A summary of Barcelona:
Barcelona = touristy
Las Ramblas = not what I expected...quite strange
Sagrada Familia = beautiful
Picasso Museum = worth it to see the evolution of his work
Watch the video for a more in depth summary of the trip!
Monday, October 26, 2009
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Mallorca!!
I've been back in Valencia for 2 days, and I have a few minutes, so I thought I'd write about my trip to Palma de Mallorca this past week as well as some other tidbits of information pertaining to my life.
There were 10 girls from our ISA group that went to Mallorca this weekend--Marli, Sam, Kat, Elyssa, Ali, Marlo, Val, Rosy, Maddy, and me. We all left on different flights, depending on when you were done with class. I ended up on a flight Friday night, since I had class until 5. I took the metro to the airport with Kat. I am sad to announce that the faithful travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles that my family has had for YEARS are no longer with me. They were confiscated at security by a very mean inspector who did not like Kat or myself. I carried them on the plane during my trip to Greece, and I had no problems whatsoever. Kat had her bottles confiscated too. All of our bottles were the correct size...this guy was just MEAN! The flight was very very short. We went up and then we went down. Only 30 minutes in the air. I seriously doubt the pilot we had would be able to fly in the US...our descent was a little scary. From the airport, we took a bus to our hostel and met up with the others. We talked for a while and then headed to bed. We woke up in the morning and were thankful that the sun was out. We got ready and headed out to get some breakfast. I think I mentioned before in an earlier post that restaurants often have people outside their establishments trying to get people to eat there. Mallorca was no exception to this--and we ended up at a restaurant after talking to the person outside. This is when we discovered a very strange fact about Mallorca-----it is overrun by GERMANS.
I never would have imagined that there would be so many Germans. We would start speaking in Spanish to people, and they would just look at us and then say something in German--then eventually we'd both be speaking English--best way to communicate in Mallorca. We spent most of the day at the beach--laying in the sun when it wasn't covered by the clouds. Had a very very late lunch at 5-6pm--then rested for a while back at the hostel. We went out to a place called "Mega Park"--and again it was overrun by Germans. We met some neat people there of all ages--a few highlights--dancing with 2 older couples from Germany, talking with people who "only" spoke 5 languages, and watching random German music videos that were playing on the screen. Later we went down to the club at the same establishment and stayed there for a long time--it was pretty late to say the least. I was mistaken for a Californian that night, as well as a German--2 guys came up to me and started speaking German, and I just looked at them and said "English?". A fun day. Sunday brought a little tour of the city, including a 40 minute bus ride into the center of Palma that left me with some motion sickness. Note to self: riding in the seats facing backwards in a bus is not a good idea...especially when the driver makes very fast turns, and the roads are bumpy. We visited the Cathedral and just relaxed. Then we spent Sunday night at the hostel and came back to Valencia early Monday morning. It was a very relaxing time--a nice break from lots of touristy things. I failed at taking some good pictures--so I got some from Rosy, Marli, and Sam--I put those up earlier today--so take a peek!
Other than the trip, the week has gone pretty well. The flu is spreading through the ISA kids, and I'm trying my best to stay healthy. Marli woke up ill yesterday morning--so I'm being very cautious-hoping she doesn't give it to me. We have some house guests this week--2 boys from England, ages 14 and 15. They are here with their school for the week and hardly speak any Spanish. Dinners are very entertaining with Marli and I serving as translators and having to help them form sentences. Then on Friday we have an ISA excursion to Barcelona, and we will return to Valencia on Sunday night. We have 2 free afternoons on the trip, so I have been looking up things to do in Barcelona. What else...I saw "La Cruda Realidad" (The Ugly Truth) last night with Sam and Kat. It was my first movie in Spain. It was dubbed in Spanish, and I had a hard time not looking at the actors mouths since the voices and their mouths were not saying the same things. I guess that's it--I think I'm going to call it a night early and catch up on some sleep! Buenas noches.
There were 10 girls from our ISA group that went to Mallorca this weekend--Marli, Sam, Kat, Elyssa, Ali, Marlo, Val, Rosy, Maddy, and me. We all left on different flights, depending on when you were done with class. I ended up on a flight Friday night, since I had class until 5. I took the metro to the airport with Kat. I am sad to announce that the faithful travel size shampoo and conditioner bottles that my family has had for YEARS are no longer with me. They were confiscated at security by a very mean inspector who did not like Kat or myself. I carried them on the plane during my trip to Greece, and I had no problems whatsoever. Kat had her bottles confiscated too. All of our bottles were the correct size...this guy was just MEAN! The flight was very very short. We went up and then we went down. Only 30 minutes in the air. I seriously doubt the pilot we had would be able to fly in the US...our descent was a little scary. From the airport, we took a bus to our hostel and met up with the others. We talked for a while and then headed to bed. We woke up in the morning and were thankful that the sun was out. We got ready and headed out to get some breakfast. I think I mentioned before in an earlier post that restaurants often have people outside their establishments trying to get people to eat there. Mallorca was no exception to this--and we ended up at a restaurant after talking to the person outside. This is when we discovered a very strange fact about Mallorca-----it is overrun by GERMANS.
I never would have imagined that there would be so many Germans. We would start speaking in Spanish to people, and they would just look at us and then say something in German--then eventually we'd both be speaking English--best way to communicate in Mallorca. We spent most of the day at the beach--laying in the sun when it wasn't covered by the clouds. Had a very very late lunch at 5-6pm--then rested for a while back at the hostel. We went out to a place called "Mega Park"--and again it was overrun by Germans. We met some neat people there of all ages--a few highlights--dancing with 2 older couples from Germany, talking with people who "only" spoke 5 languages, and watching random German music videos that were playing on the screen. Later we went down to the club at the same establishment and stayed there for a long time--it was pretty late to say the least. I was mistaken for a Californian that night, as well as a German--2 guys came up to me and started speaking German, and I just looked at them and said "English?". A fun day. Sunday brought a little tour of the city, including a 40 minute bus ride into the center of Palma that left me with some motion sickness. Note to self: riding in the seats facing backwards in a bus is not a good idea...especially when the driver makes very fast turns, and the roads are bumpy. We visited the Cathedral and just relaxed. Then we spent Sunday night at the hostel and came back to Valencia early Monday morning. It was a very relaxing time--a nice break from lots of touristy things. I failed at taking some good pictures--so I got some from Rosy, Marli, and Sam--I put those up earlier today--so take a peek!
Other than the trip, the week has gone pretty well. The flu is spreading through the ISA kids, and I'm trying my best to stay healthy. Marli woke up ill yesterday morning--so I'm being very cautious-hoping she doesn't give it to me. We have some house guests this week--2 boys from England, ages 14 and 15. They are here with their school for the week and hardly speak any Spanish. Dinners are very entertaining with Marli and I serving as translators and having to help them form sentences. Then on Friday we have an ISA excursion to Barcelona, and we will return to Valencia on Sunday night. We have 2 free afternoons on the trip, so I have been looking up things to do in Barcelona. What else...I saw "La Cruda Realidad" (The Ugly Truth) last night with Sam and Kat. It was my first movie in Spain. It was dubbed in Spanish, and I had a hard time not looking at the actors mouths since the voices and their mouths were not saying the same things. I guess that's it--I think I'm going to call it a night early and catch up on some sleep! Buenas noches.
Friday, October 16, 2009
el fin de semana
Weekends are great...especially when the week seems to drag on like this week has. I'm heading to Palma de Mallorca this weekend with a bunch of friends. We're all crossing our fingers that it will be warm enough to lay on the beach. Mallorca is part of the Balearic Islands. It's only a 45 minute plane ride from Valencia, and tickets are pretty cheap! I was able to get Sam and Ali's pics from Greece, and I put those up yesterday--so be sure to check them out. All for now!! Have a great weekend!!!!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Going Greek
So it's time to begin this blog about my trip to Greece--but where to begin? I think I'll start with a little background info and then go day by day. I traveled to Greece with 2 other girls in my group, Ali and Sam. If you've been reading my blog, you've probably seen their names a lot, as they have become really good friends of mine since I've been in Spain. We were able to travel to Greece because we had a long weekend--no classes on Friday or Monday due to holidays. We traveled in Athens and also went on a day trip to Delphi--so here is the full rundown on the trip. Maybe grab a cup of coffee or a little snack...this may take a while to read. :)
Wednesday October 7th-Thursday October 8th
We depart Valencia at 8 pm on a bus to Barcelona, arriving in Barcelona at 12:30 am. From the bus station, we take a taxi to the airport where we wait out the night for our 6:25 am flight. We sat in a café at the airport, talking and playing cards until we were able to go to the gate. We flew from Barcelona to Rome. All three of us were asleep before the plane took off. After landing in Rome, we had a quick connection and then departed for Athens. We arrived in Athens around noon, and from the airport we took a taxi to our hostel, Athens Backpackers (www.backpackers.gr). We arrived at the hostel but couldn't check in, so we went to grab some lunch. We meandered through the street, soaking up the sun and the sights around us. We ate lunch in the Placa near the Acropolis, which was very close to the hostel. After lunch, we browsed in a few shops, before returning the hostel to check in. At the hostel, they told us we had been "upgraded" to the studios down the street that they also run (it was only a 2 minute walk), and that instead of sharing a 6 person dorm--we would have a 3 person room to ourselves! YAY! The studio was very nice and simple. 3 beds, a little kitchenette, and a bathroom. We crashed for an hour or so before heading out to explore. We were going to go to the Acropolis that night (it was around 5 pm), but when we arrived after walking through all the little streets, it was closing. So we took some pictures, kept walking and ended up at the Acropolis Museum. The museum was pretty awesome. Outside the museum, the floors were glass, and there were ruins under the glass, it was neat. The museum was filled with artifacts--statues, parts of buildings, pottery, etc. The entire time I was in the museum, I kept thinking how much my Dad would enjoy it, since he loves Greek and Roman mythology. All the artifacts were related to the Greek gods and the myths surrounding them.
After the museum, we went back to the hostel to go to the rooftop bar. We watched the sunset from the top of the bar and saw the Acropolis light up when it was dark. We also met some interesting people while we were there. We met people from Canada who were taking a semester off university, 2 guys from Australia who were taking a year off university, a married couple from Australia who had just visited Egypt, and a group of Australians in their late 30s who were doing a 2 month trip in Europe. In Australia, it's typical that people go out on a trip to explore the world once they reach a certain age. It was great talking with everyone. Then we went to dinner near the hostel. Sam and Ali both had Greek Salads, and I tried chicken soulvaki. There were 2 guys serenading the diners (both older gentlemen), and one of them loved Ali. He kept waving at us after songs, and then invited her up to sit with him while he sang. It was very funny. There is a photo in my album--plus a video of it may be on the way if I can figure it out. After finishing off some baklava with ice cream, we headed off to bed.
Friday October 9th
We woke up pretty early Friday morning, as we wanted to go to the Acropolis before going on a walking tour that was available at the hostel. We grabbed a quick breakfast and walked over to the Acropolis. Once we made it up to the Acropolis, it was really neat, but there were a lot of tourists--more than I expected at 8 am. Walking around in the Acropolis can prove to be a little difficult because the marble is very slippery--Sam, Ali, and I had a few moments where we almost fell. The Parthenon was impressive, but I wish I could see it without the scaffolding. They started this restoration in 1983 and the majority of the building had scaffolding on it. It didn't make for great pictures, but it was still a striking place. There are many buildings in the Acropolis complex, and I really enjoyed looking at the Erechtheum. I liked being able to see a building without scaffolding on it. After visiting the Acropolis, we went on a walking tour with our hostel. Our tour guide's name was Zoe, and she is half British, half Greek--born in the U.K. but has lived in Greece her whole life. She took us to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Parliament, the first Olympic Stadium, the markets, and a few other neat places. We didn't go inside them--but we were able to get some information about each place and then could come back if we wanted. After the tour, we went for lunch. Sam and Ali ordered kebabs, which were made of lamb and beef. I ordered 2 small things off the appetizer menu: cheese pie (self explanatory) and tzatziki, which is Greek yogurt mixed with spices and with lots of cucumber in it--you put it on bread. We shared the tzatziki, and I ate my cheese pie--plus Sam and Ali gave me parts of their kebabs. So I ate lamb AND beef--I think this will be shocking to some--and it wasn't half bad. We did some shopping in the markets after lunch, picked up some small things for my family. I think the most unique souvenir I bought was for myself. It is a bowl type thing made of olive wood and the bottom is engraved with my name in Greek. It's pretty cool, and I'm using it to hold my jewelry at night.
That afternoon we were going to take a bus to Sounio to see the Temple of Poseidon and the Temple of Athena--but the bus company was having a strike or something. Instead, we decided to head to the beach to watch the sunset. We took a tram to the beach, so we were able to see a large chunk of the town while on the tram. We arrived at one beach, took some pics, then hopped back on the tram to pick out a beach to watch the sunset. The sunset was BEAUTIFUL...one of the best I have seen in my life. It's magical watching the sun disappear into the water--plus we could see islands from the shore. It was captivating and just stunning. We ate a restaurant along the beach, and it was just peaceful.
Saturday October 10th
Saturday we took a day trip though our hostel to Delphi. It was a full day trip and everything was included in the cost. Our guide again was Zoe, which was a lot of fun. It was a 3 hour bus ride each way, but it was worth it. We had to stop along the way since the driver noticed something wrong with one of the tires. Luckily he caught it when he did, I don't know what would have happened it the tire blew when we were in the mountains. Delphi was where the most famous oracle was. (If you've seen the movie '300,' Leonidas goes to Delphi to visit the Oracle) It was also considered the 'navel' (belly button) of the Earth. Legend has it that if you touch the navel (there's a rock commemorating the spot), then you will have weird dreams. I touched the navel, and I had weird dreams that night. Slightly random...but neat all the same. Half of the site was closed due to falling rocks a week ago, but we were still able to see most everything, just not as close up. The Temple of Apollo is at Delphi, and that is where the Oracle would give her predictions. Leading up to the Temple of Apollo are many treasuries for city-states in Greece. It is where they held offerings to Apollo, and it was a way to thank the Oracle for her advice. Look it up online for more info about Delphi. There were amazing views from Delphi since it was up in the mountains--it reminded me a little of being in Colorado. We went to the museum at Delphi--very similar to the Acropolis museum. It had lots of artifacts found at Delphi--statues, bronze items, parts of the original buildings. The entire time I was in Greece looking at ruins, I was just in awe at how old everything was. I have never seen anything that old, and it crazy to think of how all the things were built at that time. Most of the places I saw were built in the 4th and 5th centuries BC. ¡Loco!
We had a picnic lunch near Delphi, and then headed into the town near the archaeological site. Arachova was the name of the town, and I guess it is a big skiing town in the winter. Zoe said that if you have money, and want to ski in Greece, it is THE place to be in the winter. The buildings in Arachova were beautiful. There were a few shops, and I picked up some honey. The town is famous for honey, cheese, and rugs. There were also a ton of cafes, but we just stopped at a bakery and got a little dessert. The ride back to Athens was uneventful, I looked through all the pictures I had taken so far and watched the videos too. That night we met up with Tatiana, who is the daughter of Sam's uncle's friend (if that makes sense). She was born in New York but has lived in Athens since age 7. We got drinks with her and just got to talk to her. She was a fascinating person--very 'high society' Greek to say the least. She also took us to a place to get dinner--which was delicious. It was the first restaurant we went to that they didn't speak English--so she ordered for us. After eating, we headed back to the hostel, stopping for dessert at the same restaurant where we were serenaded the first night and had yogurt with honey. It was so delicious and so simple. When we got back, I went to bed since I had an early flight, and Sam and Ali talked with some other people in the hostel. We ended up on different flights back to Barcelona due to some airline trouble that soured Friday night a little for us.
Sunday October 11th
I got up super early to catch my flight--Sam and Ali put me in a cab at 6 am and didn't see me again until 1 am in Barcelona. I took a cab to the station where I could take a bus to the airport. I watched the sunrise in the airport, and wrote in my journal the entire trip to Barcelona, which was direct. I got to our hostel in Barcelona that afternoon and explored a little bit of Barcelona, not too much since I will be there at the end of October with ISA. I went to a park that Gaudí designed, and it was beautiful. There were a ton of people there and lots of people selling items for cheap. There were also 2 people playing guitar, and they were phenomenal. You can hear them in the background of a short video I took of the place. Then I was back at the hostel writing in my journal, when the other people in our room arrived. We were staying in an 8-person dorm. I was so happy to meet them, since they were incredibly friendly. 3 girls who are studying in southwest Spain--and 2 guys who are both traveling independently in Europe. I ended up talking with them for a long time and hung out with them until Sam and Ali arrived. Then we slept and left for Valencia the next day.
---------------------------------------
So that's it--all about my trip to Greece. Be sure to look at the pics. I took 450--but didn't put all of them up. More will be going up later this week once I share pics with Sam and Ali. Then there will be more pics of me and Sam and Ali. I'm going to try to make a video with all my videos thus far --so you can get a better idea of everything. All for now.
Wednesday October 7th-Thursday October 8th
We depart Valencia at 8 pm on a bus to Barcelona, arriving in Barcelona at 12:30 am. From the bus station, we take a taxi to the airport where we wait out the night for our 6:25 am flight. We sat in a café at the airport, talking and playing cards until we were able to go to the gate. We flew from Barcelona to Rome. All three of us were asleep before the plane took off. After landing in Rome, we had a quick connection and then departed for Athens. We arrived in Athens around noon, and from the airport we took a taxi to our hostel, Athens Backpackers (www.backpackers.gr). We arrived at the hostel but couldn't check in, so we went to grab some lunch. We meandered through the street, soaking up the sun and the sights around us. We ate lunch in the Placa near the Acropolis, which was very close to the hostel. After lunch, we browsed in a few shops, before returning the hostel to check in. At the hostel, they told us we had been "upgraded" to the studios down the street that they also run (it was only a 2 minute walk), and that instead of sharing a 6 person dorm--we would have a 3 person room to ourselves! YAY! The studio was very nice and simple. 3 beds, a little kitchenette, and a bathroom. We crashed for an hour or so before heading out to explore. We were going to go to the Acropolis that night (it was around 5 pm), but when we arrived after walking through all the little streets, it was closing. So we took some pictures, kept walking and ended up at the Acropolis Museum. The museum was pretty awesome. Outside the museum, the floors were glass, and there were ruins under the glass, it was neat. The museum was filled with artifacts--statues, parts of buildings, pottery, etc. The entire time I was in the museum, I kept thinking how much my Dad would enjoy it, since he loves Greek and Roman mythology. All the artifacts were related to the Greek gods and the myths surrounding them.
After the museum, we went back to the hostel to go to the rooftop bar. We watched the sunset from the top of the bar and saw the Acropolis light up when it was dark. We also met some interesting people while we were there. We met people from Canada who were taking a semester off university, 2 guys from Australia who were taking a year off university, a married couple from Australia who had just visited Egypt, and a group of Australians in their late 30s who were doing a 2 month trip in Europe. In Australia, it's typical that people go out on a trip to explore the world once they reach a certain age. It was great talking with everyone. Then we went to dinner near the hostel. Sam and Ali both had Greek Salads, and I tried chicken soulvaki. There were 2 guys serenading the diners (both older gentlemen), and one of them loved Ali. He kept waving at us after songs, and then invited her up to sit with him while he sang. It was very funny. There is a photo in my album--plus a video of it may be on the way if I can figure it out. After finishing off some baklava with ice cream, we headed off to bed.
Friday October 9th
We woke up pretty early Friday morning, as we wanted to go to the Acropolis before going on a walking tour that was available at the hostel. We grabbed a quick breakfast and walked over to the Acropolis. Once we made it up to the Acropolis, it was really neat, but there were a lot of tourists--more than I expected at 8 am. Walking around in the Acropolis can prove to be a little difficult because the marble is very slippery--Sam, Ali, and I had a few moments where we almost fell. The Parthenon was impressive, but I wish I could see it without the scaffolding. They started this restoration in 1983 and the majority of the building had scaffolding on it. It didn't make for great pictures, but it was still a striking place. There are many buildings in the Acropolis complex, and I really enjoyed looking at the Erechtheum. I liked being able to see a building without scaffolding on it. After visiting the Acropolis, we went on a walking tour with our hostel. Our tour guide's name was Zoe, and she is half British, half Greek--born in the U.K. but has lived in Greece her whole life. She took us to the Temple of the Olympian Zeus, Parliament, the first Olympic Stadium, the markets, and a few other neat places. We didn't go inside them--but we were able to get some information about each place and then could come back if we wanted. After the tour, we went for lunch. Sam and Ali ordered kebabs, which were made of lamb and beef. I ordered 2 small things off the appetizer menu: cheese pie (self explanatory) and tzatziki, which is Greek yogurt mixed with spices and with lots of cucumber in it--you put it on bread. We shared the tzatziki, and I ate my cheese pie--plus Sam and Ali gave me parts of their kebabs. So I ate lamb AND beef--I think this will be shocking to some--and it wasn't half bad. We did some shopping in the markets after lunch, picked up some small things for my family. I think the most unique souvenir I bought was for myself. It is a bowl type thing made of olive wood and the bottom is engraved with my name in Greek. It's pretty cool, and I'm using it to hold my jewelry at night.
That afternoon we were going to take a bus to Sounio to see the Temple of Poseidon and the Temple of Athena--but the bus company was having a strike or something. Instead, we decided to head to the beach to watch the sunset. We took a tram to the beach, so we were able to see a large chunk of the town while on the tram. We arrived at one beach, took some pics, then hopped back on the tram to pick out a beach to watch the sunset. The sunset was BEAUTIFUL...one of the best I have seen in my life. It's magical watching the sun disappear into the water--plus we could see islands from the shore. It was captivating and just stunning. We ate a restaurant along the beach, and it was just peaceful.
Saturday October 10th
Saturday we took a day trip though our hostel to Delphi. It was a full day trip and everything was included in the cost. Our guide again was Zoe, which was a lot of fun. It was a 3 hour bus ride each way, but it was worth it. We had to stop along the way since the driver noticed something wrong with one of the tires. Luckily he caught it when he did, I don't know what would have happened it the tire blew when we were in the mountains. Delphi was where the most famous oracle was. (If you've seen the movie '300,' Leonidas goes to Delphi to visit the Oracle) It was also considered the 'navel' (belly button) of the Earth. Legend has it that if you touch the navel (there's a rock commemorating the spot), then you will have weird dreams. I touched the navel, and I had weird dreams that night. Slightly random...but neat all the same. Half of the site was closed due to falling rocks a week ago, but we were still able to see most everything, just not as close up. The Temple of Apollo is at Delphi, and that is where the Oracle would give her predictions. Leading up to the Temple of Apollo are many treasuries for city-states in Greece. It is where they held offerings to Apollo, and it was a way to thank the Oracle for her advice. Look it up online for more info about Delphi. There were amazing views from Delphi since it was up in the mountains--it reminded me a little of being in Colorado. We went to the museum at Delphi--very similar to the Acropolis museum. It had lots of artifacts found at Delphi--statues, bronze items, parts of the original buildings. The entire time I was in Greece looking at ruins, I was just in awe at how old everything was. I have never seen anything that old, and it crazy to think of how all the things were built at that time. Most of the places I saw were built in the 4th and 5th centuries BC. ¡Loco!
We had a picnic lunch near Delphi, and then headed into the town near the archaeological site. Arachova was the name of the town, and I guess it is a big skiing town in the winter. Zoe said that if you have money, and want to ski in Greece, it is THE place to be in the winter. The buildings in Arachova were beautiful. There were a few shops, and I picked up some honey. The town is famous for honey, cheese, and rugs. There were also a ton of cafes, but we just stopped at a bakery and got a little dessert. The ride back to Athens was uneventful, I looked through all the pictures I had taken so far and watched the videos too. That night we met up with Tatiana, who is the daughter of Sam's uncle's friend (if that makes sense). She was born in New York but has lived in Athens since age 7. We got drinks with her and just got to talk to her. She was a fascinating person--very 'high society' Greek to say the least. She also took us to a place to get dinner--which was delicious. It was the first restaurant we went to that they didn't speak English--so she ordered for us. After eating, we headed back to the hostel, stopping for dessert at the same restaurant where we were serenaded the first night and had yogurt with honey. It was so delicious and so simple. When we got back, I went to bed since I had an early flight, and Sam and Ali talked with some other people in the hostel. We ended up on different flights back to Barcelona due to some airline trouble that soured Friday night a little for us.
Sunday October 11th
I got up super early to catch my flight--Sam and Ali put me in a cab at 6 am and didn't see me again until 1 am in Barcelona. I took a cab to the station where I could take a bus to the airport. I watched the sunrise in the airport, and wrote in my journal the entire trip to Barcelona, which was direct. I got to our hostel in Barcelona that afternoon and explored a little bit of Barcelona, not too much since I will be there at the end of October with ISA. I went to a park that Gaudí designed, and it was beautiful. There were a ton of people there and lots of people selling items for cheap. There were also 2 people playing guitar, and they were phenomenal. You can hear them in the background of a short video I took of the place. Then I was back at the hostel writing in my journal, when the other people in our room arrived. We were staying in an 8-person dorm. I was so happy to meet them, since they were incredibly friendly. 3 girls who are studying in southwest Spain--and 2 guys who are both traveling independently in Europe. I ended up talking with them for a long time and hung out with them until Sam and Ali arrived. Then we slept and left for Valencia the next day.
---------------------------------------
So that's it--all about my trip to Greece. Be sure to look at the pics. I took 450--but didn't put all of them up. More will be going up later this week once I share pics with Sam and Ali. Then there will be more pics of me and Sam and Ali. I'm going to try to make a video with all my videos thus far --so you can get a better idea of everything. All for now.
Monday, October 12, 2009
I'm back!!!
Well I got back today from Greece. It was wonderful!! I went with 2 other girls--Sam and Ali. We left Valencia last Wednesday night and flew out of Barcelona into Athens Thursday morning. Then we flew back to Barcelona on Sunday, spent the night in Barcelona and returned to Valencia today. I will write a lovely entry about Greece when I have a moment, but for now my body is craving sleep--probably because I didn't get a lot while I was in Greece. I put up a few pics (I took 450)--more will be up later. I also will be sharing photos with Sam and Ali--so even more pics will go up when I get theirs. It was an amazing trip despite a few flight mishaps--can't wait to tell all about it. All for now--my bed is calling me! Sweet dreams.
Monday, October 5, 2009
My Ma looks NY and Friends that Speak French
I've come to the conclusion since being here that the Spanish will wear any English phrase on their clothing--and most of the phrases don't make sense. For example...at Zara (a pretty popular clothing chain here), I found a shirt with stars on it that simply says "Friends that speak French...". What is that supposed to mean? Next to it was a shirt whose letters were tilted in different directions. I looked at this shirt for at least 5 minutes and came up with 2 possible meanings--either "My Ma looks NY" or "My Many Loony"--no idea what it is supposed to be. I should have taken a pic. Then today my Grammar teacher walks in to class wearing a shirt that says "Cute as hell"--with a teddy bear on it. Ridiculous--but hilarious! I'll keep looking for odd sayings on shirts and keep you updated.
So yesterday (Sunday) I went on a trip with Kat and Taylor to Xativa. It's a town about an hour south of Valencia. We took the train (my first European train trip) and it was a cheap, relaxing ride. The main attractions in Xativa are the cathedral and a castle. When we arrived, we had no idea where we needed to go. We didn't have a map or anything. We followed signs to the Tourist Info--then got everything straightened out. 20 minutes later, we were in a tram going to the castle. We could have walked--but it would have taken over an hour and it was a steep climb. The castle was beautiful--it was built in the 11th century--(Wikipedia--Castle of Játiva--for more info). I got some great pics--and it was the first castle I've ever been to besides Disney World. :) After exploring the castle for a few hours, we took the tram back into town--had lunch at a great little restaurant. 10 euro for the menu del día and it was a great value for great food. Then we walked up to the Cathedral--unfortunately it was closed--but we got some pics from the outsides. We meandered through the streets for a while longer before catching the train back to Valencia. A good day overall. Marli got back from Munich last night--so we stayed up late chatting about our weekends. So I'm in need of a good night's sleep tonight. I think it's time for dinner and then bed. Check out the pics from Xativa--I put them up yesterday! All for now.
So yesterday (Sunday) I went on a trip with Kat and Taylor to Xativa. It's a town about an hour south of Valencia. We took the train (my first European train trip) and it was a cheap, relaxing ride. The main attractions in Xativa are the cathedral and a castle. When we arrived, we had no idea where we needed to go. We didn't have a map or anything. We followed signs to the Tourist Info--then got everything straightened out. 20 minutes later, we were in a tram going to the castle. We could have walked--but it would have taken over an hour and it was a steep climb. The castle was beautiful--it was built in the 11th century--(Wikipedia--Castle of Játiva--for more info). I got some great pics--and it was the first castle I've ever been to besides Disney World. :) After exploring the castle for a few hours, we took the tram back into town--had lunch at a great little restaurant. 10 euro for the menu del día and it was a great value for great food. Then we walked up to the Cathedral--unfortunately it was closed--but we got some pics from the outsides. We meandered through the streets for a while longer before catching the train back to Valencia. A good day overall. Marli got back from Munich last night--so we stayed up late chatting about our weekends. So I'm in need of a good night's sleep tonight. I think it's time for dinner and then bed. Check out the pics from Xativa--I put them up yesterday! All for now.
Saturday, October 3, 2009
So much to see.
Not too much to report. I put up some new photos today. The rest of the week went well. I've learned that since I don't have class Thursday--I tend to get homesick those days. I took Shari's advice this Thursday--she told me to go someplace new or try something new to make me forget about being homesick. I explored that afternoon in the Parque de Viveros, which is very close to my flat. I explored there for a while (it was beautiful!)--then moved on to a part of the river park I had not visited yet. Marli left for Oktoberfest Thursday afternoon, so I've had meals with just my señora. Thursday night we were at the dinner table for over 2 hours. Eating for a bit of it--then just talking. She now knows about a good part of my extended family, and then someone we got on the conversation of China, and she decided to show me all her pictures from her trip to China with her Tai Chi class 2 years ago. It was really fun. Then Friday I had my culture class, and when I arrived home I had an email saying my Lit class was cancelled because my professor was sick. That was exciting--so I went shopping with Kat and Jessica. Jessica's birthday is today (Saturday), and she wanted to find something to wear. It was lots of fun--we went to an actual mall--shopped and also went to Haagen Daaz for ice cream. It was fancy--we sat at a table with a menu and someone came to take our order! So delicious--Kat and I split something called Brownie Attraction. I just relaxed last night when I got home (caught up on Grey's Anatomy too!).
Today we went on our visit to the City of Arts and Sciences. We saw an IMAX movie. It was about the Secrets of Mummies in Egypt. Quite fascinating--we had to wear these headsets for the sound (look at the photos) and then we got to pick what language. They had it in Castillian Spanish, Valencian (similar to Catalán), English, and French. After the movie, we headed over to the aquarium where we were free for the rest of the day. It was lots of fun--it's the largest aquarium in Europe. We watched a dolphin show, which was easily the best dolphin show I've ever seen--plus it was hilarious because it was Jessica and Ali's first time seeing dolphins. They were like kids on Christmas morning! Now I'm back at home, taking a little rest before going out for Jessica's birthday. We're going out to eat--which is kind of a big deal. I have eaten out once since arriving in Valencia. After dinner, I'm not really sure. I also am taking a little day trip tomorrow to Xátiva, which should be fun. All for now. I've loved getting messages from people--thank you for those--I'll work on replying soon!!
Today we went on our visit to the City of Arts and Sciences. We saw an IMAX movie. It was about the Secrets of Mummies in Egypt. Quite fascinating--we had to wear these headsets for the sound (look at the photos) and then we got to pick what language. They had it in Castillian Spanish, Valencian (similar to Catalán), English, and French. After the movie, we headed over to the aquarium where we were free for the rest of the day. It was lots of fun--it's the largest aquarium in Europe. We watched a dolphin show, which was easily the best dolphin show I've ever seen--plus it was hilarious because it was Jessica and Ali's first time seeing dolphins. They were like kids on Christmas morning! Now I'm back at home, taking a little rest before going out for Jessica's birthday. We're going out to eat--which is kind of a big deal. I have eaten out once since arriving in Valencia. After dinner, I'm not really sure. I also am taking a little day trip tomorrow to Xátiva, which should be fun. All for now. I've loved getting messages from people--thank you for those--I'll work on replying soon!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
