Throughout the semester, I have tried American experiences (mostly food) here in Spain. Everything is different here, obviously, but some major chains still exist and I felt the need to experience them in order to compare to home. Here are the accounts of some of them::
1) McDonald's - From the start of the semester, I knew I wanted to give it a try. I had heard from friends that everywhere in the world, even within the US, McDonald's serves different specialties. Here in Spain is no different. It is called the "McIberic" and it was very delicious. Ciabatta bread, iberic ham, a burger, queso manchego, tomato (which I removed of course), lettuce, and tomato sauce; in that order. Iberic ham and queso manchego are Spanish specialties, particularly popular here in Madrid. And the tomato sauce is not the pasta sauce you are thinking of, but an interesting tomato based sauce that is frequently served on toast as a breakfast food. Overall, it was delicious. Very different from the McDonald's food I have grown to love at home, but if the Spanish are going to do McDonald's, they had to put their own twist on it. And I sure enjoyed it. I may even go one more time before I leave, mostly because they have a cheesecake dessert
2) Slot machine - okay, not exactly American, but you wouldn't associate it with the Spanish either. Plus, I have never used one in the US either. Carrie, Kenny, and I decided to go into a salon de juegos to see what it was like. They had 0,20 euro slots, so we each gave it a try. Carrie was actually winning, but we all ended up losing our money in the end. No more than about 1 euro each, but it was still fun. I definitely understand how they get your money, and how easily you can become mesmerized and end up spending all your money at one machine. A cool experience though, and a good place to stay dry during a short rain.
3) Kebab - alright, also not American, but we do have kebab in the US, and all the other American students I know think it's pretty good here, so I couldn't pass it up. Though I haven't had it in the US, Kenny has, so we went while he was here. He was the comparator. I had a Durum, which is wrapped more burrito style than a standard kebab, but it was still really good. I didn't even mind there being tomato inside. Overall a good experience, and I can't wait to try the American version when I get home, though Kenny said they are very similar.
4) Starbucks - this was my most recent American splurge. Obviously, Starbucks here in Spain serves the same coffee as the Starbucks in America, but I wanted to give it a try. And it was really exciting! Mostly because if you get your coffee "para beber" (= for here) they give it to you in a real coffee mug!! Way more eco-friendly and more enjoyable than a paper cup. I got a white chocolate mocha, called a mocca blanca here. It was delicious, just like at home, though I think it tasted a little different in a mug. It was wonderful to sit, sipping my coffee, reading my book for class, listening to Christmas music. It was a splendid afternoon.
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Adios Amigos Americanos
Unfortunately, Kenny and Carrie have left Madrid. They were here for a week, and I wish they could've spent more time here. I feel as if we barely scratched Madrid's (and Spain's) surface. Anyways, here is a short chronicle of our adventures)
After our day trip to Ávila, I went to classes on Tuesday. After my classes, we met up, and spontaneously decided to go to the Real Madrid game that night. I had only heard about it that afternoon, and it was one of the cheaper games since it was Champion's League against Dinamo Zagreb (from Croatia). It was a great game, RM won 6-2!!! We were up in the nosebleeds but it was definitely an incredible experience. After the game, we got kabob for dinner and met up with some of the people from my program who had gone to the game. We celebrated Madrid's victory at an Irish pub called Dubliners. It was a great time.
Wednesday was a very relaxing day. We got up late, and Kenny and I wandered around Retiro park for the late morning/early afternoon. I had to leave before we got lunch to go tutor, but we met up afterwards. We went to Chueca for pizza and ice cream. I always enjoy an evening in Chueca, and they agreed that both the pizza and the ice cream were pretty amazing.
Thursday I had classes again, but this time Carrie and Kenny met me at school. We ate lunch in the restaurant on campus, and then they came to my Literature class. Carrie doesn't really know any Spanish, and Kenny knows a little. So sitting in a class completely in Spanish I'm sure was a little difficult, but they both wanted to come. After classes, we went back to my apartment and got salad and dessert to take over to my friend Jeannette's apartment for Thanksgiving. There were supposed to be 12 people (including us), but there ended up being 20!! We still had a pretty good time, and Carrie and Kenny got to meet more of my friends. Thursday night Carrie and I had ladies night out with some of my friends. We went out to a couple different places, so she could see what European nightlife is like (Kenny got to get some much-needed sleep).
Friday they checked out of their hostel, we did some quick souvenir shopping, and then went to my apartment. Carrie and I took a long nap (to catch up with Kenny) and we had lunch in my apartment. For dinner, we met up with my friend Devon and went to Cien Montaditos. It's a chain where pints of beer are 1 euro if you buy a sandwich. It was pretty good, and I had never been there before. After that, we celebrated Kenny's birthday. We joked that it was more of his 21st birthday, since he got a flaming bottle of cava (Spanish champagne) for free at one bar. We had a great time celebrating, and I know he enjoyed being the center of attention and getting things for free.
They left this Saturday morning, with a suitcase full of my belongings. Luckily, no extra baggage fees had to be paid. I miss them already. I really liked having them here, and sharing my life here with them. After they left, I started to mentally get ready to go home. I know I still have about a month left, but that isn't that much, and I am really starting to miss home. Hopefully these last couple weeks will pass quickly, but not so quick that I cannot enjoy them.
After our day trip to Ávila, I went to classes on Tuesday. After my classes, we met up, and spontaneously decided to go to the Real Madrid game that night. I had only heard about it that afternoon, and it was one of the cheaper games since it was Champion's League against Dinamo Zagreb (from Croatia). It was a great game, RM won 6-2!!! We were up in the nosebleeds but it was definitely an incredible experience. After the game, we got kabob for dinner and met up with some of the people from my program who had gone to the game. We celebrated Madrid's victory at an Irish pub called Dubliners. It was a great time.
Wednesday was a very relaxing day. We got up late, and Kenny and I wandered around Retiro park for the late morning/early afternoon. I had to leave before we got lunch to go tutor, but we met up afterwards. We went to Chueca for pizza and ice cream. I always enjoy an evening in Chueca, and they agreed that both the pizza and the ice cream were pretty amazing.
Thursday I had classes again, but this time Carrie and Kenny met me at school. We ate lunch in the restaurant on campus, and then they came to my Literature class. Carrie doesn't really know any Spanish, and Kenny knows a little. So sitting in a class completely in Spanish I'm sure was a little difficult, but they both wanted to come. After classes, we went back to my apartment and got salad and dessert to take over to my friend Jeannette's apartment for Thanksgiving. There were supposed to be 12 people (including us), but there ended up being 20!! We still had a pretty good time, and Carrie and Kenny got to meet more of my friends. Thursday night Carrie and I had ladies night out with some of my friends. We went out to a couple different places, so she could see what European nightlife is like (Kenny got to get some much-needed sleep).
Friday they checked out of their hostel, we did some quick souvenir shopping, and then went to my apartment. Carrie and I took a long nap (to catch up with Kenny) and we had lunch in my apartment. For dinner, we met up with my friend Devon and went to Cien Montaditos. It's a chain where pints of beer are 1 euro if you buy a sandwich. It was pretty good, and I had never been there before. After that, we celebrated Kenny's birthday. We joked that it was more of his 21st birthday, since he got a flaming bottle of cava (Spanish champagne) for free at one bar. We had a great time celebrating, and I know he enjoyed being the center of attention and getting things for free.
They left this Saturday morning, with a suitcase full of my belongings. Luckily, no extra baggage fees had to be paid. I miss them already. I really liked having them here, and sharing my life here with them. After they left, I started to mentally get ready to go home. I know I still have about a month left, but that isn't that much, and I am really starting to miss home. Hopefully these last couple weeks will pass quickly, but not so quick that I cannot enjoy them.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Carrie and Kenny have arrived!! (Day Trip AVILA)
My visitors arrived! I was very excited to greet them at the airport on Saturday morning. I missed them both a lot. We spent Saturday hanging out at my apartment, and walking around the area near their hostel, which is down the street from Puerta del Sol. We had platos combinados for lunch and tapas for dinner. Sunday was an early morning to go to El Rastro, the Sunday market, to shop and search for gifts. Lunch at Museo del Jamon, a ride on the Teleferic in Casa de Campo and a visit to the Templo de Debod, followed by paella for dinner rounded out the weekend.
Monday (Nov 21), we took a Cercanias train, the commuter train, to the town of Ávila, located northwest of the city. It is a small city that still has an almost completely intact wall (muralla). The train ride was 2 hours, but the scenery was very pretty. Carrie slept, I studied, and Kenny took pictures out of the window. Once we got there, we wandered around for a little while, since we didn't have a map. After stopping in a cafe for a quick warm drink, we were directed by the barman to a nearby hotel to get a map of the city. From there, we headed towards the inner walled part of the city. Ávila is supposed to have a catedral, alcazar, and muralla. We only found two of the three. We wandered around and saw many monasteries, convents, churches, and palacios. We stopped in a military building, where you could walk through a museum chronically the history of the military and the Spanish military. It is still used as a school so you could only see the museum and the courtyard.
After our wanderings, we decided to have lunch. We had an amazing menú del día, at a place called Tres Sigles (three centuries). It was a bit pricey, but for 13€, I got spaghetti bolognesa, lomo a la plancha con patatas fritas, sourdough bread, two glasses of wine, and delicious tarta de queso. Kenny and Carrie also enjoyed their choices, and we shared our desserts (they got flan and tarta de chocolate). Even though we all wanted to take naps after so much food, we headed off in search of the alcazar. It wasn't on the map explicitly, but there was a building that looked like it could be it. It wasn't, it was just an older building. So we decided to walk around the outside of the wall to go to the catedral. On our way out of the city, an older woman stopped us and told us about a great lookout point from where you could see the whole city. After some debating, we headed out. It was a pretty good walk, but the view was definitely worth it. Since Ávila sits on a hill, you could see the whole city plastered on the hill, wall included, from just across the river. One short photo shoot later, we turned back to the city and walked straight up the center to the far side, where the cathedral is located. It cost 4€ and had a very long tour, so we decided against it, because I had to be back in Madrid to study for my exam.
We took our time walking back to the train station, and this time took a regular train (Media Distancia = medium distance) back to Madrid. Everyone napped on the train, the metro, and when we got back to their hostel. I did some studying, and Carrie decided to pass on dinner because she was too exhausted. Kenny and I went back to Museo del Jamon, and sat in the dining room, which was a new experience for me. Then we got some ice cream and called it a night, since I had my exam at 9:10 the next morning.
Pictures to come (probably after I steal all of Kenny's at the end of their trip) as well as more chronicles of our adventures
Monday (Nov 21), we took a Cercanias train, the commuter train, to the town of Ávila, located northwest of the city. It is a small city that still has an almost completely intact wall (muralla). The train ride was 2 hours, but the scenery was very pretty. Carrie slept, I studied, and Kenny took pictures out of the window. Once we got there, we wandered around for a little while, since we didn't have a map. After stopping in a cafe for a quick warm drink, we were directed by the barman to a nearby hotel to get a map of the city. From there, we headed towards the inner walled part of the city. Ávila is supposed to have a catedral, alcazar, and muralla. We only found two of the three. We wandered around and saw many monasteries, convents, churches, and palacios. We stopped in a military building, where you could walk through a museum chronically the history of the military and the Spanish military. It is still used as a school so you could only see the museum and the courtyard.
After our wanderings, we decided to have lunch. We had an amazing menú del día, at a place called Tres Sigles (three centuries). It was a bit pricey, but for 13€, I got spaghetti bolognesa, lomo a la plancha con patatas fritas, sourdough bread, two glasses of wine, and delicious tarta de queso. Kenny and Carrie also enjoyed their choices, and we shared our desserts (they got flan and tarta de chocolate). Even though we all wanted to take naps after so much food, we headed off in search of the alcazar. It wasn't on the map explicitly, but there was a building that looked like it could be it. It wasn't, it was just an older building. So we decided to walk around the outside of the wall to go to the catedral. On our way out of the city, an older woman stopped us and told us about a great lookout point from where you could see the whole city. After some debating, we headed out. It was a pretty good walk, but the view was definitely worth it. Since Ávila sits on a hill, you could see the whole city plastered on the hill, wall included, from just across the river. One short photo shoot later, we turned back to the city and walked straight up the center to the far side, where the cathedral is located. It cost 4€ and had a very long tour, so we decided against it, because I had to be back in Madrid to study for my exam.
We took our time walking back to the train station, and this time took a regular train (Media Distancia = medium distance) back to Madrid. Everyone napped on the train, the metro, and when we got back to their hostel. I did some studying, and Carrie decided to pass on dinner because she was too exhausted. Kenny and I went back to Museo del Jamon, and sat in the dining room, which was a new experience for me. Then we got some ice cream and called it a night, since I had my exam at 9:10 the next morning.
Pictures to come (probably after I steal all of Kenny's at the end of their trip) as well as more chronicles of our adventures
Friday, November 11, 2011
Madrid with Mom!
After returning from Barcelona, my mom and I spent the rest of her time here in Madrid. I got to show her the places I love, and she got to explore the city. We had done some exploring the week before, but we had more time during this past week. It was a really great time.
We started the night we got back from Barcelona. We ate in a small bar in my neighborhood and watched a soccer game. Then she stayed in my apartment for the night (some planning mix-ups had occurred on my part...). The next morning, we went to El Rastro, a huge market held every Sunday here in Madrid. It spans a whole neighborhood, and is filled with clothes, toys, antiques, souvenirs, artwork, and anything else you could possibly think of. We got lots of presents for people, and wandered around all morning. Then we went back to my neighborhood to have lunch, and watched part of the Real Madrid game in the bar. The only soccer matches I have watched while here in Spain have been with my mom. Just by chance they were on whenever we were eating. We then headed to Sol to check her into her hotel. After dinner, I headed back to my apartment, since I had school the next day.
On Monday, mom had the morning to herself, and then I met her for lunch. We went to el Museo del Jamon, where they have a great 1 euro menu. Then we finished our meal at la Chocolateria San Gines, the most famous place to get chocolate con churros in Madrid. Since I had a lot of homework and laundry to do, and had to be in my apartment to give my landlord my rent, I left my mom on her own for dinner, and she went to Reina Sofia for the free hours.
On Tuesday, she had the morning to herself again, and we met after my classes to go to el Museo del Prado. We walked about during the free two hours, and then headed to Chueca. We had a traditional (for me and my friends) Chueca evening. Pizza and soda at the 24-hour pizza place, ice cream at the best ice cream place ever (I don't even know it's name), and then a glass of wine at la Vinoteca. It was really nice to have a relaxing evening with my mom, and just chat about our adventures.
I had no school on Wednesday, since it was el Dia de la Almudena, the patron saintess of Madrid. Being a religious holiday, the people of Madrid don't do to much celebrating, they just go to mass. So we went shopping. We wandered around an area my friends had said had great shopping, but because of the holiday most of it was closed. So we headed to Gran Via, which is a much more touristy area, and founds lots more stores open. There were some great deals going on, so we found clothes and more souvenirs. We stopped for lunch at Pans and Company, sort of like the Spanish Subway, and kept going. After the long day of shopping, we went back to my apartment to get her suitcase filled with my stuff, and went to her hotel for the night. After a nice siesta, we had dinner at a pintxos bar (Basque-style tapas) for dinner and followed it up with ice cream.
The next day we headed to the airport bright and early. It didn't go very smoothly, since we discovered her flight had been cancelled over a month beforehand. Luckily, we were able to get her on another flight, though we had to pay 70 euros in baggage fees with the operating airline. Hopefully United will reimburse us, since they gave her no notification of the cancelled flight. That made Thursday an even longer day for me than it would have been otherwise. At least my mom got home safely though :)
I am really glad my mom was able to come visit me. We had a great time, and it was a great experience having someone from my life at home come see my life here in Madrid. It made me even more excited for when Kenny, my boyfriend, and Carrie, my cousin, arrive in just one short week. I love sharing my life here with others, and it's great to see people from home, especially the ones I love.
We started the night we got back from Barcelona. We ate in a small bar in my neighborhood and watched a soccer game. Then she stayed in my apartment for the night (some planning mix-ups had occurred on my part...). The next morning, we went to El Rastro, a huge market held every Sunday here in Madrid. It spans a whole neighborhood, and is filled with clothes, toys, antiques, souvenirs, artwork, and anything else you could possibly think of. We got lots of presents for people, and wandered around all morning. Then we went back to my neighborhood to have lunch, and watched part of the Real Madrid game in the bar. The only soccer matches I have watched while here in Spain have been with my mom. Just by chance they were on whenever we were eating. We then headed to Sol to check her into her hotel. After dinner, I headed back to my apartment, since I had school the next day.
On Monday, mom had the morning to herself, and then I met her for lunch. We went to el Museo del Jamon, where they have a great 1 euro menu. Then we finished our meal at la Chocolateria San Gines, the most famous place to get chocolate con churros in Madrid. Since I had a lot of homework and laundry to do, and had to be in my apartment to give my landlord my rent, I left my mom on her own for dinner, and she went to Reina Sofia for the free hours.
On Tuesday, she had the morning to herself again, and we met after my classes to go to el Museo del Prado. We walked about during the free two hours, and then headed to Chueca. We had a traditional (for me and my friends) Chueca evening. Pizza and soda at the 24-hour pizza place, ice cream at the best ice cream place ever (I don't even know it's name), and then a glass of wine at la Vinoteca. It was really nice to have a relaxing evening with my mom, and just chat about our adventures.
I had no school on Wednesday, since it was el Dia de la Almudena, the patron saintess of Madrid. Being a religious holiday, the people of Madrid don't do to much celebrating, they just go to mass. So we went shopping. We wandered around an area my friends had said had great shopping, but because of the holiday most of it was closed. So we headed to Gran Via, which is a much more touristy area, and founds lots more stores open. There were some great deals going on, so we found clothes and more souvenirs. We stopped for lunch at Pans and Company, sort of like the Spanish Subway, and kept going. After the long day of shopping, we went back to my apartment to get her suitcase filled with my stuff, and went to her hotel for the night. After a nice siesta, we had dinner at a pintxos bar (Basque-style tapas) for dinner and followed it up with ice cream.
The next day we headed to the airport bright and early. It didn't go very smoothly, since we discovered her flight had been cancelled over a month beforehand. Luckily, we were able to get her on another flight, though we had to pay 70 euros in baggage fees with the operating airline. Hopefully United will reimburse us, since they gave her no notification of the cancelled flight. That made Thursday an even longer day for me than it would have been otherwise. At least my mom got home safely though :)
I am really glad my mom was able to come visit me. We had a great time, and it was a great experience having someone from my life at home come see my life here in Madrid. It made me even more excited for when Kenny, my boyfriend, and Carrie, my cousin, arrive in just one short week. I love sharing my life here with others, and it's great to see people from home, especially the ones I love.
Monday, November 7, 2011
Barcelona with Mom!! (Nov 3-5)
I know this means I have now been to Barcelona three times in my life, but my mom really wanted to go, so here I go again::
This time, I flew to Barcelona. Mom and I left Madrid on a flight at 3 pm on Thursday, and got to our hotel by around 6 pm. It was a very confusing journey from the airport, taking an airport shuttle, walking, using the commuter train, walking, walking in the rain, and then finally arriving. Even though we had both been very hungry and hadn't eaten lunch, we slept until dinner. For dinner, we wandered onto Las Ramblas, the main drag in Barcelona, and ate at the restaurant of a hotel. Pizza and salad, followed by ice cream at a nearby shop. Then we walked Las Ramblas. Mom was truly amazing by how bustling and busy it was at night around 10 pm, and I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful buildings at night, which I didn't get to do in September.
On Friday, we got an early start, and headed to La Boqueria. We had a breakfast of assorted fruit, and headed back down Las Ramblas. I let my mom handle the picture taking for all of our trips together, and they started down at the monument to Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón, as he is called over here in Spain). According to my waiter in Valencia, he is pointing toward the Americas, but to me, it looked more like Africa. I am going to have to check that out, since I didn't really have anyway to confirm it. From there, we walked along the bay, and then stopped into a cafe. We were very lucky because it began to pour just minutes after we sat down. Mom had coffee, I had peach juice, and we split a pastry. After a little while, the rain had let up, and we headed back out. We walked to a church that Mom had read about, called Santa María del Mar. It was very beautiful, and I liked that its small side chapels were very simple, and not gated off. We wandered a bit in the gothic neighborhood, and then went to the Museo Picasso. I went there back in 8th grade, but all I really remembered was that we couldn't take pictures and that Picasso had a blue period like Van Gogh. So we stood in line, and got to see Picasso's works from childhood to about halfway through his adult life. I had already seen a lot of his later works in Reina Sofia, and Mom is planned to go when we were in Madrid again. I really enjoyed seeing his work again, because I don't think it really meant too much to me as a 13-year-old.
For lunch, we met my friend Ana at Bo de B for lunch. That is the salad/sandwich place I spoke so highly of in my post from my last Barcelona trip, where we went twice. It was just as delicious the third time around as it was the times before. It was nice to see Ana again, even though she had to leave us after lunch to study for her upcoming midterms. After lunch, my Mom and I headed up Via Laietana to the Catedral. Since I had a jacket on, I was allowed in this time (I wasn't in September). It was very similar to the Cathedral in Salamanca, but very beautiful. There was even a capilla(chapel) for the Sacred Heart of Jesus! When we went into the courtyard, I remembered that it was where I had taken a picture of snow on palm trees 6 years previously. I don't remember a lot of that trip, because it happened so fast, but it feels great when memories just pop back into my mind like that. After the Catedral, we went to find the bar/cafe that Picasso used to frequent with other young artists while he lived in Barcelona. It's now a fancy restaurant, but we took some good pictures :) Then we did some shopping on the way back to our hotel. Following a brief nap, we went to dinner at a restaurant at the far end of Las Ramblas. There is a whole section that offers deals of tapas and paella/pasta/pizza. We got three tapas "de la casa", paella mixta, and a pitcher of sangria. It was a very nice dinner, and a pretty good price. We of course finished our meal off with ice cream again, but from a different place.
Saturday, our last day, we started out early. We had breakfast in a little cafe near the Universitat metro station before heading to La Sagrada Familia. I was very excited to return to this place, because it was one of my favorites when I visited Barcelona for the first time. Unfortunately, the lifts were closed due to weather concerned (though it didn't rain all day) so we couldn't go up the towers. But just visiting La Sagrada Familia is worth the money. Gaudi is definitely my favorite architect of all time, and it was amazing to see the progress they had made on his great unfinished work in just 6 short years. So much more was complete, and I cannot wait to compare my pictures from 6 years ago to the pictures my Mom took this weekend and see the true progress. I definitely plan on going back when it is completed, which should be by 2030, to see it completed. It's hard to describe it, and how amazing and awe-inspiring it is. The pictures my Mom took can't even begin to capture it, but they are the best explanation I have.
We headed to Passeig de Gracia, to visit one of Gaudi's many apartment building and private homes built there. Before going anywhere, we stopped for bocadillos and soda for lunch. Originally we were going to go to La Pedrera, which I had visited 6 years previous, but it was quite expensive, and one of the workers said parts might close due to the rain. Instead, we headed up the road to Casa Batlló, which was also a bit expensive, but definitely worth the price. The included audioguide was very informative, and helped me to understand just how thoroughly thought-out Gaudi's designs were. Every detail was completely planned, and every possible use of natural light was exploited. At every turn, Gaudi amazed me with his intelligence and environmental foresight. It is definitely something that cannot be missed when travelling to Barcelona. After Casa Batlló, we jumped on the metro to go see the Arc de Triomf. It is not the largest most famous one, but I like it just the same. It was good picture-taking weather, so Mom went crazy. Then we walked back to the hotel to get ready to go to the airport. The trip to the airport went much better, though we did encounter some turbulence on our routine flight.
I enjoyed this trip to Barcelona just as much as I enjoyed the last two. I never did the same thing twice in the same way (except eating at Bo de B), and each time I got to discover the city with new people. Seeing the city through new eyes each time was amazing. A lot has changed about me since 8th grade, and since September too. I know that I will be returning to Barcelona some time in the future, so just like every other time, my goodbye is not forever, just for now.
This time, I flew to Barcelona. Mom and I left Madrid on a flight at 3 pm on Thursday, and got to our hotel by around 6 pm. It was a very confusing journey from the airport, taking an airport shuttle, walking, using the commuter train, walking, walking in the rain, and then finally arriving. Even though we had both been very hungry and hadn't eaten lunch, we slept until dinner. For dinner, we wandered onto Las Ramblas, the main drag in Barcelona, and ate at the restaurant of a hotel. Pizza and salad, followed by ice cream at a nearby shop. Then we walked Las Ramblas. Mom was truly amazing by how bustling and busy it was at night around 10 pm, and I enjoyed looking at all the beautiful buildings at night, which I didn't get to do in September.
On Friday, we got an early start, and headed to La Boqueria. We had a breakfast of assorted fruit, and headed back down Las Ramblas. I let my mom handle the picture taking for all of our trips together, and they started down at the monument to Christopher Columbus (Cristóbal Colón, as he is called over here in Spain). According to my waiter in Valencia, he is pointing toward the Americas, but to me, it looked more like Africa. I am going to have to check that out, since I didn't really have anyway to confirm it. From there, we walked along the bay, and then stopped into a cafe. We were very lucky because it began to pour just minutes after we sat down. Mom had coffee, I had peach juice, and we split a pastry. After a little while, the rain had let up, and we headed back out. We walked to a church that Mom had read about, called Santa María del Mar. It was very beautiful, and I liked that its small side chapels were very simple, and not gated off. We wandered a bit in the gothic neighborhood, and then went to the Museo Picasso. I went there back in 8th grade, but all I really remembered was that we couldn't take pictures and that Picasso had a blue period like Van Gogh. So we stood in line, and got to see Picasso's works from childhood to about halfway through his adult life. I had already seen a lot of his later works in Reina Sofia, and Mom is planned to go when we were in Madrid again. I really enjoyed seeing his work again, because I don't think it really meant too much to me as a 13-year-old.
For lunch, we met my friend Ana at Bo de B for lunch. That is the salad/sandwich place I spoke so highly of in my post from my last Barcelona trip, where we went twice. It was just as delicious the third time around as it was the times before. It was nice to see Ana again, even though she had to leave us after lunch to study for her upcoming midterms. After lunch, my Mom and I headed up Via Laietana to the Catedral. Since I had a jacket on, I was allowed in this time (I wasn't in September). It was very similar to the Cathedral in Salamanca, but very beautiful. There was even a capilla(chapel) for the Sacred Heart of Jesus! When we went into the courtyard, I remembered that it was where I had taken a picture of snow on palm trees 6 years previously. I don't remember a lot of that trip, because it happened so fast, but it feels great when memories just pop back into my mind like that. After the Catedral, we went to find the bar/cafe that Picasso used to frequent with other young artists while he lived in Barcelona. It's now a fancy restaurant, but we took some good pictures :) Then we did some shopping on the way back to our hotel. Following a brief nap, we went to dinner at a restaurant at the far end of Las Ramblas. There is a whole section that offers deals of tapas and paella/pasta/pizza. We got three tapas "de la casa", paella mixta, and a pitcher of sangria. It was a very nice dinner, and a pretty good price. We of course finished our meal off with ice cream again, but from a different place.
Saturday, our last day, we started out early. We had breakfast in a little cafe near the Universitat metro station before heading to La Sagrada Familia. I was very excited to return to this place, because it was one of my favorites when I visited Barcelona for the first time. Unfortunately, the lifts were closed due to weather concerned (though it didn't rain all day) so we couldn't go up the towers. But just visiting La Sagrada Familia is worth the money. Gaudi is definitely my favorite architect of all time, and it was amazing to see the progress they had made on his great unfinished work in just 6 short years. So much more was complete, and I cannot wait to compare my pictures from 6 years ago to the pictures my Mom took this weekend and see the true progress. I definitely plan on going back when it is completed, which should be by 2030, to see it completed. It's hard to describe it, and how amazing and awe-inspiring it is. The pictures my Mom took can't even begin to capture it, but they are the best explanation I have.
We headed to Passeig de Gracia, to visit one of Gaudi's many apartment building and private homes built there. Before going anywhere, we stopped for bocadillos and soda for lunch. Originally we were going to go to La Pedrera, which I had visited 6 years previous, but it was quite expensive, and one of the workers said parts might close due to the rain. Instead, we headed up the road to Casa Batlló, which was also a bit expensive, but definitely worth the price. The included audioguide was very informative, and helped me to understand just how thoroughly thought-out Gaudi's designs were. Every detail was completely planned, and every possible use of natural light was exploited. At every turn, Gaudi amazed me with his intelligence and environmental foresight. It is definitely something that cannot be missed when travelling to Barcelona. After Casa Batlló, we jumped on the metro to go see the Arc de Triomf. It is not the largest most famous one, but I like it just the same. It was good picture-taking weather, so Mom went crazy. Then we walked back to the hotel to get ready to go to the airport. The trip to the airport went much better, though we did encounter some turbulence on our routine flight.
I enjoyed this trip to Barcelona just as much as I enjoyed the last two. I never did the same thing twice in the same way (except eating at Bo de B), and each time I got to discover the city with new people. Seeing the city through new eyes each time was amazing. A lot has changed about me since 8th grade, and since September too. I know that I will be returning to Barcelona some time in the future, so just like every other time, my goodbye is not forever, just for now.
Friday, November 4, 2011
Mom's here! (Day Trips: TOLEDO and ARANJUEZ)
I am so excited that my mom is here in Madrid with me. She is here from October 31 to November 10. She has never been to Europe, so it has been great sharing her first European experience with her.
TOLEDO (Oct 31)::
My mom arrived at 6:35 am (Madrid time) Monday morning. After taking her luggage to her hotel, we grabbed breakfast, and headed off to Toledo for the day. Some of my friends already went, and they said that they had an amazing time. My roommate, Q, even sent me with 5 euros to buy her some more marzipan. We went with my friend Devon and his friend Tyler, who is studying abroad in Rome this semester and was visiting for the weekend.
Upon arrival, we began up a very daunting hill to get into the city from the bus station. I didn't realize how hilly Toledo was going to be, but it seemed as if we were always going uphill. We wandered around in small alleys that barely fit a car, climbing up hill and down, seeing the sights. We saw the outside of the Cathedral, but decided not to go in because of the high price and long line. We also saw the outside of the Alcazar, but in Toledo the Alcazar has been turned into a Military museum, so we skipped that. Toledo is famous for it's marzipan and it's swordwork. We all tried some marzipan, but it wasn't really that flavorful. Definitely an experience I am glad I have, but it doesn't jump to the top of my list of favorite foods from Spain. The place we ate lunch, however, could get pretty close. It was a really small little restaurant/bar, with only 8 bar stools. The only person working was an old woman behind the bar, and she cooked all of our food right in front of us. We each had a "plato combinado" that came with lettuce, tomato, a mixture of red and green peppers, french fries or fried eggs, and then some kind of meat. I had croquettes, one of my favorite Spanish dishes, and they were handmade by the woman who served us, using chicken and steak. She also sliced and cooked our french fries in front of us, and they were amazing. Really, some of the best food I have had here in Spain. It was great to have such a personal experience, and we got to talk to her and ask her lots of questions about the food.
The hills of Toledo definitely took a toll on us. My friends who had been before said that it was definitely worth it to stay until sunset, but we made it until around 5 pm. My mom hadn't slept on her overnight plane, and Devon, Tyler, and I got about 3 hours of sleep after a night out on the town. So we had an early night.
ARANJUEZ (Nov 1)::
The next morning, my mom and I met up in the morning, had breakfast at the same little cafe as the day before, and then headed off to Aranjuez. Aranjuez is about an hour outside of Madrid, and is famous for its royal palace and gardens. It was cloudy, which made the pictures great, and luckily it didn't rain. The garden next to the palace, Jardin de la Isla, was beautiful (and thankfully flat), and my mom got some amazing pictures.
We walked around inside the Palacio Real, which is decorated as it was when Isabel II rearranged it. Now it is set up as a museum. You can't take pictures inside, so I don't have any photo memories, but some of the rooms were so beautiful I don't think I will ever forget them. Particularly one room designed by the same man who helped in the restoration of the Alhambra in Granada. It was so intricate and geometric that you could get lost in the pattern. There was another room designed in an oriental theme, with 3D wall decorations. It was quite dizzying because of the patterns and designs that had been used, but it was very interesting.
For lunch we ate at a small restaurant, and then wandered around the city a little more. It is quite small, and we didn't have a map with us, so we stuck close to the Palacio Real so we would be sure to find our bus stop again. We went to the larger garden, Jardin del Principe. It was much larger, and featured a lot more open space with less sculpted greenery. There was also a museum that holds the Royal Barges from the time when the Palacio Real was used as a vacation home by the royals. Somewhere there was a Chinese Pond, but we were pretty tired so we decided not to hunt for it. For our dessert, we had Freson con Nata, a delightful dish of strawberries with fresh homemade whipped cream on top. It is a specialty in Aranjuez, which is known for its strawberries, and also its asparagus, though we didn't try any.
We went back on an early evening bus, and had dinner in my neighborhood. My mom got to try some Spanish standards, patatas mixtas (bravas and ali-oli) and croquetas de jamon, with a caña of beer to wash it all down. It was a great day, and a great evening.
TOLEDO (Oct 31)::
My mom arrived at 6:35 am (Madrid time) Monday morning. After taking her luggage to her hotel, we grabbed breakfast, and headed off to Toledo for the day. Some of my friends already went, and they said that they had an amazing time. My roommate, Q, even sent me with 5 euros to buy her some more marzipan. We went with my friend Devon and his friend Tyler, who is studying abroad in Rome this semester and was visiting for the weekend.
Upon arrival, we began up a very daunting hill to get into the city from the bus station. I didn't realize how hilly Toledo was going to be, but it seemed as if we were always going uphill. We wandered around in small alleys that barely fit a car, climbing up hill and down, seeing the sights. We saw the outside of the Cathedral, but decided not to go in because of the high price and long line. We also saw the outside of the Alcazar, but in Toledo the Alcazar has been turned into a Military museum, so we skipped that. Toledo is famous for it's marzipan and it's swordwork. We all tried some marzipan, but it wasn't really that flavorful. Definitely an experience I am glad I have, but it doesn't jump to the top of my list of favorite foods from Spain. The place we ate lunch, however, could get pretty close. It was a really small little restaurant/bar, with only 8 bar stools. The only person working was an old woman behind the bar, and she cooked all of our food right in front of us. We each had a "plato combinado" that came with lettuce, tomato, a mixture of red and green peppers, french fries or fried eggs, and then some kind of meat. I had croquettes, one of my favorite Spanish dishes, and they were handmade by the woman who served us, using chicken and steak. She also sliced and cooked our french fries in front of us, and they were amazing. Really, some of the best food I have had here in Spain. It was great to have such a personal experience, and we got to talk to her and ask her lots of questions about the food.
The hills of Toledo definitely took a toll on us. My friends who had been before said that it was definitely worth it to stay until sunset, but we made it until around 5 pm. My mom hadn't slept on her overnight plane, and Devon, Tyler, and I got about 3 hours of sleep after a night out on the town. So we had an early night.
ARANJUEZ (Nov 1)::
The next morning, my mom and I met up in the morning, had breakfast at the same little cafe as the day before, and then headed off to Aranjuez. Aranjuez is about an hour outside of Madrid, and is famous for its royal palace and gardens. It was cloudy, which made the pictures great, and luckily it didn't rain. The garden next to the palace, Jardin de la Isla, was beautiful (and thankfully flat), and my mom got some amazing pictures.
We walked around inside the Palacio Real, which is decorated as it was when Isabel II rearranged it. Now it is set up as a museum. You can't take pictures inside, so I don't have any photo memories, but some of the rooms were so beautiful I don't think I will ever forget them. Particularly one room designed by the same man who helped in the restoration of the Alhambra in Granada. It was so intricate and geometric that you could get lost in the pattern. There was another room designed in an oriental theme, with 3D wall decorations. It was quite dizzying because of the patterns and designs that had been used, but it was very interesting.
For lunch we ate at a small restaurant, and then wandered around the city a little more. It is quite small, and we didn't have a map with us, so we stuck close to the Palacio Real so we would be sure to find our bus stop again. We went to the larger garden, Jardin del Principe. It was much larger, and featured a lot more open space with less sculpted greenery. There was also a museum that holds the Royal Barges from the time when the Palacio Real was used as a vacation home by the royals. Somewhere there was a Chinese Pond, but we were pretty tired so we decided not to hunt for it. For our dessert, we had Freson con Nata, a delightful dish of strawberries with fresh homemade whipped cream on top. It is a specialty in Aranjuez, which is known for its strawberries, and also its asparagus, though we didn't try any.
We went back on an early evening bus, and had dinner in my neighborhood. My mom got to try some Spanish standards, patatas mixtas (bravas and ali-oli) and croquetas de jamon, with a caña of beer to wash it all down. It was a great day, and a great evening.
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