Hello!
The whole city is going crazy right now because Spain just won in the World Cup against Portugal. I watched it on TV at my host-mom's house because I had to update this and do some studying for my tests on Friday. But I live right across the street from a bar so I heard all the disappointment, all the celebration, all the positive and negative reactions, all in unison, like the whole world was existing, living, breathing, just for this game. A unity I haven't experienced since after 9/11.
The Spanish are a passionate people, a loving people, A kind people. They are a people rich in history, tragedy, success, and culture that has shaped their lives and made them who they are. I can't believe that I'm leaving this place that has become my second home, in just a few short days. Time flies rapidly, too rapidly. It's a sad and happy thing at the same time.
I vary between the two extremes of never wanting to leave, and wanting to go home. Like the orchestra that I'm hearing play over at the Palacio right now...I have had high points, I have had low points, I have experienced parts that never seem to end, I have experienced parts that are nothing but a flash of memory in the recesses of my mind, and all of it has made a beautiful symphony of a trip: Life-changing, moving, and amazing.
There are no other words to describe it: Amazing covers all bases. And a part of my heart will always, always, always be in Spain.
The friends I've made, the people I've met, the experiences that I have had have formed a new person, a new me, a new outlook on life and it will be difficult to get used to that when I get back to the United States, because I will have changed but no one else has, and they'll expect me to be who I was before I left.
I don't think you can expect that after someone has been away on their own for two months in a country that was at first foreign but now feels like home. It's hard to describe, and I am usually not without words Congratulations Spain, you have successfully struck me deaf, dumb, and mute in your awesome presence.
Until Next Time,
Avery
June 29, 2010
24-hours of Barcelona Mayhem
June 26, 2010
We got up at 5 to catch our flight at 7:40. I had some trouble getting to sleep because travelling always makes me a little nervous so I probably got just a few hours of sleep. I slept on the plane though so that gave me a little more time. We got to Madrid-Barajas at 6 and I printed off my ticket and we headed into the terminal. I got stopped by security because I forgot to take my metal clip out of my hair. We got on the plane and then we got to Barcelona at 8:50 a.m. and that's when the clock started. I had 24-hours exactly because my plane left at 8:50 a.m. on Sunday morning.
What an experience!
What an experience! Our first stop after we checked into our hostel was to go to Parq Güell which is where some of Antoni Gaudi's works are. It was so cool! I couldn't believe that I was there! I kept telling myself that I was in Gaudi park just so that I'd believe it! Since everyone I've talked to has no idea what I'm talking about I'll put up some pictures. 
It was so beautiful and there were tons of gardens that we walked through as well. Here we met up with Merissa's friends who are super nice. I had a fun time hanging out with them.
We went to Sagrada Familia after we met up with them which was also a very cool experience.
never in my life did I ever think I would be here. It's amazing! It's so amazing that I've been able to have this experience.
After Sagrada familia we had lunch, hit the beach, and then headed back to the hostel to change for the night. we went for tapas, and some drinks and then I went home around 1 since I had my flight early in the morning the next day. Of course, knowing me, I met some more people from Europe and the States and talked to them for an hour before I did get to bed.
4 hours later I got up, packed up, checked out and headed back to the airport.
An amazing 24 hours.
The experience of being a swedish poser....
Friday June 25:MIDSÖMMER!
How cool is it that I am meeting all these people from all around the world and learning more about their culture than I would in books. There's a big difference between reading about something and actually doing it. Midsömmer is a festival in Sweden that celebrates the longest day of the year. We met up with Mikaela, Viktoria, Dennis and some of their friends at Parque Retiro in order to celebrate. I love hanging out with these people. I'm going to miss them so much when I leave, they're just so much fun. Dennis was wearing a Swedish flag around his shoulders like a cape, and they had a roller-suitcase packed full of Swedish food.
We hung out with them for awhile and then Viktoria tried to teach us a Swedish drinking song. She eventually gave up and said "all the Swedes who are here right now gather round." And they all sang it together. Before the song they had filled some glasses with Swedish Snaps which is a popular drink there. The last line of the song translates to "now empty your cup and drink up."
The drink was 38 proof. Needless to say I was a bit drunk for awhile. I thought it tasted good but had I known it was 38 proof I wouldn't have asked for the other little bit. Then we walked to the metro to catch a train to Chueca where Mikaela and Viktoria had bought some flower crowns that look like the ones they have at the Renaissance Festival in Minnesota. They were so Beautiful, as you can see below:
After we picked up our crowns we dashed home, had dinner at Manuela's and then went back to Retiro for more celebration.
When we got there we danced around a tree since they couldn't find a pole at Ikea that day, and sang a song about frogs, and pigs. It was so silly but so much fun. We sang a couple more songs, and hung out for awhile and then the sky opened up and it totally down poured! I was pretty popular because I had my umbrella with me. I think there were about 5 of us under it at one point. Good times.
They all said that we had the total experience of Midsömmer. I guess it always rains when they have the festival in Sweden. I wouldn't mind going to the real thing one day. I think that would be a very cool thing...and hey I already have some built-in tour guides.
I'll make it there when I have some money if that's okay with you all?We left about midnight so that we could get some sleep before we left for Barcelona the next day.
Until next time,
Avery
How cool is it that I am meeting all these people from all around the world and learning more about their culture than I would in books. There's a big difference between reading about something and actually doing it. Midsömmer is a festival in Sweden that celebrates the longest day of the year. We met up with Mikaela, Viktoria, Dennis and some of their friends at Parque Retiro in order to celebrate. I love hanging out with these people. I'm going to miss them so much when I leave, they're just so much fun. Dennis was wearing a Swedish flag around his shoulders like a cape, and they had a roller-suitcase packed full of Swedish food.
We hung out with them for awhile and then Viktoria tried to teach us a Swedish drinking song. She eventually gave up and said "all the Swedes who are here right now gather round." And they all sang it together. Before the song they had filled some glasses with Swedish Snaps which is a popular drink there. The last line of the song translates to "now empty your cup and drink up."
The drink was 38 proof. Needless to say I was a bit drunk for awhile. I thought it tasted good but had I known it was 38 proof I wouldn't have asked for the other little bit. Then we walked to the metro to catch a train to Chueca where Mikaela and Viktoria had bought some flower crowns that look like the ones they have at the Renaissance Festival in Minnesota. They were so Beautiful, as you can see below:
After we picked up our crowns we dashed home, had dinner at Manuela's and then went back to Retiro for more celebration.
When we got there we danced around a tree since they couldn't find a pole at Ikea that day, and sang a song about frogs, and pigs. It was so silly but so much fun. We sang a couple more songs, and hung out for awhile and then the sky opened up and it totally down poured! I was pretty popular because I had my umbrella with me. I think there were about 5 of us under it at one point. Good times.
They all said that we had the total experience of Midsömmer. I guess it always rains when they have the festival in Sweden. I wouldn't mind going to the real thing one day. I think that would be a very cool thing...and hey I already have some built-in tour guides.
I'll make it there when I have some money if that's okay with you all?We left about midnight so that we could get some sleep before we left for Barcelona the next day.
Until next time,
Avery
last week
Hello all!
So what is there to update you on since the 22nd. I've been busy so I apologize for the bloglessness.
Weds. June 23:I felt like a local today because I heard some people talking in English, and they were completely confused about where to take the metro in Madrid. So I helped them find their way! I was quite proud of myself. There were a couple of other ladies from England who were also confused about if they were on the right line. I told them we were and then we talked for the whole time while we waited for the train to show up. I didn't know their names but it was cool to make a connection, however briefly.
This afternoon we went to Museo Sorolla with school. This was really cool because it was a museum that used to be the actual artist's house so it was cool to see how he lived while he was alive. He paid great attention to light and color, and his works are absolutely amazing!
Merissa and I went for chocolate con churros at San Gines after the tour and they were just as good as everyone said they were supposed to be. After this we went to see the movie Robin Hood with Manuela. She really loves us. She told me as we were waiting for Merissa that she hadn't been to a movie since her husband had died. They used to go to the theater every weekend. He's been dead for some time. So I felt honored that she chose us to go back to the theater. She was super cute she got all dolled up to go out with us and even put on some make-up. She's a very beautiful lady.
Viktoria and Mikaela invited us to celebrate Midsömmer, a swedish festival, with them on Friday.
Thursday June 24:We went to a bar, Ojos Negros, with school tonight and it was fun to hang out with some people from school. It was an open bar for Sampere so it was a lot of fun. As we left the bar this huge thunderstorm blew up and Merissa and I got drenched on our walk home. But it was a fun experience anyway.
Until next time,
Avery
So what is there to update you on since the 22nd. I've been busy so I apologize for the bloglessness.
Weds. June 23:I felt like a local today because I heard some people talking in English, and they were completely confused about where to take the metro in Madrid. So I helped them find their way! I was quite proud of myself. There were a couple of other ladies from England who were also confused about if they were on the right line. I told them we were and then we talked for the whole time while we waited for the train to show up. I didn't know their names but it was cool to make a connection, however briefly.
This afternoon we went to Museo Sorolla with school. This was really cool because it was a museum that used to be the actual artist's house so it was cool to see how he lived while he was alive. He paid great attention to light and color, and his works are absolutely amazing!
Merissa and I went for chocolate con churros at San Gines after the tour and they were just as good as everyone said they were supposed to be. After this we went to see the movie Robin Hood with Manuela. She really loves us. She told me as we were waiting for Merissa that she hadn't been to a movie since her husband had died. They used to go to the theater every weekend. He's been dead for some time. So I felt honored that she chose us to go back to the theater. She was super cute she got all dolled up to go out with us and even put on some make-up. She's a very beautiful lady.
Viktoria and Mikaela invited us to celebrate Midsömmer, a swedish festival, with them on Friday.
Thursday June 24:We went to a bar, Ojos Negros, with school tonight and it was fun to hang out with some people from school. It was an open bar for Sampere so it was a lot of fun. As we left the bar this huge thunderstorm blew up and Merissa and I got drenched on our walk home. But it was a fun experience anyway.
Until next time,
Avery
June 22, 2010
Time for an update
Hello!
It's been awhile. Sorry about that. I've been fighting a nasty cold for the past few days and I couldn't find time to update.
Anyway, on Thursday I went with school to a winery tour. It was a lot of fun. It wasn't really a tour of a vineyard but you learned how people make wine which was cool to learn. The place was called Rebelion de los Mandibles.
The exhibits were very interactive. There was one where you hopped up on this cart, and it took you on a virtual ride. We were the grapes. The cart moved, air that smelled like grape got blown on us (which was quite nice since it was so ridiculously hot outside), and at one point where the cart dropped its grapes off the thing went forward like a rollercoaster it was super cool.
There was one other exhibit where you stomped on "grapes" like in the old days. The grapes were plastic, but it was like a competition. There were three barrels and you partnered up with one person and stomped on the things like crazy. Every time you stomped more "wine" would show up on the screen. Viktoria and I lost but it was still a total blast.
The final exhibit was cool too. It was a guess the scent station. They had everything from leather to pineapple, thankfully I still had a little bit of my sense of smell so I could do it and it was fun I guessed almost everything correctly.
Of course in a wine tour you have to have some Spanish wine. It was delicious but with my cold it went straight to my head so I only had the one glass the whole night. Afterwards they took us to a bar where they are affiliated with and I had some water. I came home after that because I was pretty exhausted but it was a lot of fun.
Friday I looked and felt like death warmed over so I stayed in but Merissa had a wonderful time going out with Mikaela. I also stayed in Saturday simply because I couldn't make myself go out. After a whole lot of sleep on Saturday night, I was feeling a lot better and went to El Rastro and the Zoo with Merissa and Mikaela.
We went to El Rastro for just a little bit of time, and we were at the Zoo for about five or six hours. It's called the Madrid Zoo Aquarium and the place is HUGE! They have animals from every continent, and if I'm being completely honest I was done by Africa. But we made it to all the continents, and saw all the animals (they have pandas!), and by the end of the day our legs were about to give out on us but overall it was fun.
We came home after that and met our new compañera. She's a 46-year-old French lady, her name is Veronica, who thinks she's right about everything. She's very nice but she knows how to get on our nerves easily.
Example: We get back from the zoo, we're tired, and she asks about the metro. We tell her she has to take line 3 (PLAZA DE ESPANA) and switch at SOL over to Line 2 (RETIRO) which will take you to where school is.
She says "Mah, noh, Francisco dice que linea 2 es directo a retiro" We've been here for two weeks, we know how to get to school, and she's telling us we're doing it wrong. Irritation.
She keeps insisting that she's right and we are wrong and then keeps switching between Spanish and French so it's totally impossible to understand her. I eventually said the same thing at least five times in Spanish, Spanish and English (since she speaks it), and finally in English. And she tells me all 5 times that I'm wrong. I could've backhanded her!
Poor Merissa had to go to school with her on Monday and help her find her way since they have classes in the mornings. She was ready to kill her when I saw her in school. She's a character the next week will be interesting. Yesterday Merissa and I went out for some wine after class at the cerveceria near my house and it was very nice because we were able to sit in the sunshine and enjoy the afternoon for a bit.
Today we are going on a mission to find puppy chow ingredients since no one here has ever tried it before in their lives. Wish us luck!
Until Next Time,
Avery
It's been awhile. Sorry about that. I've been fighting a nasty cold for the past few days and I couldn't find time to update.
Anyway, on Thursday I went with school to a winery tour. It was a lot of fun. It wasn't really a tour of a vineyard but you learned how people make wine which was cool to learn. The place was called Rebelion de los Mandibles.
The exhibits were very interactive. There was one where you hopped up on this cart, and it took you on a virtual ride. We were the grapes. The cart moved, air that smelled like grape got blown on us (which was quite nice since it was so ridiculously hot outside), and at one point where the cart dropped its grapes off the thing went forward like a rollercoaster it was super cool.
There was one other exhibit where you stomped on "grapes" like in the old days. The grapes were plastic, but it was like a competition. There were three barrels and you partnered up with one person and stomped on the things like crazy. Every time you stomped more "wine" would show up on the screen. Viktoria and I lost but it was still a total blast.
The final exhibit was cool too. It was a guess the scent station. They had everything from leather to pineapple, thankfully I still had a little bit of my sense of smell so I could do it and it was fun I guessed almost everything correctly.
Of course in a wine tour you have to have some Spanish wine. It was delicious but with my cold it went straight to my head so I only had the one glass the whole night. Afterwards they took us to a bar where they are affiliated with and I had some water. I came home after that because I was pretty exhausted but it was a lot of fun.
Friday I looked and felt like death warmed over so I stayed in but Merissa had a wonderful time going out with Mikaela. I also stayed in Saturday simply because I couldn't make myself go out. After a whole lot of sleep on Saturday night, I was feeling a lot better and went to El Rastro and the Zoo with Merissa and Mikaela.
We went to El Rastro for just a little bit of time, and we were at the Zoo for about five or six hours. It's called the Madrid Zoo Aquarium and the place is HUGE! They have animals from every continent, and if I'm being completely honest I was done by Africa. But we made it to all the continents, and saw all the animals (they have pandas!), and by the end of the day our legs were about to give out on us but overall it was fun.
We came home after that and met our new compañera. She's a 46-year-old French lady, her name is Veronica, who thinks she's right about everything. She's very nice but she knows how to get on our nerves easily.
Example: We get back from the zoo, we're tired, and she asks about the metro. We tell her she has to take line 3 (PLAZA DE ESPANA) and switch at SOL over to Line 2 (RETIRO) which will take you to where school is.
She says "Mah, noh, Francisco dice que linea 2 es directo a retiro" We've been here for two weeks, we know how to get to school, and she's telling us we're doing it wrong. Irritation.
She keeps insisting that she's right and we are wrong and then keeps switching between Spanish and French so it's totally impossible to understand her. I eventually said the same thing at least five times in Spanish, Spanish and English (since she speaks it), and finally in English. And she tells me all 5 times that I'm wrong. I could've backhanded her!
Poor Merissa had to go to school with her on Monday and help her find her way since they have classes in the mornings. She was ready to kill her when I saw her in school. She's a character the next week will be interesting. Yesterday Merissa and I went out for some wine after class at the cerveceria near my house and it was very nice because we were able to sit in the sunshine and enjoy the afternoon for a bit.
Today we are going on a mission to find puppy chow ingredients since no one here has ever tried it before in their lives. Wish us luck!
Until Next Time,
Avery
June 16, 2010
Three days of lots of activities!
Monday: Class
That's about all that I did but I had chocolate con churros which is the best invention on the face of the earth!
Tuesday: Carmen Flamenco Style
Merissa and I went to the show Carmen, I discovered that I can run in heels because I discovered I had the wrong ticket and literally bolted to school to fix it since Manuela doesn't have a printer. I had an hour I missed the first metro train by seconds, I missed the second metro train by seconds, I literally ran to school. Printed off my stuff and ran back. I preceded to miss the other trains by seconds as well which added 10 minutes to my craziness. I got back to the house at 6:30 p.m. and then went back on the metro to get to the theater we got into our seats with five minutes to spare.
Despite all the craziness, and me being mad at myself for being so stupid for printing the wrong ticket, the show was amazing. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to understand what was going on because I thought Carmen had more speaking parts in it. I think the original version does but this show was all Flamenco dancing. The music was piped in over the speaker system. I totally understood what the story was about as well. I think I paid more attention to the actors feet than the actual actors. Their feet were flying so fast that sometimes they were a blur. It was amazing and the costumes were fantastic. I wanted every single dress that crossed over that stage.
After the show Merissa and I did a photo shoot in Plaza De Espana and then came home for a delicious dinner of Lasagna.
Wednesday (today) check the bucket list and enjoy the game
Today was very exciting for me. I checked an item off of my bucket list. (the list that you make of all the things you want to do before you die) I saw Picasso's Guernica in real life. I don't know why that's on there but it has been since I saw it in one of my numerous Spanish classes I've taken. The painting is magnificent. It takes up one whole wall and it has it's own room!
That's about all that I did but I had chocolate con churros which is the best invention on the face of the earth!
Tuesday: Carmen Flamenco Style
Merissa and I went to the show Carmen, I discovered that I can run in heels because I discovered I had the wrong ticket and literally bolted to school to fix it since Manuela doesn't have a printer. I had an hour I missed the first metro train by seconds, I missed the second metro train by seconds, I literally ran to school. Printed off my stuff and ran back. I preceded to miss the other trains by seconds as well which added 10 minutes to my craziness. I got back to the house at 6:30 p.m. and then went back on the metro to get to the theater we got into our seats with five minutes to spare.
Despite all the craziness, and me being mad at myself for being so stupid for printing the wrong ticket, the show was amazing. I was concerned that I wouldn't be able to understand what was going on because I thought Carmen had more speaking parts in it. I think the original version does but this show was all Flamenco dancing. The music was piped in over the speaker system. I totally understood what the story was about as well. I think I paid more attention to the actors feet than the actual actors. Their feet were flying so fast that sometimes they were a blur. It was amazing and the costumes were fantastic. I wanted every single dress that crossed over that stage.
After the show Merissa and I did a photo shoot in Plaza De Espana and then came home for a delicious dinner of Lasagna.
Wednesday (today) check the bucket list and enjoy the game
Today was very exciting for me. I checked an item off of my bucket list. (the list that you make of all the things you want to do before you die) I saw Picasso's Guernica in real life. I don't know why that's on there but it has been since I saw it in one of my numerous Spanish classes I've taken. The painting is magnificent. It takes up one whole wall and it has it's own room!
It was quite possibly the coolest thing I've seen here. it's a beautiful masterpiece, and I just stood there in awe of it. I totally ignored Leti and her 20-minute spiel about it. It was an amazing and somewhat sickening thing to see.
Guernica is Picasso's anti-war response to the Nazi bombing, which was okayed by Franco, of a town in northern Spain called Guernica. It's in his cubist motif which is of course is Picasso's trademark. What it shows is the aftermath of the bombing and the horrors of war.
On the left near the bull, if you can see her, (they don't let you take pictures in the room you have to take them outside of the room don't ask me why) is a woman holding her dead child. In the middle is a man who is dead lying on the ground. There is another woman next to him but the one guy is blocking her, and on the far right is another woman. Through the window is a woman's head which signifies the souls that were lost. The smaller details are hard to see but they symbolize hope. There is a bird flying in the black near the bull, you don't see it until you get closer up to the painting. Near the dead man lies a flower and at the very top of the painting is a light that signifies the sun and hope that Guernica, and Spain, will rise out of the ashes of war a more peaceful country.
The Reina Sofia is definitely the most awesome museum I have been to while I've been here. I'm a sucker for Dali or Picasso, and they both have many paintings here. Unfortunately I didn't see the Dali piece with the watch (I don't know the title) They didn't have it here which I thought was strange since it's one of his more well-known works, but that's also on my bucket list. I'll have to look for it later.
After this I went to class, and after class I went to a Spanish bar and watched the futbol match between Spain and Switzerland. It was definitely a cool experience. everyone was yelling at the screen, me included--I figured I should blend in--and then we were all very disappointed when they lost. It's a tragic day in Madrid.
But for people who like my facebook status and run--Carlo--(yup I'm calling you out, I know you read this) Switzerland's goal was an ugly one, the goalie would've totally gotten it if your player hadn't run him over. Enjoy it for now, and don't party to hard tonight. I guess I've gotta cheer for the hometown team now huh? though I think Spain has a couple of other matches. If not, go USA! We did tie England the other day.
Until Next Time,
Avery
June 13, 2010
Shop and shoot til you drop
Today was a lovely day. The sun was out, the sky was blue, I didn't have to use my poor jean jacket to keep the rain off of me, and I finished my shopping for my family. Nope, I'm not telling you what I bought. You'll have to wait until I get home.
Today I went to El Rastro, The weather was perfect for it! It's this huge shopping district that pops up on Sunday mornings in Madrid, and it goes for blocks and blocks and blocks. There's everything there from t-shirts to antiques you can find anything for anybody and it's completely awesome. There were SO many people!
You don't take your handbag to El Rastro because it's a sight for pickpockets--ladies, you know where you put your cash--and I can see how they would take it from you so easily. Because there are so many people you are bumping into everyone all the time, which would be when the pickpockets snatch your stuff.I bought so many beautiful things for so many people and I only took 50 Euros there. It's the best place for cheap, wonderful stuff.
My score item was a ring that I bought from a man that made all kinds of jewelry. It's pure silver and it's inlaid with turquoise stone. It's so pretty that I've been looking at it all day, and I'm seriously considering wearing it to bed so I can see it in the morning when I wake up....yeah, I'm a freak about jewelry.
He was selling it for 28 I asked if he'd take 20 he said no, and then I remembered that I had 2 more euro in my pants pocket: 22 was the final price. He was really funny and we were joking back and forth the whole time during the bargaining.
As I left he said with a genial laugh: "Cuando más rica vuelves aquí y compraste mucho más cosas!" Translation: when you're much richer come back and buy more things.
I said "claro que si" translation: yes, of course. And I totally might too.
His stuff was amazing! Very renaissance-looking and some of you may know how much I love the renaissance period.We came home about 3 p.m. this afternoon and I checked my e-mail for a bit and then took a short nap then headed out in search of a mailbox. I didn't find one, but hopefully there are some near school because I have postcards to send! I turned it into a photography opportunity. The sky was a lovely shade of blue and I was able to take some amazing shots.
My internet is quite slow this evening, as it has been for the past few evenings, so I won't be uploading any pictures, but one of these nights I'm going out to do some night time photography too. The city is even more beautiful at night if that's even possible.
In other news I now officially have a ticket to Barcelona for 24 hours, literally. I'll leave Madrid in two weeks on Saturday June 26, arrive in Barcelona at 8:50 a.m. and leave the next day at 8:50 a.m. and get back to Madrid at 10 a.m. needless to say I'm not sleeping that day at all. At least not until I get home. It's going to be a wonderful adventure! And Merissa, my partner-in-crime, her friends she's meeting up with, and I are going to have a blast!
Until Next time,
Buenas Noches,
Avery
Today I went to El Rastro, The weather was perfect for it! It's this huge shopping district that pops up on Sunday mornings in Madrid, and it goes for blocks and blocks and blocks. There's everything there from t-shirts to antiques you can find anything for anybody and it's completely awesome. There were SO many people!
You don't take your handbag to El Rastro because it's a sight for pickpockets--ladies, you know where you put your cash--and I can see how they would take it from you so easily. Because there are so many people you are bumping into everyone all the time, which would be when the pickpockets snatch your stuff.I bought so many beautiful things for so many people and I only took 50 Euros there. It's the best place for cheap, wonderful stuff.
My score item was a ring that I bought from a man that made all kinds of jewelry. It's pure silver and it's inlaid with turquoise stone. It's so pretty that I've been looking at it all day, and I'm seriously considering wearing it to bed so I can see it in the morning when I wake up....yeah, I'm a freak about jewelry.
He was selling it for 28 I asked if he'd take 20 he said no, and then I remembered that I had 2 more euro in my pants pocket: 22 was the final price. He was really funny and we were joking back and forth the whole time during the bargaining.
As I left he said with a genial laugh: "Cuando más rica vuelves aquí y compraste mucho más cosas!" Translation: when you're much richer come back and buy more things.
I said "claro que si" translation: yes, of course. And I totally might too.
His stuff was amazing! Very renaissance-looking and some of you may know how much I love the renaissance period.We came home about 3 p.m. this afternoon and I checked my e-mail for a bit and then took a short nap then headed out in search of a mailbox. I didn't find one, but hopefully there are some near school because I have postcards to send! I turned it into a photography opportunity. The sky was a lovely shade of blue and I was able to take some amazing shots.
My internet is quite slow this evening, as it has been for the past few evenings, so I won't be uploading any pictures, but one of these nights I'm going out to do some night time photography too. The city is even more beautiful at night if that's even possible.
In other news I now officially have a ticket to Barcelona for 24 hours, literally. I'll leave Madrid in two weeks on Saturday June 26, arrive in Barcelona at 8:50 a.m. and leave the next day at 8:50 a.m. and get back to Madrid at 10 a.m. needless to say I'm not sleeping that day at all. At least not until I get home. It's going to be a wonderful adventure! And Merissa, my partner-in-crime, her friends she's meeting up with, and I are going to have a blast!
Until Next time,
Buenas Noches,
Avery
June 12, 2010
All night into the morning
Last night was a total blast!
I hung out with some friends from Sweden, and we went to a local bar, which turned out to be a gay bar (I don't think that the guys knew that so it was a bit humorous) After that we went to El Museo de Jamón which is this store with nothing but ham hanging from the rafters and had a platter of ham and a beer.
After that our group went to a discoteca here called Kapital. It's huge and has 7 floors with different music on each one. After a little exploration we picked floor one to stay on and dance which was all rock music. It was great! There were dancers and lots of people. At 30 minute intervals they blast a wind/fog machine down at the dance floor which makes dancing more tolerable. The machine is conveniently timed to go off just as everyone is starting to think about leaving. And the air is cold so it refreshes you. Toward the end of the night a drummer came out and pounded out some AMAZING beats as balloons fell from the ceiling. Totally worth the 12 euro cover charge. I had a wonderful time.
Merissa and I left at about 3:30 a.m. took a taxi home and conquered the door which was kind of a big deal since we've had so many problems with it lately.
We slept for a few hours and then woke up bright and early at 7:30 a.m. to go to school where we hopped a bus and headed toward Toledo. Needless to say I totally slept on the bus ride there.
Toledo is a place where in the past Christians, Muslims, and Jews all lived side by side for centuries, kind of like the Jerusalem today minus the violence, for a couple of centuries at least. We saw a Catholic Cathedral, a Synagogue, and a monastery with Islamic influence in the architecture.
They were all very beautiful but it was super frustrating because with all the beauty they didn't allow for good photos to happen. A.K.A. No Flash, or no photos period. That's one thing I hate about Madrid. Around here photography is practically outlawed. Anyway, after that we did some shopping, hung out with some new people that we met today who also go to school with us and came home.
Dinner tonight should be delicious. And then hopefully my host-mom has the channel I need to watch the USA v. England match because right now it's way too cold and rainy to leave the house and I'm pretty exhausted from last night, and if I'm going anywhere I'll be sitting since my feet still hurt from dancing the night away.
Tomorrow, weather permitting; we go to El Rastro a flea market that happens every Sunday. If all else fails, we play Metro Roulette, at least that's what I'm hoping for. I'm off to do homework, but I'll write soon.
Until Next Time,
Avery
I hung out with some friends from Sweden, and we went to a local bar, which turned out to be a gay bar (I don't think that the guys knew that so it was a bit humorous) After that we went to El Museo de Jamón which is this store with nothing but ham hanging from the rafters and had a platter of ham and a beer.
After that our group went to a discoteca here called Kapital. It's huge and has 7 floors with different music on each one. After a little exploration we picked floor one to stay on and dance which was all rock music. It was great! There were dancers and lots of people. At 30 minute intervals they blast a wind/fog machine down at the dance floor which makes dancing more tolerable. The machine is conveniently timed to go off just as everyone is starting to think about leaving. And the air is cold so it refreshes you. Toward the end of the night a drummer came out and pounded out some AMAZING beats as balloons fell from the ceiling. Totally worth the 12 euro cover charge. I had a wonderful time.
Merissa and I left at about 3:30 a.m. took a taxi home and conquered the door which was kind of a big deal since we've had so many problems with it lately.
We slept for a few hours and then woke up bright and early at 7:30 a.m. to go to school where we hopped a bus and headed toward Toledo. Needless to say I totally slept on the bus ride there.
Toledo is a place where in the past Christians, Muslims, and Jews all lived side by side for centuries, kind of like the Jerusalem today minus the violence, for a couple of centuries at least. We saw a Catholic Cathedral, a Synagogue, and a monastery with Islamic influence in the architecture.
They were all very beautiful but it was super frustrating because with all the beauty they didn't allow for good photos to happen. A.K.A. No Flash, or no photos period. That's one thing I hate about Madrid. Around here photography is practically outlawed. Anyway, after that we did some shopping, hung out with some new people that we met today who also go to school with us and came home.
Dinner tonight should be delicious. And then hopefully my host-mom has the channel I need to watch the USA v. England match because right now it's way too cold and rainy to leave the house and I'm pretty exhausted from last night, and if I'm going anywhere I'll be sitting since my feet still hurt from dancing the night away.
Tomorrow, weather permitting; we go to El Rastro a flea market that happens every Sunday. If all else fails, we play Metro Roulette, at least that's what I'm hoping for. I'm off to do homework, but I'll write soon.
Until Next Time,
Avery
June 10, 2010
Sorry for the bloglessness....
School so far has been great. I love my lit and history classes like nothing else. The professors are super nice and I love that my afternoon is spent with my nose in a book, and I don't have to think as hard as I did in Alicante because conversation and grammar is intense. But it seems to be getting easier for me to communicate so that's a big plus.
Let's see, what have I done this week?
Yesterday I went to El Museo del Prado with school. The works are absolutely stunning but I wish school would've let us walk around more and discover things for ourselves. I love art, but I really don't need Leticia talking to me for 20 minutes about something that I can see for myself. We saw only 2 artists of the however many they have in the museum so I was a bit disappointed. But, I saw Velazquez's Meninas and Goya's Saturno (look it up since I can't seem to find one that will fit really nicely in my blog).
Merissa and I went out with some friends from school for a couple of hours last night. There was a "free" entrance thing at a local club, but it turned out that it wasn't free. But if you paid 5 Euro you get to drink as much sangria juice as you like. (I say juice because it wasn't very good) That's okay though. It was fun hanging out with people from school and we met a bunch of guys from Portugal there who hung out with us as well, and one of them could dance! So it was fun. That's about it for my adventures for now. This weekend we go to Toledo with school!
Until Next time,
Avery
Let's see, what have I done this week?
Yesterday I went to El Museo del Prado with school. The works are absolutely stunning but I wish school would've let us walk around more and discover things for ourselves. I love art, but I really don't need Leticia talking to me for 20 minutes about something that I can see for myself. We saw only 2 artists of the however many they have in the museum so I was a bit disappointed. But, I saw Velazquez's Meninas and Goya's Saturno (look it up since I can't seem to find one that will fit really nicely in my blog).
Merissa and I went out with some friends from school for a couple of hours last night. There was a "free" entrance thing at a local club, but it turned out that it wasn't free. But if you paid 5 Euro you get to drink as much sangria juice as you like. (I say juice because it wasn't very good) That's okay though. It was fun hanging out with people from school and we met a bunch of guys from Portugal there who hung out with us as well, and one of them could dance! So it was fun. That's about it for my adventures for now. This weekend we go to Toledo with school!
Until Next time,
Avery
June 8, 2010
Update
Nothing too exciting in the past couple of days except that I now have an ABONO which is a pass that makes travelling around Madrid a whole lot cheaper. I found my way to school myself this morning since my classes are in the afternoon. Merissa and I went for a walk in Retiro today which is this huge park near school and we got lost and found our way back to the metro so I felt accomplished. Other than that nothing too exciting to report. I'm going to El Museo del Prado tomorrow with class and then to Toledo this weekend with school so hopefully I'll have some more stories to tell you soon.
Until Next Time,
Avery
Until Next Time,
Avery
June 6, 2010
Best. Surprise. Ever.
So, I woke up this morning to the best surprise ever! My Señora, Manuela, is supposed to have 3 girls living here this month. One of them had called late last night and said that she would be here in the morning because she had missed her flight and was going to spend the night in a hotel.
So, 8:00 a.m. rolls around and I was still sleeping when the buzzer goes off in the house letting Manuela know that someone is at the front door. It goes off three times because Manuela was sleeping and didn't hear it, and I certainly wasn't going to answer the door. Manuela gets to the door and opens it, and then I hear a semi-familiar voice but I thought I was hearing things because the person that I thought I heard was supposed to be at another house.
I waited until the person entered the house and went on a tour with Manuela and then snuck to the bathroom. No reason to scare my new roommate on the first day I'm here right?
Then I heard them talking and the person mentions my name, and I thought that I was going crazy because Merissa was NOT supposed to be here.So, curiosity got the best of me and I opened the bathroom door that connects to my other roommates bedrooms, and lo and behold there is Merissa, my friend from school, standing there in the middle of the room! You have no idea how excited I was to see a familiar face! It's going to be a great month.
¡Que Suerte! The travel gods are with me!
Until next time,Avery
So, 8:00 a.m. rolls around and I was still sleeping when the buzzer goes off in the house letting Manuela know that someone is at the front door. It goes off three times because Manuela was sleeping and didn't hear it, and I certainly wasn't going to answer the door. Manuela gets to the door and opens it, and then I hear a semi-familiar voice but I thought I was hearing things because the person that I thought I heard was supposed to be at another house.
I waited until the person entered the house and went on a tour with Manuela and then snuck to the bathroom. No reason to scare my new roommate on the first day I'm here right?
Then I heard them talking and the person mentions my name, and I thought that I was going crazy because Merissa was NOT supposed to be here.So, curiosity got the best of me and I opened the bathroom door that connects to my other roommates bedrooms, and lo and behold there is Merissa, my friend from school, standing there in the middle of the room! You have no idea how excited I was to see a familiar face! It's going to be a great month.
¡Que Suerte! The travel gods are with me!
Until next time,Avery
June 5, 2010
Safe in Madrid
Hello all!
I am safe in Madrid, the train ride was awesome. I didn't take any pictures though because there were some shady-looking people lurking around and I thought it wouldn't be smart to brand myself as a tourist. There was a movie available on the train and it was alright but I didn't want to finish it, because the outcome was kind of easy to guess. The guy wins his case against the company and gets millions of dollars.
Anyway after the train I went and found a taxi to take me to my host family's house. The first guy that Alexi talked to, I didn't get a good vibe off of him so I went to the older gentleman who’s taxi was parked in front of his.
He was very nice, and very friendly, and we talked the whole ride to my place which I think won me some points because he did have extra stuff for my bags on his meter but he didn't charge me anything for them. He cleared it off at some point during our conversation. I asked him what I should see and he was super excited to tell me all about his city. It was pretty cool.
When he asked me about where I was studying I told him. And I told him that I was studying literature and history, he thought that was awesome too. He didn't know about Estudio Sampere but it is pretty small so I forgive him. I asked him "Estoy aquí por una mes, que necesito ver" translation: I'm here for a month what do I need to see. And that started him off on a whole tour guide bit. It was so funny how he talked about stuff as we were driving by it.
"Oh you have to go there, you're place is so central to the city that you'll have a lot of fun. You go here to get a beer, you go there to go shopping, that's El Prado it's great for art and history, and that place is all botanical gardens, and if you want to buy something for your friends and family back home that's a nice place to go look." All of this of course was in rapid Spanish and it kind of made my day because I could understand everything he was saying. The cab cost 12.35 because I guess if you get picked up at the train station they charge you an extra 5 it was in Alexi's tourist guide so it was legit. Then I met my señora, Manuela and she is really cool.
I feel like a giant around her though because she is super short. I think her grandkids and their dad either live here or spend a lot of time here because I met them all this afternoon. Welcome to Madrid. But they seem super nice, and she is expecting two more students this evening so I'll have some more people my age to talk to. I hope they go to Sampere I wouldn't mind some travel companions as I have a single room here. Yup that's right, single room. WIN! And it's super pretty. Manuela made it very clear that no boys and alcohol are not welcome in the house. Sounds fine to me, I'm in agreement with that. Currently I'm using internet that the grandkids let me know about. They had the password and everything. It's attached to a University so I'm going to go with it is legit and they know someone who works there.
This afternoon I called my mom and let her know I was safe, took a nap, sent Concha an e-mail and let her know that I was safe, looked up information about how to get to school and what metro lines I need to take, and I called Alexi and made sure that she got to where she needed to be alright. My stuff is unpacked, and my room is all set up so I'm feeling very settled in, and I'm going to go see if Manuela is taking a siesta or is up and around. The family will be taking me to Parque Retiro tomorrow so that I know where I'm going on Monday.
Until Next time,
Avery
I am safe in Madrid, the train ride was awesome. I didn't take any pictures though because there were some shady-looking people lurking around and I thought it wouldn't be smart to brand myself as a tourist. There was a movie available on the train and it was alright but I didn't want to finish it, because the outcome was kind of easy to guess. The guy wins his case against the company and gets millions of dollars.
Anyway after the train I went and found a taxi to take me to my host family's house. The first guy that Alexi talked to, I didn't get a good vibe off of him so I went to the older gentleman who’s taxi was parked in front of his.
He was very nice, and very friendly, and we talked the whole ride to my place which I think won me some points because he did have extra stuff for my bags on his meter but he didn't charge me anything for them. He cleared it off at some point during our conversation. I asked him what I should see and he was super excited to tell me all about his city. It was pretty cool.
When he asked me about where I was studying I told him. And I told him that I was studying literature and history, he thought that was awesome too. He didn't know about Estudio Sampere but it is pretty small so I forgive him. I asked him "Estoy aquí por una mes, que necesito ver" translation: I'm here for a month what do I need to see. And that started him off on a whole tour guide bit. It was so funny how he talked about stuff as we were driving by it.
"Oh you have to go there, you're place is so central to the city that you'll have a lot of fun. You go here to get a beer, you go there to go shopping, that's El Prado it's great for art and history, and that place is all botanical gardens, and if you want to buy something for your friends and family back home that's a nice place to go look." All of this of course was in rapid Spanish and it kind of made my day because I could understand everything he was saying. The cab cost 12.35 because I guess if you get picked up at the train station they charge you an extra 5 it was in Alexi's tourist guide so it was legit. Then I met my señora, Manuela and she is really cool.
I feel like a giant around her though because she is super short. I think her grandkids and their dad either live here or spend a lot of time here because I met them all this afternoon. Welcome to Madrid. But they seem super nice, and she is expecting two more students this evening so I'll have some more people my age to talk to. I hope they go to Sampere I wouldn't mind some travel companions as I have a single room here. Yup that's right, single room. WIN! And it's super pretty. Manuela made it very clear that no boys and alcohol are not welcome in the house. Sounds fine to me, I'm in agreement with that. Currently I'm using internet that the grandkids let me know about. They had the password and everything. It's attached to a University so I'm going to go with it is legit and they know someone who works there.
This afternoon I called my mom and let her know I was safe, took a nap, sent Concha an e-mail and let her know that I was safe, looked up information about how to get to school and what metro lines I need to take, and I called Alexi and made sure that she got to where she needed to be alright. My stuff is unpacked, and my room is all set up so I'm feeling very settled in, and I'm going to go see if Manuela is taking a siesta or is up and around. The family will be taking me to Parque Retiro tomorrow so that I know where I'm going on Monday.
Until Next time,
Avery
June 4, 2010
Madrid Bound
My bags are packed, my train ticket is purchased, and I’m off to Madrid at 10:30 tomorrow morning. I have 30 days until I wake up in my bed at home in the U.S. It hardly seems like enough time.
I've been google-mapping the address where I will be living and I am very excited about the area around it. There are parks, it is near Palacio Real, and just across the street from Los Jardínes de Sabatini which all look gorgeous!
Today was a weird day. I went between so many emotions that I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. I was happy when I woke up because it was a beautiful day, I was sad as I was walking around the city with Concha knowing that it would be one of the last times we would spend together during this trip, I got angry at the sun for giving me sunstroke cutting my time at the beach short and making me feel like fainting on the walk back from the beach, and I was excited because I'm going on A TRAIN tomorrow!
Yeah, I'm a total freak that I'm excited about trains. You'd be excited too if you've never taken one before. Yup that's right I'm going to be that girl, the girl who takes pictures at the train station like a freak. I'll own it and be proud though. It'll be a good day tomorrow.
We went to a couple churches this afternoon and went inside. They were very pretty but the pictures didn't turn out as well as I wanted them to. For some reason the churches here do not like my camera.
After the churches we went to the city hall and saw all of the beautiful things there. There is a sculpture by Dali that is very cool, the flag of Alicante is up on a huge wall in the middle of a gigantic room, and there are so many other lovely things to see that I could've stayed there for a half-hour and not been bored.
After city hall we went to Postiguet for awhile, and I definitely overheated. Not enough water and too much walking will do that to you but its okay I'm much better now. I came home and did the old softball trick where you put coldish water all over yourself to cool down and drank a whole bunch of water so I'm fine now. But when you're walking home telling yourself you're not allowed to faint it's a little bit scary.
It's a good thing that Concha was there, she kept talking to me all the way back so I had to think and not let my brain disengage. I've been e-mailing and Facebooking like a fiend tonight so that I make sure to talk to everyone I can before I get to my new house, since I don't know if the owner has internet or not. I'll be on for awhile; I've got some more stuff to pack, so you should get in touch with me!
Until next time,
Avery
I've been google-mapping the address where I will be living and I am very excited about the area around it. There are parks, it is near Palacio Real, and just across the street from Los Jardínes de Sabatini which all look gorgeous!
Today was a weird day. I went between so many emotions that I felt like I was on a rollercoaster. I was happy when I woke up because it was a beautiful day, I was sad as I was walking around the city with Concha knowing that it would be one of the last times we would spend together during this trip, I got angry at the sun for giving me sunstroke cutting my time at the beach short and making me feel like fainting on the walk back from the beach, and I was excited because I'm going on A TRAIN tomorrow!
Yeah, I'm a total freak that I'm excited about trains. You'd be excited too if you've never taken one before. Yup that's right I'm going to be that girl, the girl who takes pictures at the train station like a freak. I'll own it and be proud though. It'll be a good day tomorrow.
We went to a couple churches this afternoon and went inside. They were very pretty but the pictures didn't turn out as well as I wanted them to. For some reason the churches here do not like my camera.
After the churches we went to the city hall and saw all of the beautiful things there. There is a sculpture by Dali that is very cool, the flag of Alicante is up on a huge wall in the middle of a gigantic room, and there are so many other lovely things to see that I could've stayed there for a half-hour and not been bored.
After city hall we went to Postiguet for awhile, and I definitely overheated. Not enough water and too much walking will do that to you but its okay I'm much better now. I came home and did the old softball trick where you put coldish water all over yourself to cool down and drank a whole bunch of water so I'm fine now. But when you're walking home telling yourself you're not allowed to faint it's a little bit scary.
It's a good thing that Concha was there, she kept talking to me all the way back so I had to think and not let my brain disengage. I've been e-mailing and Facebooking like a fiend tonight so that I make sure to talk to everyone I can before I get to my new house, since I don't know if the owner has internet or not. I'll be on for awhile; I've got some more stuff to pack, so you should get in touch with me!
Until next time,
Avery
June 3, 2010
Time and Nonesuch
It's been a week of finishing stuff up so nothing super exciting has happened. I've said goodbye to the Florida kids, I've taken my last classes, and I've had my review class with my two favorite professors at school: Isabel and Andres. I just took my final test today...I'm not sure how I feel about it, and on Saturday I take a train to Madrid. By the way, may not have internet there so don't expect as many updates.
Anyway, my tangent for today:
It's amazing really how transient travelling by yourself is. The only people who know you exist are the people you make an effort to meet here and then eventually they leave you. It's a life of constant change which is probably good for my restless self, because on some days in the states I wish I could just change everything around, go somewhere new, or pretend, for just a little while to be someone different. I'm sort of like a chameleon that needs change both for my protection and my sense of place in this world.
But I can't seem to get over how odd it is that you can meet someone who completely changes the way you see the world, opens your eyes to something bigger than yourself, and then just a short time later they've left your life forever. Well, I guess not technically left your life forever, you do have contact information but it's not exactly the same thing as being able to sit down and have a face to face conversation with that person like you did for those hours, days or weeks that they were there with you.
When you travel time is not important. You have no set schedule except when you arrive where you are and when you leave the place you are at. Any conversations you have with others are at that point in time, the most important thing in your world. (I have not checked my watch once since I've been here). You forget sometimes that everyone is on their own schedule. Going different directions, off to their next big adventures, and then you look back and sometimes regret that the conversation didn't go on for longer, that you didn't see them as much as you wished you had, and now you can't do much about it but stay in contact as much as possible.
It's a strange existence, travelling, but right now I think it's what I need in my life. I need the anonymity and the ability to adapt to and change in my surroundings, and maybe the restlessness that I have at home will subside a bit, not get rid of it, ever. I will always need that restlessness as a comfort since it's what drives me to encounter new experiences and meet new people from all different backgrounds.
Time goes quickly when you travel, much more quickly than it does at home. And sometimes it seems that even if you had more time it wouldn't be enough to really learn the ins-and-outs of the city you are staying in. I know I haven't learned half as much as I could about Alicante and I don't think I ever will unless I live here for years on end. But it's been a wonderful experience all the same, and I'm definitely looking forward to Madrid.
Anyway, my tangent for today:
It's amazing really how transient travelling by yourself is. The only people who know you exist are the people you make an effort to meet here and then eventually they leave you. It's a life of constant change which is probably good for my restless self, because on some days in the states I wish I could just change everything around, go somewhere new, or pretend, for just a little while to be someone different. I'm sort of like a chameleon that needs change both for my protection and my sense of place in this world.
But I can't seem to get over how odd it is that you can meet someone who completely changes the way you see the world, opens your eyes to something bigger than yourself, and then just a short time later they've left your life forever. Well, I guess not technically left your life forever, you do have contact information but it's not exactly the same thing as being able to sit down and have a face to face conversation with that person like you did for those hours, days or weeks that they were there with you.
When you travel time is not important. You have no set schedule except when you arrive where you are and when you leave the place you are at. Any conversations you have with others are at that point in time, the most important thing in your world. (I have not checked my watch once since I've been here). You forget sometimes that everyone is on their own schedule. Going different directions, off to their next big adventures, and then you look back and sometimes regret that the conversation didn't go on for longer, that you didn't see them as much as you wished you had, and now you can't do much about it but stay in contact as much as possible.
It's a strange existence, travelling, but right now I think it's what I need in my life. I need the anonymity and the ability to adapt to and change in my surroundings, and maybe the restlessness that I have at home will subside a bit, not get rid of it, ever. I will always need that restlessness as a comfort since it's what drives me to encounter new experiences and meet new people from all different backgrounds.
Time goes quickly when you travel, much more quickly than it does at home. And sometimes it seems that even if you had more time it wouldn't be enough to really learn the ins-and-outs of the city you are staying in. I know I haven't learned half as much as I could about Alicante and I don't think I ever will unless I live here for years on end. But it's been a wonderful experience all the same, and I'm definitely looking forward to Madrid.
Until Next Time,
Avery
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