No Tengo el Internet

Sorry it has taken so long to update, I have not been able to get internet in my apartment so I am using the computer at school to say hello! After class on Thursday I met my aunt, uncle and cousins at their hotel which happened to be really close to where I live. We took a tour bus of the city so they could see most of Barcelona and then decide where to spend the next couple of days. Afterwards, we had dinner at one of my favorite restaurants in Plaza Real!

Friday morning we woke up early (at least it was for me) and had breakfast at a really great bakery and then headed to La Sagrada Familia. I had already visited with my class earlier in the week, but I definitely did not mind going back, as it is such and amazing place to see. Before lunch we took a walk through Parc Guell where there are tons of musicians and vendors and people having picnics. There is so much incredible art to see and amazing mosaics everywhere you look. I hope to spend a lot more time there in the next few weeks.

That afternoon we took a tour of the Picasso museum, where I spent more time looking at prints in the gift shop than actually in the museum. I´m glad I saw it, but it was nothing compared to the Prado and the other works I have seen. That night we went for one of the best dinners of my life! We spent 4 hours in this random seafood restaurant where we made friends with the owner and chef who also happens to be a collector of fine pieces of art. After a great meal (where I even ate baby octopus!) we ended up buying several watercolors of places around Barcelona.

Saturday was shopping day and was definitely a success! After another great dinner at one of my favorite places, we went to the fountains to watch the light show! Again, one of the best experiences I have had in Barcelona! It was so good to have my family here, but I´ll admit it has made it harder to stay here for 3 more weeks. I will stay busy with afternoons at the beach, class field trips and weekend excursions and I know I will love the rest of my time here. I am actually headed to the beach right now so hasta luego amigos!

Feliz Cuatro de Julio!

Celebrating the 4th in another country is quite an odd experience. I got a Starbuck's coffee this morning so I guess that will be the most American thing I do today. It was hilarious at breakfast this morning because our Señora thinks that the 4th is a very bid deal so she wanted us to tell her all about the American Revolution in mil setecientos siete y seis (1776). She kissed us goodbye on the way out for school and said "Feliz Cuatro de Julio!" (The Spaniards take a lot of pride in their Independence given that it was very recent)

This week as been a little more low key, but I have seen a lot of new things. Yesterday after class, some girls and I walked through the "Born" part of town and stopped at a Crepes place where I had my first experience with Nutella. There arn't words to describe the deliciousness. After words we spent a couple of hours in the Parc Ciutadella and it was a beautiful day. There are statues and fountains everywhere and even a place to feed ducks. We walked around the city a little more and had a low key evening en casa.

Today, my class took a field trip to La Sagrada Familia, the famous Iglesia that Gaudí was building when he was killed in 1926. For several reasons, including funds, the construction is incomplete and really nowhere close to being finished. It is supposed to be finished in 2026, but everyone I have talked to says that goal is very unlikely. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed the tour. The outside of the church is incredible, each fachada (side) depicting the birth, life, and death of Jesus Cristo, with 12 towers, one for each of the Apostoles. The inside is slightly different, almost completely filled with scaffolding. I'm sure it will be really great when it is all finished, I hope I get the chance to come back and see it.

This afternoon was really overcast and somewhat rainy, but I am really looking forward to dinner with Cheryl at a Sushi restaurant. I think this will be the last time we see each other because, my family comes tomorrow and she is leaving for Prague on Saturday. I am so excited for my cousins and aunt and uncle to get here, I can barely stand it! I will meet them after class tomorrow and hit the town. I'll be sure and take lots of pictures of our adventures!

Hasta Luego...

A Day to Rest

Cheryl and I at Grease


Alex, Cheryl and I at the Fountains


A drinking fountain in the Cathedral of Barcelona



Yes, it is 12:00 noon and I just got out of bed. This crazy Spanish schedule has got be reverting back to my high school days when I stay up all night and sleep all day. The rest of my first week in Barcelona has been so fun, let me tell you all about it...

On Wednesday, I got up for class and then ran a few errands afterwards, before coming back to our piso (apt.) for a little siesta. That evening, our group took a walking tour of El Barrio Gótico (the Gothic Quarter) which is the oldest part of the city. There were so many neat things to see including the Cathedral of Barcelona, the History Museum and the Street of Chocolate, which was my favorite! We even saw the steps up to the old palace where Christopher Columbus climbed to ask the King and Queen for permission to discover the Western Hemisphere! There is so much culture and Catalan pride in this city and it has been really cool to see that.

Thursday was a normal class in the morning, which I am really enjoying. My teacher is really fun and loves teaching which makes the class really great for the students. She even gave me her discount card to the school supply Co-op because I told her how much I love sharpies and notebooks and pens! That afternoon, I met Cheryl and several of her friends from UT to see the musical Grease. It was in Spanish and it was so much fun to watch, definitely a cultural experience. We had dinner at Hard Rock Cafe afterwards and it was the first time I had a salad with ranch dressing. I decided if I ever get homesick, I am going back there, because it does not get much more American than that.

Friday we had class, but we got out at 1 so I took my beach stuff and headed straight over. The beach is great because you can lay in the sun for hours without feeling hot! We went to a restaurant in the center of the city that is pretty famous and had a really nice meal for cheap! Around 10:30 we headed over to Las Fuentes (the fountains) in front of the Art Museum. So far, this is my favorite place in the city. On the weekends in the summer they put on a light show at the fountains and play music and thousands of people go and sit around for hours just watchig. It was so fun, I hope to go back several times while I am here!

Yesterday, Cheryl, Alex, another girl from UT, and I took a short hike up to Montjuïc where lots of the Olympics facilities are. It was really neat to see the stadium and other buildings, and we even went into the Olympic Museum. I can't imagine having been lucky enough to be in this city the summer of 1992. Anybody want to "study abroad" in London in 2012? We went to the beach for the afternoon and took a really nice nap. Then, some girls from Cheryl's group met up with us for dinner and then we went out for the night and had a good time.

Today is not just a regular Sunday in Spain. Today is the first day of July, which mean the descuentos start! Every store that is usually closed is open today and everyone goes shopping! So you know where I will be this afternoon...

I am really looking forward to this week because of a couple of class field trips and because my Uncle Donnie, Aunt Cheryl, Lar-Lar and Dede are coming on Thursday.

Hasta Luego Amigos...

Stealing Your Neighbor's Wireless is Acceptable in Every Country

Need I say more about the mullets in Spain???


Some girls and I at the tapas bar in Toledo


Cathedral in Toledo


The tomb/monument to Francisco Franco


It has been a while since I have updated and I have so much to share. After leaving Madrid, we made a few stops on our way to Barcelona. First we visited the tomb of the infamous Francisco Franco where he had basically and entire mountainside build and dedicated to himself. It was very weird visiting a place that commemorates such an awful person (imagine visiting a monument to Hitler). There is a cathedral inside of the mountain where his few remaining followers come daily for mass. We were actually there during a service and it was pretty unbelievable.

Next, we stopped at El Escorial which is a small town famous for its churches, schools and mostly an Augustinian Monestary where all of Spain's royalty is buried. We saw caskets/tombs of people from the 16th century up until the current era (the reigning King Juan Carlos' brother is buried there). It was crazy to stand in one single room and look up and see 25 of the King's and Queens I have read about in text books including Carlos V, Phillip II and Reina Sophia.

That evening we finally arrived in Toledo, the religious capitol of España. We stayed at a very luxurious hotel/resort outside of the town with a huge pool and lounge area. The first night the whole group went into town and we split up to have dinner and hang out. We ate paella in a local place and it was wonderful, of course. A few girls and I went to an Irish pub for the rest of the evening where many other people from our group joined us. While sitting in this pub, the song "Wonderwall" by Oasis came on and a huge group of French army men busted out in song and it was so hilarious. We met some of these interesting guys, later in the night and even had conversations about the U.S., Bush, and the War in Iraq. You can imagine how interesting that was.

The second day in Toledo was one of the best so far. We woke up and took a walking tour of the entire city for about half a day. Because it has been the religious capitol for thousands of years, it has so many different influences. We saw the very first synagogue built outside of Jerusalem that was turned into a mosque and is now a cathedral. The city is surrounded by giant walls and the streets are narrow and curvy. Funny Sidenote: I ran into a girl that lived at SRD with me last year in a random alley. It really is a small world. That afternoon we went back to the hotel and layed out by the pool for several hours and then went back to town for dinner. We ate at a great tapas bar and then went to a Disco that used to be a cathedral. It looked so awesome on the inside! The funny part is that the party didn't start until around 1:30 a.m. when the 50 and 60 year old adults showed up!

The next morning we packed up and got on a bus to drive 9 hours to Barcelona. Without going into detail, I have taken LOTS of 24 hour bus rides to Colorado that were better than this. Upon arrival in Barcelona, our host families were waiting in the Plaza Universidad to take us back to our homes. I found out that I actually had one more roommate, Nikki, who is from Iowa. She and I share a room in the apartment and Julia has our own room. My house mom is a 77 year old single woman. She has 5 kids who are married and have families of their own. Her husband passed away 2 years ago and she has students come because she does not like living by herself. She is really nice and hospitable, but she talks soooo fast! It's been a good way to practice speaking to a native. She gives us food for breakfast, packs us a sandwich for lunch and then cooks us a good dinner! So far, I have enjoyed the food, but you wait so long in between eating that I find myself hungry all the time.

Yesterday morning (Monday) we went to our school for the first time and took a placement test to figure out what class we would be in. I tested into advanced spanish and met my teacher and other classmates in the afternoon. So far I love everything about school. It is part language and part culture so it is very interactive and we even get to take field trips like in elementary school! We go everyday from 10-2 and my maestra is a 30 year old doctoral student who seems to really love teaching.

Yesterday in the afternoon after getting lost for a couple of hours, I met a few girls at the beach. I feel like a pro at taking the metro now! The beach was pretty crowded but it was really pretty! On our way back we walked around one of the main streets called La Rambla where there is tons of restaurants, shopping, street vendors and entertainment. We found a famous market where they sell tons of fresh fruit, vegetables, bread and meat. The hanging animals I saw in the market confirmed the reasons I choose not to eat most of it!

I came home for dinner and had a restful night, only to start all over this morning. I got lost on my way to class but the teacher was nice about it knowing that it was the first day. I loved class today and am so excited to go back! After class, I met my friend Cheryl from UT who has been here since May and she showed me around a little bit. The entire group took a bus tour of the city this evening and it was helpful to get a better understanding of the city and where things are. I am overwhelmed with all that there is to see and do in this city! I am so excited to continue exploring! Señora is calling us for dinner so I will finish here. Hasta luego....

El Capital de Mullets

El Palacio Real


Me in front of a view of the hills from the palace


Amazing apartment buildings that lookout on the Palace


Outside of El Museo Del Prado

This is it, I have found the world Capitol of mullets. Okay, maybe not the Capitol, but apparently it is cool and attractive for men and women to have mullets. In other news, I had a really great day doing the touristy stuff in Madrid. The whole group loaded on buses and drove to El Museo del Prado. It was so incredible. I would not say that I am very interested in art, or have much experience looking at it, but what I saw today was so awesome. I chose to go with the guide who was giving the tour in Spanish rather than English and found that I understood about 80% of what she said. She gave us in depth information about Goya, Velasquéz and El Greco. Velasquéz turned out to be my favorite. We had a couple of hours for lunch to do whatever, so I found this pizza place and then had the best tiramasu ice cream ever! I went to these gardens outside of Palacio Real (The Royal Palace) and read for an hour or so before our guided tour of the palace. The palace was unreal. It is so hard to believe that people actually lived in such luxury so many years ago. The architecture and paintings are far more intricate than anything I have ever seen built in the last 100 years, and we have far greater technology now. I came home to take una siesta as I was tired from the day and I will probably grab dinner later and get to bed early. We leave early tomorrow for El Escondrial and Toledo so I want to rest up. Not sure when I will get to update next but Hasta Luego....

First Day in Madrid

Last night was fun, the two other girls and I ate dinner around 9:00 at a place called Compostela's, which is right across from our hotel. It's so weird to me that everyone stays out so late here! Dad, you wouldn't do well eating dinner past your bedtime! The food was pretty good, I ate empañadas. We met a really nice man from Mexico who is a neuroscientist that used to teach at UCLA. He suggested many places to see and things to do.

After a good night's sleep, we got up this morning and ate breakfast at the hotel. We decided to start walking around and see what we could find. The heart of the city reminds me a lot of New York; tons of traffic, loud sirens, and tons of people. Good people watching for sure. The shopping is amazing with tons of designer stores everywhere (Lar Lar bring your dinero!). We stumbled into a couple of really neat places, one was the Plaza del Sol and another the Plaza Mayor. We continued to find a small cathedral that was built for Royalty (I believe Sophia) and another huge one next to the Palacio Real. We ate lunch outside in the Plaza Mayor and I tried a classic Spanish dish called Paella, a rice and meat mixture. Tonight at 6 we are taking a bus tour of the city with the whole group of students, so I am looking forward to seeing more places and meeting more of the group! Here are a couple pictures I took today...



Hasta Mañana!

Bienvenido a España

I got in this morning around 11:30 after a six and a half hour flight from Newark and took a taxi to the hotel. We are staying in the Husa Moncloa hotel for the next few days and it is very nice. Everything went very smoothly and one of the girls I am staying with was already there. I sat down on the bed to read the hotel guide and the next thing I knew I had been asleep for 3 hours. I guess I didn´t realize how tired I was. By the time I took a shower, the other girl who is staying in the hotel with us tonight came in. She and I decided to just start walking around the city and see what we came across. The weather is amazing, around 60 degrees and sunny. We walked through a beautiful park and I can tell I am already going to love this culture. The spaniards walk everywhere anaad lay on the grass around fountains reading and talking. Whitney and I are going to walk around some more and hopefully find a great place to eat. The rest of the group is coming in tomorrow and the program will officially start! I´ll be updating tomorrow, hopefully with some great pictures!

Hasta Mañana!