Taylor-Time

I had the pleasure of hosting Taylor for a week and a half right after my parents left.  A lot of my friends became very homesick after their parents left, but I think having a friend here, made the transition back to Spanish independent living easier.



I loved showing Taylor around the city. Seeing his enthusiasm reminded me of how absolutely lucky I am to be living here. Every once in a while he would say, "Wow, I'm in Spain!" It was really humbling in a way. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and I need to work harder to not take it as much for granted.

The weekend that he was here, we went up to Madrid.  It was amazing, of course, since it's my favorite city in Spain.  We took a free walking tour so that Taylor could see all the important parts of the city in the one day we were there as well as hear the history and fun stories about the different places.  We also made sure to go to my favorite part of the city- El Retiro.  It became one of Taylor's favorite parts of the city as well. There's something magical about nature set apart from the hubbub of a city. El Retiro is so well designed that you can't see any skyscrapers or big buildings or indications of a huge city from within the park.

Our hostel was right around the corner from where I lived when I was studying abroad so we walked to the plaza right across from the piso and I pointed out, "look, see that window up there. That's where I used to live." And I told him the story about how every afternoon, an accordion player would come along the walking street playing music for the restaurant patrons and I would just dance to the music in my room.



Unfortunately we only had one full day in Madrid since we had to be back for the Titanic Party on Saturday night. But I'm still glad I got to go back.  I don't think I'll have time to go back there before I go home. But I'll be back eventually. Tengo ganas de regresar a Madrid y viajar desde allí a los otros sitios a que quiero viajar.

So Saturday night, we had a Titanic party since it was the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the titanic.  We all dressed up in our finest cocktail dresses (which weren't very fine since we don't really have any of those in our closets here).  Unfortunately it was raining so we couldn't do all the activities that we had wanted that would have taken place on our terrace, but it was still a fun gathering with good friends.

For the rest of the time Taylor was here, we just enjoyed the relaxed Spanish lifestyle, took in some sun, and played card games. He taught me this really fun card game and I taught him the card game, Spite and Malice.  (Gigi, if you're reading this, I've passed on the game, and I think Taylor enjoyed it so much that he'll teach his friends too.  Thanks for teaching it to me!)

Taylor and I had some really good talks about what it will be like to go home. He had been traveling around Europe for 6 weeks and was going home a few days after Spain. And it got me thinking.  I'm really looking forward to coming home, but it kinda scares me too. I'm sure a lot has changed since I've been gone. I've changed too.  I've also adopted this culture as my own and I'm going to have to re-assimilate into the American lifestyle. And I don't know if I want to. I love the attitude towards life and culture here so much.  But I'll have to. I don't really have a choice, do I?  I can't wait to come home, but I'd just love to bring my favorite parts about the Spanish culture with me.  Anyway, just some thoughts. Please excuse me if I'm depressed when I get home. It's not that I don't like being around you all, I really can't wait for that.  It's just that, after all that I've been through, the cold winters, the lonely afternoons, the solo travels, I've really had an amazing experience.

And it's not over yet!! Todavía queda un mes y media!

Parent- time

My parents were here! I know I'm really behind in my posts, so I'm going to make this a picture post.

One of the first days in Sevilla, there was the union strike. A lot of things weren't open or running since they were protesting the new Spanish government's proposed budget cuts and reforms.

"Sunny" Sevilla. Sevilla has on average more than 300 days of sun a year.  But it was cloudy and/or rainy the entire time we were there.  We enjoyed the beautiful city nevertheless.

Since we were in Sevilla right before Semana Santa (Holy Week), we could go into the different churches to see up close the floats that are carried along the streets in the Semana Santa processions.  Sevilla has probably the grandest Semana Santa and people come to Sevilla from all over Spain. So seeing the beautiful floats here was especially extraordinary.

We also took a tour of the bull fighting ring of Sevilla.  Bull fighting is a tradition still holding strong in Sevilla.

We went to Plaza de España during one of the sunlight moments.  Plaza de España was built for a world conference. It has architectural elements from all over Spain and Spanish history.

After Sevilla, we went to Ronda.  The old part of the city is located on one side of this huge canyon because it had great defensive properties (and great views to go with it).  This bridge unites the now larger city and is the symbol of Ronda.

At the bottom of the canyon is this beautiful river.  During the days of the defensive city, they had a problem of running out of water when under siege. So they built a tunnel (with 365 steps) down to the canyon and slaves/servants would pass the water up to the city.

After Ronda, my parents went to Gibraltar while I went back to Torre del Mar. After Gibraltar, my parents came over to Torre del Mar for a few days.

On Wednesday, we headed into Málaga to watch some Semana Santa processions.

We also went to the Balcón de Europa in Nerja and then the caves of Nerja.  In the cave was this huge column which is, according to the Guinnes Book of World Records, the largest cave column in the world.

Of course a trip with my parents would not be complete without Geocaching. One of the caches near the caves led us to this gorgeous place.

I loved having my parents here. It was the perfect touch of home to ward off the homesickness and get me through the rest of my time here.  I hope my parents enjoyed it as much as I did. But let's be honest. They were in Spain. Of course they did. Who wouldn't?

Diary of a sola traveler - The Final Chapter

One of the most interesting things that I'm seeing here in the city of Córdoba is the mixture of the Arab and Catholic. Or rather, the superimposition of the Catholic over the previous Arabic structures.  The Mezquita is enormous and gorgeous and it is filled with undeniably Arabic architecture and decoration.  It has rows and rows of arches and columns and all of the entrances have their key-shaped frames. The walls are covered with the plaster impressions and colorful tiles.  However, mixed into, yet standing out, are clearly catholic pieces.  Around the perimeter of the mosque are the capillas, the small chapels dedicated to different saints. And then, smack dab in the center of this beautiful Arabic structure is a catholic cathedral with the organ, the Eucharist, and the statues of Jesus on the cross.  It was somewhat of a jolting experience because the catholic church part of the mosque is somewhat hidden from different sides due to the walls of the choir stalls and the wall behind the altar.

But the Catholic on the Arabic does not just apply to the Mezquita.  The Catholic King's Alcazar is situated right on top of old Arabic baths.  It's quite the combination if you ask me.  Up in the Leon and Castilla regions of Spain, a Spanish architectural style, Múdejar was developed. Múdejar is a synthesis of the arabic, jewish and christian architecture due to all of these cultures living side by side in the Spanish peninsula. Although much of that style can be seen in these structures (or should I say, many of these structures can be seen as influences in the múdejar style), here in Córdoba, they remain pretty distinct.

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As I'm on the bus from Córdoba to Málaga, my Semana Blanca trip is pretty much over. I saw a lot this past week and it's safe to say that I'll sleep well when I get back to my own bed. So at the beginning of my trip, I was pretty nervous about traveling alone. Now, when it's all done, here's what I think about it:

Pros:
--You can do things at your own pace - I especially like this for museums.
--You meet other people. - If the hostel is good, you will meet other people since you won't be stuck in your own group of friends.

Cons:
--It gets lonely at night if you're not in a good hostel. Especially in the winters when it gets dark early so you get back to the hostel earlier.
--There's no one to take your picture at a lot of places.
--You can't talk with a friend about what you're seeing and experiencing.
--Bus rides and flights are super boring.
--Taxis cost more since you can't split them with anyone. Plus, you want to take them more since you're traveling alone and don't want to get lost or walk alone in the dark.
--It's extremely awkward to eat alone in Spain.
--You don't laugh as much. If you laugh out loud at your own thoughts, you'll look pretty crazy.

Overall, it's more lonely and boring. I don't think I'll travel alone again unless there's no other way I could see the sights that I want.  I don't think I would have been able to go to Mérida or Cordoba with anyone else, so I'm glad that I did this. But my first instincts about traveling alone were correct. It's really not as fun as traveling with friends.  I'm glad I didn't go to Italy alone. It wouldn't have been close to as good of an experience as it will be with Laura.

Diary of a sola traveler Part 3

2/28/12- Sevilla

The atmosphere here in the south is so obviously distinct from that of the north. Sevilla, by size of the "old city" feels much bigger than that of Barcelona, yet it still has the charm of a small city. Today was also the Día de Andalucía, so everyone was off work and enjoying the warm weather Sevilla has to offer (Sevilla is  probably the warmest city in all of Spain, not counting the Islands). And I thought the day at the beach in Barcelona was warm. That has nothing on the weather today. It felt almost as if it were the end of Spring/beginning of summer. And it's still February!
Like I said, the atmosphere is so quaint here. The streets are narrow and you never can tell where it will take you. All the little restaurants have their tapas and everyone is sitting outside.
The hostel that I'm staying at does organized "tapas crawls" but unfortunately there aren't any on Tuesdays. The downside to traveling alone is that it is incredibly uncomfortable to eat at a restaurant by yourself here. Eating out is a very common thing, but it's always a social thing. You hardly ever see anyone sitting at a table alone.

I wasn't so rushed here in Sevilla. I was here for orientation for this program and I'll be here again with my parents in no time at all.

2/29

Sitting here on tis bus from Sevilla to Mérida, I feel very homesick actually. It may be a residual effect of traveling alone. The things I see, although magnificent and unique, don't give me the same sense of awe as before. Maybe it's becoming "normal" to me to see things like this and I'm getting accustomed to it. It also could be that half of seeing these things is experiencing it with other people.  In a way, I'm really ready to go home. I miss the strong relationships I have at home and even doing normal day-to-day things with friends could be just as exciting at this point. I know this feeling will come and go within the next couple of months and that when I feel like this I need to think positively and enjoy this unique experience.  I miss real, lasting, deep relationships. And with how important those are to me, this is really hard.


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These entries should be called the bipolar ramblings of a sola traveler. I just spent a really nice evening with the people with whom I am couch-surfing. Now Mom and Dad, when you read this, don't freak out. They're both auxiliares de conversación too so knew we had that in common and I know they had an FBI background check to get the visa to come here.
Although I really miss the true, deep friendships I have back home, I do enjoy meeting new people and getting to know them. I like encountering different cultures and perspectives. So far on this trip, I have had great conversations with people from Canada, Australia, England, Panama, Portugal, France, Venezuela, Argentina, etc.  That is really amazing. But in Sevilla, I was pretty much just left to myself and my own thoughts and those kinds of situations seem to tend to make me sad and homesick. But for the next day, I'll be here with these couch surfers and I'll have people to talk to and eat with and all will be good. I only have on day in Cordoba by myself so hopefully I won't go too crazy there.

3/2

Mérida was amazing. Pretty much everywhere you looked, there was another Roman ruin uncovered. You could even get the feel for the whole ancient city pieced together, between the Temple of Diana, the theatre and the residential buildings, etc. Just by walking the streets of Mérida, I was walking where people back in the Roman Empire walked everyday.  Apparently building contractors don't like to do construction here because inevitably, they will come across ruins and then have to go through all the red tape that comes along with it.
The Roman theatre was obviously my favorite part of the ruins. It's what drew me to the city in the first place. A lot of people are disappointed because it is so reconstructed, but I appreciate that they did that so I could see more or less how it looked when it was in use instead of being random rocks and stones that are really old in some sort of unnatural pattern.  They still kept areas of the theatre pre-reconstruction so you can see more or less how they found it, but the general appearance of the theatre was restored.  I'm sad that I won't be there for the Mérida theatre festival where they actually put on classical shows on this theatre. But I still sad in the seats for a bit and just imagined a show there.
Also, last night, I met another theatre major. He's and Auxiliar too, and it was great to finally talk theatre with someone. It's definitely something that I've been missing over here. So far, I think Mérida has been my favorite place of this trip for a couple of reasons. One, it's a completely new city for me. I had already done Barcelona and Sevilla, so I didn't want to do the same touristy things every time. Another reason is that I was with people. During the city explorations in Mérida I was by myself, but that I was fine. I actually think that I prefer to do museums alone because I can move at my own pace. But I had people to eat with and talk to. Edward and Fanchon fed me so well, more than I could ask for and they were so incredibly nice. I don't think I could thank them enough. Not only did they give me a place to stay in Mérida, but their company probably kept me sane for these last couple days of this journey. So thank you!

A section of the old Roman aqueduct

The Roman theatre

The Temple of Diana

The original entrance to the Roman city

The courtyard of a Roman house

Now I'm off to Córdoba. I'll get there this evening, so I'll probably just take it easy at the hostel tonight and do all the sights and then tomorrow evening, I'll head home. I can't believe that I've already been traveling for over a week on my own. It's gone by both slowly and quickly at the same time.

Diary of a sola traveler Part 2

Feb 24th


Today I have written considerably less. And that can be attributed to one simple thing- I talked more. No, not like a crazy to myself. Maybe not in my native tongue. But I had people to talk with and share the experiences with me.  Last night at the hostel, I met three really friendly girls from Buenos Aires, Constanza, Agus, and Flor. We hung out at the night outing through the hostel as well. Then, we realized that we were all planning on going on the same walking tour through the Gothic Neighborhood of Barcelona. So we met up for that, went to the Picasso Museum and then just looked around some cute shops. It was really nice to have these people to hang out with and it was really cool that since I knew Spanish, these possibilities were opened up for me.




Feb 26th

Yesterday (Saturday), I met up with my Irish friend Peter and we walked around the Grácia area. The Grácia area of Barcelona is a newer part of the city. Very residential, but also has some really cools shops and pretty streets. We meandered from this area to the beautiful Parc de la Ciutadella. I feel like if I lived in Barcelona, I would be going to this park a lot. There were people just laying on the grass, people playing catch, people playing music. Just a lot of people relaxing and just enjoying the beautiful weather.
After the park, we went to a cool cava and tapas bar (Cava is the Spanish version of Champagne).  Leslie had recommended this place to me before coming and Peter's friend had recommended it to him, so we decided that we absolutely needed to check it out. It was really cool and the place was completely packed!  They had their very own brand of cava that was delicious (and not very expensive either) and you could tell that this was not just a place for tourists, as it seemed like it was mostly filled with Spaniards.  It was kind of a rush being in a place so packed. I felt like I was one of those old time stock brokers talking with my hands to try to get the bartender's attention so that we could get served.

Feb 27th

Sitting here on top of this mountain, I understand why there were monasteries and hermitages built here. The views are incredible and it is so peaceful. The breeze blows slightly in the trees and a bird lazily flutters by. It's a place whose magnificence makes you speechless. You don't want to intrude your voice into the silence.

This was written on top of Montserrat, a mountain with a monastery built outside of Barcelona.

The History of Montserrat according to "Sacred Destinations"


According to Catholic tradition, the statue of the Black Virgin of Montserrat was carved by St. Luke around 50 AD and brought to Spain. It was later hidden from the Moors in a cave (Santa Cova, the Holy Grotto), where it was rediscovered in 880 AD.

According to the legend of the discovery, which was first recorded in the 13th century, the statue was discovered by shepherds. They saw a bright light and heard heavenly music that eventually led them to the grotto and the statue.

The Bishop of Manresa, present at the discovery, suggested that it be moved to Manresa, but the small statue was discovered to be so heavy it could not be lifted. Thus the Virgin had indicated her will to stay on Montserrat to be venerated there.

By the 9th century, there were four chapels on Montserrat, of which only one remains - St. Aciscolo's, which is in the monastery's garden. In the 11th century, the abbot-bishop Oliba founded a monastery on the mountain of Montserrat, next to one of the chapels. Many miracles were reported through the intercession of the Virgin Mary at Montserrat.

According to historians, it was then, in the 12th century, that the statue of the Madonna and Child was made. The Madonna statue soon earned widespread fame as numerous miracles were associated with the intercession of the Black Virgin of Montserrat.

Many of the first missionary churches in Mexico, Chile and Peru were dedicated to Our Lady of Montserrat and many saints and popes have visited the shrine over the centuries. St. Ignatius Loyola made a pilgrimage to Montserrat after being injured in war, and it was soon after that he wrote his famous Spiritual Exercises.

Due to the great numbers of pilgrims that flocked to Montserrat throughout the Middle Ages, the monastery was enlarged from its original humble size. In 1592, the grand basilica of Montserrat was consecrated.

In the late 18th century, almost the entire sanctuary was destroyed during theNapoleonic invasion. But due to the widespread devotion to the shrine, it was soon restored.

In 1881, Montserrat's Black Madonna was crowned in accordance with Canon Law and proclaimed patron saint of Catalonia by Pope Leo XIII.

The town and monastery were really beautiful, but the most beautiful part of the trip for me was the hiking on top of the mountain.  You had to take this incredibly steep train up to the top where many different hiking trails split off.  We took one that led us past this small chapel and an old hermitage built into a crevice in the mountain. Up a thin, steep staircase that was falling apart it was so old, and up to ruins of an old convent with incredible views.  From there we ended up taking a wrong path and getting lost, but it was worth it since even more beautiful views opened up to us.  We made it back just in time to catch the only bus back to Barcelona.  The woods and forests reminded me of hiking back home.  The smells, the sounds, the fresh air. It's something I didn't know I missed until I experienced it. I can't wait to go home go camping with friends and take Twix for a walk at Woodlawn (Yes, Dad, I'll take Twix for walks this summer).  There's something so enchanting about being in the wilderness, especially at the top of the mountain of Montserrat. It's pretty obvious why it became a place of worship.

 

Thoughts about Barcelona:


So by now, I've pretty much done all there is to do tourist-wise in this city. It continues to be incredible but I feel that a lot of the things to see, don't need to be seen twice (Except for the Sagrada Familia as it continues to develop as it's built). The only reason I think I would come back would be to see the people that I met here, and most of those people aren't even here permanently.
Barcelona, it was great to come and visit you again, but it might be a while until our paths cross again. Hurry up and finish your Sagrada Familia and I might come back.

Diary of a sola traveler 1

(For the next week and a little bit I will be traveling around Spain. I'm keeping a journal with me wherever I go and I'll be transcribing those entries here when I get the chance.)

Feb 23, 2012
As I sit here in the airport, I'm slowly coming to terms with what is set right in front of me. I'm about to embark on a week and a half of adventure...alone. It's no secret that I thrive when I'm with people and that I hate being alone. But this journey is going to be me filled with my own thoughts. Just right now, I am sitting at the airport waiting. There's nothing to do and nothing to see. And noone to talk to. I'm sure this will be a common situation on this trip and I'll have to learn to deal with it.
I remember the first time I flew alone. I had just come back from Guatemala with CTI in highschool and I was flying back home. I'm sure I was nervous, but I knew what was doing and it went smoothly.
And I have gone many places not knowing anyone before and I havemade friends easily. But in all these cases, I was in situations where I met people in the same situation or program as myself.
This time, though, I travel solo through and through. I'm not just hopping on a flight by myself or meeting up with a program. This is all me. Iknow two years ago I would never have been able to do this. But I have grown since then and have gotten comfortable with what used to be outside of my comfort zone. No now I head even outside of these new regions of my comfort zone. I will need to be vigilant, outgoing, and I think most importantly I will need to have confidence in myself. I am more capable than what I give myself credit for.

My favorite quote is "A ship in the harbor is safe, but that is not what they are built for."

So with that being said...
...here I go!

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Well I made it to the city and got situated in my room and then I decided to just take a relaxing stroll. Being good with directions, no map was needed for where I was going. I guess that helped a bit with the nerves. I strolled along Lad Ramblas with my head high and my hand on my purse and now I am sitting in the warm sun in Placa Catalunya, or Placa Pidgeon as I like to call it. Now, I'm sitting on the far side of the Placa from where I came from and to get to this seat, I had to cross this sea of birds. All was going well and I was watching where I was stepping when, all of a sudden, something disturbed them and I was caught in the middle of a huge pidgeon "flypede" (I can't call it a stampede since they weren't doing any stamping). I'm lucky I got out of there with a clean head, but I'm pretty sure a pigeon wing collided with my head.

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22*C and time for the beach! From Placa Catalunya I took a relaxing walk down past the statue of Columbus and on down to the beach. Today is such a beautiful day. The sun is shining, I don't even need to wear a coat, and there are so many people out and about. This is the Spain that I love. It's amazing how many people are out on the beach, too. I guess they're as excited about the surge of warm weather as I am. Luckily for me, though, it's still cool enough that everyone's still wearing their clothes.

Barcelona weekend Feb 9th-12th

Last weekend I flew up to Barcelona. You can find really cheap flights around here and this was a perfect example. Round trip from Malaga to Barcelona was a mere 25€. that's cheaper than a bus to Madrid from here.
Anyway, it was a great weekend. We spent one day at Park Guell which is a stunning display of Gaudi's architecture. It was so evident how much inspiration he gets from nature because so much just blended in beautifully with the surrounding plants and trees.

We also went to the Sagrada Familia. Last time I was there, the interior was still unfinished and there were construction walls blocking the view of the center. But now, all that construction is already done and it is a working church. It was absolutely breathtaking. Besides all of the detail, one thing I loved was that the floors were so basic and all of the detail and art in the architecture was above your head. So you were constantly looking up. The way that it should be all the time.

Another thing this trip that we did that I didn't do last time was climb up Montjuic. It wasn't so much a "climb" as a long walk uphill but once we got to the top the views of the city stretched all the way to the other side where the mountains cut off the expansion of the city. On top of Montjuic is situated the old fortress castle overlooking the port. Thongs like this just don't exist in the US. Also on top of this "mountain" is the Olympic stadium, lots of gardens and a "Pueblo Español." we didn't go into the pueblo because it just houses examples of the famous places and landmarks of places in Spain. We'll be seeing all of these things in real life eventually. I feel so lucky about that!

The last night we ended up staying up all night to catch our flight at 6am. It was tough to stay awake for all that travel and I think I came down with a cold because of it. But it was definitely worth it.