Barcelonaaa: The bitter sweet trip

The reality is closing in on me.  Over the last few weeks, I have been so caught up with school and studying hard for my tests that I barely noticed that I only have two weeks left in Spain. So after my last final on Friday, it finally hit me and hard! This is it!  While it felt awesome to actually finish the semester, it was also very sad to know that my time in Spain is slowly coming to an end. It is a powerful and bittersweet feeling.  Thank God, my good friend Yesenia and I had already planned a trip to Barcelona to celebrate the end of finals. Barcelona will serve as a very timely and enjoyable distraction.

We boarded a Vueling Airlines flight at 8 am from  Barrajas airport the morning after my last exam. I was exhausted but excited.( BTW I highly recommend Vueling when you are flying in Europe. They allowed us to put our hand luggage through the checked baggage without a fee and the seats were large and comfy unlike Ryan Air.)  Within the hour, we arrived in Barcelona safe and sound. From there we took the Aero Bus to the Plaza de Cataluña,then the metro for 2 stops to our hostel called the Generator. This would be my first experience at a hostel and I was excited. My friend and I wanted to try true European travel by "rooming with strangers" and opted for a 6 person all girls dorm. We got out at the right metro stop but somehow managed to get lost for about an hour before we finally found the hostel! This was probably due to finals fatigue. The hostel did not disappoint. It was absolutely awesome, a cross between retro and Greenwich hippie. The spotless lobby was decorated with these giant rattan swing seats instead of classic furniture.

 We left our luggage at the front desk and set out immediately to the famous Las Ramblas for some sightseeing. 

After a few hours of sightseeing, we were ready to grab lunch. Not sure why but for some reason we were very picky in selecting a place to eat but our finally decision was well worth the wait. We spent 3 leisurely hours enjoying our lunch. First Plato or dish was Spanish style macaroni,  second dish was grilled shoulder of rabbit with potatoes and zucchini, lastly, dessert was a creamy flan de café. A large pitcher of Barcelona’s best sangria  added to our utter culinary delight! This was by far the best restaurant meal I have had in Spain. ( I might have said this previously but food here is so good and unique!) Our waiter was also very funny and friendly which made the experience twice as fun. 

Afterwards, we meandered down to Plaza de Colon and checked out a shopping mall along the port. 

Next a much overdue siesta, then a local Galician restaurant to eat some fabulous bocadillos. Later that night we visited  the cozy and crowded bar at our hostel. We had so much fun! We met so many people from all over the world from Venezuela to Kazakhstan.

 The following day we woke up early (surprisingly) and continued our sightseeing. High on our list was Park Guell, the urban park famous for Gaudi’s artwork. It cost a hefty 8 euros to enter the conservatory building  within the park where most of Gaudi's artwork is displayed but it is extremely worth it.  Loved it all and took some amazingly unique pictures. (INSIDER TIP: after 8 pm the park is free which includes the conservatory.)

 After the Parque Guell, we walk to the Sagrada Famila the most famous church in all of Spain. It is a Gaudi masterpiece and, believe it or not, it is still under construction! 

 Afterwards, we walked around a little Christmas village and purchased a few gifts. It was fun negotiating with the merchants. The following day was our last day in Barcelona. Luckily, we had an afternoon flight so we took advantage of the morning by going on  a free walking tour with New European. What a way to end our visit! This 3 hour tour showed us everything we didn’t get to see on our own. It is definitely worthwhile. The tour staff was very knowledgeable and explained a lot about Barcelona's history.

We rushed back to make our 1pm flight completely exhausted from all the walking we did. My trip to Barcelona in the northwestern coastal region along the beautiful Mediterranean Sea  was a great way to start off my last week in Spain. Its almost time to say my goodbyes and sadly I am not ready to leave the great Iberian Peninsula. The next few days will be difficult and go real fast so I'll just rest my eyes until I return to Madrid, my current home. So for now Chao!

Where has the Time Gone!

It is already December and I cannot believe my study abroad experience is almost over! It is amazing how fast this experience has gone by... Need to switch gears and focus on what lies ahead. I have finals coming up, thereafter a trip to Barcelona, then a week later I fly home. Admittedly I am a bit nervous about finals. Testing here is so different from back home.  Each exam is approx. 3 hours long. The exams are cumulative and represent your grade. Also the extended testing period takes 4 weeks: 2 weeks before the Christmas holidays and 2 weeks in January after the holidays. I am sooooo lucky to have all my exams scheduled during the first week.  I have to get studying though so wish me luck. I will be camping out at the local library since it is less distracting than studying at the residence hall. Wish they were open longer hours however.  After finals I visit Barcelona which has been on my bucket list since my 16th birthday European cruise. We only had one day in port so I will finally have time to really get to know this amazing city. Kind of feel like I have to jam pack everything I haven’t done yet into the next few weeks.  I will keep you posted but it is going to be a busy month! Chao for now!

ROADTRIP to Pais Vasco

It is the weekend of December 6th and we have another " puente" aka 3 day weekend. A few weeks earlier Guillermo, Maite and Lander, 3 of my closest friends from the residence, invited me to spend the weekend visiting their home provinces and towns. So yes, I am going on a real life ROADTRIP in Spain this weekend. The plan is to travel by car from Madrid to Bilbao on Friday, then proceed to Vitoria the capital of Pais Vasco where we will stay on Saturday night, and travel back on Sunday. In each city I will stay with a family from that town or province. How lucky can I be!!! 

Here 's some background I learned from my good friends from the north region.
Pais Vasco (Basque Country)  is an autonomous community in Northern Spain with its very own language. The language is called Euskara.  Obviously, Vascos also speak Castellano as well. Unlike the other languages in Spain, however, Euskara is completely different from Castellano. It sounds nothing like Castellano/Spanish and  it has very few words in common with Castellano/Spanish. The most interesting thing about Euskara is that it is considered a natural language which means that it does not have roots in any other language.

So early on Friday morning we all hopped into my friend’s rather small but cozy auto and headed for Bilbao! It was really awesome to drive through La Mancha ( the plains) toward Northern Spain by car! We passed through many quaint pueblos and different towns. We drove through sunny skies, fog, mist and even snow flurries. After about 5 hours of straight driving due north from Madrid, we arrived at my friend’s family’s piso or apartment in Bilbao. We dropped our stuff off in the apartment and ate a scrumptious lunch accompanied by my friend Lander’s family. The food was so delicious! It was nice to eat another home-cooked meal.  Lander's family was so friendly. 

Afterwards, we set out to explore Bilbao with our guide and friend Lander. We walked all the way to the olde part of the city crossing over the Biscay River. I absolutely fell in love with Bilbao the instant we reached the city center.  As an engineer I love innovation and Bilbao's architecture is truly different from anything I have seen thus far.  It is a true mix of old and new. There are historically old buildings constructed adjacent  to new modern-styled buildings. Everything is all mixed together making the city absolutely beautiful in my eyes.

One of the most beautiful areas was around the Guggenheim, a famous modern and contemporary art museum.  The sun was setting just as we visited the Guggenheim area making the sunset views difficult to describe with mere words. Amazing! This museum is an architectural masterpiece and considered a very important work on an international level.

We  also walked across the Zubizuri, a pedestrian footbridge which is another architectural masterpiece in this wonderful and unique city.

 Later on that night, my friends and I set out for a night at a Discoteca. It was the first time we got to take the metro in Bilbao and I have to admit, it is just as nice as the metro in Madrid, except the cars are even wider! We had an amazing fun night out filled with laughter, music, and the company of good friends mixed with some great food and drink. The following morning we all woke up early (hard to believe) to continue sightseeing. Since Bilbao borders the northern coast, we took a trip to the beach. I don’t recall the name of the pueblo we stopped at but the view of the beach was absolutely breathtaking. My friends basically had to carry me out because I did not want to leave. I can still recall the precipitous cliff overlooking a picture perfect bay beach. I just sat on top of a huge rock and looked out over the ocean....sheer majesty! This is by far my favorite place in all of Spain. No words will ever capture the beauty of this transfixing place or do it justice so I will let the following photos speak for themselves.

Later that afternoon we traveled to Vitoria, the capital of Pais Vasco. Vitoria is a lot smaller than Bilbao but it is beautiful in its own way.  It has a very historic feel with a lot of white colored buildings. My favorite part about Vitoria were the Christmas decorations set up all throughout the city. There were Christmas trees with colorful lights, musica Navidena playing and well adorned little shops selling Christmas gifts.  It kind of reminded me of Bryant Park in New York City during Christmas. The festive atmosphere put me in the Holiday Spirit! Because my friend Maite served as our fabulous tour guide, we were able to see almost all of Vitoria in one day. It was Saturday night and the city was bustling with activity. There were people everywhere embracing the holiday spirit and enjoying each others' company at the crowded local bars and village shops despite the insanely cold temperatures. Vitoria is well known for its pinxtos (like tapas) that are served at local bars. That night however we were too exhausted to go out and honestly too scared to brace the frigid weather. So we opted to stay at Maite's home and relax that evening. The following day we stopped at a local resturant and ate amazing bocadillos for lunch then it was time to hit the road again- destination Madrid!

          Thank you Lander, Maite and Guillo for allowing me to visit your beautiful towns and sharing your families with me! This is a weekend I will never forget! If you ever find yourself in Spain, please visit Pais Vasco. It is a beautiful place full of extraordinary people, joyous culture and amazing architecture. Chao for now!

Granada

There is a famous and hugely popular Spanish song about Granada. Now After my visit, I understand what all the singing is about-Granada is absolutely spectacular!! 

     This past weekend I finally visited a region in the south of Spain, Granada! Granada is the capital of the province of Granada and in the community of Andalusia, Spain. It is located at the end of the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range. Granada is special because its culture and architecture is marked by a strong Arabic influence. Granada is the location of the famous Alhambra, a palace or fortress built for the last Muslin emirs in Spain in the year 889. Unlike my other journeys, I booked this trip through a student tour group called "Be Madrid." The trip was only 70 Euros and it included transportation to Granada,one night in a hotel plus breakfast, guided tours and entry tickets to the Alhambra. Thus, in the company of Yesenia,one of my study abroad friends, We met the tour group very early Saturday morning at La Plaza de Toros in Madrid. We boarded a huge tour bus and 5 hours later we arrived in magnificent Granada. After a quick pit stop at our  beautiful 4 star hotel (What a surprise!)  we set off to explore. Since we had a little bit of free time before our first tour, my friend and I decided we were going to grab something to eat. To our surprise a lot of the bars and restaurants were closed. We kept wandering around until we saw this quaint cafeteria. We walked in to find there were only a few patrons. We were hungry and looking for something quick. We ordered a simple grilled chicken sandwich with cheese, tomato and lettuce.  This sandwich was amazing! I wish I remembered the location and name of the place but the sandwich was simply out of this world! After this great lunch, we walked back to the hotel to start our tour. 

 

     Our very informative tour guide led us step by step into the heart of the old Moorish part of the city. After passing through the  "puerta" or door from the new city to the olde city center, the landscape instantly changed.  The streets became narrow and steep;while the houses turned into village styled white stone haciendas. It looked like the Granada my mother had described to me from memory. We continued to climb deeper and deeper into the town until we came to a plaza on top of a hill that overlooked the magnificent Alhambra. This view truly allowed you to appreciate the majesty and gorgeous detail of this historical structure. This was the last tour of the day and we had free time until later when we planned on hitting the town.  Because I had a Spanish final that coming Tuesday, Yesenia and I grabbed a quick dinner to go and returned to the hotel. While she napped, I studied for my exam and ate dinner. Later that night Yesenia and I socialized with the locals and our tour mates went at a discoteca called El Camborio. This discoteca sat high atop a mountain; inside a glass wall backdrop over looked the Alhambra.  We danced the night away with the best view ever! 

      The following day we woke up at 9 am and headed downstairs for breakfast. Breakfast was beyond belief and included everything from fruit to crepes, pancakes, churros, eggs and chocolate croissants. It was so delicious. I hadn’t had a single pancake the entire time I was in Spain so yes I gorged a little. After breakfast we boarded the bus to visit  the Alhambra. As soon as we arrived we didn’t waste any time, exploring every nook and cranny we could find. The Alhambra was like a little royal village. Within its walls there were different palaces, villas and gardens where Arabic royals of the past lived. For me, the gardens in the Court of the Lions were the most impressive part. Arabic architecture is extremely colorful, beautiful and intricate. I can only imagine how beautiful the Alhambra must be  during the spring when all the flowers are in bloom!! After visiting the Alhambra we walked back to the town center for a late lunch. Today we feasted on churrasco steak prior to boarding the bus and heading back to Madrid. A little studying, a little talking and a little sleeping made the 5 hours go quickly.

     Granada is an utterly beautiful place with unique architecture and friendly citizens. I am so glad I had a chance to personally experience it!! Enjoy the pictures and chao for now. More studying awaits. 

And for your musical pleasure, here is a taste of Placido Domingo, Spain's finest opera singer, singing "Granada"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajoHf-H6TfU&feature=youtu.be