My bags are packed to the brim. My room is dismally empty. My camera is full of thousands of pictures. My mind is rich with memories I'll carry for a lifetime.
But sadly, all good things must come to an end. I officially leave barcelona today (although it's technically the middle of the night because I can't sleep for the life of me) and I have so many mixed feelings I can't even begin to describe how happy, sad, excited, and depressed I am right now all at the same exact time.
I'm so happy to come home to a loving family, boyfriend, and friends who I haven't seen for months and can't wait to share everything I've done here with. The only problem with spending 4 months somewhere is that you put down roots, so although I'm coming back to all of you, I'm leaving another family behind. This, I think, is the hardest part of leaving. I have two spanish mothers, Angeles and Almudena, who, like my own mother, would do anything for me and have been so fantastic since I've been here. I have two sisters, Laia and Ana who have been so amazing and through them a group of great friends from the Pingree exchange. The Trinity group got very close by the end of the trip and although we'll all see each other back on campus next semester, not being together 24/7 will be extremely strange. Brianne said something very sad albeit very true last night: Another phase of our lives is over. I don't mean that to sound depressing or woe is me-ish (although I know it does) because this truly has been the best experience of my life and I never want to look back on it in sorrow. But it's true. We look forward to studying abroad throughout high school and through the first 2 years of college....and now that it's over, well, that's just it, it's over. But enough wallowing. I've cried enough tonight already and know I'll be a fountain tomorrow morning, so lets focus on the good.
When I first got here, I didn't know how I felt about being away from home. I didn't like being alone, I felt a bit abandoned and didn't know if I would end up having a good time. And although nothing is perfect and nothing ever will be, I'm happy to be feeling this "oh my god I don't want to leave" feeling, because at least that means that I've experienced something so amazing that I never want to forget it. So although I've been and will be a basket case until I'm on a plane home to the US tomorrow (wow, tomorrow...that is still so bizarre although it's so eminent) I can't wait to share everything I've experienced with you in person, to tell you al about the friendships I've made and how Angeles is already making plans for me to come back haha.
So to end this blog on a happy note, Barcelona has been one of the best things to ever happen to me. I've learned so much the city, culture, the language, but most importantly (and I know it's super cheesy, but deal) about myself. I've learned to be independent and to fend for myself, and I've also learned to not judge to quickly, and although things may seem less than perfect at the beginning, everything turns out great in the end. Most of all I want to say thank you to everyone who helped me throughout this journey:
To Almudena and Monica who listened to my horrible spanish and helped me through it, making me laugh so hard I cried and providing a warm and loving home.
To Laia, Ana, and Angeles for being my second home and always being there for me and for showing me a great time around the city.
To Agueda for putting together a great program. It couldn't have been easy to work with our group, especially during your first semester and I want you to know (if you read this) that we really do appreciate everything you've done for us.
To the Trinity group for showing me how to have some real fun :)
To my parents who listened to me stress and complain about my grades and everything else that wasn't fitting into my perfect little box here
To my friends back home who, despite 2,000 miles made the effort to keep in touch
To Nick for being so great throughout this long distance thing and being so supportive whenever I needed him
And to all of you for reading. I know I ramble a lot (like now) but I hope you've enjoyed what I've written and haven't gotten too bored! I know this was a long sappy one, but like I said I'm super sentimental and can't help it!
Anyways, I'm state side in t-8 hours...
get ready for me, America...I'm comin' home....
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
The week of lasts :-(
Hey all
So I'm overly emotional right now and apologize in advance for the sappy nature of this post. I have emotions, so shoot me hahah
Anywaysss Friday Helena and I went to the Christmas Village in Barrio Gotico to buy some gifts and then we headed to the Montjuic area and went to the Fundació Joan Miró which is a beautiful gallery of modern art overlooking all of Barcelona. While Modern Art isn't always my favorite, Helena and I had a good time making up titles for the paintings (as they were all the same: Woman with Bird, Woman, Figure, etc. etc.) and trying to figure out the "deep meaning" of each piece. Almudena and I had dinner that night and we planned our excursion for the next morning!
Despite having lived in Barcelona for many years, Almudena and Laia had never been inside - in fact, I don't even know if Almudena had ever really seen it from the outside either! I took the two of them and Helena on a little tour, trying to remember as much as I could from my research and from the audio guide my family and I took when they were here to give a little bit of the history and content of what Sagrada Familia is. I think they had a good time and were at least very impressed by the architecture - I mean how can you not be, it's spectacular.
Helena and I went to Laia's house for a nice lunch with Angeles and then I went to grab some stuff to stay over Laia's that night. We went out for Saul's birthday with a bunch of the people from the Pingree exchange which was really nice that I got to see them once more before I left. I stayed at Laia's and woke up to Paella the next day! It was fantastic, I got so lucky with two host moms that cook really really well!! Then, as this is also the week of FOOD, I went home and taught Almudena how to make apple pie! It came out really well considering the lack of measuring cups, actual pie pans, rolling pins, etc. etc. haha Needless to say, I'm about ready to give up my Supreme Court dreams for pie making. I'm just that good.
Yesterday Almudena had Laia over for our (sniff sniff) last dinner together. We have a Trinity dinner tonight and she has a work party Wednesday, so this was our last time eating all together as a family. And I really do consider them a part of my family now. Almudena has been the best host mom anyone could ask for - she's kind, warm, helpful, caring, and is always willing to lend an ear. I never realized how close we had gotten until this past week when I realized I was leaving and wouldn't be seeing her and Mónica every day anymore. As much as I'm ready to get home and see you all, I'm getting a bit depressed about leaving to tell the truth. I've seen Barcelona, explored pretty much every part, and feel as though I can come away from this experience saying I've truly LIVED in Barcelona. So that part I won't miss so much. What I will miss is the PEOPLE I've made relationships with during these four months. Laia has become like my sister and has done so much for me and we've had so much fun together, and leaving a best friend isn't easy. Almudena is like a second mother, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I will miss having her in my daily life. I know I'll come back and visit, but ever since I left Barcelona the first time I always had the expectation I would study abroad here. Now with this experience almost over, there's nothing directly on the horizon to say "oh I'm coming back in a year or two years" or what have you.
That being said, we exchanged christmas gifts - I got a good luck charm for the new year and a beautiful book that I'm very excited to start reading. I gave Almudena a pie tin and a rolling pin so she can make her own pies and hopefully think of me when she does. Oo no here come the waterworks. She wrote me the most beautiful letter ("This better make you cry!" she said) and it definitely did. I'm not going to get to see her much over the next day or so which makes me sad that I feel like I didn't spend as much time with her as I could or whatever. The end of trips always make me super sentimental, and I know I'm going to be a mess Thursday morning all the way to the airport. Thank god I'll have Laia holding my hand haha.
Anyways, this is probably my second to last post on this Study Abroad Blog. I can't believe it's all over and, with a few adjustments, I wish I could do it all over again. I'll remember all the good times and try to keep it together when I think of how much I miss my new families here. But I know now for sure that I have a second home here in Barcelona, and that is something not many people can say....
So I'm overly emotional right now and apologize in advance for the sappy nature of this post. I have emotions, so shoot me hahah
Anywaysss Friday Helena and I went to the Christmas Village in Barrio Gotico to buy some gifts and then we headed to the Montjuic area and went to the Fundació Joan Miró which is a beautiful gallery of modern art overlooking all of Barcelona. While Modern Art isn't always my favorite, Helena and I had a good time making up titles for the paintings (as they were all the same: Woman with Bird, Woman, Figure, etc. etc.) and trying to figure out the "deep meaning" of each piece. Almudena and I had dinner that night and we planned our excursion for the next morning!
Despite having lived in Barcelona for many years, Almudena and Laia had never been inside - in fact, I don't even know if Almudena had ever really seen it from the outside either! I took the two of them and Helena on a little tour, trying to remember as much as I could from my research and from the audio guide my family and I took when they were here to give a little bit of the history and content of what Sagrada Familia is. I think they had a good time and were at least very impressed by the architecture - I mean how can you not be, it's spectacular.
Helena and I went to Laia's house for a nice lunch with Angeles and then I went to grab some stuff to stay over Laia's that night. We went out for Saul's birthday with a bunch of the people from the Pingree exchange which was really nice that I got to see them once more before I left. I stayed at Laia's and woke up to Paella the next day! It was fantastic, I got so lucky with two host moms that cook really really well!! Then, as this is also the week of FOOD, I went home and taught Almudena how to make apple pie! It came out really well considering the lack of measuring cups, actual pie pans, rolling pins, etc. etc. haha Needless to say, I'm about ready to give up my Supreme Court dreams for pie making. I'm just that good.
Yesterday Almudena had Laia over for our (sniff sniff) last dinner together. We have a Trinity dinner tonight and she has a work party Wednesday, so this was our last time eating all together as a family. And I really do consider them a part of my family now. Almudena has been the best host mom anyone could ask for - she's kind, warm, helpful, caring, and is always willing to lend an ear. I never realized how close we had gotten until this past week when I realized I was leaving and wouldn't be seeing her and Mónica every day anymore. As much as I'm ready to get home and see you all, I'm getting a bit depressed about leaving to tell the truth. I've seen Barcelona, explored pretty much every part, and feel as though I can come away from this experience saying I've truly LIVED in Barcelona. So that part I won't miss so much. What I will miss is the PEOPLE I've made relationships with during these four months. Laia has become like my sister and has done so much for me and we've had so much fun together, and leaving a best friend isn't easy. Almudena is like a second mother, and I can't even begin to tell you how much I will miss having her in my daily life. I know I'll come back and visit, but ever since I left Barcelona the first time I always had the expectation I would study abroad here. Now with this experience almost over, there's nothing directly on the horizon to say "oh I'm coming back in a year or two years" or what have you.
That being said, we exchanged christmas gifts - I got a good luck charm for the new year and a beautiful book that I'm very excited to start reading. I gave Almudena a pie tin and a rolling pin so she can make her own pies and hopefully think of me when she does. Oo no here come the waterworks. She wrote me the most beautiful letter ("This better make you cry!" she said) and it definitely did. I'm not going to get to see her much over the next day or so which makes me sad that I feel like I didn't spend as much time with her as I could or whatever. The end of trips always make me super sentimental, and I know I'm going to be a mess Thursday morning all the way to the airport. Thank god I'll have Laia holding my hand haha.
Anyways, this is probably my second to last post on this Study Abroad Blog. I can't believe it's all over and, with a few adjustments, I wish I could do it all over again. I'll remember all the good times and try to keep it together when I think of how much I miss my new families here. But I know now for sure that I have a second home here in Barcelona, and that is something not many people can say....
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Adieu Paris, bonjour les examens finaux
My last day in Paris was bittersweet, knowing I had just visited one of the most beautiful cities in the world but that I would have to leave and head back smack dab in the middle of exam week. Sigh.
We got up for some breakfast and saw Nora off to the train station as she had an early train and then Emily and I went to check out Notre Dame. I know I say that every place I go is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life, but this one also makes the list. With beautiful stained glass windows, sculptures, and just some fantastic architecture, I once again fell in love with another famous landmark over here on this amazing continent. We spent some time meandering around, all the while I wanted to reenact the scenes from Hunchback ( just to liiiiiiveee one DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY....ouuuuut therrrreeeee...so touching.) After a nice visit, we walked down to where the Louvre was again so Emily could see the glass pyramids and get some cute pics :-)
Then we grabbed a nice lunch and headed to our respective departure terminals to return t our respective countries and our respective lives. It's weird to think I won't see either of these lovely ladies for at least 2 months, they've been such great traveling companions and it'll be sad to live without them :-( But alas, life must go on and classes unfortunately don't cease according to my wishes....I think if I could have a super power, that'd be a contender....
Anyways I still had another three days off after my wonderful Paris trip which were unfortunately mostly spent studying and writing papers. But I did get to celebrate Almudena's birthday with her and her family which was very cute and I'm glad I got to meet them all before I left!
We're getting down to the wire here people. T-4 days until I'm state side! There's still a lot going on (Fundació Joan Miró and another visit to Sagrada are on the way) so stay with me for a few more days!!! Hope everyone's doing well, can't wait to get back to you all!
Besos!
We got up for some breakfast and saw Nora off to the train station as she had an early train and then Emily and I went to check out Notre Dame. I know I say that every place I go is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been in my life, but this one also makes the list. With beautiful stained glass windows, sculptures, and just some fantastic architecture, I once again fell in love with another famous landmark over here on this amazing continent. We spent some time meandering around, all the while I wanted to reenact the scenes from Hunchback ( just to liiiiiiveee one DAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY....ouuuuut therrrreeeee...so touching.) After a nice visit, we walked down to where the Louvre was again so Emily could see the glass pyramids and get some cute pics :-)
Then we grabbed a nice lunch and headed to our respective departure terminals to return t our respective countries and our respective lives. It's weird to think I won't see either of these lovely ladies for at least 2 months, they've been such great traveling companions and it'll be sad to live without them :-( But alas, life must go on and classes unfortunately don't cease according to my wishes....I think if I could have a super power, that'd be a contender....
Anyways I still had another three days off after my wonderful Paris trip which were unfortunately mostly spent studying and writing papers. But I did get to celebrate Almudena's birthday with her and her family which was very cute and I'm glad I got to meet them all before I left!
We're getting down to the wire here people. T-4 days until I'm state side! There's still a lot going on (Fundació Joan Miró and another visit to Sagrada are on the way) so stay with me for a few more days!!! Hope everyone's doing well, can't wait to get back to you all!
Besos!
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Puis je avoir un miche de pan?
I apologize for the slight hiatus, it's exam week (BLECK) and I've sort of dropped off the map for a bit haha but all is well, one left and it's a 10 question t/f test...no joke...makes up for the fact that I spent a full 24 hours studying for my Medieval History Final...*Shudders*
ANYWAYS
Paris Day 2: more epic epicness :-)
I saw my first snow of the year in Paris France. Really, does it get any better than that? It truly hit my how lucky I've been this semester to be able to visit all of these amazing places and make lasting memories that'll I'll carry with me forever. Sigh well that was my little sentimental bit for the day haha.
The beauty of the falling snow made me forget a very important part about said snow: It's friggen cold. Simple enough I know, but when you've been living in a city with a truly beautiful climate (may I add that it's December 14th and it's still 50 degrees here? yeah. I love Barcelona weather.) you forget these simple and chilling truths. Needless to say Paris is not so lucky with it's temperatures and It was like 100 below zero...my nose fell like it was going to fall off. I hadn't been that cold in a very long time and forgot how truly awful it is....this shall be the one thing I'll not be looking forward to coming home - boston in the middle of winter is friggen ANTARCTICA. *shudders again*
Regardless of my coldness, we braved the storm and went up to Monmart which is a beautiful little artists colony (although all of the artists were hiding....in WARMTH) and saw the Basilica de Sacre Coure which was absolutely gorgeous!!! There was a service going on and it was all decorated for Christmas which was beautiful. After finally regaining the feeling in my fingers, we ventured back out into the blizzard to try to find the Moulin Rouge. This was sort of a let down unfortunately. We walked in to this restaurant called the Moulin de la Galete and were like "Hey where's the Moulin Rouge" and they were like "Hey you're inside it. It's right on top." So we walk outside and there's a lame little windmill on top and we were like wow, we would have NEVER picked that out as the Moulin Rouge....but cool! Haha It was still interesting to see, but Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman and a singing moon would have made it a lot cooler haha.
We found a metro stop (after asking like 100 people and trying to figure out their french directions) and made our way down to the Museé d'Orsay which is a smaller museum with a great collection of impressionist and other paintings. We got to see the self-portrait of Van Gogh which was really impressive along with some fantastic Manet's and Monet's. We museumed ourselves out and decided to get some lunch at a cute cafe we found (also we had to unfreeze ourselves because I'm pretty sure I turned into an icicle).
We decided that it would be a good idea to do a walking tour of the Chanselise which had an entire section full of little temporary shops set up for christmas (it was called the Christmas Village!!!). We walked all up one side, stopping to buy some christmas gifts as we went. Then we decided that we wanted bread wine and cheese for dinner, so we found a bread and cheese stand and tried to buy some. Nora and I were trying to decide whether or not to get the small or large loaf - and of course decided on the large - which ended up weighing like 10 pounds, NO JOKE. And I had to carry it in my bag because it was the only one big enough. Needless to say I got some weird looks when I went through the security at the Eiffel Tower. But more on that later.
After treking through all of the mud and people, we finally made it to the Arc d' Triomph which was also a really spectacular site, especially all lit up at night. We tried to take some cool pictures in front of it, but cars kept getting in the way haha. Oh well, it was still a must see and I'm glad we made it there!
The eternal walking tour resumed and we made our way to the Eiffel Tower, attempting to navigate our way to it by using the pretty lights as our guide. When we finally made it, we took about a billion pictures in front of it and then got in the surprisingly short line (everyone else was inside drinking hot chocolate and eating croissants I bet.) to go up. Now, I'm usually ok with relatively small heights. But the Eiffle Tower is FRIGGEN HUGE. So needless to say, the trip up to the top was a bit nervewracking for me - I think I closed my eyes most of the time. But we made it!!! It was really cool although I could swear I felt the tower moving with the incredible force of the wind outside. Nora and Em assured me I was crazy but I'm still sticking to my guns on that one....
After taking some more pictures and finding which way (according to cool little signs on the top of the tower) was home (both in the US and Barcelona which has now become a second home) we went down and made our way back to the hotel for our long awaited bread and cheese dining spectacular!!!
last but not least: DAY 3 next time :-)
ANYWAYS
Paris Day 2: more epic epicness :-)
I saw my first snow of the year in Paris France. Really, does it get any better than that? It truly hit my how lucky I've been this semester to be able to visit all of these amazing places and make lasting memories that'll I'll carry with me forever. Sigh well that was my little sentimental bit for the day haha.
The beauty of the falling snow made me forget a very important part about said snow: It's friggen cold. Simple enough I know, but when you've been living in a city with a truly beautiful climate (may I add that it's December 14th and it's still 50 degrees here? yeah. I love Barcelona weather.) you forget these simple and chilling truths. Needless to say Paris is not so lucky with it's temperatures and It was like 100 below zero...my nose fell like it was going to fall off. I hadn't been that cold in a very long time and forgot how truly awful it is....this shall be the one thing I'll not be looking forward to coming home - boston in the middle of winter is friggen ANTARCTICA. *shudders again*
Regardless of my coldness, we braved the storm and went up to Monmart which is a beautiful little artists colony (although all of the artists were hiding....in WARMTH) and saw the Basilica de Sacre Coure which was absolutely gorgeous!!! There was a service going on and it was all decorated for Christmas which was beautiful. After finally regaining the feeling in my fingers, we ventured back out into the blizzard to try to find the Moulin Rouge. This was sort of a let down unfortunately. We walked in to this restaurant called the Moulin de la Galete and were like "Hey where's the Moulin Rouge" and they were like "Hey you're inside it. It's right on top." So we walk outside and there's a lame little windmill on top and we were like wow, we would have NEVER picked that out as the Moulin Rouge....but cool! Haha It was still interesting to see, but Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman and a singing moon would have made it a lot cooler haha.
We found a metro stop (after asking like 100 people and trying to figure out their french directions) and made our way down to the Museé d'Orsay which is a smaller museum with a great collection of impressionist and other paintings. We got to see the self-portrait of Van Gogh which was really impressive along with some fantastic Manet's and Monet's. We museumed ourselves out and decided to get some lunch at a cute cafe we found (also we had to unfreeze ourselves because I'm pretty sure I turned into an icicle).
We decided that it would be a good idea to do a walking tour of the Chanselise which had an entire section full of little temporary shops set up for christmas (it was called the Christmas Village!!!). We walked all up one side, stopping to buy some christmas gifts as we went. Then we decided that we wanted bread wine and cheese for dinner, so we found a bread and cheese stand and tried to buy some. Nora and I were trying to decide whether or not to get the small or large loaf - and of course decided on the large - which ended up weighing like 10 pounds, NO JOKE. And I had to carry it in my bag because it was the only one big enough. Needless to say I got some weird looks when I went through the security at the Eiffel Tower. But more on that later.
After treking through all of the mud and people, we finally made it to the Arc d' Triomph which was also a really spectacular site, especially all lit up at night. We tried to take some cool pictures in front of it, but cars kept getting in the way haha. Oh well, it was still a must see and I'm glad we made it there!
The eternal walking tour resumed and we made our way to the Eiffel Tower, attempting to navigate our way to it by using the pretty lights as our guide. When we finally made it, we took about a billion pictures in front of it and then got in the surprisingly short line (everyone else was inside drinking hot chocolate and eating croissants I bet.) to go up. Now, I'm usually ok with relatively small heights. But the Eiffle Tower is FRIGGEN HUGE. So needless to say, the trip up to the top was a bit nervewracking for me - I think I closed my eyes most of the time. But we made it!!! It was really cool although I could swear I felt the tower moving with the incredible force of the wind outside. Nora and Em assured me I was crazy but I'm still sticking to my guns on that one....
After taking some more pictures and finding which way (according to cool little signs on the top of the tower) was home (both in the US and Barcelona which has now become a second home) we went down and made our way back to the hotel for our long awaited bread and cheese dining spectacular!!!
last but not least: DAY 3 next time :-)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Paree Holds the Key to Your 'eartttttttt
Ah Paris. After waiting for you for 3 months, you finally arrived this past weekend, and what a trip it was.
So I have this nasty little habit of buying my flight tickets for SUPER EARLY IN THE MORNING...like 7 am early....never fully realizing that that means I have to get up at 4 am to make said super early flight. Smart one Amanda. Smart one.
Anyways this time it actually turned out to be lucky I chose the SUPER EARLY flight because had my flight been about 4 or 5 hours later, I would have been Barcelona bound for the weekend due to a mass strike that left hundreds of thousands of people stranded. So needless to say I wasn't that bothered by waking up at 4 when I heard that. haha
I got to Paris around 9 and by the time I figured out how to get to my hotel (all the while attempting to use broken French spoken with a truly terrible accent) I checked in and went exploring for a little bit before Nora and Emily's train arrived.
First stop: The Louvre. For just 9 euro you get to enter this truly ENORMOUS museum and see some of the most famous works of arts in the history of man kind. Pretty good deal eh? So I get in and of course join the mob of people on their way to go see the Mona Lisa because I know that's where I'm going to want to end up anyways so why not cut to the chase and do that first, right? They have all of their galleries set up by theme (Italian and Spanish Painters) and then in chronological order, so on the way I got to see some other extremely beautiful and famous works including frescos by Boticelli, a Velazquez (although that was technically placed after Mona but whatevs) and some famous portraits by Goya. It's a pretty dec collection I guess haha. Then came the main attraction: MONAAAAAA. She is quite small as everyone says and it's behind like bullet and missile proof glass or something and you can't get within 30 feet of it, but it's still really cool to just stand there and say "I'm looking at the Mona Lisa. This is SO EFFING COOL!" Which is exactly what I did for about 15 minutes.
I wandered around the museum for a little while longer when the girls called me (mom don't hate me haha didn't want you to be worried) and said their trains were delayed a few hours...sooo with time to kill I got a sandwich and ate it in the courtyard with a beautiful view of the eiffel tower in the background and the famous glass pyramids in front of me. Really couldn't get any better than that.
Then I headed over to Saint Chappell which is supposed to have one of the most spectacular stained glass window displays ever. They were really beautiful but half of them were under renovation so I couldn't see the full effect which was a bummer, but it was still really beautiful!
After that I decided to take a little walk back to the Tulerie which was unfortunately mostly dead (the flowers I mean) but the statues were still cool and the Ferris Wheel at the end was all lit up and super pretty. I could see the Eiffel Tower so I was just like "Oh it can't be that far, I'm just going to walk over there. It's a beautiful day, I'll walk down the Seine and be truly Parisian and just meander on down. Shouldn't take too long."
WRONG. Longest walk of my life. Yeah, the Tulerie and the Eiffle Tower? SO NOT CLOSE. haha but it was still a nice walk and I got to see the Eiffel Tower which is truly one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen in my entire life. Really it is a must see like Sagrada Familia, you will be awestruck.
The girls finally got in and we met for dinner at this cute place near the hotel for some traditional French foods: French onion soup (which is officially amazing) escargot (surprisingly good) and they got duck confit. Then we headed back to the hotel for a nice night of catching up and laughs :-)
I'm going to break Paris up into a few different posts since we did so much, so enjoy Day #1!!
~Amanda
So I have this nasty little habit of buying my flight tickets for SUPER EARLY IN THE MORNING...like 7 am early....never fully realizing that that means I have to get up at 4 am to make said super early flight. Smart one Amanda. Smart one.
Anyways this time it actually turned out to be lucky I chose the SUPER EARLY flight because had my flight been about 4 or 5 hours later, I would have been Barcelona bound for the weekend due to a mass strike that left hundreds of thousands of people stranded. So needless to say I wasn't that bothered by waking up at 4 when I heard that. haha
I got to Paris around 9 and by the time I figured out how to get to my hotel (all the while attempting to use broken French spoken with a truly terrible accent) I checked in and went exploring for a little bit before Nora and Emily's train arrived.
First stop: The Louvre. For just 9 euro you get to enter this truly ENORMOUS museum and see some of the most famous works of arts in the history of man kind. Pretty good deal eh? So I get in and of course join the mob of people on their way to go see the Mona Lisa because I know that's where I'm going to want to end up anyways so why not cut to the chase and do that first, right? They have all of their galleries set up by theme (Italian and Spanish Painters) and then in chronological order, so on the way I got to see some other extremely beautiful and famous works including frescos by Boticelli, a Velazquez (although that was technically placed after Mona but whatevs) and some famous portraits by Goya. It's a pretty dec collection I guess haha. Then came the main attraction: MONAAAAAA. She is quite small as everyone says and it's behind like bullet and missile proof glass or something and you can't get within 30 feet of it, but it's still really cool to just stand there and say "I'm looking at the Mona Lisa. This is SO EFFING COOL!" Which is exactly what I did for about 15 minutes.
I wandered around the museum for a little while longer when the girls called me (mom don't hate me haha didn't want you to be worried) and said their trains were delayed a few hours...sooo with time to kill I got a sandwich and ate it in the courtyard with a beautiful view of the eiffel tower in the background and the famous glass pyramids in front of me. Really couldn't get any better than that.
Then I headed over to Saint Chappell which is supposed to have one of the most spectacular stained glass window displays ever. They were really beautiful but half of them were under renovation so I couldn't see the full effect which was a bummer, but it was still really beautiful!
After that I decided to take a little walk back to the Tulerie which was unfortunately mostly dead (the flowers I mean) but the statues were still cool and the Ferris Wheel at the end was all lit up and super pretty. I could see the Eiffel Tower so I was just like "Oh it can't be that far, I'm just going to walk over there. It's a beautiful day, I'll walk down the Seine and be truly Parisian and just meander on down. Shouldn't take too long."
WRONG. Longest walk of my life. Yeah, the Tulerie and the Eiffle Tower? SO NOT CLOSE. haha but it was still a nice walk and I got to see the Eiffel Tower which is truly one of the most spectacular things I have ever seen in my entire life. Really it is a must see like Sagrada Familia, you will be awestruck.
The girls finally got in and we met for dinner at this cute place near the hotel for some traditional French foods: French onion soup (which is officially amazing) escargot (surprisingly good) and they got duck confit. Then we headed back to the hotel for a nice night of catching up and laughs :-)
I'm going to break Paris up into a few different posts since we did so much, so enjoy Day #1!!
~Amanda
The Gang's All Here! And I mean EVERYONE!
So when I got back on Sunday morning from London I was also highly anticipating the arrival of my parental units :-) luckily I convinced them to come over thanksgiving so I wouldn't have to be alone Spain on this very american holiday haha. They called me when they got to their hotel and I came over, making my way up to room 431 (or something) to where my parents told me their room was....little did I know, my GRANDPARENTS would be hiding behind that door! haha they flew all the way over to see me with my parents and I was pretty durn excited to say the least!
After getting over the shock of thinking my grandmother was a cleaning lady in my parents room (sorry Nonnie!) and then quickly realizing who it was, my parents came upstairs from their room and we had a big loud italian family reunion (kind of like My Big Fat Greek Wedding without the cake...)
We decided to make the most of what was left of the day and headed out to La Rambla to show the abuelos around a bit! Grabbed some lunch and did some walking (much to the dismay of my grandfather who's favorite thing to do was grab taxis haha) down La Rambla and to Mare Magnum for some window shopping! My parents and I got a drink at a local bar after the g-pa's went back to the hotel until I had officially overwalked my mother to the point of exhaustion and had to get the old folks home ;-) hehe
The next day I didn't have class so I took the fam to Monserrat which, as you remember, is the gorgeous mountain with the monastery and the church over looking the beautiful valleys and all. I like to think they were pretty pleased with the trip, and I even got to explore some of the places I hadn't gotten to see while I was there the last time I had been there, so it was a very nice day spent with my beautiful family. That night we also met Almudena and Monica for dinner in La Raval and had quite a funny time trying to translate back and forth between english, spanish, and italian (which my grandfather was convinced was the same as spanish...emmmm not so much haha). Good times had by all despite the messages lost in translation haha.
Tuesday I had a boat load of class but I still managed to meet the fam for a bit and we went to Sagrada Familia. I had been there 2 years ago and hadn't really expected anything to change - to be honest last time I was a bit disappointed because there really wasn't all that much to see because it was under heavy construction. When I ever walked into that building that day, I thought my jaw would drop to the floor. They've completely finished the inside of the church (which is now actually a Basilica thanks to the Papa - no not the potato, the pope) and it is one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen in my entire life! It's so colorful and the architecture is phenomenal with amazing columns and stained glass and ceilings - it is a sight to behold, everyone must go there before they die. Anyways I ran to class again and met the folks for dinner and we called it a pretty early night.
Wednesdayyyyy I didn't get to see them until the afternoon but they went to Parc Guell which is of course my favorite place in the city, so I was glad they got to see that. My mom and I went shopping for a bit, although unsuccessfully, and then we met Laia and her mom and sister for a lovely dinner at a beautiful restaurant near my parents hotel. We had another raucous night of translations, laughs, and good conversation and I was really glad my parents and grandparents got to see Laia again and meet her family (in the case of my grandparents)!! Side note. The look on my grandfather's face when the brought him his salmon (which was the size of a small cell phone - aka tiny) was priceless. Almost as priceless as the face he made when they brought him his equally small dessert. Bahahahahah so great.
Thursday was thanksgiving! I skipped my afternoon class and we went to Sitges for a little while and walked around on the beach and around the church there which was very pretty :-) We all met up for out last meal together later at Milk and had fajitas and mojitos for Thanksgiving dinner...not quite traditional, but at least I was with family :-) Plus we're planning our new holiday Thankschristmas (original, I know) which will be sweeping the nation before you know it. Watch out people. It'll be a phenomenon.
The next morning they had to leave super duper early but I was at least able to say goodbye and see them off! It was really good to see them all and now I only have a few short weeks until we're reunited again!
Next up: PARIS!
After getting over the shock of thinking my grandmother was a cleaning lady in my parents room (sorry Nonnie!) and then quickly realizing who it was, my parents came upstairs from their room and we had a big loud italian family reunion (kind of like My Big Fat Greek Wedding without the cake...)
We decided to make the most of what was left of the day and headed out to La Rambla to show the abuelos around a bit! Grabbed some lunch and did some walking (much to the dismay of my grandfather who's favorite thing to do was grab taxis haha) down La Rambla and to Mare Magnum for some window shopping! My parents and I got a drink at a local bar after the g-pa's went back to the hotel until I had officially overwalked my mother to the point of exhaustion and had to get the old folks home ;-) hehe
The next day I didn't have class so I took the fam to Monserrat which, as you remember, is the gorgeous mountain with the monastery and the church over looking the beautiful valleys and all. I like to think they were pretty pleased with the trip, and I even got to explore some of the places I hadn't gotten to see while I was there the last time I had been there, so it was a very nice day spent with my beautiful family. That night we also met Almudena and Monica for dinner in La Raval and had quite a funny time trying to translate back and forth between english, spanish, and italian (which my grandfather was convinced was the same as spanish...emmmm not so much haha). Good times had by all despite the messages lost in translation haha.
Tuesday I had a boat load of class but I still managed to meet the fam for a bit and we went to Sagrada Familia. I had been there 2 years ago and hadn't really expected anything to change - to be honest last time I was a bit disappointed because there really wasn't all that much to see because it was under heavy construction. When I ever walked into that building that day, I thought my jaw would drop to the floor. They've completely finished the inside of the church (which is now actually a Basilica thanks to the Papa - no not the potato, the pope) and it is one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen in my entire life! It's so colorful and the architecture is phenomenal with amazing columns and stained glass and ceilings - it is a sight to behold, everyone must go there before they die. Anyways I ran to class again and met the folks for dinner and we called it a pretty early night.
Wednesdayyyyy I didn't get to see them until the afternoon but they went to Parc Guell which is of course my favorite place in the city, so I was glad they got to see that. My mom and I went shopping for a bit, although unsuccessfully, and then we met Laia and her mom and sister for a lovely dinner at a beautiful restaurant near my parents hotel. We had another raucous night of translations, laughs, and good conversation and I was really glad my parents and grandparents got to see Laia again and meet her family (in the case of my grandparents)!! Side note. The look on my grandfather's face when the brought him his salmon (which was the size of a small cell phone - aka tiny) was priceless. Almost as priceless as the face he made when they brought him his equally small dessert. Bahahahahah so great.
Thursday was thanksgiving! I skipped my afternoon class and we went to Sitges for a little while and walked around on the beach and around the church there which was very pretty :-) We all met up for out last meal together later at Milk and had fajitas and mojitos for Thanksgiving dinner...not quite traditional, but at least I was with family :-) Plus we're planning our new holiday Thankschristmas (original, I know) which will be sweeping the nation before you know it. Watch out people. It'll be a phenomenon.
The next morning they had to leave super duper early but I was at least able to say goodbye and see them off! It was really good to see them all and now I only have a few short weeks until we're reunited again!
Next up: PARIS!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Got Hermione's wand...she's the best witch, watchin' Harry Potter feelin' fly like it's Quidditch...aka London
Haha so for those of you who aren't familiar with the reference in my post title, please click here for what is possibly the most clever harry potter parody I've ever come across: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXIgNnB_oq4
Anyways, thursday the 18th I went to LONDONTOWN! Hopped a plane after my afternoon class and met Nora at around 11:30 and headed back to her dorm at NYU London! She lives in a really nice area near a mall and all of the shwanky apartment buildings so it was super nice despite the fact that we had to walk through a creepy hedge lined passageway to get there....but whatevs haha Her room was also super nice, NYU sure does know how to do their study abroad accommodations! Because I got there so late, thursday night was kind of a wasted one, but after a good nights sleep we were ready and rarin' to go Friday morning!
We decided to start our day at Westminster Abbey which has to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Not to mention that it's immediately across from Big Ben and Parliament which are also gorgeous and it was a beautiful sunny day...basically it was pretty perfect haha. We decided to ignore the fact that we're poor college students and paid the admission to go inside, which was the best 12 pounds I've ever spent. The architecture was fantastic and the amount of history contained in that one building alone was awe-inspiring. We saw the tombs of great kings and queens, of poets and musicians, of the unknown soldier, and many more. I'm pretty sure we spent about 2 and a half hours taking the tour and I don't regret a single minute of it. Truly, if you ever get to go, it is well worth a visit!
After a lovely visit to Westminster, we walked down to Trafalgar Square and grabbed a nice lunch on our way! Saw some Trinity people in Trafalgar which was super weird considering how large of a city it is, but it just goes to show you how small the world really is! After Trafalgar we went to Covent Gardens which is a really adorable shopping area that was all decorated for christmas. We went into this HUGE tea shop and I bought some delicious caramel tea to bring home with me :) We walked around being ridiculous for a little while and then shared a pasty (which are QUITE delicious if I do say so myself) before going to meet Em for our Jack the Ripper tour.
The Jack the Ripper tour was totally not what I expected but was super cool. I thought it would be like a haunted house type tour where people jumped out and scared you and whatnot but instead, our tour guide took us on a walk through the city showing us the spots where the infamous serial killer known as Jack the Ripper committed his atrocious murders. I know, it sounds super weird and creepy, but it was actually really interesting and pretty cool to do! I was also kind of scared because I'm a baby and it was at night and I'm easily scared...so that made it even more authentic haha. After that we went to check into our Hostel, which was alright although I'm pretty sure our roommates hated us because we woke them up at like midnight, but seriously, you're in London, what are you doing in bed so early? haha annnywayssss
Saturday was another packed day! We went first to the London Eye and went for a lovely ride on one of the largest Ferris Wheels I've ever seen! You get to see the entire city and can take fantastic birds-eye view fotos of all of the major London attractions which was really cool!
After a lovely ride, I got my SUPER geek on and went on a HARRY POTTER WALKING TOUR! It was kind of sad to realize that a lot of the landmarks used in the films aren't really commemorated as such (like the Leaky Cauldron which is now an optometrists office) but it was still really cool to see where everything was done! Plus our tour guide was super geeky and cute, so that added to the fun (sorry hon ;-) hehehe) I got my picture taken trying to get into platform 9 3/4 which has been my dream ever since reading the first book, so needless to say my inner nerd was satisfied :)
To round out the all HP weekend, we went to see the 7th movie that night!!!!!!!! We got to watch it in the theater where they hold the London Premire every year which was really awesome and I must say it was my favorite out of all of the movies they've made so far, despite the gripes I still have with it hahah
We got back to the hostel around 2 (again, our roommates hated us) and after 2 hours of sleep, I had to get up and run to the airport to catch an early flight back to BCN to meet the PADRES!!!!!!
Side note: London was one of the most amazing cities I've visited so far. I can definitely see why people study there and would love to do so myself someday! A great weekend with great friends, great food, and, of course, HARRY POTTER! yessssss
Anyways, thursday the 18th I went to LONDONTOWN! Hopped a plane after my afternoon class and met Nora at around 11:30 and headed back to her dorm at NYU London! She lives in a really nice area near a mall and all of the shwanky apartment buildings so it was super nice despite the fact that we had to walk through a creepy hedge lined passageway to get there....but whatevs haha Her room was also super nice, NYU sure does know how to do their study abroad accommodations! Because I got there so late, thursday night was kind of a wasted one, but after a good nights sleep we were ready and rarin' to go Friday morning!
We decided to start our day at Westminster Abbey which has to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever been. Not to mention that it's immediately across from Big Ben and Parliament which are also gorgeous and it was a beautiful sunny day...basically it was pretty perfect haha. We decided to ignore the fact that we're poor college students and paid the admission to go inside, which was the best 12 pounds I've ever spent. The architecture was fantastic and the amount of history contained in that one building alone was awe-inspiring. We saw the tombs of great kings and queens, of poets and musicians, of the unknown soldier, and many more. I'm pretty sure we spent about 2 and a half hours taking the tour and I don't regret a single minute of it. Truly, if you ever get to go, it is well worth a visit!
After a lovely visit to Westminster, we walked down to Trafalgar Square and grabbed a nice lunch on our way! Saw some Trinity people in Trafalgar which was super weird considering how large of a city it is, but it just goes to show you how small the world really is! After Trafalgar we went to Covent Gardens which is a really adorable shopping area that was all decorated for christmas. We went into this HUGE tea shop and I bought some delicious caramel tea to bring home with me :) We walked around being ridiculous for a little while and then shared a pasty (which are QUITE delicious if I do say so myself) before going to meet Em for our Jack the Ripper tour.
The Jack the Ripper tour was totally not what I expected but was super cool. I thought it would be like a haunted house type tour where people jumped out and scared you and whatnot but instead, our tour guide took us on a walk through the city showing us the spots where the infamous serial killer known as Jack the Ripper committed his atrocious murders. I know, it sounds super weird and creepy, but it was actually really interesting and pretty cool to do! I was also kind of scared because I'm a baby and it was at night and I'm easily scared...so that made it even more authentic haha. After that we went to check into our Hostel, which was alright although I'm pretty sure our roommates hated us because we woke them up at like midnight, but seriously, you're in London, what are you doing in bed so early? haha annnywayssss
Saturday was another packed day! We went first to the London Eye and went for a lovely ride on one of the largest Ferris Wheels I've ever seen! You get to see the entire city and can take fantastic birds-eye view fotos of all of the major London attractions which was really cool!
After a lovely ride, I got my SUPER geek on and went on a HARRY POTTER WALKING TOUR! It was kind of sad to realize that a lot of the landmarks used in the films aren't really commemorated as such (like the Leaky Cauldron which is now an optometrists office) but it was still really cool to see where everything was done! Plus our tour guide was super geeky and cute, so that added to the fun (sorry hon ;-) hehehe) I got my picture taken trying to get into platform 9 3/4 which has been my dream ever since reading the first book, so needless to say my inner nerd was satisfied :)
To round out the all HP weekend, we went to see the 7th movie that night!!!!!!!! We got to watch it in the theater where they hold the London Premire every year which was really awesome and I must say it was my favorite out of all of the movies they've made so far, despite the gripes I still have with it hahah
We got back to the hostel around 2 (again, our roommates hated us) and after 2 hours of sleep, I had to get up and run to the airport to catch an early flight back to BCN to meet the PADRES!!!!!!
Side note: London was one of the most amazing cities I've visited so far. I can definitely see why people study there and would love to do so myself someday! A great weekend with great friends, great food, and, of course, HARRY POTTER! yessssss
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