It's been awhile since I've blogged and as my time in Spain is coming to an end, I thought I should write again (before I'm buried in books for finals). Since I've last written I have been on my spring break trip with my roommate Anna, all around Portugal and Spain, seen my family and turned 21!
SPRING BREAK
on our trip we went to:
Lisbon
Lagos (Portugal)
Cadiz
Alicante
Valencia
Barcelona
San Sebastian
Granada
I had an amazing time! Anna and I both were amazed by Portugal. It is now one of my favorite places in the world. The people in Portugal are amazing friendly, speak English (almost never met someone who didn't speak English) and the country is beautiful! Lisbon was my favorite stop on the whole trip. We toured the entire city seeing, Belen, the castle, barrio alto, and everything else there is to see.
Our Second stop Lagos had some of the most beautiful beaches. We went on a boat with a fisherman where he took us all around the caves and arches that surround the beach. It was fantastic!
As for our Spanish stops, San Sebastian was my favorite. It is a BEAUTIFUL town in northern Spain with the best tapas! It combines mountains covered with trees and sheep with the beautiful bay.
I enjoyed Barcelona, but felt overwhelmed, and wished I had more time to explore and get to know the city. In addition, everything was very expensive, and Spanish was rarely spoken around me.
Alicante is a cute beach town with a fortress you can climb too. Which of course we did! Cadiz is somewhat similar, and the major site is a church with a yellow dome. Valencia is the old capital of Spain, and is where paella (the famous Spanish rice dish) was invented. Traditional Valencian paella is rabbit and chicken. We ordered some and it was BY FAR the most amazing paella I've had in my life. Completely worth the trip!
Granada of course has the famous Alhambra, which is where the Moors used to rule Spain from. It is an old Arab palace, and one of the most amazing sites you can see in Spain! I also enjoyed having a taste of Arab food, and ate Kebabs every day! haha
FAMILY & BIRTHDAY
It was great to have my family in Spain. Not only did I get to see them! But they also were able to see where I had been living, and why I love Spain so much. They visited Toledo and Madrid without me, and then joined me in Salamanca. I was really glad to show them around and introduce them to my city. On my birthday we went to Zamora, a city close by where my host mom is from. It had a beautiful church and a nice plaza. The next day we drove to Caceres, which seemed to be having a silly festival that included fighting dragons! It definitely made that stop memorable. The old buildings there were also amazing, and very interesting.
After that we drove on to Sevilla (city with way too many one-way tiny streets!) I was very glad that my parents had selected Sevilla (Seville in English) as one of the stops, because Sevilla is the capital of Spanish culture, flamenco, the 3rd largest cathedral in the world, the alcazar (an old Spanish palace), and great food. I really enjoyed showing them around the city and trying the typical Sevillian food.
The next city was Merida. Merida has some of the most amazing Roman ruins that I have ever seen. What makes some of it so amazing is that houses, and buildings are constructed around some if it! We saw an amphitheater, race track, and theater. They were all spectacular. *We also found a restaurant that had 100 types of tiny tapa sandwiches that were delicious! And of course the Parador, and old monastery, was our hotel and it made Merida extra special!
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Madrid, una ciudad fantastica
Although I spent my orientation weekend in Madrid I wasn't able to fully take in the city until this past weekend. This time I had my close friends from BC, a better handle on Spanish, and a whole plan laid out of what I wanted to see.
Ricquelle and I stayed at Los Amigos de Sol hostel which we selected due to it's cheap prices, and great reviews on hostelworld.com. It turns out that we picked a great location as well! Upon arrival to the hostel, encouraged by the guy working the desk at the hostel, we decided to go explore Madrid's night life. We met up with our friend Lisette (who is studying abroad in Madrid) at a club called Kapital. It is a 7 floor club that has a different DJ and music theme on each level. Needless to say this place was an adventure within itself. But besides the floors, the coolest thing about Kapital is the crazy fog machine on the first floor, every so often it sends down mist from a giant machine which it has a cooling affect on those below!
The next day we wasted no time and were up ready to go at 9am! I had my guide book to Madrid handy with me, and I took Ricquelle to all the sites that are "can't miss" in Madrid. We walked around the whole city taking in the sites while Ricquelle said "I love Madrid!" over and over haha. She was also very pleased with the presence of the sun saying, "You don't understand! In London we DON'T see the sun!" haha. We walked and saw:
1--Plaza Mayor
2--puerta del sol
3--palacio real
The only one of these that costs money to enter is the palacio real, there was a long line to go in here, and we decided viewing the palace from the outside was satisfying enough! :) We then continued to walk towards the botanical gardens which are right behind the Prado museum. The student price to enter is 1 euro and for anyone else I believe it is 2 euro, which are both unbeatable prices! We explored and took lots of silly photos here. After this we met up with Lisette again, and she showed us another AMAZING park is a DON'T MISS location in Madrid. it is called Parque Retiro. In the park, Sasha, Ricquelle, Lisette, and I opted to take a 15 minute boat ride in the little man-made "pond." There are lots of little boats that sit around in the water as well that are rented for 45 minutes a piece and cost about 4.5 euro per person. The park was HUGE and had some street performers and beautiful landscaping. If one wants to go to a park and not pay for the Botanical Gardens this would be a great substitute or addition to the day.
We all decided it was time for TAPAS! I ordered my favorite tapas --torilla espanola (otherwise known as torilla de patatas) and croquetas de jamon (yes that's right I like jam) --the croquetas are ham and cheese inside little balls. They are all very tasty. We all also ordered cervezas con limon (beer with lemon) and it is Spanish beer, Mahou with a lemonadey taste to it. DELICIOSO!
Then it was time for SIESTA! And after, Ricquelle and I wetn exploring for a tapas bar near our house. We found a little place, and ordered cervezas con limon again, as well as tortillas, some meatballs, and some potatoes. It was a cute little place on Calle Mayor (one of the main streets in Madrid). Included with our beers were free green olives, which normal people would enjoy, however Ricquelle and I left them untouched...haha. We went to this place the next day for lunch was well since we enjoyed it so much, and it always feels good to go to someplace where you know your money is well spent. And this time, the man who owned the place greeted us like we were old friends, and already started preparing what we wanted without even requesting it. In addition, he didn't give us olives! I know if I were studying in Madrid all semester, I would love to have a friendly relationship with a tapas bar owner, and have my own little "place" that I go to. In salamanca there are many tapas bars, but since I have three meals at home I do not frequent them.
Ricquelle and I also explored the Rastro (market) on Sunday in Madrid, as well as the stadium for Real Madrid. One of the best, and well-known club teams in Madrid. The tour/entrance fee to the stadium was 15 euros which we opted out off. Instead we walked around the perimeter of the stadium and the gift shop. We took silly pictures with posters of the players.
Here are a list of things NOT to miss while in Madrid
--the prado museum
--reina sofia museum
--plaza mayor
--palacio real (just the outside no need to enter haha)
--parque retiro
all of these activities can be done in one day! The only two that will take time are the two museums and the others are all walking activities through regions in Madrid. If you have time left over the botanical gardens, the stadium, and the market (only on sundays from 9-2pm) are all fun as well.
Madrid, has now made it to one of my top list cities. The city is not overwhelming like some major cities (for example NYC), there was never a point during my trip when I said, I am ready to leave. Madrid is a wonderful city; the combination of the friendly people, its beautiful parks, apartments with great views, and the Spanish lifestyle of relaxation and enjoying life makes it a place that you don't want to leave. Madrid itself is a "must see" city in Europe.
Ricquelle and I stayed at Los Amigos de Sol hostel which we selected due to it's cheap prices, and great reviews on hostelworld.com. It turns out that we picked a great location as well! Upon arrival to the hostel, encouraged by the guy working the desk at the hostel, we decided to go explore Madrid's night life. We met up with our friend Lisette (who is studying abroad in Madrid) at a club called Kapital. It is a 7 floor club that has a different DJ and music theme on each level. Needless to say this place was an adventure within itself. But besides the floors, the coolest thing about Kapital is the crazy fog machine on the first floor, every so often it sends down mist from a giant machine which it has a cooling affect on those below!
The next day we wasted no time and were up ready to go at 9am! I had my guide book to Madrid handy with me, and I took Ricquelle to all the sites that are "can't miss" in Madrid. We walked around the whole city taking in the sites while Ricquelle said "I love Madrid!" over and over haha. She was also very pleased with the presence of the sun saying, "You don't understand! In London we DON'T see the sun!" haha. We walked and saw:
1--Plaza Mayor
2--puerta del sol
3--palacio real
The only one of these that costs money to enter is the palacio real, there was a long line to go in here, and we decided viewing the palace from the outside was satisfying enough! :) We then continued to walk towards the botanical gardens which are right behind the Prado museum. The student price to enter is 1 euro and for anyone else I believe it is 2 euro, which are both unbeatable prices! We explored and took lots of silly photos here. After this we met up with Lisette again, and she showed us another AMAZING park is a DON'T MISS location in Madrid. it is called Parque Retiro. In the park, Sasha, Ricquelle, Lisette, and I opted to take a 15 minute boat ride in the little man-made "pond." There are lots of little boats that sit around in the water as well that are rented for 45 minutes a piece and cost about 4.5 euro per person. The park was HUGE and had some street performers and beautiful landscaping. If one wants to go to a park and not pay for the Botanical Gardens this would be a great substitute or addition to the day.
We all decided it was time for TAPAS! I ordered my favorite tapas --torilla espanola (otherwise known as torilla de patatas) and croquetas de jamon (yes that's right I like jam) --the croquetas are ham and cheese inside little balls. They are all very tasty. We all also ordered cervezas con limon (beer with lemon) and it is Spanish beer, Mahou with a lemonadey taste to it. DELICIOSO!
Then it was time for SIESTA! And after, Ricquelle and I wetn exploring for a tapas bar near our house. We found a little place, and ordered cervezas con limon again, as well as tortillas, some meatballs, and some potatoes. It was a cute little place on Calle Mayor (one of the main streets in Madrid). Included with our beers were free green olives, which normal people would enjoy, however Ricquelle and I left them untouched...haha. We went to this place the next day for lunch was well since we enjoyed it so much, and it always feels good to go to someplace where you know your money is well spent. And this time, the man who owned the place greeted us like we were old friends, and already started preparing what we wanted without even requesting it. In addition, he didn't give us olives! I know if I were studying in Madrid all semester, I would love to have a friendly relationship with a tapas bar owner, and have my own little "place" that I go to. In salamanca there are many tapas bars, but since I have three meals at home I do not frequent them.
Ricquelle and I also explored the Rastro (market) on Sunday in Madrid, as well as the stadium for Real Madrid. One of the best, and well-known club teams in Madrid. The tour/entrance fee to the stadium was 15 euros which we opted out off. Instead we walked around the perimeter of the stadium and the gift shop. We took silly pictures with posters of the players.
Here are a list of things NOT to miss while in Madrid
--the prado museum
--reina sofia museum
--plaza mayor
--palacio real (just the outside no need to enter haha)
--parque retiro
all of these activities can be done in one day! The only two that will take time are the two museums and the others are all walking activities through regions in Madrid. If you have time left over the botanical gardens, the stadium, and the market (only on sundays from 9-2pm) are all fun as well.
Madrid, has now made it to one of my top list cities. The city is not overwhelming like some major cities (for example NYC), there was never a point during my trip when I said, I am ready to leave. Madrid is a wonderful city; the combination of the friendly people, its beautiful parks, apartments with great views, and the Spanish lifestyle of relaxation and enjoying life makes it a place that you don't want to leave. Madrid itself is a "must see" city in Europe.
Monday, March 2, 2009
Roma
Roma, el capital de Italia, is now one of my favorite cities in Europe. At this point in my life I have seen London, Paris, Madrid, and now Rome; and I feel that Rome and London are my two favorite. The argument for London is clear to me, it's incredibly diverse, has amazing history which can be seen through it's buildings and government system, is a welcoming city, and who doesn't like some fish and chips?! After having spent my orientation in Madrid, I was enamored by the museums and art history but did not feel the same welcoming presence that exists in all great cities. Also, Madrid lacks the same amazing history that pulls you in. Two weekends ago I spent exploring Paris with my BC friends. Paris is a great city, it has the eiffel tower, the Louvre, Notre Dame and the arc de triomphe; all of these are magnificent pieces of art within themselves. However, I did not feel a connection with French society and was somewhat relieved to be back in Spain after a great trip. Perhaps I just needed to learn more about Paris' history and the language in order to feel a stronger connection.
Now there's Rome, my newest favorite. Rome has it all, historic buildings, government, Vatican city (which has the largest Cathedral in the world), amazing art, an over the top welcoming culture and people, and of course THE BEST FOOD EVER! I think I am most attracted to cities with an incredible and depth history, especially when it revolves around the government system (with both London and Rome have).
Our first full day in Rome, we took a bus tour and had a very entertaining Italian man as our guide. We drove around all of the city taking in his stories about each building and monument. Our bus stopped outside of the Colosseum and the group gathered around while we learned about this part of Rome. Right outside of the Colosseum is Rome's "arc de triomphe" where slaves and prisoners of war were sold. This is significant since many of the gladiators were slaves and prisoners of war therefore they were sold right outside of the place that they would fight and possibly die. On one side of the arc is the Colosseum and on the other is Palatine Hill which is old Rome. Palatine hill has the old forum where the senate did everything, the market, and ruins of old houses where the Caesars lived. It was truly amazing to take all of this in.
From here we went to the Pantheon, which is an old temple. In the very center of the ceiling there is a giant circular opening for light to enter. On April 21st every year, the sun is directly above the Pantheon and shines light on who ever stands below, bestowing a 'god-like' presence. April 21st is important because it is the day on which Rome was created. We also saw the Trevi fountain and important sites.
My friends and I decided to go to the Colosseum. The ticket cost 12 euro, and included the Colosseum and Palatine hill. It seemed a bit pricey, but completely worth it. The Colosseum was gigantic, and it seems unbelievable that people used to fight in the center for entertainment. The next day we used the rest of the ticket to enter Palatine Hill. After seeing all of these historic sites, it made me want to take a class on ancient Rome. I know I have studied this in the past, but I seem to have forgotten most of it!
We heard that the Vatican gets very busy early on, so we decided to be the first ones there on Saturday. Hence, we woke up at 6:30am! St. Peter's Cathedral was magnificent, and I enjoyed exploring each part of the church. It was very interesting to people watch there as well because people had come from all over the world to be there. There were nuns from all over the world. From the cathedral we moved onto the Sistine chapel. The sistine chapel is the "official residence of the pope" however, we did not see him! haha. The chapel itself if very small and the walls and ceilings are covered with paintings. I was able to zoom in on the most famous image from the ceiling of Adam reaching out towards an angel.
Upon returning to Spain, I been "wikipediaing" all of the places that I saw while in Rome. I had learned some stuff on the guided tour but wanted to know specific details. I learned that more than half of the people who fought as gladiators were volunteers; there was so much honor bestowed upon the fighters that people volunteered themselves (and their lives/bodies) to be part of this type of entertainment. There were also gladiator schools where prisoners of war, slaves, and the volunteers were trained. I then decided it was time to watch Gladiator! And I currently in the middle of it! So I thank Rome for it's history, amazing food, and a great trip!
Now there's Rome, my newest favorite. Rome has it all, historic buildings, government, Vatican city (which has the largest Cathedral in the world), amazing art, an over the top welcoming culture and people, and of course THE BEST FOOD EVER! I think I am most attracted to cities with an incredible and depth history, especially when it revolves around the government system (with both London and Rome have).
Our first full day in Rome, we took a bus tour and had a very entertaining Italian man as our guide. We drove around all of the city taking in his stories about each building and monument. Our bus stopped outside of the Colosseum and the group gathered around while we learned about this part of Rome. Right outside of the Colosseum is Rome's "arc de triomphe" where slaves and prisoners of war were sold. This is significant since many of the gladiators were slaves and prisoners of war therefore they were sold right outside of the place that they would fight and possibly die. On one side of the arc is the Colosseum and on the other is Palatine Hill which is old Rome. Palatine hill has the old forum where the senate did everything, the market, and ruins of old houses where the Caesars lived. It was truly amazing to take all of this in.
From here we went to the Pantheon, which is an old temple. In the very center of the ceiling there is a giant circular opening for light to enter. On April 21st every year, the sun is directly above the Pantheon and shines light on who ever stands below, bestowing a 'god-like' presence. April 21st is important because it is the day on which Rome was created. We also saw the Trevi fountain and important sites.
My friends and I decided to go to the Colosseum. The ticket cost 12 euro, and included the Colosseum and Palatine hill. It seemed a bit pricey, but completely worth it. The Colosseum was gigantic, and it seems unbelievable that people used to fight in the center for entertainment. The next day we used the rest of the ticket to enter Palatine Hill. After seeing all of these historic sites, it made me want to take a class on ancient Rome. I know I have studied this in the past, but I seem to have forgotten most of it!
We heard that the Vatican gets very busy early on, so we decided to be the first ones there on Saturday. Hence, we woke up at 6:30am! St. Peter's Cathedral was magnificent, and I enjoyed exploring each part of the church. It was very interesting to people watch there as well because people had come from all over the world to be there. There were nuns from all over the world. From the cathedral we moved onto the Sistine chapel. The sistine chapel is the "official residence of the pope" however, we did not see him! haha. The chapel itself if very small and the walls and ceilings are covered with paintings. I was able to zoom in on the most famous image from the ceiling of Adam reaching out towards an angel.
Upon returning to Spain, I been "wikipediaing" all of the places that I saw while in Rome. I had learned some stuff on the guided tour but wanted to know specific details. I learned that more than half of the people who fought as gladiators were volunteers; there was so much honor bestowed upon the fighters that people volunteered themselves (and their lives/bodies) to be part of this type of entertainment. There were also gladiator schools where prisoners of war, slaves, and the volunteers were trained. I then decided it was time to watch Gladiator! And I currently in the middle of it! So I thank Rome for it's history, amazing food, and a great trip!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
mis clases!
OKAY....so I finally have settled down into the classes that I will be taking for the rest of my time in Spain... I had a two week period to try out classes (like most colleges/universities in the U.S. do as well). I have settled into four classes:
*literatura hispanoamerica (latin american literature)
*historia de la filosofia (history of philosophy)
*introduccion al ensayo hispanico (intro to spanish essay)
*la historia de la mujer y sociedad en espana (history of women and society in spain)
It's been my first week in each of these classes and I really enjoy them and the professors very much. I am glad that I choose the integrated program now since I feel that I am really learning something. I am taking subjects that interest me, and improving my listening Spanish; finally all those silly listening practices from school have paid off! The only disadvantage of taking classes with Spaniards (as opposed to with other international students and NO Spaniards) is that one must pay attention at all times. If one finds themselves distracted by the slightest thing they might miss something important. Well you could say this applies to classes in America as well, however, if you space out in America you will still be hearing English, instead of Spanish. This is the only course that required me to buy books (4 to be exact) and they all look very interesting. I look forward to reading them!
The literature course is my class with the most international students. The majority of these people are from the U.S., England, and Korea. There are also Spaniards in the class. This class is taught by a young (in her30's) female professor who is very excited about the subject matter.
My history of philosophy class is interesting, and I feel a step ahead since I have already taken a full year of philosophy at BC. I have also taken other political science based philosophy courses. The professor seems very passionate about this course. The class is packed, and it is completely full of Spaniards.
My intro to the Spanish essay course is smaller and has mostly Spaniards. I like this professor best because he speaks slower (normal speed) so I am able to write down everything that he says. I have also made an acquaintance in this class. Her name is Ana Maria and she is from Colombia originally but she lives in England. She asked me if I was from Spain; this seems to be a common question for me which I feel has it's advantages and disadvantages. I enjoy blending in and having people approach me with Spanish first rather than English. Also things are not made any easier for me because it is assumed that I am from Spain (or another Spanish speaking country). HOWEVER...this also doesn't encourage other international students to approach me since they think I am a Spaniard and therefore am "intimidating." haha.
My fourth class, history of women in Spain, I enjoy very much as well. This class is taught by a woman, who is in her early 60's and very upbeat. She cracks jokes here and there and makes the class a fun time. I really like the subject matter, and so does she, which prompts her to speak a mile a minute. There are two guys in the class too, haha.
Overall, I'm enjoying my educational time in addition to my free/exploring time. :)
hasta luego!
*literatura hispanoamerica (latin american literature)
*historia de la filosofia (history of philosophy)
*introduccion al ensayo hispanico (intro to spanish essay)
*la historia de la mujer y sociedad en espana (history of women and society in spain)
It's been my first week in each of these classes and I really enjoy them and the professors very much. I am glad that I choose the integrated program now since I feel that I am really learning something. I am taking subjects that interest me, and improving my listening Spanish; finally all those silly listening practices from school have paid off! The only disadvantage of taking classes with Spaniards (as opposed to with other international students and NO Spaniards) is that one must pay attention at all times. If one finds themselves distracted by the slightest thing they might miss something important. Well you could say this applies to classes in America as well, however, if you space out in America you will still be hearing English, instead of Spanish. This is the only course that required me to buy books (4 to be exact) and they all look very interesting. I look forward to reading them!
The literature course is my class with the most international students. The majority of these people are from the U.S., England, and Korea. There are also Spaniards in the class. This class is taught by a young (in her30's) female professor who is very excited about the subject matter.
My history of philosophy class is interesting, and I feel a step ahead since I have already taken a full year of philosophy at BC. I have also taken other political science based philosophy courses. The professor seems very passionate about this course. The class is packed, and it is completely full of Spaniards.
My intro to the Spanish essay course is smaller and has mostly Spaniards. I like this professor best because he speaks slower (normal speed) so I am able to write down everything that he says. I have also made an acquaintance in this class. Her name is Ana Maria and she is from Colombia originally but she lives in England. She asked me if I was from Spain; this seems to be a common question for me which I feel has it's advantages and disadvantages. I enjoy blending in and having people approach me with Spanish first rather than English. Also things are not made any easier for me because it is assumed that I am from Spain (or another Spanish speaking country). HOWEVER...this also doesn't encourage other international students to approach me since they think I am a Spaniard and therefore am "intimidating." haha.
My fourth class, history of women in Spain, I enjoy very much as well. This class is taught by a woman, who is in her early 60's and very upbeat. She cracks jokes here and there and makes the class a fun time. I really like the subject matter, and so does she, which prompts her to speak a mile a minute. There are two guys in the class too, haha.
Overall, I'm enjoying my educational time in addition to my free/exploring time. :)
hasta luego!
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