I've been back in the states now since Saturday night. I've been doing my best to fight jetlag, but yesterday I crashed at 5 pm and slept until 7:30 am...but I think I'm past it now. The dry desert heat welcomed me to Las Vegas, and even though every time I come home I am reminded of how much I miss it, I miss Barcelona too.
My last week was fairly hectic, writing papers, studying for finals, packing, hitting up las rebajas. The last two nights, we went out, Thursday night to a shot bar called Chupitos and Friday night to a super delicious dinner by the beach and back to the bar. Our last dinner was a feast---our first course was plates and plates and plates of shrimp, along with pan con tomate. The next course was fried calamari, fried shrimp, and fried octopus. And finally our last course was the paella. It was a good, yummy meal to finish off our time in Barcelona. I miss all that yummy seafood, and of course the paella.
Classes wrapped up nicely. I had to write two papers, which kind of sucked, but I got them done and turned them in. I also managed to take my finals, even though I missed a bunch of classes due to the ankle and minimal studying. I'm know I passed my classes (all that really matters to get credit), but I should be getting my grades back fairly soon.
Packing up my room was kind of sad--even though I had only been there for 7 weeks I feel like that apartment turned into a mini home. I had plenty of room in my suitcases, I hadn't packed all that much and I really didn't buy all that much, so I was in good shape. I took a taxi to the airport with 3 of my roommates--I was on the same flight as two of them, and the other one left around the same time we did. Now, it was a Saturday morning and we expected the airport to be busy, but the airport in Barcelona is the most disorganized inefficient airport that I have ever been in. The line to check in at Continental was super long, and it didn't seem to be moving at all. I had my crutches with me and one of the counter people noticed, so I got to cut the line which was kind of nice, but even checking in it went super slow. They do things the Spanish way, slowly checking you in, chatting. They ticketed our bags wrong, so they had to go back through and do it all again. It took a half hour just at the counter checking our bags. By that time we only had 15 minutes until we boarded. We got through security, had to walk a long way, and then had to stand in a mass of people (I'm not calling it a line, because it wasn't), to get our passports checked. I'm not quite sure why since we were LEAVING the country. That took an hour. Once through that mess, you have to go to the gate and take a bus from the gate to the plane. Because of the long lines and masses of people, half of the plane wasn't there for the 10:45 departure. We were told we would leave at 11:30. I was pretty ticked off because I knew I would end up missing my connection in Newark. By 11:30, we still weren't ready to take off, so we missed that departure time as well. The whole time we're just sitting on the plane. We had to wait for a new departure time, and because we were sitting on the runway for so long, we had to go back to the gate to refuel to finally take off. The plane didn't leave until after 1--more than a 2 hour delay, the whole time sitting on the plane. The flight from Barcelona to Newark was 9 hours, so I sat on that plane for 11 hours total. Upon arriving in Newark, I made it through customs and got on another flight to Vegas that left fairly soon. I wasn't too excited to get on another plane, since the flight from Newark to Vegas is 5 hours. But the plane wasn't full, so I got my own row, which was pretty nice. I finally made it home after sitting on a plane for 16 hours, and 24 hours traveling and in airports. I was exhausted. We stopped at In n Out on the way home, I unpacked some, and then crashed.
I was trying to narrow down to what my favorite parts of Barcelona were, but that's impossible--I loved every single moment of my trip. And even though I messed up my ankle, I was out enjoying myself and experiencing the world when I did it.
And now what to do for the rest of the summer?? Lounge around, soak up some sun, have fun, and get ready for the year ahead.
But Spain will always have a little piece of me...
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Monday, June 30, 2008
The goal heard ´round Spain
In case you´ve been living under a rock (or in the US hehe), Spain won the Eurocup last night! It had been 44 years since Spain last won the Eurocup, and 24 years since they last made it to the finals. I´m pretty sure Germany was the favorite to win, but Spain wanted it, and they sure got it!!
I went to a pub with my roommate and a ton of other people to take part in an enduring European tradition, futbol. The pub was full to the max of people from all over, watching and cheering on Spain from a huge projection screen and about 10 other plasma tvs all over the bar. I have to say I´ve never felt so much excitement and spirit in once place like when that first goal was scored. Everyone was on their feet, yelling and chanting, as if the players could somehow hear us cheering all the way in Vienna.
While the Catalans are usually prideful of their own culture and have been trying to get their own national team for years, there was plenty of celebrating last night. I don´t know if it was people who weren´t Catalan, Spanish from other parts of Spain, or foreigners like me, but the honking and fireworks lasted late late late into the night. Everyone on the streets waving their Spanish flags, again weird because Catalans will fly the Catalan flag before the Spanish flag. They showed Madrid on tv and all of the celebrating going on there--it definitely looked super intense. Of all the things I´ve done and experienced while in Spain, last night was probably one of my favorites, and definitely the most exciting.
Of course the España jerseys are selling out fast everywhere, but the guy at the Adidas store tipped me off when their shipment of the championship tshirt would be coming in. Pictures to come soon, but here´s one courtesey of El Pais.
I went to a pub with my roommate and a ton of other people to take part in an enduring European tradition, futbol. The pub was full to the max of people from all over, watching and cheering on Spain from a huge projection screen and about 10 other plasma tvs all over the bar. I have to say I´ve never felt so much excitement and spirit in once place like when that first goal was scored. Everyone was on their feet, yelling and chanting, as if the players could somehow hear us cheering all the way in Vienna.
While the Catalans are usually prideful of their own culture and have been trying to get their own national team for years, there was plenty of celebrating last night. I don´t know if it was people who weren´t Catalan, Spanish from other parts of Spain, or foreigners like me, but the honking and fireworks lasted late late late into the night. Everyone on the streets waving their Spanish flags, again weird because Catalans will fly the Catalan flag before the Spanish flag. They showed Madrid on tv and all of the celebrating going on there--it definitely looked super intense. Of all the things I´ve done and experienced while in Spain, last night was probably one of my favorites, and definitely the most exciting.
Of course the España jerseys are selling out fast everywhere, but the guy at the Adidas store tipped me off when their shipment of the championship tshirt would be coming in. Pictures to come soon, but here´s one courtesey of El Pais.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
¡Podemos!
I haven’t updated in the past week, because well, I haven’t done anything. I was pretty much stuck in the apartment for a week. It sucked. I missed all the San Juan craziness, but could hear the fireworks all night long. However, on Wednesday I went to an ankle specialist who took off my cast and checked out my ankle. My foot and ankle are pretty disgusting , all purple and black (I’ll spare you the pictures), but he told me I was going to be just fine, gave me an ankle brace and compression socks (the socks are soooooo dorky), and told me to enjoy my last week in Barcelona. Needless to say I was ecstatic and ready to get going and have some fun. I even enjoyed going to class again, because at least it got me out of the apartment.
So what have I done since I’ve gained my ability to walk (slowly but surely) again? On Thursday I went on a field study with my history class. We went to El Refugio 307, a bomb shelter from the Spanish Civil War. Sidenote: The Spanish Civil War was fought from 1936 to 1939. It was brought on by a failed military coup led by General Francisco Franco. The two sides fighting were the Left (communists, anarchists, socialists, workers, etc), and the Nationalists (the conservative right, the Catholic Church, the military, etc). The Nationalists also had support from the Fascists in Italy and the Nazis in Germany. The Nationalists ultimately won in 1939, largely because the Left was divided internally. Franco was dictator for almost 40 years, until his death in 1975. During the war, there were a lot of bombings and Barcelona was one of the cities hit pretty hard. The bomb shelter we visited was built into the mountain of Montjuic and it was done by pico y palo—meaning it was dug entirely by the people using picks and shovels and such. The shelter is huge---it could accommodate 2,000 people. It was really cool inside, a nice refuge from the summer heat and humidity, but I can imagine the people who had to go into the bomb shelter to avoid getting killed didn’t feel the same way. In some parts, you can actually see the pick marks from construction.
Later on Thursday, Danielle and I finally used our tour bus tickets. It wasn’t all that exciting, plus we had seen most of the places that it drove by. We just sat on the bus and baked under the sun, but at least we used them. Thursday night, Spain played Russia in the Eurocup semifinals. Spain kicked Russia’s ass—3-0, and the final game is tonight, Spain v Germany, it should be a great game! As usual, as soon as the game ended, the honking and the fireworks started. It’s always so exciting. I don’t know exactly if Spain has ever won a large championship, and if they have I don’t think it’s been for a very long time. ¡Que emoción, podemos!
Friday was a day for the beach. About ½ hour outside of Barcelona via train is Sitges, a small coastal town. It’s beautiful with small beaches and coves. It was nice and hot and the beach was wonderful. I was dying to get in the water, but I felt a little nervous going in without my ankle brace on and I can’t get it wet, so I stuck my feet in the cool water. Of course, there are vendors walking up and down the street peddling coconut, bracelets, sunglasses, purses, and women who want to braid you hair. You can also rent paddle-boats that have slides on the back. There were a ton of people, all enjoying the hot sun and the cool ocean. The town had a nice laid back vibe to it. I would have loved to spend more time there.
Sitges
The flea market in Plaza de las glorias. The odd shaped building in the background is the water company's building. The locals have a funny nickname for it...if you use your imagination I'm sure you can figure it out.
The crowded beach
So what have I done since I’ve gained my ability to walk (slowly but surely) again? On Thursday I went on a field study with my history class. We went to El Refugio 307, a bomb shelter from the Spanish Civil War. Sidenote: The Spanish Civil War was fought from 1936 to 1939. It was brought on by a failed military coup led by General Francisco Franco. The two sides fighting were the Left (communists, anarchists, socialists, workers, etc), and the Nationalists (the conservative right, the Catholic Church, the military, etc). The Nationalists also had support from the Fascists in Italy and the Nazis in Germany. The Nationalists ultimately won in 1939, largely because the Left was divided internally. Franco was dictator for almost 40 years, until his death in 1975. During the war, there were a lot of bombings and Barcelona was one of the cities hit pretty hard. The bomb shelter we visited was built into the mountain of Montjuic and it was done by pico y palo—meaning it was dug entirely by the people using picks and shovels and such. The shelter is huge---it could accommodate 2,000 people. It was really cool inside, a nice refuge from the summer heat and humidity, but I can imagine the people who had to go into the bomb shelter to avoid getting killed didn’t feel the same way. In some parts, you can actually see the pick marks from construction.
Later on Thursday, Danielle and I finally used our tour bus tickets. It wasn’t all that exciting, plus we had seen most of the places that it drove by. We just sat on the bus and baked under the sun, but at least we used them. Thursday night, Spain played Russia in the Eurocup semifinals. Spain kicked Russia’s ass—3-0, and the final game is tonight, Spain v Germany, it should be a great game! As usual, as soon as the game ended, the honking and the fireworks started. It’s always so exciting. I don’t know exactly if Spain has ever won a large championship, and if they have I don’t think it’s been for a very long time. ¡Que emoción, podemos!
Friday was a day for the beach. About ½ hour outside of Barcelona via train is Sitges, a small coastal town. It’s beautiful with small beaches and coves. It was nice and hot and the beach was wonderful. I was dying to get in the water, but I felt a little nervous going in without my ankle brace on and I can’t get it wet, so I stuck my feet in the cool water. Of course, there are vendors walking up and down the street peddling coconut, bracelets, sunglasses, purses, and women who want to braid you hair. You can also rent paddle-boats that have slides on the back. There were a ton of people, all enjoying the hot sun and the cool ocean. The town had a nice laid back vibe to it. I would have loved to spend more time there.
SitgesIt’s gotten pretty hot here, and while I’m well accustomed to the heat, I’m not a big fan of humidity, and we don’t have air conditioning—a luxury I really miss. But hey, It’s all part of the experience.
Yesterday was a day for the market. We hit up the flea market in Plaza de Las Glorias. I’ve come to the conclusion that flea markets all over are all very similar—a ton of vendors selling clothes, tools, electronics, antiques, etc. I love them, though. I think it must stem from when I was a kid and my mom and grandma would wake Julian and I up really early to go find garage sales. There’s something really fun rummaging through others’ trash to find your own treasures. And I love knowing that what I’m buying has a story before me. I bought some old keys to turn into a necklace, some old photographs (I LOVE old photos), and a small little painting and drawing. There was a great array of old stuff, pocket-watches, lighters, old coins, turn dial telephones, jewelry. It could take all day to really rummage through stuff properly, but the heat catches up with you quick.
Yesterday was a day for the market. We hit up the flea market in Plaza de Las Glorias. I’ve come to the conclusion that flea markets all over are all very similar—a ton of vendors selling clothes, tools, electronics, antiques, etc. I love them, though. I think it must stem from when I was a kid and my mom and grandma would wake Julian and I up really early to go find garage sales. There’s something really fun rummaging through others’ trash to find your own treasures. And I love knowing that what I’m buying has a story before me. I bought some old keys to turn into a necklace, some old photographs (I LOVE old photos), and a small little painting and drawing. There was a great array of old stuff, pocket-watches, lighters, old coins, turn dial telephones, jewelry. It could take all day to really rummage through stuff properly, but the heat catches up with you quick.
The flea market in Plaza de las glorias. The odd shaped building in the background is the water company's building. The locals have a funny nickname for it...if you use your imagination I'm sure you can figure it out.Today was another fabulous day for the beach. The beaches in Barcelona are kind of dirty and PACKED with people, especially on a day like today. We opted to take the train about 15 minutes north of the city, just to get to a cleaner/ less crowded beach. We ended up in Ocata. The beach was definitely cleaner, but not any less crowded, but either way, it was nice to just lay on the sand and soak up some vitamin D.
The crowded beachI’ve got to work on a paper today (really summer school just kills me), but at 8:45 I will be parked in front of a tv, watching the game. Go Spain!
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Just a quick note...
Italy v Spain --- Quarter finals ---EuroCup 2008
My street is normally pretty noisy, but during the game, all you could hear were a few passing cars now and then. As soon as the penalty shots started, so did the honking and the fireworks. The parties for San Juan are starting early! ¡Viva España!
Thursday Semifinals Spain v Russia
My street is normally pretty noisy, but during the game, all you could hear were a few passing cars now and then. As soon as the penalty shots started, so did the honking and the fireworks. The parties for San Juan are starting early! ¡Viva España!
Thursday Semifinals Spain v Russia
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Spanish experiences
Flamenco! Whenever I use to think of Spain when I was younger, I use to think of Flamenco. It might have to do with the fact that I have a million of those flamenco dancer dolls from here, but anyways...I love dance--I'm not exactly a fabulous dancer (I lack rhythm and coordination), but I love watching dance. Our cultural activity for the week was going to see a flamenco show. It was in this tiny little theater in Plaza Real. First, the guitar played came out. I loooooove Spanish guitar--there's just so much passion in the music. Then, the singer and the clapper guy came out. And finally the guy with the box and the dancer came out. I was blown away by the intensity and beauty.
My other Spanish experience this week wasn't so fun....
I went to La Boqueria during my break from classes on Wednesday to get some fresh fruit and juice. I had enough time to drop off my purchases at the apartment and then head to Montjuic for my architecture field study. I didn't quite make it back to the apartment as planned or to my field study. While walking down the stairs in the metro station, I tripped and fell on my ankle. I knew I had hurt myself because I was certain I had felt something in my ankle snap and it had immediately swelled up to the size of an orange. So there I was, stuck on the metro floor with every passerby staring at me. One of the metro workers called an ambulance (because there was no way I could walk) and I had to call IES (the program I'm here studying with). Someone from IES came to go to the hospital with me. I got to ride in the ambulance, sans sirens (that would have been really cool).
Now this just be my take on it but I felt like the paramedics (who actually bickered who got to push the wheel chair), the hospital workers, the nurses, and doctors all had a pretty laid back attitude. But that could have been because I was in pain, my ankle looked like it was ripe and ready to be juiced, and every time I asked for a pain killer, they told me later.
I got xrays and had 3 different people come in and poke and pull and push my ankle and foot to see if it hurt (UH yeah it hurts, do you not see the orange that has replaced my ankle?). I was finally told I hadn't broken my ankle, but I had torn the ligaments in it. The nurse wrapped my foot up in a cast (not a hard one, but unremovable and uncomfortable). I was kind of over the hospital thing at this point because it had been a couple hours and I was tired and hungry, in pain, and just wanted to go home. The doctor came in to tell me what medicines he had prescribed me. I wasn't really paying attention when all of a sudden my I heard "inyección." The Spanish translator in my head switched back on and I asked him what the hell he was talking about. He told me that I was going to have to get a shot to prevent blood clotting because the compression from the cast and my immobility could cause a clot (I don't exactly buy that, but whatever). I calmed down for about a second (a shot, I can handle a shot), but then he said I would have to get a shot once a day for the next 5 days. When I asked who was going to give me this shot, he said I would have to give it to myself. And that's when I flipped the hell out. I was pretty much hysterical and kept insisting that there was no way I could give myself a shot. No way. Nope, not happening. The doctor and nurse insisted I would have to. Still hysterical, the nurse came over, stuck a needle in my stomach and told me that was all I had to do--not comforting at all.
The hospital did not have crutches--so the person I was with ran out to an orthopedic store to buy me some. Theyre not normal crutches either. They're weird Spanish crutches--I don't really know how to describe them. They work fine--I'm going to get super buff hoisting myself around on them.
I've been instructed to do nothing for 5-7 days, which means no class, no sightseeing, no shopping, no going out at night, and no hiking Montserrat on Saturday. Also, San Juan is on Tuesday, but the parties start on Monday night. I really want to go, but I don't know if I'll be able to. I have to go back to the doctor next week to get this cast off and see if the swelling has gone down. I hope I gain some mobility, because I really don't want to be stuck in this apartment for the last two weeks.
So after that 4 hour ordeal, I finally made it back to the apartment and have pretty much done nothing since. I'm pretty bored since my roommates are all in class. In the grand scheme of things, I'm totally fine and it could have been much worse--at least I didn't break it, or fall and hit my head or my back. However, I would like a cooler story than just falling down the stairs at the metro--so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
My other Spanish experience this week wasn't so fun....
I went to La Boqueria during my break from classes on Wednesday to get some fresh fruit and juice. I had enough time to drop off my purchases at the apartment and then head to Montjuic for my architecture field study. I didn't quite make it back to the apartment as planned or to my field study. While walking down the stairs in the metro station, I tripped and fell on my ankle. I knew I had hurt myself because I was certain I had felt something in my ankle snap and it had immediately swelled up to the size of an orange. So there I was, stuck on the metro floor with every passerby staring at me. One of the metro workers called an ambulance (because there was no way I could walk) and I had to call IES (the program I'm here studying with). Someone from IES came to go to the hospital with me. I got to ride in the ambulance, sans sirens (that would have been really cool).
Now this just be my take on it but I felt like the paramedics (who actually bickered who got to push the wheel chair), the hospital workers, the nurses, and doctors all had a pretty laid back attitude. But that could have been because I was in pain, my ankle looked like it was ripe and ready to be juiced, and every time I asked for a pain killer, they told me later.
I got xrays and had 3 different people come in and poke and pull and push my ankle and foot to see if it hurt (UH yeah it hurts, do you not see the orange that has replaced my ankle?). I was finally told I hadn't broken my ankle, but I had torn the ligaments in it. The nurse wrapped my foot up in a cast (not a hard one, but unremovable and uncomfortable). I was kind of over the hospital thing at this point because it had been a couple hours and I was tired and hungry, in pain, and just wanted to go home. The doctor came in to tell me what medicines he had prescribed me. I wasn't really paying attention when all of a sudden my I heard "inyección." The Spanish translator in my head switched back on and I asked him what the hell he was talking about. He told me that I was going to have to get a shot to prevent blood clotting because the compression from the cast and my immobility could cause a clot (I don't exactly buy that, but whatever). I calmed down for about a second (a shot, I can handle a shot), but then he said I would have to get a shot once a day for the next 5 days. When I asked who was going to give me this shot, he said I would have to give it to myself. And that's when I flipped the hell out. I was pretty much hysterical and kept insisting that there was no way I could give myself a shot. No way. Nope, not happening. The doctor and nurse insisted I would have to. Still hysterical, the nurse came over, stuck a needle in my stomach and told me that was all I had to do--not comforting at all.
The hospital did not have crutches--so the person I was with ran out to an orthopedic store to buy me some. Theyre not normal crutches either. They're weird Spanish crutches--I don't really know how to describe them. They work fine--I'm going to get super buff hoisting myself around on them.
I've been instructed to do nothing for 5-7 days, which means no class, no sightseeing, no shopping, no going out at night, and no hiking Montserrat on Saturday. Also, San Juan is on Tuesday, but the parties start on Monday night. I really want to go, but I don't know if I'll be able to. I have to go back to the doctor next week to get this cast off and see if the swelling has gone down. I hope I gain some mobility, because I really don't want to be stuck in this apartment for the last two weeks.
So after that 4 hour ordeal, I finally made it back to the apartment and have pretty much done nothing since. I'm pretty bored since my roommates are all in class. In the grand scheme of things, I'm totally fine and it could have been much worse--at least I didn't break it, or fall and hit my head or my back. However, I would like a cooler story than just falling down the stairs at the metro--so any ideas would be greatly appreciated.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
"We'll always have Paris..."
Oh, Paris!! What can I say about Paris? There really is only one word to describe it---beautiful. Paris has to be the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Haussmann did his job well.
My trip began on Friday morning at 2 am. Yes, that’s right 2 am. To get a cheap flight, we (my roommate Danielle, our friend Kris, and I) booked through Ryanair (For the record it’s not that cheap. They tack on all these ridiculous fees, etc). However, Ryanair does not fly out of El Prat in Barcelona. It flies out of Girona, about an hour outside of Barcelona. To maximize our time in Paris, we decided to take the earliest flight out of Girona on Friday morning—6:50, which meant taking the bus that left Barcelona at 3:30 am, leaving the apartment at 3 am, and getting up at 2 am. But, hey, we were on our way to Paris—functioning on only an hour of sleep was a minor detail. We finally arrived in Paris at 10:30. The bus ride from Beauvais (where Ryanair flies) was only supposed to be an hour, but thanks to an accident on the freeway, our travel time was doubled. But, it’s cool—we were in Paris!!! We took the metro to our hotel (at this point, I’m a pro at public transit), which happened to be in the Indian neighborhood. Hostelworld.com left out that tiny detail when we booked. I’ve never seen so many curry restaurants in my life. We couldn’t check in until 2 and were pretty much ravenous, we had to find somewhere to eat lunch. Our lunch wasn’t that great and it was expensive, we vowed after that to stick to pastries, baguettes, and crepes. Note: Lunch was not at and Indian restaurant.
For those who have seen National Lampoon’s European Vacation, remember the tiny hotels they stayed at, yeah, that was us—minus the silly berets. It was nice, clean and safe, just European style small. After checking in and dropping off our stuff, the first thing on our list was to get out of the weirdo neighborhood we were in and go see St. Chapelle and Notre Dame. St. Chapelle is unreal. It’s a gothic chapel built during the 13th century. If you can imagine gothic arches and vaulting, blues, reds, and yellows, and almost floor to ceiling, wall to wall stained glass, that’s St. Chapelle. I just can’t help but think about these old churches and building that have stood for hundreds of years. They’ve stood through years of war and war and war, and yet they’re still here for us to see.
Not only is St. Chapelle beautiful, it’s located right next to the Seine, St. Michael’s Fountain, St. Germaine, and Notre Dame. Ivana, a friend from USF and Vegas who’s been studying in Paris all semester, met us at Notre Dame. Notre Dame is enormous. Construction began in the 12th century and it was completed in the 14th century. The highlight of Notre Dame was climbing to the top—some 400 odd stairs—and seeing the view of Paris and seeing the famous bell. There were no hunchback sightings, but I did get to see the gargoyles up close—my favorite part. Again, it’s crazy how long Notre Dame has been standing. Walking up the steps, you could see where they dipped, where who knows how many thousands of other people have stepped.
Sitting on the steps of the Palias de Justice
Me sitting by the Seine
View from Notre Dame
Basilique Sacré Coeur
Ivana and I in Luxembory Gardens, and Me in the Gardens
There was a wind ensemble playing in a gazebo, a huge pond with little sailboats and children playing with them, and beautiful greenery. We walked past the playground, men playing bocchi, and a tiny statue of liberty. She also took us around the area by her school. The shops were adorable, expensive, but adorable, and everyone always looks super chic. Next was the Opera house, gorgeous. I would have loved to go in, but we couldn’t, and then we tried going to Printemps, the department store (think Harrods), but it closed at 7 and it was 7:45.
The Grand Opera House
My trip began on Friday morning at 2 am. Yes, that’s right 2 am. To get a cheap flight, we (my roommate Danielle, our friend Kris, and I) booked through Ryanair (For the record it’s not that cheap. They tack on all these ridiculous fees, etc). However, Ryanair does not fly out of El Prat in Barcelona. It flies out of Girona, about an hour outside of Barcelona. To maximize our time in Paris, we decided to take the earliest flight out of Girona on Friday morning—6:50, which meant taking the bus that left Barcelona at 3:30 am, leaving the apartment at 3 am, and getting up at 2 am. But, hey, we were on our way to Paris—functioning on only an hour of sleep was a minor detail. We finally arrived in Paris at 10:30. The bus ride from Beauvais (where Ryanair flies) was only supposed to be an hour, but thanks to an accident on the freeway, our travel time was doubled. But, it’s cool—we were in Paris!!! We took the metro to our hotel (at this point, I’m a pro at public transit), which happened to be in the Indian neighborhood. Hostelworld.com left out that tiny detail when we booked. I’ve never seen so many curry restaurants in my life. We couldn’t check in until 2 and were pretty much ravenous, we had to find somewhere to eat lunch. Our lunch wasn’t that great and it was expensive, we vowed after that to stick to pastries, baguettes, and crepes. Note: Lunch was not at and Indian restaurant.
For those who have seen National Lampoon’s European Vacation, remember the tiny hotels they stayed at, yeah, that was us—minus the silly berets. It was nice, clean and safe, just European style small. After checking in and dropping off our stuff, the first thing on our list was to get out of the weirdo neighborhood we were in and go see St. Chapelle and Notre Dame. St. Chapelle is unreal. It’s a gothic chapel built during the 13th century. If you can imagine gothic arches and vaulting, blues, reds, and yellows, and almost floor to ceiling, wall to wall stained glass, that’s St. Chapelle. I just can’t help but think about these old churches and building that have stood for hundreds of years. They’ve stood through years of war and war and war, and yet they’re still here for us to see.
St. Chapelle
Not only is St. Chapelle beautiful, it’s located right next to the Seine, St. Michael’s Fountain, St. Germaine, and Notre Dame. Ivana, a friend from USF and Vegas who’s been studying in Paris all semester, met us at Notre Dame. Notre Dame is enormous. Construction began in the 12th century and it was completed in the 14th century. The highlight of Notre Dame was climbing to the top—some 400 odd stairs—and seeing the view of Paris and seeing the famous bell. There were no hunchback sightings, but I did get to see the gargoyles up close—my favorite part. Again, it’s crazy how long Notre Dame has been standing. Walking up the steps, you could see where they dipped, where who knows how many thousands of other people have stepped.
Sitting on the steps of the Palias de Justice
Me sitting by the Seine
View from Notre Dame
After Notre Dame, Ivana took us to have some super tasty crepes (I love nutella), and then we were off to the Louvre. It was free after 6 on Friday, so of course we had to take advantage of that. Of all the things I saw in Paris, the Louvre was probably my least favorite. It’s too massive and too crowded. It’s overwhelming. I find it difficult to appreciate art like that. However, you can’t go to Paris and not see the Louvre. We did a really quick sweep, seeing the Mona Lisa (the lamest thing I have ever seen),
and the Venus de Milo.
My favorite part of Paris came after the Louvre—seeing the Eiffel Tower at night. It gets golden as the sun begins to set (as a note, it doesn’t get dark in Paris until about 10:30 at night), and then once it’s dark, it begins to glitter and strobe. We sat on the Champs de Mar, drinking wine, and just watched the tower sparkle and glow. There was a marching band, well more like a couple of tubas, a trombone, some trumpets, and a drum set, playing pep tunes and having and impromptu dance party right next to us. Like the beaches in Barcelona, people walk by trying to sell you wine and champagne (although no one offered massages for 5 euro). It was unreal, totally unreal. After the wine ran out, it seemed like a good time to head back to the hotel. It was really late and we were exhausted. But our first day in Paris was amazing.
Day two started out with French pastries for breakfast (mmm croissants). First, we checked out Montmartre, which was about a 2-minute metro ride from our hotel. The sight to be seen in Montmartre is La Basilique de Sacré Coeur. It’s built on a hill—the highest point in Paris. It’s spectacular. After the Eiffel Tower, Sacré Croeur is my favorite thing in Paris. It’s huge, but it doesn’t feel cold and ominous. It’s incredibly beautiful on the inside. It’s amazing how these massive churches were built in a time without modern technology, how faith can inspire people to build such massive monuments to their beliefs. Although I don’t think of myself as religious, I love old churches. And as a little fun fact, the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) was founded in Montmartre, where the Sacré Coeur is. It’s kind of cool, since with out the Jesuits, USF wouldn’t exist.
and the Venus de Milo.
Day two started out with French pastries for breakfast (mmm croissants). First, we checked out Montmartre, which was about a 2-minute metro ride from our hotel. The sight to be seen in Montmartre is La Basilique de Sacré Coeur. It’s built on a hill—the highest point in Paris. It’s spectacular. After the Eiffel Tower, Sacré Croeur is my favorite thing in Paris. It’s huge, but it doesn’t feel cold and ominous. It’s incredibly beautiful on the inside. It’s amazing how these massive churches were built in a time without modern technology, how faith can inspire people to build such massive monuments to their beliefs. Although I don’t think of myself as religious, I love old churches. And as a little fun fact, the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) was founded in Montmartre, where the Sacré Coeur is. It’s kind of cool, since with out the Jesuits, USF wouldn’t exist.
Basilique Sacré Coeur
We hit Moulin Rouge next, located in the red light part of Montmartre. I’m sure it’s way cooler at night and if you actually go to a show there, but we had to see the famous Moulin Rouge. I felt tempted to break into song, but decided it would not only embarrass my friends but also me. We took a few pictures and got on the metro. Next stop, the Arc de Triomphe. Not too much to say about the Arc. It’s the second largest triumphal arc in the world, but it’s probably the most famous. After the Arc, we walked to the Eiffel Tower, and had panini’s for lunch. We were going to go up, but the line was ridiculous. We decided to go back later that night. Danielle had built a model of some house for one of her final projects at school, so she had to go see this house that been the bane of her existence. The house was done by Le Corbusier. It was pretty ugly from the inside and modern on the inside. Not my favorite thing ever, but pretty cool. Le Corbusier had been a collector of Picasso. He had done some cubist work himself, so a few of those pieces were hanging in the house.
The Pantheon was our next stop. Some of France’s greatest figures are entombed in the crypt there—Voltaire, Rousseau, Hugo, Dumas. It was a little eerie. In the middle, there is a huge pendulum that swings back and forth. I have no idea what the pendulum symbolizes. Ivana met up with us again at the Pantheon and took us through Luxembourg Gardens.
Ivana and I in Luxembory Gardens, and Me in the Gardens
The Grand Opera House
Ivana had talked to some of her friends, and they were at a park having a little picnic dinner. We grabbed some baguettes and sandwiches and met them there. The park was very serene. It was nice sitting and chatting and just enjoying the park, and when the sun started to set, the trees started to turn gold.
The last thing on our list was to go up the Eiffel Tower. It closes at midnight and we got there at about 11. Unfortunately, they weren’t selling tickets to the very top anymore. I was pretty disappointed, but c’est la vie. We did go up to the second observation deck, and the old man security guard fell in love with me. Our conversation goes as follows:
Security Guard: (Heavy French accent) Where are you from?
Daniela: Las Vegas.
SG: Oh Las Vegas!!! (Calls over other security guard and says in French) She’s from Las Vegas!!
SG2: Oh Las Vegas! You have one of these there, no?
D: Yes, but it’s absolutely nothing like this.
SG: How do you like Paris.
D: Oh it’s beautiful! C’est belle, c’est magnifique!
SG: Oh your French accent in beautiful (hilarious because I kept getting made fun of for my crappy French, then they start talking in French)
D: Sorry, I don’t understand French (I hear them say Bush a few times) Oh no Bush, no Bush!
SG: Oh no Bush!! Yeah! Obama?
D: Yeah Obama!
SG: Obama!! Democrat?
D: Democrat!
SG: Enchante!! Sarkozy!!
After all this goes on, and a line has started to form around me, we finally get in the actual line. The security guard comes up to me and starts speaking in French again. I finally figure out he’s telling me I have a beautiful smile. I thank him, and finally move along in line. But he really loved Las Vegas…and Obama.
Even though we only got to go up to the second observation deck, seeing Paris at night was pretty spectacular, and the perfect way to end our trip. Once we got down, I said goodbye to Ivana and we went back to the hotel. The next morning we got up early to do a little souvenir shopping—for the record Tour de France merchandise is super expensive—and then started on the trek back to Beauvais.
Danielle and I
I really loved and enjoyed Paris. I have to go back one day, if anything just to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, the one thing I really wish I would have done. It’s funny though, getting back to Barcelona felt so familiar and normal. But Paris, oh Paris, there is nothing quite like it.
The last thing on our list was to go up the Eiffel Tower. It closes at midnight and we got there at about 11. Unfortunately, they weren’t selling tickets to the very top anymore. I was pretty disappointed, but c’est la vie. We did go up to the second observation deck, and the old man security guard fell in love with me. Our conversation goes as follows:
Security Guard: (Heavy French accent) Where are you from?
Daniela: Las Vegas.
SG: Oh Las Vegas!!! (Calls over other security guard and says in French) She’s from Las Vegas!!
SG2: Oh Las Vegas! You have one of these there, no?
D: Yes, but it’s absolutely nothing like this.
SG: How do you like Paris.
D: Oh it’s beautiful! C’est belle, c’est magnifique!
SG: Oh your French accent in beautiful (hilarious because I kept getting made fun of for my crappy French, then they start talking in French)
D: Sorry, I don’t understand French (I hear them say Bush a few times) Oh no Bush, no Bush!
SG: Oh no Bush!! Yeah! Obama?
D: Yeah Obama!
SG: Obama!! Democrat?
D: Democrat!
SG: Enchante!! Sarkozy!!
After all this goes on, and a line has started to form around me, we finally get in the actual line. The security guard comes up to me and starts speaking in French again. I finally figure out he’s telling me I have a beautiful smile. I thank him, and finally move along in line. But he really loved Las Vegas…and Obama.
Even though we only got to go up to the second observation deck, seeing Paris at night was pretty spectacular, and the perfect way to end our trip. Once we got down, I said goodbye to Ivana and we went back to the hotel. The next morning we got up early to do a little souvenir shopping—for the record Tour de France merchandise is super expensive—and then started on the trek back to Beauvais.
Danielle and I
I really loved and enjoyed Paris. I have to go back one day, if anything just to go to the top of the Eiffel Tower, the one thing I really wish I would have done. It’s funny though, getting back to Barcelona felt so familiar and normal. But Paris, oh Paris, there is nothing quite like it.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Days go by
I´m on my break in between my classes, and it occurred to me that I haven´t really said a whole lot about my typical day. I´ve talked a lot about sightseeing (which is usually part of my typical day), but not so much about my routine.
Monday through Thursday, I have class from 9:00 - 10:30 and then from 14:30 - 16:00 (ha I´m finally getting use to military time. My early class is Contemporary History of Spain. Not going to lie, it´s pretty boring, especially at 9 in the morning. After class, I have a nice long 4 hour break. Usually, I try to get some sight seeing in--I´ll meet my roommate Danielle and we´ll do a bit of exploring. Today we went searching for a jewelry designer´s stuido, but it was closed. However, we did get to walk through the Barri Gotic and the Borne neighborhood, both really really beautiful places. Narrow little streets and cute little stores. We also checked out the Cathedral. Very beautiful. After, we walked back towards school and had lunch at this fabulous little cafe, Farggi, on the corner by the plaza. It has the BEST gelato and pretty tasty sandwhiches. It´s kind of like a Spanish version of Starbucks, except with gelato! They also have fancy coffee drinks, but they´re pretty pricey. For regular coffee there are a few choices: cafe solo, cafe con leche, or un cortado. Cafe solo is just plain black coffee and is tiny. Like really tiny. Like less than a shot of espresso, but waaaay stronger. Cafe con leche is half coffee, half milk. There´s definitely more of it because of the milk. I´ve had it a couple times, but I´m not too big a fan of the milk here. A cortado is coffee with just a little bit of milk. I haven´t tried it yet, but I´m guessing it´s probably a happy medium between the other two. Although, drinking a cafe solo is definitely enough to keep me awake during my afternoon class. I can´t talk about food without talking about pastries and bread. The bakeries here are soooo fabulous. The sandwhiches are made on fresh baguettes. I´m sure it will only get better in Paris.
Also while on the topic of food, currently there is a transportation strike in Spain. Gas prices are super high, and truck drivers want the government to help pay the outrageous cost because their livelihoods are in jeopardy. What does this have to do with food? Well, there are no truck drivers to deliver food to the grocery stores or restaurants. I went to the grocery store on Monday and there were very very few fruits and veggies, and almost no meat left. Should be interesting to see what happens in the days to come and whether the price of food goes up. There´s also no gas because the gas trucks aren´t delivering. And the border has been closed to transport trucks, so nothing can come in from France. I guess western Europe is also affected by the high cost of oil.
Back to my day. Usually after class, I´ll do some more sightseeing with my roommates or we´ll hit up the beach. However, the weather is a factor. Last week it rained quite a bit, but this week has been gorgeous. We make it back to the apartment in the evening, do homework, have dinner, and sometimes go out. And that´s pretty much a typical day for me.
I´m leaving for Paris tomorrow!!! I´m so excited!! We´re staying at a cute little hotel called Hotel Bellevue. It had a good rating and it looks safe and clean. The best part is it´s cheap and the location is great. I´m excited to see Ivana, too. So far the list of places to see is: The Louvre, Notre Dame de Paris, St. Chappelles, Arc de Triumf, Eiffel Tower, the Seine, the Pantheon, Moulin Rouge and just walk around. Of course we´ll be doing some shopping (duh, it´s Paris), and hitting up the bakeries. We figure food is probably expensive, so I think we´re going to stick with baguettes, cheese and wine. I´m also looking forward to the crepes, french fries, and pastries.
None of us know french, besides a few words (Bonjour, Au revoir, etc) and one inapporiate phrase (I know everyone remembers that music video), so it should be interesting, and if anything an adventure! I´ll be sure to update on Sunday night or Monday about my fabulous weekend in Paris!
Monday through Thursday, I have class from 9:00 - 10:30 and then from 14:30 - 16:00 (ha I´m finally getting use to military time. My early class is Contemporary History of Spain. Not going to lie, it´s pretty boring, especially at 9 in the morning. After class, I have a nice long 4 hour break. Usually, I try to get some sight seeing in--I´ll meet my roommate Danielle and we´ll do a bit of exploring. Today we went searching for a jewelry designer´s stuido, but it was closed. However, we did get to walk through the Barri Gotic and the Borne neighborhood, both really really beautiful places. Narrow little streets and cute little stores. We also checked out the Cathedral. Very beautiful. After, we walked back towards school and had lunch at this fabulous little cafe, Farggi, on the corner by the plaza. It has the BEST gelato and pretty tasty sandwhiches. It´s kind of like a Spanish version of Starbucks, except with gelato! They also have fancy coffee drinks, but they´re pretty pricey. For regular coffee there are a few choices: cafe solo, cafe con leche, or un cortado. Cafe solo is just plain black coffee and is tiny. Like really tiny. Like less than a shot of espresso, but waaaay stronger. Cafe con leche is half coffee, half milk. There´s definitely more of it because of the milk. I´ve had it a couple times, but I´m not too big a fan of the milk here. A cortado is coffee with just a little bit of milk. I haven´t tried it yet, but I´m guessing it´s probably a happy medium between the other two. Although, drinking a cafe solo is definitely enough to keep me awake during my afternoon class. I can´t talk about food without talking about pastries and bread. The bakeries here are soooo fabulous. The sandwhiches are made on fresh baguettes. I´m sure it will only get better in Paris.
Also while on the topic of food, currently there is a transportation strike in Spain. Gas prices are super high, and truck drivers want the government to help pay the outrageous cost because their livelihoods are in jeopardy. What does this have to do with food? Well, there are no truck drivers to deliver food to the grocery stores or restaurants. I went to the grocery store on Monday and there were very very few fruits and veggies, and almost no meat left. Should be interesting to see what happens in the days to come and whether the price of food goes up. There´s also no gas because the gas trucks aren´t delivering. And the border has been closed to transport trucks, so nothing can come in from France. I guess western Europe is also affected by the high cost of oil.
Back to my day. Usually after class, I´ll do some more sightseeing with my roommates or we´ll hit up the beach. However, the weather is a factor. Last week it rained quite a bit, but this week has been gorgeous. We make it back to the apartment in the evening, do homework, have dinner, and sometimes go out. And that´s pretty much a typical day for me.
I´m leaving for Paris tomorrow!!! I´m so excited!! We´re staying at a cute little hotel called Hotel Bellevue. It had a good rating and it looks safe and clean. The best part is it´s cheap and the location is great. I´m excited to see Ivana, too. So far the list of places to see is: The Louvre, Notre Dame de Paris, St. Chappelles, Arc de Triumf, Eiffel Tower, the Seine, the Pantheon, Moulin Rouge and just walk around. Of course we´ll be doing some shopping (duh, it´s Paris), and hitting up the bakeries. We figure food is probably expensive, so I think we´re going to stick with baguettes, cheese and wine. I´m also looking forward to the crepes, french fries, and pastries.
None of us know french, besides a few words (Bonjour, Au revoir, etc) and one inapporiate phrase (I know everyone remembers that music video), so it should be interesting, and if anything an adventure! I´ll be sure to update on Sunday night or Monday about my fabulous weekend in Paris!
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