This weekend has been a pretty low-key weekend, relative to the rest of the weekends I have had since arriving in Europe. This partly has to do with the fact that I have midterms this coming week, so I've been attempting to study for those. It also partly has to do with the fact that I am exhausted from the last few weekends of traveling, so it was nice to have a few days to just sit back, relax, and enjoy Barcelona.
On Thursday night, my friend Hillary hosted a dinner party for 8 of us, and cooked us a delicious meal of chicken tiki masala, rice, roasted veggies, chickpea chili, and homemade coleslaw. It was so good, and I ate so much that I thought I was going to explode, but it was totally worth it. Hillary is an awesome chef, and she has a huge kitchen and dining room in her apartment. We're thinking of making a habit out of these dinner parties! Afterwards, Caroline and I were full of food and wine, and not really in the mood to go out, so we came back to our apartment and watched movies instead.
On Friday, I spent a lot of the day sleeping and laying around doing nothing, which was much needed. Friday night, we decided to go on a mission and find a karaoke bar, since a bunch of us wanted to try karaoke. We succeeded, and found a karaoke place that was actually within walking distance of where we live. It was kind of pricey, and they made you buy at least one drink to stay in the bar, but it was so much fun! We sang a bunch of songs (they had a variety of both Spanish and American music to choose from), the crowd favorite being a rendition of Shania Twain's "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" performed by me and two friends. The locals in the bar LOVED it, and were singing along. Pretty hilarious, I must say.
On Saturday I had planned to go run some errands, but woke up to find that it was POURING outside. For a place that, according to locals, usually doesn't get much rain, Barcelona sure gets a lot, at least since I've been here! I had to rewash a load of clothes that were hanging outside because, even with a tarp over them, they got drenched with rainwater. It rained all day, so I got a head start on some homework and worked on some cover letters for internship applications.
We stayed in Saturday night because it was still rainy and nasty outside. Today, I've been trying to study but keep getting distracted...my first midterm is on Wednesday, so I'm not really feeling the pressure yet. Besides, I'm not that worried about any of my midterms being terribly difficult.
I've also started planning things to do in Mallorca next weekend, which is sure to be an awesome trip! I can't wait for midterms week to be over so we can lay on the beach (weather permitting!).
As always, I hope everyone is well! I have been a little homesick lately. Nothing too major, I just miss the little things sometimes. I also really miss having a job, strangely enough. Not having money coming in stresses me out, because I have what I have, and that's it! I've been pretty good about sticking to my budget and I'm trying to save most of my money for trips, but it's tough sometimes, especially when friends have the luxury of spending a lot more than me. But whatever, I'm lucky to have this experience and I wouldn't trade it for anything!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Paris, quelle magnifique!
Bonjour! What a great weekend. Paris, was, of course, absolutely beautiful, despite the absolutely FRIGID weather there! Again, I feel so blessed that I have this opputunity to see all of these places that I had only dreamed of seeing. Seeing landmarks like Notre Dame or the Eiffel Tower and just walking around the streets of such a remarkable place is so thrilling...all I want to do is see more!
We flew to Paris on Thursday evening. Our flight was delayed a little, and by the time we finally arrived, took a bus into the city center, and then took a cab to our hostel, it was almost 11pm. We quickly learned that the Paris schedule is much different then the Barcelona schedule. 11pm in Paris is not dinnertime, and in fact mostly everything was closed! Despite our desire to experience everything French, we had to settle on the only open restaurant we could find: a Japanese place. It ended up being delicious, but we thought it was funny that our first Parisian experience was Japanese. After Japanese, we figured out that there was nothing nearby open, so we just went back to the hostel and went to sleep so we could get an early start the next morning.
Our hostel was the typical student traveler hostel. It is called "Aloha Hostel" and has sort of a Hawaiian theme, with neon colored paint on the walls and doors. They had a huge downstairs room with free internet and TV, which was nice. Our room itself was pretty standard, 3 bunk beds and a sink, with a shared bathroom down the hall. It was just what we needed, though! And an added bonus: we were walking distance from the Eiffel Tower!
Friday morning we got up and found a cafe for breakfast, where we pigged out on croissants and omelettes. We then decided to walk to Champs Elysees, which is the main road for shopping in Paris, and see the Arc de Triumph at the end. We wandered around for a while and finally made our way there. We walked up almost the entire street (very long!) and hit up a few shops (don't worry, I didn't buy anything! I'm saving my money for trips!). After, we walked back in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. We waited in line for about 45 minutes to go up, then discovered that the top was closed. We decided to wait until the next morning, when they told us it should be open again.
Exhausted from all of our walking, we headed back to the hostel for a nap, then changed and went to dinner at a restaurant nearby. After, we debated going across town to find some open bars, but decided that without a plan it would probably be a waste of time and money. Instead, we went to a bar by our hostel, which ended up being a lot of fun...except when they closed and kicked us out at 1:30am. What?! You mean places aren't open until 6am like in Barcelona everywhere in Europe?! Who knew...
On Saturday we got up early to try the Eiffel Tower again. When we got there, we found out that the top was STILL closed. We decided to just take the stairs to the second level (about halfway up) because that was the best we could do. All I can say about that is: SO. MANY. STAIRS. I thought I was going to collapse, but the view was worth it! The view from the top must be stunning...I'll just have to go back one day to see it!
We also went over to Notre Dame and walked around inside, since we were too late to go up to the top (it closes at 5). We decided to try that again the next day before our flight. We then walked over to the Lourve. On the way over, we encountered a bridge where people had attached hundreds of locks to the railings! Apparently, couples get their names engraved and attach the lock. It was so cool!We didn't have enough time to wait in line at the Lourve and go inside (I feel like you need a whole week to see the Lourve in full), but we took pictures by the glass pyramid and walked around outside.
That night, with the recommendations of some locals we had met, we went to a street called Oberkampf, which is where all the happening bars and restaurants are. We had a delicious dinner at a restaurant (that served tapas...leave it to us to leave Spain to find the one restaurant in Paris with a tapas menu...) and then went to a bar down the street. We had a lot of fun there, despite some very intoxicated and persistent French men!
Sunday we got up and headed back to Notre Dame. I volunteered to wait in the long line for the towers so my friends could get some last minute shopping in. They ended up coming back after 10 minutes because all the stores were closed. I was in line behind a man from Tennessee who was there on business. He has a 19 year old daughter and was telling me all about what a great experience this was and how he wanted his daughter to do the same thing!
After Notre Dame, we walked to Champs Elysees so my friend could check out the Louis Vuitton store (HUGE) and then we took the metro back to the hostel, and headed to the airport.
The plane ride home was pretty uneventful, for once, which was a nice relief! It's good to be back in Barcelona after two full weekends of traveling. I'm in Barcelona this weekend because we have midterms next week (eww) and then we're celebrating the end of midterms with a trip to Mallorca! Woohoo!
I hope that everyone is well! Miss and love you all. :)
We flew to Paris on Thursday evening. Our flight was delayed a little, and by the time we finally arrived, took a bus into the city center, and then took a cab to our hostel, it was almost 11pm. We quickly learned that the Paris schedule is much different then the Barcelona schedule. 11pm in Paris is not dinnertime, and in fact mostly everything was closed! Despite our desire to experience everything French, we had to settle on the only open restaurant we could find: a Japanese place. It ended up being delicious, but we thought it was funny that our first Parisian experience was Japanese. After Japanese, we figured out that there was nothing nearby open, so we just went back to the hostel and went to sleep so we could get an early start the next morning.
Our hostel was the typical student traveler hostel. It is called "Aloha Hostel" and has sort of a Hawaiian theme, with neon colored paint on the walls and doors. They had a huge downstairs room with free internet and TV, which was nice. Our room itself was pretty standard, 3 bunk beds and a sink, with a shared bathroom down the hall. It was just what we needed, though! And an added bonus: we were walking distance from the Eiffel Tower!
Our very brightly colored hostel room
Friday morning we got up and found a cafe for breakfast, where we pigged out on croissants and omelettes. We then decided to walk to Champs Elysees, which is the main road for shopping in Paris, and see the Arc de Triumph at the end. We wandered around for a while and finally made our way there. We walked up almost the entire street (very long!) and hit up a few shops (don't worry, I didn't buy anything! I'm saving my money for trips!). After, we walked back in the direction of the Eiffel Tower. We waited in line for about 45 minutes to go up, then discovered that the top was closed. We decided to wait until the next morning, when they told us it should be open again.
On Saturday we got up early to try the Eiffel Tower again. When we got there, we found out that the top was STILL closed. We decided to just take the stairs to the second level (about halfway up) because that was the best we could do. All I can say about that is: SO. MANY. STAIRS. I thought I was going to collapse, but the view was worth it! The view from the top must be stunning...I'll just have to go back one day to see it!
In front of the Eiffel Tower! The lady who took the picture's thumb got in the way...
We also went over to Notre Dame and walked around inside, since we were too late to go up to the top (it closes at 5). We decided to try that again the next day before our flight. We then walked over to the Lourve. On the way over, we encountered a bridge where people had attached hundreds of locks to the railings! Apparently, couples get their names engraved and attach the lock. It was so cool!We didn't have enough time to wait in line at the Lourve and go inside (I feel like you need a whole week to see the Lourve in full), but we took pictures by the glass pyramid and walked around outside.
Notre Dame
Lock Bridge!
In front of the Lourve
Sunday we got up and headed back to Notre Dame. I volunteered to wait in the long line for the towers so my friends could get some last minute shopping in. They ended up coming back after 10 minutes because all the stores were closed. I was in line behind a man from Tennessee who was there on business. He has a 19 year old daughter and was telling me all about what a great experience this was and how he wanted his daughter to do the same thing!
View from top of Notre Dame...gargoyle included!
After Notre Dame, we walked to Champs Elysees so my friend could check out the Louis Vuitton store (HUGE) and then we took the metro back to the hostel, and headed to the airport.
The plane ride home was pretty uneventful, for once, which was a nice relief! It's good to be back in Barcelona after two full weekends of traveling. I'm in Barcelona this weekend because we have midterms next week (eww) and then we're celebrating the end of midterms with a trip to Mallorca! Woohoo!
I hope that everyone is well! Miss and love you all. :)
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
La Vida en Sevilla
Hola!
As you know from previous entries, I spent this past weekend in Sevilla in the region of Andalucia in the south of Spain. I absolutely fell in love with the city. It is so different from Barcelona that I could hardly believe I was in the same country. First of all, the people there are much warmer and more welcoming than here in Barcelona. I also got to practice my Spanish without having to worry about people speaking only Catalan or busting into English when I missed a word. The weather was also gorgeous, in the high 70s with sun and clear, blue skies all week.
About 25 students from my program went on the trip. We set out on Friday morning, only to have our flight delayed for almost two hours. When we finally arrived, we were late for our scheduled tour of the famous Cathedral (the third largest in the world) so instead our tour guide took us to Alzacares Reales de Sevilla, which is a beautiful palace/fort with amazing gardens. We also had a brief tour of the center of the city.
Some pictures of the palace gardens
Later, after some time to shower and change at the hotel, we went to a flamenco show. I don't know how the dancers move their feet that fast, it was amazing! Afterwards, I found a tapas restaurant with a few friends and we had a delicious dinner. That night, we went out to some local bars near the Cathedral. The nightlife in Sevilla is way different than in Barcelona! Everything closed much earlier, so we found ourselves wandering around looking for something to do (it was only 1am, way too early to go to bed on a weekend!).
Flamenco dresses!
Eventually, we decided to just head back to the hotel, but ended up getting very lost. We encountered a bachelor party in progress, and the 10 or so men absolutely INSISTED that they take multiple pictures with "the Americans." They were hilarious! I talked with the groom-to-be in Spanish and he told me that he was getting married in 20 days. Every time he said "viente dias" all of the other guys would yell out "VIENTE DIAS!" It was pretty funny. We eventually made our way back to the hotel and went to bed.
The next day we had a lot of free time, so we slept in, had breakfast at the hotel, and then ventured out to further explore Sevilla. A couple of friends and I wandered around the city center for a couple of hours, and then bought some bocadillos (sandwiches) and had a picnic in the gardens of the palace we had toured the previous day.
During this picnic, my friend Maggie got pooped on by a pigeon TWICE. She even moved to the other side of the circle after the first time and she still got hit again! She was not very amused at the time, but it became a huge joke for the rest of the weekend.
After lunch we found the main shopping area in Sevilla and spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around there. We went back to the hotel to rest and change before the dinner that was provided by the program. It was a typical Spanish meal of three courses. I got a pasta dish, seafood paella, and ice cream cake for dessert. It was delicious!
Slightly bloated from dinner but happy nonetheless, we went back to the hotel for some wine and then decided to check out the main nightlife scene of Sevilla: the river. The river is lined with bars and clubs. We went to a couple bars before finding one that we liked. It was PACKED but had cheap drinks, and we met a lot of people. We met some guys who play American football for a team in Barcelona (I know, weird, right?) as well as a bunch of locals. It was a lot of fun, and I was exhausted when we made our way back to the hotel.
The next morning, we had breakfast at the hotel again and then sat outside in the sun at a cafe and chatted until it was time to go to our rescheduled tour of the Cathedral. What an amazing place! It is very famous--it is the third largest Cathedral in the world! Every time I see places like this I am awestruck...its hard to believe that places like this actually exist and were created in a world without much technology.
We also climbed to the top of La Giralda tower and got an amazing view of the entire city!
View from the top of La Giralda tower
A bunch of us at the top of the tower
After the tour, we walked down to the river to take some group photos, then headed to the airport. After a very frightening plane ride home (there was one sudden drop that lasted about 10 seconds and scared the living daylights out of everyone, especially since the flight attendants were running up and down the aisle looking panicked), we arrived safe in sound in Barcelona around 10:45pm.
All I wanted to do was go to bed, but, being the procrastinator that I am, I had to do all of the homework I should have done before the trip. Thank goodness I don't have an early class on Mondays!
Next stop on my adventure: Paris! I am so excited! We have a long weekend this weekend, which makes it the perfect time for a trip! I hope to be feeling better for it, though, I have been having (yet again) some stomach issues for the past couple days. Hopefully I'll be good to go by Thursday night.
Hope everyone is well! I miss you all!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Planned Travel Adventures
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 :)
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 :)
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.
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