So in a few hours, our usual group of girls will be on our way to Barcelona! Everyone who has been continues to tell us how it has been their favorite place so I'm really excited and hope the weather stays nice. After this trip, next weekend Nicole and I might still go to Alpujarras (we found out on Monday that the trip had been moved to the 8th- phew!) or we'll get our money back and just check out some beaches around Spain. Or both! We'll see. That's the weekend before 2 of my hardest finals. Then the next weekend we don't have any plans but there are still finals going on so it'll be studying time. Then Ireland and Scotland, a day or two later head to Madrid, and then HOME!! I've always said it's going to be bittersweet but right now the idea of going home is mostly just sweet. The bitter part will come later when I miss Spain and am back in the real world.
I cannot wait to have my own room again! The last few nights I've only been taking the sleeping pill I get here in Spain because I'm running low on the HTP and want to keep them for when I really need sleep. For some reason, I've been really sensitive to light and sound so after attempting to sleep for a few hours with Liz staying up on her computer, I get up too until she's ready to go to bed. I've been getting reeeaallly frustrated even though it's not like she's doing anything wrong. It's not her fault I have a sleeping problem. I'm just saying.. can't wait to have my own space again.
Of course there are the obvious and most important things to look forward to - seeing family and friends! I'm looking forward to being held by my mom again, hugging my grandparents, and seeing all my friends.
Almost right when I get back though, I've got to kick into real world gear. Even before actually. My online stats class starts May 17th and I found out I'll miss the first class meeting and our first exam is May 28th - the day I come back. But I emailed my teacher already and it's alright. He obviously understands I'll miss the first meeting and says I can come in sometime later to take the exam. Then Wed. Jun 2nd I go in to meet with my nursing advisor and get all that stuff going. June 14th my other summer class starts. Not to mention, as soon as I get home I'll be looking for a job again and working when I get one. Although it might seem like overload at first after such a relaxing lifestyle here, I don't think I'll mind it once I get back into the swing of things. I feel like I work better as a person when I'm busy and accomplishing things.
Anyways. I'm going to get whatever homework I have for the weekend done now, make sure I'm all ready for Barcelona, and maybe shower. I'll give an update about Barcelona sometime when we get back - should be a lot of fun! :)
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Little European Travelers - PARIS
Our last destination! We took the metro from the train station to by where our hostel was but went down the wrong side of the street. After pulling the map out and some help from random strangers, we found it and checked in. It was definitely better than my previous Paris hostel but there wasn't anything too special about it. Anyways we figure things out and then headed to the Eiffel Tower to see it at night. When we got there it was sparkling so we walked around taking pictures for an hour so we could get pictures of it sparkling. Then we headed back and got some sleep.
The next day we headed out and grabbed some breakfast (in the form of pastries which my stomach later didn't agree with) on our way to Notre Dame. We got there and walked around the outside and inside taking pictures. Then we grabbed some sandwiches before heading to the impressionist museum "d'Orsay". I had underestimated how far things actually were by walking so it was only the middle of the day and we were getting worn out. Anyways we went into the museum and saw all kinds of art. Although I might not have seemed to interested as we were going along, I did actually enjoy it. Although we still don't know for sure whether we were allowed to take pictures or not, at the end we decided to take a few anyways.
After that we crossed the street to get to the Louvre and took pictures of the outside. Although we were exhausted and wanted a break, I made the decision to go see the Eiffel Tower by day at this point so we took the metro over there. Then took our much needed break and went to the hostel to relax and change shoes. Then we went to eat dinner at a Mexican place near the metro. We lucked out because they had a vegetarian section. I got some tacos and Rosemary got enchiladas I think - delicious! Since we didn't actually go into the Louvre, we headed there and went inside. We went to see the main things and then just wandered around until they closed. We went back outside to take some night pictures of the place before heading over to the Arc de Triomphe. We got there just in time to be able to go up it to the top. It's where all the main streets of Paris lead to so we got some cool shots of that. Then, finally, our last stop for the day - Moulin Rouge. We got our pictures and then called it a night.
The next morning, I got us some fruit and we stopped by Starbucks for breakfast. Then we were on our way to Versailles! There were a lot of people there but while we were waiting in the long line, a couple came up to us, asked us if it was just the two of us and gave us two tickets for free. We thanked them and, very surprised, headed over to go inside. We don't know why they had two extra tickets but were very grateful - plus they included the audio guide. So we went through and while I was listening to the commentary, Rosemary was taking pictures. We went out to the gardens and took some pictures but didn't go in for time's sake. Instead we headed back to the station. We got some sandwiches on the way and ate them on the train. We picked up our luggage from the hostel and headed to Montmartre. It was difficult to make our way through the people with our stuff and instead of hauling it up the bunch of stairs, I waited with the luggage while Rosemary went to enjoy the view it offered. I didn't mind, I'd already been there twice before plus I munched on my m&ms. We eventually figure out how to get on the RER train to the airport and were on our way. We went to terminal 1 first to find out where Rosemary was supposed to be and then went to terminal 2 and walked a ways to get to where she needed to be. I quickly loaded pictures onto my computer and gave the extra memory cards to her and she checked in. Then we said our goodbyes and I headed over to my gate. I didn't have much time and security was a pain but oh well. I got in line, waited, and then was off to Madrid where I would spend the next 8 hours waiting for my flight back to Granada. I hung around the cafeteria area and tried sleeping on and off. Before going to wait for Ryanair, I got myself some coffee, juice, and a pastry (it was a breakfast deal thing) but had to deal with some really rude people. I wasn't ready for Spanish rudeness so early in the morning. And one was a police officer! Such a jerk.
Anyways. I got back to Granada, headed home, and went straight to my bed. Ahhh finally.
And there you have it!
I had a great time with my sister and I really hope she enjoyed it too. :) We are so blessed by God, our mother, our family, and friends.
Today was a little chaotic because Nicole and I were supposed to go to Alpujarras but we couldn't find the bus or anyone who knew anything about it even though we were where we were supposed to be. So we're hoping they just didn't have enough people to go so they didn't and we can get our money back. Then we decided we'd just get our stuff and meet the rest of the girls at the beach but we got out to the bus station to find out the next one didn't leave until 1 and only came back at 5:30 or 8. The other places we would have gone to were too far. We could have gone but it would have been a waste of money to go for just a few hours. Therefore, we went and found a place to sit and eat our bocadillos. Then we found a park that her and Kathleen had found the day before and laid out to soak up some sun. After a couple hours we headed back but stopped by Los Italianos on the way to get some gelato - I got some lemon flavored. I thought they would have been eating lunch here so I walked around the park taking pictures. I saw Jota ("Jay") and his girlfriend but my mind was not wanting to think in Spanish. When I finally came home, I found it empty and went to change clothes and relax. I snacked a little then tried to take a small siesta. Then at 5 I went for a run until 6 when the step group from the church would be performing. I came back to change and get my camera then watched their dance. I came back home, took a shower, and explained what happened when mamacita and Liz got home. We ate our dinner which was a soup of pasta shells, a spanish tortilla (ew), and a cabbage with garlic pieces salad (plain but alright). Later on tonight at 11:45 we're going to see Alice in Wonderland with Megan. FINALLY a going out event that I'm actually looking forward to.
Anyways.. hasta luego.
The next day we headed out and grabbed some breakfast (in the form of pastries which my stomach later didn't agree with) on our way to Notre Dame. We got there and walked around the outside and inside taking pictures. Then we grabbed some sandwiches before heading to the impressionist museum "d'Orsay". I had underestimated how far things actually were by walking so it was only the middle of the day and we were getting worn out. Anyways we went into the museum and saw all kinds of art. Although I might not have seemed to interested as we were going along, I did actually enjoy it. Although we still don't know for sure whether we were allowed to take pictures or not, at the end we decided to take a few anyways.
After that we crossed the street to get to the Louvre and took pictures of the outside. Although we were exhausted and wanted a break, I made the decision to go see the Eiffel Tower by day at this point so we took the metro over there. Then took our much needed break and went to the hostel to relax and change shoes. Then we went to eat dinner at a Mexican place near the metro. We lucked out because they had a vegetarian section. I got some tacos and Rosemary got enchiladas I think - delicious! Since we didn't actually go into the Louvre, we headed there and went inside. We went to see the main things and then just wandered around until they closed. We went back outside to take some night pictures of the place before heading over to the Arc de Triomphe. We got there just in time to be able to go up it to the top. It's where all the main streets of Paris lead to so we got some cool shots of that. Then, finally, our last stop for the day - Moulin Rouge. We got our pictures and then called it a night.
The next morning, I got us some fruit and we stopped by Starbucks for breakfast. Then we were on our way to Versailles! There were a lot of people there but while we were waiting in the long line, a couple came up to us, asked us if it was just the two of us and gave us two tickets for free. We thanked them and, very surprised, headed over to go inside. We don't know why they had two extra tickets but were very grateful - plus they included the audio guide. So we went through and while I was listening to the commentary, Rosemary was taking pictures. We went out to the gardens and took some pictures but didn't go in for time's sake. Instead we headed back to the station. We got some sandwiches on the way and ate them on the train. We picked up our luggage from the hostel and headed to Montmartre. It was difficult to make our way through the people with our stuff and instead of hauling it up the bunch of stairs, I waited with the luggage while Rosemary went to enjoy the view it offered. I didn't mind, I'd already been there twice before plus I munched on my m&ms. We eventually figure out how to get on the RER train to the airport and were on our way. We went to terminal 1 first to find out where Rosemary was supposed to be and then went to terminal 2 and walked a ways to get to where she needed to be. I quickly loaded pictures onto my computer and gave the extra memory cards to her and she checked in. Then we said our goodbyes and I headed over to my gate. I didn't have much time and security was a pain but oh well. I got in line, waited, and then was off to Madrid where I would spend the next 8 hours waiting for my flight back to Granada. I hung around the cafeteria area and tried sleeping on and off. Before going to wait for Ryanair, I got myself some coffee, juice, and a pastry (it was a breakfast deal thing) but had to deal with some really rude people. I wasn't ready for Spanish rudeness so early in the morning. And one was a police officer! Such a jerk.
Anyways. I got back to Granada, headed home, and went straight to my bed. Ahhh finally.
And there you have it!
I had a great time with my sister and I really hope she enjoyed it too. :) We are so blessed by God, our mother, our family, and friends.
Today was a little chaotic because Nicole and I were supposed to go to Alpujarras but we couldn't find the bus or anyone who knew anything about it even though we were where we were supposed to be. So we're hoping they just didn't have enough people to go so they didn't and we can get our money back. Then we decided we'd just get our stuff and meet the rest of the girls at the beach but we got out to the bus station to find out the next one didn't leave until 1 and only came back at 5:30 or 8. The other places we would have gone to were too far. We could have gone but it would have been a waste of money to go for just a few hours. Therefore, we went and found a place to sit and eat our bocadillos. Then we found a park that her and Kathleen had found the day before and laid out to soak up some sun. After a couple hours we headed back but stopped by Los Italianos on the way to get some gelato - I got some lemon flavored. I thought they would have been eating lunch here so I walked around the park taking pictures. I saw Jota ("Jay") and his girlfriend but my mind was not wanting to think in Spanish. When I finally came home, I found it empty and went to change clothes and relax. I snacked a little then tried to take a small siesta. Then at 5 I went for a run until 6 when the step group from the church would be performing. I came back to change and get my camera then watched their dance. I came back home, took a shower, and explained what happened when mamacita and Liz got home. We ate our dinner which was a soup of pasta shells, a spanish tortilla (ew), and a cabbage with garlic pieces salad (plain but alright). Later on tonight at 11:45 we're going to see Alice in Wonderland with Megan. FINALLY a going out event that I'm actually looking forward to.
Anyways.. hasta luego.
Friday, April 23, 2010
LIttle European Travelers - SWITZERLAND
It felt great to be back in Switzerland. It is definitely still one of my favorite places in Europe.
So when we got there we headed to our hostel and checked in. It was alright - nothing bad to say about it or anything and the breakfast was good.
Since we got in kind of late, we decided we should find some dinner and see the bridge at night before going to bed. We checked out a few places to eat and settled on the first one, which was the vegetarian place we found when looking online. It was a little expensive but we decided we deserved to treat ourselves to a nice meal, plus we were sure that even with the language barrier, we could order something we'd be able to eat. Luckily they had an english menu anyways. I got some seitan with veggies and potatoes and Rosemary got a mock chicken type thing. Both were really good and the bread we had before had a different but really good spread for it.
We went to the bridge afterwards but pictures weren't turning out of it. We headed back and called it a night. The next day after breakfast, we headed out and with the help of a tour guide booklet found our way to the important places. We went to the lion, walked along some of the wall, went to both bridges and needle thing in the water, a church, and the main parts of the pedestrian part that has decorated buildings. We found a nice doll for my grandma, I finally got my mom a swiss army knife (engraved with "Barb Coleman - with love"), we got some chocolate for people back home, and a few other things. We had a fun time trying to figure out how to send off our gifts at the post office but finally got it figured out. We went to the train station and got some veggie burgers at BK (which were way better than back in the states and bigger too), got our luggage that we'd stored in the lockers that morning, bought some more chocolate, and got on the train to Paris.
I have 5 weeks from today until I go home. I get back before the HS graduation so I'm definitely going to that on Sunday - yay! I had a long dream the other day about coming home and seeing my mom and everyone. Also, although it's fine now, last night I was just so ready to be home. I went out with Megan and Liz but didn't drink and they were asking so many questions about why I don't like to drink and why I don't go out with them all the time. They were drunk and so their questions were more like interrogation and Liz kept on asking why for everything in a way that made me feel like some strange, weird person. Mamacita thinks I'm weird too and told me I need to go out with them more. I tried to explain it to her but she cut me off and kept going. I was like.. whatever.
Nicole and i booked our flights to Ireland and Scotland last night! I'm SO excited! We'll leave Malaga for Dublin late on May 19th until the 22nd. Then we'll be in Scotland until Monday evening. She is trying to get ahold of her family in Scotland and we're hoping they'll offer us a place to stay and show us around. She's sure they would at least do something so we'll see. She and I are also going to Alpujarras tomorrow through the school. Then next weekend is Barcelona with all the girls which should be a good time and everyone says Barcelona is one of their favorite places in Spain besides Granada.
Alright well that's about it for now. :)
So when we got there we headed to our hostel and checked in. It was alright - nothing bad to say about it or anything and the breakfast was good.
Since we got in kind of late, we decided we should find some dinner and see the bridge at night before going to bed. We checked out a few places to eat and settled on the first one, which was the vegetarian place we found when looking online. It was a little expensive but we decided we deserved to treat ourselves to a nice meal, plus we were sure that even with the language barrier, we could order something we'd be able to eat. Luckily they had an english menu anyways. I got some seitan with veggies and potatoes and Rosemary got a mock chicken type thing. Both were really good and the bread we had before had a different but really good spread for it.
We went to the bridge afterwards but pictures weren't turning out of it. We headed back and called it a night. The next day after breakfast, we headed out and with the help of a tour guide booklet found our way to the important places. We went to the lion, walked along some of the wall, went to both bridges and needle thing in the water, a church, and the main parts of the pedestrian part that has decorated buildings. We found a nice doll for my grandma, I finally got my mom a swiss army knife (engraved with "Barb Coleman - with love"), we got some chocolate for people back home, and a few other things. We had a fun time trying to figure out how to send off our gifts at the post office but finally got it figured out. We went to the train station and got some veggie burgers at BK (which were way better than back in the states and bigger too), got our luggage that we'd stored in the lockers that morning, bought some more chocolate, and got on the train to Paris.
I have 5 weeks from today until I go home. I get back before the HS graduation so I'm definitely going to that on Sunday - yay! I had a long dream the other day about coming home and seeing my mom and everyone. Also, although it's fine now, last night I was just so ready to be home. I went out with Megan and Liz but didn't drink and they were asking so many questions about why I don't like to drink and why I don't go out with them all the time. They were drunk and so their questions were more like interrogation and Liz kept on asking why for everything in a way that made me feel like some strange, weird person. Mamacita thinks I'm weird too and told me I need to go out with them more. I tried to explain it to her but she cut me off and kept going. I was like.. whatever.
Nicole and i booked our flights to Ireland and Scotland last night! I'm SO excited! We'll leave Malaga for Dublin late on May 19th until the 22nd. Then we'll be in Scotland until Monday evening. She is trying to get ahold of her family in Scotland and we're hoping they'll offer us a place to stay and show us around. She's sure they would at least do something so we'll see. She and I are also going to Alpujarras tomorrow through the school. Then next weekend is Barcelona with all the girls which should be a good time and everyone says Barcelona is one of their favorite places in Spain besides Granada.
Alright well that's about it for now. :)
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Little European Travelers - GRANADA
Ahh finally back to Spain where I can more or less communicate and know my way around. Well first we stayed a night in Girona where we stuffed ourselves full at the dinner buffet to attempt to get our moneys worth. Then we had to get up super early to catch our flight at 6:30.
We get to Granada and of course.. I miss our stop on the bus and we get stranded out in the middle of nowhere for a few minutes before the bus we were on came back and we got to where we needed to be. We dropped off her stuff at the Oasis hostel and had some breakfast there. Then we made our way to the house to visit mamacita. That went really well I thought! Mamacita kept on saying how guapa she was (good-looking) and she made us coffee with little pastry treats! Mamacita was also all upset because she wanted to invite her over for lunch and make something like paella but since she doesn't eat any fish or meat, that really limits her choices. I showed Rosemary my room and then we went to church. I was having a hard time staying focused because I was tired and I'm sure Rosemary wasn't exactly having a blast but I was glad we went. Afterwards we got our bocadillos from mamacita (yeah she made one for Rosemary too) we walked around the park where I run and took pictures. Then we headed up to the Alhambra but found out that tickets were sold out because of Easter. So we sat in the area the artists are usually at and enjoyed our lunch. Then we walked around the free parts before heading back down. We went back to her hostel to officially check her in and made sure the bed was suitable for anyone who wanted to lay down. We looked up places to eat and then went to find them. The first one was closed until 8 so we got some piononos and sat for a little bit. We went to see if the other vegetarian place we looked up was open but it wasn't so we went back to the Mexican place and enjoyed some vegetarian burgers, which were actually just vegetables fried into a burger, but still pretty tasty. Afterwards, I walked her back then headed home.
The next day I had class until lunch time, ate, then headed over to meet her. We went to see the albyzin/albaicin area then to the cathedral and capilla real. I was very excited to go to the vegetarian restaurant that has tofu, seitan, couscous, etc that's by the school but when we got there, it was open but the kitchen was closed. Bummer! So I showed her the school and we looked some things up on the internet. Then we left to find some dinner. Since we were meeting up with my friends at cafe futbol later, we went for the pizza place nearby and enjoyed some delicious pizza - we got two of the best ones and shared. At 8:15 we met up with my friends and sat outside at Cafe Futbol to enjoy some chocolate con churros, a milkshake, and some free ice cream thanks to Mauricio. Liz showed up late but got a milkshake then walked with us to the hostel. Then Liz and I stopped by the 24 hour store for her to get food before heading home.
Tuesday morning I went to the hostel after my class and ate some breakfast before finding Rosemary in her room getting ready. I just hung around while she packed. Then around 11, I headed back to the school and she went on the free walking tour. I came back after my class to meet her for coming to the house. Mamacita had invited her over for some pasta and salad even though she was still upset about not being able to make something more Spanish. I was surprised though because it's a big deal in Spain to invite people over to your house. Mamacita was very welcoming though and I'm glad things went so well. Anyways- Rosemary wasn't there when Liz and I went to the hostel but eventually we found each other. The walking tour had taken longer than we thought it would. But it wasn't a problem and we were still at the house early. We had our pasta and afterwards strawberries with whipped cream! I realized how far I had come in my Spanish understanding/speaking with Rosemary here just by comparing how I was before I left to what I was able to do when she was here. After lunch I finished up packing and then mamacita gave us bocadillos for our bus ride too! I didn't even ask her to. :) Then we were on our way and took our 5 hour bus ride to Madrid. It wasn't too bad and we stopped along the way for a bathroom break. Once we got to Madrid, we figured out what metro lines to take to get to the airport, called the hostel, and got on the shuttle to our place. It was super nice and we got a good night's sleep with great breakfast in the morning before our flight to Switzerland.
So we had quite the situation over here in Europe with the volcano in Iceland that erupted and the smoke caused most of the European airports to close, stranding a lot of people in airports/preventing trips. Luckily, things have started to clear up and airports are opening up again. Now it's just waiting to see if it keeps going or causes another one to erupt, which could cause a lot of problems. I pray that nothing happens until we're all back in the U.S. safe and sound. Although it might be an adventure, I would be rather upset to not be able to go home and be stranded in Europe for who knows how long.
School has been alright. We had a visit with our art class to the cathedral and capilla real today and don't have art class tomorrow, meaning I don't have class until 11:30. Love it! But we had our project that we were supposed to send to him yesterday which mine decided it didn't really want to attach itself in an e-mail no matter what I did. Luckily in Spain that means no pasa nada - I e-mailed him about it and I'm just going to bring it on a flash drive to class on Tuesday.
Megan and I met up with my new intercambio friend yesterday and went to a tea place. He's really nice and although we all kept on speaking in English, he tried to push us to speak more in Spanish which is what I need. I knew Megan had just gotten done with a presentation though and her mind and Spanish weren't friends. But he and I agreed that next time we'd try to do mostly Spanish. I could deal with it being just us two - I just needed backup for the first time.
I've been really short-tempered lately and lacking in patience. I don't know why. I also just have the "I'm over it" attitude. I'm not sure what's up or how much it shows to other people. I'm worried that if I don't figure it out and fix some things I'm going to have little outbursts that I would regret later on.
Anyways. Off to shower, get some things done, and hopefully enjoy a good night's sleep since I went to get some more sleeping pills today. :)
We get to Granada and of course.. I miss our stop on the bus and we get stranded out in the middle of nowhere for a few minutes before the bus we were on came back and we got to where we needed to be. We dropped off her stuff at the Oasis hostel and had some breakfast there. Then we made our way to the house to visit mamacita. That went really well I thought! Mamacita kept on saying how guapa she was (good-looking) and she made us coffee with little pastry treats! Mamacita was also all upset because she wanted to invite her over for lunch and make something like paella but since she doesn't eat any fish or meat, that really limits her choices. I showed Rosemary my room and then we went to church. I was having a hard time staying focused because I was tired and I'm sure Rosemary wasn't exactly having a blast but I was glad we went. Afterwards we got our bocadillos from mamacita (yeah she made one for Rosemary too) we walked around the park where I run and took pictures. Then we headed up to the Alhambra but found out that tickets were sold out because of Easter. So we sat in the area the artists are usually at and enjoyed our lunch. Then we walked around the free parts before heading back down. We went back to her hostel to officially check her in and made sure the bed was suitable for anyone who wanted to lay down. We looked up places to eat and then went to find them. The first one was closed until 8 so we got some piononos and sat for a little bit. We went to see if the other vegetarian place we looked up was open but it wasn't so we went back to the Mexican place and enjoyed some vegetarian burgers, which were actually just vegetables fried into a burger, but still pretty tasty. Afterwards, I walked her back then headed home.
The next day I had class until lunch time, ate, then headed over to meet her. We went to see the albyzin/albaicin area then to the cathedral and capilla real. I was very excited to go to the vegetarian restaurant that has tofu, seitan, couscous, etc that's by the school but when we got there, it was open but the kitchen was closed. Bummer! So I showed her the school and we looked some things up on the internet. Then we left to find some dinner. Since we were meeting up with my friends at cafe futbol later, we went for the pizza place nearby and enjoyed some delicious pizza - we got two of the best ones and shared. At 8:15 we met up with my friends and sat outside at Cafe Futbol to enjoy some chocolate con churros, a milkshake, and some free ice cream thanks to Mauricio. Liz showed up late but got a milkshake then walked with us to the hostel. Then Liz and I stopped by the 24 hour store for her to get food before heading home.
Tuesday morning I went to the hostel after my class and ate some breakfast before finding Rosemary in her room getting ready. I just hung around while she packed. Then around 11, I headed back to the school and she went on the free walking tour. I came back after my class to meet her for coming to the house. Mamacita had invited her over for some pasta and salad even though she was still upset about not being able to make something more Spanish. I was surprised though because it's a big deal in Spain to invite people over to your house. Mamacita was very welcoming though and I'm glad things went so well. Anyways- Rosemary wasn't there when Liz and I went to the hostel but eventually we found each other. The walking tour had taken longer than we thought it would. But it wasn't a problem and we were still at the house early. We had our pasta and afterwards strawberries with whipped cream! I realized how far I had come in my Spanish understanding/speaking with Rosemary here just by comparing how I was before I left to what I was able to do when she was here. After lunch I finished up packing and then mamacita gave us bocadillos for our bus ride too! I didn't even ask her to. :) Then we were on our way and took our 5 hour bus ride to Madrid. It wasn't too bad and we stopped along the way for a bathroom break. Once we got to Madrid, we figured out what metro lines to take to get to the airport, called the hostel, and got on the shuttle to our place. It was super nice and we got a good night's sleep with great breakfast in the morning before our flight to Switzerland.
So we had quite the situation over here in Europe with the volcano in Iceland that erupted and the smoke caused most of the European airports to close, stranding a lot of people in airports/preventing trips. Luckily, things have started to clear up and airports are opening up again. Now it's just waiting to see if it keeps going or causes another one to erupt, which could cause a lot of problems. I pray that nothing happens until we're all back in the U.S. safe and sound. Although it might be an adventure, I would be rather upset to not be able to go home and be stranded in Europe for who knows how long.
School has been alright. We had a visit with our art class to the cathedral and capilla real today and don't have art class tomorrow, meaning I don't have class until 11:30. Love it! But we had our project that we were supposed to send to him yesterday which mine decided it didn't really want to attach itself in an e-mail no matter what I did. Luckily in Spain that means no pasa nada - I e-mailed him about it and I'm just going to bring it on a flash drive to class on Tuesday.
Megan and I met up with my new intercambio friend yesterday and went to a tea place. He's really nice and although we all kept on speaking in English, he tried to push us to speak more in Spanish which is what I need. I knew Megan had just gotten done with a presentation though and her mind and Spanish weren't friends. But he and I agreed that next time we'd try to do mostly Spanish. I could deal with it being just us two - I just needed backup for the first time.
I've been really short-tempered lately and lacking in patience. I don't know why. I also just have the "I'm over it" attitude. I'm not sure what's up or how much it shows to other people. I'm worried that if I don't figure it out and fix some things I'm going to have little outbursts that I would regret later on.
Anyways. Off to shower, get some things done, and hopefully enjoy a good night's sleep since I went to get some more sleeping pills today. :)
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Little European Travelers - ITALY
So we finally get to Florence and go to check into our hostel. It was really close to the train station and easy to find so that was good. The walls were decorated with graffiti (but it's supposed to be there), it was clean, we stayed in a 4-bed dorm, and had our own bathroom. The hostel offered free dinner and breakfast which we enjoyed. After we dropped our stuff off we found out how where our bus tour bus was and hopped on/off then walked around some before going back to eat some pizza for dinner. We thought we'd gotten lucky again to not have any roommates but sometime after we'd gotten into bed, two girls came in and went straight to bed. However, they were really nice - we met them in the morning obviously. I forget where they were from in the US but they're studying abroad too. After Rosemary and I got ready and got all our stuff, we headed down for breakfast and had some muesli cereal (which I now love by the way and always have it when hostels offer it) and yogurt. We stored our luggage and then went back to the hop on/off bus and went to the main places we wanted to see (like the bridge/main area and where the David statue is). We figured out (with some stress) how to get from the train station to the other one we needed to be at and got our luggage before taking the other bus route. We didn't hop off anywhere because we didn't have time but enjoyed riding around. We got off and headed to the train station and made it to the other one and to our train that took us to Rome.
We got into Rome in the evening and found our hostel which was again close to the station and easy to find. We asked the font desk for restaurant suggestions and after checking a few of them out, settled on one. I got some delicious bruschetta and vegetable soup and Rosemary got pizza with mushrooms. Afterwards we called it a night and just got ourselves prepared for the next day by figuring out what tour bus to take and where to go. So in the morning, we ate some breakfast and headed out. First was the colosseum where we joined an english tour to avoid the huge line and get some information as we were going. I'm not sure what Rosemary thought about it all but I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did the first time and felt how much history there is to that place. After the tour we went to the top and took some pictures. Then we headed back to the bus and got off at the next stop. Instead of waiting for the next bus we walked to the next place. We got back on and got off near a plaza. We walked from there to the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain (stopped for some gelato from Valentino's!), and the Pantheon. Then we went back to the hostel and ate dinner at a place across the street. I got pasta with mushrooms and Rosemary got pizza. Afterwards we were exhausted and I made the mistake of laying down on the bed. Then I didn't really want to get up to go see the Pope at the colosseum but we went anyways by metro. I was really glad we went because it was definitely amazing to be among a huge group of priests, nuns, and other people who were there too. A lot of people had candles and the booklet of the stations of the cross. The Pope talked before and after but in between other people - maybe cardinals - went through the stations. We stayed for all of it and then headed back to get some sleep. We ate breakfast and got coffee at McDs by the train station before taking the metro to Vatican City. It was soooo packed which we should have thought about with it being the day before Easter. We joined an english guided tour which I am sure cut the waiting in line time by a lot but we still didn't have a lot of time before we had to head out to catch our plane. We got into the Vatican Museum and saw some things but then had to go. Other places were closing up early anyways and the lines would have been impossible to get through. We got back to the station and while Rosemary waited in line for our bus to the airport, I went and got her some postcards and food for us (a sandwich for me, pizza for her, and fruit for both of us) to eat on the way. I returned just in time for us to get some of the last seats on the bus (haha oops) and we were on our way. After sitting in line for a little while we were on the plane and on our way to Granada.
I finally did some shopping yesterday! Mamacita was SO happy with me haha. Usually Liz buys a number of things and I'll maybe have one thing. She loved what I bought though and the prices I found. I am happy with it too. Now she just things I'm unusual for not having gone out with Liz the last two nights. The first night I was super tired and feeling the beginnings of getting sick. Last night I was skyping with Harrison. Besides I don't plan on getting drunk so the going out thing isn't that exciting. Especially when I'd be the only one not drunk. I should be able to go out and have fun anyways but.. I just don't feel comfortable/like I fit in.
School is going fine. Our literature presentation is finally done (we thought it went well) and now we just have to do our paper. I have my art project mostly done I just have to fix a couple things then send it to my professor.
I am going to sign up for a trip through the school to go to Alpujarras next Saturday and we might take a day trip to the beach sometime. Then at the end of the month we (the 5 of us) are heading to Barcelona for the weekend. Once Nicole figures out when exactly her finals are, we plan on booking flights to Ireland for the weekend after finals (May 19/20-30) so that's exciting! I have a friend studying in Cork and she said if we go, she'd come meet us somewhere! :) IRELAND YAY! The 5 of us are going to go to Madrid together to "complete the circle" a couple days early so Nicole and Megan can fly out the 27th and Kathleen, Liz, and me on the 28th. Our time seems so short! I'm going to do my best to enjoy every last minute of it but I can't deny that there's a large part of me that's ready to be home.
I skyped with Harrison last night for like an hour and 45 minutes and am skyping with my mom tomorrow. I'm so thankful for skype and being able to see people's faces. :)
Anyways.. Liz is going to Merideth's today and will be gone for lunch and dinner. I plan on working on more homework and hopefully going for a run if it doesn't rain.
Hasta luego!
We got into Rome in the evening and found our hostel which was again close to the station and easy to find. We asked the font desk for restaurant suggestions and after checking a few of them out, settled on one. I got some delicious bruschetta and vegetable soup and Rosemary got pizza with mushrooms. Afterwards we called it a night and just got ourselves prepared for the next day by figuring out what tour bus to take and where to go. So in the morning, we ate some breakfast and headed out. First was the colosseum where we joined an english tour to avoid the huge line and get some information as we were going. I'm not sure what Rosemary thought about it all but I hope she enjoyed it as much as I did the first time and felt how much history there is to that place. After the tour we went to the top and took some pictures. Then we headed back to the bus and got off at the next stop. Instead of waiting for the next bus we walked to the next place. We got back on and got off near a plaza. We walked from there to the Spanish steps, Trevi Fountain (stopped for some gelato from Valentino's!), and the Pantheon. Then we went back to the hostel and ate dinner at a place across the street. I got pasta with mushrooms and Rosemary got pizza. Afterwards we were exhausted and I made the mistake of laying down on the bed. Then I didn't really want to get up to go see the Pope at the colosseum but we went anyways by metro. I was really glad we went because it was definitely amazing to be among a huge group of priests, nuns, and other people who were there too. A lot of people had candles and the booklet of the stations of the cross. The Pope talked before and after but in between other people - maybe cardinals - went through the stations. We stayed for all of it and then headed back to get some sleep. We ate breakfast and got coffee at McDs by the train station before taking the metro to Vatican City. It was soooo packed which we should have thought about with it being the day before Easter. We joined an english guided tour which I am sure cut the waiting in line time by a lot but we still didn't have a lot of time before we had to head out to catch our plane. We got into the Vatican Museum and saw some things but then had to go. Other places were closing up early anyways and the lines would have been impossible to get through. We got back to the station and while Rosemary waited in line for our bus to the airport, I went and got her some postcards and food for us (a sandwich for me, pizza for her, and fruit for both of us) to eat on the way. I returned just in time for us to get some of the last seats on the bus (haha oops) and we were on our way. After sitting in line for a little while we were on the plane and on our way to Granada.
I finally did some shopping yesterday! Mamacita was SO happy with me haha. Usually Liz buys a number of things and I'll maybe have one thing. She loved what I bought though and the prices I found. I am happy with it too. Now she just things I'm unusual for not having gone out with Liz the last two nights. The first night I was super tired and feeling the beginnings of getting sick. Last night I was skyping with Harrison. Besides I don't plan on getting drunk so the going out thing isn't that exciting. Especially when I'd be the only one not drunk. I should be able to go out and have fun anyways but.. I just don't feel comfortable/like I fit in.
School is going fine. Our literature presentation is finally done (we thought it went well) and now we just have to do our paper. I have my art project mostly done I just have to fix a couple things then send it to my professor.
I am going to sign up for a trip through the school to go to Alpujarras next Saturday and we might take a day trip to the beach sometime. Then at the end of the month we (the 5 of us) are heading to Barcelona for the weekend. Once Nicole figures out when exactly her finals are, we plan on booking flights to Ireland for the weekend after finals (May 19/20-30) so that's exciting! I have a friend studying in Cork and she said if we go, she'd come meet us somewhere! :) IRELAND YAY! The 5 of us are going to go to Madrid together to "complete the circle" a couple days early so Nicole and Megan can fly out the 27th and Kathleen, Liz, and me on the 28th. Our time seems so short! I'm going to do my best to enjoy every last minute of it but I can't deny that there's a large part of me that's ready to be home.
I skyped with Harrison last night for like an hour and 45 minutes and am skyping with my mom tomorrow. I'm so thankful for skype and being able to see people's faces. :)
Anyways.. Liz is going to Merideth's today and will be gone for lunch and dinner. I plan on working on more homework and hopefully going for a run if it doesn't rain.
Hasta luego!
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Little European Travelers - CROATIA
So we finally get to Dubrovnik and while trying to find our hostel, one of the guys who runs it found us and showed us to our place. We were supposed to just be in a two-bed room I think but he upgraded us to an apartment for the same price. We put our stuff inside and then he showed us around a little bit even though it was late at night. He was super friendly and flexible with our plans. And the apartment was great. :)
The old square was beautiful at night but the city was even more so during the day. We spend the next day walking around, getting some food (juice/pastry and later pizza), took a rocky but enjoyable boat ride, and walked the wall that surrounds the square. It was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was nice and warm. Even though we had to rush at times I felt very relaxed just looking out at the water and mountains. Plus the old part of town is made of white marble. We tried to make the 3:30 bus that would take us to Split but we missed the bus stop the first time around so we got a cheap bus tour of the rest of Dubrovnik. Haha, When we made it to the station, we spotted a small grocery store across the way and bought some snacks - fruit, yogurt, and a drink - and waited until the 6:00 bus.
The ride was enjoyable because the views from our side were beautiful, especially with the sunset. After about 4-5 hours we made it to Split and took a taxi as close as we could then weaved our way through the streets to find our hotel. It was an amaaazing hotel - especially compared to where I've become used to staying. We used the internet for a while and then went to bed. In the morning, we enjoyed a delicious buffet continental breakfast. FINALLY the type of breakfast I'd been waiting for. We eventually left the hotel and went to get our boat tickets before walking around the old part of town. We rubbed the toe of the statue that is supposed to signify that you'll return so we'll see about that. I was trying to guide us using the Europe book but half-way through I forgot about it. The weather wasn't as nice as Dubrovnik and it got a little chilly, windy, and at the end rainy but not until we were getting ready to leave anyways. We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant (called Black Cat) and had vegetarian taco salads - yummy! Before we headed out, we tried to spend the rest of the Croatian money so we got some pastries, yogurt, fruit, almonds, cherry newtons, cheese and drinks. Then we headed to the ferry station and got some coffee before going through security and getting on the boat. Staying the night on the boat was interesting. We got lost the first time trying to re-locate our room haha but after that we found it just fine. We took our snacks upstairs and got some bread to eat with our cheese. Sleeping in the cabin beds was alright and definitely better than sleeping in a chair or something. We didn't sleep much though because we had to be up early to get some breakfast before we got to Italy. The breakfast was really good - I loved the cereal they had. :) I'm all about the food.
We got off the ferry and tried to find the train station on our own but when we failed, we headed back to where the cabs were. Rosemary had a friendly bird poop on her which just made her day.. so we had our stuff sprawled out on the sidewalk trying to clean that up. So anyways after cleaning up and a slighty expensive taxi ride for such a short distance, we arrived at the station. We got on an earlier train and were on our way. The train was great about announcing the stops at first but when it got close to ours, it stopped working. So after a few stress/panic attacks I went to find someone to ask when our stop was. We got to Florence just fine and here is where this blog ends.
Until next time!
I finally got out to run yesterday! Our group for lit met up at cafe futbol from 5-6:30 then Liz and I went to corte ingles and I picked up my package (a.k.a. GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!) from Kory on the way home. Then I went for a little run around the park until dinner time.
Our group is meeting again today at 5:30 in the park but I'll run once we're done. I can't wait for this presentation to be over and then get my art powerpoint done.
Alright back to homework.
The old square was beautiful at night but the city was even more so during the day. We spend the next day walking around, getting some food (juice/pastry and later pizza), took a rocky but enjoyable boat ride, and walked the wall that surrounds the square. It was absolutely gorgeous and the weather was nice and warm. Even though we had to rush at times I felt very relaxed just looking out at the water and mountains. Plus the old part of town is made of white marble. We tried to make the 3:30 bus that would take us to Split but we missed the bus stop the first time around so we got a cheap bus tour of the rest of Dubrovnik. Haha, When we made it to the station, we spotted a small grocery store across the way and bought some snacks - fruit, yogurt, and a drink - and waited until the 6:00 bus.
The ride was enjoyable because the views from our side were beautiful, especially with the sunset. After about 4-5 hours we made it to Split and took a taxi as close as we could then weaved our way through the streets to find our hotel. It was an amaaazing hotel - especially compared to where I've become used to staying. We used the internet for a while and then went to bed. In the morning, we enjoyed a delicious buffet continental breakfast. FINALLY the type of breakfast I'd been waiting for. We eventually left the hotel and went to get our boat tickets before walking around the old part of town. We rubbed the toe of the statue that is supposed to signify that you'll return so we'll see about that. I was trying to guide us using the Europe book but half-way through I forgot about it. The weather wasn't as nice as Dubrovnik and it got a little chilly, windy, and at the end rainy but not until we were getting ready to leave anyways. We ate lunch at a Mexican restaurant (called Black Cat) and had vegetarian taco salads - yummy! Before we headed out, we tried to spend the rest of the Croatian money so we got some pastries, yogurt, fruit, almonds, cherry newtons, cheese and drinks. Then we headed to the ferry station and got some coffee before going through security and getting on the boat. Staying the night on the boat was interesting. We got lost the first time trying to re-locate our room haha but after that we found it just fine. We took our snacks upstairs and got some bread to eat with our cheese. Sleeping in the cabin beds was alright and definitely better than sleeping in a chair or something. We didn't sleep much though because we had to be up early to get some breakfast before we got to Italy. The breakfast was really good - I loved the cereal they had. :) I'm all about the food.
We got off the ferry and tried to find the train station on our own but when we failed, we headed back to where the cabs were. Rosemary had a friendly bird poop on her which just made her day.. so we had our stuff sprawled out on the sidewalk trying to clean that up. So anyways after cleaning up and a slighty expensive taxi ride for such a short distance, we arrived at the station. We got on an earlier train and were on our way. The train was great about announcing the stops at first but when it got close to ours, it stopped working. So after a few stress/panic attacks I went to find someone to ask when our stop was. We got to Florence just fine and here is where this blog ends.
Until next time!
I finally got out to run yesterday! Our group for lit met up at cafe futbol from 5-6:30 then Liz and I went to corte ingles and I picked up my package (a.k.a. GIRL SCOUT COOKIES!) from Kory on the way home. Then I went for a little run around the park until dinner time.
Our group is meeting again today at 5:30 in the park but I'll run once we're done. I can't wait for this presentation to be over and then get my art powerpoint done.
Alright back to homework.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Little European Travelers - LONDON
Ay que bueno - ya puedo relajar en Granada!
Well the last two weeks have been amazing, busy, stressful, and tiring. But all completely worth it! I'll probably break my posts up into separate sections because I want to write all I can down but that's a lot!
I was on my way to Malaga two weeks ago and got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. So I looked around and eventually sat to eat my bocadillo de mamacita and do some homework I'd brought. While waiting for my gate to show up, I found out 2 girls from the CLM were on the same flight so we stuck with each other until we went our separate ways at Stansted. My phone didn't work in London and by the time I found out there would be a bus going to my hotel about an hour later, I decided to take a taxi. Although it was a little expensive - I was tired, alone, and cold. So I got to my hotel and went straight to bed. I headed out at 8 to catch a train at the airport into the city. When I got to the train station I stopped by McDs for a coffee and a quick bite (although I'd had a power bar too) then went to find out how to get a bus to St. Paul's where Rosemary and I were supposed to meet up. I made it there around 10 and looked around for my sister. It took us a while to finally run into each other because we were on different sides of St. Paul's. I was so relieved to finally find her - all kinds of thoughts and worries had been running through my mind! So we find out that the place we thought we'd booked for the night wasn't officially booked and they were full but everything worked out because we got a room at the place we were staying at the next night. Instead of taking our luggage there, we decided to haul it around with us so we could have more time to see the city. We decided on a hop-on/off bus tour and made our way to most of the places we'd wanted to even though we didn't have much time. Thankfully Rosemary had an extra jacket because I - coming from Spain weather - was not ready for London weather. So we went to our places and took a bunch of pictures, then figured out how to get to our hostel. We lucked out both nights to not have any roommates in our 4-bed dorm. The place was nice, clean, and the staff was really friendly and helpful.
The next day we got up early and made our way over to the meeting spot for a tour my mom had signed us up for. We got some Starbucks on the way for breakfast which we took with us on the bus. The tour was for going to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and the Roman Baths. Windsor Castle was great to get to see. There wasn't a changing of the guards or anything that day but we got to walk around and had a headset as our guide which I like listening to so I understand what it is I'm looking at. After that we went to lunch where we had a delicious salad/veggie pie thing/dessert. Then came Stonehenge with another audio guide. Just being there was enough though and super cool! We walked around taking pictures from every side. It was interesting to learn the history of it though because I'd never really known it's full significance. Finally we made our way to Bath. The audio guide was helpful for me here and pretty interesting. We then headed back and got to the station around 8. Rosemary and I did some souvenir shopping and went back to the hostel. I forget which night it was (I think the first) but we ate at an Italian place by our hostel. I had vegetable lasagna - mm!! The next morning when we tried to get breakfast at the hostel there was a large group of Spanish kids getting breakfast at the same time so we fought our way through. Our flight was delayed a few hours because when we'd gotten on they put the wrong luggage on. Otherwise our flight was fine and I liked the food even though Rosemary didn't. We missed our connecting flight so we had to wait in the airport for the next one. We checked out the park and then enjoyed the food voucher they'd given us. Finally we made it Dubrovnik!
And Croatia will have to wait for another post. Shower time soon! Then my crunches.. my oh my I need to get back on my running/crunches schedule. I feel like I gained so much weight these last two weeks! Haha it's probably mostly in my head although maybe not completely. Either way.. I feel unhealthy and want to be back to where I was. However we're having a group meeting at 5 tomorrow during my usual running time so hopefully I will still have time once we're done.
Alrighty well until next post!
Well the last two weeks have been amazing, busy, stressful, and tiring. But all completely worth it! I'll probably break my posts up into separate sections because I want to write all I can down but that's a lot!
I was on my way to Malaga two weeks ago and got to the airport with plenty of time to spare. So I looked around and eventually sat to eat my bocadillo de mamacita and do some homework I'd brought. While waiting for my gate to show up, I found out 2 girls from the CLM were on the same flight so we stuck with each other until we went our separate ways at Stansted. My phone didn't work in London and by the time I found out there would be a bus going to my hotel about an hour later, I decided to take a taxi. Although it was a little expensive - I was tired, alone, and cold. So I got to my hotel and went straight to bed. I headed out at 8 to catch a train at the airport into the city. When I got to the train station I stopped by McDs for a coffee and a quick bite (although I'd had a power bar too) then went to find out how to get a bus to St. Paul's where Rosemary and I were supposed to meet up. I made it there around 10 and looked around for my sister. It took us a while to finally run into each other because we were on different sides of St. Paul's. I was so relieved to finally find her - all kinds of thoughts and worries had been running through my mind! So we find out that the place we thought we'd booked for the night wasn't officially booked and they were full but everything worked out because we got a room at the place we were staying at the next night. Instead of taking our luggage there, we decided to haul it around with us so we could have more time to see the city. We decided on a hop-on/off bus tour and made our way to most of the places we'd wanted to even though we didn't have much time. Thankfully Rosemary had an extra jacket because I - coming from Spain weather - was not ready for London weather. So we went to our places and took a bunch of pictures, then figured out how to get to our hostel. We lucked out both nights to not have any roommates in our 4-bed dorm. The place was nice, clean, and the staff was really friendly and helpful.
The next day we got up early and made our way over to the meeting spot for a tour my mom had signed us up for. We got some Starbucks on the way for breakfast which we took with us on the bus. The tour was for going to Windsor Castle, Stonehenge, and the Roman Baths. Windsor Castle was great to get to see. There wasn't a changing of the guards or anything that day but we got to walk around and had a headset as our guide which I like listening to so I understand what it is I'm looking at. After that we went to lunch where we had a delicious salad/veggie pie thing/dessert. Then came Stonehenge with another audio guide. Just being there was enough though and super cool! We walked around taking pictures from every side. It was interesting to learn the history of it though because I'd never really known it's full significance. Finally we made our way to Bath. The audio guide was helpful for me here and pretty interesting. We then headed back and got to the station around 8. Rosemary and I did some souvenir shopping and went back to the hostel. I forget which night it was (I think the first) but we ate at an Italian place by our hostel. I had vegetable lasagna - mm!! The next morning when we tried to get breakfast at the hostel there was a large group of Spanish kids getting breakfast at the same time so we fought our way through. Our flight was delayed a few hours because when we'd gotten on they put the wrong luggage on. Otherwise our flight was fine and I liked the food even though Rosemary didn't. We missed our connecting flight so we had to wait in the airport for the next one. We checked out the park and then enjoyed the food voucher they'd given us. Finally we made it Dubrovnik!
And Croatia will have to wait for another post. Shower time soon! Then my crunches.. my oh my I need to get back on my running/crunches schedule. I feel like I gained so much weight these last two weeks! Haha it's probably mostly in my head although maybe not completely. Either way.. I feel unhealthy and want to be back to where I was. However we're having a group meeting at 5 tomorrow during my usual running time so hopefully I will still have time once we're done.
Alrighty well until next post!
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