Mad About Madrid

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Sat, 29 Dec 2012 23:12:26 -0800

Becoming a Madrileña

Sat, 29 Dec 2012 22:48:53 -0800

These past few months have flown by faster than I could possibly describe, and as I’ve previously mentioned, Madrid has truly become a second home to me. Though I’ll always be an LA girl, Madrid has stolen my heart. If you are planning to come visit, whether for your first time or for your tenth, here is a list of my favorite places to go and things to do. It is by no means an exhaustive list, but it is my condensed version for Tumblr that I can always expound on with you later :)

1. Mercado de San Miguel- Taste yummy tapas, ogle at the beautifully colored fruits and veggies, try the mango juice, and admire the beautiful glass architecture! Be sure to get the goat cheese and caramelized onion on crostini.

2. Plaza Mayor- Eat lunch in the plaza, try tapas, and people watch! Look out for street performers dressed up as Disney and other cartoon characters.

3. Parque del Retiro- Rent rowboats, see the Palacio de Cristal, and have a picnic.

4. Valor- Try their churros con chocolate, the best in town. Much better than the famous San Gines churros, in my opinion!

5. Plaza del Sol- You haven’t seen Madrid’s nightlife until you wander around the plaza, check out various bars or Irish pubs, get annoyed by the guys selling beer and weird sunglasses, and enjoy the people-watching.

6. Palacio Real- Visit the Royal Palace and see its beautiful and extravagant decor that has inspired my future mansion’s interior design. Sadly, no photography allowed :(

7. Callao/Gran Vía- Go shopping in the heart of the city. My favorite stores include Sfera, Stradavarius, Oysho, Bershka, H&M, and Zara.

8. El Rastro- For any shopping fanatic or flea market buff, this huge weekly swap meet will melt your heart. Wander up and down the long street, check out the venders, and watch your purse!

9. Museo El Prado- Madrid’s most famous museum for a variety of reasons. Take some time to stare at Las Meninas, one of my favorite paintings there, by Diego Velázquez.

10. Casa González- Visit this fabulous family-owned tapas restaurant near Plaza Santa Ana and try their Cinco Quesos Españoles, vino espumante, or ensalada de caprése.

11. Kapital- Check out the infamous Madrid nightlife at this well-known seven-story club. Different music and a different vibe on each level!

12. See a flamenco show!

13. Chueca- Go shopping, bar hopping, and check out El Tigre for tapas and drinks in the fabulous gay district of Madrid!

14. Walk around and get lost. Take in the sights and sounds of the city. Explore and don’t be afraid to check out areas you aren’t familiar with. Enjoy Madrid as it was meant to be seen- through the eyes of someone with wanderlust who can’t wait to explore freely :)

15. Make friends with madrileños. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting a lot of different people through intercambios, aka language exchanges, as well as at plenty of bars and restaurants around the city. Though it is so nice to come here with American friends to have that familiarity of home, make efforts to meet the people. Madrid is home to some of the most friendly and amazing individuals!

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Sat, 29 Dec 2012 22:46:29 -0800

118 Days...

Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:03:49 -0800

…away from home, and I’m leaving this morning to fly back to Los Angeles. I cannot believe it right now. 9 countries and 18 cities later, I’ve studied abroad and I’ve loved every second of it. What a mix of emotions- I’m so excited to return to LA and see my family and friends, but at the same time I am devastated to leave Madrid. I don’t know when I’ll be back next, and it feels like I’m leaving behind my second home. But here I am, packing up the last of my things and heading out to a shuttle that will wisk me away to the airport for the last time! Goodbye, sweet Madrid! Hasta pronto :)

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Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:09:00 -0800

Favorites

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:08:00 -0800

This semester has been an incredible whirlwind of new experiences, new cultures, and new places that have opened my eyes to how diverse and beautiful the world is. I feel that I have learned so much about myself throughout this journey, and couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity to have done what I have this semester.

I thought I would make a sort of list, full of my favorite things from the semester. Hopefully they might be interesting to read, or a resource for anyone studying abroad in the future, or even just the best kind of time capsule for myself to look back on.

Here it goes:

Favorite hostel: Travellers House, Lisbon, Portugal
Fusion Hotel Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
Favorite tourist attraction: La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Favorite castle: Quinta da Regaleira, Lisbon, Portugal
Favorite tower: Duomo, Florence, Italy
Favorite museums: Museo El Prado, Madrid, Spain
Musée du Louvre, Paris, France
National Gallery, London, England
Favorite photo opp: Eiffel Tower, Paris, France
Areopagus Hill, Acropolis, Athens, Greece
Favorite churches: La Sagrada Familia, Barcelona, Spain
Catedral de Toledo, Toledo, Spain
Catedral de Sevilla, Sevilla, Spain
Favorite markets: El Rastro, Madrid, Spain
Christmas Markets, Prague, Czech Republic
Favorite desserts: Santini Ice Cream in Cascais, Portugal (strawberry/mango)
Nutella and banana crepe, Paris, France
Sticky Toffee Pudding, Rochester, England
Favorite tapas: Caprese at Casa Gonzalez, Madrid, Spain
Goat Cheese Croquetas with honey, Boca del Lobo, Lavapies, Madrid, Spain
Ensalada Bosque, Café Miranda, Madrid, Spain
Queso de cabra con cebollas caramelizadas, Mercado San Miguel, Madrid, Spain
Favorite foods: Grilled bacalao in Sintra, Portugal
Sandwich mixta, Caffé del Fin, Toledo, Spain
Gnocchi in Pumpkin Sauce, Barcelona, Spain
Tagliatelle con Fungi Porcini, Casa Marco, Madrid, Spain
Lasagna, Trattoria Monti, Rome, Italy
Favorite drinks: Hot chocolate at Moeder Babelutte Chocolates in Bruges, Belgium
“Cocktail de Frutas/Apple Temptation” Iced Tea at the Tea Shop in Barcelona, Spain
Red Sangria at Cruzes Credo in Lisbon, Portugal
Strawberry Daquiri at María Bonita in Madrid, Spain
Favorite plazas: Plaza del Sol, Madrid, Spain
Monastiraki Square, Athens, Greece
Plaza de España, Sevilla, Spain
Favorite bars: Delirium, Brussels, Belgium
Espit Chupitos, Barcelona, Spain
La Chupitería, Salamanca, Spain
Dubliners, Madrid, Spain
Favorite club: Orange Café in Madrid, Spain
Most picturesque city: Bruges, Belgium
Amsterdam, Netherlands

I’d like to keep coming back to this post and editing it as I think of things, or as I visit new places in the future. Hopefully it will keep growing and continue to reflect the places and things that I love so much.

Things I Will Miss Hearing

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 17:06:15 -0800

“Atención: Estación en curva. Al salir, tengan cuidado para no introducir el pie entre coche y andén.”

“Es que…”

“¡Qué raro!”

“Vale, vale, vale.”

“Chicos! Look at this. Look at the bull.” -Paco

“Have fun. Enjoy life.” -Vicente

“WHY? Because…” -Arancha

“En español, en español!” -Loli

“Bueno…” -Michael (with hand motions)

“I really went wild on Instagram.” -Priscilla

“I’m confused.” -Priscilla

“My baby hairs are out of control.” -Priscilla

“Lo siento!!!” -Dayna

“I went to Oysho again…” -Dayna

“Bagel date after class?” -Dayna

Repetition of things: “Es preciosa, preciosa!”
“Está todo abierto. Está todoooo abierto.”
“Muy rico, muy rico.”
“Claro. Claro. Claro. Claro. Claro.” -Vicente

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Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:45:23 -0800

Just Touched Down in Londontown

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:38:18 -0800

Our flight from Amsterdam to London Gatwick was short and sweet, and my cousin Richard picked Lindsay and I up from the airport and drove us to my cousins’ house, just outside of London. Lindsay and I had originally planned to stay with my cousins for a couple nights, head into London and stay in a hostel for a few nights, and then head back to the cousins’ for Christmas. However, we ended up finding out from Richard that their house was only a quick (and cheap) train ride into the city, so we decided to stay at their house all week and do a few day trips into London instead.

To start off, this trip was my first time really feeling at home anywhere outside of Madrid. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve absolutely loved the places I’ve visited and stayed in this semester. But that being said, there is nothing quite like staying with family, not to mention in a real house and in a real bed!

Our first full day we hung around the house with the family, enjoying a total lazy day after our marathon of a few days in Prague and Amsterdam. We loved just hanging out, wrapping Christmas presents and drinking tea, and then headed out to a late lunch/early dinner in their town of Rochester. We walked around town after dinner down the high street, saw the beautiful Rochester Cathedral, and oogled at the “haunted” Rochester Castle from below. After stopping in the local fudge shop for Lindsay and the kids, we headed home and lounged around for the evening.

The next morning, 22 December, Lindsay and I got dropped off at the train station and headed into London! Our first stop was Trafalgar Square and the National Gallery, where we especially loved seeing the incredible Van Gogh paintings, Renoir paintings, and Monet pieces. The Gallery was stunning, but unfortunately no photography was allowed, hence no piles of photos for the blog :(

Next we walked down Whitehall to see the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben, followed by the stunning Westminster Abbey. After that we walked through St. James Park to Buckingham Palace. After taking pictures outside the gates (we decided to opt out of the expensive tour), we headed to Hyde Park for Winter Wonderland, a huge carnival and Christmas market set up in an area of the park. We tried a few different snacks before realizing we were famished and headed to a nearby pub for lunch.

After lunch we embarked on an adventure to Harrod’s, the most magical place on earth. Lindsay first showed me the princess window displays, where famous designers had created absolutely stunning versions of the Disney princess gowns. Heading inside, Harrod’s was absolutely packed with holiday shoppers, but we had the best time wandering through the various floors and admiring gorgeous items. We did some shopping in the Christmas gift section, though it was overwhelmingly crowded and we both essentially had panic attacks, hahaha. We finally exited Harrod’s hours later, arms full of bags and yearning for fresh air and personal space, away from all of the holiday shoppers!

After Harrod’s we did some touristy shopping at a few shops before grabbing a quick dinner and hopping on the train home. That night we hung out with the family and watched a movie :)

For the 23rd, we decided on another relaxing day around the house, playing with the baby and having Richard’s parents over for tea and biscuits. That afternoon we checked out the nearby town of Gravesend, where Pocahontas is buried! Who knew she died in England?! We saw the cathedral and statue commemorating her life before heading up to the high street for some shopping and grabbing dinner altogether with the kids.

On Christmas Eve, Lindsay and I made the last minute decision to head back into London. We took the train to London Bridge and walked around Borough Market, trying lots of yummy foods. I had my first mince pie, we tried various kinds of desserts, and we bought olive oil and rosemary bread with fresh cheese to take home to the cousins. After the markets closed at 3, we walked along the River Thames to Tower Bridge, and then across to the Tower of London. Who knew that it had once been used as a jail and torture chamber? You’d never know it now, as it has a happy little ice skating rink set up outside it for the holidays! There’s a bit of a contrast for you!

From the Tower we took a double decker red bus across town to do some shopping near Regency Street. After getting a great laugh going into Lindsay’s old place of work, Hollister, we shopped around and enjoyed the lights strung up all down the street, celebrating the 12 Days of Christmas. After that we headed back to Charing Cross to catch the train home to meet Michelle, Richard, and Ethan for dinner. That night we had super delicious Indian food at their favorite local curry place (which was super fancy!). After dinner we headed back to the house, and the kids came over from their mom’s to bake cookies for Santa. It has been so long since I’ve celebrated Christmas with any kids, so it made it so fun and refreshing to celebrate with Jade, Piers, and Ethan, along with Vinny and Sienna, their half brother and sister.

Christmas morning Lindsay and I slept in while the kids were ripping through presents at their mom’s house. When they came back to the house we all cooked lunch and Richard’s parents came over to feast with us. We had the most delicious, enormous meal, complete with various exotic British vegetables that we dont have in the states!

After lunch Richard’s parents headed home, and the rest of us lounged around in food comas for the afternoon. Around 6 we headed over to the kids’ mom’s house to hang out with all of the family. It was such a fun night will all of the kids, presents, and group dancing to Gangnam style, including the grandparents…? I haven’t laughed that hard in a LONG time. Though it was my first Christmas away from home, I felt so at home and happy with my cousins, and of course it was so nice to have Lindsay there with me too! We had such a goofy, silly and fun Christmas with all of the kids, and I really loved the time spent with them all.

Now I’m back in Madrid for two days before heading home to Los Angeles. Honestly, I wish I could have spent another week or so in England- it went by WAY too fast and I had such a lovely time with the cousins. My homesickness for LA had subsided while I was there, a surefire sign that I was so content and happy there. But alas, it’s about time for me to head home and back to real life! Tomorrow I’m going to say goodbye to my Spanish friends and to Sarah, and go to a few of my favorite places around the city for one last time. It’s becoming real now- I’m coming home on Friday!

British Speak

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:38:13 -0800

Quick notes of a few vocabulary words that are different in England than in America! I loved learning some new terms while I was there :)

Trousers- pants
Pants- underwear
Jumper- sweater
Body warmer- vest
Vest- tank top
Trolley- shopping cart
Buggy- stroller
Nappy- diaper
Bum- diaper change
Dummy- pacifier/binky
Cot- crib
Grow- onesie
Cling film- Saran wrap
Kitchen roll- paper towels
Rubbish- trash
Motorway- freeway
Motorbike- motorcycle
Petrol- gasoline
Give way- yield
Carpark- parking garage
Lift- elevator
Football boots- soccer cleats
Chuckin’ it down- pouring rain
Dinner- lunch
Tea/supper- dinner
Veg- vegetables
Smart- looking sharp, spiffy
Proper fit- hot, attractive
Lemonade- 7Up/Sprite (lemonade as we know it doesn’t exist?!)
Chips- fries
Crisps- potato chips
Pudding- dessert
Fringe- bangs
High Street- Main Street
Mind the Gap- Tengan cuidado para no introducir el pie entre coche y anden
Wonky- weird

Enjoy this joke from my cousin, Jade:
Q: What do you call a one legged donkey?
A: A wonky!

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Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:15:16 -0800

Amsterdam

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 14:14:00 -0800

A quick flight from Prague to Amsterdam later, Cynthia, Lindsay and I were riding the train from the airport into the city to meet Katie! Lindsay and Cynthia’s housemates from Leeds, Tom and Emily, were also in Amsterdam the days we were there, so we met up with them outside of the train station at the same time as Katie. We easily found each other at the enormous Christmas tree outside the station, our designated meeting point. We quickly dropped our luggage off at Lindsay and Cynthia’s hostel before wandering around the city a bit and look at the Christmas light-lined streets. We then decided to get out of the cold and headed altogether to a bar, where we hung out for a few hours and relaxed. We then parted ways after I picked up my luggage from the hostel, and Katie and I headed to her apartment, about a 15 minute walk from the hostel.

Katie was the absolute sweetest to offer for me to stay with her for the two nights we were in Amsterdam. Her place was super cute and we stayed up late catching up on what had happened to each of us in the past few weeks since Katie had been in Madrid. We finally decided to head to bed so that we wouldn’t be exhausted the next day!

Our only full day in Amsterdam began early, with my alarm going off at 8:30am. Katie and I got ready and met Lindsay and Cynthia at their hostel. We then walked across the city to the Anne Frank House and Museum, where we met up with Tom and Emily. The Frank house was incredible to see, and they have done an amazing job of preserving the secret annex as well as turning it into a powerful and moving museum. The experience was truly impactful, as it finally put an image to the place I had learned about so long ago, when learning of the Holocaust in elementary school. The various rooms had excerpts playing of her reading her diary, and other rooms showed video interviews of her father, her friends, and her classmates. These really made Anne a real person, as her loved ones spoke of her and her love for life. We passed over an hour in the house, taking it all in, and it was pretty obvious by the end that we were all so touched by it.

Following the museum, we split off into two groups for lunch, and Katie took Lindsay and I to one of her favorite restaurants, called Pancake Bakery. In the Netherlands, pancakes are thinner, like crepes, while poffjes are more like mini pancakes as we known them in the US. Pancake Bakery’s menu offered both savory and sweet options for their crepe dishes, but seeing as it was our lunch, we all went the more savory route. I opted for the ham, cheese, and pineapple crepe, and we all loved our meals! We then headed out to meet back up with the rest of our group in Dam Square.

After reuniting, we wandered through the shopping district of the center of Amsterdam and got to see various parts of the city. I absolutely loved seeing all of the canals! The city really is so picturesque. While walking around the city we wandered through the flower market (so many beautiful tulips!) and ducked into a few famous cheese shops for free cheese tasting. Next we headed into the Albert Cuypstraat flea market that happens in a part of the city called de Pijp. It reminded me of el Rastro in some ways, but it was a lot less crowded and many of the items for sale were different.

Unbelievably, by the time we were done shopping around 4:30pm, the sun had gone down and the temperature dropped- we were freezing! We walked back toward the center of town before again splitting off into groups for dinner. Lindsay, Katie and I got soup and baguettes to take back to Katie’s place. We had dinner and watched a movie, before heading back to the center of Amsterdam to meet Cynthia, Tom, and Emily. We walked through the Red Light District (just to say that we did it) before heading to a bar to hang out for the night.

Our last day in Amsterdam again began early, with Katie and I meeting Lindsay and Cynthia at their hostel to check out and leave our luggage. Emily and Tom’s flight had been early that morning, so we had said goodbye the night before- and then there were four of us! We set out for breakfast at Bagels and Beans, a small chain of cute coffeeshops with specialty bagels in Amsterdam. We hung out there for a couple of hours, just chatting and enjoying the most delicious bagels and hot chocolate. Ask Lindsay about the hot chocolate- she might rave for hours about it, and how it is made from stirring pure chocolate chips into steaming hot milk. We loved it!

After finally departing from Bagels and Beans, we walked around another flea market with stalls set up, called Waterloopleinmarkt. From there we got to see Katie’s school, saw a TON of gorgeous canals, and checked out a vintage book sale. We also went cheese tasting again..hehehe! Our next destination was the I Amsterdam sign, the iconic set of huge letters located in Museumplein in the south part of the city. It took us about 25 minutes to walk there and began to rain, but we had a quick photoshoot in front and had fun posing inside the letters.

After the I Amsterdam pictures we ducked into the giftshop before walking back toward the center of town. We stopped at a grocery store to pick up a few snacks for the flight before grabbing our luggage from the hostel and heading out to the train station.

The two days in Amsterdam went by super quickly, but it was so fun to see the city that Katie had been living in all semester! The city was just so charming with its pretty canals, tall homes lining the water, bridges, cobblestone streets (well-paved, unlike Madrid), and the stunning buildings and clock towers. I loved the time we spent there and would love to go back. But for now: next stop, London!

Czechin' Out Prague

Wed, 26 Dec 2012 13:54:45 -0800

As all of my close friends left Madrid to go home to Los Angeles, I embarked on a 12 day trip with Lindsay to see a few last cities that I had been dying to go to before returning to the states. On the morning of December 15th, I frolicked happily out the front door of Eugenia’s house (bye bye!) and set out for Madrid Barajas. First stop: Prague.

The majority of the USC Madrid group were on the same few flights home, which also happened to be leaving through the same terminal as my flight to Prague, around the same time. I ran into almost all of them and we reunited one more time past security to say our final goodbyes. I have to admit, I was kind of jealous that they were all heading home while I had to live out of a suitcase for two more weeks. But at the same time I was really looking forward to my viajes, and I’d be home soon enough. We said our goodbyes and parted ways, me heading to my EasyJet gate.

After a quick layover in Lyon and getting my bag checked for free (thank you, lovely EasyJet employee!) I flew from Lyon to Prague and arrived in the early evening. I took a taxi to my hostel to meet Lindsay and her friends Cynthia and Jules. Our hostel (if you could even call it a hostel) was SUPER awesome. We had a four-person room to ourselves with a lovely on-suite bathroom, and the restaurant, bar, cafe and lobby of the hostel were super gorgeous!

That night we had dinner in the restaurant before checking out the swanky hotel bar, complete with a 360° revolving bar and a popped-collar wearing, Euro-pop playing DJ. We each tried various drinks special to the Czech Republic. Lindsay and I opted for the Mad Apple cider, which was pretty good, while Cynthia and Jules went for traditional Pilsner beers. That night, Jules took us to a five story night club, which was a lot of fun. It was similar to Kapital in Madrid, in that each floor played different music and had a completely different vibe.

The next morning, Jules had to head back to Germany (where he is studying abroad), so we had a quick lunch with him at the Christmas market before bidding him adieu. Prague had excellent sausages, which they traditionally serve in a baguette, in place of a hotdog bun, with your choice of condiments. Yum! After saying goodbye to Jules, Cynthia, Lindsay and I headed into Prague 2 to check out St. Ludmila’s Church. Another set of Christmas market stands were set up outside the church, so of course we perused and tried various candies and Christmas treats.

After finding our way back to Prague 1, we headed into Oldtown Square, where the main Christmas markets were set up. There we also saw the huge church, Our Lady before Tyn, and the Astronomical Clock, which was super cool to watch when it struck the hour! From there we headed across the Charles Bridge, stopping to admire the beautiful view, shop at a few jewelry stands, and enjoy the music of a few authentic musicians.

We next climbed the mountain up to Prague Castle and St. Vitus Church. The grounds were absolutely gorgeous, with a stunning lookout point, gorgeous cathedral, various other incredible buildings, and even a vineyard where they were selling mulled wine. The Castle was really beautiful and a definite must-see if you are ever in Prague! That evening we went back to the markets before dinner and walked around the city before heading in for the night. The frigid weather made us slightly less ambitious in our sight seeing unfortunately.

Our second full day in Prague was rainy and a bit of a dreary day, so we didn’t accomplish as much as we had originally planned to. We first visited the Prague State Operahouse, which was just up the street from our hostel. Next we headed over to Wenceslas Square and walked around, taking in the sights and sounds of the main shopping street, and had their traditional Trdelnik pastry for breakfast. We next wandered for quite some time in search of the world’s only cubist lamppost, and FINALLY found it hidden away in an obscure corner on a side street. But, now I can say that I’ve seen the only lamppost fashioned in the cubist style in the entire world. Hooray!

Freezing from the rain, we headed back to our hostel to rest and watch a movie before grabbing dinner at the Christmas markets and trying their famous crepes for dessert. In the main Oldtown Square we watched Christmas carolers singing for the crowd on a huge decorated stage and enjoyed an acappella performance as well before calling it a night.

Our last day in Prague began with our usual trip to the Christmas markets (are you seeing a pattern?) for brunching and shopping around. After that, we checked out the Rudolfinum, a music auditorium with a really cool art exhibit out front. We then crossed the Charles Bridge to the other side and found the famous peeing statue in front of the Kafka museum in Mala Strana. We tried mulled wine at a local hole-in-the-wall before walking around Mala Strana for a while and finding the John Lennon memorial wall. It was so cool to see, and we stayed there for a good amount of time taking pictures and admiring all of the graffiti and paintings on the mural wall. After the Lennon Wall we had to head back to the main part of town, walked around for a little while longer, and then picked up our bags from the hotel to head to the airport. Next stop: Amsterdam!

The Final Weekend

Sun, 09 Dec 2012 04:08:00 -0800

Sitting on my bed with fuzzy socks on and my notebook next to me, I thought I’d escape my studies for a minute to write a post. Today is Sunday, December 9th, and it is my last Sunday in Madrid. Where has the semester gone?!

True, I don’t go home for three more weeks, but I will be traveling for two of them, and when I’m back in Madrid, it will be for a short few weekdays. I don’t think I’m ready to leave yet, despite how much I cannot wait to see the people I miss so much in LA.

This morning I went to el Rastro, our weekly Sunday morning flea market, for the last time. This may seem insignificant, but el Rastro has become a part of my weekly routine here. Not to mention it happens on my street, so it’s not much of a commute :) I got all sentimental and took a bunch of pictures in between my purchases, and Priscilla and I shopped for Christmas presents and things we’d been wanting all semester.

This week I have two finals and two papers due, along with a birthday celebration and a final dinner with the whole group, professors included. I can’t believe it is my last week, but I also couldn’t think of a better way to end it: surrounded by the people I’ve come to know and love this semester in Madrid.

Well there’s my sappy, sentimental post for you, and now I’m heading back to studying about the European Union! Though I’d rather be out playing and frolicking around the city, I need to finish these finals first! Love and hugs from Madrid :)

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Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:12:15 -0800

Segovia & Salamanca

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 14:10:39 -0800

This past weekend, we took our last group trip with the USC program to the region of Castilla y Leon, in northern Spain. We stopped in Segovia on Friday before continuing on to Salamanca for the weekend, and rounding out our trip with a quick visit to Ávila on the way home. Here’s a bit about my trip!

Friday, 30 November

Bright and early Friday morning, we met at school with our luggage, ready to board the recliner bus (thanks again, USC!) for our drive up north. After a short hour long drive, we arrived in the beautiful (and FRIGID) city of Segovia. Jumping off the bus, we discovered it was snowing! I’ve only been in falling snow a handful of times, and though it wasn’t cold enough for the snow to stick, it was quite exciting for me!

We began our tour of Segovia with a visit to the Alcázar de Segovia, the royal palace built between the 10th and 11th centuries! King Alfonso X, Isabella I, and Philip II, among others, took refuge in this castle and called it home at one point or another. It was once surrounded completely by a moat, though it is dried up now. Two rivers flow on either side of the castle, making it on its own sort of island. The inside of the palace was incredible, with a lot of stone and tile detailing, but still some rooms were considered “simplistic” for the type of castle that it was. Paco told us all about the different rooms, the wedding that took place at an altar in a great room, and the various parts of the different patios and courtyards.

Following the tour of the alcázar, we stopped for a quick coffee break before continuing on a walking tour through the city. We saw the Plaza Mayor and a few beautiful churches before coming to the Acueducto de Segovia, a Roman aquaduct built in the 1st century. Best part- it still functions. Those Romans really knew what they were doing! We had a quick group photo shoot before splitting up for lunch and to walk around a bit.

After lunch we boarded the bus again and set out for Salamanca, a two hour drive away from Segovia. We all knocked out on the bus ride, and next thing we knew, we had arrived! Our group checked into the hotel and had about an hour to settle in before meeting up for a paseo noturno with Paco as our usual guide! Our nighttime walking tour was cut short due to the absolutely freezing temperatures, but Paco wanted us to know where we were and orient us a bit. We briefly saw the cathedral that we would be seeing the next day, the University of Salamanca, and a few other buildings before parting ways to get dinner. My group ended up stumbling upon a Chinese restaurant called Gran Pekin (hehe) and had quite a feast there. After dinner, we had a girls’ movie night in mine and Priscilla’s room, where we watched Pan’s Labyrinth for our cinema class. It was a fun time with the girls!

Saturday, 1 December

We started off our Saturday with breakfast in the hotel before beginning our actual walking tour for the day with Loli, Paco, and their families. Loli’s son and Paco’s wife and kids had arrived the night before, and it was so fun to interact with the kids for the weekend! Anyway, we began the day bundled up and walking to the Catedral de Salamanca. The cathedral is actually composed of two cathedrals side by side that were absolutely gorgeous. A wedding was about to start in one of them, so we got to see the wedding planner setting up!

We then headed over to the famous building of the university to try to find the rama, the frog, hidden on the intricately designed wall. We took a while, but finally a few of us found it and helped out the rest of the group. Supposedly, finding the frog brings you good luck, and the frog is essentially Salamanca’s symbol. All of the touristy souvenir shops were selling a TON of items with frogs on them. Ribbit.

After finding the frog, we continued on the walking tour, passing again by the church and seeing the bride being walked into the church by her father! It was so beautiful, and all of the guests were dressed fabulously in furs and high heels, which deserve major props on the cobblestone. We next headed down to the river and took pictures at the ancient Roman bridge that goes over the Tórmes River. We saw the famous headless bull statue mentioned in Lazarillo de Tórmes, along with a statue and inscription dedicating it.

Following the walking tour, we had the rest of the day free to explore. Priscilla, Dayna, Michael, Rayven, Mayra, Eli and I got hot chocolate and walked around to a lot of touristy souvenir shops looking for things to purchase. Later we grabbed lunch and walked around some more before heading back to the hotel to rest. (Hopefully you may be noticing a common theme of napping throughout all of these posts!)

That night Michael, Dayna, Priscilla and I went to a yummy dinner and walked around a bit in the freezing cold before meeting up with the rest of the group to check out the Salamanca nightlife. Because Salamanca is a huge college town, with over 30,000 students, we had heard quite a lot about bars and clubs in the area. We went to a few different places and had a fun night checking out Salamanca por la noche.

Sunday, 2 December

On Sunday morning we had breakfast before checking out of the hotel and heading to Ávila for a quick visit on our way home. We took a bunch of group pictures outside of the city, where we had a view of the completely fortified city. Ávila is one of the only cities with its murallas, or fortified walls, still standing and completely surrounding the city.

Following our photo shoot, we drove inside the walls and began a short walking tour through the city. Despite being super bundled up, it was FREEZING (as it had been all weekend in all of the cities we had visited). We saw their main plaza and cathedral before taking refuge from the cold to have lunch.

This lunch was no joke, with about a million courses. We began with bread and olive oil (a clear favorite), followed by a delicious salad with tuna, corn, olives, white asparagus, and other veggies, and then a choice of steak or fish. (I opted for the fish, which was a buttery white sole.) Following those courses, they gave us three choices of dessert, and then of course the options of coffee or tea. Needless to say, we were all in quite the food coma and ready to nap on the drive back to Madrid.

The weekend passed quickly, and though it wasn’t as structured as our normal trips due to the last minute planning, it was nice to have our down time to explore on our own and just see the cities we were in. For many of us, it really hit home that it was our last trip all together, and that we now have less than two weeks of our program left. I’m lucky to have spent an amazing weekend with amazing people and to have seen more of north-western, cold, snowy Spain :)

Las Palabras

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 13:02:00 -0800

Different Vocabulario

1. Zumo: instead of using jugo to say juice, Spaniards say zumo.

2. Sitio: meaning place, instead of using the word lugar.

3. Hombre! : obviously the word hombre means “man,” but they use it in the form that we use in English, as an expression of sorts? Not sure how to describe it. Example: “Hombre, estoy cansada!” would translate to “Man, I’m tired!”

4. Conducir: you cannot use the word manejar to refer to driving a car, only conducir.

5. Comida: Though I learned that it means “meal,” in Spain it specifically refers to lunch.

6. Melocotón: Meaning “peach,” the fruit. I learned the word durazno in the US!

7. Bocadillo: Meaning a type of sandwich, like a sub-style sandwich on a baguette. Not very commonly used outside of Spain, but extraordinarily common here.

8. Judia/Legumbre: These both refer to types of beans, or legumes. I had only learned frijoles in my Spanish from the states.

9. Tener sentido: I never knew how to say “it makes sense” in Spanish for some reason- now I know!

Spanish Abbreviations that I Love!

1. Porfa: Abbreviation for “por favor.”

2. Finde: Abbreviation for “fin de semana.”

3. Peli: Abbreviation for “película.”

4. Cole: Abbreviation for “colegio.”

5. Bici: Abbreviation for “bicicleta.”

Andalucian Adventures

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 12:59:00 -0800

I’m behind on blog posts and finally have the chance to write about my trip to the southern region of Spain called Andalucía, where I went three weekends ago with my program! The trip was fabulous and I really enjoyed the cities we saw. So here we go:

Thursday, 15 November

We left early Thursday morning from Madrid via the AVE, Spain’s high speed train. The trip to Sevilla was about 2 hours, during which I pretty much slept and listened to music. We were all tired and needed to get all the rest we could to get us through our first day of the trip! After arriving at the Sevilla train station, we took a luxury recliner bus (thanks, USC!) to our hotel to drop off our luggage, before continuing on to a guided panoramic tour of the city via the recliner bus. Our tour guide was awesome and told us so much about Sevilla and its growth during the 20s for the Ibero-American Exposition, and again in the early 90s for the Universal Exposition of Sevilla.

Our first stop after the bus tour was at the absolutely stunning Plaza de España. We explored and took a ton of photos, and soaked up as much sun as we could! The weather was beautiful that day. We continued on from the plaza to the Catedral de Sevilla, where we toured the many parts of the world’s third largest cathedral and climbed to the top of the tower overlooking the city. Though the view wasn’t quite the same as the Duomo in Florence, it was stunning to see Sevilla from the lookout point at the top of the torre.

Following the Catedral, we walked through other various parts of the city on our walking tour, and then stopped to have lunch at a Spanish restaurant near our hotel. After lunch, we went back to the hotel to hang out and nap for a bit. For dinner, a bunch of us girls got dressed up and went out for sushi at a super yummy place, also on the same street as our NH hotel. The rolls were delicious and we had a lot of fun hanging out in the swanky sushi bar for a while. Later that evening, we met up with the rest of the group to check out a club called Buddha, also known as Kudetá. (We were unsure as to what it was actually called, because multiple people referred to it multiple ways).

We got to the club quite early to celebrate Kyle’s 21st birthday at midnight, and it was quite empty at first! It finally started to pick up around 1:30 or 2am, typical “Spanish time” to go out for the night. We stayed for a while dancing and enjoying the three different levels of the club before heading back to the hotel to get some rest and gear up for the next day of sightseeing in Córdoba.

Friday, 16 November

Happy birthday Kyle!

On Friday morning we woke up early to have breakfast at the hotel before setting out on a two hour long bus ride to Córdoba. Upon arrival, we began our guided visit with Paco, our art history professor. Our first stop on the walking tour was the Mezquita Catedral de Córdoba, a mosque-turned-cathedral that has endured centuries! The building was so stunning, mixing many different types of architecture, with recycled materials that the Moors used to build it originally, along with newer additions made by Christians that conquered the area during the Reconquista. It was so incredible to see, especially since I had learned about it in high school and various Spanish classes at USC as well!

We continued on our walking tour around the adorable winding streets of Córdoba, taking photos in to-die-for alleyways and ducking into little shops on the way. We toured the Jewish quarter and rubbed the foot of the statue of Moses Maimonides, which is supposed to bring good luck! Finally Paco took us along the edge of the walls built around the city to the outside of the paredes. Córdoba was once surrounded completely by walls for protection from invasion, but has since expanded outward in all directions. The walls still stand, but are easily entered through and are more for historical significance than any other reason at this point. We then broke off into smaller groups for lunch and shopping, before getting on the bus again to set out for our next stop: the olive oil tasting!

After an hour on the recliner bus, we turned right off of the highway and bumped along a dirt road toward Hacienda Merrha, an olive oil grove and production facility that has been in use for hundreds of years! We toured the olive groves and learned about the process of growing and harvesting olives to make aceite de oliva, of course making time to frolic down the rows of olives to take pictures :)

We then toured the inside of the factory where the oil is processed before heading inside for an olive oil tasting, comparable to the wine tasting we attended earlier in the semester. It is quite the science to compare olive oils, let me tell you. Just for a quick fact, most olive oils labeled “Extra Virgin Olive Oil” are in no way extra virgin. They are falsely labeled almost all of the time, and we tried the REAL extra virgin olive oil, which is really quite different! The absolute best part of the tasting was when we tried orange flavored olive oil, mixed in with a rich chocolate ice cream. I know it sounds absolutely strange, but orange-chocolate-olive oil ice cream was TO DIE FOR. A few bottles of different flavors may be coming home to the states with me! Check out Basilippo olive oil, coming to the US soon! Hehehe.

That night we returned to Sevilla, where Priscilla, Dayna and I took Kyle out to a delicious Italian dinner for his birthday. Between a beautiful Caprese salad, gnocchi in a gorgonzola cream sauce, and a delicious Moscato, we were in heaven. That night we went with some of the rest of our group to a bar/club to hang out for a while before heading back to the hotel to get some sleep.

Saturday, 17 November

Saturday morning began with another yummy breakfast at the hotel, before we split off into smaller groups to do our “cultural activity” for the trip. We were given a list of various important culturalsites that we could visit, and had to do a small writeup on what we learned there and how it connected back to what we have learned thus far in one of our classes. My little group chose Reales Alcazares, the royal palace of Sevilla that was built around the 4th century and used by Moorish and Catholic royalty alike. The grounds of the palace were absolutely enormous, with many different buildings, huge outdoor patios and gazebos, and gardens that may rival Versailles.

That day we knew that rain was predicted, but we left the hotel with clear blue skies and a few puffy clouds. While visiting Reales Alcazares, a tropical storm blew through that pretty much drenched us! We took some hilarious pictures hiding under our scarves and sweaters, and had quite a time running from overhang to overhang or building and building. Despite the crazy off-and-on weather, it was a beautiful place to see.

Our program directors had allotted us the entire day to do our cultural activity, so after we had finished the tour we had the rest of the day free to eat and shop! Sevilla had amazing shopping, so we ducked in and out of stores, dodging the tropical rain that kept coming and going. After wisely investing in an umbrella and buying a new pair of tights, and the other girls buying a few things, we grabbed a late lunch at a cute restaurant near a central square.

The rain began again after our lunch, so we decided to take a taxi back to the hotel to hang out and chill for a while until the rain subsided. That night we all met up to go to an authentic Sevillan flamenco show. I had never before seen flamenco, and the show was incredible. Flamenco is such an agressive, artistic dance, and the woman and man who danced separately (and then together at the end) were truly artists. The guitar player and singer were both equally talented, and it was such a sight to see. After the show we had a very late dinner before heading in for the night.

Sunday, 18 November

On our last day in Sevilla, we checked out of the hotel and left our luggage there before leaving for el Palacio de Bellas Artes, one of the most famous museums in Spain. Paco gave us the grand tour and told us about so many incredible pieces of art. We were there for over two hours, just wandering from room to room, upstairs and downstairs, taking in the paintings. Diego Velázquez, Valdés Leal, and Murillo were all born in Sevilla, and many of their works were on display throughout.

After the museum, we split up into a few small groups to grab lunch before we had to head to the train station to go back to Madrid. Our group of about ten of us went to a cute tapas place and sat outside on the patio, since the weather was so nice after the crazy storm the day before! After trying a few tapas dishes native to the region, we were full and ready to head to the train station. A nap and two hours of watching the new Jane Eyre movie later, we were back in Madrid.

It was so nice to experience some lovely warm weather - despite the unpredictable rain - and I truly adored the time we spent in Andalucía. The closer my semester is coming to an end, the more I am realizing how much I need to cherish every moment here. My group of friends is incredible, my professors are amazing, and Spain is just about the best place in the world, aside from LA. Exploring the different parts of Spain have only made the semester better, and I’ve loved every minute.

It's A Small World

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 07:02:00 -0800

Last week, while trying tapas and shopping around Mercado San Miguel with Katie, a guy our age heard us speaking English and asked where we were from. We replied LA, and he asked whereabouts. Of course, with the world being as tiny as it is, he was from Westlake, went to Oaks Christian, and was visiting Madrid but studying abroad in Barcelona. I love these instances when our planet seems so very small :)

Questions

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 05:31:00 -0800

Questions I still ponder every once in a while, despite having been here for more than three months:

Why doesn’t milk have to be refrigerated before opening it here?!
Ditto for eggs?!
Why doesn’t our metro line have air conditioning 90% of the time?
Why do Spaniards stare so much?
Where do Spaniards think I’m from?
Why is the wedding ring worn on the right hand here?
Why does the Euro kind of suck a lot? Oh, Eurozone Crisis.
Why are computer keyboards so weird?
Why are meal times so different?
Why do they love ham so much?
Why is smoking so prevalent?
When did I become a coffee drinker??
Why have I eaten more chocolate this semester than in my whole life combined?
Why is my señora so intrusive?
Why is olive oil so addicting? And so much better here?
Why are there no superstores like Target or Walmart?
How do Europeans survive on so little water?
How much money do metro performers make?
Should I become a metro performer?
Why doesn’t LA have a functioning metro like Madrid?
Why doesn’t LA do tapas? (Conclusion: I’m opening a tapas bar.)

Answer to most of the above questions: Because it’s Europe!