La Noche en Blanco: Madrid, Spain

22 September - 23 September 2007

"La Noche en Blanco" is basically a one night special event done in Madrid from 9pm Saturday 22 of September to 7 am Sunday 23 September in which the museums stay open a lot later and are free, there are art exhibits, and free theater productions. It is also done in Riga (Latvia), Rome (Italy), Brussels (Belgium), and Paris (France), but all on different dates.

My flatmate and I left at 4:45ish to meet up with a church group she had been in contact with. Their church is centered in Madrid, but most (if not all) of the congregation speaks English. So, we met up in Plaza de Santa Ana and got introduced and looked over the program to see what we wanted to do. There was so much to choose from that it was a somewhat daunting task to even select what you wanted to try to see. I didn't really have anything in particular I was dieing to get to go to, so I just decided to do whatever the rest of the group wanted.

As we waited we got some Gelado (always gelado with me :) at an amazing place, right near the plaza on Huerta street (or something with that name). I think it was called Ricci, and it had a neon-green door frame (for those of you who someday visit Madrid, go here as the flavors are great and the price is right). I had cheesecake (or the type of cream taste that is used in cheesecake/creme brule) and hazelnut (my personal favorite as they don't have peanut butter anything in Spain).

We eventually went in search of dinner around 830 or 900, a kebab place. Actually, it appears that kebabs are quite popular in Spain. The street we happened upon seemed to be kebab-row or something. Dinner was very enjoyable as it was really interesting for me to hear about the lives of these individuals. Most of them were in their 20s or early 30s, just graduated and such. It was just cool to see what had brought them to Spain and what they were doing for working or studying abroad. Some were helping plant churches, others were studying abroad like myself, and some were there to teach English. Many ideas and options to put into the back of my mind as I am not sure what I will do once I graduate, let alone the rest of my life. They were also so friendly and fun too. Most were from the states, the UK, and a few from other countries.

After dinner we kind of wandered aimlessly trying to go to stuff. However, ironies of ironies, it started to pour. Early that day had been perfectly sunny, so I had not even thought to bring anything for a light shower...or a down pour for that matter. So, I was caught in the MASSES (no exaggeration here, literally a sea of people, I don't believe I have ever seen that many people fill the streets at one time), with my blue jeans and rainbow sandals. Although wet denim is not a favorite of mine, it wasn't cold out so being damp wasn't torture.

Although we tried to take in some of the activities, every time we showed up somewhere it seemed that we had just missed it or the line was too long to wait in. Still, I got to walk in one of the busiest round-abouts in Spain, hang out with a really cool group of people, and just be part of the madness and chaos of that evening. We even walked through a huge "botellon". For those who don't know what it is, to my understanding (the synopsis which was given to me) is that it is a very large drinking party that the police frown upon (aka it is illegal I believe), in which everyone gathers in a huge group in the streets and drinks beer from cans or large plastic cups. It was actually kind of comical when I first saw it, because all I saw was a big group of people all standing around but there was nothing that they were looking at (no stage, no music, no museum in the area), but then someone enlightened me most kindly.

At about 1:30 (very early for the Spanish mind you) we were exhausted and went back to one of the apartments of one of the girls from the church group to rest and get out of the chaos. She offered her spare beds for my flatmate and I to stay the night so we would not have to try to navigate our way back to Alcala that night, or walk around aimlessly any longer. Her apartment was great and it made me want to live abroad! She was just so hospitable, and it convicted me in a good way to be more so in my own life.

We went to sleep dirty and damp, but very content with our experience of La Noche en Blanco. We left around 7:45 to catch the metro to the train back to Alcala.

HIGHLIGHT OF LA NOCHE EN BLANCO: Getting to hang out with a really fun group of Christians while walking in the craziness of late-night Madrid in the rain.
1. Rain Clouds!

2. Images of La Noche en Blanco



3. El Botellon

Toledo, Spain

21 September, 2007

Today I went on a school "viaje" (trip) to Toledo, Spain. It was for my "Civilización y Cultura Española" class (Spanish Civilization and Culture), and we were joined by another class and extra students who just wanted to go to see Toledo (as all school trips are free to students).

We left Alcala on a Alcala bus at around 9:30 arriving in about 2 hours to Toledo. The first thing we did was go to a beautiful lookout point of the city to take pictures. I liked the city the first time I saw it. It just seemed so preserved in historic authenticity, untouched by the modern age. Toledo is known as the "Ciudad de Tres Culturas" (City of Three Cultures) as it was known, in history, to be a place where Christians, Muslims, and Jews coexisted peacefully.

After the lookout point, we went to the Moasterio San Juan de los Reyes (a monastery). It was a Franciscan monastery commissioned by Ferdinand and Isabel in commemoration of their victory in the Battle of Toro in 1476 over Portugal. My teacher explained that it is a mix of Gothic and "mudéjar" architecture. It wasn't overly ornate, but architecturally aesthetic.

Next, we went to the Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca. It was a synagogue until 1492 when the Jews were expelled. It was then converted into a church in 1550. It was not very big or ornate either, but had very high ceilings, perhaps to encourage its congregation to look heaven-wards.
Then we went to the Iglesia de Santo Tome which had a famous work by El Greco (since Toledo was his home town): "Entiero del Conde de Orgaz", which was cool to see.
The last sight-seeing thing we did was go to the Catedral de Toledo. It was huge and VERY ornate. It was built between 1226 and 1498. It had stained glass, sculptures, paintings, gold, and mini museums inside. It is cool to be able to see large cathedrals in different countries and then to compare the styles.
For lunch I went on some side streets and bought some pastries that are typical to Toledo: Manzipan and Toledenas (?). They were both pretty good, not too sweet, but satisfying. (see pics below)

HIGHLIGHT OF TOLEDO: Seeing the historic city from afar and walking on cobbled streets the hold years of Spanish history.

1. Scenic View of Toledo

2. Moasterio San Juan de los Reyes

3. Court yard of the Monasterio

4. Sinagoga de Santa Maria la Blanca

5. Interior to the Sinagoga

6. Images of the Exterior of the Catedral de Toledo



7. Interior to the Catedral de Toledo



8. Manzapan

9. Toledano (?)

Casa De Cervates, Alcala, Spain

19 September, 2007

Today I took my first field trip of college! Instead of having my "Literatura Española del Siglo de Oro" (Spanish Golden Age Literature) class, we went to visit "La Casa de Cervantes" (House of Cervantes), the famous Spanish author who wrote the well-known "Don Quixote".

Apparently, the house itself (seen below) is not the actual home he was born in. That was destroyed long ago because no one knew it was a house of someone famous, but this house was reconstructed on the exact location the original stood, in a fashion that the original would have been like.

Inside the house were rooms that would have been typical of a family of Cervantes class. Apparently, they were pretty wealthy (as his father was a doctor). Women and men lived in separate rooms, and women rarely left the home. We were able to see models of a womens' sitting room, an men's sitting room, a woman's bedroom/child's bedroom (which were joined), a man's bedroom, and a kitchen. Inside was also a small museum of puppets used to retell the tale of "Don Quixote" as well as various editions of "Don Quixote" over the centuries and in different languages (the latter satisfying the book-worm in me greatly).

On the field trip (which was walking distance from my school, by the way) we also saw a hospital where Cervantes father worked and that San Ignacio Loyola also worked at while he attended school at Alcala de Henares.

We also had a look at a few convents in Alcala, one which Cervantes' sister had lived in and another in which Santa Teresa de Avila (de Jesus), a Spanish Catholic-Mystic, had lived in. A great field trip all in all, why don't colleges in the US do this?

HIGHLIGHT OF CASA DE CERVATES: Seeing the different editions of the famous tale in the museum.

1. Casa De Cervantes

2. Sign Outside the House (states he was born at this spot)

3. The Hospital where his dad/Loyola worked

4. My Amazing Professor: Ernesto!

Barcelona, Spain

14-16 September, 2007

At first encounter I fell in love with Barcelona. It seemed to be like Paris, but with a Spanish Flair. I felt very welcomed by the city and the layout of the buildings just had a very aesthetic feel to me. I felt that I could some day work or live there for a period of my life, the first time I have ever felt like that about a place almost immediately.

We arrived by over night bus, which is something i will never do again. I just found it impossible to sleep at all, besides 20 minute spans where I perhaps got what one might call "shut eye", but I felt completely unrested upon arrival. I believe it is worth additional money to go by train or plane, and often times the price isn't that different at all.

When we arrived we went to go drop our bags at our hostel and then went out to explore until 2pm when we could check in. We went out onto La Rambla (a main street). This place was full of street vendors, out door cafes, tapas cafes, stores, flower vendors, street performers, and pet shops. I found a pet I wanted: a chipmunk (seriously considered it for a moment, but realized it would never make it through customs back home:( .

After grabbing some breakfast we went to the Mercat Boqueria. This place was vast and very busy. It sold nuts, candy, fish, meat, bread, pastries, produce (both the recognizable and the exotic), smoothies, chocolate, and more. I bought some fruit and some candied cashews to sample. I love local markets because the prices are usually pretty good (if you are a smart shopper) and it allows you to sample some authentic, unique, and local cuisine.

Next, we jumped on the Metro and went to see the Sagrada Familia. This is a huge church designed by the famous and intriguing Gaudi. The architecture is unlike anything I have ever seen before. An odd combination of modern/abstract with historic look. It has been under construction for a long time, and looks far from being finished still. It looked a bit like it was melting from the outside, almost like a drip-sand castle one makes at the beach. It was very impressive and hard to take in all the aspects. It was very decorative and "busy" on the outside; the longer you stared at it the more intricate details you noticed.

On our way to lunch, we encountered this rag-time jazz performers that were great! They called themselves the "Jinx Jazz Band" and included a trumpet player, trombone player, clarinet player, banjo, and washboard player. I loved them so much that I bought their CD, knowing it would be something my parents would love as well.

Next we made our way to the Els Quatre Gats Cafe, a place that Picasso used to frequent, had an exhibition at, and designed part of the menu for. The place was clearly very popular, but once you are seated, the service is very nice. We had 3-4 people waiting on us, all who were very friendly and accommodating to your every need. We got the 1-4pm deal: 2 plates, bread, water, and a desert for 11Euros. The food is AMAZING. I had gazpacho and a lentil salad. The food was to die for, literally, and it was hard to stop oneself from licking the plates clean. The atmosphere of the cafe is charming as well, so all in all it is definitely worth a stop for the service, the history of the place, the ambiance inside, and most of all the food.

After that, we went back to our hostel to check in and take a nap because we had not slept really the night before on the bus. Then we headed out again without any real plans. After some wandering we got some awesome gelato (3 flavors fro 3 euros) and then decided to go to a movie: The Simpson's Movie. The theater was pretty empty, but it was fun to watch an American cult-classic cartoon in Spanish, and a good way to practice as well. On the way, I took a picture next to a giant book statue because it seemed only fitting that a book-nerd, such as myself, would have to take a picture with a random giant book in the middle of Barcelona.

The next day, after sleeping in some and checking out of our hostel, we went out to the Picasso Museum. It was a really great museum, which has you follow a set out order of the rooms in order to see how he progressed as an artist through various stages of his art. His more famous works were not there, but it was interesting to see how dynamic we was. The exhibit had sketches, pencil drawings, colored pencil drawings, poster art, items from his blue and rose period, as well as a few lesser-known cubism works (the more famous being his 57 paintings of Valesquez' "Las Meninas".

After this, we got lunch in a hole-in-the-wall Spanish cafe. Then we did some more aimless wandering ending up at the Arc de Triomf. We got a metro from there to Parc Guell. The hike up to the Parc is quite strenuous, but very much worth it when you see the view. We stayed a long time after taking pictures of some of the Guadi architecture up there because the breeze felt so nice and we were tired. Eventually we headed back down, got some tapas and more gelato (at the same amazing place I loved) and then to the bus back to Madrid.

HIGHLIGHT OF BARCELONA: Falling in love with a city at first sight, eating in Els Quatre Gats, and going to the same amazing gelato place twice in a row:)

1. La Rambla

2. Licorice at Mercat Boqueria (For you Mom!)

3. La Sagrada Familia

4. Picasso's Art at Els Quatre Gats

5. Charming Interior to Els Quatre Gats

6. My Gazpacho!

7. Me and a Giant Book (what else?)

8. My Chipmunk

9. View from Parc Guell

10. Amazing Gelato Location

Porto, Portugal

September 7-9



For my second weekend trip, 3 of my apartment mates and I took a flight to Porto, Portugal. We originally picked Porto because we wanted to go to Portugal and there were cheaper flights than for Lisbon. But, I am very glad I visited a place that was a little less thought of and more rare.

One of the first things we loved about Porto was the metro we took from the airport to the city center: It was outside, it was a short rail car, and the ride reminded me of a combination of a slowed-down Space Mountain and the San Diego Zoo Train Tour.

At first sight of historic Porto, we fell in love. The architecture and color palettes of the buildings seemed to have been preserved in their authenticity, untouched by modernization (at least more so than places like Madrid or Rome), and in a way you felt that you had walked into an old black and white photograph. The people there were charming (see picture of older gentleman below with pigeons) and kind, even though we didn't speak their language. The whole place seemed less of a culture shock than Spain actually.

Something that must be said about Porto, is that as a new comer it is slightly difficult to get oriented. The streets do not run in a ordered pattern, and even maps are not that helpful. We ended up getting directions (via hand motions and a partial game of shirades) . Some words in rang familiar to my knowledge of Spanish, but overall Spanish did not assist much in understanding people speaking to you. We found our place none-the-less.

Something we also quickly discovered about Porto is that everything seemed to be uphill. Clearly, we must have gone down sometimes, but it just always felt that we were trekking uphill.

The first day we did a lot of aimless wandering, the best way to see a city if you ask me. We walked down (for once) to the water: Rio Duoro. It was beautiful down there, and across the way were the wineries (Porto is known for Vinho Verde (Green Wine) and Port). With our aimless wandering we came across a lot of charming old book stores, some even with English volumes. I wish they had some with similarly ancient products for sale at home. Not only where their books but also old type writers, old records, old photographs, old maps and sketches by artists, and long forgotten or lost postcards sent from various locations.

Our second day there we began by going to the Mercado de Bolhao. This was an open air market that takes place 6 days a week. It sold various things including crafts, fruit, vegetables, a wide variety of olives, fresh bread, meat, nuts, spices, flowers, and (of course) live chickens. I saw one lady leave with a cardboard box, with air holes, live chicken inside. We bought and sampled one type of bread. It was cut from a huge round loaf, and was very dark (looked like Squaw). It had the hard crust of Sourdough but was very dense and smooth on the inside. It tasted like GrapeNuts in bread form, thus I liked it immensely. It was nice to try something local.

Next we took a long (LONG) walk along the Rio Duoro to get to a Dali Exhibit at the Palacio do Freixo. It was very interesting since it did not feature his Surrealism works at all, which is all I had known him to do. Instead there were sculptures (large and small) based on Greek Mythology or Don Quixote, sketches to illustrate various stories of folklore and poems, water color paintings, and a series of works made to illustrate Biblical passages. I especially enjoyed seeing the latter and did not realize Dali had had a religious rebirth later in life.

We caught a bus back (after much looking, discovered the bus stop was on a highway on-ramp, I guess common knowledge to the Portuguese) and got dinner at a cafe called "O Cacula" (very good). We had a long conversation with our waiter who told us about Portuguese history and differences in culture compared to Spain and the US.

After that we randomly met two Portuguese guys that were going to this concert/dance thing that featured a new type of music in Portugal: Drums 'n' Bass. Normally, I would be very wary of meeting guys randomly and going somewhere with them, but these boys were as nonthreatening as they get. Very nice, gentlemen-like almost, and sincere. The music was really very interesting. It was one DJ playing a sort of techno music, yet different in a way that is difficult to describe. Everyone was literally "dancing with themselves" with about a 1ft. radius around them. The dancing consisted basically of the following: flailing of limbs, bobbing of heads, swaying back and forth, and girls dancing with fanny packs. It was great and I loved the style of it all. Everyone just seemed to be in their own little world, the dancing was clean, and no one seemed to care what anyone else was doing around them.

We left at 3am, right when people were actually showing up (at 1am almost no one was there), so funny how things only start at this time in Spain and Portugal, and in the US all has closed down by then. We got a few hours rest and then headed back to Spain the next morning.

Porto was wonderful. I don't know what Lisbon is like, but I am kind of glad my first taste of Portugal was of sleeping and historic Porto.

HIGHLIGHT OF PORTO: Rummaging in the best old book stores ever and experiencing Drums 'n Bass with some locals.

1. Architecture of Porto





2. Bridge by Eiffle on Rio Duoro


3. Images of the Books in the old book shop!


4.Fruit at the Open-Air Market

5. The "GrapeNuts" Bread

6. Palacio with the Dali Exhibit

Madrid and Alcala for the First Time

After landing in Madrid I collected my bag and then got a shuttle to the hotel where I would meet the rest of the group in the program. When we got our rooms we were told to go and explore Madrid until we had to meet up for an information meeting. I sort of just wandered the streets and ate lunch in a park facing a statue of Don Quixote. After the meeting, a big group of us went to dinner: 25 Americans sure took up a lot of space in a little Spanish cafe, but it was a lot of fun.

The next morning I went on a short run in Madrid, and then we were bused to Alcala. We were then given are apartment assignments and apartment mates. I love my apartment mates so much, God has been so good to me in giving me them to live with while i study here. I really like where we live as well.

Alcala is a really nice town. It is small enough that you can get a feel for the place and it is not touristy, but it is big enough that there are plenty of things to see and do. The school is great as it has a lot of history to it, and Cervantes was from this town as well, which is exciting for the book-nerd that I am.

Madrid Photos:
1.Don Quixote Statue

2.Palacio Real

Alcala:
1.Catedral Magistral

2. My School

3. My Apartment Mates and Me

Cercedilla and Segovia, Spain

On our first weekend in Spain, two of my apartment mates and I went on a day trip to Cercedilla and Segovia, Spain.

Cercedilla
This place is described as "a picturesque chalet town blessed with great weather...an ideal base for venturing into the Sierra." Basically, it is just a little mountain town. It is known for having good hiking trails, and serves as a kind of escape for city dwellers. It was very peaceful, quite a contrast to the business of Madrid. When we got off the train, we followed a bunch of other people who had the hiking gear (back packs, boots, and of course: walking sticks) to the tourist information center. There we acquired a map which explained the various options of walking routes. We chose the easiest one, but it was very fun. The route was very easy to follow: we simply looked for blue dots spray painted on trees. The surrounding area seemed almost familiar, it just looked a little bit like mountain scenery and trails at home. Also, the woods and ferns around us kind of reminded us of "Pan's Labyrinth".

After our hike we went to get some lunch. We went to this bar/cafe type place and sat down. It was run by this older Spanish gentlemen who took our drink order, but then didn't return for quite sometime. He wondered in and out of the place, aimlessly it seemed, while our stomachs slowly consumed themselves. We didn't know if it was culturally acceptable to flag him down or approach him and tell him we wanted to eat some of his food, but eventually he returned and we got fed. It was really funny because we didn't know what to do and we were starving. The food was good in the end, and experiencing difficulty in placing an order was comical.

Segovia:
After lunch we caught a train to Segovia, only about 30 minutes away. This city is known for its "world-famous" aqueduct. According to "Let's Go! Spain and Portugal" (where all my little factoids come from), it was built around 50BC and was used up to 60 years ago. It was really impressive. We took pictures and got some gelato and then headed back to Alcala.

HIGHLIGHT OF CERCEDILLA/SEGOVIA: Hiking in Cercedilla in fresh air and the peacefulness that nature (devoid of city-life business) brings.

1. Part of the Cercedilla Trail we walked on

2. View from the Trail

3. Aqueduct in Segovia

4. View of Segovia Through the Aqueduct

Wells and Bath, England

I woke up in Somerset to the sound of birds chirping and sheep baaing, and then went to Wells with my friends father to have a look at the cathedral there. The interesting thing about wells, is that it is a fairly small town, but it has a very large and impressive cathedral.

The first thing we saw was the local street market. They had a great selection of local grafts, cheese, produce, and other goods. Then we went to have a walk around the Bishop's Palace complete with a moat (found a banner later on which advertised a moat race that was to take place in a few days time).

Then we went to look at the Cathedral itself. It really is quite impressive, and I felt as awestruck as when I saw Notre Dame for the first time. The architecture was different, but the beauty was the same. We went inside to have a look (you have to purchase a photography licence to take pictures inside) and the architecture on the inside was just as impressive as it was on the outside. The stairs had an interesting spiraling style (see picture below) and the ceilings were very unique in their design as well.

Visiting Wells was definitely worth it, but it is unfortunately a place many people may not think to see.

We went back to the country house for a BBQ-English style. We ate out on the patio in the sunshine with the garden smells all around us. It was so pleasant and the food was wonderful. I was told that they were a bit nervous to give a American girl a BBQ, but I was far from disappointed with the taste of the dishes. We had garlic bread, kebabs (veggie for me), grilled mushrooms, salad, and fruit.

After lunch, my friend, his mother, and I headed for Bath. Our first stop was the Royal Crescent (see picture below) which was grand in structure and appeared to be a popular picnic or meeting place for locals and tourists alike. We walked around the city a bit, looked at a beautiful bridge, the Pump Room, the baths themselves, and the Assembly Room (where balls were held). Jane Austen spent a lot of time here, so that was cool for me to know as I walked around the place.

Then my friend and I caught a train back to London, grabbed some food, had a quick dinner and then I went to bed early as I was leaving at 3:30am to get on a bus to take me to Luton Airport and then to Madrid!

HIGHLIGHT OF BATH AND WELLS: Seeing a very impressive Cathedral that many miss and walking around a city Jane Austen once walked through herself.
1. Street Market at Wells

2. Moat Around Bishops Palace

3. Bishops Palace (I liked the Crosses in the walls)


4. Medieval Fog Nearby :)

5.Wells Cathedral





6.The Royal Crescent in Bath

7. Street in Bath

8. Roman Bath

9. Assembly Room (Imagined Jane Austen at a ball here:)

10. View from the Bridge in Bath

11. The Bridge

12. Me Being a Tourist for Mom

Somerset, England

After our stop at Stonehenge, we continued on our way to their country home in Somerset. As we went the roads continued to get narrower and I felt as if I were literally traveling back into English history.

I had just finished reading Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice", and driving up to their home felt like I had walked into a Jane Austen novel. The tiny country roads and the type of garden which surrounded the house reminded me so much of the book.

When I arrived I got a tour of the property. It had a patio, barn, garden, main house, cottage, and music room. The house used to be owned by John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin). My friends father used to be in the music business so I got to see all sorts of letters and notes he had saved from famous musicians he had met or worked with including Duran Duran and The Beatles (he had things signed by the latter). It was all very exciting for me just to know the great musicians he had known.

After the tour, my friend and I went on a run on the old country roads. The highlight had to be running by the local church which was aesthetically old and charming. It was too bad I was not going to be there for a Sunday because I would have loved to attend a service.

After the run we showered and had a wonderfully home cooked dinner by my friends mother. She was so incredibly kind to me while I stayed because she always made sure to prepare vegetarian dishes for me. We had: French cheese with bread crumbs and cranberry sauce, a dish made from rice, mushrooms, asparagus, bread crumbs and a white sauce, and then dessert of fruit and cheese. It was delicious!

We played a South American dice game they liked a lot as a family and then off to bed. A really great thing about this place is that it is so peaceful. The only thing you could hear was the wind, birds chirping, and sheep baaing. I couldn't help but think this would be a great place to write a novel or simply find solace to collect your thoughts. I was sad to only have a day there and didn't want to leave! But, I praise God for the opportunity to be able to experience such a place and spend time with such a wonderful family.

HIGHLIGHT OF SOMERSET: Feeling that I had walked into a Jane Austen Novel.
1. The Patio/Garden

2. The Back of the House

3. Where I stayed!

4. The Gate to the Garden

5. View from the Garden over the Valley

Stonehenge, England

Stonehenge is one of those places i have wanted to go since i was young. I have been told my some not to waste my time, that it was largely a disappointment, but I was still determined to go. Fortunately for me, my friend's family owns a house in the country, and when they go out there they always go past Stonehenge. So, on our way there, we got to stop.

The moment i saw it was so excited and could hardly believe this moment i had dreamed of so long had finally come true. Just the mystery behind it all, all the myths, how they got the stones there, where the stones came from, what the purpose of them were...all of it excited the historian in me.

To get to the actual site you have to pay, and then they give you a free audio guide. To enter you have to go underground, under the street, which was a first. Then you walk around the path stopping at the numbered boxes as the audio guide instructs. Some people may not think it worth the stop, but I do. I was very glad to have the chance to see it for myself and have a walk around it.

Overall, it was just a very fulfilling moment, a life long dream come to reality.

HIGHLIGHT OF STONEHENGE: Seeing a place I'd often dreamed of!

1. Images of Stonehenge



2. How it looked (supposedly) long ago

London, England

I left Edinburgh mid-day on a train that took me to King's Cross Station. I was very excited to come into King's Cross Station, for those who know me and what books I like, I need not explain why. But, as I came into the station, I was listening to a certain theme song once again.

I was staying with a friend who lived in London, and he met me at the station. His father gave me a driving tour of some of the main sights in London before we went back to their home. It was so nice to be part of a family again after traveling for a few days on my own, and sleeping in their home was so nice after hostels.

The next morning my friend and I went on a run around Hyde Park. I wish that was something I could do more often, as it is a beautiful place. England really does parks right if you ask me. On the run I saw several things including: the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Prince Albert Memorial, Speaker's Corner, Marble Arch, Serpentine River, etc. The Princess Diana Memorial Fountain was very unique, not what you would expect from a fountain, more like a circular river, seemed fitting for her legacy to be something unique and beautifully simple.

I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum, which has a wide variety of objects from various periods in history and from various places around the world. I spent most of my time in the British History section, as it seemed the fitting thing to do while in Britain. My friend and I ate lunch in the museum's cafe, which I really recommend as they have a lot of selection and it is all unique and delicious.

Next we went to Harrods just to have a look around. That store truly has everything, even a wax-life-size look-a-like of the owner, which was slightly disconcerting. I felt that one could live in their and have everything one would need: food, clothing, entertainment, etc. It was swarming with people (mostly tourists I assume), but it was nice just to have a look around this world-famous store.

We headed on the tube to Millennium Bridge, which connected us to Tate Modern. This was a truly wonderful museum. We spent time at the "Global Cities" exhibit first. This was a large exhibit (ended on 27 August) that compared various large cities from around the world (Tokyo, London, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Sao Paulo, Shanghai, Istanbul, Cairo, Johannesburg, Mumbai) in categories such as Size, Speed, Form, Density, and Diversity. It had videos, physical representations, large photos on walls, and other visual aids to make the comparisons. Many of the statistics were interesting as well relating to the ethnic diversity, growth of economy, access to public transportation, population growth, etc. of the cities.

Next we went to level three which featured "Material Gestures" (post-war European and American paintings) and "Poetry and Dream" (mainly Surrealist works). The audio guides for this floor was great, complete with visual aids on a hand held screen. I really loved this floor because (a) I had recently taken a modern art history class and (b) I love poetry so seeing paintings made to match a poem was very interesting.

We took a walk along the River Thames and saw Cleopatra's Needle, Big Ben (from afar), Covent Gardens, and Leicester Square. After that we had a wonderful dinner at a very authentic French Restaurant. We had a great conversation about how Americans speak English different and use different words, they seemed to find my use of "gnarly" most interesting.

The next morning, my friend, his parents, and I went on a ride on the London Eye. I was happy that I was not the only first-timer, as I did not want to drag them around to do touristy things (his father had not been before either). I am not sure why, but I always imagined the London Eye being a tall tower or something, but in actuality, it is a large Farris wheel with little bubble pods for you to ride in. The view was spectacular! It really gives you a sense of how expansive London is and it makes for great pictures of some of the big sights, especially Big Ben.

There is far too much to do in London in only a day and a half, but I definitely scratched the surface and got a feel for the place. I certainly plan to go back someday.

HIGHLIGHT OF LONDON: Living with a local London family whose kindness to me was overwhelming and cannot be put into words.

1. Millennium Bridge with Tate Modern in the Background

2. Nelson's Column and Trafalgar Square

3. The London Eye and the Bubble Pod of the London Eye


4. View of Big Ben and The Houses of Parliament from the London Eye

Edinburgh, Scotland

After two days in Fort William I hopped back on the train to take me to Edinburgh. The contrast between these two Scottish cities couldn't have been greater. Fort William: small-quiet town, very out-doors oriented, not very many people around. Edinburgh: huge city, somewhat confusing streets, and FULL of people. Edinburgh is a great city, don't get me wrong, but if you go anytime in August you are going when half of Europe may also be there as there are several festivals going on at once. There were tons of theater productions, city tours, lectures, art shows, etc. all happening all the time. Street performers where everywhere and the whole place was just full of life and different art forms. Another thing to be warned about is that Edinburgh can be a hard city to get oriented to as the streets seem to run over and under each other, which makes it a tad confusing when you are visiting the first time. But, rest at ease, people are very friendly and willing to direct you on your way.

My hostel was about 15 minutes away but I highly recommend it as it is right along the water, very peaceful, and has a beautiful surrounding area. It is called "The Globetrotter Inn Edinburgh". They even provide a shuttle service in and out of the center of Edinburgh for a cheap price. It was just a nice escape from the busy and fun-filled city life of Edinburgh. Another recommendation is to go to "Henderson's Salad Table" (94 Hanover St.) for cheap Vegetarian/Vegan/Organic food.

I only had 24hrs in this great city, so i took a free city tour that was offered due to the festival. I also explored the inside of St. Giles Cathedral which had an interesting exhibit on sex trafficking. I did a good bit of aimless wandering around the Royal Mile just to get a feel for the place and checked out a landscape photography exhibit of a local artist. One highlight had to be (this one is for you dad) seeing the William Wallace look-a-like, I had an overwhelming desire to scream "Freedom!", but I resisted the urge.

Clearly I cannot go anywhere without doing something related to books, so in Edinburgh I did a few things. First, i went in search of Nicolson's Restaurant, the place rumored to be where J.K. Rowling began/wrote parts of Harry Potter. However, the restaurant is no longer in existence and has now been replaced by a Chinese Buffet. However, I did take a picture of the plaque which commemorated the spot and was approved by J.K. Rowling herself. I also went to a cafe called "Elephant House", which also claims to be a cafe Rowling wrote in. Even if you are not a Harry Potter fan, this cafe is charming in itself. It has good tea (I had vanilla), a good view of Edinburgh Castle, and has elephants in all shapes and sizes (no real ones of course) everywhere.

The next book-related thing I did, was to take the "Book Lovers Tour", offered by the festival. My guide (Allen Foster) was great, very funny, and knew a lot about the literary richness of the city. He has written a book on the topic actually. Edinburgh is called "The City of Literature", but many of the sites we went to are unmarked. Thus, without a guide (or his book), you would not know such places existed. We learned about "Johnson's Dictionary" (the one before Oxford's), rubbed the toe of a Hume statue (in hopes that his wisdom would rub off onto us), saw the "Heart of Midlothian" (image in a Sir Walter Scott novel with the same title), saw the school Doyle attended/was inspired to create Sherlock Holmes (after a man named Dr. Bell: coined the phrase "you see but you do not observe"), showed us the building that used to be a hospital (now the geography building for the University of Edinburgh) where Stevenson was inspired to create the characters "Long John Silver", and went to a grave yard that had the grave of William Topaz McGonagall (a Scottish poet famous for writing bad poetry) whose name was used by J.K. Rowling to create Professor McGonagall.

The tour was great, I would highly recommend it and anything written by Allen Foster as he was a great guide and one of his books (he has written a few) would be a great asset to any trip if you can't have him guide you in person. I would also recommend going to the Writer's Museum if you are at all interested in Scottish authors.

Another thing I really enjoyed about Edinburgh was the number of second hand book shops around. There are few places I'd rather be than a used book store, so walking around Edinburgh was somewhat like being in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory: I just wanted to have a taste of each one.

HIGHLIGHT OF EDINBURGH: Taking the Book Lovers Tour from Allen Foster.


1. St. Giles Cathedral

2.What you can find when you venture down an Edinburgh "Close" (alley way)

3. Edinburgh Castle

4.William Wallace

5.Rowling Plaques at the sight that used to be Nicolson's Restaurant


6. The Elephant House


7.McGonagall's Grave (inspiration for Professor McGonagall's Creation)

8.Stevenson Plaque

9. Used Book Stores!

Fort William and Mallaig, Scotland

Fort William is one of my favorite places i have ever visited. I took a flight from Belfast to Glasgow and then a train from Glasgow to Fort William. The train ride from Glasgow to Fort William to Mallaig, Scotland has been rumored to be one of the most beautiful and scenic in all of Europe: they are not kidding. I was so picture happy the whole train ride from Glasgow to Fort William.

I will come clean, the reason i went to Fort William was to take the Jacobite Steam train from Fort William to Mallaig the following morning. The reason I wanted to do this was because (a) it was rumored to be so breathtaking and beautiful, but mainly because (b) it allows one to see Glenfinnan (that now famous viaduct/bridge featured in the "Harry Potter" movies). Thus, I basically went so I could ride on the real-world equivalent of the Hogwarts' Express. I am a book-nerd at heart, so there is no use denying just how excited I was to do this. The train ride from Fort William to Mallaig was more beautiful than the one from Glasgow to Fort William (something I hardly thought possible the day before), but most of my excitement came when the Glenfinnan came into view.

I came well prepared in to be my book-nerd-self: I read from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" as we went, including the passages describing the Hogwarts Express journey, and I listened to the movie theme song as I went across, very much caught up i the moment. It will sound ridiculous to those of you who do not like the series or who do not get caught up in books as I do, but that one moment was one of the best travel moments I have ever had.

Well, now that you all know that I am more of a nerd than you had first expected, you can see pictures of both train rides below. After those come pictures of Fort William which is a great little town.

Even if you don't like Harry Potter, I really recommend going to Fort William. It has a very small town feel, for those of you who have been to Big Bear it is a lot like that, except Scottish. Europeans flock there for the summers to go on hikes and to bike, there are tons of trails around. I hope to go back someday to do some hiking or biking there myself, but beware: book early as when i was there, there were absolutely no vacancies not even at B&Bs or hotels.

Mallaig is nice to visit, but I would recommend staying in Fort William and then spending a few hours in Mallaig just to walk around and get a bite to eat. Mallaig is basically a port town, but the fish and chips there seemed to be quite popular.

THE HIGHLIGHT OF FORT WILLIAM/MALLAIG: Going over Glenfinnan (the viaduct/bridge from the "Harry Potter" movies) while listening to Hedwig's Theme and reading from "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone", basically getting lost in a world of one of my favorite authors.

Guide to Pictures:
-First 3 are from the train ride Glasgow-Fort William
-Next are 6 pictures of Fort William
-The following 6 are from the train ride from Fort William to Mallaig, and the 7th one is of Mallaig itself
-Finally, the last three are of Glenfinnan and the steam train (aka: Hogwarts Express, well close :)

Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)

After one glorious day in Dublin and a good nights rest, i was mostly over the jet lag, and ready to move on to my next location: Belfast, Northern Ireland. I took a train and arrived in Rain. I loved it as I am a big fan of cloudy and rainy weather.

The reason i came to Belfast was to go on the "C.s. Lewis Trail" as this is the city he grew up in and gathered inspiration to create his "Chronicles of Narnia", a favorite series of mine. If you want to follow the trail yourself, go to the tourist/information center in Belfast and ask for a map.

Due to the weather and my poor timing, i could not enter many of the locations, but i went to as many as i could. The first picture shows the Linden Hall Library which has a collection of books about and by C.S. Lewis. It was closed when i got there, much to my chagrin.

The next five pictures show "The Searcher" Sculpture. The description of it is pictured as well as a quote from C.S. Lewis about Christianity which i really liked. Below is another quote about C.S. Lewis:

“C.S. Lewis did not just hang clothes I a wardrobe, he hung ideas-great ideas of sacrifice, redemption, victory, and freedom for the Sons of Adam and the Daughters of Eve- set within the commonplace, revelation within something that looks ordinary on the outside- revelation through investigation. We should not stop looking, some of the greatest things can be found in the most ordinary of places, like a wardrobe.”

There was also a letter from C.S. Lewis to a little girl named Anne that he wrote long ago, but as it has plot spoilers for the Chronicles, i have not posted it :)

I really liked this statue a lot, and standing there with the sound of the rain on my newly purchased, extremely touristy, "Ireland" umbrella, i could hardly help losing myself in the world of his amazing literature. The whole atmosphere of the day, rain and cold included, just seemed fitting for what i was looking at.

The next stop on the trail was "Ty-Isa", which was the house of his paternal grandfather. I was not sure exactly which one it was, as it is now privately owned, but i took a picture of one in that neighborhood which i have posted.

Next was St. Mark's Church, where C.S. Lewis was baptised (1899) and confirmed (1914).

I also have a picture of Belmont Tower, a "Gothic styled, late Victorian" building that has a exhibition about C.S. Lewis, but which was also closed when i arrived...alas.

The final stop i was able to reach on the trail was Queen's University of Belfast, where C.S. Lewis' mom attended (graduated 1886) and where C.S. Lewis considered working. Even if you are not a C.S. Lewis fan, this was a pretty impressive looking university (as you can see in the two pictures of it i have posted below).

THE HIGHLIGHT OF BELFAST: Walking in the footsteps of one of my favorite authors and realizing, upon looking at "The Searcher" how similar we all are as we search for answers in our faith.

Dublin, Ireland

After a very long time without being able to upload pictures i am now able to show some of the places i have been and seen for those of you who want to see.

Before getting to Spain, i traveled some around the UK and Ireland, so the first few entries will be about those places.

This first entry is about Dublin. The first picture is the "Spire" which is located on O'Connell Street which is the main drag of Dublin. I was told to go there when i arrived to get to other sights, but i was definitely not expecting a giant needle. I heard it was constructed to commemorate the coming of the millennium. It really is quite high. I apologize for the orientation of the picture, but i can't figure out how to flip it on this sight as of yet.

It has been over a week since i was there, but I think (if my memory serves me correctly) the next two pictures are of St. Stephen's Green. A beautiful park and a nice place to relax in a busy city.

The next two pictures are of Trinity College, built in 1592 as a Protestant establishment. It is known for its library and the infamous Book of Kells, which it holds. Unfortunately there was a really large line to see this, and being jet lagged and having only one day in Dublin, I had to skip out. The campus was quaintly old and beautiful, i recommend having a look around the campus if you are to visit Dublin.

The next two are of Christ Church Cathedral which was built in 1169 (the original was made out of wood on this sight in 1038).

The next two are St. Patrick's Cathedral. It is Ireland's largest, made in the 12th century. Jonathan Swift is buried inside as he was once the Dean of St. Patrick's.

This next series of pictures is of the Dublin Castle and the random Ireland Author's Sculpture exhibit i found within the grounds. The first sculpture commemorates Jonathan Swift's "Gulliver's Travels", the next commemorates a passage from James Joyce's "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (one for all you Butera and IB Literature fans out there), the next is one based off of a poem by O'Brien, and the final one has the heads of some of the most famous Irish Authors (a Mount Rushmore of Irish Literature if you will): Swift, Shaw, Wilde, Yeats, Joyce, and Beckett.

Finally, I am posting one picture of Garden of Remembrance. This was created to honor those who gave their lives to achieve Irish Freedom.

Highlight of Visiting Dublin: going to the Writers' Museum where I got to hear biographical information on and see old manuscripts of famous Irish Authors.