Second Traveling Adventure!

1) Has anyone heard that new song by Kelly Clarkson...My life would suck without you. It's phenomenal. It could tie with "since u been gone" not beat it....psh.

2) Linda, Renana, and myself are embarking on our first weekend traveling outside of Spain trip tomorrow! We are heading to Lyon, France. What is in Lyon, France you might ask? Well stupid person...Lyon France is in Southern France making it already GORGEOUS (Funny Face anyone). Lyon is also the second largest urban city in France, second only to Paris. It is known for its Roman Ruins, neat museums, chocolate, silk, and just overall awesomeness. It was also only 60 euro for a flight. I'm so excited! I will let everyone know how it is. 

3) Today for my Democracy in Western Europe class, we went on a field trip! I haven't been on a field trip since Environmental Geology Sophomore year, which was awesome. We went to the Museu d' Historia de Cataluyna. We had to document "cleavages" which are large political disputes throughout history. It was okay. It had eerie music. I just enjoyed not being in a lecture.

4) I'm going to make a list of things I've learned as I'm finishing my third week in Spain...

- If you are lost, consult a map, or ask someone. Don't just walk aimlessly around Barcelona for two hours assuming you're going to find your way home in a timely fashion.

- Learn to read in Spanish better. I bought coffee grounds instead of instant coffee this way.

- Baquettes are only .45 cents. Take advantage of this.

- Dinner starts at 9:45. If you go to a restaurant before this, you will be the only one there, and it will be weird.

- Don't order water at restaurants...It's expensive.

- Don't buy mixed drinks at bars...it is also expensive. Shots are not.

- Don't go to parks on top of large large hills when there are winds of 100 mph.

I will most likely keep making mistakes and writing them down for everyone's enjoyment!

Spontaneity.

So

1) I'll be more prone to update this blog if I get more comments, or else I just feel like i'm talking to myself via internet. 

2) Today, some bad decision making on exploring happened today. I hadn't been to Parc Guell yet (the park dedicated to all things Gaudi) and really wanted to do some free exploring. So Linda and I met John at Placa Cataluyna and made our way there. Did i mention it was really windy? Not just "man this wind is messing up my hair" windy but "dear god, if i had an umbrella i'd probably fly away Mary Poppins style" windy. Also, did i mention Parc Guell is on top of a massive hill? Yea, we climb up several million miles of stairs (note: exaggeration) and the park's entrance has been attempted to be roped off, but you know the sign next to it has fallen on top of the rope, making it quite easy to jump over the sign and be on our way. We pass a couple of uprooted trees and explore Parc Guell (we weren't the only ones) and it was amazing! We couldn't go on top of the highest part b/c Linda and John said it wasn't safe. whatever. Long story short, or long story long, we get home and see an email sent to us via IES which states this:

Queridos Estudiantes,

As you may have noticed, yesterday and today it has been very windy in Barcelona.  Some of the winds are in excess of 100mph. There have been 5 deaths in the city, one on the collapse of a wall next to a construction site and the other 4 upon the collapse of the ceiling of a gym facility on the outskirts of Barcelona.

The city Government has made every effort to secure loose urban objects as to minimize risk of injury, but It has also issued an advisory for all citizens to stay away from the shore since it is the zone of the city where the winds will be at its fullest strength.

You are advised to stay away from the shore and coastal areas. This would also include the recreational areas of Port Olimpic and Port Vell. Please make sure that windows are closed in your apartments and residences.

I'm really bad at making decisions. I'm alive!

Scheduling.

Hola!

Okay so I have found out I have a 9 am every single morning. It's tough, especially when your room doesn't have windows. But I'm liking my classes alright. Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45-7 I have two classes...in the same room....with the same teacher back to back. His name is sinan, he's Turkish and really nice and speaks good english. there's a couple of others who are in both classes too, we've bonded.

Saturday: Linda, and i and her two friends from Spanish, John and Scott decided last minute to go to the FC Barcelona game! It was amazing, the stadium is cool, the crowd is fun, and FC Barca won 5-0 in a really important game against Deportivo Club. I don't know where they're from, but they're obviously far less superior than Barca.

Sunday: Linda and I were trying to get to the Picasso Museum, but decided to walk to the beach instead. It was wonderful! I can't wait until it's warmer. There's live music around, cool sand castles, very open PDA...that part's not so great but the beach is gorgeous. 

Tuesday we convinced Sinan to cancel class which would have ended at 7, and the inauguration was at 6pm here. We went to a Sports Bar with several other Americans and watched Obama take office with Spanish beer. 

Thursday night: went to Tapas with the girls and guys from Apartment Bldg 29. It was delicious patatas bravas are amazing, they're basically french fries with the most amazing sauce on them and of course Sangria. Then, me and the girls went to Chupitos, which is this whole bar devoted to making shots. We realized after a while, the shots are fun (most of which are on fire, or have candy in them) but don't really have that much alcohol in them. boo. Twas fun, very crowded though. 

Today....plans were made to travel. 

January 30-February 1st...Linda, her friend Renana and I are going to Lyon, France (southern france) because it was the cheapest flight and we decided to be spontatneous.

Then the weekend after that Linda, Renana, Scott, John and I are heading to Lisbon, Portugal! I'm so excited. It's pricey, but after 2 weekends of traveling in a row, I won't be traveling for a while. 

I have discovered the most wonderful dish to fill you up and taste delicious. The Tortilla Espanola. It's basically a huge round chunk mixed with eggs and potatoes. It's delicious and cheap and tastes good with copious amounts of ketchup....

that's it for now! Muchos besos. 

More pictures.

For everyone's enjoyment I'm posting pictures of the Gaudi Apartments and more cool stuff I've seen like the Arc de Triomph, Santa Maria Cathedral, Museo de arte contemporaneo y mas!

Out!

So, after a full week in Barcelona, I decided it was time (Lion King Voice...it is time) 

K so Thursday Night, my now former roommate (no hard feelings) had a bunch of girls

over to our apartment to hang out b/c we have the biggest common space and drinks are 

quite expensive in Barcelona so pregaming is actually a necessity to save money..I mean when bottles of wine are only 1-2 euros....why not! So after our apartment, Linda and I accompanied some girls we met who live in the complex next to ours to this bar called The Black Sheep "La Oveja Negra" which is really cool and laid back. Had some sangria and then proceeded to go clubbing at the beach at Opium. It was an American-sponsored party so practically everyone was from IES and American. It was a pretty club though, very classy. But, headed home at like 3 am.

Then, last night (Friday night) went over to Jess and Mallory's place next to mine, hung out, then decided to check out this bar much closer to our apartments b/c taxis are getting pricey called La Fira. It was carnival themed and so much fun! We danced the night away to the musical stylings of YMCA, Macarena, and did a train....it was kind of like a wedding. The bartenders danced on the bar and we took shots that were on fire. 

Linda and I still have a to-do list including La Sagrada Familia, FC Barcelona Game and museums. Classes start on Monday, which i'm actually excited for. 

Until next time! muchos besos! Look at my pictures on facebook!

Settling.

Hi!

So my apartment doesn't really have a window, so my roommates and I slept until 4:30 pm Sunday afternoon. Yea. Linda and I were productive and took a walk, but suprise suprise we got lost again. I'm not bad at directions but the streets are like diagonal from each other instead of making a grid so it's quite easy getting turned around.

Monday and Tuesday Spanish classes started at 9 am, which aren't awful b/c we're done at 10:30. But, IES gave us this scavenger hunt to do with our class that was actually helpful b/c we walked a ton and saw some pretty great things like the Picasso Museum, a Chocolate Museum, and other cool things and me and my group stumbled upon the cutest nook outdoor tapas restaurant in a church courtyard lit by candle light off of a small alley in Las Ramblas and drank Sangria that our waitress made in front of us and had tapas. It was delicious.

Tuesday, we actually walked down to the port where the beach starts and it was really pretty. 

Tonight is a FC Barcelona game, but my roommate Linda and I didn't get tickets but I think we're going to one on Saturday, and also try and see La Sagrada Familia, the unfinished church of Gaudi. On my walk home from classes, there are the Gaudi Apartments which are spectacular and just out of the blue. 

Until next time, Muchos Besos!

Field Trip to Besalu and Vic

 Besalu^
vic^
IES took us all on a field trip. Sounds cool right? If it wasn't cold and rainy which everyone keeps stating is quite uncommon for Barcelona at this time of the year. Great. 

Vic: cute little town. Walked around, met the girls in my actual Spanish class who I hung out with. Our tour was an hour long, we then were given 3.5 hours of down time before our bus left. It was cold and rainy and restaurants don't serve lunch until 1 or 2. What is there to do IES besides sit in a coffee shop for 2 hours complaining how cold and wet it is. Still fun though, cafe con leche is divine.

Besalu: BETTER TOWN. Super medieval. I want to live in medieval times and be courted. It sounds so much better than "Some guy I dated" to "This gentleman who courted me last fall."

After the bus dropped us home at 8pm after we met at the bus station at 8:30 (8:45 for me and Linda...we got lost.), we had to go straight home because there was some large protest in the Placa de Cataluyna where our bus dropped us off about the middle east. They hate us. Cool.

I think I might go out tonight. I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Muchos Besos!

Apartment Pics

Adjusting.

....Traveling cont'd

My new life. 

Apartment: I have two roommates. Elanna and Linda. We also live with our RA, her names is Anna Moises, is Spanish, awesome, and helpful. We were fortunate to be the only apartment that has single rooms, so I have my own room! We have a wonderful view of downtown Barcelona on Avinguda Sarria.  Large closet space, nice living room and kitchen and two bathrooms.

After I arrive at my apartment and meet Elanna it's about 7:30. I'm famished and tired. But decide it's probably best if I eat something before I pass out. I unpack and then Elanna tells me that we have to go at 9:30 because no restaurants serve dinner before then. Awesome. 9:45 rolls around and Elanna and I meet her friend Natalie at this cute restaurante La Mamasita. which is very nice and very affordable. Order a bottle of wine, a quiche, and tiramisu which was all lovely for about 15 euro. A little pricey, but it was my first night in Spain. 

Orientation: Haven't started yet, but seem easy enough. We had orientation today at 9 am so Elanna and I found the bus stop by asking 7 or 8 people on the street who were very nice. Got off a bus stop early by mistake and continued to get extremely lost on the way to our center which is in the Plaza Cataluyna which is right by Las Ramblas. Finally found our center and I find the room my name is next to on a list in the lobby and proceed to orientation where I meet a lot of nice people. Our orientator (sp? word?) is British and seems nice and gives us all our information very straightforward and in English. I find out at after 3 hours...I'm in fact in the wrong room because I have placed into Advanced Spanish 1 where the orientation was all in Spanish. Whoops!

Lost in Barcelona: Because Elanna and I had the same orientation time I figured I'd wait for her....10 minutes goes by, 15 minutes. No Elanna. I begin to become very panicked because the friends I had made in class had left me to get coffee and I told them to go ahead because I had to wait for my roommate. Bad idea. I proceed to follow some IES students to lunch with a girl I met on my flight. But, they keep walking around Las Ramblas and I am very exhausted so I decide to go back to my apartment and rest some more. I then realize I need some Euros because all I have are 10s and 20s paper bills and the bus only takes coins and Elanna had to pay for me that morning. Shoot. I try to find a coffee place to get change, but proceed to walk in circles because I'm exhausted and walked in one coffee shop where the waitress smiled at me and walked away. I'm impatient so I find a Dunkin Donuts...how American I know. Get some change and then realize I have no idea what bus to get on to get me back to my apartment. I walk in circles and read maps, and ask people and I still have no idea where I am or how to get home without getting a taxi which didn't seem like a good idea for whatever reason. I hop on a random bus after about 20 minutes of walking aimlessly around and get off where it looks familiar. 

I still have absolutely no idea where I am. I walk down Avinguda Diagnol which is a very busy street for about 30 minutes and realize I'm walking parallel to my street. I finally figure out where I am and get to my apartment......

I expect to get better at this. I'm taking a nap now.

Traveling.

Hi. I've been asked to write a blog while I'm in Spain, I said I wouldn't, but everyone keeps asking me how I'm doing so I suppose it'd be easier to just have something for all to see!

Traveling......SUCKS. But I have split it up in sections, because it took 2 days.

Stage 1:

It started out smooth enough, grabbing a shuttle from Breckenridge to Denver where I was skiing with the family and actually managed to get down the hill without falling....very slowly though. I also mastered the chair lift after a while. So en route to the airport a trio of nice young lads who smelled of cigarette smoke joined the van and automatically started talking about politics. I don't mind talking about politics, but it was a two hour shuttle, and there were elderly gentlemen who were obviously Republican (you can tell) and a verbal argument began, which of course makes me very uncomfortable. Eventually we arrive at the airport.... Did I tell you my dad made my shuttle arrive 5 HOURS earlier than my flight. I bought "Confessions of a Shopaholic" because I'm learning how to budget my money and read it in 5 hours and then boarded my plane to London.

Stage 2:

Highlight of my travels= flight from Denver to London. 5 reasons why it rocked

1) British people....they're voices are amazing and everyone was super nice and I was out of place for having an American accent and who doesn't love extra attention thrown at you via awesome British people.

2) When I checked in, I was asked window or aisle and got to select window seat, which I thought was a great perk by itself. Both the center seat and aisle seat in my row were not filled so I got 3 lovely seats to spread out for 9 hours. It was glorious!

3) They serve wine. Not a little wine, a lot of wine on your flight....all free. I had about 2-3 little bottles which were about a glass and a half each. I was in a wonderful place

4) British Airways plays movies. Not just one movie like old American Airlines, they give you a choice! Everyone has their own personal tv on the headrest in front of them with channels for different movies like Happy Feet, Vicky Christina Barcelona, Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist...and others that play on loop! 

Stage 3:

This is where traveling sucks. I get to Heathrow easily enough, customs was a breeze. Meet some people in my program...then meet more people in my program. Turns out about 50 peple in my program are on the same flight. "How cool!" I think to myself. 11:25 comes around (our boarding time) and no boarding....no announcements....more waiting.....12:00......more waiting...12:41 AND NO ONE KNOWS WHY WE'RE WAITING. Apparently, our plane is broken. So it takes them another 2 hours to figure out that we need a new plane. The waiting area= a pen to keep 50+ IES students who have been traveling for 10+ hours and are very grumpy/tired/hungry/have to pee and CANT LEAVE! It was awful.

Stage 4:

We finally board our flight..on a new plane and a new problem presents itself. We were supposed to be in the Barcelona Airport at 5 pm or else our welcoming crew would leave and we would have to find our ways to our respective apartments, homestays, dorms. We were going to arrive in Barcelona at 7:00 pm. I didn't print out my address.....big problem. Lucky for me, the crew waited for us and we checked in and I got a taxi to my apartment a million hours after I left Denver. 

Traveling sucks. Barcelona does not.