Here is my weekend schedule for the next month or so:
Feb. 25: Sevilla, Spain
March 4: Paris, France
March 11: staying in Barcelona
March 18: Mallorca, Spain
March 25: daytrip to Montserrat, staying in Barcelona
April 1: Valencia, Spain (with Mom!)
Spring Break (Semana Santa): Morocco for the first weekend, back to Barcelona, then Prague, Czech Republic for two nights and Vienna, Austria for two nights!
Being able to travel for cheap is so amazing...I feel like I am never going to get the opportunity to do all of this again, so I'm trying to see as much of the world as I can while I'm here. We just booked Mallorca today for the weekend after midterms, which will be a nice vacation! The plane tickets, round trip, were 35euro. Insane!
I've been on a strict budget to allow for this much travel. The only things I've been spending money on are metro passes, food, and drinks. But it's totally worth it! I am having the time of my life :)
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Ruins, Onions, and Stock Market Bars
Hola todos!
Sorry it's been a while since I last posted, this past week was so unexpectedly busy! My classes are finally starting to get to the point where they actually feel like classes, due to the amount of work I have been getting. Homework should be optional when you're abroad. I'm learning so much outside the classroom that sometimes going to class just seems like a waste of time I could be out exploring. I definitely caught the travel bug.
Anyway, this past weekend was a ton of fun. On Friday, I went on a daytrip with about 15 other people from my program to Tarragona in Southern Catalonia. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day and a more beautiful setting.
First, we went to see the Roman ruins in Tarragona, which were, as most Roman ruins are, very cool. The sky was so blue I couldn't believe it. After seeing what was left over of the walls and forum, we went down to the sea to see the ampitheater. It was literally so beautiful I was speechless. I am so jealous of those people who live in the villas on that shore...it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen.
After our tour, we went to lunch and I got to experience "calcots" firsthand. I had been hearing about this supposedly-delicious green onion and magical sauce combo, and I have to admit, I was pretty skeptical. I was even more skeptical when they brought the calcots to the table. They were onions, alright, but they looked like they had been set on fire! We had to peel off all the charred outer layer...it was a HUGE mess! We had to wear bibs (I stole mine as a souvenir, by the way) and my hands looked like I had just gotten out of drawing class because they were covered in charcoal.
But, oh my gosh, it was so worth it. They were DELICIOUS. The next course consisted of a bunch of sketchy-looking meats, beans, and artichokes. I tried some of the pork and the sausage and wasn't really a fan of either. The beans were good, though, and so was the artichoke. The next course was desert, some delicious custard dish, almond cookies, and sugared oranges. Needless to say, I felt like I had a food baby in my stomach once we were leaving the restaurant.
Full and happy, we headed to the town of Santes Creus, where we toured an absolutely beautiful old monastery. The tour was unnecessarily long due to the fact that we had to use a translator (I actually understood the tour guide's Spanish better than the translator's English), but I took a million pictures!
We were all pretty exhausted after that, and everyone took a nap on the bus ride home. That night, a bunch of us met up at a bar called La Oveja Negra (The Black Sheep) for drinks, then went to a club called Shoko. I was not a fan of the music, but it was fun nonetheless. We didn't get home until close to 4:30am, so I slept most of the day on Saturday and then spent the evening relaxing.
Saturday night we went out to a bar called "Dow Jones." It was stock market themed--the drink prices went up and down with popularity! It was hilarious...sirens would go off when the prices "crashed" and everyone rushed the bar! We got there kind of early (here, 11pm is considered early) so we made friends with one of the bartenders, Tatiana from Mexico. A lot of people from my program showed up (that seems to happen all the time, somehow) and it turned into a really fun night!
I spent Sunday doing all the homework I hadn't done all weekend and working on internship applications for the summer (so much fun!).
I am getting very excited for the Sevilla trip this weekend, Paris the weekend after, and my mom's visit just a few weeks after that! I can't believe I have already been here for almost a month!
Hope everyone is well, I miss and love you all!
Sorry it's been a while since I last posted, this past week was so unexpectedly busy! My classes are finally starting to get to the point where they actually feel like classes, due to the amount of work I have been getting. Homework should be optional when you're abroad. I'm learning so much outside the classroom that sometimes going to class just seems like a waste of time I could be out exploring. I definitely caught the travel bug.
Anyway, this past weekend was a ton of fun. On Friday, I went on a daytrip with about 15 other people from my program to Tarragona in Southern Catalonia. We couldn't have asked for a nicer day and a more beautiful setting.
First, we went to see the Roman ruins in Tarragona, which were, as most Roman ruins are, very cool. The sky was so blue I couldn't believe it. After seeing what was left over of the walls and forum, we went down to the sea to see the ampitheater. It was literally so beautiful I was speechless. I am so jealous of those people who live in the villas on that shore...it was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen.
But, oh my gosh, it was so worth it. They were DELICIOUS. The next course consisted of a bunch of sketchy-looking meats, beans, and artichokes. I tried some of the pork and the sausage and wasn't really a fan of either. The beans were good, though, and so was the artichoke. The next course was desert, some delicious custard dish, almond cookies, and sugared oranges. Needless to say, I felt like I had a food baby in my stomach once we were leaving the restaurant.
Full and happy, we headed to the town of Santes Creus, where we toured an absolutely beautiful old monastery. The tour was unnecessarily long due to the fact that we had to use a translator (I actually understood the tour guide's Spanish better than the translator's English), but I took a million pictures!
Saturday night we went out to a bar called "Dow Jones." It was stock market themed--the drink prices went up and down with popularity! It was hilarious...sirens would go off when the prices "crashed" and everyone rushed the bar! We got there kind of early (here, 11pm is considered early) so we made friends with one of the bartenders, Tatiana from Mexico. A lot of people from my program showed up (that seems to happen all the time, somehow) and it turned into a really fun night!
I am getting very excited for the Sevilla trip this weekend, Paris the weekend after, and my mom's visit just a few weeks after that! I can't believe I have already been here for almost a month!
Hope everyone is well, I miss and love you all!
Monday, February 14, 2011
When in Rome...
Bon giorno!
This past weekend was one of the most incredible weekends of my life. Rome was absolutely amazing. You are just walking down the street, and then BAM! there's something you've been seeing in textbooks your entire life. While we didn't actually go inside every building due to the limited time we were there (I would have loved to go inside the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel, but they both had three-hour lines), I was thrilled with the amount we did get to see.
Caroline and I got to Rome early Friday afternoon after almost missing our plane! The bus that goes from Barcelona to Girona airport is supposed to run every 15 minutes. Our flight was at 11:30, so we got to the bus station at around 8:35, knowing it was a one-hour bus ride. However, there was a random break, so there had been a bus at 8:30, and the next one wasn't until 9:30! We freaked out the entire way to the airport that we were going to miss the plane. Thankfully we got there fast and the airport was practically empty, so we made it with time to spare!
Our friend Dara and her friend from home Jennifer were already there, so they came and met us at the bus from the airport and brought us to our hostel. It smelled REALLY bad, but other than that it was fine. We were barely there, anyways.
We went to see the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and a couple other sights then found a restaurant for dinner (which was delicious, of course). That night we hit up a couple of bars the girl at the hostel had recommended, which were really fun.
The next day we were planning on getting up early to go to the Vatican before it got really crowded, but that didn't happen as we got home after 3am. So instead we slept in and went to see St. Peter's Basilica, which had much shorter lines. Good choice, because it was absolutely AMAZING.
After that, we went to lunch and walked around for a bit. We had signed up for a tour that afternoon where we saw a bunch of the piazzas, Trevi Fountain again, the Pantheon, and some churches. I really liked learning the history behind everything, especially about the sculptor/architect Bernini. He was really smart and really crazy!
We went back to the hostel after almost 8 hours of walking and took a nap before dinner. I had the most delicious pizza ever! We then went out with this group called the Colosseum Team who organize parties for international students in Rome. They took us to a bar and two clubs and we met a lot of other students (some from Spain, the States, South Africa, Poland, and Italy of course) and it was SO much fun. We got home at 5am and I passed out right away.
We flew back to Barcelona Sunday morning, where I spent the afternoon taking a long nap and doing homework. It was so much fun, I really want to go back one day! Although according to what people say about the Trevi Fountain, I will! If you toss in one coin, you will be there again someday. If you toss in two, a wish you make will also come true. If you throw in three, you will also find a Roman lover. I threw in two...I figured that was safe with everything I have learned about European men ;)
This next weekend I'm staying in Barcelona, but the adventure continues the following week when my program goes to Sevilla. The week after that, I'm going to Paris! I love being able to travel for really cheap!
That's it for now, don't forget to check out the rest of my pictures on Facebook. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!
This past weekend was one of the most incredible weekends of my life. Rome was absolutely amazing. You are just walking down the street, and then BAM! there's something you've been seeing in textbooks your entire life. While we didn't actually go inside every building due to the limited time we were there (I would have loved to go inside the Colosseum and the Sistine Chapel, but they both had three-hour lines), I was thrilled with the amount we did get to see.
Caroline and I got to Rome early Friday afternoon after almost missing our plane! The bus that goes from Barcelona to Girona airport is supposed to run every 15 minutes. Our flight was at 11:30, so we got to the bus station at around 8:35, knowing it was a one-hour bus ride. However, there was a random break, so there had been a bus at 8:30, and the next one wasn't until 9:30! We freaked out the entire way to the airport that we were going to miss the plane. Thankfully we got there fast and the airport was practically empty, so we made it with time to spare!
Our friend Dara and her friend from home Jennifer were already there, so they came and met us at the bus from the airport and brought us to our hostel. It smelled REALLY bad, but other than that it was fine. We were barely there, anyways.
Our room in the hostel
We went to see the Colosseum, Trevi Fountain, and a couple other sights then found a restaurant for dinner (which was delicious, of course). That night we hit up a couple of bars the girl at the hostel had recommended, which were really fun.
Me at the Colosseum
In front of some Roman Ruins
The next day we were planning on getting up early to go to the Vatican before it got really crowded, but that didn't happen as we got home after 3am. So instead we slept in and went to see St. Peter's Basilica, which had much shorter lines. Good choice, because it was absolutely AMAZING.
After that, we went to lunch and walked around for a bit. We had signed up for a tour that afternoon where we saw a bunch of the piazzas, Trevi Fountain again, the Pantheon, and some churches. I really liked learning the history behind everything, especially about the sculptor/architect Bernini. He was really smart and really crazy!
The Spanish Steps
Trevi Fountain
The Pantheon
We went back to the hostel after almost 8 hours of walking and took a nap before dinner. I had the most delicious pizza ever! We then went out with this group called the Colosseum Team who organize parties for international students in Rome. They took us to a bar and two clubs and we met a lot of other students (some from Spain, the States, South Africa, Poland, and Italy of course) and it was SO much fun. We got home at 5am and I passed out right away.
We flew back to Barcelona Sunday morning, where I spent the afternoon taking a long nap and doing homework. It was so much fun, I really want to go back one day! Although according to what people say about the Trevi Fountain, I will! If you toss in one coin, you will be there again someday. If you toss in two, a wish you make will also come true. If you throw in three, you will also find a Roman lover. I threw in two...I figured that was safe with everything I have learned about European men ;)
This next weekend I'm staying in Barcelona, but the adventure continues the following week when my program goes to Sevilla. The week after that, I'm going to Paris! I love being able to travel for really cheap!
That's it for now, don't forget to check out the rest of my pictures on Facebook. Oh, and Happy Valentine's Day!
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Olive Oil is the New Butter
Hola!
Since we only have one sort-of functioning burner and a microwave to work with in our apartment, and my cooking skills are even more limited than the cooking resources themselves, I have been experimenting with various meals. Most of them somehow involve olive oil...no one uses butter here! That's why they're so healthy!
My new favorite, surprisingly enough, is asparagus sauteed in olive oil and served with cheese and crackers. Delicious! I've also made various kinds of pasta with olive oil, and there is a bakery across the street from my apartment that sells huge baguettes for only 85 cents, so I've been eating a lot of bread with olive oil too. I've also become the master of microwave nachos with fresh green and red peppers. So far I haven't been able to find jalapeños, but I'm on a mission to add those, too.
I've also been eating a lot of Activia, trying to keep my system regular, because we all know how much my stomach likes unfamiliar places!
This week has been pretty uneventful thus far, just going to classes, doing homework, and saving my energy for Rome this weekend! I am so excited!
Hasta luego.
Since we only have one sort-of functioning burner and a microwave to work with in our apartment, and my cooking skills are even more limited than the cooking resources themselves, I have been experimenting with various meals. Most of them somehow involve olive oil...no one uses butter here! That's why they're so healthy!
My new favorite, surprisingly enough, is asparagus sauteed in olive oil and served with cheese and crackers. Delicious! I've also made various kinds of pasta with olive oil, and there is a bakery across the street from my apartment that sells huge baguettes for only 85 cents, so I've been eating a lot of bread with olive oil too. I've also become the master of microwave nachos with fresh green and red peppers. So far I haven't been able to find jalapeños, but I'm on a mission to add those, too.
I've also been eating a lot of Activia, trying to keep my system regular, because we all know how much my stomach likes unfamiliar places!
This week has been pretty uneventful thus far, just going to classes, doing homework, and saving my energy for Rome this weekend! I am so excited!
Hasta luego.
Monday, February 7, 2011
Superbowl Monday
Last night, as you all know, was the night of the Superbowl! But while all of you were watching at 6:30pm, the Superbowl aired here starting at 12:30am this morning...which means we were up until 5am.
Needless to say, I'm running low on energy today, but it was worth it. A couple of us brave night owls watched the American game in an Irish pub in Spain. I felt very cultured. Every person in that bar was either American or Irish, which we found really funny. We were trying to explain where we are from in the U.S. to a group of Irish guys who clearly did not know their states. My friend Nicole is from RI, and she was explaining how small it is. They found that hilarious and continued to make comments about "tiny Rhode Island" for the rest of the night.
There was also a guy in the bar who literally was sitting in a booth sleeping for the entire duration of the game. People were taking pictures with him, that's how funny it was. His Irish friends told us his name was "Moose".
Terry (from Trumbull, CT!) insisted he needed a photo with Señor Sleepyhead.
We missed out on the great Superbowl commercials, however, because they don't air them here! That was disappointing, but the night was fun and it was a great game!
Needless to say, I'm running low on energy today, but it was worth it. A couple of us brave night owls watched the American game in an Irish pub in Spain. I felt very cultured. Every person in that bar was either American or Irish, which we found really funny. We were trying to explain where we are from in the U.S. to a group of Irish guys who clearly did not know their states. My friend Nicole is from RI, and she was explaining how small it is. They found that hilarious and continued to make comments about "tiny Rhode Island" for the rest of the night.
There was also a guy in the bar who literally was sitting in a booth sleeping for the entire duration of the game. People were taking pictures with him, that's how funny it was. His Irish friends told us his name was "Moose".
We missed out on the great Superbowl commercials, however, because they don't air them here! That was disappointing, but the night was fun and it was a great game!
Sunday, February 6, 2011
What a Weekend!
Hola!
I am very tired today after being out until the early hours of the morning two nights in a row. Needless to say, it was a good weekend! Today is my friend Dara's 21st birthday, so last night we went out to celebrate that.
Us eating tapas last night at a place right near our school. Delicious!
I'm really enjoying getting to know the people on my program. There are a lot of different personalities but somehow it works, and we all get along really well. With the exception of a few people on the program who mostly just stick together and don't talk to anyone else, everyone is friends. I was worried before I arrived in Barcelona that I wouldn't click with people, but it's all working out!
I would write more, but I have a lot of homework to do for tomorrow (What? You mean "study abroad" actually includes studying? No way!). Look for a post or two this week before I leave for Rome on Friday morning!
Hasta luego!
I am very tired today after being out until the early hours of the morning two nights in a row. Needless to say, it was a good weekend! Today is my friend Dara's 21st birthday, so last night we went out to celebrate that.
Us eating tapas last night at a place right near our school. Delicious!
I'm really enjoying getting to know the people on my program. There are a lot of different personalities but somehow it works, and we all get along really well. With the exception of a few people on the program who mostly just stick together and don't talk to anyone else, everyone is friends. I was worried before I arrived in Barcelona that I wouldn't click with people, but it's all working out!
I would write more, but I have a lot of homework to do for tomorrow (What? You mean "study abroad" actually includes studying? No way!). Look for a post or two this week before I leave for Rome on Friday morning!
Hasta luego!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Wandering Around University of Barcelona
I love this picture. Maggie, Hillary, and me in one of the many gardens at UB.
Orlando Makes Me Puke (and so does Barcelona, apparently...)
Hola todos!
Many of you have probably heard the story about how when I went to Disneyworld 6 years ago, I spent one of the nights "hugging the toilet" due to some bad fish and chips. And then there was this past December's trip to Universal, where I found myself in the same position on the first night of our trip due to an incredibly large burger. Well, apparently, Barcelona has been added to the list of destinations that make me puke, because I spent all yesterday in the bathroom with a 24-hour stomach bug (aka the worst 24 hours of my life).
I am feeling much better today, thank goodness. I'm beginning to think that my stomach is not a fan of traveling, however. We'll see what happens when I go to Rome a week from tomorrow. Oh yeah, I'M GOING TO ROME IN A WEEK, EVERYONE! We've booked our flights but if anyone knows of relatively cheap hotels in Rome, please let me know!
In other news, I have now had all of my classes except the one I'm taking at the University of Barcelona, which starts next Tuesday. My favorite class is easily my art class...I forgot how nice just being able to sit and draw for an hour and a half was. The studio is beautiful, too, with a lot of natural light coming through wall-sized windows. It's a nice break for me.
Also interesting is my Catalan language class. Catalan is so much more different from Spanish than I thought it would be. Having a background in Spanish definitely helps with recognizing words, though. Pronunciation is a whole other story! We learned the alphabet in Catalan today, which was pretty funny. Another funny moment was when my professor told us the word for fire, which is "foc" (pronounced very much like a not-so-nice English word). When we all burst out laughing, immature college students that we are, she had no idea why and we had to explain it to her. Very amusing.
Normally we would not have Friday classes but we do tomorrow because it's the first week (this is the reason they gave us, I do not really understand it either), so my weekend will not officially begin until tomorrow afternoon. I hope to have some fun stories for you on Monday!
Adios! (or, in Catalan, Adéu!)
Many of you have probably heard the story about how when I went to Disneyworld 6 years ago, I spent one of the nights "hugging the toilet" due to some bad fish and chips. And then there was this past December's trip to Universal, where I found myself in the same position on the first night of our trip due to an incredibly large burger. Well, apparently, Barcelona has been added to the list of destinations that make me puke, because I spent all yesterday in the bathroom with a 24-hour stomach bug (aka the worst 24 hours of my life).
I am feeling much better today, thank goodness. I'm beginning to think that my stomach is not a fan of traveling, however. We'll see what happens when I go to Rome a week from tomorrow. Oh yeah, I'M GOING TO ROME IN A WEEK, EVERYONE! We've booked our flights but if anyone knows of relatively cheap hotels in Rome, please let me know!
In other news, I have now had all of my classes except the one I'm taking at the University of Barcelona, which starts next Tuesday. My favorite class is easily my art class...I forgot how nice just being able to sit and draw for an hour and a half was. The studio is beautiful, too, with a lot of natural light coming through wall-sized windows. It's a nice break for me.
Also interesting is my Catalan language class. Catalan is so much more different from Spanish than I thought it would be. Having a background in Spanish definitely helps with recognizing words, though. Pronunciation is a whole other story! We learned the alphabet in Catalan today, which was pretty funny. Another funny moment was when my professor told us the word for fire, which is "foc" (pronounced very much like a not-so-nice English word). When we all burst out laughing, immature college students that we are, she had no idea why and we had to explain it to her. Very amusing.
Normally we would not have Friday classes but we do tomorrow because it's the first week (this is the reason they gave us, I do not really understand it either), so my weekend will not officially begin until tomorrow afternoon. I hope to have some fun stories for you on Monday!
Adios! (or, in Catalan, Adéu!)
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