBtaTRYD6trDYlrhKKIBvTgbhz3hoRBEs2tpgqMDHyo2bg/s640/IMG_3478.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A pretty vineyard in Sobrado</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I'm not sure how many people live in Sobrado, but I would guess less than 200. There are two bars and a grocery store, but other than just a bunch of houses with huge vineyards and other big green fields. The experience of this daily life is totally distinct from that of living in Ourense. I wake up in the morning and hear a rooster crowing. When I gather the courage to run around the inescapably hilly terrain I come across some farms that reek of a manure that only induces nostalgia of days in my youth, visiting my family in Mexico. Everyone in the village knows everyone else in this village. When I come across someone new and they ask me where I'm from, they say "Oh yeah, you must be Eddie's girlfriend! The American!"<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5z64G9Fwc9PwdBqelhrb2Xnm-lgh3qvY8N0gEWGG_Gk8RaD3b1nn-ThpEFEnjPjqqChtT5cyp6Vgc6BhiBPNaQK-PxY9sFaZE_q-vWCLjOagLTvyQfGL_OOE9Z60uHJ63l8d6Cjn88U/s1600/IMG_3520.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5z64G9Fwc9PwdBqelhrb2Xnm-lgh3qvY8N0gEWGG_Gk8RaD3b1nn-ThpEFEnjPjqqChtT5cyp6Vgc6BhiBPNaQK-PxY9sFaZE_q-vWCLjOagLTvyQfGL_OOE9Z60uHJ63l8d6Cjn88U/s400/IMG_3520.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Magosto en Bentraces</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Living in this village twenty minutes outside of Ourense does have its downside: the commute. The first few weeks of getting used to it were kind of awful. I've always been highly reliant on using a car and arriving wherever I want at whatever time I want (late) and thus leaving at whatever time I want. But after getting used to the commute, it's just another part of my day! What's even better is that I recently applied for a special card that allows me to buy the bus tickets for half the price. Cha CHING. Another interesting thing about the bus commute is that by riding the bus every day, I have gotten to meet some of the other daily commuters. One nice older lady, for example, commutes every day from the same bus stop in Sobrado and so we always exchange friendly hellos, or if she's carrying lots of groceries I offer to help her out. She has told me she travels to Ourense to spend time with her two daughters, but then she likes to come back to her own house in Sobrado and have her own freedom, a.k.a. she is a PARTIER!!! Just kidding. I met another man recently who lived in New York for twenty years, was too shy to speak any English to me, but told me to knock on his door anytime I'm around so we can chat. So essentially, the village people (heh heh) I've met so far have been super friendly!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MhfRLakBB0VGfdoU1_c4oreak7HNQMvPSs1Y_FM3KRnwASw9KnOjLKyBz5rCy_Uj02XtjXzcJ2dkeU65HJbxKBoqWazQeFbtIdhbyDEDFDi4-FZ2br7JJsalk90Fyi8IOk2dmxwHNe4/s1600/IMG_3521.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6MhfRLakBB0VGfdoU1_c4oreak7HNQMvPSs1Y_FM3KRnwASw9KnOjLKyBz5rCy_Uj02XtjXzcJ2dkeU65HJbxKBoqWazQeFbtIdhbyDEDFDi4-FZ2br7JJsalk90Fyi8IOk2dmxwHNe4/s400/IMG_3521.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and our friend Brais at Magosto</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The community has been very welcoming, and it's been nice to see this kind of environment as opposed to city people doing their own thing in Ourense. I saw part of that community atmosphere during <i>la vendimia</i> (my previous post about harvesting grapes for wine) but I also saw it during Magosto. This is the chestnut party of Ourense during November, and I kid you not I have asked various born-and-raised Ourensanos and none have known the origin of the party. Last year I went up on Montealegre mountain with a bunch of other people to make a bonfire and eat chestnuts and chorizo and drink wine and licor cafe. This year I opted for a more <i>tranquilo</i> event, which took place in the village next to us called Bentraces. There was also roasting of chestnuts and meat and lots of drinking of wine and licor cafe, but in a more controlled environment. Everyone from the village and surrounding villages met up in this club house-type building to eat, there was live entertainment and people began to dance eventually, too. There was also a funny older lady who was a dancing machine, going around asking all the younger guys to dance. It was very cute to see the community come together and everyone seemed to take advantage to catch up with neighbors they hadn't seen in awhile! <br />
<br />
People who find out that I live in a village seem to be surprised that I opted to do so. I won't lie, I am also surprised that I was persuaded into doing so haha! But I can honestly say that life out here is superior than city life, in my opinion. I don't wake up to my windows shaking from the traffic passing underneath my window. I don't have a bitter landlady sucking me clean of all my <i>euros</i>. We have privacy that you don't get when you're sharing an apartment in a building. I love going on walks and inhaling clean fresh country air. Shoot, I think I just might be a country girl at heart!<br />
<br />
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-45065739667725445572013-11-15T13:31:00.003-06:002013-11-15T13:31:36.348-06:00La VendimiaThis year, I am living in a small village outside Ourense. It's been a bit of an adjustment, but I'm finding that I enjoy the tranquility of living in a village. I prefer waking up hearing a rooster crow in the distance, as opposed to waking up to my windows shaking from cars passing by in the busy road beneath my window, as often occurred last year.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
Village living is distinct, but I'll get more into that in a separate post. For now I want to explore a very cute and ancient tradition of Ourense and the surrounding wine regions:<u> La Vendimia. This is the practice of going out to harvest the grapes used to produce wine.</u> It's usually a full day of family fun, and though it only consists of cutting grape bunches using sharp scissors, it gets to be tiring!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0mrqEGtw4T5dGAB1KLg4zYP1wtaeRuvGfVv26WDxpzCidVxFQ7VblB3JE6VcX0wnTMMXtnRYEBPMuzrfGf-pvYG61tcriigXp1hCmsf_9MDWFq3aLX6Ek80dJ6Wu-CM2c1Wjm1QYPGE/s1600/20131005_101640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN0mrqEGtw4T5dGAB1KLg4zYP1wtaeRuvGfVv26WDxpzCidVxFQ7VblB3JE6VcX0wnTMMXtnRYEBPMuzrfGf-pvYG61tcriigXp1hCmsf_9MDWFq3aLX6Ek80dJ6Wu-CM2c1Wjm1QYPGE/s400/20131005_101640.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eddie and Me</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We woke up at the crack of dawn!!...just kidding, just kidding. This is Spain, only the bakers wake up early. We met up with the group of harvesters (the family of Eddie's boss) around 9:00, and ate a leisurely breakfast before getting to work. All twenty or so of us were sitting around a table, with the owners of the house urging/forcing everyone to eat the muffins and churros and to drink coffee and Cola Cao. Then the pick-up trucks (which, may I add, I had never previously seen pick up trucks in Spain. They're all about compact cars here.) were loaded up with materials and all of us packed into two trucks. It's truly a family ordeal, with grandparents holding hands with their grandchildren, who are equipped with safety scissors, as they move along the rows of vines, cutting the grapes down. Then of course there are the middle-aged members of the family as well. Everyone has their own job according to their ability. It's very cute! We arrived to the first grape field and everyone got right to work. Me, being a noob but a competitive little sucker, ran to my own row of grape vines and started imitating what the others were doing. Some of the others were well over 60 years old yet somehow they worked faster than me! The task was simple:<br />
<ol>
<li>Cut the grapes off the vines </li>
<li>Fill the big black buckets with grapes</li>
<li>Haul the buckets to the large blue sacks</li>
<li>Call out helplessly for a stronger person to empty my bucket into the sack</li>
<li>Repeat</li>
</ol>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXm6ddaRdmXbDR06bks-VQYGJtLjCCwJv4mghEfPqGXxy66dUlBILLvRz05NJjIclpsWpyZzUIxbwsP8dZH3JdjtJ2Hv0MUvv_buQ7OkKIpbmAxbGwCPVScxSEbGwqDpkfS-Or90qKEY/s1600/20131005_105656.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoXm6ddaRdmXbDR06bks-VQYGJtLjCCwJv4mghEfPqGXxy66dUlBILLvRz05NJjIclpsWpyZzUIxbwsP8dZH3JdjtJ2Hv0MUvv_buQ7OkKIpbmAxbGwCPVScxSEbGwqDpkfS-Or90qKEY/s400/20131005_105656.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My couture outfit for the day</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We finished the first field in under ten minutes. I thought to myself, man, this is a breeze. What are these people talking about, saying we'll be cutting grapes for four hours??...I spoke too soon.<br />
<br />
We made our way from grape field to grape field, my endurance crumbling progressively after each one. I will say the experience is particularly cute because it is a good way to get to know the others and makes you feel like part of the family. Of course, everyone was speaking Gallego so I constantly had my eyes squinted in an attempt to better understand, but you know what, by the end of the day I understood it better. Everyone shares anecdotes to pass the time as we're all snipping away, and it's a nice feeling. It's what kept my spirit from disappearing completely.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2jPqUHXWZiD8RFGZQ1CgPz3jUSvMgKpXMg2QA_-D9dkgeyPFl3HDV9xvnAwzOpQfHrtFy9Td-ArdD2CFzHpGoksaAXqkfsB68rQHw5ug1n0xGOTlSsf6RsItzU1Rdl6heKOBLWHPcuo/s1600/20131005_1055132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI2jPqUHXWZiD8RFGZQ1CgPz3jUSvMgKpXMg2QA_-D9dkgeyPFl3HDV9xvnAwzOpQfHrtFy9Td-ArdD2CFzHpGoksaAXqkfsB68rQHw5ug1n0xGOTlSsf6RsItzU1Rdl6heKOBLWHPcuo/s640/20131005_1055132.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd never seen such pretty grapes!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Around 1 o' clock we finally made our way to the last field. I had been deceived 100% by the first field. It had been a grain of sand compared to the other beach sized fields that followed! (I exaggerate a little...). The last field surrounded the family's house... in every direction.... for about 500 m. Before we could muster the energy to finish this mammoth field it was necessary to refuel...Spanish style! We gathered inside the house to eat a hearty lunch consisting of boar and fish and empanada and garbanzos and salad and cheese and ham and wine everything my little Spanish mind could think of. The mother of the family had single-handedly created this feast for all of us, and for that I deeply admire her. Who would have known that a short stout woman could produce so much wonder in a kitchen!! Ugh it was so good and I ate as much as I could, and she kept urging everyone to eat more. I didn't even have room at the end of the meal for <i>licor cafe</i> nor dessert...that should tell you how filled to the brim I was.<br />
<br />
Once we were refueled and buzzed enough to gather the courage to conquer the remaining field, we equipped ourselves with shears and headed back out. This. Field. Took. FOREVER. There were red grapes and white grapes and grapes hanging from fences and grapes hanging from an overhead trellis and grapes on the ground and grapes on trees. It was nuts. It took us a good two hours to complete it and we were absolutely pooped afterward! Once we finished, we washed the grape juice stickiness off ourselves and collapsed into chairs. The host brought us cool glasses of beer as well as rice pudding. Oh, did I ever devour both of them. I'd like to think I deserved it!<br />
<br />
The family invited us to stay for dinner, but we declined and opted instead for a couple hours of napping at home. It was an exhausting but very fulfilling day. Here's to hoping that the family remembers us when they are handing out the bottles of wine they make with the grapes we helped pick :D :D :DCynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-65899313986657971302013-10-14T14:47:00.001-05:002013-10-14T14:51:52.383-05:00Who runs this...So, allow me to be frank and say that the sole purpose of this post is to segue from my first year in Ourense to my second. Enjoy! <br />
<br />
I dedicate this post to Beyonce and her song "Run the World (Girls)" because I couldn't get it out of my head as I was creating this post... I may have switched the lyrics in my head... I apologize to anyone who may not be so fortunate as to have the lyrics memorized (which should only include, like, my dad, right??????)<br />
<br />
[Who runs Galicia? DOMINGUEZ.]<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOtw4tByKzLSx-GZf-McTP00GHIJykRv3AsX9nvQsjKGcKhI7ex4Ks90ZDx1ACTc09sdL7NhgbJws9QE2EACviWWrECJI9fX1y02eiZIy3_6r-OW4pWXztAHfIi9O9BWCTHsDr8ZbkRjM/s1600/IMG_00282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1o1icZBtKtQ1UgVFkZuRdS4xxqpc2DmkDcLe2_o65DBhrTtcrqP50thE_8G3I0TXhFeGYCv5W9P3wU-bySi9by7Zr7aCmLTH1jBtdeMEVeWTsA0yJvV8oOTFqB66LIvy_GiaakTU3JU/s1600/IMG_00302.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih1o1icZBtKtQ1UgVFkZuRdS4xxqpc2DmkDcLe2_o65DBhrTtcrqP50thE_8G3I0TXhFeGYCv5W9P3wU-bySi9by7Zr7aCmLTH1jBtdeMEVeWTsA0yJvV8oOTFqB66LIvy_GiaakTU3JU/s400/IMG_00302.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9K4tD0XtTxBb62NVpkSvAlTIdMOHRCE5s-v5erVYF1AjQAFE4NMWbJglL1Zt6oZuMpc39zF41DJoQ294yPg6hroTOcysyeWclyba1bkCsSHW2EQAcYyZoOxxJd7qbzlzMI4VVY90dIQ/s1600/IMG_00312.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ9K4tD0XtTxBb62NVpkSvAlTIdMOHRCE5s-v5erVYF1AjQAFE4NMWbJglL1Zt6oZuMpc39zF41DJoQ294yPg6hroTOcysyeWclyba1bkCsSHW2EQAcYyZoOxxJd7qbzlzMI4VVY90dIQ/s400/IMG_00312.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQD3xE3xOyo9Ec6dtoOjk3bFfTtgtjbA4-bYfYwcI6XPEuiQoIIUoB1KZx3JJHxlGlHYR1gAOZNov1gOnixuXkR82a7nZ5ZC0jN8BBLDxgoYYcan-xBQr03oNofLYT7AKuMAjdCySow0/s1600/IMG_01362.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXQD3xE3xOyo9Ec6dtoOjk3bFfTtgtjbA4-bYfYwcI6XPEuiQoIIUoB1KZx3JJHxlGlHYR1gAOZNov1gOnixuXkR82a7nZ5ZC0jN8BBLDxgoYYcan-xBQr03oNofLYT7AKuMAjdCySow0/s400/IMG_01362.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmKyhRrxuC2p2FF63Tzuib6qgWsluFEYpvCwBrJNZWJiiXCWu7-HtYlzt2JBfufv4nkCLH_G1IE4U1SIEODTYl9he66iEGFuy9ggERsThdlAY6kH83VpTJq5QvYRMhxOU9Q1dbw2vf2Y/s1600/IMG_01472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQmKyhRrxuC2p2FF63Tzuib6qgWsluFEYpvCwBrJNZWJiiXCWu7-HtYlzt2JBfufv4nkCLH_G1IE4U1SIEODTYl9he66iEGFuy9ggERsThdlAY6kH83VpTJq5QvYRMhxOU9Q1dbw2vf2Y/s400/IMG_01472.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RivR-w1CC_uNe65Si814JuXxH-6jvy0ViLaWQQxplnPEIrQCVssejW44E621NyHvT2V2_LzyYfW-wqViMknBA3ObN9bjbOuEhkNGMNtgST1pa-E6E20lq4D5EB70OFP0EO2TEtafvAw/s1600/IMG_01612.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1RivR-w1CC_uNe65Si814JuXxH-6jvy0ViLaWQQxplnPEIrQCVssejW44E621NyHvT2V2_LzyYfW-wqViMknBA3ObN9bjbOuEhkNGMNtgST1pa-E6E20lq4D5EB70OFP0EO2TEtafvAw/s400/IMG_01612.jpg" width="400" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9OlOechPTJicjGzIm5ggnH-kuh-5ia-6DMG8ih6BYBOei5CgxB2q5ShySKueMDjhnFA6CUnnVeNRolPzzEuVMiPXN9cX08hHz2HYskOrWVBpawl0F5MiAAvmie_2Da4YhgYVq3rZZdA/s1600/IMG_00282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9OlOechPTJicjGzIm5ggnH-kuh-5ia-6DMG8ih6BYBOei5CgxB2q5ShySKueMDjhnFA6CUnnVeNRolPzzEuVMiPXN9cX08hHz2HYskOrWVBpawl0F5MiAAvmie_2Da4YhgYVq3rZZdA/s400/IMG_00282.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3XB5sdaKV5vYy6ySb5MRiM2ctZJcFnGDTw2i5v77-B9ScAHow7268MJWPZaQPw3yPSOMYfDZaxxRWMzmqkfQ_TM4NhvCOI_oDluey9AaRqtx0PI7bHw35y9W76tbTrTedqFyzRIQMiY/s1600/IMG_02052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij3XB5sdaKV5vYy6ySb5MRiM2ctZJcFnGDTw2i5v77-B9ScAHow7268MJWPZaQPw3yPSOMYfDZaxxRWMzmqkfQ_TM4NhvCOI_oDluey9AaRqtx0PI7bHw35y9W76tbTrTedqFyzRIQMiY/s400/IMG_02052.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoZahZsJCHnwPW9zJfby0fYifveYt_FDqIxB6GnBiDyaAsJ99hEFdNkK-eRdHjNI8vhaxpq2HkDuejHYImA6P8hF_4DgK1pFwWxL5R41Se9Pj5hJkRmvBHXN0W1lngDnLnGVHNMCQRZc/s1600/IMG_02053.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRoZahZsJCHnwPW9zJfby0fYifveYt_FDqIxB6GnBiDyaAsJ99hEFdNkK-eRdHjNI8vhaxpq2HkDuejHYImA6P8hF_4DgK1pFwWxL5R41Se9Pj5hJkRmvBHXN0W1lngDnLnGVHNMCQRZc/s400/IMG_02053.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV7Mq69ua5fAHIZaI5T2Rv4RADtoldoTc_HzgumJCV1GowHoL9_OorVw_HNove9zyu0WJVvetmqGn-5sOUhSDVl7vbHvI8sHeeNY4A-KkRA8E6GK9jzxbA73mdnzb6PCL2k59GBbjicb8/s1600/IMG_02052.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eJFDxN8ADLTzmJ11NCmyzJnDu4Qq4YjBkh4ThddfFTdxhzL1RYHkO_aBdCT8QrtG2nActbEeZNnK6CspyvjGyJ7HH4vwNNAa-6REjRWMEh3dRCBn5-aHZXQx2y3TT9j6CpSLFFsnNrY/s1600/IMG_02122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0eJFDxN8ADLTzmJ11NCmyzJnDu4Qq4YjBkh4ThddfFTdxhzL1RYHkO_aBdCT8QrtG2nActbEeZNnK6CspyvjGyJ7HH4vwNNAa-6REjRWMEh3dRCBn5-aHZXQx2y3TT9j6CpSLFFsnNrY/s400/IMG_02122.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PeagjPASj8vPmzlInDGBo0Wb98ogDM2EbkvPBkfhrZGNK5j507CHUPKoiPSxlTNJu7fzpyTHpAqZDzcs_EkzBsL-OBO19g6z8zRxMVNH6NiWDC-pH4nsPz7Ho1c-6flXmo5YeZ6XaYY/s1600/IMG_02592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7PeagjPASj8vPmzlInDGBo0Wb98ogDM2EbkvPBkfhrZGNK5j507CHUPKoiPSxlTNJu7fzpyTHpAqZDzcs_EkzBsL-OBO19g6z8zRxMVNH6NiWDC-pH4nsPz7Ho1c-6flXmo5YeZ6XaYY/s400/IMG_02592.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKP8SHmTBoo21vbqbPtmi30IqZG6iNw_odJXFBpvIdSskd5afNt59ZfT4hzn7mh4XWVdYpgyTrHCkLzO-E8olytr-BnRrBD5R9g9CTNmArB4AuK3cbKJOBQ1uoAgIAaMtTdIHm7qwUv8M/s1600/IMG_08462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKP8SHmTBoo21vbqbPtmi30IqZG6iNw_odJXFBpvIdSskd5afNt59ZfT4hzn7mh4XWVdYpgyTrHCkLzO-E8olytr-BnRrBD5R9g9CTNmArB4AuK3cbKJOBQ1uoAgIAaMtTdIHm7qwUv8M/s400/IMG_08462.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvABOt566JYXc97BpzTRTauoqZ6GXft2rm2mkzjAdYFbsxBsCLnf_r5xIOZT0w-fgHPcKOur1jRFSEdAmKs-lVexGGvV9QJFYinr8kLMy1uYpn6ri85_6V-aF7hJU0LMZYBENlO5KhGQM/s1600/IMG_19352.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvABOt566JYXc97BpzTRTauoqZ6GXft2rm2mkzjAdYFbsxBsCLnf_r5xIOZT0w-fgHPcKOur1jRFSEdAmKs-lVexGGvV9QJFYinr8kLMy1uYpn6ri85_6V-aF7hJU0LMZYBENlO5KhGQM/s400/IMG_19352.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcUOr6qkZtGCEeJlEeuOwhKgPyjzrS4FsZi28NebaaXP0Zr0Ae7SC4ej2D92MQmh5VNOJ4quyeS8fHu-yUpvLxHHcjlC-BtQJYkMvRlQo66ZxeDLsFfq-12_FwRSGFJjWTWUoeI8cP8I/s1600/IMG_27242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfcUOr6qkZtGCEeJlEeuOwhKgPyjzrS4FsZi28NebaaXP0Zr0Ae7SC4ej2D92MQmh5VNOJ4quyeS8fHu-yUpvLxHHcjlC-BtQJYkMvRlQo66ZxeDLsFfq-12_FwRSGFJjWTWUoeI8cP8I/s400/IMG_27242.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcEMd4z_7rukBwgLbXi25rG92FqwF4lIGOgjm2ZxaCSom2HRdCa_LKyzats0CAC-ftGWO7eo39hIW9bnTme15b5Kz2GxwwNWXIrmhkrbdgVqerJPKzp_dQDDqMeaIp6lpMsKnojLjfQw/s1600/IMG_27282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGcEMd4z_7rukBwgLbXi25rG92FqwF4lIGOgjm2ZxaCSom2HRdCa_LKyzats0CAC-ftGWO7eo39hIW9bnTme15b5Kz2GxwwNWXIrmhkrbdgVqerJPKzp_dQDDqMeaIp6lpMsKnojLjfQw/s400/IMG_27282.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMNH8HcbdAgjh47No3pe9XGcN___G_su7QsgHFoQ7xHDqMP2oXqcsnGoTPBMcB-9TSrwUFiF1tU_234A9txVg-67yQydPi7V5WBeIJjBRvWR1g2uLoVB1OErkA6Nf0XJifTA9_mnwivo/s1600/IMG_28122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnMNH8HcbdAgjh47No3pe9XGcN___G_su7QsgHFoQ7xHDqMP2oXqcsnGoTPBMcB-9TSrwUFiF1tU_234A9txVg-67yQydPi7V5WBeIJjBRvWR1g2uLoVB1OErkA6Nf0XJifTA9_mnwivo/s400/IMG_28122.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPkzrBi5DZSgAQbG7YG_T18E37jL76r1FxvGqPXYOWjTI6mcwuiTWADiPR-7siBoy8lLZeCSyYIl90Wnkxw2WGvOMBqF-6CtKpW-QGPFovbwL4CnxMeoVC-0YF-Gqk9cT3Gr6txLxAMI/s1600/IMG_27252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPkzrBi5DZSgAQbG7YG_T18E37jL76r1FxvGqPXYOWjTI6mcwuiTWADiPR-7siBoy8lLZeCSyYIl90Wnkxw2WGvOMBqF-6CtKpW-QGPFovbwL4CnxMeoVC-0YF-Gqk9cT3Gr6txLxAMI/s400/IMG_27252.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I'm back :)))))))))<br />
<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-58971378443359674522013-07-12T13:05:00.000-05:002013-07-12T13:05:15.191-05:00Un poco de todo<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RZ_7SrA59N2gh7ydDwUy7laLgGIJkU-4M4pAXWy9GvEvv-7GpVgTUWSbBoo9IPR3nK_-ZaJcfgxM_6zKClW8Yqnh0g7jcTCLP8pLcIzxeTDLSgNa53U6WSSNeJRRJGVRngLbabAGhvY/s462/map-galicia-ALL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RZ_7SrA59N2gh7ydDwUy7laLgGIJkU-4M4pAXWy9GvEvv-7GpVgTUWSbBoo9IPR3nK_-ZaJcfgxM_6zKClW8Yqnh0g7jcTCLP8pLcIzxeTDLSgNa53U6WSSNeJRRJGVRngLbabAGhvY/s400/map-galicia-ALL.jpg" width="353" /></a></div>
I had a ton of smaller adventures the last two months in Ourense! I could probably devote one blog post to each trip, but I think it's in everyone's best interest that I consolidate them all into one post and give brief synopses of each one. Otherwise, I won't catch up with my blog for several years. All of these trips proved to be special in some way...whether it was the fact that they all took place during the Spring and the warm Spanish sun acted as the most beautiful backdrop of each adventure, or maybe just the realization that these were the last opportunities to enjoy Spain to its fullest...in either case, they were all nice little trips that remain embedded in my mind.<br />
<br />
<h2>
Pontevedra</h2>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Tz4T9pVRnYw1umbSn25_uDeZSZZs1fXQfxVRJ-KI7CtXkXYJ076ja3V9SdfOl_zL1X_x_WG8X8meUb-uyqGU92wESC-FspNzjZUGZXZHPnf2KjxaGUgJBaMp0KQDXPw1YGVKFKOQ4HU/s1600/IMG_2680.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Tz4T9pVRnYw1umbSn25_uDeZSZZs1fXQfxVRJ-KI7CtXkXYJ076ja3V9SdfOl_zL1X_x_WG8X8meUb-uyqGU92wESC-FspNzjZUGZXZHPnf2KjxaGUgJBaMp0KQDXPw1YGVKFKOQ4HU/s640/IMG_2680.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Just a day after my dad departed, Anna's parents arrived to Ourense! It was nice to meet them, and hilarious to see how much Anna took after them :) One day they invited me to go to Pontevedra with them and I immediately agreed. Pontevedra was a cute city! It was a beautifully sunny albeit somewhat windy day. We started out with a coffee in one of the main plazas, where we witnessed SO MANY CHILDREN CHASING AFTER BIRDS. A quick aside: I don't know how many people I have shared this story with, but, several months ago I was innocently walking through a park when suddenly I felt something akin to a punch to my face and saw feathery wings flutter away....yes, a pigeon had slapped me in the face. I haven't looked at pigeons the same since. So, seeing the children enjoying themselves with the demon birds really affected me.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCcRzxLfnfhudN-FnndiHFuYTA5_bf3-wH2FqDe6WW5tXdFaEEYp6wMeLnqt2GXQdBwGeRUmguFrAmnB4qvS3LuPaU0nWRjAfGKv-sQ_T8MJgz4yVt8hfGSG8QDYY2XDgmka5H_sisKo/s1600/IMG_2723.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilCcRzxLfnfhudN-FnndiHFuYTA5_bf3-wH2FqDe6WW5tXdFaEEYp6wMeLnqt2GXQdBwGeRUmguFrAmnB4qvS3LuPaU0nWRjAfGKv-sQ_T8MJgz4yVt8hfGSG8QDYY2XDgmka5H_sisKo/s640/IMG_2723.JPG" width="640" /></a>We spent a lot of time in Pontevedra just wandering...sometimes that is just the best kind of visit...no concrete plan, no rushing around, just cruisin' along at a happy pace. I can't say that the wandering was completely unplanned: I was traveling with Anna, afterall, and she doesn't do "unplanned" hahaha :D So we did stop along some awesome ruins, cute and weird churches, and nice palm-tree-lined parks! We had such a typical, delicious Spanish lunch in a frenzy of a plaza, which included<i> pimentos de padron, tortilla, croquetas, queso</i>, and <i>chorizo</i> (if I'm remembering correctly), all paired with some wine of course! Sitting in the plaza was an awesome little moment, and I remember trying to take the authenticity of it all in. As I lounged back in my chair, buzzed from some <i>cerveza</i>, I looked up at the sky to see this beautiful sight, which is now one of my favorite pictures from Spain! The picture brings back warm fuzzy Spanish feelings and will always give me pleasant reminders of Pontevedra :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Ribadavia Wine Festival</h2>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTArvaO8FF0RSDeUqG_Ym95ZHqNIrxH51FjAvJ6CQCq5S5CCmj_G8eZ1W4f6M2JKu4o4Ne_HwDGNdi7bHZfn5YGEPsMeG15dPtHJ1IhPWI3jdWh_C0qICT4IUzxZ66ci94cjVs1wifS9Y/s1600/IMG_2771.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTArvaO8FF0RSDeUqG_Ym95ZHqNIrxH51FjAvJ6CQCq5S5CCmj_G8eZ1W4f6M2JKu4o4Ne_HwDGNdi7bHZfn5YGEPsMeG15dPtHJ1IhPWI3jdWh_C0qICT4IUzxZ66ci94cjVs1wifS9Y/s400/IMG_2771.JPG" width="400" /></a>This had to be one of, if not THE BEST roomie adventure Anna and I experienced! <br />
<br />
Anna has always been pretty in the know of festivals and such that go on around Galicia...but when she announced this festival to me I was beside myself with excitement. Spaniards don't joke around with their wine, and so I knew a festival that was solely dedicated to wine could not be a let down!<br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4ELlUezfhGIQCQ43Y7qLJ6YLh7bBbteuBzpHSdJ0-6g4gqSPcjiH0BHFuIOvf6HOQIFTBTllD5o6pFYt4aaQ0nLPFwYFYz2d-NeWUTteWURWyplJxdB3QmWpgZZbV-SdsxMzxpOgi2Q/s1600/IMG_2766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW4ELlUezfhGIQCQ43Y7qLJ6YLh7bBbteuBzpHSdJ0-6g4gqSPcjiH0BHFuIOvf6HOQIFTBTllD5o6pFYt4aaQ0nLPFwYFYz2d-NeWUTteWURWyplJxdB3QmWpgZZbV-SdsxMzxpOgi2Q/s320/IMG_2766.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gaita bands galore!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The day here started out tame. We arrived early enough to get a coffee before the <i>gaita</i> (bagpipe) parade started. And there were <i>gaitas</i> GALORE. I lost count of how many different bands there were, but I'd say there were easily at least twelve different groups, each marching into the center of the plaza, playing a portion of a song, before marching off to the opposite side of the plaza. The <i>gaita</i> players seemed to range in age from 10-60, so that was awesome to see!<br />
<br />
The parade went for at least an hour or an hour and a half, but after 45 minutes our skin was getting fried in the hot sun so we wandered around the city a bit. There were a lot of little shops set up, so there was a lot to look at. Additionally, Ribadavia is known for having of Jewish Quarter so I took advantage by buying cookies at a Jewish bakery...in fact, I bought one of each cookie this cute little bakery owner had!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYFAsImkRAMA5Po_WWC17inYFxK-g-TZ8p-hdf5z4sB6CrHvS7m-ViytAsbyN5mi2J4EEVglHvR182b9N8xB6xQ7Bw0m5KKpcZVz5cpcdnfdVLdI5BOy5QnXeymJxfZ_OwlM_-rgyy7I/s1600/IMG_2777.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwYFAsImkRAMA5Po_WWC17inYFxK-g-TZ8p-hdf5z4sB6CrHvS7m-ViytAsbyN5mi2J4EEVglHvR182b9N8xB6xQ7Bw0m5KKpcZVz5cpcdnfdVLdI5BOy5QnXeymJxfZ_OwlM_-rgyy7I/s640/IMG_2777.JPG" width="480" /></a>After all the wandering and fun and games, we finally got to the heart of the festival: <i>las catas de vinos</i>, the wine tasting. There was a nice guy selling the tickets, who carefully explained the set-up to us: there was both a <i>cata</i> for red wine and white wine, and each one cost 5 euros. So Anna and I thought, well shoot! For 10 euros each we can taste all of them? Count us IN. We bought our tickets then went over to our table to begin. We explained to the wine server that we each wanted to start with a separate white wine <i>cata</i>, and that we would do our red wine <i>cata</i> later. She stared at us, dumbfounded, and went to talk to the guy who had sold us tickets. Now, Anna and I had been in this country for seven months. I can guarantee you we had no problem communicating in Spanish. The woman came back with the guy who looked at us and said "You're each doing your own <i>cata</i>? And you're each doing both wines?" Ummmm, yes? Is this not a wine festival? We are highly festive individuals and really just like to delve into whatever it is we are celebrating. Well, apparently the normal thing is for a group of people or even just a pair of people to do one <i>cata</i> together...and not for individuals to go at it on their own. But no one told us! Whatever, we went along with our own <i>catas</i> anyway, chanting USA! USA! (just kidding) as judgmental Spanish someliers stared on at us. We enjoyed our white wine, and had an even more enjoyable time pretending we knew anything at all about what we were smelling/tasting, but Anna and I were surprisingly in agreement on what we thought about various wines!<br />
<br />
We finished the <i>cata</i> and wandered back to the plaza to take some sun in. It was HOT out! The wine really took it out of us and we actually ended up resting in the shade in the plaza, watching kids run around playing antique toys, people eating on the patio tables set up on the plaza, the clock tower striking a glorious chime on the hour. It was another relaxing Spanish moment that I really enjoyed! We eventually had lunch, then made our way back to the <i>cata de vinos</i> to do our red wine tasting. Believe it or not, we were slightly less enthused for this round. After tasting 18 different white wines and 13 different red wines, we collapsed on a train, got back to Ourense, and SLEPT.<br />
<!--more--><br />
<h2>
A Coru<span class="st">ñ</span>a</h2>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQNEx6lFCQbDsq2Fk4AnPW-ukcgBiPAkmZ9xfYfx4if6ijQxCdf1WH2bSpp6tb_gbB1w8c_qbLhDpUAABQ3wQhRD6tZIwBgW8wDWQGdovcHcxigpWlEUkUrk9jZt_IAQquIkPSHQ_VuI/s1600/IMG_2831.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxQNEx6lFCQbDsq2Fk4AnPW-ukcgBiPAkmZ9xfYfx4if6ijQxCdf1WH2bSpp6tb_gbB1w8c_qbLhDpUAABQ3wQhRD6tZIwBgW8wDWQGdovcHcxigpWlEUkUrk9jZt_IAQquIkPSHQ_VuI/s400/IMG_2831.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yay waves!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anna and I had been wanting to visit Coru<span class="st">ñ</span>a together since we'd first arrived to Ourense. We'd heard a lot of great things about the city, including the fact that Marineda City in La Coru<span class="st">ñ</span>a is the 3rd largest shopping center in Europe. With this fact in mind, we arrived early on a Saturday afternoon and dedicated the rest of the day to exploring this wondrous shopping center. Marineda City was in fact huge... but with all its wonderful stores and after six hours of browsing Anna and I somehow managed to leave empty handed! (But not without empty stomachs ;) ) What can I say, we are mature shoppers and don't spend money frivolously on clothing unless it's really really worth it :) All the walking around really took it out of us, so we had a <i>noche tranquila</i>, opting to go out for a drink and pinchos but then heading back to the hostel for some much needed sleep.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxItzukMdn-1BWu3JLl8xu2poRroInK7JQgm4ilx2W8XihhfJkiW_MbgdckkvIWoe_BJSfB7pL3GqLA23KjcCNeK6rMkmSkLu_yku4xYrZ52XAUe07T7HmK_fpOjBcrKgzrhyphenhyphenieCu8GM/s1600/IMG_2821.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmxItzukMdn-1BWu3JLl8xu2poRroInK7JQgm4ilx2W8XihhfJkiW_MbgdckkvIWoe_BJSfB7pL3GqLA23KjcCNeK6rMkmSkLu_yku4xYrZ52XAUe07T7HmK_fpOjBcrKgzrhyphenhyphenieCu8GM/s320/IMG_2821.JPG" width="240" /></a>The next day was quite the work out! We woke up early on a Sunday morning...The country of Spain is dead from 8-11am on Sundays, I would say (not that I have ever been awake at that time to confirm my statement, but it's just a guess!). People who are out partying until 7am make their way home by 8am...and those who didn't have crazy night still don't emerge to the streets until 10-11:00. I am a special individual who does not fit into either category, in the sense that whether I go to sleep at midnight or 7am, you will still not find me out of the apartment until 6 or 7pm. Sundays are for relaxing, man! So anyway, we're in Coruna and wake up early to hit an art museum as its opening, we are out of the hostel by about 9:00. And the streets are just absolutely deserted. There was one old woman we ran into who looked at us questioningly, perhaps wondering why such young blood was out so early on a Sunady. But we got to the museum and we really enjoy the heck out of it! It'd been too long since I'd been to a museum, and with pieces from Picasso and other cool artists, I felt satisfied. Sometimes you just want to wander around, uninterrupted, without a rush, enjoying and taking in all the artwork, and it is just a wonderful way to start a Sunday morning!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXzXlzm8S9mxMSRqX0730znz4ppSin7n_Ba3mW0phW_rFS9aEg8CK7FHO1yagQ7iXz-z-cQ1EWpB4kEFwalsNA7eINv4tMZoiWO4IZe3UEqzxKIWWyfFublLartyEoprearz5zWDKjV0/s1600/IMG_2856.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieXzXlzm8S9mxMSRqX0730znz4ppSin7n_Ba3mW0phW_rFS9aEg8CK7FHO1yagQ7iXz-z-cQ1EWpB4kEFwalsNA7eINv4tMZoiWO4IZe3UEqzxKIWWyfFublLartyEoprearz5zWDKjV0/s320/IMG_2856.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Torre de Hercules</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the museum we wandered along the coastline of Coru<span class="st">ñ</span>a for a bit. It seemed that a storm was coming in, but I still wanted to see the Atlantic! It had been too long since I'd seen real waves and I fully enjoyed being able to do that. We continued along the coast, finding a cute little restaurant that had awesome food and a <i>clara de limon</i> (beer mixed with lemon Fanta) that hit the spot! After lunch we continued along the coast, walking all the way to the <i>Torre de Hercules</i>! The tower was much bigger than I'd imagined, and it took quite a long hike to get there, but it was worth it! The cliffs that surrounded the tower reminded me of tamer Cliffs of Moher (Ireland) and it was really cool to see this awesomely gigantic tower sitting in the middle of grassland minutes away from a bustling Spanish city. This was our last stop in Coru<span class="st">ñ</span>a before heading back to the train station to go to Ourense. I'd give Coru<span class="st">ñ</span>a an A-. The experience was great, the weather cooperated, the sites were cool, and food was delicious, but come on man, the 3rd largest shopping center in Europe couldn't offer me anything I wanted??? :P<br />
<br />
<br />
<h2>
Allariz</h2>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw76o_P2HKtlWe5DbaXwXuhlS52E1F0b0bYNSotY4gfnUc3L-vWIH8jL9BtK1SUJJHSDyqcj2HOupSTG80KkMZsHRdscnRxo0tnXLPBOyV3om5sJbVl-FZlrudIGeh0T7SE_talCUz3VU/s1600/IMG_2893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw76o_P2HKtlWe5DbaXwXuhlS52E1F0b0bYNSotY4gfnUc3L-vWIH8jL9BtK1SUJJHSDyqcj2HOupSTG80KkMZsHRdscnRxo0tnXLPBOyV3om5sJbVl-FZlrudIGeh0T7SE_talCUz3VU/s400/IMG_2893.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Garden Festival</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
As I've mentioned before, I've been fortunate enough to have been placed in a school that makes various field trips and always invites me along to them! This trip to Allariz was another one of those field trips. It was a short but fun trip! We were traveling with students studying to be tour guides, so the purpose of our trip was to get to know Allariz. We started off exploring the <i>Festival Internacional de Xardins de Allariz</i>, a garden festival, which was iiiiiiiiiiiinteresting. I didn't know such things existed... basically countries from around Europe submitted entries, which wasn't necessarily the prettiest garden flowers or designs, but each exposition was kind of abstact or had some deeply profound message. My favorite was the one dedicated to the bees...it had an array of orange and yellow flowers but also cool bee designs and quotes up on wooden boards.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXXOgJq1pV1wGI8J-19r2EY68hau5n347KNCFk-b4NiTCGRPKD0Aj9XwotmmrNRScW2DzfSgVpUMOXe6nzUJ6O8-wEhlV_4A9vMUDfMzkfXvgxPuGizIVj_tlKSqLR0HUsGpIqKSIfoc/s1600/IMG_2902.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNXXOgJq1pV1wGI8J-19r2EY68hau5n347KNCFk-b4NiTCGRPKD0Aj9XwotmmrNRScW2DzfSgVpUMOXe6nzUJ6O8-wEhlV_4A9vMUDfMzkfXvgxPuGizIVj_tlKSqLR0HUsGpIqKSIfoc/s320/IMG_2902.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You don't belong in here, beast!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Afterward, we walked through the typical Spanish skinny streets, getting to know the small city. Allariz first came onto my radar because it has some great designer outlets (which I still haven't gotten to visit!), and my fellow professors have continually urged me to go visit, knowing that shopping is one of my favorite past times. Allariz is also known for their famous <i>museo do xogete</i>, toy museum, but it was closed for the Spanish tradition that was also taking place that day,<i> festa do boi</i>! That's gallego for ox party. Oh, Galicia, you crazy province. This festival is not quite as extreme as the typical running of the bull in Pamplona. However, they do let a bull 'loose' (one person has it on a dinky little rope) through the small streets. People mostly run AFTER the bull though. The teachers and I sought refuge in a bar that looked out into the main plaza, only to realize that we weren't so safe there! The people guiding the bull got him to come in to the bar, while everyone in the bar including me tweaked out, jumped behind the bar counter, ran outside, etc. HILARIOUS. <br />
<br />
The other professors and I went on a little 'drinks' crawl, going to 3 or 4 different bars just to take a beer and sit in the sun. Allariz is also super cute because it has a little river that runs through the city, where people like to take romantic little boats. To add to the romanticity of the experience, the river has numerous swans that reside along the banks of the river :) I am making a note to go back to Allariz the next time I'm in Galicia, not only for the cute boat rides but also for the outlets of course!<br />
<br />
<h2>
<span class="st">Las Islas Cíes</span> </h2>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKy6GiOfUUJfBRPzM81uaNyieDFMxJ-ODQX7NyTMx_8v7xMRVaobfJ18BMg27OP5NnlEr2ueGAMpOLjsfUKIA3Acbn9y2fMLZE_x3KsuPdku9sjsum7JFpf2zgUDIVuaeRX69Nuig7Rc/s1600/IMG_2939.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqKy6GiOfUUJfBRPzM81uaNyieDFMxJ-ODQX7NyTMx_8v7xMRVaobfJ18BMg27OP5NnlEr2ueGAMpOLjsfUKIA3Acbn9y2fMLZE_x3KsuPdku9sjsum7JFpf2zgUDIVuaeRX69Nuig7Rc/s400/IMG_2939.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">White sand beaches at <i>las</i> <span class="st"><em>Islas Cíes</em></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
There are islands off the coast of Vigo, whose beaches have been named "the most beautiful in the world", so ever since I'd heard about these islands when I first got to Ourense, I've been wanting to go! Eddie and I had been planning to have one last fun weekend just the two of us, so we decided to explore these islands the second to last weekend I was in Spain.<br />
<br />
We took a train out of Ourense to Vigo early Saturday morning. We made it to Vigo, checked into our hotel, then set off to explore the city. The weather was tooootally cooperating with us; the sun was out and it was a beautiful day. Eddie and I walked around, did some clothes shopping, and happened upon an outdoor market! It went several blocks long, and had everything from antiques to jewelry, as well as books and clothing and even a couple of stalls specializing in cupcakes, a rarity in Spain! I took advantage by buying some souvenirs for my family, and then we gobbled down some cupcakes :) <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnNqIws9fu7aW1aB_BxdaWK3Jo1QdMUd3nC9ftzmynObA8_c4SaqIN9pbTVOrjpBe1f0h_vHO_lzKjFAeoTVwoOy2UtkTFActZTl_ti2tIL0iF-N6CXoSDWSA9En-Lqsd-1in5L45Kjs/s1600/IMG_2917.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnNqIws9fu7aW1aB_BxdaWK3Jo1QdMUd3nC9ftzmynObA8_c4SaqIN9pbTVOrjpBe1f0h_vHO_lzKjFAeoTVwoOy2UtkTFActZTl_ti2tIL0iF-N6CXoSDWSA9En-Lqsd-1in5L45Kjs/s400/IMG_2917.JPG" width="400" /></a>The Vigo experience was only enhanced by the awesome restaurant we found for lunch! After searching for half an hour for an appealing restaurant, we went down a side street and happened upon an awesome place with only two other couples dining. We ordered our food and then waited. We probably weren't waiting for more than ten minutes when the waiter came over to us and said "We're soooo sorry about the wait. Here, have these <i>pinchos</i>." Oh, free food? Don't mind if we do. Five minutes pass. The waiter returns "Hey guys, the food will be out soon, I promise. Meanwhile, here's this." MORE <i>PINCHOS</i>. Finally our food arrived after an *exhausting*, *unbearable* twenty minute wait and it was AWESOME. And after our meal, the waiter apologized again then set down a bottle of <i>licor cafe</i> on our table and invited us to have at it. You have to understand that Eddie and I are two of the biggest <i>cerditos</i> you will ever meet, so, we were in paradise with this abundance of food and drink.<br />
<br />
I'd like to take a moment to mention that Eddie had ordered something called <i>erizo</i>. He got really excited about it, and when I asked him to explain to me what it was he said, "Well, you know that animal that's spiky and goes into a ball?..." Ummmm...yes.... I ate the concoction and enjoyed it but when I got home I looked up <i>erizo</i> and found its translation: hedgehog. Yikes. I googled pictures and felt a little guilty after seeing the cute beady eyes!<br />
<br />
We went to bed fairly early. We were catching a boat in the morning to get to the Island!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pmtVOui21GPcPR1HBaUtiNAyMeO2_9HK9S4DwKcvq_nccygjcggzu0we_vKGcKrWL-RpQz0ITWjLg3aM27d1Xl9FVxSaOSpMlAqSFjvzHpIujCdoQE_7WfGEj5Gh9IXGVdPuZE5W5SY/s1600/IMG_2990.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_pmtVOui21GPcPR1HBaUtiNAyMeO2_9HK9S4DwKcvq_nccygjcggzu0we_vKGcKrWL-RpQz0ITWjLg3aM27d1Xl9FVxSaOSpMlAqSFjvzHpIujCdoQE_7WfGEj5Gh9IXGVdPuZE5W5SY/s400/IMG_2990.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
We spent a good seven hours at the beach the next day! It was definitely beautiful, relaxing, warm, everything you would expect from a beach. The only downside? The water temperature. Literally after having my my feet in it for 6 seconds I went numb. What the heck!! It was an enjoyable day there nonetheless. We brought food to have a picnic, and brought some <i>tinto de verano</i> (wine mixed with Fanta) and we got our tan on! One strange thing I noticed at this beach was that probably 70% of the women were topless. Even in Ourense you could see lots of topless women laying out by the river. You'd never see that at North Avenue beach in Chicago!<br />
<br />
Eddie and I made our way back to the mainland to catch our train back to Ourense. Turns out, our scheduled train got canceled that very day (how very inconvenient and Spanish) and we had to wait around a few hours for the next train. I was beyond pissed, but we made the most of our extra time...we found a Chinese buffet. We entered and proceeded to have a joyous 90 minute eating frenzy. Oh man did we have the time of our lives. I was especially dying of laughter when it was time for dessert and Eddie went up four times and filled his huge dinner plate with various puddings, cakes, fruit, ice cream, and foreign Chinese dessert who's identity was unclear. And he finished it all. The whole while he had this manic look on his face, growing stronger and happier with each bite of cake. Ohhhh it was glorious. So, in the end it wasn't such a bad thing that we had to hang around Vigo longer. Overall, it was an awesome mini-vacation and I'm glad I got to spend it with Eddie :)<br />
<br />
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-82437847101400950572013-06-19T17:44:00.000-05:002013-06-19T17:44:40.139-05:00JUANNY IN DA HOUSE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWG46XrGMOm_2ecteCRs5iy2EXBLfa57sW6UiR_buwjPAHxXlL-39mSiDpG8R5xhHrIzoatgJ_9AvVe3abLZVVq83lAKytPnUOErFC1JuQ1Y06WaCln8ajJsu6pmlo-_RQMC5XRpJTJrc/s1600/IMG_2623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWG46XrGMOm_2ecteCRs5iy2EXBLfa57sW6UiR_buwjPAHxXlL-39mSiDpG8R5xhHrIzoatgJ_9AvVe3abLZVVq83lAKytPnUOErFC1JuQ1Y06WaCln8ajJsu6pmlo-_RQMC5XRpJTJrc/s640/IMG_2623.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
After my exhausting trip during Semana Santa, I had a quick two-day turnaround to prepare for my dad to come visit me in Ourense!<br />
<br />
The plan was for me to meet him at the Ourense train station at the scheduled time of his arrival, and then we'd make our way to his hotel together and get him settled! Simple as pie.<br />
<br />
Not.<br />
<br />
I arrived to the train station at the scheduled time of arrival and couldn't find him anywhere. I waited around for 20 minutes or so in case he'd gotten himself lost in the station. Nothing. I took a bus back to Ourense center and to his hotel room. Yes! He had checked in just a bit ago, the receptionist told me. But he had just left the hotel a bit ago and she didn't know where to. I waited in the lobby for almost 2 hours before I had to go give a lesson. I went and did that, then came back an hour later, he still wasn't around. I waited another hour. Nothing. I went to my dance class and returned. The receptionist told me he was back and exhausted in his hotel room. Long story short, I was ready to kill the receptionist. My dad had specifically asked her for directions to the train station before heading out, and she didn't think to let me in on that detail. He had arrived earlier to Ourense because he didn't take a train, and then got confused about what time to meet me, I don't know. It was a head ache but I was glad we were finally together!!!! We had a light night out, getting a delicious dinner before separating to get some sleep.<br />
<br />
Thursday I didn't want to overwhelm my dad too much since he was still clearly in a bit of a daze from the flight over. I worked in the morning and then met up with him for lunch. We tried a place recommended to me by someone at work, and tried <i>huevos rotos</i> for the first time! They were delicious...it's essentially slices of fried potatoes with eggs over medium (Is that correct egg slang?), topped with your choice of meat. We chose the traditional <i>jamon iberico</i> to go along with it, and it was delicious.<br />
<br />
I wanted this day to be nice and relaxing, so Juan and I mostly just walked around the city. It was during these wanderings that we discovered my dad has an affinity for posing with statues...and this became apparent throughout his visit. He just wanted to be buddies with everyone!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdfuIscqghE1zmCdrgHfLeSUDUmmFCby3L0u5QGzQpApKeiIZAsrhKp03umCITo07eZQCcPL7UYdlcRZJLtsB_mOYy2O6ODbDnBqhllPSM25wykUrOimuQtv6hVc_JlIi2__3kwT5Twk/s1600/IMG_2545.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvdfuIscqghE1zmCdrgHfLeSUDUmmFCby3L0u5QGzQpApKeiIZAsrhKp03umCITo07eZQCcPL7UYdlcRZJLtsB_mOYy2O6ODbDnBqhllPSM25wykUrOimuQtv6hVc_JlIi2__3kwT5Twk/s400/IMG_2545.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">With <i>La lechera</i> in Ourense</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZkv9tS3oqU4rgvSrjPDOwCWfckVgd1oTN9j439Rc48hbWN5Frorhnf-W927R0u60EUigqD7lZ6zCb27tqDJatAo_t54n7zfUNqG4XlUSq9D1wmoXI4Pksl6Z0yDmWR7dVKcWU1Fv4P4/s1600/IMG_2620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZkv9tS3oqU4rgvSrjPDOwCWfckVgd1oTN9j439Rc48hbWN5Frorhnf-W927R0u60EUigqD7lZ6zCb27tqDJatAo_t54n7zfUNqG4XlUSq9D1wmoXI4Pksl6Z0yDmWR7dVKcWU1Fv4P4/s400/IMG_2620.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buddy #2: Ramón María del Valle-Inclán<b> </b>in Santiago de Compostela</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEzHUVcSPIQE9A-odvKVqHqi5JhxfhyKMYRqAUCPRtdSnVi89onAaMWqPy1vbLuz9UVNQjLPEnclj54sjq_vqxpLjVX9FrhXXyA7Ofz_-Lmu14hxi54tLaMI3x8JdKR-kY9RPIORIcMc/s1600/IMG_2624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEzHUVcSPIQE9A-odvKVqHqi5JhxfhyKMYRqAUCPRtdSnVi89onAaMWqPy1vbLuz9UVNQjLPEnclj54sjq_vqxpLjVX9FrhXXyA7Ofz_-Lmu14hxi54tLaMI3x8JdKR-kY9RPIORIcMc/s400/IMG_2624.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">His favorite buddies, 2 statues he dubbed "las chicas"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Later on we were able to catch one of Anna's choir concerts, which I found to be particularly interesting and Spanish so I hope my dad enjoyed it! We got some <i>pinchos</i> and drinks (I believe this was the first night that my dad was introduced to<i> licor cafe</i>...and it was not the last!) and then headed to bed.<br />
<br />
The next day, Friday, would be our first mini <i>viaje</i> to Santiago de Compostela! My dad wanted to sleep in (which was tooooooootally fine be me!!!) so we took an early afternoon train. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURvonOhyd9f-3c1035Tuy9cu0v8uZdt-pNYtFZV0cSsGii19sbZigindBL3zLf8H4YdVnBjHZs9l7GAz-Tpzfly9TTTaRsXkkaHUe8nOlyHMdMHG6J0kIdm1SsGJ-GGHilzNcpogJYB8/s1600/IMG_2572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiURvonOhyd9f-3c1035Tuy9cu0v8uZdt-pNYtFZV0cSsGii19sbZigindBL3zLf8H4YdVnBjHZs9l7GAz-Tpzfly9TTTaRsXkkaHUe8nOlyHMdMHG6J0kIdm1SsGJ-GGHilzNcpogJYB8/s400/IMG_2572.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">La Catedral de Santiago</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The train ride was nice and relaxing, but the real fun began in Santiago. We stopped at <i>la catedral</i> first, where my dad marveled at the greatness of it, as did I despite my having seen it before! Even the pictures don't seem to do it justice...it's just so enormous and old and pretty! We spent the rest of the day wandering around Santiago, through some gardens and small plazas, taking silly pictures whenever the heck we felt like it!! We ate a nice lunch and followed it up with dessert...twice. Why not! We had a ton of fun in Santiago and came back to Ourense exhausted.<br />
<br />
Saturday was another mini <i>viaje</i>, this one to the <span class="st">Cañón del Sil</span>. It was a pain in the butt trying to figure out how to get the <span class="st">cañón</span>, there is no public transportation so we ended up having to take a taxi. But first, we went out to get some breakfast. I could tell Juan wanted
something traditionally American...which is impossible here for the most part. So I figured we would go get some
more <i>huevos rotos</i> and pretend we're eating breakfast when in fact we
were eating a traditional Spanish lunch meal. Who cares!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyirsOegLIa28bsz1czNsQCOvWPXn8bdBAjuy3zg1p0xURuzcVBXU1o8531_aGNsGR1Y-XY0Oe6TVxLUrTcYVSQliUeegQIQlrAu18L6FVoqhcix_Pe7IK0P6rOThyu5UGw3vvaRf8neU/s1600/IMG_2665.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyirsOegLIa28bsz1czNsQCOvWPXn8bdBAjuy3zg1p0xURuzcVBXU1o8531_aGNsGR1Y-XY0Oe6TVxLUrTcYVSQliUeegQIQlrAu18L6FVoqhcix_Pe7IK0P6rOThyu5UGw3vvaRf8neU/s400/IMG_2665.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="st">Cañón del Sil</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After "breakfast" we met up with my house mate, Anna, and my boyfriend, Eddie, and we set off to the <span class="st">Cañón del Sil</span>! I picked this day for us to go to the <span class="st">Cañón del Sil</span> because it was going to be the warmest of the days that my dad was in town. It was in fact warm and the sun was shining brightly, but once we were on the boat the wind that came along with the trip was not so nice!! I know my dad loves nature so I'm glad he got to see the beautiful valley and the waterfalls and the vineyards! I had an awesome day with these three people, I was super happy they all got to meet and we all seemed to have enjoyed ourselves :)<br />
<br />
Sunday was meant to be the relaxing day, so me and my dad went to the Termas in Outariz, the thermal baths. As my dad and I separated to go to our separate changing areas, I explained carefully to him step-by-step that he must change, rinse off, and then I would meet him at the opposite exit so we could go down to the baths together. After our little incident with his arrival to Ourense, I wanted to make sure he was clear on directions haha. So I got dressed as quickly as I could and rushed out to meet him, but he wasn't there yet. I waited five or so more minutes before I started thinking "Dang it did Juan get lost again??" I went down to the baths to search for him, walked inside and outside quickly glancing around. I was about to make my way back up to the changing rooms when I heard "Ey Cynthia! Over here!" I peer outside and see my dad, relaxed in a pool, both arms up on the ledge, 100% at ease. I couldn't help but laugh...I guess he hadn't gotten lost after all!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4ipaFOhuytl5-A_8L1t6YxXyKHe_xmbXcirLjFu_k4eYNbVVDMYlZDcu4QHzacDPvTEyxeHheuTsz6_-QTzHcxjUWh06fzSiGXJlzguKZZtzKy-LUlryG3DtuF3RV_CS6hlLYtS_xLI/s1600/IMG_2674.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC4ipaFOhuytl5-A_8L1t6YxXyKHe_xmbXcirLjFu_k4eYNbVVDMYlZDcu4QHzacDPvTEyxeHheuTsz6_-QTzHcxjUWh06fzSiGXJlzguKZZtzKy-LUlryG3DtuF3RV_CS6hlLYtS_xLI/s400/IMG_2674.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last dinner in Ourense</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
That night we all went out for dinner at a place Eddie had recommended, a typical <i>parrilla</i> which is basically a place that grills all sorts of meat, piles it onto a dish with fries and a side of sauce, sets it on your table and lets you at it. We finished the night off with some more <i>licor cafe</i> and buzzed conversation but settled for an early night in.<br />
<br />
The next day my dad checked out of his hotel and together we went to Vigo! I thought it'd be nice for him to see another Spanish city, plus he had an early flight out the next morning so it would be more convenient for us to spend a night there. We had an awesome time in Vigo, walking around to the shops, getting drinks, buying souvenirs, and we ate what my father claimed was his favorite meal. It was a restaurant Anna and I had gone to before, and my dad and I ordered various<i> raciones</i> which included <i>croquetas</i>, shrimp skewers, and <i>patatas bravas</i> (if I recall correctly). Very typical of Galicia and topped with a typical Estrella Galicia beer. It was a nice last day :)<br />
<br />
We woke up bright and early the next morning and made our way to the train station. I was going to take a train back to Ourense, and my dad was going to take a taxi to the airport. We had a long hug before we went our separate ways. After my dad boarded the taxi, I watched him disappear down the street, a small lump in my throat threatening to bring tears along with them. Juanny and I had such an awesome time together!!! He did drive me a little crazy trying to protect me, asking to walk me home (No, Juan, I promise you I know Ourense better than you, plus you might get lost on your way back to the hotel), telling me to be careful when I cross the street (No, Juan, here you have to just cross on your own accord or else the cars will never stop for you), telling me to be careful not to drink too much (Don't worry Juan, I went to college), etc., but I also appreciated it all. For me the trip served as a reminder of why it is he and I have come to be so very close over the years, and for that I am very thankful :)<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-20094231985982438542013-05-06T12:29:00.001-05:002013-05-27T15:57:16.873-05:00Do I still love Paris?<div style="text-align: center;">
P</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPP </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPP PPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPP PPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPP PPPPPP </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPP PPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
PPPPPPPPPP PPPPPPPPP</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'd prefer to not delve into detail of how long it took me to make the above design. It just felt necessary. It felt like the only way to demonstrate my devotion...Yah, so... I'm certifiably obsessed with Paris.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gQWrfvtpaNnMClvDD5oBdvrmytJtF4TXZK45jWrNrCoBVOm8cqJgWHAyXLHX7EM6TTJU_Txms5CYFxN6v3CcKrAGewAbBtYJUQLs1OdCR1djkd3riPx0loMS2aZ_B1Iw4U3e5R0Hay0/s1600/IMG_2334.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gQWrfvtpaNnMClvDD5oBdvrmytJtF4TXZK45jWrNrCoBVOm8cqJgWHAyXLHX7EM6TTJU_Txms5CYFxN6v3CcKrAGewAbBtYJUQLs1OdCR1djkd3riPx0loMS2aZ_B1Iw4U3e5R0Hay0/s400/IMG_2334.JPG" width="400" /></a><br />
Sofia and I arrived to Charles de Gaulle, and everything felt so familiar. I remember waiting in this airport two years ago for Alex and Kelsey to arrive... seeing Alex down the long corridor and just sprinting like my life depended on it toward her to receive her into my welcoming arms.... aaaaaaaaaaand I'm crying hahahaha just kidding just kidding, but we had a grand old time in Paris two years ago and I was excited to be in Paris for the third time and to see how/if my sentiments toward the city would change!<br />
<br />
I truly felt like a local arriving to Paris. Okay...that is a bit of a stretch. I speak enough French to not get lost and accidentally end up in Germany, and I am familiar with the airports, the RER, and the metro as well as many stops...but I think what made me so excited was the people I knew in Paris! For starters, the four friends we made two years ago all still lived in the area, and one of them, named Gamha, was even letting Sofia and I stay in the apartment he shared with his girlfriend. Then there were three other Grinnell Women's Soccer individuals who happened to be in Paris the same time I was! I know eight people, someone give me my French residency already!!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGnVOXa9hO2HtQKrtum9IlIFCfzQrOL9Ydz9Pna3MKH8JRQgZe7yrn3Q2a1-xZ4ebyYa-n60U6RdlXJ6XOIowfKghxItKLceXZn8k6nWbug-n6emjX5xjRIfgAv0iXkycvX8nkHlPY3w/s1600/IMG_2307.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirGnVOXa9hO2HtQKrtum9IlIFCfzQrOL9Ydz9Pna3MKH8JRQgZe7yrn3Q2a1-xZ4ebyYa-n60U6RdlXJ6XOIowfKghxItKLceXZn8k6nWbug-n6emjX5xjRIfgAv0iXkycvX8nkHlPY3w/s400/IMG_2307.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cute menu at the cafe</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
First things first, we went to drop our bags off at Gamha's apartment. After many screams and hugs and quick catching ups, we made our way to a cafe for some lunch! I was happy to be able to utilize the broken French I knew to order the meal! We had a nice old lady as a waitress and she was patient and helpful, as well. FRENCH PEOPLE ARE THE BEST AND DON'T LET ANYONE ELSE TELL YOU DIFFERENTLY.<br />
<br />
After lunch we had a fairly relaxed afternoon...Sofia and I were exhausted from all our traveling so we decided to take our time and get ready for a concert we were going to that night. We did just that. Now this band we were going to see...was not of my choosing. It was definitely Sofia's thing, a punk rock type of band that I just DO. NOT. COMPREHEND. (The name of the band is King Khan & the BBQ Show) The show itself was entertaining at least, I could never make the mistake of saying it was boring...the two guys in the band dressed up in ridiculous costumes, made the strangest faces while performing, jumped around wildly, you know, overall they delivered for their type of crowd. So I'm glad Sofia and everyone else in the venue enjoyed it... but meanwhile I was there wishing the prices of beers weren't 6 euros a pop and daydreaming about the Eiffel Tower! After the concert we called it a night... we had a lot of Paris to see the next day!<br />
<br />
The plan for the next day was to go on the free walking tour of Paris. Of all the New Europe Tours I've been on, Paris has always been the most entertaining. The guides are the most knowledgeable and engaged, and the city is just perfect. Well, anyone who knows the Dominguez women knows that we are not a timely bunch, and so Sofia and I missed the tour. But, Sofia suggested that I just show her around since I knew the city well enough, so that's exactly what we did! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyZW86h55AJHCY0oPo1u5VawiUoN0lL5KWB_xiLNAdUjitGmb0JSW9_Bp_GIQZu1fqu8c29dgQgl4VjOAV6d4wJ3AMtbqwbAx96ctR8im1A_DfJVmDVeqggy1p601YXADTNBTsIe2SIU/s1600/IMG_2323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuyZW86h55AJHCY0oPo1u5VawiUoN0lL5KWB_xiLNAdUjitGmb0JSW9_Bp_GIQZu1fqu8c29dgQgl4VjOAV6d4wJ3AMtbqwbAx96ctR8im1A_DfJVmDVeqggy1p601YXADTNBTsIe2SIU/s640/IMG_2323.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Notre Dame</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g7LdHWGOTRvEFtChNaBzS3LKJnNjx5yrSOm_eUZ4BbPiZZOxLxIFwkfCiNu_-On29tSBONYcmD5DqgPDGNy2GOWM9k9fVCgOzImiyfMM7oVFZgNsiNnKC6trN7j1fSUlUXscHB2DZb8/s1600/IMG_2347.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9g7LdHWGOTRvEFtChNaBzS3LKJnNjx5yrSOm_eUZ4BbPiZZOxLxIFwkfCiNu_-On29tSBONYcmD5DqgPDGNy2GOWM9k9fVCgOzImiyfMM7oVFZgNsiNnKC6trN7j1fSUlUXscHB2DZb8/s400/IMG_2347.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pont de Arts aka Lover's Bridge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSudpN7gwx-P3qNwPsdshgdCVad4z0gtgQBaWnQ1e5F3sRWVvF5-kuFoUmG-ojc9DGGkwUL2WNxQTLuN1xR4DVu3luXG05-BU-MKL8atxYiE6MikJ2xJUJIJl_NCQHUhrsTae4igPVzY/s1600/IMG_2356.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOSudpN7gwx-P3qNwPsdshgdCVad4z0gtgQBaWnQ1e5F3sRWVvF5-kuFoUmG-ojc9DGGkwUL2WNxQTLuN1xR4DVu3luXG05-BU-MKL8atxYiE6MikJ2xJUJIJl_NCQHUhrsTae4igPVzY/s400/IMG_2356.JPG" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Louvre Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOtTGV1rGAG6hFePeoYjQ0laWojwKfwlBOdThHfwEn3RTrFBsIXVFNGDrUBoYHfBx2Nv8fcNOicQe2BfAEptlq-_SYlQQu5eGjF3hmR_kFYpZl_YQfdYzOGOGgtUA1YOYebVpVSCAhw0/s1600/IMG_2377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicOtTGV1rGAG6hFePeoYjQ0laWojwKfwlBOdThHfwEn3RTrFBsIXVFNGDrUBoYHfBx2Nv8fcNOicQe2BfAEptlq-_SYlQQu5eGjF3hmR_kFYpZl_YQfdYzOGOGgtUA1YOYebVpVSCAhw0/s640/IMG_2377.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eiffel Tower!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first time I set foot in Eiffel Tower territory two years ago, I swear my heart was stolen and never returned lololol. Upon setting foot back into its territory, everything felt right again!! Maybe that's a bit much... I get very emotional and dramatic when it comes to the Eiffel Tower, sorry. I'm not going to go so far as to be the cliche of a woman who dreams of getting proposed to on the Eiffel Tower...instead, I will insist on getting proposed to while up in the Montparnasse Tower, so that I can see the Eiffel Tower while it is lit up, and on the Eiffel Tower I would like to see the marriage proposal written in lights. Purple lights, if possible. Is this such a tall order to ask? A girl's gotta have aspirations.<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80hRu9dM331SagLlazz7FYS912y-CTdKie62zT52EZZopg1iPKCWsHo6xqTKIWVEvGXgpW5jkwqjhDaSv8o0tCoK_4aGE1jrAJMH2oSEbgMwRGd-24u6oZfKKJD6jNJio0rc_06zwcqs/s1600/IMG_2398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj80hRu9dM331SagLlazz7FYS912y-CTdKie62zT52EZZopg1iPKCWsHo6xqTKIWVEvGXgpW5jkwqjhDaSv8o0tCoK_4aGE1jrAJMH2oSEbgMwRGd-24u6oZfKKJD6jNJio0rc_06zwcqs/s320/IMG_2398.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Mackenzie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After giving Sofia a tour of Paris, we were pooped. But I still had some unfinished business...I had to meet up with my two Grinnell Women's Soccer buddies Mackenz and Al Pal!! First up was my meet up with Mackenz which, should anyone be surprised, did not go scheduled as planned and what was supposed to be a relaxed two hour catch up was a rushed half hour whirlwind talking session. It was quite the tease, only getting to see her for a limited amount of time, but it was still nice to see her! <br />
<br />
Next up was meeting with Allison. We planned to meet up at the Arc de Triomphe...and I was 45 minutes late. I had no way of contacting her but we just made our way there and hoped for the best! We made it there, but just barely... why are there no clear directions as to how to actual get to the Arc?? It's located in the middle of a huge roundabout and there's no crosswalk. Our weary bodies were NOT about to take a chance and dash across the eight lane roundabout. Eventually we found the dang tunnel and made our way to the Arc. It was enormous and beautiful! It also made for a nice place to sit, take a breather, and enjoy the sunset of Paris... <br />
<br />
"OH MY GODDDDD YOU´RE STILL HERE´<br />
<br />
Our silent rest was interrupted when I turn to my right to see Allison, panting, bent over a railing, sunglasses half falling off, lugging a gigantic suitcase behind her...I could not for the life of me stop laughing. Only you, Al, only you. We all went and got a snacky at a nearby cafe, and Allison proceeded to talk my ear off just like old times :) She later also joined us for dinner at Canteen Bus (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) with Gamha and his girlfriend. This restaurant holds a ton of memories for our French friends as they always went there on roommate dinners, and somehow, two years ago they let us (Alex, Kelsey and me) lodge ourselves onto the room mate bandwagon and pretend that we also hold lots of memories with them there. It was a deliciously large meal as always, and I was very comforted to see that amongst the numerous photos of celebrities on the walls, over the past two years that I´d been gone the restaurant had finally got the mind to put up a picture of Tyler Durden :)<br />
<br />
What followed this evening after dinner was nothing short of...majestical. This was my third visit to Paris and I was finally going to see the Eiffel Tower in its full glory...lit up at night, with some wine in hand and wonderful people in my surroundings. It was Allison, Sofia, Gamha, his friend, and myself all waiting in the chilly Parisian night for the spectacular to begin. We had a couple of bottles of wine to warm ourselves, and we anxiously awaited the lights to illuminate. And then...it happened...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dw5CHfQCtv71W8wIK2ce8q3VqObQhPThbpA2AEGtHT5Rx3GL15Salf0wP-tPdvYkuWOCRdfT1Q89_wVw2g4Hg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
Up until this point in my life, the only times I've truly lost my breath were from getting fouled hard during soccer and getting the wind knocked out of me. But when the Eiffel Tower lights turned on...oh my worrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrd. I think I squealed and gasped and grabbed my cheeks <i>Home Alone</i> style all at the same time... oh my goshhhhh what a sight. This should be on everyone's Bucket List. Everyone. It's such an elegant, exciting, show that so greatly epitomizes the class act that is Paris.We went back home afterwards and I had the sweetest of dreams.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgooBQuHWq34StlKZZ_ZmXl_Guf0sZS99_qLjaJDpjXOo0fRJCOuTmNi-mfRsdQT1esW0RSt2vq0EyCQh5LRKghS23d1XqYnB5zZS1KqjPBStuz9dq5_l7O54L9PVmbxSLde2AeJCPrA/s1600/IMG_2508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgooBQuHWq34StlKZZ_ZmXl_Guf0sZS99_qLjaJDpjXOo0fRJCOuTmNi-mfRsdQT1esW0RSt2vq0EyCQh5LRKghS23d1XqYnB5zZS1KqjPBStuz9dq5_l7O54L9PVmbxSLde2AeJCPrA/s400/IMG_2508.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
The next day was another long day on foot, and the first stop was the Louvre! On my two previous visits to Paris I passed through the Louvre entrance but never made it inside...it was time to end that streak!. Gamha and his girlfriend agreed to visit the Louvre with us, and man was it ever helpful to have two French individuals there with us. But before we got the the museum, we stopped to get some breakfast to-go...CREPES! Sofia went for a salted crepe which was delicious, but I, seeming to still have no resistance to sugar, went for a nutella and banana crepe. It was when we were at this creperie ordering breakfast that a gentle snow started to fall... the most beautiful kind of snow...the snow that falls gently but doesn't stick to the ground! I had a little falling-even-deeper-in-love with Paris moment then :)<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx77K0HlHbYxhkILrCvyeTnPkgMx-4REjuxf_JJwKipieQMD0jGOjuijX4hN-3Vz51IkDI84QViKqtyN_jl2NykUuu0U4V2ZRhLB_NBSA08_kx1J-YRqxteION0MUpxdTwfGYDrb-xE8/s1600/IMG_2482.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx77K0HlHbYxhkILrCvyeTnPkgMx-4REjuxf_JJwKipieQMD0jGOjuijX4hN-3Vz51IkDI84QViKqtyN_jl2NykUuu0U4V2ZRhLB_NBSA08_kx1J-YRqxteION0MUpxdTwfGYDrb-xE8/s320/IMG_2482.JPG" width="240" /></a>So as I said, we visited the Louvre. Gamha had the brilliant idea of buying our tickets beforehand...and holy crap was it a good idea. When we got there the line wound its way around the plaza, and we just skipped on up to the front and were let in right away (Man, I could get used to this VIP treatment). Before entering the museum, we knew there was no way we would be able to cover the whole thing...most people have told me that it takes 4-6 hours at the very least. We decided that we would power through and see the most famous pieces of art, and that still ended up taking us about 3 hours! We saw the Mona Lisa, which was quite an unpleasant experience. There was a crowd forming a 30 meter radius semi-circle around the thing, so you had to gradually work your way toward the middle. Now, I've experienced rude people pushing in lines and whatnot, but NOTHNG like the crowd around the Mona Lisa. Everyone was "no-mercy", elbowing and shouldering to try to get the best view. I felt so bad for a lady who couldn't have been taller than 4'8" and was getting tossed around like a rag doll. Anyway, there was a lot of yelling and sweating and smelly people and I don't think the art piece is worth the fuss. It's something you gotta see once in your life though, I suppose.<br />
<br />
There were many other pieces in the Louvre that I found to be more alluring and beautiful. I dug the Greek and Roman sculptures in particular:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n7DQrrgEH9lbtWid9GZpVQEiKAJzeSBvtVIX_Q2mrVFglYRh6rPmbzj9sE__CKW-E3ZVeTXHTaMlsBeXsWKvi_ewtkAmGiV_UFMbEZy7H3jTdZhsAoY-zlR7QepOjVm6iWx9fkruf18/s1600/IMG_2459.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0n7DQrrgEH9lbtWid9GZpVQEiKAJzeSBvtVIX_Q2mrVFglYRh6rPmbzj9sE__CKW-E3ZVeTXHTaMlsBeXsWKvi_ewtkAmGiV_UFMbEZy7H3jTdZhsAoY-zlR7QepOjVm6iWx9fkruf18/s400/IMG_2459.JPG" width="300" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN85FhhEwz_R9Aj835AwyqBBPl1DzQ2DjuRf5Yl_Cyn8sKUxiTU1xSRdrGVozTvMjaghmq6YXLaGmLfjjEmT5QDmeABLjD53c6lTSuZUoIVBZOtAPW8-fwWUiTs6f1y7nEqBTEvgvnqs4/s1600/IMG_2457.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN85FhhEwz_R9Aj835AwyqBBPl1DzQ2DjuRf5Yl_Cyn8sKUxiTU1xSRdrGVozTvMjaghmq6YXLaGmLfjjEmT5QDmeABLjD53c6lTSuZUoIVBZOtAPW8-fwWUiTs6f1y7nEqBTEvgvnqs4/s400/IMG_2457.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwWZse1uGMV_a323RX-IpC7-_D5EUbGax4WMcKe-NiCNqT8RRQF8_UpfMmlfB1_A8PBy3LdEIp1Rn_Cl_VupOTjQEqgqSRJnhlYN_ZWd3OIp6hyphenhyphen0tTocz_LUxdEZCdLfkD3w72crpOto/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIwWZse1uGMV_a323RX-IpC7-_D5EUbGax4WMcKe-NiCNqT8RRQF8_UpfMmlfB1_A8PBy3LdEIp1Rn_Cl_VupOTjQEqgqSRJnhlYN_ZWd3OIp6hyphenhyphen0tTocz_LUxdEZCdLfkD3w72crpOto/s640/IMG_2479.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGzqzuQvBQUu-cev0P90ZPcoMFx_kP7_KSJ2mnwVa5kb1r4C8Xo-oBtq-GjJJRYngg5Ck2CzFCrmKWJuYsp-X4ynPzyQ1yzsVs9DH-xq8CuPyZnhNb628QyV-nwVJ39j_q-ZahqKByvk/s1600/IMG_2506.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsGzqzuQvBQUu-cev0P90ZPcoMFx_kP7_KSJ2mnwVa5kb1r4C8Xo-oBtq-GjJJRYngg5Ck2CzFCrmKWJuYsp-X4ynPzyQ1yzsVs9DH-xq8CuPyZnhNb628QyV-nwVJ39j_q-ZahqKByvk/s640/IMG_2506.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My future home?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtAzdOrBBF8IWsUIz_n7TgDAAKPgi6VJ04kfhIQFhzcOQeusxK7J_gUFHn87leUl3lsX-dcgbRDTnKz80ezC4ISmcSGvFQxXH1bZZYMLzjOdhj73rRISN5zLY6x-quXV85w1Vx908WrU/s1600/IMG_2512.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihtAzdOrBBF8IWsUIz_n7TgDAAKPgi6VJ04kfhIQFhzcOQeusxK7J_gUFHn87leUl3lsX-dcgbRDTnKz80ezC4ISmcSGvFQxXH1bZZYMLzjOdhj73rRISN5zLY6x-quXV85w1Vx908WrU/s400/IMG_2512.JPG" width="400" /></a>After the Lourve, Gamha and his girlfriend guided us to Montmarte There we saw the Sacre Coeur as well as the Moulin Rouge. It was comforting to see that the same amazing juggling/street entertainer from 2 years ago was still standing up on a pillar on the Sacre Coeur! We were quite beat after this visit, so we made our way back to the apartment, where Sofia and I attempted to create a Mexican meal for Gamha and his girlfriend with the limited amount of Mexican supplies available in France! It was...mediocre... I really need to start paying attention to my mom and grandma when they cook. At least the guacamole was pretty good :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBgJrmbVAHntw9zTU8NyOi5FNxr2-hv_2s5e94M4PAre-proyj-nhYvE8tmxBrRh9PRQEs49O3zHawQBpBHzjkv2v4lIBEPPM-HR2urbSO2k8u4YcMAzQoQ-HCWEv3MphsIYFM7TdEa8/s1600/IMG_2518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihBgJrmbVAHntw9zTU8NyOi5FNxr2-hv_2s5e94M4PAre-proyj-nhYvE8tmxBrRh9PRQEs49O3zHawQBpBHzjkv2v4lIBEPPM-HR2urbSO2k8u4YcMAzQoQ-HCWEv3MphsIYFM7TdEa8/s640/IMG_2518.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
The next day was Sofia's last in Europe. Gamha was kind enough to take her to the airport so that she wouldn't have to navigate her way through the RER and metro. It brought on a lot of nostalgia to see Sofia leave... make no mistake about it, she and I fought like mad and nearly killed each other, but in the end it was awesome to see her, and I'm glad she and my other friends got to meet each other and that we were able to explore Europe together for a second time!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6F7MtR458rP4-k19lTGcd3RbUU7AXbCo7_ihJHKlXv837Tt1znPad4xCuRU9kQXJrjg6nK0jyfeQ_ihAPaeYtaSBao3lYOmjo44tqALzwGRpJxg7ghB0FzugFCperUuN5OMYu3v_nGU/s1600/IMG_2527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir6F7MtR458rP4-k19lTGcd3RbUU7AXbCo7_ihJHKlXv837Tt1znPad4xCuRU9kQXJrjg6nK0jyfeQ_ihAPaeYtaSBao3lYOmjo44tqALzwGRpJxg7ghB0FzugFCperUuN5OMYu3v_nGU/s320/IMG_2527.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My pile of meat and potatoes with some raclette</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After dropping Sofia off at the airport, Gamha drove me to the suburbs of Paris to meet up with the rest of the guys. Now I was truly starting to feel like a genuine french woman...I was goin to da 'burbs! Strangely enough, the suburbs of Paris look EXACTLY LIKE THE SUBURBS OF CHICAGO. I guess I was expecting for the magic of Paris to trickle all the way out to the suburbs! It almost made me homesick, being in a proper suburb again. Anyway, it was a cute drive but the cuteness of the experience was just starting!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPZc0pHAPTqW2dIkqQVoJuiDmxfP-C9OMB2h7adjOihZWXHnyalrXLV5thjr_5EBJi5gKYCvaoyd1VxQZ8q0kOi_MV9v9da7P3x9xHlrm8LTnfaetNH5G6ym_t0kt2-3tsbllNUcgqPI/s1600/IMG_2528.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPZc0pHAPTqW2dIkqQVoJuiDmxfP-C9OMB2h7adjOihZWXHnyalrXLV5thjr_5EBJi5gKYCvaoyd1VxQZ8q0kOi_MV9v9da7P3x9xHlrm8LTnfaetNH5G6ym_t0kt2-3tsbllNUcgqPI/s320/IMG_2528.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Raclette contraption</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We arrived to our friend Erwan's house, where there was more squealing and giggling and hugging etc. I begged Erwan to make me some of his famously delicious crepes, and he agreed. But before he could begin to get to work...his mother invited me to eat lunch with the family!! WHATTTTTT!! LUNCH CONSISTING OF A TRADITIONAL FRENCH MEAL WITH REAL GENUINE FRENCH PEOPLE IN A FRENCH SUBURB OF PARIS. After wiping tears of joy from my eyes I agreed and headed down to have the meal with the family. Oh my gosh...it was a WONDERFUL meal! It was this awesome thing called Raclette, and included an oven contraption that I had never set eyes on. Basically, you get your own mini frying pan (literally the size of my palm) where you put a slice of Raclette cheese. You put the cheese in the oven contraption (which sits in the middle of the dining table) and wait for your cheese to get nice and melty. Meanwhile, you pile on various cuts of meat and potatoes onto your plate. Once the height of your pile is satisfactory, and your cheese is browned, you take the frying pan, and with a cute mini spatula you scrape the cheese off the pan and onto your pile of food. The raclette cheese cascades from the pan, forming a gorgeous gooey puddle onto your food. And then you EAT. And boy, did I eat. Now it may sound like I just trudged into the room, stuffed my face with food, burped, and left the table. BUT I promise you that I made a legitmate attempt to speak french during this meal. Essentially, all I was able to throw out was that I was American, I was teaching english in Spain, I love France, I love the food, and thank you very much. But I'd like to think it was better than nothing! :)<br />
<br />
After lunch the family brought out the CUTEST little cake with bunnies and eggs on it...and I thought to myself, wow that's cute, are bunnies a French thing too... wait a second ...It's Easter today, isn't it? Holy crap I am spending a holiday with a French family...SERIOUSLY now, GIVE ME FRENCH RESIDENCY!!!!!! And if I weren't full enough from that meal AND dessert, Erwan still came through on his promise to make me crepes. And they were perfectly delicious as always! It was such a pleasure to see all of the guys again (but sad that Florian couldn't join us ;) ) I literally never stop laughing when I am with these crazy French men!! I can't wait until the next time we are all together! <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl_jtGRGeo6wq-pJGydi4bnDepl3tgbMGjJc7FNDljweyF4HLjvhu_JlHvG30hEUgq4xuBOFKbxwk6VtIwNWMpAdGZs0smVUANq4jp7iITiIEvM0xos20BpTUVjQXz9l5MWB_Z4gs1xU/s1600/IMG_2539.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyl_jtGRGeo6wq-pJGydi4bnDepl3tgbMGjJc7FNDljweyF4HLjvhu_JlHvG30hEUgq4xuBOFKbxwk6VtIwNWMpAdGZs0smVUANq4jp7iITiIEvM0xos20BpTUVjQXz9l5MWB_Z4gs1xU/s640/IMG_2539.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We are all French!!!! (Antoine, Erwan, Me, Gamha)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We made our way back to Paris center afterwards, where I slowly starting packing and also took a nap. I was meeting up with another friend, Hannah, later that night for a drink. That was half disastrous as well, because there was miscommunication and basically Hannah and I looked for each other for a good hour. I wish we had gotten more time together but even that little taste of HanHan was enough to hold me over for a bit!<br />
<br />
So, after this I went to sleep, dreaming of glittering Eiffel Towers, succulent lemon crepes, and heart attack raclette cheese. Early the next morning I had my flight back to Spain...back to reality, away from France :(<br />
<br />
Everyone tells me... "Well why don't you stop talking about how much you love Paris (but really...no one wants to hear about it anymore!!) and just find a way to move there!" I have considered it. I read an awesomely informative book last year called <i>C'est la vie</i> about a woman who lived in Paris... basically what I gathered from the book is that I'll need to be 40-50 years old with piles of money to spare if I ever want to think about even surviving in Paris. It is expensive as hell. And honestly, I would be scared to lose the magic and giggly girl feeling that I feel every time I return to Paris. Wouldn't it all just lose its novelty? I think I'll prefer to keep my heart locked up in the Eiffel Tower...you can't live without your heart...so I can't live without a bit of Paris every so often :)<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-21960189154677733382013-05-02T17:58:00.000-05:002013-05-02T17:58:52.843-05:00If only food everywhere was as cheap as Poland's...<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Wt1Dph8Vrt8L-SWY1kpXEIiJv0hmQIwBuZFIdxAbkwISWWoK2IejZfVfpWdHS1173iDD2DVHVjbYm7Ce238EkC4FoAJtiGRmvIrBWczq-lrw8_BHg-pTlMy0EOn7D_oygNgEQ_OxnDY/s1600/11690_10100152688769224_1859994564_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Wt1Dph8Vrt8L-SWY1kpXEIiJv0hmQIwBuZFIdxAbkwISWWoK2IejZfVfpWdHS1173iDD2DVHVjbYm7Ce238EkC4FoAJtiGRmvIrBWczq-lrw8_BHg-pTlMy0EOn7D_oygNgEQ_OxnDY/s320/11690_10100152688769224_1859994564_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cursing the cold weather</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyone who has flown discount airlines such as RyanAir, Vueling, or EasyJet knows the drill. One small suitcase, less than 10 kilos. If you're a daredevil, you'll put your purse on underneath your jacket and
hope that no one takes note of the unsightly lump at your hip. You wear your biggest sweater and heaviest shoes and 2 pairs of leggings under a pair of jeans so as to take away from the weight of the suitcase. What's that? You're flying to a blazing-hot beachy destination? Doesn't matter. You wear those layers all the same otherwise you may be screwed into paying an ungodly amount of money before boarding the plane.<br />
<br />
I followed the drill to a T during this trip with Sofia. I went so far as to having a designated travel outfit: my winter coat, two scarves, a shirt with an oversized sweater over it and another button up sweater over that, jeans, tights, socks, and my heavy leather boots. Upon arrival in Rome, I quickly peeled every extra article off because it was so nice out!! However, when we got to Poland, I found myself actually reaching into my suitcase and trying to find more articles of clothing to put on: another scarf, gloves, and a hat. I laughed a bit a myself, remembering that as I was packing for this trip I had genuinely considered bringing a lighter jacket. What an absolute fool. I'm lucky my flat mate Anna had insisted that I bring the winter coat. Thanks, Mom :)<br />
<br />
So Poland. Poland was...freezing. Not only was it cold, but it was uncomfortably windy. If I recall correctly, the temperature ranged from about -7 to 3 degrees Celsius the entire time we were there, so 19 to 37 degrees Fahrenheit. I know, I know, being an individual who has lived through countless Chicago winters, this should have been a walk in a park for me. But, I have been living in Spain, where, although rainy, it doesn't seem to ever get below 45 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, rare is the day that we experience wind in Ourense. And Poland was nothing BUT wind! I longed for sunlight and underarmour and blankets and heat pads and hand warmers and hot chocolate the whole time we were in Poland. We often sought shelter by running into whatever store was nearby, feigning interest in antiques or other thrift store items just to take advantage of the indoor heating. We also ended up visiting TWO shopping malls, and trying to see if the cheap prices of food translated into retail...it did not. But I did get to eat a Cinnabun, which I had been craving for a long time :)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UhTvwp52NekmeHZ7zsFbdjZCB1KzQ1wNrqiy2URopOBc-NrGU2-t0gWgsLzC6PCCXea_SFv9y4XTHYrLdfVp-HtdMJCCT6VGneyRNTpVxnujLtF6bDfByOOsEFl3mQQVUDsseKjjZ-8/s1600/IMG_2194.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8UhTvwp52NekmeHZ7zsFbdjZCB1KzQ1wNrqiy2URopOBc-NrGU2-t0gWgsLzC6PCCXea_SFv9y4XTHYrLdfVp-HtdMJCCT6VGneyRNTpVxnujLtF6bDfByOOsEFl3mQQVUDsseKjjZ-8/s320/IMG_2194.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spinach perogies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Despite my avid weather complaints, I promise you that I enjoyed Poland! The biggest perk about Poland: it is CHEAP. Sofia and I went to have lunch at a nice restaurant which was listed in the Michelin guide. We had an appetizer, alcohol, nice meat dishes and dessert. We each paid what was the equivalent to 15 US Dollars. And that's for a nice meal--when we went and had an average hearty meal it was about 3-5 US Dollars. Needless to say, Sofia and I took advantage...buying pastries and (pseudo) bagels galore! One of our first meals was a plateful for perogi's which was absolutely delicious. <br />
<br />
The first night in Katowice we went on our first shopping excursion, but went to bed fairly early. The next day we had big plans: a visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. I wish I could say that the cold weather didn't put a damper on the visit... but that's completely untrue. Along with the weather, Katowice did not seem to be very tourist friendly. First, finding the bus that went to the concentration camp was just short of exhausting. No one spoke English. The one bus attendant who did, gave us completely inaccurate information. The one who didn't speak English was the one who ended up giving us correct information... but that put us on a bus whose driver didn't speak any English, and seemed to be mocking us. Thanks, guys. Well, eventually we got to the town of <span class="st">Oświęcim, where the concentration camp is located, and the bus driver all but tossed us off the bus, pointed in a direction, made some gestures, laughed, and sped away. We were overjoyed with gratitude when the driver of the next bus spoke English and was actually nice to us and helpful. And we made it to Auschwitz! Just 15 minutes before the final English tour, too :)</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4s3CyUuCLNUYw3rqo_8qHgDMAsmNMQv6TCb8XbTJVS9zzOapie5P2eITB_pm9XOMkr2Ey9dCe35MLcbYTJNdT-cfIFzz0Y34g4dw4OT5ZEA8oOTEf9S6WiGW1-BsXiiQWRmkPdCo94g/s1600/IMG_2222.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV4s3CyUuCLNUYw3rqo_8qHgDMAsmNMQv6TCb8XbTJVS9zzOapie5P2eITB_pm9XOMkr2Ey9dCe35MLcbYTJNdT-cfIFzz0Y34g4dw4OT5ZEA8oOTEf9S6WiGW1-BsXiiQWRmkPdCo94g/s400/IMG_2222.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Barbed wire fences at Auschwitz</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">What can I say about the camp... it's just as somber, if not more, than what you would expect it to be. The exhibits are powerful; you can read hours and hours of Holocaust history but until you've been to the camp you don't truly process the reality of it all. It was also a bit haunting for all of us on the tour group to be bundled up in our puffy coats and scarves and boots, and to still be complaining about the cold, and then you realize that the people who lived in these camps 70 years ago were dressed in nothing but pajamas and shoes. Really puts things into perspective! Also, it was interesting to see the vast difference between the Auschwitz camp and the Birkenau one. Auschwitz was originally intended for Polish soldiers, so the barracks are substantially more solid, but once you get to see Birkenau you see that most of the barracks haven't even stood the test of time and have already collapsed from the harsh weather. Overall it was a super rewarding experience, and despite feeling like my toes and fingers had fallen off, I'm glad we got the chance to visit both camps. We took a train back to Katowice, picked up our suitcases, ate some delicious kepabs, and took a bus to Krakow.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2BCd5NHr80OMRVM9dzOrWQOSfD_yiSEOuwgkFT4bbApsbySQIchrVgGRVwROiKfvm8s1fTdfzGLExy6MMYFe81GcQNrzqxfjaGOYFHjC-2k6dJ4FsukFeQ_xkZgRHDhCrtZ8IT_cbxA/s1600/IMG_2249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl2BCd5NHr80OMRVM9dzOrWQOSfD_yiSEOuwgkFT4bbApsbySQIchrVgGRVwROiKfvm8s1fTdfzGLExy6MMYFe81GcQNrzqxfjaGOYFHjC-2k6dJ4FsukFeQ_xkZgRHDhCrtZ8IT_cbxA/s640/IMG_2249.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watch tower at Birkenau</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp16PrurvCIbCpxzghbKzMuAg-GK1KnQ7WB_5AShRmXSDzQfhwOWydsVip9LCfXMyuk8bG6xJ-oxL__7uKQd9ybXe64hq2-fKz4WZHtsP0wTt3TAK5I79kuFN5QRjPj0BHZRgO93Qz2U/s1600/IMG_2256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBp16PrurvCIbCpxzghbKzMuAg-GK1KnQ7WB_5AShRmXSDzQfhwOWydsVip9LCfXMyuk8bG6xJ-oxL__7uKQd9ybXe64hq2-fKz4WZHtsP0wTt3TAK5I79kuFN5QRjPj0BHZRgO93Qz2U/s320/IMG_2256.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Krakow's main square</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st"><br /></span>
<span class="st">Krakow was super pretty and lively, which made for a nice breath of (very) fresh air in our Polish experience. There was a cute trolley type thing that ran through a track in the city. There was a shopping mall with an abundance of stores, as well. Despite all its cuteness... Krakow was still FREEZING. Our hostel was heated, but I still slept in some of my airport attire: sweatpants, leggings, various shirts, and a sweater. I'm relieved to say that the worst weather of the trip was already over once we left Katowice! But it wasn't exactly the Mojave desert warm, either :)</span><br />
<span class="st"></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlaEFdGWquSN-gWGmB5YGA9Tgd65vhKGCR79JSrfwvvgWD5MAdnZdF6vxZH0xgRPgpgk3Z-8VV6B5hEr1Mi3TSeHWRdGumHEiat1ttgkidA46NW9jXdwVh3EGneKp19yRXbj-1DSNrFg/s1600/IMG_2277.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSlaEFdGWquSN-gWGmB5YGA9Tgd65vhKGCR79JSrfwvvgWD5MAdnZdF6vxZH0xgRPgpgk3Z-8VV6B5hEr1Mi3TSeHWRdGumHEiat1ttgkidA46NW9jXdwVh3EGneKp19yRXbj-1DSNrFg/s320/IMG_2277.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snowfall</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st">The next morning we woke up to a gentle snowfall...which, looked very precious in the courtyard of the hostel, but otherwise was just unwelcomed. We caught a free tour of Krakow in the city center, with one of the tallest, gangliest, goofiest tour guides I've had to date. We saw all the main sites of Krakow, but in the end the site that left me with the greatest impression was that of the main square. While most of Poland is gloomy, snow-covered farmland and bare trees, this city center is full of colorful and intricately designed buildings. It was gorgeous. </span><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBxlN1H_BRUja6sAHRFyGGJBw7gM7q4-qjacYDBXaBfwOlLN7mOSZ8Mx3Ll9WJwZir25l2vuhuZDp2iZGqUV9jb9xYltdnYjl4cROwqaHkSRr6PZ693gtHRkeUgIMByhnAie8UKXSZd4/s1600/IMG_2295.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGBxlN1H_BRUja6sAHRFyGGJBw7gM7q4-qjacYDBXaBfwOlLN7mOSZ8Mx3Ll9WJwZir25l2vuhuZDp2iZGqUV9jb9xYltdnYjl4cROwqaHkSRr6PZ693gtHRkeUgIMByhnAie8UKXSZd4/s320/IMG_2295.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">YUM</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="st">After the free tour Sofia and I wandered around, buying souvenirs, stopping into every 5 stores we passed in order to take advantage of the heating, and also making a brilliant stop for dessert. Despite the weather, I somehow craved a Pinocchio-shaped ice cream creation...and it was delicious! We wandered around a bit more for the rest of the night, but eventually the frigid air got the better of us and we made our way back to our relatively warm hostel. The next morning our plane would be taking off for heaven!!!...er...I mean....Paris!!!!</span><br />
<span class="st"></span><br />
<br />
<span class="st">:D</span><span class="st"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-41357270631362711962013-04-22T17:31:00.000-05:002013-04-23T07:38:45.229-05:00Roma...are you for real?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-6VHEXk_fqckJz6xJQbpOHFxFA1iiVE1LpmnUB2X6-B9RF7qWRJopTj34D-0J-Dho9G2Cf5X2Ypoi7QjYjpg76xjV5jrxgiHjpF2cXiYn_nVrUNci5sM2a2fJWu5pG1ihJW41CN6Kcw/s1600/IMG_1978.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-6VHEXk_fqckJz6xJQbpOHFxFA1iiVE1LpmnUB2X6-B9RF7qWRJopTj34D-0J-Dho9G2Cf5X2Ypoi7QjYjpg76xjV5jrxgiHjpF2cXiYn_nVrUNci5sM2a2fJWu5pG1ihJW41CN6Kcw/s400/IMG_1978.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Vatican Museum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Semana Santa gave me a week off a work, which I took advantage of by taking a Euro Extravaganza with my sissy Sofia :) The plan? Rome, Italy--> Krakow, Poland--> Paris, France. We'd been planning this trip meticulously since December or so. The most difficult part was finding a perfect balance of cities that I haven't been to yet with places that my sister wants to go, so our brainstorming list originally included about 20 different locations including Morocco, Portugal, Norway, and Croatia. From there, after infinite trials on Skyscanner to see what combination of cities yielded the cheapest flights, we somehow chiseled our list down to these 3 cities. I am completely happy with the outcome. So stop #1: Rome!! I was very excited for this city, since it seems to be one of the top-visited European places and I had yet to cross it off my list. Plus, I was ready to get my carb-on.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvqOH6D0FVJR7B-197F_azn09U5ZCw8cRoe3mr9ur3xSIof9QfjwZapHYIm8vq25xd6Yqa9a1J7c3CSIwhOHfLnA_V2kU9oixNZdzksfR0wJ_aVX2p9185sYn5yhTKSXNoVprabe_lAM/s1600/IMG_1965.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyvqOH6D0FVJR7B-197F_azn09U5ZCw8cRoe3mr9ur3xSIof9QfjwZapHYIm8vq25xd6Yqa9a1J7c3CSIwhOHfLnA_V2kU9oixNZdzksfR0wJ_aVX2p9185sYn5yhTKSXNoVprabe_lAM/s400/IMG_1965.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo bomb -__-</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It seemed to take forever for me to finally arrive to the apartment in Rome... I had to take a flight to Barcelona followed by a 4 hour layover, followed by a 2 hour flight to the Rome airport where I was started to freak out because I didn't understand Italian as well as I thought I would (AND, might I add, for being such a hot tourist spot, people in Rome did not seem to speak English), and then there was a bus strike and my bus was an hour late, and what should have been an hour drive to the city center took about 2 hours, all the while I was in contact with our apartment host who told me that Sofia hadn't arrived to the apartment although she was supposed to have had arrived 5 hours prior, and then I had trouble finding a public bus to take me to the apartment, and then I found it but got on in the wrong direction, and FINALLY a Rome local was kind enough to offer help and got me on my way to the apartment...and thennnn after a 20 min walk...I arrived to the apartment. And I saw my sister!!!!!!!!!! It was just as surreal as it was when I saw her 2 years ago coming down the stairs of the hostel in Malaga, Spain. What the heck!! How did she get here!!! She doesn't belong!!! Hahahaha so it was a treat to see her, and catch up for a bit that night, as well as delve into the bags of Almond Joys and Reese's she'd come armed with. Later we headed out for a genuine Italian dinner experience. Well, that's what it seemed like anyway. Our waiter spoke about 13 words of English so we communicated mostly by gestures. Everyone else in the restaurant seemed to be very Italian, and our food was astoundingly delicious. It made for a good welcoming to Rome after such a long haul of a day to arrive!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZk6P-vrtFJ0HRyeKNkKp3jdgrzHvtsu7alsQTQNm4emXjspbBj6wp9LINwRo5t_SI6QAWSP8cMVgTvt_7vGtrSy7MBD8kfzDfz48ihdJq-_5JDns8BrUYPOvUbaYeJxeuypG1XdYxx3E/s1600/IMG_1980.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZk6P-vrtFJ0HRyeKNkKp3jdgrzHvtsu7alsQTQNm4emXjspbBj6wp9LINwRo5t_SI6QAWSP8cMVgTvt_7vGtrSy7MBD8kfzDfz48ihdJq-_5JDns8BrUYPOvUbaYeJxeuypG1XdYxx3E/s320/IMG_1980.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
The next day our first stop was the Vatican! We took a nice stroll from the apartment to Vatican City, stopping along the way to pick up some breakfast pastries.We could tell when we were within 2 blocks of the Vatican because the line and crowds were ridiculous. We wound our way around 3 blocks of a line before finding the entrance, where we showed them our tickets and skipped the entire line (Pardon, VIP coming through). Then we proceeded to get lost into the Vatican Museum...and it was awesome. This is the kind of stuff that makes me go wild...essentially every piece in the museum is older than the United States....by a few millennia. HOW INSANE. This was just the first of manyyyy times in Rome that I had to stop and think, "Are you for reaaaaal? Are you really that old? Are you messing with me? Are we being punk'd??" Unbelievably old and unbelievably beautiful items in the Vatican Museum.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fgWh0l9W5trhylDxyHls5TK6fZNrRJeDEicqBcvCR9TQUyxezXvVzkxWOqqK-OdkvdBgskamlUGJrRJzwKXNKhb_P_FnF71jbxU6POqlU0cOz0tqZwijNfDglxvv-3DjhqpDv-rVU7o/s1600/IMG_1998.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fgWh0l9W5trhylDxyHls5TK6fZNrRJeDEicqBcvCR9TQUyxezXvVzkxWOqqK-OdkvdBgskamlUGJrRJzwKXNKhb_P_FnF71jbxU6POqlU0cOz0tqZwijNfDglxvv-3DjhqpDv-rVU7o/s640/IMG_1998.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilifjy7s6Wgn2805JFPf5G-Jhjp1nVNwqYiWx_oLC0qIEj-1HL5qQgbJcMOmrTbqW_-1j5t16MLgPcmd3APslLX8ih0xyLUvAie9H1vOuQTPQLc9cubh3kgwcXOxjOZXdeZF4yFV6xKvs/s1600/IMG_2044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilifjy7s6Wgn2805JFPf5G-Jhjp1nVNwqYiWx_oLC0qIEj-1HL5qQgbJcMOmrTbqW_-1j5t16MLgPcmd3APslLX8ih0xyLUvAie9H1vOuQTPQLc9cubh3kgwcXOxjOZXdeZF4yFV6xKvs/s400/IMG_2044.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Creation" by Michelangelo, on the Sistine Chapel ceiling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Of course after visiting the Vatican Museum you must go see the Sistine Chapel! Again, it was absolutely loaded to the brim with people. There was also a constant soundtrack in the Chapel of "NOOO FO-TOES" performed by the Italian guards. Personally, it ruined the ambiance for me lol. I give mad respect to the ballsy tourist who, when he saw the guards weren't looking, took his gargantuan carmera and went to town, CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK-CLICK, capturing a full 180 degrees of the chapel. He totally got caught 2 seconds later. But still. Valiant.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHS6vvcKEKWcyxovAb4QKoeVUJ8TZTSsj-xv6OA7xEYRsfbBJFROHluOZ9zkoX1gj3mqNwO0-ICOIug1oT5PQFkFjg0RGvML47-QJAUgvZd8lRJpEvk1rEHIBNQijrpXKO9q_k0MoqsE/s1600/IMG_2047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrHS6vvcKEKWcyxovAb4QKoeVUJ8TZTSsj-xv6OA7xEYRsfbBJFROHluOZ9zkoX1gj3mqNwO0-ICOIug1oT5PQFkFjg0RGvML47-QJAUgvZd8lRJpEvk1rEHIBNQijrpXKO9q_k0MoqsE/s320/IMG_2047.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bruschetta and beer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After this visit, we distanced ourselves from the touristy Vatican area and sat down for a delicious meal of eggplant bruschetta, pizza, and....no dessert! We were saving room for gelato :) I recall sitting there in the Roman sun, sipping a cold mug of Forst beer and just feeling so at ease!!! The exact sensation you seek when you go on vacation. I was falling in love with Rome :)<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoAYORd-nDyfg71VUqklquWT6jPu9H3crs7Sd-ojPEIxcxulGg22CsDYXVsluq1deEN99lG3JAUqRcPqTzLfP6s1ii3XSmBslY6NOGEfu25Uzx6zLKPRnUPXmHMaAaqYkv98KXNkpVS4/s1600/IMG_2057.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuoAYORd-nDyfg71VUqklquWT6jPu9H3crs7Sd-ojPEIxcxulGg22CsDYXVsluq1deEN99lG3JAUqRcPqTzLfP6s1ii3XSmBslY6NOGEfu25Uzx6zLKPRnUPXmHMaAaqYkv98KXNkpVS4/s400/IMG_2057.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St. Peter's Basilica</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next we took a walk to St Peter's Basilica, which was tourist frenzy round 2. That site in particular really makes you feel like you are somewhere hugely important. So many thick-as-tree-trunk columns, sculptures every 20 meters, and then the mountain of a basilica looming before you!<br />
<br />
Our last scheduled activity of the day was a free tour of the city. This started off at the Piazza di Spagna (Spanish Steps) and was led by a well-dressed guide whose Italian accent caused me to struggle to follow his European humor and wit. But we got to see a lot of cool places along the tour! Afterwards we picked up some gelato and dinner then made our way back to the apartment, absolutely spent! <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk8UIErTdwsRpXH1gs98T0fJpX7mAqogfB4fMMrG69ND3BLp8lDQLTcEsCAsTRHTtBJsl41tPmfarN9GeZ19egRE7Ua6azs-4PMR6uJ-vV-uDojzJ7fAzChH8sCjZhFHefoaDPqWU9uk/s1600/IMG_2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQk8UIErTdwsRpXH1gs98T0fJpX7mAqogfB4fMMrG69ND3BLp8lDQLTcEsCAsTRHTtBJsl41tPmfarN9GeZ19egRE7Ua6azs-4PMR6uJ-vV-uDojzJ7fAzChH8sCjZhFHefoaDPqWU9uk/s320/IMG_2088.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bright colored knickknacks at Porta Portese</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Day 2 in Rome was no less activity-filled than Day 1. After getting incorrect directions from Google to get to a morning market, we walked blocks upon blocks, asking different people and police officers how to get there. (Most with poor English, but, thankfully, willing to help!). After about 2 hours we arrived at Porta Portese market! And it was huuuuuuge. Stall after stall of jewelry, clothing, and....well, I only paid attention to the jewelry and clothing but there was much more! I think we ended up walking through it for nearly 2 hours before raising the white flag and finding the nearest exit in order to get some food. We had a nice relaxed pasta lunch before making our way to the Colosseum. You could see this thing from a mile away. And it only got exponentially more impressive the closer we got. And, along the way there we passed various other ruins, having absolutely no idea what they were. It felt like we were walking through a movie set. We got into the Colosseum, quickly entered and ran around taking pictures and taking in the views, and then made our way to the Roman Forum before it closed. This place was even more "ruiny" than any other place we'd visited! <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WAUDlgj5f_yMPKMPwSqpOWlLPJfFSWp3QvDfE7BWPIpGR_Z6qgSfFd_IYtllMLd3NF3z-bdgZTm894U5649GSb-a-eD0TI1kBpcSDF84FQJokYIHsacxVkIRYOXsV8JrSPiVQE4R_qM/s1600/IMG_2094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_WAUDlgj5f_yMPKMPwSqpOWlLPJfFSWp3QvDfE7BWPIpGR_Z6qgSfFd_IYtllMLd3NF3z-bdgZTm894U5649GSb-a-eD0TI1kBpcSDF84FQJokYIHsacxVkIRYOXsV8JrSPiVQE4R_qM/s640/IMG_2094.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Colosseum</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We tried to soak in every minute of the Forum, but then with about 15 minutes left to closing, they started yelling out in a loudspeaker "Please proceed to the exit", over and over and over and over again...it was very <i>Hunger Games</i>. Sofia and I tried to sneakily make our way to the farthest exit so as to pass by the whole forum and see what else we'd missed, but a stern old man peaked out from behind a rock and pointed us to the nearest exit. Shoot.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGkAPCv1yx9H3IBIj1d1WDiNKgBKHILxHkuH3X4smthxK6bkVXmYiUXeuaFVNyAOhDuy0keZymbOikbI-4mFSVb_bQHZ1s4Kt0nVl13-DBdwwbdV25MFAdLZTFFnJ_OfRqGS4ampBxoM/s1600/IMG_2148.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyGkAPCv1yx9H3IBIj1d1WDiNKgBKHILxHkuH3X4smthxK6bkVXmYiUXeuaFVNyAOhDuy0keZymbOikbI-4mFSVb_bQHZ1s4Kt0nVl13-DBdwwbdV25MFAdLZTFFnJ_OfRqGS4ampBxoM/s640/IMG_2148.JPG" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHoeMJCKPRAj7rn4SQ_yixB-n16PPSXFOD0X67CsJUKAZQGvSPUK49xvnqu_MLhoXl_q9mLlBSDYcO8MrxN7x3TIfwBvOyGBfz5KCzpVvnJW0WADkxyyBUjlY6459Di7v_5eY-4mr-ZQ/s1600/IMG_2131.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeHoeMJCKPRAj7rn4SQ_yixB-n16PPSXFOD0X67CsJUKAZQGvSPUK49xvnqu_MLhoXl_q9mLlBSDYcO8MrxN7x3TIfwBvOyGBfz5KCzpVvnJW0WADkxyyBUjlY6459Di7v_5eY-4mr-ZQ/s640/IMG_2131.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTirhMRM2O-CKKKl4Pvb0z5zmfQ95ueZIGEJ4apoaTjrK69vKV-ampSoMEuRwlf8A5bhAEpbYCwL72DfkqbpT7jjPbPF360BtzgLKjesxq2iM46qiAC9s9JLY_tNd5CtW4tV_SqxeNCX0/s1600/IMG_2144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTirhMRM2O-CKKKl4Pvb0z5zmfQ95ueZIGEJ4apoaTjrK69vKV-ampSoMEuRwlf8A5bhAEpbYCwL72DfkqbpT7jjPbPF360BtzgLKjesxq2iM46qiAC9s9JLY_tNd5CtW4tV_SqxeNCX0/s640/IMG_2144.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4K2QdC_uPo1-U6E1JjZzXG67yrzIUZN1bJxZDiSpOcQ2jMcyr_XK-CPvrKLy1Gv9eQxUBUuPT_AMKrfW6YGSxpbZphPUnhBlWAE4zQqzhE6l4QvPY9dN3yr7qrLquZ_WsOm7EitUsuIA/s1600/IMG_2171.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4K2QdC_uPo1-U6E1JjZzXG67yrzIUZN1bJxZDiSpOcQ2jMcyr_XK-CPvrKLy1Gv9eQxUBUuPT_AMKrfW6YGSxpbZphPUnhBlWAE4zQqzhE6l4QvPY9dN3yr7qrLquZ_WsOm7EitUsuIA/s320/IMG_2171.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sorry this exists, Brad.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We wandered back to Trevi Fountain for the second time, because I wanted to see it during the daylight. We were having a relaxing rest when suddenly the rude cleaning officials told everyone to clear out from the fountain's seating area because it was a scheduled cleaning time. It was probably 6 or 7 pm and the area was absolutely loaded with people...what kind of inconvient cleaning schedule is that? Well, we didn't wait around to see the spectacle that was to take place. Instead we made our way to the Spanish steps and climbed all the way up for good health after so many carbs. The top of the steps reminded me of the top of the Sacre Couer in Paris. Except of course in my head the French version far surpasses the Italian one :) There were a bunch of sketch artists up there, so we wandered from canvas to canvas observing them do their work. I also observed the previous work of one particular artist, who often drew Brad Pitt. As a BP expert I was confidently able to shake my head in disgust at the inaccuracy of the man's depiction of Brad. But other artists were very good! It was tempting to get a sister picture but they were expensive and we were hungry and it was getting cold. We made our way back to the apartment, stopping to grab some calzones and pizza for dinner and croissants for the morning. In any other city I may have been embarrassed to share the fact that we got "to go" food for dinner...but in Rome thats some of the best way to get a delicious Italian pastry filled goodness.<br />
<br />
We went to bed early and woke up before the sun the next day in order to catch our next flight...to Katowice, Poland!Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-45498316337932042252013-03-21T18:14:00.003-05:002013-03-21T18:14:23.906-05:00Mi Querida Granada<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn-0rIzimCK-tSMFSyiWK8T3WOh_F0h6cUAeNo5hgk_DyOCsRTeOCOsXF5SVJSnz49JN-i1kx-ocv1rmDK0CCjJviGswhYX5MvtmQ42aVKHFqTvzEIQrcttEh-jF1nYevH_iT0usETnM/s1600/155228_10200746456647435_537015791_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrn-0rIzimCK-tSMFSyiWK8T3WOh_F0h6cUAeNo5hgk_DyOCsRTeOCOsXF5SVJSnz49JN-i1kx-ocv1rmDK0CCjJviGswhYX5MvtmQ42aVKHFqTvzEIQrcttEh-jF1nYevH_iT0usETnM/s400/155228_10200746456647435_537015791_n.jpg" width="400" /></a>As Anna and I were on the flight from Santiago to Malaga...we didn't believe what was happening. When we arrived in Malaga and got a bus to Granada, it still hadn't quite hit us. On the public bus from the Granada bus station to the stop at la Catedral on Gran Via... things became truly surreal. The last time we wandered these checkerboard-decorated streets had been 2 years ago... how much has happened since then! I truly felt like I was so <i>young</i> the last time I set efoot in this city.<br />
<br />
We had previously arranged to stay with Anna's old host family in Granada, so that was a fun experience in and of itself. While I stayed with good old Inma 2 years ago, who had no young kids, just a rowdy old dog, Anna's family has two young sons. It was enjoyable to get to know the family that Anna always spoken so well and lovingly about! Upon our arrival, Anna's host mom prepared us some hot homemade soup and talked to us late into the night. Felt like we were being welcomed right back home :) The generosity didn't stop there; Anna's host mom made us lunch all but one of the days that we were in Granada! (The day she didn't make us food was because we had arranged to go to <i>my</i> host mom's for lunch!)<br />
<br />
We had a pretty full agenda in Granada... the most important order of business on the list: TAPAS. I wanted to drown in tapas...eat until I burst...death by tapas... Up in Galicia we have been tortured endlessly by a lack of tapas. What is this maltreatment? I order a beer and then I have to pay for food to accompany it? I'd like to call my lawyer. Of course, in Granada it is the complete opposite, where they give you so much food you eventually have to go home from being too full of food rather than too full of wine. <br />
<br />
The first day in Granada, we went and visited our old program building! IES had not changed at all. The same doorman, the same freezing entryway, the same tiled walls, the same workers...the only things that had changed were the photos on the wall and the students lounging on the couches and the terrace. I envied them. Oh! But ONE of the photos in IES still demonstrated a blast from the past... there was a poster up for the upcoming futbol game taking place through IES, and featured on it were the futbol players from our year, including myself :) We had the opportunity to get coffee with Javier (the IES Granada director...one of the kindest men alive!) and catch up on things. Afterwards Anna and I wandered around, particularly down the Moroccan tea streets where I got a huuuuuge dose of nostalgia. I don't know how many times I had walked down that main street, stopping at every other shop to gawk at the earrings while taking in the scent of various teas or incense.<br />
<br />
That night began the first Tapas extravaganza. And it continued the next night...and the night after...and every night we were in Granada. Why the heck not?! Oh my gosh the pure delight of it all. I just calculated it, and we had 15 different tapas over the course of our time in Granada. Not bad! I was on a mission to take a picture of every tapa we ate, but of course I didn't do so well... most of the food was consumed before I even remembered to take my camera out. But! I did manage to capture some:<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb22DFdPfk-LiQpYIrebTylK0Co_mt4I3MTbRdOtVBONH8GKtZERz7GmER9IUnRJuaDfqtRvFmSubVF4pttO5Fe2FZ9L3vuXrL3JXJIt93B4a8UvDmYUr-zGcm-ZZqTZOwtSer905i5Mk/s1600/IMG_1689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb22DFdPfk-LiQpYIrebTylK0Co_mt4I3MTbRdOtVBONH8GKtZERz7GmER9IUnRJuaDfqtRvFmSubVF4pttO5Fe2FZ9L3vuXrL3JXJIt93B4a8UvDmYUr-zGcm-ZZqTZOwtSer905i5Mk/s400/IMG_1689.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">1. Spicy Chicken at POE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFJ5oNMTLRnAPvZxlArxT5o62GazUpBa2bZVVU-M-NL1990gqPCqR_gCfUEq8xwEO0zWfeWZecahcGYJPBm9ZeTA8ZZap1pARSFG0yV_ytk9EbBKaXlbVyZiXvaWPtVNGEDd9GPBqFZA/s1600/IMG_1684.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOFJ5oNMTLRnAPvZxlArxT5o62GazUpBa2bZVVU-M-NL1990gqPCqR_gCfUEq8xwEO0zWfeWZecahcGYJPBm9ZeTA8ZZap1pARSFG0yV_ytk9EbBKaXlbVyZiXvaWPtVNGEDd9GPBqFZA/s400/IMG_1684.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">2. Sushi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9Fw3OQ6zWUMStKqtPPGU9ErUKrqByjkAEZWE7K5hduN41KV4Vxh9xe0-sg3B-H2664Xy4M-JSkyNUpmvuA1dIjffMBsk21k6qNzs_NsdPlI1Vu3vRcbZC8KNZQ4VQd4X3Q3T0wafeNA/s1600/IMG_1678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl9Fw3OQ6zWUMStKqtPPGU9ErUKrqByjkAEZWE7K5hduN41KV4Vxh9xe0-sg3B-H2664Xy4M-JSkyNUpmvuA1dIjffMBsk21k6qNzs_NsdPlI1Vu3vRcbZC8KNZQ4VQd4X3Q3T0wafeNA/s400/IMG_1678.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">3. Roscas, pasta salad, and patatas bravas at La Bella y la Bestia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwjwlSbl_NcPwTfq0avW75PjTdLUoAHGqZLAb0vCeZDIc_F35jgjzY5lZ21uz4WTQa1dIy6WJkRCcPxeqUp3YwWEgmf72IUWZh_kCdxGsCMRs24pyHinPpPpOK4sqpVX23v8kgv0yCWs/s1600/IMG_1690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXwjwlSbl_NcPwTfq0avW75PjTdLUoAHGqZLAb0vCeZDIc_F35jgjzY5lZ21uz4WTQa1dIy6WJkRCcPxeqUp3YwWEgmf72IUWZh_kCdxGsCMRs24pyHinPpPpOK4sqpVX23v8kgv0yCWs/s400/IMG_1690.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">4. Croquetas y pizza at the place right by my old home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUVxFLTk0WU4GOoiQH1g2Fc9yZN0AX3dlIZ5fNFEPEAC59ay_ejaVLlufwhOVKT-kvAdNBUTlHu4OTcil4msxKRb8npZF7IJyNnBc22a6KqKR1inaDEexMrVe_gr17uR4w9H5mQFuF0M/s1600/IMG_1852.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAUVxFLTk0WU4GOoiQH1g2Fc9yZN0AX3dlIZ5fNFEPEAC59ay_ejaVLlufwhOVKT-kvAdNBUTlHu4OTcil4msxKRb8npZF7IJyNnBc22a6KqKR1inaDEexMrVe_gr17uR4w9H5mQFuF0M/s400/IMG_1852.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">5. Tortilla de patata</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELK7QnRys1B0WPfbSVUNYpMrFP1pWBlG5FCEWlR7fWz_Pv8RY7BkVl6ONgm69CsdhjM1T4SywjvoHi_cJLmTEQlp7jvId1R19IkQismbVsaEeOA5IzpbrOI5inEih-8wXzEaxCvxNzBo/s1600/IMG_1692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhELK7QnRys1B0WPfbSVUNYpMrFP1pWBlG5FCEWlR7fWz_Pv8RY7BkVl6ONgm69CsdhjM1T4SywjvoHi_cJLmTEQlp7jvId1R19IkQismbVsaEeOA5IzpbrOI5inEih-8wXzEaxCvxNzBo/s400/IMG_1692.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6. Carne en salsa at a place on Pedro Antonio I always went to</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xBroTp6XRbew8E9feAl6Z21KlOtQfvvW6lFqmD0xw6Rs4t75S_tghCWBVfjfDSpWY_VOloewuwvGtXoLviwyQ__YB3UncCKw0J3ePSxHoEcc-4hcaw85cs3Auh1m_y_KjDZDDgUnM_U/s1600/IMG_1855.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7xBroTp6XRbew8E9feAl6Z21KlOtQfvvW6lFqmD0xw6Rs4t75S_tghCWBVfjfDSpWY_VOloewuwvGtXoLviwyQ__YB3UncCKw0J3ePSxHoEcc-4hcaw85cs3Auh1m_y_KjDZDDgUnM_U/s400/IMG_1855.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">7. Albondigas at the same place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwopJXLLvHtzVW-PGtEidrQQuITMBhwTkqx-bn19fhqgqODE1L2_DzKzsHv1-4W-ikEviJ1njTh5YZa3wEozjIDlSu3259BOoiyWKLXZ7ohZxgd536SsVbLv2xLz5_Q5YcoJF-kzYu5QQ/s1600/IMG_1861.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwopJXLLvHtzVW-PGtEidrQQuITMBhwTkqx-bn19fhqgqODE1L2_DzKzsHv1-4W-ikEviJ1njTh5YZa3wEozjIDlSu3259BOoiyWKLXZ7ohZxgd536SsVbLv2xLz5_Q5YcoJF-kzYu5QQ/s400/IMG_1861.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">8. Meatball type thing at a Moroccan bar</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GMnBvOe-8FkI3_qsTfZUUxjq_EhX3OUZBD4RHIvpBVhkhYUL9k91khUn2tkr_abOoYzTqtmyFk3eBqF9C5UZBzY1awB4QjXnVbmZPRifJiIwuYpVz7iHQQ8uQMaGIvo0qEZyGF4R2kU/s1600/IMG_1888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5GMnBvOe-8FkI3_qsTfZUUxjq_EhX3OUZBD4RHIvpBVhkhYUL9k91khUn2tkr_abOoYzTqtmyFk3eBqF9C5UZBzY1awB4QjXnVbmZPRifJiIwuYpVz7iHQQ8uQMaGIvo0qEZyGF4R2kU/s400/IMG_1888.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">9. Hamburguesa at Nido de buho :D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The next morning was another milestone in our Granada journey... we were returning to the Alhambra for a full tour! We were fortunate to have awesome weather on this particular day, although in reality the sun didn't stop shining the whole time we were in Granada!...minus the last day. The weather must have been crying due to our departure heehee :P ANYWAY. We went back to the Alhambra!! Although I remember very little detail about the history of each room and site we saw, the nostalgia rushed back nonetheless. What a beautiful frickin' palace... Anna and I couldn't help remarking about how essentially every picture we had took this time around was the exact duplicate of pictures we'd taken 2 years earlier. I could definitely note a difference in my camera quality this time around though! OOh, also, there was a room (palacio de los leones) in the Alhambra that was being restored 2 years ago when we were in Granada, and it was finally finished so we got to see it! Well, I don't think I need to say much more about the Alhambra. It was magical, beautiful, breathtaking, nostalgic, heart-warming, and so on. I will make a note that we went to the Generalife, and it was a bit sad since none of the flowers had bloomed yet! But it still had its <i>encanto</i>.<br />
<br />
(Note: I felt so whimsical and fairylike in La Alhambra that I went a little crazy with the filters on my camera...You will quickly notice.)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeA9jWCNeSc6lpF8w8k9Y_JitoXg_7s1Q_Q4zOnR89qGd5K07jNtBO1SUlkBIYUrfWFIN6s98k55V3OPw6oVij7LwH9bP8pKQ6Kc50inK8sbC_TCLutYAeMaWh53eLFLYXLSkjplmDNE/s1600/IMG_1710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeA9jWCNeSc6lpF8w8k9Y_JitoXg_7s1Q_Q4zOnR89qGd5K07jNtBO1SUlkBIYUrfWFIN6s98k55V3OPw6oVij7LwH9bP8pKQ6Kc50inK8sbC_TCLutYAeMaWh53eLFLYXLSkjplmDNE/s400/IMG_1710.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPV657r-3rqg4N7MKCvK-VnZdayBMy_ohj1Ur9N2Z_e4DM5JVvXJbZmC3VVlk76vswH58rX4cskFi0gP_y8pxMELDwqKMiGVXxbTnwD96Vsl5zosx3rtfFQE65yteYXLlemuS2C5uJnJ4/s1600/IMG_1732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPV657r-3rqg4N7MKCvK-VnZdayBMy_ohj1Ur9N2Z_e4DM5JVvXJbZmC3VVlk76vswH58rX4cskFi0gP_y8pxMELDwqKMiGVXxbTnwD96Vsl5zosx3rtfFQE65yteYXLlemuS2C5uJnJ4/s640/IMG_1732.JPG" width="464" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXtq_5QvvZmLYqPLg2QHpSRXTu4fTXNrtIWehiN2mSUq4zjS6ZUY7JYPcNsWORzctPAgvN1OOPQDcQFk2mzF8LJYXFQ5O9nUoKlSQTqcYEvLgDR64mF_xQPozhad_iu58auE2Tlu99kk/s1600/IMG_1745.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMXtq_5QvvZmLYqPLg2QHpSRXTu4fTXNrtIWehiN2mSUq4zjS6ZUY7JYPcNsWORzctPAgvN1OOPQDcQFk2mzF8LJYXFQ5O9nUoKlSQTqcYEvLgDR64mF_xQPozhad_iu58auE2Tlu99kk/s640/IMG_1745.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO8nzOq-kBY3KNdRp1dqoPNPu2MqVHxJn9_3_8RLQR6sfGX8pvHXy8qut6XA1-spQtNRGLC5NSUWqkCOc0lYE36ubEfjf9BmkOBix_fZivUlJSAufhW0Y7_8XYjv6jBxkOxQM9j0Dr5k/s1600/IMG_1766.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyO8nzOq-kBY3KNdRp1dqoPNPu2MqVHxJn9_3_8RLQR6sfGX8pvHXy8qut6XA1-spQtNRGLC5NSUWqkCOc0lYE36ubEfjf9BmkOBix_fZivUlJSAufhW0Y7_8XYjv6jBxkOxQM9j0Dr5k/s400/IMG_1766.JPG" width="400" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8E-hDT1eOlhyphenhyphenNBMzZbJW7nge1_QsZYbR3LWWmY7QFZWr_4oluWmUBSI8dJcrhj39DD8Qgb99SGTuxYnIQbGS-IuatlxJL8DD3PcAZABPmwEBVeY-ALvHvHbB50w96p8NAwiy8m03zib0/s1600/IMG_1790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8E-hDT1eOlhyphenhyphenNBMzZbJW7nge1_QsZYbR3LWWmY7QFZWr_4oluWmUBSI8dJcrhj39DD8Qgb99SGTuxYnIQbGS-IuatlxJL8DD3PcAZABPmwEBVeY-ALvHvHbB50w96p8NAwiy8m03zib0/s640/IMG_1790.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig8D2agCbNfxca-5O-ATYfYyrBOtb4odfIONo7Xg7PCGLALZ2AmMuYBIdB3mC7Woz7QNpM4D4kVO_Jv8BVGrGVVbicBFadImYZcs1jQae6ekf01UDcIvOKqzZrjqdmsK18d-2Ipwj1E80/s1600/IMG_1812.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMtf6HHs2KOMmVaorWe9kPQFIO0RvSmFn77pXtzRJgl4n6A2sP9-39X3pBDYVsNE7PjPTwWvPa9b6Sd8BUW0SGk4gm4G6d0ARiWKUQGFSqZg_dLYvBRKKo43MdL5EoIoLxVYgKtqae2Y/s1600/IMG_1749.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBMtf6HHs2KOMmVaorWe9kPQFIO0RvSmFn77pXtzRJgl4n6A2sP9-39X3pBDYVsNE7PjPTwWvPa9b6Sd8BUW0SGk4gm4G6d0ARiWKUQGFSqZg_dLYvBRKKo43MdL5EoIoLxVYgKtqae2Y/s640/IMG_1749.JPG" width="480" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAwhl9E0U7bzPOICay5BD2fFoIMo-at-X2IxunEaNr_wvLNELboq9p1odOO9VP3B7cOMMUn-6Wg7Ju-6H9LKUU5pBn-G6A9lv0jx6Z0CkZY1B7C2DxUwiIMtq10MIMFAWZJ3sK0md4NY/s1600/IMG_1818.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAwhl9E0U7bzPOICay5BD2fFoIMo-at-X2IxunEaNr_wvLNELboq9p1odOO9VP3B7cOMMUn-6Wg7Ju-6H9LKUU5pBn-G6A9lv0jx6Z0CkZY1B7C2DxUwiIMtq10MIMFAWZJ3sK0md4NY/s640/IMG_1818.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pT8ss5kWCg1SeKMxUlNTgIME5VvPXpXiMnwXJNnyNcBVXawJmp1qgYKPvKjyaX7Tg21ST2kw9y_3j8GRVQpFxyaHGgBvG9QV5mnDqWbZRuG1XanNkHlZPE8n42xQ2LRxKRb_UFJz13w/s1600/IMG_1833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3pT8ss5kWCg1SeKMxUlNTgIME5VvPXpXiMnwXJNnyNcBVXawJmp1qgYKPvKjyaX7Tg21ST2kw9y_3j8GRVQpFxyaHGgBvG9QV5mnDqWbZRuG1XanNkHlZPE8n42xQ2LRxKRb_UFJz13w/s640/IMG_1833.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYb1HeAZtRbmoPh74RpxGcdCN0q9GFgHPOgPaRarykY4QsU7pluxky8_x1yoeDR5KUdlBAsD9vcpS38X99sqwkr19lXvKMOB-rKlulfC2tmOL8gD8DKgoh2EruxKTD84SK86wTlyzgqw/s1600/IMG_1833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
After La Alhambra, Anna and I made our way back to Plaza Nueva, where we slowly meandered toward my host mother's apartment. We wound our way down some of the streets where I would shop after class several times a week...ahhhhhhhhh memories. Once we got to my old street, I got warm fuzzy feeling #29 of the trip. Some things had changed, such as the club in the plaza, and a restaurant adjacent to the apartment. They were also redoing the street, making the walk more congested and less pleasant than usual. I rang the buzzer and I heard the familiar "Quien ehhhh?" over the speakerphone from Good Ol' Inma. (Wait, did I actually hear that? I might have just created that memory just now based on all the times I'd heard her say that before hahaaa). We made our way up the familiar <i>ascenor</i>, and up to the door. I rang the doorbell, expecting Rita's loud barking and feet sprinting toward the door. Instead a high-pitched pipsqueak of a bark, and light trotting toward the door. That's new! A frightened American girl answered the door cautiously, asking who it was. Once she heard my name she opened the door ( "Cynthia" must be the secret code lololol). So we met this girl and her house mate, the 2 Americans occupying my and my old house mate's rooms! I greeted them then quickly scooted in to get a view of the rest of the place. Totally unchanged. Inma emerged from the kitchen and down the long hallway to greet me! We hugged and I was divinely euphoric.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QpRvWBnXHxWlWo_b-UWEHP6loIkVTv3tUSEMFnpbnFBjeMLElDGRcJEhQIXRKHon60Au1cBeW9rF7KQsyGHXRwd6C567Hkfv6KP5IpVDjVlfZr_s1RvKnlD6hSGHA79LtsvtCqJ35SA/s1600/IMG_1882.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-QpRvWBnXHxWlWo_b-UWEHP6loIkVTv3tUSEMFnpbnFBjeMLElDGRcJEhQIXRKHon60Au1cBeW9rF7KQsyGHXRwd6C567Hkfv6KP5IpVDjVlfZr_s1RvKnlD6hSGHA79LtsvtCqJ35SA/s320/IMG_1882.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Inma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Lunch was awesome, as expected. Inma filled us up with tons of soft white bread, soup, salad, <i>panesillo</i>, dessert and conversation :) If I went into detail of what our conversation entailed, I would have to sit here for days. I will sum it up by saying Inma is just as lively as ever, she remembers a ton from the time my house mate and I were living with her, and I love her all the same! The visit was truly going swimmingly until we were getting up to leave and Inma told me:<br />
<br />
"Cynthia, I think you've gained about 2 kilos. I see it in your face"<br />
<br />
...<br />
<br />
I wouldn't feel at home in Granada if I didn't have my Spanish mother telling me how it is. No filters.<br />
<br />
hahhahahha much love Inma, my girrrrl.<br />
<br />
I was able to meet up with my friend, Dana, with whom I used to play futbol when I was in Granada! I believe that same night was when I met up with my old <i>intercambio</i>, as well. It was nice to see old Grandino friends! Later that night, we had another tapas celebration, including a local favorite, POE! (See tapas picture 1). We met up with our friend Diane, who also studied at IES Granada the same semester as us, and is currently teaching English in Madrid! We also met her friend Melissa, and it was nice quiet night with lots of catching up :)<br />
<br />
The next morning, Anna, Diane, Melissa and I took a little hike up<span style="color: white;"> through el </span><span style="color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Albayzín. It was a sweaty but worthwhile journey! We made our way up to el mirador San Nicolas... (see the first picture of the blog!) I think this is the first time I truly thought I was going to start crying. The sun was blasting rays of warm love on us, there were guys playing flamenco music complete with rhythmic clapping and Spanish guitar, and before us lay the magical work of art that is La Alhambra. In case I haven't expressed this before, I. Love. Granada.</span></span><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nJN7bXbJt4F90YyKoamGnIb_6-80icyv44JtGe3-FQ3RxsuoH647VMKJ6IH1Up0G8N034wmWNEPy05Qd340aam6-80ELpBw4uL53z9pz5nfJf4N2QnCfG2U3rguIvUOqEG_NDj0-vf8/s1600/IMG_1873.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nJN7bXbJt4F90YyKoamGnIb_6-80icyv44JtGe3-FQ3RxsuoH647VMKJ6IH1Up0G8N034wmWNEPy05Qd340aam6-80ELpBw4uL53z9pz5nfJf4N2QnCfG2U3rguIvUOqEG_NDj0-vf8/s320/IMG_1873.JPG" width="320" /></a>As it turns out, this was not even the highlight of the day! No ho hooooooooooooo the best was yet to come... I was going to watch the Granada futbol team play against my beloved BARCA!!!! MESSI MESSI MESSI MESSI. I met up with Tyler and Greg, two guys who had also studied at IES Granada with us, and we made our way to the stadium that night. Finding our seats was literally just the worst experience. We arrived with about 40 minutes before game time, and we ended up not finding our seats until the game was already almost 10 minutes in. The seats and sections of this stadium are poorly labeled, people take whatever seat they want, you have to figure out the maze of stairs and walkways in order to get to a different section, etc. Eventually we found our seats (already occupied by some guy. Sorry, buddy, but I'll fight you if necessary) Luckily we didn't miss any of the drama of the match, and BOY was there drama! Granada was the first to score against the mighty Barcelona, at which point the stadium absolutely erupted into screams with everyone jumping on their seats, leaving the ground shaking. Meanwhile, I was bent over in my seat in agony, head in my hands lol. Only to later experience pure joy after Messi scored, screaming his name and cheering my lungs out...when I looked around you could have almost heard a pin drop. I was the only one in the whole stadium (it felt like) that was cheering for Barcelona. When I surveyed my surroundings after my obnoxious cheering, I noticed everyone else around me seemed to be attempting to lazer beam me with their eyes. SORRY NOT SORRY. VISCA BARCA! Barcelona ended up winning the game 2-1 (duh), but it was truly a closer match that I was expecting. It made for the best game I've ever been to, though! Oh man the excitement. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYCP2iJyedtuQo6brE-mM1JF-Nc4J7qWCQPg-Q5A7xroFnOMFIEwsPBd8B31BcgyKgMgStGnzjqkk6WbUAUoYlgGI2CmQ531nRROP3xDch5Q2XjFCCnCh40LRW8Qe7xEdj6St-X4EKYw/s1600/IMG_1869.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYCP2iJyedtuQo6brE-mM1JF-Nc4J7qWCQPg-Q5A7xroFnOMFIEwsPBd8B31BcgyKgMgStGnzjqkk6WbUAUoYlgGI2CmQ531nRROP3xDch5Q2XjFCCnCh40LRW8Qe7xEdj6St-X4EKYw/s640/IMG_1869.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
We continued the night, meeting up with the rest of the IES Granada alums as well as with Javier, the program director, to have a small reunion and get some tapas. How fun, man, to catch up on the past 2 years with these people, and also to have had such a genuinely kind and enjoyable director like Javier! He even let us go sit on the IES terrace after we were done with tapas, which felt so rebellious heehee. After we said our goodbyes to him, the rest of us made our way to 2 classic Granada landmarks: Chupiteria, and Granada 10. The night was far from over, and boyyy was it a fun night!!! It was such a fun group of people, and overall a really perfect Granada experience. <br />
<br />
The next day it was a bit difficult to wake up... Anna's host mom made us delicioussss paella for lunch, and later we went over to my host mom's for <i>churros con chocolate</i>. We didn't have any huge plans for the day; in all honesty, it was more of a recovery from the night before. We met up with Diane and Melissa to have one final tapas outing. For this last outing we made our way to the<i> plaza de toros</i> to hit up <i>el nido de buho</i>, a bar that's definitely a Granada favorite. For 2.20 euros I got my Orange Fanta as well as a full cheeseburger and chips. It was a perfect ending to the tapas excursion/trip to Granada :)<br />
<br />
We left early the next morning, and it was pretty sad... but as Anna's host mom pointed out though, at least we<i> made</i> it back. After leaving Granada the first time around, the saddest part was not having any sort of concrete idea as to when, or even if, I would ever return. 2 years later, I made it back! And I'm fully convinced that it was not the last time :)Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-39848931370130033902013-03-07T18:09:00.000-06:002013-03-07T18:09:37.489-06:00Carnaval, Carnaval<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><span style="line-height: 20px;">Carnaval Carnaval
<br />Carnaval te quiero
<br />LA la la la la la la
<br />Bailaremos sin parar
<br />En el mundo entero ..... </span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvQYFbByEow" target="_blank">Listen to the full song here...although I don't particularly recommend it</a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">This song <span style="font-size: large;">haunted</span> my nightmares for <span style="font-size: large;">weeks after Carnaval</span>. Every time I heard it I become overcome with exhaustion, having to grab ahold of something so as to prevent myse<span style="font-size: large;">lf from collapsing to the floor</span>. <span style="font-size: large;">I have been condition<span style="font-size: large;">ed to <span style="font-size: large;">get this way with the song because it was <span style="font-size: large;">constantly being played the entire week of Carnaval! </span></span></span></span></span>The first time I heard it, I was joyous and dancing and whatnot...13 times later though, I get nauseous.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">There ha<span style="font-size: large;">d</span> been many months of building-up to this festival known as Carnaval here, and I think I now comprehend the extent of the hype...but I would never be capable of going through it all <span style="font-size: large;">in the full-f<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">orced</span> manner<span style="font-size: large;"> a<span style="font-size: large;">s</span></span></span></span></span> I did this time!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Carnaval festivities technically start January 31. There's a party on that Thursday called <i>compadres</i> which is <span style="font-size: large;">supposed to be <span style="font-size: large;">mostly <span style="font-size: large;">geared towards men, but <span style="font-size: large;">actual<span style="font-size: large;">ly no one really pays attention to<span style="font-size: large;"> it. Th<span style="font-size: large;">e party on the next Thursday, <i>com</i><span style="font-size: large;"><i>adres</i>, <span style="font-size: large;">the female equivalent, is <span style="font-size: large;">when t<span style="font-size: large;">hings really star<span style="font-size: large;">t out.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Day 1: Comadres en Verin</span></span></b></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Costume: Catwoman</span></span></b></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7wTk2czP4RspX6gFo1pAb-oaYrzhZLraj2PCUBEHJN_zwPp9t5dO5KgMsdVQY0I85NowzjpSD3Tv97KsrFuOUW-_WpxVEKGMIBnsbgdCtxJL6drHqxwW9Go2DfLbVAJr5Twmd-uKbtA/s1600/IMG_1580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN7wTk2czP4RspX6gFo1pAb-oaYrzhZLraj2PCUBEHJN_zwPp9t5dO5KgMsdVQY0I85NowzjpSD3Tv97KsrFuOUW-_WpxVEKGMIBnsbgdCtxJL6drHqxwW9Go2DfLbVAJr5Twmd-uKbtA/s320/IMG_1580.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ashley and me</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I was beyond excited to kick off the first day of celebrations! My friend Ashley was in town visiting, and she and I were going to accompany some of my students to a nearby town called Verin to celebrate <i>comadres</i>. The essence of this party is that females get together and celebrate...they go out to dinner together, they get dressed up together, and then they go out and party together! On this particular day, men are not really wanted. So, any male who is out on this night is supposed to be dressed in drag. Oh man, what a night. It was so enlightening to see Spanish man, the <i>machista</i> of the <i>machista</i>, go out in full make<span style="font-size: large;">-</span>up, wigs, heels,the whole nine yards. Some of these guys looked GOOD! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
<span style="line-height: 20px;">The <i>autobus</i> for Verin left at 11pm Thursday night. On the bus I got my first taste of the "Carnaval Carnaval" song; I was into it! About an hour after departure we arrived to Verin, and I witnessed for the first time the seriousness that people take in regards to costume. Everywhere I looked, gangs of people dressed as cows, nuns, police, Grease ch<span style="font-size: large;">aracters</span>, devils, and so on. Also, t<span style="font-size: large;">he number of people was unbelievable to me. </span>It was like I was standing in the middle of Six Flags<span style="font-size: large;"> on a summer day...except everyone was in costume.</span></span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ3XOtj5iQJ9K7oPwdMDfUX_nyj3WOk5YGjSbXH2ogjKFSUj7zFkVJYrqKwwECs2oTjHb-1gn1dOeBkzvJOO51qhJhQDJ2qJEZZy_07aXutq1_1egjOSQcE8usoiME3fLH-7DEkmqwAg/s1600/IMG_1589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWJ3XOtj5iQJ9K7oPwdMDfUX_nyj3WOk5YGjSbXH2ogjKFSUj7zFkVJYrqKwwECs2oTjHb-1gn1dOeBkzvJOO51qhJhQDJ2qJEZZy_07aXutq1_1egjOSQcE8usoiME3fLH-7DEkmqwAg/s320/IMG_1589.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Cigarrones de Verin...I will explain them later</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">When we got off the bus, we made our way to the main plaza, passing by hundreds upon hundreds of people in costume. In this plaza there was a stage set up, like another mobile disco. Eventually, a DJ started playing music and the crowd would dance, but there was also periodical moments where the music would stop, and "official" people would get on stage and orate about Galicia pride all in <i>gallego</i>, people would chant and cheer, and then the music would start again. This continued until 5am, at which point it was lights out. I was EXHAUSTED at this point. I asked my students what was next...secretly hoping that the night was over. NOPE. Onto the clubs!...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">BUT NOT BEFORE SOME FOOD! </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRtDFldPQK1F2IK1Fl9X0cUzg0DuXfUh6IgSMQeZIy-wFU0UtfE3_olXinDKHNG6E3MeD9W3LYfr_Hp9j4OopQ8BxhsHZwv8RtwVx_UWMLMxsd2d3HRuysCyl5IsXTFeSPk1bxjmM7TA/s1600/IMG_1590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGRtDFldPQK1F2IK1Fl9X0cUzg0DuXfUh6IgSMQeZIy-wFU0UtfE3_olXinDKHNG6E3MeD9W3LYfr_Hp9j4OopQ8BxhsHZwv8RtwVx_UWMLMxsd2d3HRuysCyl5IsXTFeSPk1bxjmM7TA/s400/IMG_1590.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="line-height: 20px;">There were some very intelligent food vendors open immediately behind the stage, and they had to have made a killing that night with all the drunk people. Ashley and I shared some <i>patatas bra<span style="font-size: large;">vas</span></i>...twice. And then I also bought some insanely overpriced churros. Content with our food, we were ready to rally for the rest of the night!<span style="font-size: large;">...Actually, w</span>e remained pleased from the food for about 45 minutes, but from 5:45-8:00 we were zombies in the clubs. The students we were with had absolutely no trouble maintaining their momentum. Several times I had to shake Ashley awake. My legs were shot, I was hungry again, I wanted to sleep, I wanted orange Fanta, and I wanted to be in my bed. We loaded the bus at 8:00, got back to Ourense at 9:00, and I kid you not for that entire hour the students kept yelling, singing and talking on the bus. Once we arrived to Ourense we sluggishly walked the longest 10 minutes of my life from the bus stop to my apartment, and passed OUT. I'm too old for the parties of kids these days. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Day 2: Cena con los profesores</span></span></b></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Costume: No, thanks.</span></span></b></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">This Friday I had already agreed to go to a professors' dinner with my coworkers from A Farixa. I didn't think I was going to make it because I was absolutely positively spent from the night before in Verin, but a promise is a promise! I threw on a dress and got all nice, but I had no intention of wearing a costume...repeating Catwoman would just cause me to have vivid hallucinations of my exhaustion from the night before and I found that to be unnecessary. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">There was only about 10 of us at this professors' dinner, whereas previous parties usually had closer to 30 attendees, so it was nice and intimate. It was a traditional 4 course meal, starting with <i>jamon y queso aperitivos</i>, followed by <i>ensalada</i> and an array of <i>marisco</i>, and finally ending with the main course, which today was an enormous slab of <i>solomillo iberico</i>, or sirloin. This thing was bigger than my head. I valiantly attempted to finish it but I barely made it halfway through before giving up. I was very happy with the food, but I must be easy to please because mostly everyone else said the meat was too dry and that the meal itself was nothing extraordinary. However I become ecstatic at the mere sight of cheddar cheese, so I guess my critique of food should be taken with a grain of salt.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">After some dessert and<i> licor cafe</i>, we made our way to some bars to continue the night. I already felt my exhaustion setting in, and it was only about 12:30am. The bars we went to were definitely geared towards the older crowd, and my coworkers were definitely loving it! I caught some ABBA and Michael Jackson, but all the rest of the music was Spanish and from the 60s...so not really my cup of tea. Hahaha what a difference of night and day between this night and the previous I had with my students! I was the first to retire amongst my coworkers, around 2:00 am I headed home, desi<span style="font-size: large;">r</span>ing </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">nothing more than my bed </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">for a second night in a row! The next night was going to be another long one... </span></span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Day 3: Cena con los profesores de Anna</span></span></span></b></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Costume: Boy George </span></span></span></b></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l1wfaxDbpN1qad546o1_500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_l1wfaxDbpN1qad546o1_500.jpg" width="221" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The legendary Boy George</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> Back in November, I had a brilliant idea. I was going to be Boy George for the next Halloween!!!! Why had I never thought of that before?? Boy George is an iconic figure from my favorite decade! I couldn't wait for the next October...but also didn't really <i>want</i> to wait for the next October... I wished upon my lucky stars that an event would present itself in which I could fulfill my newfound dream of dressing up as Boy George...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">And then along came Carnaval :)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">One of the professors Anna works with invited us to go out with his friends on this 3rd day of our Carnaval adventure, and we enthusiastically agreed. I was mostly recovered from Verin <span style="font-size: large;">two</span> days before, so I felt ready for another enjoyable night of costume mayhem. The group<span style="font-size: large;">'s costume was villains</span>. Originally Anna and I were planning to do a little Batman join<span style="font-size: large;">t costume</span>, with her being Poison Ivy and my being Catwoman. As I've stated before, however, I had retired the Catwoman costume for good. Plus... I had an itch to <span style="font-size: large;">be</span> Boy George that I could no longer ignore!</span></span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGsiWVFSRLGXNjkmOZqMjG7Ch8FNGTB5T6WuEAD4upkKELvFHKYAP7fhAmJmyG8fcHjKFlcB-umJ2xIB8q7eSucWSZdAkmecE3sWTzooT00XAbVXcufK7yNEfSTMcNE31ZDwS1peWb-I/s1600/IMG_1645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbGsiWVFSRLGXNjkmOZqMjG7Ch8FNGTB5T6WuEAD4upkKELvFHKYAP7fhAmJmyG8fcHjKFlcB-umJ2xIB8q7eSucWSZdAkmecE3sWTzooT00XAbVXcufK7yNEfSTMcNE31ZDwS1peWb-I/s640/IMG_1645.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Don't mess. lolol</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNP7pjM0vuG4X8-WdfkxZPDxGRIOgiWjlifznJY59GpEuPzll0rSY_tQmoZGO5HtmLVH4rDY9xtleokiNt1Ur8ZrHb4J0475V8Vg_gcOaQ-VXHNPNt97HuQhFTSQhk_JCo3zSvBwAGVc/s1600/IMG_1623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuNP7pjM0vuG4X8-WdfkxZPDxGRIOgiWjlifznJY59GpEuPzll0rSY_tQmoZGO5HtmLVH4rDY9xtleokiNt1Ur8ZrHb4J0475V8Vg_gcOaQ-VXHNPNt97HuQhFTSQhk_JCo3zSvBwAGVc/s320/IMG_1623.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><i>Cocido!</i> The bottom left shiny slab is the ear</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">This was by far the most enjoyable costume to put on, but I wish I would have gotten ready an hour earlier to really get the full hair effect and to load on an extra pound of make up. So I ended up as Boy George, Anna as Poison Ivy, and Ashley threw together a costume for Black Swan at the last minute which I found to be quite impressive! It was great to see all the costumes of our group<span style="font-size: large;">.</span> Spaniards go all out, I'm telling you. It wasn't so great to see that our group included the likes of "It" the clown and other less scary villains that still terrify me. Dinner was a typical <i>cocido</i>, much like the <i>cocid<span style="font-size: large;">o</span></i> I had eaten with my fellow professors around Thanksgiving. STILL just as delicious. I even tried to eat <i>la oreja</i>, or ear, again, and this time I succeeded! The texture felt more cooked and the taste was much more rich. Aside from the food, the dinner itself was just an entertaining atmosphere. Some people had brought instruments and those who hadn't were singing and clapping. It was a true Spanish celebration and I enjoyed every bit of it!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Afterwards we hit Ourense's <i>zona de vinos</i> for what proved to be a night that went until 7am, oops! Well, when in Spain...</span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRanq7RmJuOPvO_2glglqunpUyAKRRBZ-Rq3Vk1lg5AU8EvApBO6oCBZjp_VuG6YpcQNSwrCLmwoTxWY3FujgshGhigRgCSE2ESRQulUUDpasVz6n7VxLGs6YS9WbVKpGT3qUBJHogtY/s1600/IMG_1663.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigRanq7RmJuOPvO_2glglqunpUyAKRRBZ-Rq3Vk1lg5AU8EvApBO6oCBZjp_VuG6YpcQNSwrCLmwoTxWY3FujgshGhigRgCSE2ESRQulUUDpasVz6n7VxLGs6YS9WbVKpGT3qUBJHogtY/s640/IMG_1663.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Day 4: Seixalbo</span></span></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Costume: NO. SHUT. UP.</span></span></span></h2>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Just when I thought I couldn't feel any more deprived of every drop of energy after our trip to Verin, I found out it was in fact possible. I slept until 3pm or so...and in reality I only woke up because we had already agreed to visit Seixalbo for more Carnaval festivities. I felt sick to my stomach, my eyelids barely remained open, I thought I was starting to catch a cold, I wanted orange Fanta...it was just a disaster. But I put my big girl pants on and we went to Seixalbo. The drive couldn't have been longer than 15 minutes; I <span style="font-size: large;">was t<span style="font-size: large;">hankful </span></span>for that because <span style="font-size: large;">if it'd</span> been any longer I would<span style="font-size: large;">'</span>ve had to launch myself out the car window because I was so dizzy. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Seixalbo was...FREEZING. The temperature had dropped 10 degrees or so since we'd left Ourense, and a few days before I had broken the zipper o<span style="font-size: large;">f</span> my treasured brown jacket so it was flapping open in the cold wind. What's more, it started raining. I just wanted to lay dowwwwwn for the rest of my life.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPVcZA7X8ExG1HKEIReirujsgiwD9QiDSujbg4Rwh_oct9wu_4eSuOuny5GYV2a_OPXeARlQIDNin_7gFxqcDHx0Rixb6LGqYxoAlhlt6JxdbgYqbzWMblnpjdJQrne8aZesQdd5vouI/s1600/DSCN1409.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdPVcZA7X8ExG1HKEIReirujsgiwD9QiDSujbg4Rwh_oct9wu_4eSuOuny5GYV2a_OPXeARlQIDNin_7gFxqcDHx0Rixb6LGqYxoAlhlt6JxdbgYqbzWMblnpjdJQrne8aZesQdd5vouI/s400/DSCN1409.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Contestants of the "Show"</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Our purpose for coming to Seixalbo was to watch a sort of show that the village puts on. We had no idea what the show entailed of be<span style="font-size: large;">fore we arrived. Turns out, it was</span> was so strange hahaha it was a game show format with some of the local residents acting as contestants, and in between the spouts of "show" there were other people who came on stage and performed a lip-synced song by a famous Spanish personality. The people around us certainly seemed to enjoy the hell out of it all, but I didn't recognize even one of the famous personalities nor their songs. I take that back. Near the end of the show, the "Village People" came on to perform YMCA.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">4 hours later, with numb legs and a growling stomach we made our way back to Ourense. I think this was the point where I concluded that Carnaval is just so MUCH. Day after day of partying and costuming and drinking and eating and staying out late, how do people keep up with this??</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Day 5: Laza/Biggest night out in Ourense</span></span></b></span></h2>
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Costume: Minimal effort-- Cat</span></span></b></span></h2>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I slept a lot the night before this day; it was a day I did not want to miss out on! We were going to the <span style="font-size: large;">village of </span>Laza for the infamous ant-throwing festival! People</span><span style="line-height: 20px;"> go nuts about this festival. Families breed ants particularly for this event. Essentially, the main event of the festival consists of people throwing large, angry ants at you. The ants have been doused in vinegar, because, well, wouldn't you get extra pissed if you were soaked in vinegar? So people throw ants along with dirt and flour, creating a disgusting mixture. The hype for this festival is in<span style="font-size: large;">sane</span>. I quickly found out it wasn't worth asking any Galician pe<span style="font-size: large;">rson</span> <i>why</i> it is this festival exists. No one seems to know, they just like it and go with it! Hahahaha crazies.</span><span style="line-height: 20px;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We arrived in Laza several hours before the ant-throwing commenced. There was still remnants of the event that had taken place earlier that morning in Laza. Instead of throwing ants around, that morning people had thrown rags soaked in mud at each other, slapping each other and just creating a big mud spectacle. That sounded painful so I'm glad we missed that! But, I guess getting bitten by a ton of ants doesn't sound particularly soothing either.</span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We waited for several hours and essentially just got more and more anxious for this thing to be over with. To further raise nerves, there were a bunch of <i>peliqueiros</i> running around causing havoc before the festival began. Another question I stopped asking is: What is the difference between <i>peliqueiros </i>and <i>cigarrones</i>? The most common response: "Eh, they're pretty much the same." My best guess is that they are just referred to as different names depending on the village. Anyway, <i>peliqueiros</i> wear these extravangant, 3000<span style="font-size: large;">-</span>euro<span style="font-size: large;">-</span>worth costumes, which include several loud, disruptive bells (similar to cow bells) on the back of their waists, and also an intricate and large mask. During Carnaval, they run around with whips, and you can hear them coming from miles away (Along with the Carnaval, Carnaval song, those bells also haunted my dreams). Who knows why they are given the authority to hit whoever stands in their way! Historically, they are supposed to imitate tax collectors from the 16th century who actually carried whips and wore similar masks. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKlnjuHECN-RA7XdVhVQO_fkWMDnI7CLla2-HRyzNC58FGDUFupe_wzM5y_pnJnW-JhA2QYzmclI5-ABluY9unv2moWjoad_raOWGGuiyyK0s77FIS8lWlewAcrJ5VpHkKi81ri2PLuQ/s1600/DSCN1418.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTKlnjuHECN-RA7XdVhVQO_fkWMDnI7CLla2-HRyzNC58FGDUFupe_wzM5y_pnJnW-JhA2QYzmclI5-ABluY9unv2moWjoad_raOWGGuiyyK0s77FIS8lWlewAcrJ5VpHkKi81ri2PLuQ/s640/DSCN1418.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">RUN</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">What is my general feeling of <i>peliqueiros</i>? They scare me to death. They wear masks reminiscent of that guy in <i>V for Vendetta</i>, they can hit you without proper reason, they can run you down, and they're loud. I screamed bloody murder anytime one was within eyesight of me.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Finally, around sundown the event truly commenced. We were all gathered at the top of street and started making our way down to the village plaza. <span style="font-size: large;">T</span>hings were initiated by <i>la morena</i>, which is a huge cow costume controlled by several people underneath. I was fortunate enough to be the first victim to the charging of <i>la morena</i>...I saw my life flash before my eyes. The cow was coming straight for me so I ran the opposite direction, screaming at the top of my lungs, only to find a brick wall and no escape. I got a good strong charge in the back hahahaha I'm such a wim<span style="font-size: large;">p.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span> </span></span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5s_5-6A-cOUE7oxU4brVwgFpbIet2zlPSSItFpom10lh716t_dX3cm_HsBv7fJ1Tifoq0q3t4oh0K_hoRIOEGbtMD-Egs_1KVhDea37pVdA6rTzTYojMoFlaOphlXlugdqiIBWOH2nEY/s1600/48085_10200817029851721_647129223_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5s_5-6A-cOUE7oxU4brVwgFpbIet2zlPSSItFpom10lh716t_dX3cm_HsBv7fJ1Tifoq0q3t4oh0K_hoRIOEGbtMD-Egs_1KVhDea37pVdA6rTzTYojMoFlaOphlXlugdqiIBWOH2nEY/s320/48085_10200817029851721_647129223_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modeling some fine Laza fashion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">We continued down the hill in our Sunday finest (see picture), prepared for battle. Before we even got down to the plaza flour and dirt was starting to be thrown. Anna, Ashley, and I created a defense formation for the best protection...but when everything was getting thrown there was very little time to think about defense! I kind of just closed my eyes and screamed for the entirety of the event, which in reality was mostly over within 15 minutes. To be sincere, I was disappointed with the number of ants. We heard beforehand that there would be less ants than normal years, but no one in our grou<span style="font-size: large;">p</span> got bitten, and I found less than 10 dead ants on my clothing! I want my money back!!!!</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">It was such a Galician event and I'm so glad we hadn't missed out. Soon after, it started raining and people scrambled. We made our way back to Ourense. It was Monday night and supposedly the best night to go out! ...None of us were having any of it, though. I promise I tried my darnedest to rally and produce energy from the depths of my body to squeeze one more night of partying, but I just failed miserably. We thought it'd be a complete shame if we didn't at least go out for an hour to see the city, so we managed to do that. I was so over dressing up, I just threw on my cat ears, pinned on a tail, drew cat whiskers and called it a night. </span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">I am glad we went out because I don't think I've ever seen Ourense so packed and lively! And I don't regret coming home before 2am. I was spent. Pooped. Drained. Dead. Completely fatigued and with a cold. I felt that I had a genuine experience of Galician Carnaval without the extra late night out, and I went to sleep that night satisfied. </span></span></span><br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<h2>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Day 6: Sorry, Carnaval, I'm done with you. I'm heading to the hot springs for some relaxation. </span></span></span></h2>
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Festivities all but ended the day before. There w<span style="font-size: large;">ere</span> a few other events, such as <i>el entierro de la sardina </i>on Wednesday (Day 8) but we were just uninterested. We spent this final morning at As Burgas, the natural hot springs in the middle of Ourense. It was a much-needed visit.<span style="font-size: large;"> </span>We took the time to ref<span style="font-size: large;">lect on our feelings about Carnaval. We were in agreement that Carnaval is a neat experie<span style="font-size: large;">nce<span style="font-size: large;"> and all, but it's just over-the-top. Excessive beyond measure. One night of hard <span style="font-size: large;">partying and costumes would have been plenty for me, I would have maybe even understood <span style="font-size: large;">two nights of it. But this week<span style="font-size: large;">-long</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span> debacle? Never again, man.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;">Ashley left later that day, and Anna and I had to prepare for the next adventure we embarked on the very next morning...</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 20px;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: arial,tahoma,verdana; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">our return to Granada :)</span></span></span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-76335095118353383842013-02-04T17:12:00.000-06:002013-02-04T17:14:40.781-06:00VeneziaMy first trip to Italy!!<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkqY3Xc8wXBF-GS_-rxDkAXjbt5HpyvVFXyZT_uTGEbcS5y4XAMIwiK2NZix5JZeO1Amo60084PpoBIKe1eKGOZ-FqNMQyt5i-HpnD1UPTqrhgFYo813RBPLPiQdHIXYepuz7iAGJWzk/s1600/IMG_1375.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSkqY3Xc8wXBF-GS_-rxDkAXjbt5HpyvVFXyZT_uTGEbcS5y4XAMIwiK2NZix5JZeO1Amo60084PpoBIKe1eKGOZ-FqNMQyt5i-HpnD1UPTqrhgFYo813RBPLPiQdHIXYepuz7iAGJWzk/s640/IMG_1375.JPG" width="640" /></a>I expected great things from Venice. All the pictures and stories I've heard about it just make it seem like a cute watery paradise. I was expecting to feel like Kevin Costner in <i>Waterworld</i>...except more romantic...lots more romantic... Venice was undoubtedly beautiful, but instead of falling in love with all the canals and romantic scenery I fell in love with...Venetian masks. So intricate, so colorful, so glittery (Oh man anyone who knows me from my grade-school Limited-Too obsessing, holographic Sketchers-donning days, also knows that a little bit of sequins or glimmer makes me go wild) the masks were just anything I could ever want in a piece of art. I wish I had taken pictures of more masks, but the best ones were located in stores where they had huge signs saying NO PHOTOS. Of course all the tourist stands had their own share of cheap masks, but I knew I wanted a legitimate, hand-crafted mask from a little store on the off-beaten path of Venice. Did I end up finding one?...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgzq1Ef4GUY6FuPbPB5o2mdD2tHEEeKVDX550-RUNdJYRhyphenhyphenS-3c3b6-6YC8R6MGJXjMAWBR3KL5sGg15FDHiEsOT3vjTm5tqSAmjUAkYW5WG-RAw_QxjQVleYe6DDzt7G-MCmIZtDOYo/s1600/IMG_1444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjgzq1Ef4GUY6FuPbPB5o2mdD2tHEEeKVDX550-RUNdJYRhyphenhyphenS-3c3b6-6YC8R6MGJXjMAWBR3KL5sGg15FDHiEsOT3vjTm5tqSAmjUAkYW5WG-RAw_QxjQVleYe6DDzt7G-MCmIZtDOYo/s640/IMG_1444.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
I could go on for days about how gorgeous Venetian masks are, and the Masquerade wedding that I am planning for myself (NO ONE STEAL MY IDEA..), but I reckon I should also share some information about visiting the city itself!<br />
<br />
Upon arrival to Marco Polo airport in Venice...everything still seemed normal. I think I was secretly hoping that the entire airport was floating off of some sort of dock, like the rest of Venice. Haha but alas this is quite impractical and was not the case. Once we started walking toward the water taxis...and even more so once we'd boarded and made our way to the island of Venice, things seemed a bit surreal. There is water EVERYWHERE. In the distance I could make out the skyline of some buildings, but other than that. Water. Water water water. We could have been in the middle of the Atlantic ocean for all I knew. Good thing the water taxi ride was an hour long, I really needed some time for this abstract idea to settle into my head. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiuP3AhL0jeVSAUAFajr54ry1vz_lLSlFWmfZySvof_6TwExi2A-WJdKWi_HOYNV0dS4ZMwgJ5vo2FWyiqvjiUgnPXTepxxZ19QxZE9vpYORIskyw-n5SZdpPDb9tOZc8nn5pFIieTeU/s1600/IMG_1474.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtiuP3AhL0jeVSAUAFajr54ry1vz_lLSlFWmfZySvof_6TwExi2A-WJdKWi_HOYNV0dS4ZMwgJ5vo2FWyiqvjiUgnPXTepxxZ19QxZE9vpYORIskyw-n5SZdpPDb9tOZc8nn5pFIieTeU/s640/IMG_1474.JPG" width="640" /></a>We finally docked and made our way toward the apartment. It was definitely chilly the entire time we were in Venice, a chill that rivaled that which we had felt in London. Undoubtedly, if we had gone to Venice at a later time in the year with warmer weather, I would have fallen in love with more than just the masks! Anyway, we had a nice route to traverse on the way to our apartment, a few bridges to cross, many restaurants and shops to pass. Our apartment itself was just...the EPITOME of cute. Adorable.<i> mono</i>, as they say here in Spain. I mean, wood-paneled beams on the ceiling, the cutest little kitchen and living room area, view from the windows overlooking some canals, just awesome. We were living in our own little cottage on some little island in the middle of the Adriatic Sea.<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiDVrydWRHA4vxKpfrb2FQZbnsmZM1lZzRbu_8pC7grHJAiccs7fTQcRUTwv4m_Yv4ydEg1lA08x37inxl-rjcw5Ccbl1JDbHFyWeIw1SNtQEnx2ApDif8eyhNUixEidca7kdIxYMw2I/s1600/IMG_1511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJiDVrydWRHA4vxKpfrb2FQZbnsmZM1lZzRbu_8pC7grHJAiccs7fTQcRUTwv4m_Yv4ydEg1lA08x37inxl-rjcw5Ccbl1JDbHFyWeIw1SNtQEnx2ApDif8eyhNUixEidca7kdIxYMw2I/s400/IMG_1511.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our apartment</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The first thing we did was get something to eat. Wait, no, the first thing we did was go to plaza San Marcos...right? Hmm... In truth, it is difficult to distinguish in what order we did all of the activities we did. Every time we set out somewhere, EVERY time, we ended up getting lost through the narrow and windy streets of Venice. That was how we were best able to get a good tour of the city, though! We saw the main sites, such as Plaza San Marcos, Bridge of Sighs, and the Realto Bridge at night, all very pretty! I also got my first sneak peak at the artisan masks this night. UGHHHHHHHH pretty...<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7QR2Utv6QbEWVWYk_7LntmqPKwPORjgkHD-7YGtMxfeZEELbEA5R5jh2r_J9JTTQc8vloKfILUq2Yxtp29zWzMAfeNInqCUpmU9L_F0ksB7HTRPE1ctHx66MhkBjVgEuK8ZM91gQV-M/s1600/IMG_1358.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx7QR2Utv6QbEWVWYk_7LntmqPKwPORjgkHD-7YGtMxfeZEELbEA5R5jh2r_J9JTTQc8vloKfILUq2Yxtp29zWzMAfeNInqCUpmU9L_F0ksB7HTRPE1ctHx66MhkBjVgEuK8ZM91gQV-M/s320/IMG_1358.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">...Lara?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day, we essentially did the same haphazard exploration of the city, but the views were quite distinct in the sunlight! I need to pause here for a moment, though. I need to get something off my chest. Lots of the canals and sites of Venice reminded me of my days of playing Tomb Raider 2. Especially this photo. I can just imagine Lara Croft, swimming underwater, holding her breath for an inhumanely long amount of time, all the while bad guys in speed boats search for her on the surface! Ah nostalgia...<br />
<br />
Back to real Venice. We purchased a city museum pass which granted us access to over 20 different museums around the city. The first location where we took advantage of this pass was the National Library (I think...) It was very pretty and we got our first taste of genuine Murano glass. So pretty! Sometimes garish, but always prettyyyyyyy. <br />
<br />
We stopped at a local place to load up on carbs for lunch before continuing on in our explorations. I have to say, the food in Venice was the most enlightening of the three places we traveled. Not to say that it was necessarily the best food, but it was just so darn FULFILLING. So much<i> genuine </i>pizza (not the sauceless kind we got here in Spain...) so much hearty, oozing-with-flavor pasta. I made the solemn vow to not eat a meal in Italy unless it was comprised primarily of carbohydrates. Despite my struggles (LOL not), I'm proud to say I prevailed and achieved my goal.<br />
<br />
That night we experienced Venice "night-life"...although it's about as lively as a retirement home afterhours. Haha okay that's probably a bit harsh, but really, there was only one plaza dedicated to night life, it seemed, and within this plaza I saw the youngest population of people since I'd arrive to Venice. This is something that struck me about Venice: the demographic of the tourists. Yes, I expected it to mostly be couples since Venice is known for its picturesque romantic atmosphere. I guess I didn't realize that along with the "mostly couples" demographic comes the "mostly older people" aspect to it. You aren't gonna see teenage or young twenty-something couples take a spur of the moment trip to Venice! Well, at least I didn't see any. So along with this demographic it makes sense that the young party scene is all but non-existent. I can say with a fair amount of certainty that Venice is the first European city I've been to that is this way!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj9m-_aJYFO9vuC9WD-MZPuxj-wOtPX_zJZqnrqNzpLkyOKd4FV0RyNnEUKQ5hpDKk-Ki4gY_zCDH1exSyfWLdjcXiEYhSpMI4mWikyBu2IyECRNZ5B6iaftmtqF5Op00KSfRVTKBXoQ/s1600/IMG_1494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdj9m-_aJYFO9vuC9WD-MZPuxj-wOtPX_zJZqnrqNzpLkyOKd4FV0RyNnEUKQ5hpDKk-Ki4gY_zCDH1exSyfWLdjcXiEYhSpMI4mWikyBu2IyECRNZ5B6iaftmtqF5Op00KSfRVTKBXoQ/s320/IMG_1494.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murano</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day, we used our museum pass to visit Doge's palace. A Doge was essentially the main leader of the city of Venice, so of course he lived a lavish life and had a sweet place to live. So the palace was awesooooooooome. Room after room of
Murano glass chandeliers, awesome weapons and artifacts, some of the most intricate ceiling art I've ever seen, just lots of
interesting things. After this visit, our main objective for the remainder of the day was to visit the island of Murano, where all the murano glass sculptures are made. We finally got there and got to experience some live glass-blowing! I'd never seen anything like that before, they don't call the glass blowers "masters" for nothing. That is pure art and entertainment all in one. Like Cirque du Soleil. I didn't take a video of the glass-blowing we saw, but here is a video I found on YouTube of a glass-blower making a horse. So nuts! : <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjBdQVKDTnE" target="_blank">Glass-Blower Makes a Horse</a><br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfEapGi-tz7kJHOUtq-YB9H-knfG0IV9TcwcUF32redgjCcGHKCkahB5Uv0IM3oj1cYL8TAlrzgaYrb2d5kcs_rfwR13PpJ7bURq1kO1sXHOidIekPgvc-jyy-5j_FlGZLnq9s85IpEc/s1600/IMG_1485.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjfEapGi-tz7kJHOUtq-YB9H-knfG0IV9TcwcUF32redgjCcGHKCkahB5Uv0IM3oj1cYL8TAlrzgaYrb2d5kcs_rfwR13PpJ7bURq1kO1sXHOidIekPgvc-jyy-5j_FlGZLnq9s85IpEc/s320/IMG_1485.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Intricate Murano Glass Sculpture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had a lazy night at home after Murano. We shared some wine and pasta together, as it was our last night together :( The next day we had some time in the morning to explore around a bit, and get some last minute souvenirs and gelato before catching our flights. Alex, Jill, and Kevin's flight took off about 2 hours before mine from a separate airport, so I had to go through the depressive agony of hugging them all goodbye and then watching my 3 buddies sail away from me at a dock, slowly disappearing into the horizon :( :( :'( <br />
<br />
I had a couple of hours before my own flight left, so I decided to dive back into the maze of Venice to find me a good ol' artisan-crafted mask! This was my first time venturing into the Venice abyss on my own. I am quite fortunate to have come out alive and in one piece...Dear LORD is it confusing.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaRtE4wfUqlO1GxaX6KU8TmKuHf9CSbiLFvMM8vZ4CNmuKZNw09gApNT39oDyBBNHN60QDjtX23v3BZgGKU-9yPyxT9Etwv_w5AvmkR5fov-iKvUZepm9qHF0vMF4V7CdL42DcZ9Q8QM/s1600/IMG_1530.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKaRtE4wfUqlO1GxaX6KU8TmKuHf9CSbiLFvMM8vZ4CNmuKZNw09gApNT39oDyBBNHN60QDjtX23v3BZgGKU-9yPyxT9Etwv_w5AvmkR5fov-iKvUZepm9qHF0vMF4V7CdL42DcZ9Q8QM/s640/IMG_1530.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Mask :D</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The sequence of events surrounding my final acquistion of the perfect mask was quite the stressful tale. After about 40 minutes of only coming across stores with touristy, cheaply made masks, I finally happened upon a shop with a gorgeous display of colorful masks, and I went inside to see every inch of the ceiling and wall covered with beautiful hand-crafted masks. I chatted with the owner as I perused the masks, I asked him if he made the masks, and he explained that he did, in fact, that the store is a family-owned business and everyone in the family has made masks for generations. YES. This is the kind of place I want to give my money. (Mannn I really hope he wasn't lying to me...that would shatter my experience!) The one drawback of this experience: the guy wasn't wearing an apron. Come on, man. True artisans wear aprons. lolollol anyway he recommended some mask shape and colors to me as I was totally lost, and finally, I settled upon this beaut: <br />
<br />
Anyway, as the story usually goes, I got lost on my way to this store and also on my way back to the apartment. The extra 20 minutes I gave myself to get back to the apartment, pick up my suitcase, and head to my boat was not nearly enough time. I sprinted to the apartment, tidied up as much as I could, sprinted back to the docks with my rolling suitcase making an unfortunately large amount of noise, ignoring the Italians who were definitely laughing me...only to arrive at the dock 3 min before my goal time!!...and see my boat to the airport sailing away. I was CERTAIN this was a mistake, this had to be the boat from the hour before, and it was just really delayed. As it turns out I read the times wrong (dangit Europe and your 24 hour time schedule! Although I really have no excuse for not being used to it by now...). I was trying to catch a boat around 7pm (19:00), but the time I had looked at and was trying to make was 17:06 (5:06pm). The boat I saw pull away had left at 18:59. The point of the story: I had to wait another hour for a boat to take me to the airport. Hmm, first excessive waiting for the bus in London, and now this. I totally brought this one upon myself, though. Luckily, I arrived to the airport and was able to get through check-in, security, and to my gate within 15 minutes. I had a fairly enjoyable flight back to Barcelona, where I then had to spend the night on a hard wooden bench before my flight to Santiago at 8am.<br />
<br />
I cannot explain the relief I felt when I finally got back to my bed in Ourense. I had an aweeeeeeesome time traveling with Alex Kevin and Jill, I'm super happy that I got to experience all of these cities with them, and I definitely missed them as soon as they disappeared on that little boat over the horizon. I had probably the best New Years of my life, and an awesome birthday as well. I can't wait to see what the remaining 4 months of my time in Europe holds :)Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-24077099119778019442013-01-20T17:13:00.000-06:002013-01-20T17:13:10.392-06:00¡Visca Barça!Nothing in this world could remove the devotion I feel for Barcelona.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFQczgTh_TcpGEGy9-ABAB945lSstOeURGR2Ygt6sL5kse8gf_SI_AJSVNfdp79VtDJgVIo3HaoJC4FF4ABN91_X64SU80DsuVG6TMUW6ymeauXDdOWiAO3qfLxGBxUGXFoouUPw4wMA/s1600/IMG_1174.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMFQczgTh_TcpGEGy9-ABAB945lSstOeURGR2Ygt6sL5kse8gf_SI_AJSVNfdp79VtDJgVIo3HaoJC4FF4ABN91_X64SU80DsuVG6TMUW6ymeauXDdOWiAO3qfLxGBxUGXFoouUPw4wMA/s640/IMG_1174.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Every time I'm on the Renfe train into the city, the same old man plays harmonious tunes on his accordion. This should become a legal requirement for every entry into a new city. I melt every time. Oh man it's more comforting than the spoonful of Skippy peanut butter I have every day for breakfast.<br />
<br />
Barcelona was really the city that took the most out of us. We were on the constant move, and still not quite fully recovered from the night of my birthday nor the night from Hell in the London airport. But there was no time for recovery! Upon our arrival the afternoon of December 31st our French friends (!!!!!!!!!!!!) were ready to get going on the New Year's Celebrations!<br />
<br />
Let me take a moment to talk about these French friends of ours. These dashing Europeans! These 4 guys hosted Alex, another friend, and me in Paris 2 years ago through CouchSurfing. We immediately hit it off with this eclectic crew. So funny, so kind, so entertaining, so French (well, that won me over anyway haaaaaaa), such good hosts, such an enchanting group to be around! At all times! They were just some of the greatest people we'd ever met, and every moment we've shared with some has been a pure delight. After our initial trip to visit them in Paris, I returned to Paris to get around to other places I had missed. Our French friends were still as wonderful and hospitable as the first time around. And now here we are, 2 years later, meeting up with them in Barcelona to celebrate New Years! Who woulda thought?! I think we have solidified the permanence of our friendships, <i>et ils savent qu'ils sont toujours invites a Chicago</i> :)<br />
<br />
The amount of screaming that occurred when we finally met back up with them was hilarious. Mostly because I think that there was more screaming from the guys' side than ours.What a surreal moment, to be in one of my favorite cities, with my friends from home, and friends from Paris! The first thing we did was grab lunch at some shabby little bar. Undoubtedly the worst meal I've ever had in Spain. But that couldn't bring me down! The beer was good, the company was awesome, and probably the greatest thing about it all was that around our table you could hear the French guys speaking French to each other, us Americans speaking English to each other, me throwing out any and all French phrases that I knew, and me and others speaking Spanish to the waiter. Pure artistry. I would love to live a trilingual life like that someday! <br />
<br />
After lunch us Americans took a much needed nap while the French went off to explore or...actually I have no idea what they went to do. All I know is that as soon as my head hit the pillow I was out for the count, undoubtedly drooling, and catching up on the various hours of sleep I'd missed the days before. <br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkaWL_nEt_g_RiNK81gKYTEYm5UKNDv4lUvOURVlPcHMzMI-Fp0p9X4RiOp9er6OZFvAic3mnmRsJTrad7fJ1ThGdvCm3zaxHrpqEPvnfSGXUHAFVV0gA9SRnIFXk_1_3wY70gM2o_6E/s1600/16714_4831244336433_6306801_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmkaWL_nEt_g_RiNK81gKYTEYm5UKNDv4lUvOURVlPcHMzMI-Fp0p9X4RiOp9er6OZFvAic3mnmRsJTrad7fJ1ThGdvCm3zaxHrpqEPvnfSGXUHAFVV0gA9SRnIFXk_1_3wY70gM2o_6E/s400/16714_4831244336433_6306801_n.jpg" width="400" /></a>When we woke up it was time to make a nice little American-French hybrid family dinner. We wanted to make our French friends a traditional American meal so...we made cheeseburgers. And by we, I mean, Kevin is a huge bossy pants and made it all by himself. But I assembled the salad!!!! Hahaha in turn, our French friends prepared us a french appetizer of sliced baguettes with french cheese, and they also provided our favorite dessert, CREPES! I cannot stress enough the trance I go into when I take a bite of one of these crepes. Our French friends are magicians in the art of crepe-making...<br />
<br />
The rest of the New Year's Eve celebrations only got exceedingly more enjoyable. We eventually made it out to my favorite place in Barcelona, Monjuic, with some <i>cava</i> (Spanish champagne) in hand to ring in the new year. Oh it was goooooooorgeous. From 11:50 until about 12:30 there seemed to be a constant stream of <i>cava</i> getting sprayed somewhere up on the top of Montjuic. The illegal vendors of alcohol who linger up there at the top totally made a killing that night! In that same time frame, there was a constant shout of "BONNE ANN<span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="fr"><span class="hps">ÉE</span></span>!" Oh man it will be one of the best memories I have of these 8 months in Europe, I'm certain. We didn't complete the tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, unfortunately. Well, we actually didn't really attempt it at all. The grapes at the grocery store we went to looked wrinkly and petrified, so we opted against purchasing them. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnSZgIsH43YtWqW0_ANznT-oRtdQbmiHNu9mKz8PvBVZtbAeW2HoerLxonXG3mleH_9PZgQWjRxWGND0Oh8FUbbqLglw-NAK1NRVvd-ZIkcGwsyPyQ_zWFTnOmSWNxn17dvH3r-aWyAY/s1600/IMG_1151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGnSZgIsH43YtWqW0_ANznT-oRtdQbmiHNu9mKz8PvBVZtbAeW2HoerLxonXG3mleH_9PZgQWjRxWGND0Oh8FUbbqLglw-NAK1NRVvd-ZIkcGwsyPyQ_zWFTnOmSWNxn17dvH3r-aWyAY/s400/IMG_1151.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our lovely international group :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
When things started to die down up at Montjuic, we made the mistake of going to a bar to get a round of drinks: 8 euros per glass of wine, 9 euros per pop, 12 euros per beer. HOW DARE THEY. Of course they didn't inform us of the price until after the drinks were poured, and despite my arguing with the waiter we were stuck with these. We made the swift decision to return to the apartment after this to continue celebrations at our apartment. In all honestly, with the awesome company we had all we really needed was shelter and each other in order to have an awesome time! AWWWW<br />
<br />
While we may have failed to follow the Spanish tradition of eating 12 grapes at midnight, we were not about to miss out on the tradition of eating <i>churros con chocolate</i> for breakfast on New Year's Day. It was my first time having<i> churros</i> this time around in Spain, so I quite enjoyed it. What's better than dipping sugar-coated, deep-fried dough into a cup of melted chocolate? Yes, I did continue to drink the cup of chocolate even after the <i>churros </i>were gone. Oh man, diabetes is knocking on my doorstep.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXvJG6SrPWPnox58sS-3dEruJzMZ1Te_a720Zasn6h15TXHV0SFq51_THClzLLUF23yBj5RIJxJVsOtk7QCPiXV-T0dJnZbLnEM_BA8aMasV5adgsinpCVubRPrcqAkTR7TBnvB2ChkU/s1600/IMG_1165.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHXvJG6SrPWPnox58sS-3dEruJzMZ1Te_a720Zasn6h15TXHV0SFq51_THClzLLUF23yBj5RIJxJVsOtk7QCPiXV-T0dJnZbLnEM_BA8aMasV5adgsinpCVubRPrcqAkTR7TBnvB2ChkU/s400/IMG_1165.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kevin and me at Park Guell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After <i>churros</i> we made our way to the vibrantly picturesque Park Guell! It's such a lovely, and lively place. Every time I've been there it has been absolutely loaded with tourists. With good reason, too. The intricate mosaic art you find all over is just sublime. HAY maybe this is where I subconsciously got the inspiration for the wall-hanging mosaic I now have in my room! Well anyway, Park Guell was a blast, and with the lead of Kevin's adventurous little boy nature, we explored some parts of the park I'd never been to. After this park, we took a long stroll with our French friends toward Avenida Diagonal, where the other two Gaudi buildings are located. The stroll itself was utterly enjoyable. There's nothing like getting lost in the city (Shhh I kept telling everyone that I knew where we were going) and then happening upon your desired location. <br />
<br />
For dinner that night we headed to the Gothic Quarter of Barcelona for a tapas experience! It was our last meal with our French friends so we enjoyed lots of food and wine together. Looking on the menu I was pleased with the fact that I was very familiar with pretty much all of the tapas listed, although they were from different parts of Spain. For example, one menu item was "Pulpo a la Gallega", which is the octopus served here in Galicia. This meal was also infused with three different languages, and that combined with a slight wine haze made for a great dinner. We ended our night by stopping by a shady bar with strange regulars who chatted us up. Although the location was quite suspect, with the company we had we could have easily been sharing beers in a dumpster and still have had the time of our lives! <br />
<br />
Our last full day in Barcelona was a busy one. We woke up and had to say goodbye to our French friends :( <i>Nous nous verrons au printemps, mes amies</i>! Luckily we had a full day to occupy ourselves and had no time to sulk over this goodbye. We had a tour of La Sagrada Familia, which was AMAZING. The previous times that I've been in Barcelona I've only seen the outside of La Sagrada Familia, and I'm so happy I finally got the chance to go inside. The inside is just another world. So much light, so much intricate architecture, so much color. Go Gaudi!!!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUHxw4yZe8WrjDrrxvvF0fkh9nVuCcEuHp1agWbEeoUKvXT1ifzgfgOQIh6aMYDJHQKR5anmtrsgBkJIEB7-87pD8aefC2Qgcwm7WngGyKFdkPJeCWxhCE192jEgCsV5kROYLhCdeAGk/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRUHxw4yZe8WrjDrrxvvF0fkh9nVuCcEuHp1agWbEeoUKvXT1ifzgfgOQIh6aMYDJHQKR5anmtrsgBkJIEB7-87pD8aefC2Qgcwm7WngGyKFdkPJeCWxhCE192jEgCsV5kROYLhCdeAGk/s640/IMG_1205.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The columns were meant to look like tree trunks, with leaves up at the top</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEQaEetgFU4DI1d-bFOxnrZNe5DlYv0Ez5uGlz18e_kyAKOz_8Z1AfH9uOaCtiei7ao-vNcpaoUfmmxJzyte1mGNqYVbrHwsVKoDjZOvTa3WYIg223DldKP5_t37SVja1Qj9Ph1pwkiA/s1600/IMG_1248.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEQaEetgFU4DI1d-bFOxnrZNe5DlYv0Ez5uGlz18e_kyAKOz_8Z1AfH9uOaCtiei7ao-vNcpaoUfmmxJzyte1mGNqYVbrHwsVKoDjZOvTa3WYIg223DldKP5_t37SVja1Qj9Ph1pwkiA/s640/IMG_1248.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside La Sagrada Familia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKhRBrJVC6jBKunxjQpnGC4CNkwdVFq_XbCVw3mrHmo1kN2PAiAIYjv4zc75F2Dm0925GVtiZ9cdx-Z0OIwlY_sTkh0UAxk-noBvIah_Tiaxg28uTsecQPyk4D49zQGjbAVaedxWahVmM/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzHUFq192UA6ja2qRsIGqZkHAzRtU2mkMbfGL5nRorBBriEbLK6HJ2UQLt7JUPMTtOVL0CK6OGRzZJcoRsbgr3gRrQ1_AAYi74uGu3oSwRcidq5cWLBJr5cgKHe8F4eGOUbksFbCeTmg/s1600/IMG_1278.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPzHUFq192UA6ja2qRsIGqZkHAzRtU2mkMbfGL5nRorBBriEbLK6HJ2UQLt7JUPMTtOVL0CK6OGRzZJcoRsbgr3gRrQ1_AAYi74uGu3oSwRcidq5cWLBJr5cgKHe8F4eGOUbksFbCeTmg/s400/IMG_1278.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A colorful stall in La Boqueria</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We got a good lunch afterwards, and then made our way to <i>Las Ramblas</i>, the main shopping area in Barcelona. This pedestrian boulevard is a tourist's paradise; it's got any Spanish clothing store you could ever want, along with infinite options for souvenir shops. We slowly made our way down the avenue before arriving to <i>La Boqueria</i>, the large food market! We worked our way through the maze of the stalls, finding awesome smoothies, curious seafood, and so many chocolates and other sweets. The final stop of the day was Barceloneta beach. I had a vague understanding of how to get there, but we ended up walking much farther than I'd originally intended, and I recall regretting my selection of heeled boots for such a long day of traversing the city. Ah well. I was in Barcelona and could not be brought down from the cloud I was constantly in! The beach was cute, and we found a nearby restaurant to serve us some delicious paella. Tired after the limited number of hours of sleep we'd accumulated on the trip, we made our way back to the apartment for some scrubbing down of the partied floors and tables, then we hit the hay. We had an early flight the next morning to our final destination of the trip: Venice!<br />
<br />
P.S. We did not have time to visit Camp Nou, nor to stalk Messi. I trust that he knows in his heart that I love him deeply and will have to come back to see him at a later time.Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-87899412866099123342013-01-14T18:13:00.001-06:002013-01-14T18:28:13.836-06:00Londres...tu no me gustas...<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaPDFQZVMsg00ynxjvQfoQ76iz1yeF1TxmohSLf-a8V4vAa89NgFnyR-NAXochJxMybBjLQK8m9Ut-K1pjiCHkVBE0obPZunWJPwtwPB2b-niyO7AzTG0I5mMp-11pXzDi7ImiS8noGA/s1600/IMG_0946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCaPDFQZVMsg00ynxjvQfoQ76iz1yeF1TxmohSLf-a8V4vAa89NgFnyR-NAXochJxMybBjLQK8m9Ut-K1pjiCHkVBE0obPZunWJPwtwPB2b-niyO7AzTG0I5mMp-11pXzDi7ImiS8noGA/s640/IMG_0946.JPG" width="465" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tower Bridge</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I am going to be honest. I do not like the city of London. I think I am the only person I've ever heard utter those words. I do not like the weather. I don't swoon over British accents. One serving of fish n' chips was enough to last me a lifetime. St. Paul's Cathedral does very little to my spirit. Never in this lifetime will you see me fork over 20 pounds to ride the London Eye. The best part of London very well may be Oxford Street where all the shopping is, but even that consists of maybe 8 different stores that are duplicated once or twice as you go further down the street. Chicago's Magnificent Mile would K.O. Oxford Street in 30 seconds flat.<br />
<br />
So now that I have that out of the way and I have offended some people including my best friend, I can start to talk about how, despite my general dislike for London, I was able to experience the pure joy I felt when I was finally reunited with my <i>gringo</i> friends ALEX JILL AND KEVINITO IN LONDON.<br />
<br />
The train ride from
Ourense to the airport in Santiago could not have taken longer. I slept the entire time at the airport to try to pass the time before my flight. The
flight itself to London Stansted took years, and the
bus from Stansted to downtown London was late in departing and I swear the bus driver took the long route for a more scenic view.
AND FINALLY, ALEX, JILL AND KEVIN COULD NOT HAVE TAKEN LONGER TO ARRIVE TO THE HOSTEL
FROM THEIR GHASTLY HARRY POTTER MUSEUM. But finally the moment arrived
when I was reunited with them, and it was unreal and joyous :) :) :) <br />
<br />
We immediately went to grab a bite to eat despite our having eaten 3+ meals already that day. I finally got to quench the craving for Indian food that I was so longing for. That's one thing I'll give you, London. You've got 5 different Indian restaurants on every block of the city.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzL5ZOceKDKiP6QdwBqfSMtSFYzkdiyRcd2ZXa7hvy2X6giFFARx0UQsnCybRrhh88OqfAPdHZoWdnanopimcxypmCnLHccsGZPcWU4_hEsErc5Qjggzj26VaID4GLgyxRTdMxHmYHJ4/s1600/IMG_0971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwzL5ZOceKDKiP6QdwBqfSMtSFYzkdiyRcd2ZXa7hvy2X6giFFARx0UQsnCybRrhh88OqfAPdHZoWdnanopimcxypmCnLHccsGZPcWU4_hEsErc5Qjggzj26VaID4GLgyxRTdMxHmYHJ4/s320/IMG_0971.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">English Breakfast</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our first adventure together started at the London Bridge the next day. It's a filthy old bridge, but you can't <i>not</i> see it. We walked our way toward Tower Bridge, which in my opinion is the best sight of London. We stopped by a restaurant for some traditional English Breakfast. I will give a nod to London for this, too, because it was delectable and I all but licked that plate clean. Here ends the photos of the food I ate on this 10-day trip, because from here on out I was either a) starving and thus impatient, or b) too mesmerized by the mouth-watering food, thus impatient, and in any case I just did not stop to take a picture of my food before consuming every last bite.<br />
<br />
Next we made our way toward St. Paul's Cathedral, which is... cute. Hahaha I know Alex will hate me because she is in love with this place but I don't know, St. Paul's just does not do it for me! I have seen numerous cathedrals that are far more beautiful during my travels in Europe. (Here we go. Pretentious Euro Chick comin' right atcha). We went inside to try to sneak a peak without having to pay the 20 pound entrance fee, and I appreciated the heat inside more than the design of the ceilings. I don't know what my problem is!! Maybe I'm just not easy to please!!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0D5Ja86Jlmoxzw9I0RHnQEbnx0ixjuIn5rANrA1y6LCq_XtatmR5Us0aE1_tudWYtpMcUODUYBkHATbCutNAZbNrFBg1ZkhKLWOS4uwLegV6TXzTJxFJq5yCcwEvrOkC4nWmNvbW5eEA/s1600/IMG_0981.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0D5Ja86Jlmoxzw9I0RHnQEbnx0ixjuIn5rANrA1y6LCq_XtatmR5Us0aE1_tudWYtpMcUODUYBkHATbCutNAZbNrFBg1ZkhKLWOS4uwLegV6TXzTJxFJq5yCcwEvrOkC4nWmNvbW5eEA/s320/IMG_0981.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Modern Art</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next we stopped at The Tate Modern Art Museum. I'm a bit of a sucker for art museums so this was quite the treat. My favorite piece was constructed from nails in a swirling pattern that gave this illusion of movement and kind of messed with your eyes!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocPbZ_WKfMfwqsoz7q6Uc-xCda4lGu0KLiuAQBvUBEpVR9k1sjEk1q_Qj_6qc6ptnJ5ww9qW57j0IbLjhxPyuIdN16CPsWQYjzdHmAUNpcuevIuUo2aacLmom0dWA8lEyj9ASYJq7LOE/s1600/IMG_0996.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgocPbZ_WKfMfwqsoz7q6Uc-xCda4lGu0KLiuAQBvUBEpVR9k1sjEk1q_Qj_6qc6ptnJ5ww9qW57j0IbLjhxPyuIdN16CPsWQYjzdHmAUNpcuevIuUo2aacLmom0dWA8lEyj9ASYJq7LOE/s320/IMG_0996.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bread Pudding</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Our last stop before heading back to the hostel was Borough Market! I'd actually never made it here in my last trip to London, and I did enjoy it more than I expected to. I mean, how can you not enjoy walking around tasting various cheeses, spreads, jams, and meats? It was like I was back in Jewel-Osco on a Saturday morning heehee. ALSO this is where we each got our dinner, and I found this awesome Thai food whose curry and chicken were insanely delicious and <i>perfectly</i> spicy. It was this awesome shade of green but, again, I went straight to eating this and had no time for photo nonsense. To top it all off I purchased an enormous slice of bread pudding for us to share. This I did happen to take a picture of, but as you can see it's already partially consumed.<br />
<br />
Oh, and did I mention that this day happened to be my birthday? :) <br />
<br />
We made our way back to the hostel, where Alex, Jill and Kevin took naps and I...starting working on my hair. It's my birthday. I do what I want. That includes taking 1.5-2 hours doing my hair. Hahahahaaa we had a fun night out in London, went on a pub crawl and met some interesting people. I really do feel like I'm getting a bit too old for pub crawls, though. 23 years old, sooooo wise now!! It's funny to remember a year ago for my 22nd birthday I was hobbling around on crutches, and I was totally delirious from my ACL surgery medication. That birthday I made it almost an hour at the restaurant before the incessant throbbing in my leg caused me to call it an early night. A year later, here I am celebrating my birthday in EUROPE, wearing heels all night without the slightest hint of knee problems, alongside some of the greatest friends I have. I'd say that was a nice amount of progress over a year's time!<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiys0k82fc17F8UPsFI3aoyAp5_sVOX1cUeqtGZ5Zu45cevVcA5nuuKh6k2lKOgQDVnloUh_A4Okn54hH8zjRpjZxWmJHyZxCOudsCRxCKNjGadkQ_BYfntB-CpRlRmVTPdpR5Utn1bw/s1600/IMG_1003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiys0k82fc17F8UPsFI3aoyAp5_sVOX1cUeqtGZ5Zu45cevVcA5nuuKh6k2lKOgQDVnloUh_A4Okn54hH8zjRpjZxWmJHyZxCOudsCRxCKNjGadkQ_BYfntB-CpRlRmVTPdpR5Utn1bw/s640/IMG_1003.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready for the pub crawl on my birthday</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Well that was our last night sleeping at the hostel in London. The next night, December 30th, we had plans to sleep at the airport since it was about an hour away from the city center, and we had an early flight. No big deal, right? "WRONG" said EasyBus. "SO. WRONG". But I'll get to that.<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUr_Db3Qg6HqLHbzKGXZUrx8syvvqqyLAhPFmPkSzaA3KFMQtnemKzAJgm9sMFhDXqy3zmoH_V_95DGJ7mHkDa2JlYKraq10s2G9vmP8bbH1JHI3qieJM-S7sUar5khi_9fbCgp0hFsc/s1600/IMG_1031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAUr_Db3Qg6HqLHbzKGXZUrx8syvvqqyLAhPFmPkSzaA3KFMQtnemKzAJgm9sMFhDXqy3zmoH_V_95DGJ7mHkDa2JlYKraq10s2G9vmP8bbH1JHI3qieJM-S7sUar5khi_9fbCgp0hFsc/s320/IMG_1031.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Big Ben</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
During the day of the 30th, we did some more site-seeing which included Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, St. James Park, and Buckingham Palace. However all day I was patiently waiting for Oxford St. I needed a therapeutic Primark visit! And I was ready to buy myself something pretty at TopShop as a birthday gift to myself. After grabbing lunch at a pub off of Oxford St. (everyone else got fish n' chips, while I got this exquisite chicken and mushroom pot pie. Now I kind of wish I'd taken a picture of it, but in this instance I was starving and finished the whole plate within 5 minutes, I'm sure), it was finally time for some SHOPPING!!!!!!!!<br />
<br />
...I totally didn't realize it was Sunday, meaning stores only remained open until 6pm, leaving me less than 90 min to do Oxford St. BOOOOOOO. So I essentially only had enough time to hit up Primark, where all I ended up wanting was a pair of false eyelashes that cost only 1 pound. Not really worth waiting in the 20min long line to pay for the items. So I stole 'em! Just kidding. I left Oxford St. empty handed :( But I did get some pretty pictures of the lights!<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf57TEfIYgvD17iM0U4rtZRWMAEK5ywWThe95nmaJd3K4pb27WWGai4ltyiFODqzWJFd7pxkY6_0_gyKqmVqrOLTBl0MwkWkNdLATeeV-b04hnPjzXQ2XPCNZpo6g66bnYZO3Stklv7wI/s1600/IMG_1063.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf57TEfIYgvD17iM0U4rtZRWMAEK5ywWThe95nmaJd3K4pb27WWGai4ltyiFODqzWJFd7pxkY6_0_gyKqmVqrOLTBl0MwkWkNdLATeeV-b04hnPjzXQ2XPCNZpo6g66bnYZO3Stklv7wI/s640/IMG_1063.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the liiiiiiiights on Oxford St.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Now it was time to go pick our stuff up from the hostel, eat a light dinner, then head to the airport. No rush, our EasyBus coach wasn't scheduled to leave until 23:30, and it was only around 20:00. I had yet another pot pie for dinner, and did not take a picture of this either. We slowly made our way to the tube to get to the bus stop. We must have been moving significantly more slowly than we'd realized, because after finding out we had to take a detour on the tube, a mini panic quietly settled into our group and we realized we might be late for the bus. When we finally got to the right tube stop we hit the ground running with rolling suitcases in hand because the 23:30 bus departure time was only minutes away. We were totally late, but there were some people waiting ahead of us who assured us that the bus hadn't arrived yet. Okay, cool. When I'd first arrived in London, the EasyBus coach at the airport was also about 20 min late. No big deal, our flight wasn't until the morning, anyway.<br />
<br />
So then it was 0:30 (12:30am). There was another EasyBus scheduled to pick up at this time, so we should just be able to hop on that bus!...1:00. Nothing. Mind you, this entire time we were waiting outside in the London windy cold, definitely in 30 degree temperatures. I kept pulling more items of clothing from my suitcase to shield myself from the weather. I put my hands in my pockets and dug my face into my two scarves to try to fall asleep to pass the time. Thank God it hadn't been raining, EasyBus woulda had some frozen corpses to deal with! Not to mention some lawsuits.<br />
<br />
We saw some EasyBus coaches going the other direction so we asked a few of the drivers what the deal was. They kept assuring us that more buses would come later. We must have seen 10+ buses going the other direction, and we stopped to talk to 3 or 4. None of them were going to Gatwick airport so they couldn't take us. One coach driver told us the next bus would come at 2:00. Ugh, that's another hour!! I asked the nearby hotel if we could wait in the lobby. "Nope, you can wait outside in that corner. It'll protect you from the wind!" THANK YOU, KIND CITIZEN OF LONDON. We asked the next bus driver where the heck the 2:00 driver was. He said "What are you talking about? The next bus isn't until 3:00". ARE YOU TOYING WITH ME RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE BEEN WAITING IN THE FRIGID COLD IN YOUR DANG CITY FOR 2.5 HOURS AND YOU ARE TELLING ME TO WAIT ANOTHER HOUR?<br />
<br />
We opted to take a taxi to the airport. And vowed to never take EasyBus again. I do still have words I'd like to have with them.<br />
<br />
Finally we got to the airport and I was able to have a wonderful night of sleep. Just kidding. I got woken up 5 or so times by different people telling me to move and such. Each time I had already passed out into a deep sleep, so you can imagine the pleasantry that awaited each person that woke me. It wasn't until we were on the plane to Barcelona that I felt any sort of relief. Ahhhhh I'm going back home to Spain <3<br />
<br />
<br />Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-38439852205011047612013-01-08T09:45:00.000-06:002013-01-08T09:47:35.239-06:00Felices Fiestas!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowMarkup/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMYOKUSYyZyen3w85BjG6n5SMlSStKCvOkPcyJBFil_HbXKODQUpiFtTUu880x2J37hnjE4i4Fp5Ea1doY9LJ9-ih0OlH4lQaRU5-IXOfMy0yIo8ojbNeQk-c_rSFiS621J3R3uzs7PA/s1600/IMG_0884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXMYOKUSYyZyen3w85BjG6n5SMlSStKCvOkPcyJBFil_HbXKODQUpiFtTUu880x2J37hnjE4i4Fp5Ea1doY9LJ9-ih0OlH4lQaRU5-IXOfMy0yIo8ojbNeQk-c_rSFiS621J3R3uzs7PA/s640/IMG_0884.JPG" width="343" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Christmas Tree in Praza Maior</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">26/12</span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Ah, the day after Christmas. Usually on this day I sleep
until 2pm, wake up and eat Christmas leftovers (tamales!!) then go back to bed
and watch movies or TV for the rest of the day. Today I woke up at the crack of
dawn…er…10am and gave English lessons to a 6 and 3 year-old, packed, cleaned
and did laundry until another English lesson at 5pm…packed and finally got in
bed for a nap. I’ve had quite the atypical holiday season here in Ourense,
but I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t enjoyable!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjld4c3uz15vq7QSczrntGnSOw-4KNuf6mF9wlKSStu0TvGbSorJQb24zTo2jpHnTAccgr21NwYC06_uk70zImYL8kNXnfbDAJg3TRih2fDpXi7sDlvGabdbREMj8C366bXe-n-JKK1iD0/s1600/IMG_0829.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjld4c3uz15vq7QSczrntGnSOw-4KNuf6mF9wlKSStu0TvGbSorJQb24zTo2jpHnTAccgr21NwYC06_uk70zImYL8kNXnfbDAJg3TRih2fDpXi7sDlvGabdbREMj8C366bXe-n-JKK1iD0/s400/IMG_0829.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Professors' Christmas Dinner</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">If there's any theme I could enlighten you all with in regards to Spain and the Holidays, it is that they love any excuse to get together for a meal, socializing,
and some wine. This has become particularly apparent throughout the month of
December. About 2 weeks after Thanksgiving, the professors at my school threw another party, this one at a fancy restaurant to celebrate Christmas.
We all got dressed up and met around 10pm for dinner, which was everything I
would expect from a nice restaurant: overpriced, measly portions, but the
crumbs they do serve you are reaaaaaal delicious and full of flavor! Before the
main course I got the chance to try <i>mejillones</i> (mussels),<i> langostinos</i> (king
prawn), and various other seafood I can't recall at the moment. I loved it all. This is coming from the girl who strongly disliked seafood before stepping foot on Galician soil. This restaurant we went to is known for serving ox so I went ahead and
tried that as well. They brought out neat little circular stone-top stoves to the table
and each person cooked their own sliver of meat. Man it was good!! It was
essentially the same texture as steak but with a bit of a different taste, it’s
hard to describe, maybe a bit more savory and richer in taste. <i>Buey</i>, as they call it here, is quite
expensive and so the meal was 25 euros. Ouch, budget, ouch. Afterwards most of
the professors went out for a few drinks in the <i>zona de vinos</i>…overall a very
fun night and, just like the <i>cocido </i>party, it was a delight to
see all the professors in a relaxed atmosphere and letting their hair loose <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">:)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGgX_-uZmvLPYgeN44x3yF11VoWjHsaL60UdvJ8W7mxNNKEsoOahkjncUgY8rsmWCvlQa8btnpRieEhg3FoMS2H_RvUee6x-zWHT-SsQ61RxzjGSrVMmMOk7w7LmBRT1htWI69h4xx9M/s1600/IMG_0871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXGgX_-uZmvLPYgeN44x3yF11VoWjHsaL60UdvJ8W7mxNNKEsoOahkjncUgY8rsmWCvlQa8btnpRieEhg3FoMS2H_RvUee6x-zWHT-SsQ61RxzjGSrVMmMOk7w7LmBRT1htWI69h4xx9M/s400/IMG_0871.JPG" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">My friend and me with some students</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">Once classes let out the Thursday before Christmas, I had a solid week of nothingness to try to fill up before my trip to London/Barcelona/Venice! I had no trouble finding something to do Thursday--this was the night of the students' dinner, but they were not the only class to host a dinner. Every <i>ciclo</i> from A Farixa as well as classes from the university and other schools around Ourense all seemed to be hosting their own dinner Thursday night, so the bars of Ourense were PACKED. My position at A Farixa has allowed me to get the best of both worlds, with both the professors and students being equally inviting, so Thursday night I found myself attending the Christmas dinner with the tourism students. It was not
quite as fancy as the professors' dinner, and fortunately not as expensive either! But I still got to try lots of seafood as well as delicious favorites such as <i>croquetas, patatas, </i>and<i> asado</i>. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">Saturday I finally made my first trip to las termas de Outariz--the thermal baths that Ourense is known for! Man were they MAJESTICCCCC. You essentially just go from relaxing bath to relaxing bath, with the water temperatures ranging from lukewarm to piping hot. Heavenly, relaxing, meditative, all good things. I will be going back. My house mate Anna left later on Saturday for her Christmas vacation so I was left all on my lonesooooooome. Luckily an Ourense friend saved me from my solitary state and we went out for some drinks with his friends. Our night ended with 5am kebaps, so clearly <i>tuvimos exito </i>that night.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">I kept surprisingly busy from Sunday-Thursday. I still gave 5 hours of private English lessons during this time, which in hindsight was hugely advantageous given the amount of spending I did during the London/Barcelona/Venice trip... During these days I also went to see El Hobbit (Allow me to translate: The Hobbit) with a friend, which was shown with Spanish dubbing, and I was proud of my ability to follow the whole movie! I had Christmas Eve dinner as well as Christmas lunch with my student and her family at her grandma's nursing home. While it wasn't the typical environment for Christmas, it made me notice how beautiful it is for families to come spend time with their loved ones in nursing homes. A place which is usually sad and forlorn was actually quite lively and festive with all the extra people, Spanish caroling, and gift exchanges. As cheesy as it sounds, this experience made me think of a quote from my favorite Christmas movie, Love Actually: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"> </span></span>General opinion's starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred
and greed, but I don't see that. It seems to me that love is
everywhere. Often, it's not particularly dignified or newsworthy, but
it's always there - fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands
and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends... If you look for it, I've got a sneaking suspicion... love, actually,
is all around.
</i></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">The cherry on top was being able to Skype with my family as they opened Christmas gifts back in St. Charles, and to see one of my nephews Damian run around recklessly, babbling words with greater frequency every time I see him :)</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">Later on in the evening I met up with some fellow American Auxiliares in Ourense for some cooking and baking and homemade eggnogging!! The day before my big New Years Trip, the English teacher from A Farixa took me to a nearby village for some GENUINELY DELICIOUS MEXICAN EATS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MAN CILANTRO GUACAMOLE ENCHILADAS TACOS GALOREEEEEEE. If that weren't enough, she also treated me to some world-renowned (my humble opinion) <i>ca</i></span></span><span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><i><span class="st"><i>ñ</i></span>as</i>, cream-filled pastries quite similar to cannoli. The amount of eating I did this afternoon should have served as a precursor to the amount of eating that awaited me in London, Barcelona and Venice. I think I need to go run 50 kilometers before I get to sharing those stories, though.</span></span></span></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-39011841993606269172012-12-14T11:46:00.000-06:002012-12-14T11:46:35.325-06:00December Apartment Makeover<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">HAPPY DECEMBER!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnSDvdGVvVvH5FnRtx2SwFTXNGGH-Og75enAyDb2QONnGgfFtUNWYPW7aAcrgOWoFcGX_pR_EnpiUzC2mPujYopCwO45LwDDoJ6VIYYs2zDa_sPCOQRJqeQY64VO_ezBZNoaj7TOOEwc/s1600/IMG_0691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnSDvdGVvVvH5FnRtx2SwFTXNGGH-Og75enAyDb2QONnGgfFtUNWYPW7aAcrgOWoFcGX_pR_EnpiUzC2mPujYopCwO45LwDDoJ6VIYYs2zDa_sPCOQRJqeQY64VO_ezBZNoaj7TOOEwc/s640/IMG_0691.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Well, I guess we're already halfway through the month, but this blog has taken a lot of work to complete!<br />
<br />
The weekend after Thanksgiving, Anna and I got right to Christmas decorating. Now, I love a good Christmas cookie baking session, some light decorating, and Christmas music once in awhile during this time of the year. [Sidenote: I can NOT stand Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas". Christmas DJs do not comprehend the term "moderation" when it comes to this song. I'm proud to say that so far this Christmas season I've managed to only hear this song once. May it stand as so!] As I was saying, I can get into the Christmas mood, to a certain extent. However, my spirit is pitiful in comparison to Anna's!!! She started playing her Christmas playlist as soon as we got home from Thanksgiving dinner, she's been going around the house singing Christmas carols, and she's hung Christmas ornaments and snowflakes all around her room. Hahaha so she has been a positive influence on my own Christmas spirit, and it's been quite fun to get back into the festive mood at a level I unfortunately haven't experienced since grade school :)<br />
<br />
So, with that Christmas spirit in tow, we plowed through a local discount store to gather items suitable for our apartment decorating. The bulb ornaments pictured at the top of this blog made up a majority of our purchase, but my personal favorite selection of the day was undoubtedly these creepy Santa Claus ornaments. Clearly, at this point in the entry I have no choice but to display an irrationally large picture of this ornament.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzOPpEFMjFJ5gaOVkyg-67pO-GHgD_8aF9Mcqq2FlziyHYICmXvC-wyvl9mT6l6eInAVZpr1wizX_pCfamPUGF4VbS_rECUtcHRBw5bYHgEm3Oemb-CKqDAnibMPB8Kvmnue8vzMbjmk/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRzOPpEFMjFJ5gaOVkyg-67pO-GHgD_8aF9Mcqq2FlziyHYICmXvC-wyvl9mT6l6eInAVZpr1wizX_pCfamPUGF4VbS_rECUtcHRBw5bYHgEm3Oemb-CKqDAnibMPB8Kvmnue8vzMbjmk/s640/IMG_0686.JPG" width="480" /> </a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
These little guys made quite the fine addition to our tree, and I don't think the final product would be nearly as gorgeous without them! </div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkVIpL-59ti6u2H9d1Ye38QcByuBcsGcG6JM1AX2vJcah6UC6p67gzhyV8ieFfpEwkssIjb4ELGBYsLwSlYhDT8FxvEhGIdng58UZap_7wEsEarHKCgcIzZHxTrOV_TTmTCeJGj9RDZQ/s1600/IMG_0722.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWkVIpL-59ti6u2H9d1Ye38QcByuBcsGcG6JM1AX2vJcah6UC6p67gzhyV8ieFfpEwkssIjb4ELGBYsLwSlYhDT8FxvEhGIdng58UZap_7wEsEarHKCgcIzZHxTrOV_TTmTCeJGj9RDZQ/s640/IMG_0722.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Along with our Christmas Tree, Anna and I have been tirelessly creating hand-made snowflakes to further liven the mood of our apartment! But really. We've spent several hours total making dozens of them, and hanging them all over the apartment. This really may be what finally caused our 3rd room mate to leave the apartment. (hhahahahah just kidding, she left because our landlords are <i>muy pesados</i> and I'm finally starting to empathize with her but I will get to all of that later...) So in a sense our apartment underwent a bit of a makeover, and now that it's properly decorated I thought I would share some before and after photos!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">BEFORE AFTER</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyW4ENIwtZgybna9STsK-dFWI-q7z6ysRzqZDUL72S4G7mImpG3b8aUxLQ0-51jSz-6JJCtorZE53JpQvcjEMfSIer0aInsfBsUoHxsf7sOYHySmmq8bAECrsC3Iyy_1Kt26RQ511e-4/s1600/2entry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtyW4ENIwtZgybna9STsK-dFWI-q7z6ysRzqZDUL72S4G7mImpG3b8aUxLQ0-51jSz-6JJCtorZE53JpQvcjEMfSIer0aInsfBsUoHxsf7sOYHySmmq8bAECrsC3Iyy_1Kt26RQ511e-4/s640/2entry.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entryway</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvcKI0pbqX2IOIH6CpVULFRqMqFAbaonSj4SCwi1HjDfb0O-8o3I1Rj7_EFfsJnNd7_cQhdqSETyN79zLV0KSgFnFF4og0U4s0-mr-jsAoSAz-l5RvQ6To3QaDz0pCwvG7SXDgXdT2_c/s1600/3sala.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="237" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFvcKI0pbqX2IOIH6CpVULFRqMqFAbaonSj4SCwi1HjDfb0O-8o3I1Rj7_EFfsJnNd7_cQhdqSETyN79zLV0KSgFnFF4og0U4s0-mr-jsAoSAz-l5RvQ6To3QaDz0pCwvG7SXDgXdT2_c/s640/3sala.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Living Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhnGc5QwRSlZtDLspJajjlkrawE6gEZyeox3TGLTjq7tnRSyL6fHzuYI5DTN83ZFT5VNnYLgcwLnS9COEgErbpZdWbtA4zAGn2nG3EvThtsqmURyZCeqPWekTVvtExUeNQQE2cgnZrqg/s1600/5sala2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijhnGc5QwRSlZtDLspJajjlkrawE6gEZyeox3TGLTjq7tnRSyL6fHzuYI5DTN83ZFT5VNnYLgcwLnS9COEgErbpZdWbtA4zAGn2nG3EvThtsqmURyZCeqPWekTVvtExUeNQQE2cgnZrqg/s640/5sala2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second view of the Living Room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1KsDR_-rQZqQLyPoV_mPnSE788yEZgTecg69KXp3pwS1F0hdEpISCutIoBYwo_TZeLwebJLQ3BhF-zCec0a8CYh5PZWb7ZcYIJJhSyf25lLJamHERu6uiy_iDdKZ8MqDftf1BiS4thA/s1600/1kitchen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1KsDR_-rQZqQLyPoV_mPnSE788yEZgTecg69KXp3pwS1F0hdEpISCutIoBYwo_TZeLwebJLQ3BhF-zCec0a8CYh5PZWb7ZcYIJJhSyf25lLJamHERu6uiy_iDdKZ8MqDftf1BiS4thA/s640/1kitchen.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Kitchen...as you will notice, there is no difference. Even with boatloads of Christmas spirit, there is nothing that can better the old-fashioned, tasteless kitchen,</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgjRxrd-edLMEGk10I4qPN3nG53ZyiPVKIy2N528ymG2LNbQrzK1DWe6GPv4ePwJ5_xb_k8SREjRBU6wuwfGBj7j58ayDRK4SESgey0T4Rr3_IvCgzwHScwPoEekxKon2pMjmpY8WGg0/s1600/4bdrm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVgjRxrd-edLMEGk10I4qPN3nG53ZyiPVKIy2N528ymG2LNbQrzK1DWe6GPv4ePwJ5_xb_k8SREjRBU6wuwfGBj7j58ayDRK4SESgey0T4Rr3_IvCgzwHScwPoEekxKon2pMjmpY8WGg0/s640/4bdrm.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My bedroom! I am super pleased with the result</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Now, everyone who has seen what I've done to my room has complimented me on a job well done. Everyone, that is, except for the landlords. Rather than remarking about the the great space I've created, they have disapproved of my moving the furniture around, scolded me for hanging something on the wall that could take the paint off, and complained about fingerprints on my wall and the curtains getting wrinkled and dirty when I took them off (both of which only occurred because I had to have a friend come fix my blinds when the landlords took 3-4 weeks to respond to my problem). COULDN'T THEY HAVE JUST SAID "HEY CYNTHIA. THAT 'C' YOU MADE IS REAL NEAT. HAVE A NICE DAY."?? Man. If nothing else, this has taught me that I'm capable of arguing in Spanish, so that counts for something! Language improvement!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So I now only have one week left of work in 2012, and work has really been slowing down because all of my students have exams. What I'm most looking forward to at this point is an itty-bitty reunion with Alex, Jill, and Kevin 2 weeks from today in London where we'll celebrate my birthday, then we'll jet off to Barcelona for New Years celebrations with some wonderful french friends, and finally we'll explore Venice together!! I'm thinking this experience in and of itself will make up for my 5-week bedridden state last winter from ACL surgery, huh? :) :) :) :) :)</div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-72085084343432975392012-12-06T15:42:00.001-06:002012-12-07T07:30:36.492-06:00How to Make a Pumpkin Pie Without Having Any of the Ingredients Readily Available<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Crust:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Put a cup of water, flour, and pie pans in freezer
beforehand. (The recipe stressed keeping everything cold for optimal results).</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZWqG29Ag5Iil13t9PpWM_CQe3tv_i_j_HU6lgY1qHy2mY5L9rXblv3TAgR_-svxHorbKOnt0GtNGcCrECDw_qZh5i4CRrAmCv8YJp36LAWj6GoAk5lMJZhzt-mym_8CFO2vfIxkH3Do/s1600/IMG_0642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuZWqG29Ag5Iil13t9PpWM_CQe3tv_i_j_HU6lgY1qHy2mY5L9rXblv3TAgR_-svxHorbKOnt0GtNGcCrECDw_qZh5i4CRrAmCv8YJp36LAWj6GoAk5lMJZhzt-mym_8CFO2vfIxkH3Do/s200/IMG_0642.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Mix flour and sugar together. (We also ended up
adding salt, and putting less sugar. I prefer savory crusts to contrast with
the sweet pumpkin filling!) How did we measure the flour and sugar? Pure guesstimate. At first I was trying to be exact about it, trying to measure out the correct amount of tablespoons for 3 cups of flour...but after awhile I looked at my heaping pile of powder and thought "This is undoubtedly more than 3 cups already. I'll stop." </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzAVEeG-MKU48eQ9NuWjjvMmAM3L6jpu2FZYMRlvKcyUGMtlDV-9q8RAAPAA8v-ZtPSiyy6cNs1PtGE9VweOmdT8EfFpTIIcK3_C8DJgcWnQ-mTtDyWzg0Ux9jxYoc88RsBo-Dh_Lotc/s1600/IMG_0651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZzAVEeG-MKU48eQ9NuWjjvMmAM3L6jpu2FZYMRlvKcyUGMtlDV-9q8RAAPAA8v-ZtPSiyy6cNs1PtGE9VweOmdT8EfFpTIIcK3_C8DJgcWnQ-mTtDyWzg0Ux9jxYoc88RsBo-Dh_Lotc/s200/IMG_0651.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Cut butter into flour mixture. This was
difficult, as all I had to work with was a knife and fork. Measuring the butter also proved to be difficult. With the first crust, I tried to guess what a stick of American butter would look like, and just tossed that amount into the mixture. By the last pie we made, I looked up the equivalent online, only to find out that I had been using about 3/5 of the correct amount. Oops. </div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjads1pDgXaj2ZjyU4O-bs6LgLiJ-7bkWexlBC46R8VWs4lyvqo5HiTQtpG7rBY-aPPrWJVa1SXh4Trvw3lcWAo5v-ShDYI63E3dGYMKLyIR5nSxIWQ-CSpjLlaluw5tyNMs_b4m25CM/s1600/IMG_0659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWjads1pDgXaj2ZjyU4O-bs6LgLiJ-7bkWexlBC46R8VWs4lyvqo5HiTQtpG7rBY-aPPrWJVa1SXh4Trvw3lcWAo5v-ShDYI63E3dGYMKLyIR5nSxIWQ-CSpjLlaluw5tyNMs_b4m25CM/s200/IMG_0659.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Slowly add ice water to mixture until just
before it forms a ball. Of all the appliances we have, apparently the freezer is the most potent. After only 20-30 min in the freezer, a 2-3 cup amount of water was frozen solid.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Knead dough, put in fridge for half an hour.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Roll out into circle form. We also do not
have a rolling pin. We improvised with a can of beans, and you know what, I think the extra design on the crust is quite festive.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">7.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Put into pie pan and crimp edges.As lovely as it looks now, the edges kept caving inward during the baking process, lost into the pie filling abyss.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">8.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Freeze overnight.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Pie filling:</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uAVy1YhQIdWSaUJzVLHnNBIdJR8EwQz205U_6x-b73cYFbcpnBhQ16W1YGP3BOO-EMs9ptJWjSlyQDWzNAvSgvhGBymh56NG9TCS3UB2wUV31Yho-UAZLWNN26-U8Uwt41bVDU6qsMs/s1600/IMG_0784.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1uAVy1YhQIdWSaUJzVLHnNBIdJR8EwQz205U_6x-b73cYFbcpnBhQ16W1YGP3BOO-EMs9ptJWjSlyQDWzNAvSgvhGBymh56NG9TCS3UB2wUV31Yho-UAZLWNN26-U8Uwt41bVDU6qsMs/s200/IMG_0784.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Cut pumpkin/squash in half, and roast for 30-40
minutes, until soft.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Once softened, scrape out insides and mash up. Prepare to be disappointed with your inability to make it look as smooth as Libby's Pumpkin Puree. Also, prepare to see puree not unlike the peach from the movie James and the Giant Peach.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVMqLnzPe5kB2a1k6tEAeAjA5avryy7XFAcleh4hP_zFp2GNxyICxnPidXE9dZkggvqf5VxhB6KXBWzazItFCDgpdhlNkfgOI4Rnmad0RUvzznUhgG1NPDQUnVMrZjlJEzIw0U0Z-ls4/s1600/IMG_0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVMqLnzPe5kB2a1k6tEAeAjA5avryy7XFAcleh4hP_zFp2GNxyICxnPidXE9dZkggvqf5VxhB6KXBWzazItFCDgpdhlNkfgOI4Rnmad0RUvzznUhgG1NPDQUnVMrZjlJEzIw0U0Z-ls4/s200/IMG_0790.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Mix puree with sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and
cloves. Sugar? Easy. Cinnamon? Easy. Ginger? Had to scrounge around 4-5 stores
before finding it…and not even ground ginger that we needed, but fresh ginger.
So we ended up having to chop it up as finely as possible…which was difficult
seeing as the biggest knife we owned was a steak knife. Also, we found whole
cloves easy enough, but then had to try to grind them up using the back of a
spoon or other hard objects. This pie was becoming quite labor intensive!</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigu4URz4SzACnZHaMXGGvH9sGdDmSP0OfoQxpiNWaNCidXf5YCzvErtaQiDs3FL-3fPGFRmcYaKrQCR3Kt3rwfBflZRDQkq9mhCHjMfhOgUeZzov8u3fGWGZsWG8_VOEyG2-i6QLav_C4/s1600/IMG_0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigu4URz4SzACnZHaMXGGvH9sGdDmSP0OfoQxpiNWaNCidXf5YCzvErtaQiDs3FL-3fPGFRmcYaKrQCR3Kt3rwfBflZRDQkq9mhCHjMfhOgUeZzov8u3fGWGZsWG8_VOEyG2-i6QLav_C4/s200/IMG_0791.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">4.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Mix evaporated milk into dry ingredients. Mix
mix mix mix mix because we don’t own a blender or food processor. Again, prepare for another wave of disappointment as your mix does not come out perfectly smooth.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">5.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Pour into pie crust.</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin-left: .75in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">6.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span>Bake at an arbitrary temperature since your oven is temperamental and hope for
the best. Check on it every 3 minutes to make sure the crust hasn't lost the battle to the filling. Turn it
every 2 minutes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<br />
Why did we go through this process? Why did we sacrifice our blood, sweat, tears, and hours to this? FOR THE LOVE OF PUMPKIN PIE. And let me tell you, it was all worth it.<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
We made perhaps 6 or 7 pies over the course of 2 weeks, all of course leading up to having the perfect pie prepared for our Thanksgiving meal. After all that practice, we are kind of professionals. Despite the fact that the pie doesn't look exactly like the ones we made back in the U.S., the resulting pie still has a satisfyingly rich taste! But UGH I will never again take Libby’s Pumpkin for granted. <br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dX52zcqucFBD2wK09ayeKeq3P0V2i-TFK_9hI8lm6wgtA-pCJ7yl7pMmBDTn2qe5H78evZgPk4zaRygWvCYIMN7XwxIdcxr9BQZ6ZfD3X1pgu_V1ztpM5wtreEl3XlB4gw8Em3NVbLA/s1600/IMG_0670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8dX52zcqucFBD2wK09ayeKeq3P0V2i-TFK_9hI8lm6wgtA-pCJ7yl7pMmBDTn2qe5H78evZgPk4zaRygWvCYIMN7XwxIdcxr9BQZ6ZfD3X1pgu_V1ztpM5wtreEl3XlB4gw8Em3NVbLA/s320/IMG_0670.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our large lunch table at A Farixa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So as I said before, we brought one of our pies to the American Thanksgiving dinner. But I also brought 2 to a party the professors at A Farixa threw. They’d been planning this party for over a month, with the star of the party being <i>cocido</i>, a food very typical of Galicia. The way they
described it to me, it sounded like a hearty soup with lots of vegetables and
many parts of a pig. ALL parts of a pig. In reality, the focal point of the <i>cocido</i> is the pig itself, which is just flavored by the accompanying vegetables and broth. Apart from <i>cocido</i>, they told me there
would also be a dessert called <i>bica</i>, also typical of Galicia. They warned me
that it was extremely sweet... Clearly, my co-workers do not yet know my dessert eating habits on an intimate level. I felt no fear in trying this new dessert!<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
So the party was to be held the Thursday of Thanksgiving,
right after the classes let out at 14:30. I had no classes that particular day,
so I came in to watch and help out in the kitchen. I thought for sure they
wouldn’t entrust the American with any work, but I found myself opening
chestnuts for maybe an hour straight. Before you roast chestnuts, it’s<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>necessary to make a little opening in each
one otherwise they will explode from the heat. So me and another professor,
armed with peeling knifes, went to work on 4 boxes filled with chestnuts. Afterwards, I took a little tour of the kitchen to see all the different
meats being cooked up. And then, I happened upon this tray of meat…</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpZ8wrsBohgjwqpJI6Mpaa3xejq1x66Q663Zp9ltoK6rgl8YI6GCuBmIcuj6B_7cAg9vtiklKMhyUBXmYmmlqA_l_N0AdZH389AQINfE-tZYWCvS4a6e2FjhmCuZPIflCX82VofCBPT0/s1600/IMG_0669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFpZ8wrsBohgjwqpJI6Mpaa3xejq1x66Q663Zp9ltoK6rgl8YI6GCuBmIcuj6B_7cAg9vtiklKMhyUBXmYmmlqA_l_N0AdZH389AQINfE-tZYWCvS4a6e2FjhmCuZPIflCX82VofCBPT0/s320/IMG_0669.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sliced Pig Ears</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
…PIG EARS. WE MEET AGAIN. Just when I thought I couldn’t possibly detest the sight of them more, I witnessed the cook flop large ears onto a cutting board, one by one, and slice them thinly before tossing them onto the tray where they wriggled a bit before settling into position. When we finally all sat down to eat, I couldn’t help but notice how
quickly the professors pounced on the ears. Meanwhile I stuck to legs and other more common parts of the pig. The food was AWESOME. Along with the meat and chorizo, there
was a cabbage/potato slaw, garbanzo beans, and of course scrumptious bread. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then came the <span class="st"><i>licor café</i></span> and <i>bica</i>! The <i>bica</i> was great,
although I noted a strong resemblance it had to standard
pound cake. Very dense, sweet, and delicious. Certainly a very sweet dessert for a traditional Spanish diet, but nothing that shocked my taste buds. This cake was paired with <span class="st"> <i>licor café</i></span>, which is supposedly a
digestive liqueur consisting primarily of coffee and <i>aguardiente</i>. It’s very
common in Galicia, and I had tasted it before, but this kind was particularly
strong. One professor had me try dipping the <i>bica</i> into the <span class="st"> <i>licor café</i></span>, which
reminded me quite a bit of tiramisu with the sweet cake/liqueur combo. Along with these desserts, we broke out the 2 pumpkin pies I had made. While a couple of the professors were
hesitant to try it, most of them loved it, and some even asked me for
the recipe. I also got 2 rounds of applause for making and bringing it haha,
but I’m sure some of the gratitude was amplified by the countless
bottles of wine and chupitos of liquor café consumed. After some digesting, one professor broke out DJ equipment,
and a dance party complemented by gin and tonics ensued. It was a very fun
night and very entertaining to see the people I work with in a more relaxed and fun atmosphere!</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ug6nDxpipVQx7T8ZzeTZ_6vS90qdE7uVzRAfdBQgZE23lmjfx112x_cvQMGZVu2ygIPZ-BI0aWn3C3sPZ5p052MNxqROjAs1cwhcrDEDNsOBjFB1l5FGKhaF5a8P65u1S0XQ6gFsIWU/s1600/IMG_0677.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Ug6nDxpipVQx7T8ZzeTZ_6vS90qdE7uVzRAfdBQgZE23lmjfx112x_cvQMGZVu2ygIPZ-BI0aWn3C3sPZ5p052MNxqROjAs1cwhcrDEDNsOBjFB1l5FGKhaF5a8P65u1S0XQ6gFsIWU/s320/IMG_0677.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
The very next day we had our big American Thanksgiving dinner at an apartment where 4 other <i>Auxiliares</i> live. There was so much food there…it really was a proper Thanksgiving. There was a delicious homemade hummus and deviled eggs as an
appetizer, and then the main course included mashed potatoes, corn,
green been casserole, macaroni and cheese, two different kinds of
stuffing, cranberry sauce, and of course TURKEY. I was astonished at how successful everyone had been in making traditional American dishes using Spanish food. Of course some people had to make special trips to bigger grocery stores, or happened to have traveled to a bigger city in Spain where international products are readily available, but regardless, the results were fantastic. Oh man I’ve never
consumed Thanksgiving food so quickly. While we digested a bit, everyone went around and shared what they were thankful for, which was unbelievably cute. I shared that I was thankful for the kindness of everyone I'd met in Ourense thus far, in particular the people at A Farixa who could not be more welcoming, and then I was also thankful for pie. For dessert we had pumpkin, apple, and chocolate pie, and so of course I sampled them all. I do believe I did Thanksgiving right, if I may say so myself, in the sense that I ate until I felt sickly, and soon after went to sleep. It was a good holiday :)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTNY07BqvMDBfTAIxEdqJwwcgmRDspo5dMtMQfeEqkkQJuzxBKJRMc8nM4vPHCiYpLFk7P_xsFPqOrHUj6-ku0pu602vVXoodQuQhOrTHCmjAHbYPbRVunydkqNByKv_m94sL2a4uMOU/s1600/IMG_0682.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwTNY07BqvMDBfTAIxEdqJwwcgmRDspo5dMtMQfeEqkkQJuzxBKJRMc8nM4vPHCiYpLFk7P_xsFPqOrHUj6-ku0pu602vVXoodQuQhOrTHCmjAHbYPbRVunydkqNByKv_m94sL2a4uMOU/s640/IMG_0682.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Thanksgiving!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmd4qXr4g28PIm67wtKGF4pWpVWNpjO460xRcOJuBiwFsS00vAT4OCN_ezftct3BzaFR_uca0odiP0zk_rlo40fbYawOorXfub092Wxt90oHb5N18htp81-iMYincSXNfR-nuHYyObB3U/s1600/IMG_0653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-32040596814901474132012-11-28T17:29:00.000-06:002012-11-28T17:31:17.126-06:00Wine. Chestnuts. Running.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowMarkup/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I thought I’d take this opportunity to catch up on
small going-ons in Ourense!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXrpRvtSqGlDUNohPpjJfTpi0rgFGXBjJXf0WQnWh5u1WZ4NCEZZ01jDIbtrJU3ZgXTTgP8eh1063rnGWpDdLmcjWapSux2bVUS_k7dfFled_yksjV6uzcOxFvEhVwoz1-40ovWSTe4M/s1600/IMG_0384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBXrpRvtSqGlDUNohPpjJfTpi0rgFGXBjJXf0WQnWh5u1WZ4NCEZZ01jDIbtrJU3ZgXTTgP8eh1063rnGWpDdLmcjWapSux2bVUS_k7dfFled_yksjV6uzcOxFvEhVwoz1-40ovWSTe4M/s400/IMG_0384.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ribeira Sacra</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I am fortunate enough to work at a school that goes on many
field trips, and I’m fortunate enough to have them invite me to go along on all
of them! One of the classes I work with is a tourism class, and they went on a trip to
Ribeira Sacra. This is an area very near Ourense, and it is known for
making lots of wine, particularly Mencia wine (Spain is making me significantly more well-versed in wines. I may even reject the consumption of Franzia once I return to the States). Since it was all tourism students on this
trip, the school also hired a professional Tour Guide to sit on the bus and
explain everything. The students didn't seem to pay a whole lot of attention to her, but I listened intently and tried to catch whatever I could. Granted, she explained everything in Gallego and not Castellano, so it was a bit of a headache but I was proud of my effort.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We started by visiting an old monastery that was built on a
rock. The location was awesome in this very pretty wooded area. It
was amusing to see everyone astounded by how beautiful the forest was, when to me it looked like any other forest preserve. Of course then I remembered
that Spain is not really known for having this type of vegetation! I also couldn't remember the last time I'd been in such an area, so this stop was a delight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.iberrutas.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/santo-estevo-de-ribas-de-sil/san_esteban_ribas_sil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" id="il_fi" src="http://www.iberrutas.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/1/files/santo-estevo-de-ribas-de-sil/san_esteban_ribas_sil.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parador Santo Estevo</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Next we went and visited a <i>parador</i>, which is some sort of historical building that nowadays acts as a luxury
hotel. The one we visited used to be a monastery, but now rents out rooms for hundreds of euros per night with exquisite views of the Ribeira Sacra vineyards. This place we went to was GORGEOUS. The views were absolutely insane. </div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
In general the views all around Ribeira Sacra were
beautiful. There is a deep valley that runs through the entire region, and apparently during the warmer months you can take a boat all along the river found here while sipping some wine. Paradise. I will say, the beautiful views
came with their cost. We took a huge bus which struggled to maneuver the cliff side winding
roads. I’m not one to get easily carsick, but at a certain point I found myself to be unbelievable
dizzy, and I thought to myself “MAN! I’m worse than [my sister] Sofia!” :) </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The culmination of the field trip was a huge <i>asado</i> lunch we enjoyed as a huge, 60+ person group. I found it very interesting that the field
trip organizers opted to rent out a place to have everyone eat, as it was quite
a madhouse to have us all squeeze in. The food was greaaaaaaaat. It was a <i>menu</i>
so they just kept bringing out courses of food. I devoured a plate full of
asparagus that had some sort of cheesy chestnut sauce drizzled over it (only later would I fully understand the importance of the <i><span class="clickable"><span class="q">castaña</span></span></i>, chestnut, to Ourense!). The
<i>asado</i> part of the meal refers to an assortment of meat such as pork, ribs, and sausage all grilled to a delicious
crisp. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40OFgJEh3Hjtjj-H8M2LG767X8w7wOhuKYkf_z83-QV7Sb21FmJcoqojyVhiWKg93w69IdfUFj1HQM9VYTN9oIaDwoa-L-N6ZU_0eugnr5Abs5iM18QINp-hUOrfysVU83qjUCxqKDRU/s1600/IMG_0386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40OFgJEh3Hjtjj-H8M2LG767X8w7wOhuKYkf_z83-QV7Sb21FmJcoqojyVhiWKg93w69IdfUFj1HQM9VYTN9oIaDwoa-L-N6ZU_0eugnr5Abs5iM18QINp-hUOrfysVU83qjUCxqKDRU/s320/IMG_0386.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Vineyards</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
What was also interesting about this lunch was that we were
given an unlimited supply of drinks. All of us at the professors’ table drank
water and pop for the most part, but the students were downing bottles of wine
like nobody’s business (Don't worry, they were all at least 18 which is the minimum drinking age!). I found it funny to imagine this happening in the
U.S…but the fact of the matter is it just WOULDN’T. By the end of the lunch a majority of the students
were drunk, so I thought for sure we’d all pile into the bus and everyone would
pass out. NOPE. Spanish students LOVE to talk. There was nonstop chatter and
cheering when we went to visit a wine cellar (what?? you're going to give them more wine??) as well as the whole ride home. I was quite frankly too impressed by it all to be
annoyed. Overall it was a great field trip, a nice “day of work”, and just
added to the numerous Spanish experiences for which I am thankful! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;"><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"></span></span></b></span></span><b><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"> Magosto</span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
I’d been quite excited for this celebration ever since I'd
first heard about it. The word Magosto seems to derive from some latin words referring to fire, and fire is certainly a key player in the celebration, right after <span class="clickable"><span class="q"><i>castañas</i>. </span></span>The party basically consists of people climbing
(or driving, if you are fortunate) 20 minutes up the tallest mountain of
Ourense, building bonfires to cook food (<i>asado!</i>) and chestnuts, drinking, singing, and seeking refuge from the rain all day long. When I had asked my students to explain the
celebration to me, they were all a bit uninterested, I found. They complained
that it always rains on the mountain, it’s always cold, it’s a long walk,
people get very drunk, etc. Well, that didn’t hinder my excitement for the
party! I just assumed that since most of the students are from Ourense anyway, they don't see the novelty of the celebration anymore.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<object class="BLOGGER-picasa-video" classid="clsid:D27CDB6E-AE6D-11cf-96B8-444553540000" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0" data-thumbnail-src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wktGbNBWuCM/ULYOuAEabLI/AAAAAAAAAe4/_W7_9zuG3rg/s1600/MVI_0396_Magosto2.MOV" height="266" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D15c6af764f40fe94%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1356704774%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D795E850668514C8B6CD843653C02AB1725760643.5EEC3672A6640FFDD47D1410B639FFB53E9AF276%26key%3Dlh1" /><param name="bgcolor" value="#FFFFFF" /><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><embed width="320" height="266" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http://redirector.googlevideo.com/videoplayback?id%3D15c6af764f40fe94%26itag%3D5%26source%3Dpicasa%26cmo%3Dsensitive_content%253Dyes%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1356704774%26sparams%3Did,itag,source,ip,ipbits,expire%26signature%3D795E850668514C8B6CD843653C02AB1725760643.5EEC3672A6640FFDD47D1410B639FFB53E9AF276%26key%3Dlh1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The day of the party, we went up with one of Anna’s fellow teachers. YAY for cars.
We passed so many poor souls walking the tremendously steep, wet, incline, all the
while we were in the comfort of a warm, dry car. Up on the mountain, we met the teacher’s friends and
also ran into some fellow American Auxiliares. It was nice to meet some new people, the food
was great and plentiful, the beer was not so great, but plentiful, and the chestnuts were
delicious. I had a blast! I’ve never been camping, but I'm told that this party resembled it quite a bit. It was great to see how efficient people became when a rain cloud made its way over the mountain. People would scramble to get brush to protect the bonfires, the food and people moved inside the tent, but the music usually continued. As soon as the rain stopped, within seconds everyone was back out in the open, never skipping a beat of the party. So enjoyable!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaXzhrI1xTnaVT_ADausqwnDbvKjKxfqBW4QRspQp6KN4osrpTAJ0Cjt7G8DKLweWrmMqPEt6QL5qo6wIzXvjS-kiLASDSvNntJosS11ObFfD-cFCVCP4QbPj0raz24ds1l2zb0SIDwo/s1600/IMG_0407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaXzhrI1xTnaVT_ADausqwnDbvKjKxfqBW4QRspQp6KN4osrpTAJ0Cjt7G8DKLweWrmMqPEt6QL5qo6wIzXvjS-kiLASDSvNntJosS11ObFfD-cFCVCP4QbPj0raz24ds1l2zb0SIDwo/s320/IMG_0407.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But Magosto in Ourense didn’t end that day! The next day there was
a big celebration on the<i> Praza Maior</i>, the main plaza of Ourense. There were a
ton of people there, and a huge bonfire right in the middle of the plaza. This is where the chestnuts were being cooked…yes…chestnuts roasting on an open fire!
Also, for 1 euro you could get a small meal of a sandwich (a large roll of bread stuffed with a whole chorizo. Genius.), wine, and chestnuts.
There was also a band playing traditional Galician music, which includes lots of bagpipes. There was one
older woman just having the time of her life dancing to this band. I was clearly too awestruck by her inspiring movements, because I totally did not think to take of a video of her! Darn. Overall, this was a
super cute celebration.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMf6EtRmyEOnqTkC3hrBRuLGT2s2_OlVkaKdhWlGqEfYAIu0S_EQwPBy7Wt3Bff25MlFtY2OAvdOw_iEpJ5r0jKL40JTF9AV2f7P2jayF-eQMcc707ifEHBPQ6fXYanmq7EZHAaTezaMk/s1600/IMG_0441.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMf6EtRmyEOnqTkC3hrBRuLGT2s2_OlVkaKdhWlGqEfYAIu0S_EQwPBy7Wt3Bff25MlFtY2OAvdOw_iEpJ5r0jKL40JTF9AV2f7P2jayF-eQMcc707ifEHBPQ6fXYanmq7EZHAaTezaMk/s320/IMG_0441.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Kirsten</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But the celebration didn’t end that day either! The next
weekend there was a party at one of our favorite bars, Auriense. This Magosto
party was originally supposed to have taken place the weekend before, but it
was quite lucky that it got delayed to this weekend—Kirsten was visiting us so she got some of the Magosto experience herself! (Sidenote:
Also while Kirsten was visiting us, we managed to try pig ear. I could
not bring myself to chew it for longer than 3 bites, let alone swallow it. So
we won’t be eating that again.) </div>
<br />
Overall I am a huge fan of Magosto, but the remains of the surplus of chestnuts can still be seen throughout the streets of Ourense!<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><b>Carreira Popular San Martino—my first 10k</b></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ddE7xe8OR_E2aB8AR5GIpexjjKoj8sp23Y7tKZqfv2L0LANduiw6zmNLV5kB77Gs_AS4Q6WQrAhIevstVXL9UyURBdZxspfQhyrG9yB_Z5hNLSmI_gn4Bwbn9iWrugDL_kcrab2vOUA/s1600/IMG_6857.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ddE7xe8OR_E2aB8AR5GIpexjjKoj8sp23Y7tKZqfv2L0LANduiw6zmNLV5kB77Gs_AS4Q6WQrAhIevstVXL9UyURBdZxspfQhyrG9yB_Z5hNLSmI_gn4Bwbn9iWrugDL_kcrab2vOUA/s320/IMG_6857.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Must.Catch.Next.Female.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGpk3AR9W3nvWH3CLRIgwIvv9OHTmnwd8LEfL4oIb8w2D2V-W5hmklN9dl_VkM3M8aJ8Sz9SmvkMnSOJ5OaJemAWIL7WNnJKFE5XVsUq76CUYEpHRFZeYe_jNhl2qnllUD0ne_XBGsqJY/s1600/IMG_0479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span>After about a month of training, I
ran my first 10K here in Ourense! It was such an awesome first experience. It was nice to experience it alongside (kind of) some of the people I work with. They'd all been making jokes and talking smack about what time they were going to get in the race, but it was all in good fun. We all ran in our flourescent orange CIFP A Farixa shirts. Felt nice to be part of a team again :)<br />
<br />
All
the training definitely made my workouts more enjoyable. Just the mere fact of knowing that I
was working toward something motivated me so much more to stay on track and push myself more with each run! I only ran about twice a week, but each week I
added another kilometer to my run with the intention of maintaining a 7:30 mile
time, assuming that once I ran the full 6.2 miles I'd easily be able to complete each mile within 8 minutes. <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .25in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I wish I could bottle up the sentiments, the adrenaline, the
pure joy I felt while running this race. I honestly have not felt a rush like
that since playing soccer at Grinnell. I don’t remember being tired during the
race, I was just on a constant mission to pass the line of people in front of
me. Eventually, it was all about seeking out the next female in front of me and
beating her. And anyone who knows me knows that I'm as competitive as you get! The first 2 or 3 kilometers were an absolute drag. There were so
many people that you couldn’t find any vacancies to fill to try to
pass people (there were over 9,000 registered for this race!). In these first kilometers I had all but ceded to the fact that there was no way I’d make my
goal time of 48 minutes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTl2tYPj21-OnTw0trnpYW7H1qSgea2jJbg3o3nbThNX4UwQhMXXLVRt6KQT7C4J8MCu5JIES2Emw807R3qshzX-_8_KRvuBTTQP6DpzqX6WLBrqYo2nTqN6g5oxmO0sD-BYM83qsb_CA/s1600/IMG_0619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTl2tYPj21-OnTw0trnpYW7H1qSgea2jJbg3o3nbThNX4UwQhMXXLVRt6KQT7C4J8MCu5JIES2Emw807R3qshzX-_8_KRvuBTTQP6DpzqX6WLBrqYo2nTqN6g5oxmO0sD-BYM83qsb_CA/s400/IMG_0619.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me immediately after the race!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Who knows what happened exactly, but I must have turned on some secret jets. Or maybe it was the "Disco Pogo" that was playing on my iPod. The first mile couldn't have been faster than 8:30, but somehow in the end I got a time of 45:18, giving me a 7:18 mile average! Like I said, who knows what happened, but I was quite happy with my time, as you can tell from this picture :)</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
You may also notice that the name on my number, "Antia" is actually not mine. I didn't register for the race in time (What? The night before is too late??? Ugh so like me leave things til the last minute), so I didn't have my own official number or time chip. Luckily for me, one of the A Farixa students was a young female and didn't show up for the race! I used her chip and number, and got her 4th place in her age group (she's 18). I have yet to see this medal that people told me I earned...</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I'm dying to run another race. But until then, I have brought it upon myself to eat an extra amount of pastries to make up for the one week I went without them.</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-456961172966350909.post-90613026000736047052012-11-19T14:16:00.000-06:002012-11-19T14:16:08.764-06:00Packing Report Card<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:RelyOnVML/>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:DoNotShowRevisions/>
<w:DoNotPrintRevisions/>
<w:DoNotShowMarkup/>
<w:DoNotShowComments/>
<w:DoNotShowInsertionsAndDeletions/>
<w:DoNotShowPropertyChanges/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:115%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Warning: If you have no care to hear a female babble about
clothing for an extended period of time…skip this blog.</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
To everyone else, prepare for an unreasonably thorough analysis
of the clothes and other items I have brought to Spain! Now that I’ve been here
for over a month, I think I have a good feel for how well I packed and,
alternatively, ways in which I did not pack so well. For simplicity’s sake, I
have divided my apparel into categories.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Work Apparel</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was the most important category for me, since the whole
reason for my coming to Spain was to work! Knowing this, I packed a good amount
of dresses, and nice skirts as well as heels. I didn’t know exactly how nicely the other professors would dress, so I wanted to keep my bases
covered. Luckily, the dress code is more casual than I had
expected. Some professors wear jeans and Converse shoes to work, while others wear dress slacks and dress shoes. I decided that I'd like to follow suit of the latter. Once in awhile I will wear jeans to work if I wear a nicer top or boots, but overall I think I've mostly kept to wearing dresses. Let me tell you, I went the whole month
of October as well as the first week of November without having worn the same
outfit to work. SCORE.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Grade: A+</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Sports Apparel</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This was actually the second most important category for me.
I want to keep a reasonably high level of activity while I’m in
Spain, so having comfortable work out clothes is essential! Good work out clothes also act as a motivation for working out, in my opinion. Having fun shorts or a cool GWS t-shirt always makes me feel tip-top and thus it affects my work out positively :)<br />
<br />
Well, to my dismay,
upon my arrival to Spain I realized I only brought 2 pairs of running shorts and maybe 4
running tops. Along with that it looks like I brought my entire arsenal of
sports bras, about 10. That shorts to tops to bras ratio is way off. Luckily, after running my first 10K last weekend I got to add 2 more shirts to my collection!<br />
<br />
I remembered to bring my soccer
cleats (hopefully breaking them out this week!), and shin guards, but I brought
no soccer socks. Luckily those shouldn't cost more than 5 euros. As it turns out the running clothes I brought have been more
than sufficient, so my packing for this category turned out perfectly for the most part, although
unintentionally so.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Grade: A-</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Outdoor Apparel</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This category essentially includes anything used to keep me
warm. I only brought two jackets: one a nicer grey peacoat type thing, and the other
a casual brown jacket. Unfortunately, when I want to wear a black jacket, all I
have is a thin black blazer. I bought this blazer just before I got to Spain
and it has been a GODSEND, but not great for cold nights! Since I’ve been in
Spain I’ve bought a new winter scarf as well as a matching wine-colored hat, one of those pseudo beret types. We’ll see when I gather the confidence to
wear it in public.<br />
<br />
Other than these items, the only other options I have for things to wear over my dresses are a red cardigan-type thing and a long grey sweater. I'm thinking of buying a fleece. Ourense will get no where as near cold as the Midwest does, so a fleece will definitely last me longer here than it would at home. Either way, I definitely need to give myself some more options! </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Grade: B</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Footwear</u> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfL6XpzsjTNK-72SyYK4mSQElxg8KNshKrgK80gvlMacv_NgEYsKTjVFci-MOAlRoI5Fwtp8ARG26qCxKqJaclLv3T0xWkCb4gVsRRj19ESm9x9CibzEdHBVnCFIvan29HcSfySwBiyw/s1600/IMG_0638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGfL6XpzsjTNK-72SyYK4mSQElxg8KNshKrgK80gvlMacv_NgEYsKTjVFci-MOAlRoI5Fwtp8ARG26qCxKqJaclLv3T0xWkCb4gVsRRj19ESm9x9CibzEdHBVnCFIvan29HcSfySwBiyw/s640/IMG_0638.JPG" width="640" /></a>Shoes were the most difficult to pack. They take up the most
room in a suitcase, but when you need to bring some boots you need to bring
some boots!! I brought 3 pairs of heels…none of which I have yet worn (but when
I DO finally need a pair of heels, it will be worth having brought them,
right??). I brought 2 pairs of heeled boots but can only stand to wear one on a
regular basis since I have a 20 min up and downhill walk to work. I brought 2
pairs of flats as well as my Toms, but only one pair of flats gets worn, and
the Toms are slowly going into hibernation with the weather getting colder. I
have bought one pair of brown flat boots which I wear ALL the time, so they
were a good buy. Now I have my eye on some black riding boots. And some
fun-colored biker boots. And neutral flats. This isn’t looking good.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Grade: C-</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Accessories</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I didn’t forget all my earrings at home like I did when I went to
Granada.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Grade: A+</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Weather Appropriateness</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Really as long as I brought an umbrella I should pass this
category with flying colors. I also bought a rain jacket and rain boots when I got
here. Rain boots are a difficult purchase. I was hoping to buy a pair that were super cute and sassy, but in the back of my head I also knew that I had perfectly fine rain boots waiting for me in St. Charles, and whatever boots I bought here would not make it into my suitcase on my way back to the U.S. So instead of splurging on 40+ euro rainboots that look more like they're made out of leather than plastic, I settled for 15 euro boots in a nice shade of purple. As it turns out, Ourense really hasn’t rained as much as I expected it to, so these items
have only gotten used once, maybe twice.<br />
<br />
As far as my other clothing, I packed
a great deal of short sleeved shirts and shorts that I won’t be able to use
until my last month here or so. I think that I was anticipating lots of exotic travel to warmer countries in Europe. Also, the long-sleeved tops that I did
bring are no fun! No fun means no wear. So I will certainly have to do some shopping to change that.<br />
<b>Grade: C+</b><br />
<br />
<u>Toiletries</u><br />
2 sticks of American deodorant? CHECK. I made the mistake of not bringing enough deodorant when I went to Granada, and thus had to settle for the strange liquid roll-on deodorant found there. It's not the most horrid product ever, but it really<i> really</i> pales in comparison to the American stuff. I only brought enough shampoo and conditioner to get me through the first couple weeks in Spain, so I have since bought some Spanish stuff. While they have some American name-brands here, they tend to cost twice as much, so I've settled for some local brands. I am slowly running out of Frizz Ease straightening products so I going to be out of luck there--if I'm fortunate enough to find those products here, the insurmountable cost will certainly draw me away from them. I'll be more likely to try out Spanish products and hope for the best. Ah also, I am about 3 weeks short in my supply of daily contacts. So I will have to start getting creative with those...or...I will have to start wearing my GLASSES in PUBLIC! Gasp. (...but really...)<br />
<b>Grade: B</b><br />
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Overall</u></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I made use of every cubic centimeter in my suitcases, so for
that reason alone I am proud. On the other hand, I haven’t even begun to
consider how I will be getting all my stuff home, especially with future shopping trips. I have been responsible so far, buying only essential
items like the rain gear and flat brown boots. Christmas is coming up though…and since I will be far away from my family I will have to make up for it all by spoiling myself...<br />
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Final Grade: B</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC6ngK5Gq-el407tGp4Zklpk5GGWZlrUbevJI5uGp_e-rTJ0_6ohHgxL2gY0ESCT-3bLLHzmid_eg0gFBmVJQc8j-Mpdj2cC0Ftf-J4qcCcGtHnGN70lhL1Sl4MOP5j4TyZJNci3CDR0/s1600/IMG_0640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOC6ngK5Gq-el407tGp4Zklpk5GGWZlrUbevJI5uGp_e-rTJ0_6ohHgxL2gY0ESCT-3bLLHzmid_eg0gFBmVJQc8j-Mpdj2cC0Ftf-J4qcCcGtHnGN70lhL1Sl4MOP5j4TyZJNci3CDR0/s400/IMG_0640.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how organized my closet <i>always</i> looks.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Cynthiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01815799399674290215noreply@blogger.com1