Alcala, Spain Fall 2007

Adiós a Alcalá

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:17:00 +0000

19 December 2007

So my finals are done and this is my last day in Alcalá. It seems so surreal that four months have already past and it is now time to return home. The experiences I have had here and all over Europe have been some of the biggest blessings of my life. To be able to learn about and experience European culture first hand has been so exciting and enriching for me (given my major is European Studies at home), I really can't begin to explain. I have loved being forced to use Spanish on a daily basis, and although I am still FAR from fluent, I have become more brave in my attempts to speak. My brain is so confused now that I can't speak or write either language (Spanish or English) correctly...and I love that.

For some Alcalá wouldn't be a dream study abroad location, but for me...I couldn't have picked a better place in Spain to live for four months. As a tourist, there may not be a full day's activities to do in Alcalá, but living here for me had so much Romantic and historic beauty that I am often overwhelmed with how content I feel just walking the streets in the Plaza de Cervantes or people watching on the bus (the old men who walk around the plaza in cardigan sweaters are especially wonderful to observe ;)

My classes have been great, I have loved being in classes that only speak/teach in Spanish. The teachers here make learning in Spanish about different topics really enjoyable, and they really become your friends.

On top of all that, i have met so many wonderful individuals during my time here. First off: my 4 apartment mates. They are the most wonderful girls ever, heck, they put up with me for four months! ;0) In all seriousness though, i really couldn't have picked better girls to live with, they were such a blessing to me and made being away from home so much less lonely. I will miss them more than they know. I was part of an English-Speaking Bible study compiled of members from the U.S., the UK, and India. They gave me a sense of family and community while being abroad, something that was so valuable to my experience here. Their hospitality and generosity humbled me. I pray that God will continue to bless and guide them where ever they are on this globe. I also had an "intercambio" with one Spanish guy and three girls from Belfast (Northern Ireland). Basically a time to talk in Spanish and English to learn about our cultures but also to help each other with a foreign language. They were so fun to meet with and talk with once a week.

So adiós to Alcalá. It is very bitter sweet to be leaving you: I am excited to see my family and friends in the US, but also sad to end my experience here. I hope to return someday to see you once again and remember all the blessings I have found here.

Pictures of las Residencias (where I lived):

Pictures of my classes at Trinitarios/IUEN (my school, part of the Universidad de Alcalá):
1. Civilización y Cultura Española with Olvido Adújar!

2. Técnicas de Escritura with Mar Martín de Nicolás!

3. Gramática "Superior" with Javier de la Cruz

4. After graduation with Ernesto Filardi (Profesor de Literatura español del Siglo de Oro)

5. Not pictured: Yolanda (profesora de "España y la Unión Europea)

My Journey to School Each day...:
1. The bus stop:

2. Inside the Bus (2P or 2C :)

3. Sequence of shots from the bus stop in the Plaza to our school door:

Shots from the Plaza de Cervantes:
1.Modern Art Statue of Quixote

2. Tree Canopy with Christmas lights

3. The infamous Cervantes Statue! (Had been hidden from view until the last two weeks as it was being refurbished!)

4. Pavilion with Nativity Scene

5. The Christmas Tree!

6. Lights in the calles

MISC:
1. The storks have returned to Alcalá (kind of like the Swallows to San Juan if you will)

2. The Mercadona! (the grocery store I went to all the time)

3. Random statue in front of the Train Station

4. The RENFE (train station) I took all the time to get to Madrid or else where:

5. My Bible study (some members missing)

6. My intercambio girls from Belfast (missing our Spanish compañero):

7. Corral de Comedias (saw a play here for class)

Luxembourg: Vianden, Ettelbruck, Luxembourg City

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 07:04:00 +0000

7 -8 December 2007

Upon leaving Antwerp my friend and I took a 3-connection train route plus 1 bus to Vianden, Luxembourg. Our longest stop on the way there was in Liege, Belgium. We both decided it was Gollum's swamp as there was a large puddle/junk yard area right in front of the train station (see picture below). However, I did eat a Liege Waffle in Liege, so that was cool (not to mention delicious ;).

When we arrived in Vianden around 1500 it was already getting dark and we made the long up hill trek to our hostel, which turned out to be right across the street from the Vianden Castle. The guy working there spoke very little and broken English but he showed us to our "home" (room) and was very friendly. It was a fairly large hostel, at least 3 floors, clean rooms, a large cafeteria area, and hr restrictions on the showers (since normally there would be more customers). The best thing about being there though is that, as we would discover the next morning at breakfast, we were the ONLY people staying there! We also were the only college-aged tourists in town;) Love seeing a place that many miss out on and that isn't swarming with foreigners. I feel you get a more authentic look at it.

We went out to do some aimless exploring as Vianden isn't a big tourist destination so there were not many "must see" specific items we had to visit (except the castle). There were some hiking/biking trails in the wooden/rural area bordering the cobble-stoned city area so that is where we wandered. IT was really pretty to be so high up over the city (see pictures below) and at dusk the lighting was perfect. There were Christmas stars lighted up on the castle and a tower near a panoramic view point we stumbled upon.

The city itself was somewhat empty, in a charming sleepy-town sort of way. There were little shops, cafes, restaurants, and quite a few hotels. We wondered how so many hotels stay open (maybe the summer is more busy?). From the view above we could see the historically-preserved homes and shops, an old bridge (with a statue of Victor Hugo nearby), the surrounding Ardennes mountains, and the river below. The sound of the running water and the sight of smoke coming from the chimneys of the historic architecture below made me feel as if I'd gone back in time (Timeline by Crichton if you will;) and it was very spiritual and peaceful for me.

The next morning (the 8th) we ate breakfast with the two managers of the hostel (since we were the only customers ;)...well we didn't eat exactly with them but we sat nearby because they were speaking German and I, well, don't ;) Then we did some more random hiking around until we could go into the castle at 10am. The castle had a ton of rooms and was a lot bigger than I though. It had images of how it had been re-constructed after it had lay in ruins, photos of famous individuals who had visited in the past, the lineage of rulers over it, armor, catapult balls, and more. Additionally, 3 movies have been filmed there (or at least part of them), which I now have to see ;)

Next we caught our bus back to Ettelbruck, Luxembourg where we walked around for a bit and my friend got a Luxembourg-Bratwurst (red, and more spicy than the German variety) from the little Christmas market that was going on before we got on the train.

Although we were headed back to Brussels, we decided to spend some time in Luxembourg City since we were on an open/non-reservation type ticket and had to switch trains there anyway.

We walked from the station to the city center and saw a monument dedicated to soldiers of WWI (?), the flame of the unknown soldier (I think most European capitals have one of these), and a church along the way. There was a HUGE Christmas market and festival going on so we walked along there for a while checking out the booths. We each got a Liege-waffle that was especially delicious as it was very warm and the weather was colder that day. We then walked to where the fortress/moat/water area was and took A LOT of pictures. Luxembourg City was a very interesting place: tons of richy-rich shopping combined with cobble stoned streets and the ruins of an old fortress village. Something I love about the Benelux region is that they go all out for Christmas: Christmas markets in every town (some accompanied by a children's choir singing carols in German), Christmas trees (both gigantic and small), decorations in nearly every store window, etc. We walked back to the train station and returned to Brussels (see end of Brussels blog now ;)

HIGHLIGHT OF LUXEMBOURG: Being the only customers in a hostel for the first time and walking around a random-off-the-beaten-track town in a country many people miss as well.

1. Gollum's Swamp: "En el fondo de la galería había un lago helado, lejos de toda luz, y en una isla rocosa, en medio de las auas, vivía Gollum. Era una pequeña y aborrecible criatura; impulsaba un botecito con un pie ancho y plano, acechando con ojos pálidos y luminosos; metía los dedos largos en el agua, sacaba un pescado ciego, y se lo devoraba crudo." (started reading "Fellowship of the Ring" in Spanish...found this description fitting for the pic below ;)

VIANDEN, LUXEMBOURG
1. Various Pictures of the castle in different lighting:

2. Pictures of inside / surrounding the castle:

3. Scenes from our Random hiking adventures:

4. So I am a little bit creepy and took a picture of a locals home decorations...I just love Christmas okay? :)

ETTELBRUCK, LUXEMBOURG:
1. Man-hole cover with a coat of arms:

2. Shop that made me think: "Charlie-Brown Christmas"

3. Random Church:

LUXEMBOURG CITY, LUXEMBOURG:
1. Flame for the Unknown Soldier

2. Christmas Market:

3. Awesome symbol of the Christmas market/festival in Lux. City...wouldn't fit in my carry-on for home though :(

4. Beautiful Architecture:

5. Remnants of the Fortress City

6. Church built into the side of a hill:

Antwerp, Belguim

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:54:00 +0000

Night of 6 December to morning of 7th December 2007:

After leaving the movie early to catch our train, my friend and I went to Antwerp to meet up with a friend of his sisters who said that we could stay with him for a night. He met us at the train station and have us a great walking tour of Antwerp : from the more modern/shopping area, to the historic old town, and ending up in the non-touristy section he frequented most.

Apparently, Antwerp is known most for Rubens (the artist), Diamonds, its fishing port, and fashion. It is described as being a small city with all the elements of a large one. The architecture was really impressive: Gothic and historic with cobbled stoned streets. Everywhere was decorated for Christmas as well.

We went to eat at a non-touristy cafe that he liked. We stayed a long time talking about religion in Europe, European and Belgium history, differences in European and U.S. culture/education system, differences between Belgium and other EU countries, music, books (always ;) and much more. It was especially funny because it turns out that Peter (the guy we stayed with) and I like a lot of the same music including: Sufjan Stevens, Sigur Ros, Belle & Sebastian, the Flaming Lips, etc. He even made us both a CD of some of his favorite music (that we didn't have or hadn't heard of, mostly other European bands/Belgium bands) and recommended good books/authors ;).

After the cafe we went to a bar that a famous Flemish author Peter liked used to frequent and that hosts literary events during the summer. As I said in an earlier blog, Belgium is known for its beer and Peter explained also that each comes in a different shaped/size glass which somehow enhances the flavor or something. I got a rose hip tea served with an orange slice and Belgium chocolate and we stayed here awhile talking more about the topics above.

Then we walked and took a short tram ride back to his apartment where we listened to music and talked some more before bed. It was wonderful to stay with a local and not feel like such a tourist for once! I was sad to say goodbye to him the next morning as my friend and I headed to Luxembourg as he was just so fun to be around and interesting to talk to. I hope our paths will cross again someday in future travels.

HIGHLIGHT OF ANTWERP: Getting to see the non-touristy side of a city with a local and having intellectual discussions about Europe.

1. Various Night Scenes of "old town" Antwerp with authentic Belgian rain (see last photo)!

Brussels, Belguim

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 06:22:00 +0000

5-6 December & night of 8 December 2007

Some of my classmates from my "Spain and the European Union" class and I left early on a 0615 RyanAir flight from Madrid to Brussels, Belgium. We then took a bus to the city center (and hour from the airport RyanAir goes into) and then a metro/walk to our hostel where we left our bags.

Our first stop was to go to the information center near the EU Parliament building (since the initial desire to go to Brussels was to see some of the EU institutions since we were all in the class). There was a lot of free stuff in the info center including posters, pamphlets, and a mini EU Fundamental Rights book all available in various languages of the EU. We decided to come back Thursday (6th) morning to get a tour of the Parliament and then went in search of waffles.

We found a cool place in the historic city center that looked like an old ice cream parlor/American diner inside. This (first) time i got the "Belgium" variety which you can see below. Then we went next door where there was a fries place (start the revolution where you are, they should be called "Belgium" fries not "French" since they originated here) and I knew that this was a place I HAD to bring mom back to since they are infamous for Fries in Belgium! (More details on fries with the pics below).

We walked around the historic part of town checking out the Christmas Market which sold Belgium crafts, Christmas items, chocolates, sausages, beer, waffles, and more. There was even a huge tree in front of the Grand/Royal Palace. There were decorations in all the store windows, an art contest of wooden Christmas trees (all with different designs on them), and tons of lights. It made me so excited for Christmas time being in such a little Christmas village of sorts.

The weather was not the best, but I guess that is typically Belgium. We struggled through the elements as we walked around: sporadic rain showers, strong winds, soggy toes...all part of the traveling experience...I am sure we were quite a comical sight at times with our umbrellas turned inside out ;)

We made a stop to buy Belgium chocolates and there were chocolate shops EVERYWHERE all which usually gave free samples. We also made a trip to see the infamous statue of a peeing little boy (Manneken Pis). I guess there is a museum with a bunch of outfits various heads of state which have visited Brussels have given him. The tradition goes that when they come they give him a little outfit of what is culturally worn in their country. Such a random tourist attraction ;)

The next morning we took an audio guide tour of the European Parliament. The audio guides were available in a ton of languages (I think all the official languages of the EU) and it was activated by where you were standing in the building. It was a really informative and interesting audio guide I think, and it had a bunch of amazing remixes of "Ode to Joy" (the anthem of the European Union). I would have bought a CD of them if they would have sold it there ;)

After the tour we went and got waffles and fries again (they are just so good, this time I got the "Liege" waffle...I am addicted for life ;) We got a metro to try to go to a museum called "Mini-Europe" (which is just what you would think it is) only to discover, to my chagrin, that it was outdoors and over 12 euros to go in...we weren't about to pay over 12 euros to walk out in the pouring rain so we went to a movie instead.

Then our group parted ways, one from the group of 5 headed to Amsterdam, two others were off to Bruges, and the fourth and I went to Antwerp to stay with a friend of his sisters.

**SEE ANTWERP AND LUXEMBOURG BLOGS BEFORE READING THE END OF THIS ONE**

After our stop in Luxembourg City we got back to Brussels around 1830. We dropped our stuff at our hostel and then went back to the Christmas market for some last minute shopping and to get dinner (went to a Thai/Vietnamese place).

HIGHLIGHT OF BRUSSELS: Liege waffles and being in the capital of the EU (which is exciting for me given what my academic and intrinsic passions are)

1. Parliament of the European Union

2. Christmas in Brussels!
-Nativity Scene

-Christmas Tree Art Contest (various wooden trees with different designs)

-Christmas Market!

3. Scenes and sights of Brussels:
-The infamous statue of a little boy peeing

-Comic Strip Row (Brussels is known for its Comic Strip art including the Smurfs and TinTin)

-Harry Potter in French (i think?)

-Night Scenes!

4. Food of Brussels:
-"Belgium" Type Waffle

-Liege Type Waffle (my favorite type)

Belgium Fries (I am staring the revolution since fries really came from Belgium and that is what they should be called. Additionally Belgium is famous for really good fries-for you mom-which are fried twice for extra crispiness)

-One can have them in a "cone" holder with various sauce options: ketchup, cocktail sauce, or mayonnaise (the usual for Belgians)

-OR one can have a fries sandwich!

Madrid and Alcalá for a weekend ;)

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 03 Dec 2007 06:25:00 +0000

29 November-2 December 2007

So, I finally left myself a weekend to explore Madrid. Sadly, up to this point, my only time in Madrid has been the beginning of the program and going to the airport.

Thursday night I went to a poetry/music event in Alcalá called "Ambigu". There were performances in both English and Spanish, my favorite being my professor Ernesto reading some of his poetry (published and written in Spanish).

Friday I headed into Madrid in the morning and began by going to the Prado museum. I got there 30 minutes after it opened which allowed me to get inside with hardly any wait at all (good thing too because when I came out there was a huge line!). My favorite pieces I saw were: Las Meninas by Velázquez, The 3rd of May 1808 by Goya, The Family of Carlos IV by Velázquez, and La Maja Desnuda right next to La Maja Vestida by Goya.

After the Prado I went to explore Retiro park. It is beautiful and massive! This park alone made me love Madrid so much more. The first time I experienced Madrid I was really overwhelmed by how urban and "big city" it was, and I didn't really like it. But this Park made me see the beauty in Madrid, it was a place of serenity and peace...I could have spent days in there.

Next I headed to check out the Royal Palace. I intended to go inside and take a tour, but I am bit museumed-out at this point, and don't care to pay too many more entrance fees anymore...so I decided that I was content just to see the outside and did some more aimless wandering around Madrid instead.

At 3:30 I went to an apartment owned by a couple that is part of this church called "Oasis" in Madrid. I have been part of a Bible study here that meets in Alcalá that is connected to this church. Anyway, this couple leads a ministry that gives sandwiches/sack lunches to homeless in their neighborhood each Friday. It is a really cool ministry because they don't just go and give food and walk away, but they try to meet the same people each week and talk with them, establish relationships with them, and make them feel loved. It was a very cool experience to be able to help out for a week. It makes one be very thankful for what one has, and it made me personally think more about helping homeless and not just looking away or walking by without buying them at least a hot meal. I pray God continues to bless this ministry and the dedication they have to helping homeless.

On Saturday I went in later in the afternoon to Madrid to check out the Reina Sofia museum. I think i prefer this one to the Prado only because it is a bit smaller and it had more artists I was familiar with. My favorite pieces I saw were: Guernica by Picasso (along with a series of photos which showed the progression/various steps of the creation of this massive work), other various works by Picasso, works by Miró, various works by Dalí, and a photo exhibit of images of the Civil War in Spain.

After the museum I went to the Oasis church service that meets in the St. Louis University Campus in Madrid. The service was really wonderful, the first of advent. I really like how the service was set up. The congregation sits at cafe-sized chairs and tables for the service. It made me realize how much my soul misses church and how much i need to be more involved with a church at home (and hopefully when I am abroad in the future). I would recommend this church to anyone passing through Madrid or who will be spending a longer time here: www.oasismadrid.org. I got a ride home from a wonderful Irish couple that are part of my Bible Study, which was so nice (and so much faster than public transportation!) We drove by the Christmas lights that are displayed in Madrid at the moment...I am getting really excited for Christmas time!

Sunday I came in and went to the Rastro flea market which happens every Sunday. It was very crowded and HUGE! I definitely didn't see it all, but it was fun to buy a few Christmas gifts and be part of the chaos.

HIGHLIGHT OF MADRID: Walking through serene Retiro park and being part of the Oasis sandwich route/service.

Thursday:
1. "Ambigu" in Alcalá

-My Professor, Ernesto, reading some of his poetry at Ambigu

Friday:
2. Path leading to the Prado

3. The Facade of the Prado

4. Retiro Park

-Anchor in Retiro Park(for dad...GO NAVY!!!)

5. The Royal Palace

6. Evidence of the love of Jamón (Ham) in Madrid:

7. Roasted corn, chestnuts, and SWEET POTATO (for you mama:)

8. Evidence of Christmas coming soon!

Saturday:
9.Reina Sofia Museum

Sunday:
10. Rastro Flea Market

European Street Art Part II

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 07:47:00 +0000

Part II of my sightings:

10 October - 30 November 2007

1. Bilboa, Spain

2. San Sebastián, Spain

3. Oslo, Norway

4. Athens, Greece

(cheating a little...not exactly "street art" but it was in a metro and thought it was cool ;)

5. Milan, Italy (aiport)
(cheating again, but it was a Life-size Hagrid made from legos...had to put it up ;)

6. Kaunas, Lithuania

(below: bike path)

(below: "You will never See me again")

(below: part of a store doorway)

(below: Part of a store-front)

7. Riga, Latvia

(below: mural to promote some sort of museum that was being built)

8. Granada, Spain

9. Geneva, Switzerland

10. Lyon, France
(first two were a mural)

(in a park: "Stick Man")

Lyon, France

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:57:00 +0000

24 November 2007

After my one-night delay in Geneva due to the transportation strikes in France, i got a train to Lyon and with an easy 2 hour ride I arrived. My friend who lives in Lyon met me at the station and then we went off to tour the city.

I saw the Opera House, a statue of Louis XIV, "Theatres Gallo-Romanins" (Roman Ruins), St. John's Cathedral, and Notre-Dame de Fourviere which had a beautiful look out point over the city as well as a mini-Eiffel Tour close by. The walk up to the Notre-Dame de Fourviere was pretty steep but much worth the effort for the beautiful view and to see the inside of the church. The decor inside was ornate and Baroque-esk but with a Roman-Mosaic twist.

Around 1230 me met one of Tony's friends for lunch at a great little "Italian" (with a very French twist ;) place. We had a great conversation about our studies, traveling, what we want to do in the future, and language. I especially liked talking about language with them as they are both very passionate about linguistics.

After lunch we went back to the apartment we would be staying that night and watch a short-independent film that my friend had been a part of when he was in studying abroad last year (he studies abroad at my home university). It was fun to watch because A. we got to see him on screen, B. it was filmed in my home town, C. it was about a girl who had just returned from studying abroad;)

Then Tony's friend left and the two of us went on a long walk to see more of Lyon including his old university (he is working on his master's dissertation now) and "Parc de la Tet d'Or". I loved the park! It seemed to be such a wonderful place to come have devotional time with God, to run, to collect ones thoughts, to have a picnic or just read. We also went to buy these Lyon chocolates that are famous because of their taste but also because of the following story explained by my friend:

"The legend has it that papillotes were born in Lyon (in the Terreaux neighborhood) at the end of the 18th century, when the young apprentice of a confectioner got the idea, to charm his sweetheart who worked upstairs, to send his love notes wrapped up in a candy. His boss, M. Papillot, caught him in the act and then fired him but the idea being quite interesting, made the most of it in his shop - the papillote was born.

tradition 100% from Lyon!! yeah"

I definitely bought some to give to my hopeless-romantic-crew at home (you know who you are ;)

We walked along the river on our way back which was beautiful with all the buildings lit up and reflecting light on the water. There is a really nice bike path along the river too complete with flashing blue lights so bikers can tell where the path curves so as to note bike into the water. Lyon also started this genius idea with bikes. There are many bike stations all over the city where you can pay a meter and then rent a bike for an allotted amount of time. When you are done you simply drop it off at any of the other stations throughout the city! What a great way to see a city and be environmentally friendly! My friend said that other European cities are beginning to take up the idea (Paris for one).

We had some REAL french bread and croissants (almost forgot how good they both are when they are the authentic stuff...it has been over a year since I was last in France), and we watched a bunch of episodes of "Friends" as neither of us like to drink or are all that into the night life. It was so fun to be able to hang out with someone who was a local and who was a friend from home.

The next day we walked to the train station where he caught a train to his parents' home after seeing me onto a bus that took me to the Lyon airport (about 45 minutes away).

HIGHLIGHT OF LYON: Walking in the park and having a great conversation language over lunch with two locals who are passionate about linguistics.

1. Statue of Louis XIV

2. View of Notre-Dame de Fourviere from afar

3. St. John's Cathedral

4. Walk up to Notre-Dame de Fourviere

5. Roman Ruins

6. Notre-Dame de Fourviere

7. Inside of Notre-Dame de Fourviere

8. Interior of Notre-Dame de Fourviere

9. View of Lyon from the back of Notre-Dame de Fourviere

10.Mini Eiffel Tower near Notre-Dame de Fourviere

11. Random Church we saw on our walk around Lyon

12. Fountain near the Opera House

13. Town Hall (?)

14. Court Yard I liked near an art museum

15. BOOK MURAL! :)

16. Part of Parc de la Tet d'Or

17. Evidence that Christmas is coming!!!
-Reindeer!

-Lights!

18. Bike Path along the river

19. Notre-Dame de Fourviere at night + mini Eiffel Tower

20. Two more night scenes

21. Part of Environmental Protest

Geneva, Switzerland...how I spent Thanksgiving;)

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 06:05:00 +0000

22-23 November 2007

I left a little early from my last class on Thursday to catch my 1700 EasyJet flight from Madrid to Geneva. I landed about 1900 and then took a train from the airport to the central train station. From there I walked through the Swiss rain shower to my hostel: Geneva City Hostel (highly recommend it). I was in a dorm with a girl who had been studying in Australia for a year but was now making her way back to the states (via an around-the-world plane ticket) to the states. We talked for a little bit and then I headed off to get dinner at a little Creperie about 2 minutes from where my hostel was. The waiter spoke a little English and it was funny as I struggled to understand and he struggled to explain what the different add-ins were for the Crepes (my Spanish wasn't helping me decipher the French menu very much). He ended up bringing out some of the options to show me so i could smell or visually see what they were. He seemed to find it entertaining. He served my caramel crepe to me in a very theatrical fashion and with a wave of his hand, my plate was even garnished with a little heart of coco powder (see the pic below).

I did a little wandering around Geneva, not too far from my hostel though. Ended up back at the train station for a late night snack and then back to my hostel to sleep. A nontraditional way to spend thanksgiving, but still very fun!

Friday I left the hostel around 8am to go explore leaving my bag in a storage locker in my hostel. It was raining and I hopped a tram to go check out the United Nations building. I didn't go inside but it was very cool just to see the outside and think about what I want to do with my future and with my passion for Europe. There was also a really cool modern art piece outside (see the chair below).

I also went and had a look inside the UNHCR (UN Center for Refugees). When I got inside the lady told me that there was some sort of conference going on until noon with diplomats about refugees and would I want to participate. When I gave a look of grave intimidation she offered that perhaps I wold just like to stay for the film instead? I did. It was very interesting and informative, and I don't think I am well enough educated on how big a problem refugees are, meaning that there are far more instances of injustice that create refugees then I though. When the film ended I left (after taking some free information pamphlets) because I felt a little out of place by my age and by the fact I was the only one there not in a business suit. :)

Next I headed to the lake side and to see "Rousseau Island" (see pictures). It is very picturesque and the water was so clear! I also went to see St. Peter's Cathedral and the Rousseau Museum. The latter was really cool for me since I had studied him in depth in both AP European History class and last year in a year long Western-Philosophy course I took at home. It had a very good multi-media audio tour as well. Next I headed off to the Reformation Museum which had a good audio guide too, artifacts, old Bibles, and lots of information placards. Much of the museum focused on John Calvin as he began Calvinism in Geneva. I went and saw the "Reformation Wall", a monument near the museum.

At the end of all this it was around 1600. I went to the train station to buy my ticket for a 1820 train I was planning to take to Lyon, France. I normally buy all these types of things in advance, just to be safe. However, the website to buy such a ticket was not letting me purchase it online, when i tried a month back I was too early to buy it, when I tried the week of I was apparently too late (within 5 days) to purchase a ticket online, so I had no other option but to buy it in Geneva. But, I was foolish, because I should have attended to this first thing when I got to Geneva since there have been transportation strikes in France. Two different ticket places told me there were no trains or buses leaving for Lyon until Sat morning. I felt really bad because I had a friend in Lyon who was expecting me, but I called him and he said not to worry. Still felt bad for messing up our plans though...but such are the joys of traveling.

The funny thing is this "crisis" of sorts made me feel more confident in myself as I calmly purchased my Sat am ticket and successfully found another hostel to stay the night in. It is a nice feeling to know you can handle your own problems without others solving them for you...so the delay was a blessing in disguise. Plus, I have come to see that the things that go wrong in your travels are actually the tings you remember most later...it gives character and spontaneity...a little spice to your experiences so they aren't so predictable.

HIGHLIGHT OF GENEVA: Walking the streets of a city famous for the Reformation and home of a philosopher I have studied in some depth (Rousseau). Also, seeing the beginnings of Christmas coming to Europe (see pics)

1. My Thanksgiving Crepe:

2. Scenes near the lake side (Lac de Geneve ou Le Leman):

3. Rousseau Island

4. Statue commemorating when Geneva joined the rest of Switzerland:

5. UN Building

6. Chair Modern Art Piece outside the UN building:

7. Monument outside the UN Center for Refugees:

8. St. Peter's Cathedral

9. Monument Outside the Reformation Museum:

10. Reformation Wall

11. Rousseau Museum

12. Beginnings of Christmas!

13.Basilique Notre-Dame
1

Granada, Spain

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:38:00 +0000

17-18 November 2007

We departed for Granada from Córdoba around 1030am and got there around 1330. At 1430 we all met up again to get back on the bus for a short drive to the Alhambra. It was beautiful (architecturally) and had lots of gardens and fountains. What was really cool about the place was just walking along the gardens and hedges, imagining how peaceful a place it would be to come and pray, read, or collect one's thoughts. Something that was really cool about the place for me personally was that poetry was really an important thing there...can see how easy it would be to be inspired with all that beauty around.

For dinner we had a buffet (Boo-fet in Spanish ;) dinner at the hotel and then I went to sleep from a food coma ;) The next day we got a tour of the city center including the Real Capilla de Granada (where Isabel and Ferdinand are buried). Granada has a lot of nice plazas and narrow cobbled streets, it was a pretty city to visit.

We got back on the bus around 1500 to have our 6 hour ride back to Alcalá.

HIGHLIGHT OF GRANADA: Imagining being able to study and write poetry in the gardens of the Alhambra.

1. Pictures around the Alhambra
(Fountain for Rebecca...)

(my flatmates and me!)

2. Views from our tour of the city center

3. Real Capilla de Granada

Córdoba, Spain

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:24:00 +0000

Friday 16 November 2007

My whole program took two charter buses from Alcalá to the Andalusia region of Spain to spend the weekend. After a 6 hour bus ride we arrived at our first destination: Córdoba, Spain.

At 4:30ish we began a tour (in Spanish, por supuesto ;) of the Mezquita. It was really cool to see this structure in person because it is one of the most seen iconic images of Spain. I felt like I was walking into a postcard frame. It is a very interesting mix of architecture as it was originally an Islamic mosque but during the Reconquest of Spain, it was converted into a Christian church.

After the visit my flatmates and I went to get some dinner. We found this little restaurant had I had a great salad (see below). Additionally, I ordered some "bull's tail with Chocolate" for my flatmates to try (as I am a vegetarian, bull's tail doesn't really work out ;) because it was the strangest thing we could find on the menu and they were brave enough to give it a try. They actually said it wasn't bad! (see picture below).

At 2230 our whole group met up and we went to a flamenco show near our hotel. It was held in a patio that had an insulated tarp overhead so it was actually somewhat warm and felt as if we were actually indoors to watch. The show was great and a wonderful cultural experience: it was the first time I'd seen Flamenco. There were 2 men playing acoustic guitars while two other men sang these loud sporadic-Spanish-chant-Romances for the dancers to dance to. I guess that the songs sort of tell a story for the dancers to reflect. It seemed to be a very emotional and expressive form of dance. There was a guy and girl who danced, 3 girls who performed together, and then a girl who did a fan dance alone. The show ended after midnight and I was very sleepy but loved the experience.

HIGHLIGHT OF CÓRDOBA: Seeing the Mezquita and feeling as if I had walked into a postcard.

1. Daytime shot outside the Mezquita

2. Iconic image of the inside of the Mezquita

3. night shot of the outside of the Mezquita

4. My Salad (tomato, artichoke, caramelized red onions, basil dressing, cheese)

5. Chocolate Bull's Tail

6. Flamenco-Acoustic-Guitar player

7. Flamenco dancers (following four)

Frankfurt/Simmern, Germany

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 06:30:00 +0000

13 November 2007

I got out of my hotel around 8:30 to go to a little town about 50 minutes away via bus. I only had until around 2pm to explore so I couldn't go far, and unfortunately, the center of Frankfurt was about 2hrs away by bus. Still, Simmern (the city I went to), was a nice little town to visit as it is one that most people probably never think to see.

The ride to Simmern was pretty, the homes in Germany remind me of Gingerbread houses and there was a lot of Romantic-Robert-Frost-Caspar-David-Friedrich-type woods along the way.

When I got to Simmern I just set out to see what there was to see. There were some nice old churches and impressive yet simple architecture. There was also an open market on the main street where I bought some carmel nuts and sampled some cheese and some sort of German gingerbread. I went into a Christian tea shop, which I thought to be a unique combination for one's own business: Christian books (etc.) and tea). I went into two different bakery/cafes to get soft pretzels, as Germany is known for them, and I love a good pretzel. :)

The bus I caught back was basically a school bus...I mean it went back to the airport and all, but I was by far the oldest person on the bus, and the only non-German-elementary/middle school student on it:)

I only had 5 hours in Germany, but it was a good first taste...look forward to going back for a much longer period of time.

HIGHLIGHT OF SIMMERN: Pretzels!

1. Simmern Architecture:

2. Christian Tea Shop in Simmern

3. German Harry Potter in Frankfurt-Hahn Airport

4. Various German Pretzels/Pretzel Rolls (the 3rd)

Riga, Latvia: Christmas Land!

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 07:04:00 +0000

10-12 November 2007

On the bus ride from Kaunas on the 10th (Sat) I did a lot of reading and watching of the Baltic country side. It consisted of a lot of open land with old abandoned wooden buildings, farms, woods of tall/thin trees that the approaching winter had shaken of its leaves, yet there was still a lot of green to be seen. The sun started to set at 1620! Seemed odd, but I had forgotten that I was actually at quite a high latitude.

At the border a guy in a green uniform came on the bus to check passports, and he took the passports that belonged to us non-EU citizens to get a stamp...which was exciting. I love getting stamps in my passport, but in many EU countries, if you come from another EU country, EU citizen or not, they don't stamp your passport.

Riga welcomed me with Christmas lights in its trees...and it was a much bigger city than Kaunas! It had high rise buildings, department stores, and busy streets. Yet, it did not feel the same as a big Western European city that has the same characteristics, it was distinctly Eastern European somehow...

After I checked into my hostel, Elizabeth Hostel, I went to eat at a place in Old Town ("1739"). I had some Latvian pancakes and a fruit salad in a waffle bowl...very good. As I made my way back to my hostel to go to bed I couldn't help but think this city would be charming at Christmas time. Since there were already Christmas lights in some of the trees and it was so historic, with snow and some Christmas cheer/smells/songs/treats I am sure it is divine.

On day two in Riga (Sunday, 11 Nov) I continued to fall more in love with and feel more at home in Eastern Europe. The best way I can describe Riga is "ChristmasLand: a charming chill, trees shaken of their leaves, tea shops on every corner (haven from the cold), and the smell (and wonderful taste) of fresh baked pastries everywhere.

At around 9am I headed off to the Central Market (located behind the bus station) as it was said to be one of the largest in Europe. It was pretty big, selling flowers, clothes, CDs, produce, bread, sweets, meat, dairy, and fish. It was both in doors and out. I sampled a poppy-seed-roll-pastry that reminded me of something similar my mom and I always get in Iowa (it is Czech), and I also sampled some of the local rye bread which I guess is a staple to Latvians. I saw several huge displays of sauerkraut and thought of mom and dad as they love the stuff. :)

Next I went into Old Town to go take in the big sights as this Riga Tourism magazine recommended (found it in my hostel). Here is what I saw:
-House of Blackheads: "Blackheads was an organisation of unmarried foreign merchants. -St. Peter's Church: built before 1209, "example of Gothic architecture in the Baltics", "meant to be the main church in town" -St. George's Church: built in 1204 -St. John's Church: built after 1234 -St. John's Yard -"Convent's Yard"
-Great Guild: built over 150 years ago, consisted of merchants, jewellers, and writers
-Small Guild: built over 150 years ago, consisted of craftsmen
-Cat's House: "named after the two cats perched on the roof-at the turn of the century, the owner of the building was exiled from the Great Guild across the street and ordered the cats to be turned with their tails towards the Guild. Cat's were eventually turned back after the man was admitted back into the guild"
-Dome Cathedral: largest cathedral in the Baltics founded in the 13th century.
-Pulvera Tower: defended the city from the side of the Big Sand Road, later used to store gunpowder and cannon balls. -Jacob's Barracks -old fortification wall -Swedish Gate: "added in 1698 to celebrate the Scandinavian occupation of Riga...the city's executioner resided int he apartment above the gate...an exceedingly Romantic and considerate fellow, he placed a red rose in his window the night before a good execution." -St. Jacob's Church: built before 1225, church for suburban residents
-"Three Brothers": "best examples of residential buildings of medieval Riga...the 'eldest' brother is the oldest stone dwelling in Riga (15th Century)".
-Riga Castle: built around 1209 by the Order of the Sword Brothers, destroyed during a civil war, is now the president's residence.

Every time I got too cold I would pop into a tea shop, my favorite being "Amelie" that was a wooden-two-story shop fashioned in a French style with an influence from the movie "Amelie"...it had a great view of the Old Town from its upstairs window and the owner had a collection of thimbles from around the world.

On Monday (12 November) I woke up early and went to go to a bookstore near old town (always bookstores with me you know ;) What was I greeted by as I walked outside: SNOW! I got to walk through historic Eastern Europe, my ChristmasLand, in Softly falling snow. It was so magical I was swept away into my own Romantic dream world. In old town I really felt I had waled into a life size Ginger-bread-house-type-scene or perhaps a life-size Snow Globe. God blesses me in little ways such as this...they are the ones that make the most difference in my life.

At the book store i ended up buying two books about Latvia (fiction): "Baltic Amber" (about folklore and history) and "Puppet Maker" (about Cold War Era and into modern times). Then I headed back through the snow to get my bag and head to the bus station to get my Euroline bus back to Kaunas.

HIGHLIGHT OF RIGA: Walking through my Christmasland in softly falling Snow! And being greeted by Christmas tree lights upon entering the city.

Old Town:
1. Charming Side Street

2. St. Jacob's Church

3. "Three Brothers"

4. Riga Castle

5. St. John's Church

6.Pulvera (Gunpowder) Tower

7. Small Guild

8. Cat's House

9. Back of St. George's Church

10. St. John's Yard

11. "Convent's Yard"

11. Dome Cathedral

12. Random Statue

14. Swedish Gate

15. St Peter's church (or another church perhaps?)

Other Riga Sightings:
1. Art Nouveau Architecture

2. Other cool architecture (following two photos)

3. View from "Amelie" tea shop

4. Freedom Monument: built in 1935, the 3 stars rep. 3 regions of Latvia

5. Pretty park

6. Night shot near old town

7. Christmas wreaths at Central market

8. Sauerkraut (for mom and dad;)

9. Latvian Rye Bread

9. Poppy seed roll/pastry

10. Latvian Harry Potter

Kaunas, Lithuania

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 06:41:00 +0000

9 November & 12 November 2007

PART I: Thursday 9 Nov.

I flew from Madrid to Frankfurt-Hahn, and then from Frankfurt-Hahn to Kaunas, Lithuania on the 9th (Friday). When i landed I found a taxi and gave the driver the address to my hostel (Lithinterp Hostel), and I took the 40 minute drive listening to cheesy-English love songs (that I had never heard before).

The place I stayed at was wonderful! Almost like a little dorm room and the lady who owned it even supplied me with a picnic-basket breakfast for the next morning. After some reading I went to bed to get an early start the next morning.

I was out to explore by 8am, although nothing was really open. Still, the charming emptiness of the streets allowed me to take in the city without distractions. I didn't have any real sight-seeing plans, so I just aimed to walk the entire length of the two main streets "Laisves" and "Lilnius" to see what I could see. Some of the things along my way included: Town Square Hall, several churches, cathedrals, Kaunas Castle/fort, and some sort of monument to soldiers/war heroes (an eternal flame, see below). There were tons of monuments and statues to various important figures in Lithuanian history, but as I cannot read Lithuanian I could not really determine who any of them were ;) Still, I don't think I have ever seen a European city with quite so many statues/monuments to significant individuals, and Kaunas is actually quite small!

Despite it being cold there in the Baltics, I was really enjoying being all bundled up and strolling along in such a historically preserved city. On my way back to my hotel I bought this pastry that I had seen in many shops/bakeries/grocery stores I had peaked in a long the way. Since it appeared so popular I figured that it was 1. very good and 2. probably something typical of Lithuania, hence I had to try it. I am not sure exactly what it is (and I lacked the language skills to ask), but it was VERY good and VERY addicting ;) There is a picture of it below.

I headed to the bus station to catch my Euroline bus to Riga, Latvia.

PART II: Monday 12 Nov.

The four hour ride back to Kaunas from Riga showed a completely different view of the country side then I had seen on the way from Kaunas to Riga because now everything was covered in Snow!

Once back in Kaunas I had about 3hrs until i had to catch a local bus to get to the airport for m 2210 RyanAir flight to Frankfurt-Hahn. So I did a little shopping down the main streets. I landed about 2400 in Frankfurt-Hahn and went to my hotel (literally right across the street from the terminal).

HIGH LIGHT OF KAUNAS: Getting a picnic-basket breakfast at my hostel and having my first taste of Eastern Europe and loving it!

1. Kaunas Churches and Cathedrals

2.Historic streets and architecture I liked

3. Eternal Flame/War Hero Monument

4. Town Hall Square

5. Kaunas Castle/Fort

6. Honey-Comb-Cookie-Pastry (was a cylinder inside, hallow)

Athens, Greece

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:26:00 +0000

1-5 November 2007

I left very early the morning of the 1st to go from Madrid to Milan and then Milan to Athens. I landed in Athens around 6:30 and made my way via metro to my hotel. My hotel was four stops away from the Acropolis and when i arrived I got to be a sort of translator between a Spanish couple that was visiting and the hotel desk guy who spoke broken English but no Spanish...it was kind of exciting ;)

I dropped my stuff and quickly made my way to a place I had read about in my guide book "Crepes of the World." It is right by the Acropolis (Areopagitou 3, get off at the Acropolis Metro stop...all you who go to Athens in the future go here for sure, open 7-3am I believe). Anyways, I was very exciting when I saw that Peanut Butter was on the menu for things you could add to your crepe, as peanut butter is hard to come buy in Spain and I am somewhat addicted to it at home;) So I got a Peanut Butter, Carmel syrup, and almond crepe (see below). It was late by then and I was tired from traveling so I went back to my hotel to sleep.

The next day I got up early and made my way to the Olympic Fencing Hall at the Hellinikon Olympic Sports Complex. It took about a hour to get there but I had to go in order to pick up my race goodies and my marathon bib number. It was actually along the coast, so I got to see the water.

After collecting my goodies for the marathon (a bag, towel, shirt, pin, pen, running GU, granola bars, information packet, advertisement papers, and key chain) I headed back to my hotel to drop the stuff off and then scurried off to get some more good Greek food. I ended up having some fruit from the flea market right outside the Monastiraki Metro Stop and then went to a restaurant for some authentic feta cheese and a special dipping cheese for break that was from one of the Greek islands (see pics below). Then I stumbled across an amazing looking gelato placed called “Ice Grill”(if you go to Athens you have to go here, the best gelato in Europe if you ask me: get off at the Monastiraki Metro Stop, walk up "Mitropleos", it is number 82). Although stuffed, I couldn’t resist getting some right then because they had a Peanut Butter flavor.

After that I headed to the Acropolis and got in for free since I am a study abroad student (which I guess technically makes me a “EU student” until I leave ;) The Acropolis reminded me a lot of the Roman Ruins in that there was so much history there and that there was so much to see. It was quite a hike around the place, up to the top, and to see the individual parts. The Parthenon proved to be one of those things one thinks won’t be that impressive because there are so many iconic images of it or photos but that one is still blown away by when one sees it. I also saw the Temple of Athena Nike, Erechtheion, Odeon of Herodes Atticus, Ruins of the Classical Theater of Dionysus, The Asclepion, and the Stoa of Eumenes II.

I also went to see the Agora (once the city’s market place and location for debates on democracy) which included Haphaesteion (a temple) and Stoa of Atalos (home of philosophers’ gatherings).

I saw the National Gardens, Temple of Olympian Zeus, and Hadrians’ Arch and then returned to “Crepes of the World” for the second time, the guy who worked there seemed amused to see me there AGAIN. This time I got a Peanut Butter, carmel syrup, and chestnut mousse crepe. Then I went back to “Ice Grill” and got 3 more scoops of gelato: peanut butter (clearly), almond, and carmel.

Suffering from a food coma I went back to my hotel and went to bed. The next day I got up late as it was the day before the marathon and I wanted to be pretty rested. I stopped by the Roman Ogora which includes the Tower of Winds (originally used as a sundial). Then I went to the Central Market which was a completely and wonderfully chaotic experience. Greeks manage masses of people really well while doing their shopping there, quite a cultural experience to say the least. I samples some fruit and nuts (the best being peanuts in candy glaze with sesame seeds).

Then I bought my lunch: a fresh pita (.20 euro cents), a sesame wheel (see pic below) and cottage cheese (to eat with the latter). The pita was the best pita I have ever had in my life, clearly because it is an authentic Greek one, but they put some amazing seasoning: salty-all-spice or something, but perfect. The sesame wheel was quite popular with the Greeks so I wanted to try one. They are sold everywhere from little carts (like hot dogs in NYC), and they are really quite good (esp. with cottage cheese if you ask me).

I didn’t want to do much walking on Saturday because the marathon was the next day and I wanted to stay off my feet as much as I could. SO I went to a international bookstore I had researched before. It is called “Eleftheroudakis”. I stayed there for a few hours, looking at books I wanted to buy but knew I couldn’t because it would just had weight to my bag for when I go home. I did some reading and journal writing and saw the Greek version of the 7th Harry Potter book. I also stopped off at a used book shop I stumbled upon…always about books and food when I travel ;)

For dinner, and my pre-race meal, I clearly had to return to my favorite: Crepes of the World for my usual. The guy seemed even more amused. Then I went back to Ice Grill for Peanut Butter, Almond, and Vanilla with Baklava (famous Greek pastry) gelato.

I went to bed early on Saturday night because I had to get up at 5am on Sunday to catch the 5:30am metro to walk to the Panathinaikon Stadium where they were going to bus all the marathon runners to Marathon (the start of the race). It was pretty cool to see that stadium when it was still dark, just knowing that I was about to run a course that was close to what the original “marathon” (to announced that the Athenians had one a battle) was. It took about 45 minutes to get out to Marathon. I just walked around to keep warm (was in the 50s) and at 0830 I had to turn in my kit bag (with my personal belongings) to the truck that would take it to the finish line.

The race started at 9 am with a Greek marching band and all the runners releasing a balloon into the air. There were between 9,000-10,000 runners in the race, but it seemed small compared to the other marathons I’ve done because I didn’t have to walk the first mile due to people traffic, in fact I was able to start running right away! The course was pretty cool: from Marathon back to Athens. Parts were just rural communities and others more urban. Local Greeks came out to cheer, wave laurel leaves at us, and shout “Bravo!” as we went by.

I was able to run without stopping for almost the first 3 hours, but then I paid for being lazy in my training in Spain and my calves had nothing left to give. I had never been in more physical pain and had no choice but to walk. I walked at least 8-10 miles of the marathon, a big ego blow, but at least it was Greece ;) Although I was hurting I still was having a good time. I was definitely in the very back of the pack, senior citizens Passing me up left and right, but at about the 5 mile mark this old Greek man reached out a laurel branch to me, gesturing that he wanted me to take it, and that really raised my spirits. I mean, I was approaching the 5hr mark and most of the runners were either done or had already gone by, yet this old Greek man was still waiting to cheer us slow pokes on. I kept that branch all the way to the end. I forced myself to run the last km and the half lap we got to finish in the Panathinaikon Stadium. That was an awesome way to finish: everyone was so encouraging still, even though most had finished already and I was one of the last, there were shouts of “Bravo” everywhere and the stadium had high rise seats, and knowing Olympian athletes had finished here…it was just awesome.

After finishing, I went and ate A LOT of good Greek food, gelato (the biggest serving EVER) and went back to my hotel very tired.

I left early am to go back to Spain on the morning of the 5th (Monday) and got back to Alcala that afternoon.

HIGHLIGHT OF ATHENS: Crepes with Peanut Butter, Peanut Butter/Baklava Gelato, Authentic pita bread, and getting a laurel branch from an old Greek man to run the end of my marathon with.

ACROPOLIS:
1.Ruins of the Classical Theater of Dionysus

2.Odeon of Herodes Atticus

3.View of the Ruins from above

4.Erechtheion

5.Parthenon

ANCIENT AGORA:
1.Stoa of Atalos

2.Hephaesteion

OTHER SIGHTS:
1. Hadrian's Arch

2.Temple of Olympian Zeus

3.National Gardens

4.Tower of the Winds

5.Greek-Craziness of the Central Market

6. Harry Potter in Greek!

FOOD:
1. Crepes of the world!

2. My Delicious Peanut Butter, Carmel Syrup, and almond crepe!

3.The Real-Deal-Pita :) (best I've ever had!)

4. Tasty Sesame-Dough-Wheels that the Greeks love

5. How the above is sold ;)

6. Feta!

6. Dipping Cheese from one of the Greek isles

Oslo, Norway

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 05:50:00 +0000

Afternoon 20 October to Late Evening 21 October 2007

The four hour bus ride to Oslo from Gotenborg was actually really nice. The scenery was just breathtaking and I sat next to a Scottish guy who was now living in Sweden as he was finishing his graduate work there. It was interesting to here is opinions about various things in Europe.

When we arrived, mid afternoon, it took a while to get oriented to figure out where our hostel was. After we checked in we went to get some food. I had heard that this chain "Deli de Luca" was pretty cheap and had a lot of variety, so I picked up some "famous Norwegian Brown cheese" to sample, didn't care for it too much though.

Like Sweden, most things closed up early, so we just spent the rest of the afternoon wandering around Oslo, exploring. We eventually decided to try to find a coffee shop to get a warm drink and sit and talk, but ran into some problems finding one that would be open at 9pm. Eventually we went back to another Deli de Luca which had some seats and stayed until 11pm talking. When we got back to our hostel I had a pastry that I had bought in Sweden which a friend had recommended (vanilla hearts: basically a croissant in the shape of a heart filled with a vanilla custard type cream...very good!).

We didn't get that much sleep that night as we were rooming with Spaniards that went out when we were going to sleep and came back around 3am. Some of them snored a bit, so i woke up every once in a while.

We checked out Sunday morning around 10am and headed to find a coffee shop for breakfast since museums don't open on Sundays until 11 or 12. We stumbled upon a very nice one. I had some great fruit tea and fruit cup. Again, they served my tea in a milk shake glass and I had to drink it with my mittens on because it was too warm. :) They had blankets there too in case anyone wanted to sit outside...love that about Scandinavian coffee shops.

After breakfast we hopped on the Metro to go the Noble Peace Center. It was along the water and was very much worth the visit. The first exhibit, on the bottom floor, was on "freedom". It examined what that word means to different people and what positive and negative things have been done throughout history in the name of "freedom". There were artistic films, information boards, video clips (with the Enron scandal and President Bush for example), pictures, and pull-out-information cards with quotes (from people who had suffered to achieve some objective of "freedom"). I liked the quote section the best (as I am a quote fanatic) and wrote down a few to put in my "quotes to keep" archive I have on my computer. I want to read some of the books written by and biographies on some of the people covered in this exhibit...I am turning into my mother after all :) (she loves reading bios for all you who don't know)

The second part of the museum was in a dark room. There were little TV monitors help up in a field of neon-lighted plastic rods. When you approached, they sensed the motion and would change from a picture of a Noble Prize Recipient to a paragraph explaining who they were and what they won it for. It was a really cool way to show who has one in the past, and very informative. It would be a kind of place I would love to work in and could spend hours in.

Next we got back on the Metro and went to the Munch Museum. It was pretty far from the city center but next to a beautiful park and botanical garden. We got lunch at a wonderful and cozy cafe right near the museum, kind of hidden on a side street. If I lived in Oslo, this would for sure become my regular spot to hang out, read, study...whatever. I had tea (obviously ;) and mozzarella-herb-tomato bruschetta on hearty-thickly sliced-whole grain-toasted bread with pumpkin seeds on the crust. It was amazing, could barely keep myself from scarfing it down.

After a warm and hearty meal, we toured the museum. It ended up being free that day, which was a nice surprise. It held mainly lesser known works but was still very interesting. There was a pencil drawing of "The Scream" and posters of the actual painting saying "help find me" (in Norwegian). It is really too bad that painting was stolen, I would have loved to see it as it is one of my favorites.

After the museum we walked around the park which was beautiful (like all the parks in Scandinavia) :) Then back to the hostel to collect our bags, a tram-ride-walk to the bus station for a 6:30 departure for our 1 hr 40 min bus ride to the Oslo Torp Airport. Our flight departed at 920pm getting us to Madrid just after midnight. From there we had to get the metro to Avenida de America bus station to get the late night bus back to Alcala. Then we had to take a taxi back to our apartment (buses don't run after 11:30pm) and to bed around 3am. 5 hours later we were up for school, but the sleepiness was much worth the trip.

HIGHLIGHT OF OSLO: The wonderful coffee shops we visited and ate at and our visit to the Noble Peace Center.

1. Some views of what I loved best about Oslo:
-near the Noble Peace Center

-Near the Munch Museum

-Liked the color palettes and architecture

-Following four also in the park near the Munch Museum

2. Noble Peace Center

3. City Hall

4.
5. Our Lunch Before the Munch Museum
-View from inside (note the blankets outside they provide for customers :)

-My wonderful bruschetta on hearty whole-grain-toasted bread w/pumpkin seeds ;)

-My mango-apple hot tea...in a milk shake glass?

6.Munch Museum

7. Random Statue I liked

8. "Famous" Norwegian Brown Cheese (didn't care for it too much ;)

9. The "Vanilla Heart" from Sweden...very good!

Gotenborg, Sweden: I fell in Love

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:38:00 +0000

Late Evening 18October – MidMorning 20 October 2007

WARNING: VERY LONG BLOG WITH LOTS OF PICTURES! ☺

One of my apartment-mates and I left right after school to get to our 1705 Ryan Air flight from Madrid to Gotenborg Sweden. I had very few expectations of Gotenborg as the people I had talked to who had been to Sweden had never been there.

We arrived late at night, seeing a beautiful Scandinavian sunset from our plane window. The airport consisted of a portable on an airfield, but it was welcoming all the same. We easily found the shuttle to take us into the city and checked into our hostel by 1030ish. We asked where we could go to get some food, and were told that the only thing open in Gotenborg at that time of night was 7-Eleven. It was funny to us because it was such a stark contrast to Spain where the night is just beginning at 1030 or 11pm.

The people who worked at 7-Eleven were really nice and spoke English (almost everyone we met in Sweden did). It was exciting for me to check out the different Swedish foods that were offered in a familiar-American establishment. There was actually a lot of good stuff in there so it wasn’t at all a unpleasant place to eat our first meal in Sweden. I ended up getting a whole grain roll, a hot tea, and a Swedish cinnamon roll…all warm and wonderful.

The next morning we got up around 9am and headed out to a breakfast place I had researched before we came and was quite excited about because it served pancakes! You just can’t find places that serve pancakes in Spain…so this was quite a treat. The place is called “Eggs & Milk” and it is a very stylish and warm café. After ordering our pancakes we were given a buzzer which would tell us when our food was ready. They were delicious…all four of them (huge too). I told the lady who took our payment that we would definitely be back again tomorrow morning.

Next we set out to get the “Gotenborg Pass” which gave us entrance into a lot of the sights and access to all the public transportation for a set fee. The first thing we went out and did was walk along the water (a moat) in these parks and tree-lined sidewalks. Everything was stunningly beautiful for me and it was in this moment, with a stomach happily full of pancakes, that I fell in love with Sweden. The fall air was crisp and refreshing, the falling of the leaves was calming and soothing to the soul somehow, and the golds and reds of the leaves on the many lovely trees was too beautiful for words. The best way to describe how I felt was complete contentment and joy…it was a spiritual experience for me as I felt the Lord’s presence all around me in the mastery of His artistic creations. I was in awe and constantly taking pictures to try to capture how I felt.

We went to a Botanic Garden by tram (which turned out to be a mini-adventure was we went the wrong way after getting off the tram and had to j-walk across a highway;). In the garden I was again Romanced by Sweden’s beauty with all the autumn wear on the trees and the sunlight playing through their branches. We went into a green house (since it was warm) and saw some tropical plants.

Next, we went to another park (known by my guide book to be “one of Europe’s best preserved 19th century parks”) that had the infamous “Palm House” (designed to look like the crystal palace in England). We saw more tropical plants there and were able to take part in that day’s special exhibition of exotic fruit tasting. We had horned cumber, star fruit, a fruit related to a potato, cactus, and more.

We took a boat tour (also part of our pass) of the moat, canals, and the harbor. The best part of the tour was going under these really low bridges. For one, our guide told us that we would have to sit on the floor in order to pass under it. We all thought she was joking at first, so no one really moved, but then she repeated herself and more firmly and we saw the bridge…so we all sat on the floor of this little boat right away. It was called “The Cheese Grater”…and for good reasons. The tour also showed us an old battle ship from WWII (that is now the Maritime Museum), a synagogue, a building called “The Lipstick Building” (that supposedly has a great view of the city), an old sail boat, a floating dock (where they repair ships), the “Fish Church” (a fish market, but also a location where some people get married), and the Gotenborg City Museum (location of the old East India Company in Gotenborg).

Right after the tour we hurried off to a café I had researched called Café Husaren: known for having “the biggest cinnamon rolls in the world”. We were cold and hungry, so a warm, stylish (complete with book shelves and a chandelier) café filled with Swedish pastries was just what we needed. They weren’t joking about the cinnamon rolls being the biggest in the world…they clearly were! I got two other pastries, once which was a long strip of a snicker-doodle cookie and the other was a sticky square of oats, dates, and something crunchy…Sweden does food right. I also got a big tea (tea comes in big mugs here which is nice because I have missed getting a big mug of tea in Spain…they are more into the small mugs of Espresso).

Next we went in search of some authentic Swedish Meatballs, as my flatmmate wanted to try some before she left Sweden. We got a recommendation from a local who said, “It was my living room last year” which I believe translates to “I went there so often last year, I practically lived there.” It was, again, very stylish with bookshelves and soft lighting, old oak tables and chairs. The meatballs were quite authentic I was told, better than one can get at an IKEA in the states ;)

We went and grocery shopped for some snacks because we had a 4-hour bus ride the next day to get to Oslo, Norway. Also, one of my friends who studied abroad in Sweden had told me that the grocery stores were very good in Sweden. Everything looked so good and interesting in the store, very healthy and organic. Between the wonderful coffee shops, pancakes, and great grocery stores…I could definitely live in Sweden!

All the tourist sights close early in Sweden, around 1700, so we had a few failed attempts to go and see some (The World Cultures Museum and the Lipstick building) but we ended up spending the rest of the night at another great coffee shop called “Café Tintin”. It was decorated with posters of the old comic strip “The Adventures of Rin Tin Tin”. The tea was great and the place was so comfortable, we could have stayed all night.

We got up early the next day to get another breakfast at “Eggs and Milk” (a delicious Waffle this time) before we headed to the bus station to get to Oslo (see Oslo blog for more).
I have never felt so comfortable and drawn to any place in the world as I have in Gotenborg. I fell head over heals in loved, and was romanced by its autumn air, golden-leaved trees, charming parks, warm and inviting coffee shops, delicious pastries, and friendly locals. I hope that I can one day work, study, and/or live in Sweden. I just felt instantly at home, and I have never felt that way about anywhere besides my actual home. It was a very spiritual experience for me and I didn’t want to leave to go back to Spain after visiting! I highly recommend to you all that you make your way to Gotenborg, Sweden at some point in your life…you won’t ever forget this wonderful Scandinavian town.

HIGHLIGHT OF GOTENBORG: Spending time walking among the golden-leaved trees with the autumn sun peeking through the branches and then warming up in one of the abundant stylish and comforting coffee houses with a hot tea, Swedish pastry (or pancakes/waffle), and good conversation. In summation: being Romanced by Sweden and encountering God in some of His most impressive artwork.

1. My AMAZING pancakes from "Eggs and Milk"

2. When I first fell in love...(pictures of autumn trees and walkways near the moat)

(Very Robert Frost-esk below:)

3. Pictures from the Botanical Garden

4. Palm House (looks like the Crystal Palace)

5. The Boat Tour:

-Old Sailing Ship and the "Lipstick" Building

-Statue of a woman welcoming the sailors home

-Fish "Church" (really a fish market)

-Church

-The "Cheese Grater" Bridge

-WWII SHip

-My Flatmate and I...very cold!

-View from our boat

-Goteborg Sea Monster

6. The "Biggest Cinnamon Roll in the WOrld"!

7. Snicker Doodle Strip

8. Sticky-Oat Pastery

9. My waffle from "Eggs & Milk"

10. Farewell Sunrise in Sweden!

Bilbao and San Sebastian, Spain: País Vasco

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:11:00 +0000

13-14 October 2007

This weekend I went with a girlfriend I met through a church event (our meeting during Noche en Blanco a few weeks back in Madrid) to Bilbao and San Sebastián: two cities in the Basque Region in northern Spain.

We left at about 10:30 pm from Madrid to take an overnight train to San Sebastián. We slept in a 6-person bunk -dorm type room. The quarters were small, but it was fun. When we arrived I found myself to actually feel quite rested, and an overnight train is MUCH better than an overnight bus (see Barcelona blog ;)

When we got to San Sebastián, at about 7am, we immediately set off for the bus station to catch a bus to Bilbao to go and see the Guggenheim Museum there. The bus took about 1 1/4 hours and it was a BEAUTIFUL ride. It was the first time I have really seen a green Spain, but every turn brought a new picture-worthy seen of some sort.

When we got to Bilbao we headed to the Metro to see if we could figure out how to best get to the museum. Luckily A.)there was a stop that had the name "Guggenheim" in it and B.) everyone in Bilbao seems to be overly eager to help lost looking tourists. Anytime we spent more than five seconds looking at our map or staring at the metro sign, someone would come up and offer to help us figure out how to get to where we wanted to go. We were taken a-back by how friendly and helpful everyone was.

We got to the museum right around 10am as it opened. So, we got in without much of a problem at all. The irony of going to this museum was that it was in Spain but it was featuring an exhibition on American art! However, the pieces were really good, and I have never spent much time looking at American art before. They had divided the works into periods of history, ranging from paintings of George Washington and the USS Constitutions to recent abstract art pieces and works by Andy Warhol. My favorite parts of the museum were the architecture itself and the giant spider sculpture (see pictures below).

By early afternoon we caught a bus back to San Sebastián. We spent the rest of the day walking around San Sebastián. We ate at a little historic-looking cafe (where I got to have some Basque Cheese-see picture below) and we also had some really good gelato on Boulevard (the main street in the historic area).

We checked into our hostel, which was on a side street off Boulevard. The place was really unique and had a hippy-vibe (if you look at the picture of the chandelier below, that about sums up the whole vibe of the place). We went to bed between 11-12 in order to be ready for more sight seeing the next day.

We checked out of our hostel in the morning and set out to explore. We first went to a coffee shop we happened upon while walking randomly up and down some streets. We haven't encountered many coffee shops in Spain (most places are cafes-bars which cell coffee or tea but don't have the feel of a coffee shop like the ones in the US). So we had some tea and just relaxed while talking for a while.

After that we headed to see the Catedral del Buen Pastor (The Cathedral of the Good Shepard). It was a really beautiful building, and just as we arrived we saw a bride and groom walk inside for their wedding. Being the hopeless romantic I am, I naturally had to go have a peak. Other tourists were inside as well to check out the church with them…we ended up staying for the entire wedding! It was a really cool experience to see what a wedding is like in Spain. The choir that sang was amazing especially due to the good acoustics in this church. It was a very unique encounter with God, sitting in an impressive Spanish church and listening to classical worship music in Spanish…what a blessing.

After the church service we went and got some amazing gelato, for the second time that weekend…if you don’t know this about me by now, I am obsessed with frozen dairy, esp. gelato (or my favorite frozen yogurt spot at home ;). We sat on a bench in the sun in a park near Playa de la Concha and people watched. After that we read for a while and then did some window and souvenir shopping for a while, this of course included a good 40 minutes in a book store ;)

Then we grabbed some dinner and walked along the water back to the train station to take the overnight train back to Madrid.

HIGHLIGHT OF BILBOA AND SAN SEBASTIáN: Hanging out with a new friend I found I had sooo much in common with, eating good gelato, seeing a giant spider, and being immersed in the charm of San Sebastián’s beautiful boardwalk and boulevards.

BILBAO

1. Jeff Koons' Puppy outside the Guggenheim Museum

2.Modern art outside the museum

3. The museum's exterior, designed by Frank Gehry

4. Maman by Louise Bourgeois (my personal favorite), outside the museum

5. Park in Bilbao

SAN SEBASTIáN

6. Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (Statue of Jesus)

7. View of Concha Beach (Playa de la Concha) and Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (in the distance)

8. Playa de la Concha

9. Basque Cheese (yum!)

10. Chandelier in our hostel: about sums up how awesome it was ;)

11. architecture along "Boulevard" in the "Parte Vieja"

12. Catedral del Buen Pastor

13. Interior of the Cathedral (see the Good Shepard?) :)

14. Dusk image of San Sebastián

15. Nighttime shot along Río Urumea

European Street Art Part I

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 08:09:00 +0000

16 August-9 October 2007

My various sightings of European street art thus far.

1. Dublin, Ireland

2. Belfast, Northern Ireland (UK)

3. Fort William, Scotland

4. Edinburgh, Scotland

5. Alcalá, Spain

6.Porto, Portugal

(Okay not really street art, but just a funny advertisement ;)

7. Barcelona, Spain

8. Tanger, Morocco

9. Seville, Spain

10. Porto de Santa Maria, Spain (Near ROTA)

Día de Cervantes: Alcalá, Spain

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:42:00 +0000

9 October 2007

One of the many reasons I love Alcalá is that their major claim to fame is that Miguel Cervantes (author of the infamous "Don Quixote") was born here. So, they host a medieval festival for a week culminating in the "Día de Cervantes" (Cervantes' Day) to celebrate his birth (or his baptism?).

Anyway, it was really fun to walk around the different booths which sold medieval type crafts, food, spices, and more. There was also an animal pen, donkey rides, a wooden merry-go-round, banners of coats of arms, a musical parade, and of course Don Quixote and Sancho Pancha riding down the street.

Alcalá is great for its sense of community and its joy in celebrating life. It finds an excuse to celebrate the little things, but this day was very popular and the streets were PACKED with people.

HIGHLIGHT OF DíA DE CERVANTES: Walking around a medieval fair with Don Quixote riding down the street on his trusty steed and realizing in my head that, "Yep, this is where I live."

1. Banners in the Plaza de Cervantes (set up before the festivities began)

2. Coat-of-arms banners down Calle Mayor

3. Used book fair in front of the main Cathedral

4. Wood carver and guitar player

5. Crepes!

6. The man: Don Quixote

7. His trusty side kick: Sancho Pancha

8. The Crowds!

9. Puppets for sale

10. Spices

11. Basket Weaver

12. Pulpo (aka: Octopus)

13. Cerdo (aka: Pig meat-favorite of the Spaniards)

14. Licorice (for mom ;)

15. Wooden Merry-go-Round

16. Fresh made potato chips (for mom again ;)

17. Dates (for mom one more time ;)

Andorra la Vella, Andorra (with a little Lleida, Spain)

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:29:00 +0000

6-7 October 2007
*WARNING: Sorry, this blog turned out to be really long for some reason, just many amusing-frustrating anecdotes to share ;)

I left early Saturday morning to get a bus into the center of Alcalá to get a train to Madrid to get a train to Lleida to catch a shuttle bus to Andorra (altogether taking 7 hours). When I got to Madrid, at about 8:15am I was told that I could either take the 8:30 train and pay for a first class ticket, or I could wait until 11:30 and get a cheaper price. I am a huge tight wad, and it killed me to pay for a luxury I did not need or desire, but I only had a day to be in Andorra, so I paid the extra and got on my way to Lleida, Spain.

Once in Lleida, I went up to a tourist office and asked a woman how to get to the bus station to catch a shuttle to Andorra (I had read this was how to get there as one cannot take the train into Andorra). She said that I actually could just catch the shuttle from the train station. I had an hour to kill so I walked a little around Lledia. There didn’t seem to be too much there, a few shops and cafes, it appeared to be an industrial sector. I got some fresh fruit from a local market and then got the “Viatges Montmantell” Shuttle to Andorra la Vella (32 Euros round trip).

It was a 3 hour bus ride, but the scenery was gorgeous and I was reading a very good book so I didn’t mind the journey at all. I was disappointed that there was not passport stamp when I crossed the border, but still giddy to be in a new country, and one that many won’t take the time to see as it is rather difficult and complicated to get there by public transportation.

The shuttle dropped me off near my hotel around 3:15pm: Hotel Viena. After I checked in and dropped off some of my stuff, I went out to explore Andorra la Vella. Andorra la Vella (the capital of Andorra) is known for its duty free shopping, called “Europe’s Shopping Mall” for this reason. I didn’t come to shop, but as it was the easiest city to get to and the journey was already complicated enough, I just decided to stay there for my Andorran experience. There were a ton of Europeans on the streets with all sorts of shopping bags. There were many stores for electronics, alcohol, chocolate, tobacco, jewelry, perfume…you name it they had it. It has the glitz of Vegas, only with shopping instead of casinos.

However, I was on a quest. I had researched into what was good to eat in Andorra and had discovered they had Creperies. So, I set out in search of a Crepe. I didn’t realize it would be such a challenge, and an hour and half later I was still looking. However, I was having fun exploring the random streets and taking in the chaotic juxtaposition of beautiful Pyrenees mountains (I hope to come back to this area someday to do hiking in them) and glitzy shopping. Finally, I found a place to get a crepe. However, to my great embarrassment, after traveling alone all day when the patron approached me all my Spanish speaking skills (the limited ones I possess) left me and I stumbled over my words to ask the simple question in Spanish “can I sit at any table”. I believe it was the combination at the joy of finally finding my crepe mixed with 8 hours of not speaking that much that made me incapable of communication, however the owner of the café was very kind and have me a look of pity mixed with mild amusement and was very attentive to me thereafter (I think he felt sorry for the poor girl who could not communicate). Still, the delicious crepe was well worth the embarrassment, I even contemplated ordering a second ;)

After my crepe, I set out on my second quest (which took another hour of exploring up and down the streets) to find gelato. I finally found a place in a department store of sorts. It was very good and looked pretty authentic (gelato-wise). However, as I was wondering back to my room I happened upon a legitimate geladeria (aka: all they sold was gelato). Although I had literally just finished two large scoops of gelato, I just couldn’t pass up the chance to try this place out too. So, lacking all self-control I got two more scoops and walked back to my hotel. It was starting to grow dark, and a food coma had set it, so I went to sleep ridiculously early but with a very happy stomach.

I woke up early Sunday, intending to catch the 8am shuttle back to Lleida. I had seen that the train left from Lleida at 12:22 or 15:05. Taking the 8am shuttle would get me there by 10:30ish but the next shuttle (9:30) wouldn’t get me there until 12:30 meaning I would miss the 12:30 train, have to wait until 3pm to catch the next train, and not get back to Madrid until 6pm instead of 3pm.

I had asked the shuttle driver when he dropped me off (in Spanish) where I could pick it up the next morning. He told me (in Spanish) something that sounded like “the other side” and seemed to point to another street. When I asked the owner of my hotel, he pointed on a map to a bus stop across the way, but when I went to this bus stop there was no sign indicating that this is where the shuttle stopped. I went to another (more upscale) hotel and asked where I could find the shuttle and he said I had to go to the bus station: 15 minutes walk away, but I had only 5 minutes until the 8am shuttle left. So I ran to the bus station only to have them tell me the shuttle did not leave from there, and that they weren’t sure where I could get it but it was likely at the street I just came from. Knowing I had missed the 8am for sure by now, I walked back to that street stopping to ask a bus driver if he knew where I could find it. He answered in Catalan (dialect of Spanish that I don’t speak) how to find it, and I nodded politely and thanked him without understanding what he was trying to relate. It was approaching 8:45 and if I didn’t figure it out soon I would have to wait for the 12:30 shuttle, so I went into a café and asked. The lady inside asked me in French if I spoke French, and I answered in Spanish that I spoke Spanish (Andorra’s official language is Catalan, but they also speak Castellan Spanish and French). She then kindly informed me that I could get the shuttle at ANY bus stop as it would go past them ALL, and I merely had to flag them down. The gist of this all being I could have caught the 8am shuttle no problem if I just would have gone to the bus stop 20 yards from my hotel and waited ;) God has a good sense of humor.

When I got to Lleida I found out that the train actually left at 1:15pm (again, God has a good sense of humor), so I had an hour to kill again. I walked out to explore and discovered that there was a flea market going on. There were locals selling everything from used books/records, old postcards, military stuff (hats, pins, gas masks), to trinkets, nuts and bolts, and a used car radio. It was fun to walk around and explore and then God blessed me after all my frustration of the morning by providing me with a stand that sold European coins. Since most of Europe is on the Euro now they no longer use their individual currencies of the past. Since I was little, I have been collecting foreign coins; hence, this discovery was rather exciting for me. I bought currency from Portugal (before it was on the Euro), Spain (before it was the Euro), and Yugoslavia (no longer a country).

I got back to Madrid around 4pm and went to get some amazing gelato at a place I had been to before (I know I am ridiculous: eating gelato three times in a 30 hour time span)☺. If any of you ever go to Madrid, make a stop at this place FOR SURE. I provided the street name and name of the store (they have a web site too) below.

Over all, Andorra was wonderful, despite all the chaos of getting in and out of there. I would love to go back to the Pyrenees someday to hike, much more of my interest then shopping. Driving past the Pyrenees was simply breathtaking, I could feel God’s majesty at work, it was emotionally moving and inspirational (all of you who encounter God through nature as I do will understand what I mean). It was a blessing to go to a country many do not know about or will ever see, and I am so thankful for the experience.

HIGHLIGHT OF ANDORRA: Driving past the gorgeous Pyrenees Mountains, eating gelato 3 times, and having a wonderful crepe made by a kind man.

1. Crossing the border into Andorra!

2. Glitzy Shopping strip of Andorra la Vella

3. Church in Andorra la Vella

4. River running through Andorra la Vella

5. Cheese Restaurant I saw (Literally served Cheese to you in an artistic fashion), would have gone but was too expensive

6. My Crepe!

7. River on the Road from Andorra-Lleida Spain

8. Splendor of God's Artistic hand in the Pyrenees

9. Some added fog for dramatic effect ;)

10. Main street in Lleida (on Saturday, before the flea market)

11. Booth on the main street in Lledia (on Sunday during the flea market)

12. Street for the best gelato in Madrid

13. The name of the joint

14. Exhibit A of delicious gelato-ness ;)

Ruta Castillos Medievales

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 06:18:00 +0000

Friday 5 October 2007

I left Alcalá early Friday morning on a bus with my class (Spanish Civilization and Culture) headed to our first (of three stops) on our “Route of Medieval Castles). It took about 2 hours to get to the first castle: “Castillo de Manzanares del Real”. It was fun to walk around the exterior and explore some inside. There was some fog in the distance which made for some cool pictures.

After about an hour, we got back in the bus for another 2hr ride to get to Pedraza where we got to explore the inside of a Medieval prison: La Carcel de la Villa (13th Century). We had a guided tour and saw where people were kept when they were imprisoned, often in complete darkness in a room by themselves until they died. We were also supposed to visit a castle here, but it turns out it is a “private” (whatever that means) castle that doesn’t allow for visitors, so we just drove past it instead.

Then, to the bus again for another 1-2 hour ride to get to “Castillo de Coca” (near Segovia, Spain). The town this is located in is a bit eerie, as there seemed to be almost no people in it. It felt a bit like a ghost town, but the castle was pretty interesting; the most picturesque I think. We got to climb up and down steps on the exterior and climb to the top inside.

Then, a 2-hour ride home getting us back to Alcalá around 8ish.

HIGHLIGHT OF RUTA DE CASTILLOS: Talking to my Spanish Golden Age Literature Professor (came on the trip too) about books, literary styles, and Harry Potter in Spanish.

1. Olvido (my Spanish Civilization and Culture Teacher)

Castillo de Manzanares el Real
2. Exterior Shot

3. View with fog facing away from the exterior

4. Shot through a medieval window

Pedraza
5. View of exterior of the prison

Castillo de Coca (Segovia)
6. Exterior

7. Bridge to Castle (wish it were a draw bridge ;)

8. Where we could climb in the exterior

9. View from a window inside

Seville, Spain

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:50:00 +0000

29 September 2007

After getting in late the night before from the ferry returning from Morocco, we slept in until about 9:30 and didn't head out to Seville until 10:30ish.

Seville was one of those cities, like Barcelona, I immediately felt welcomed by. The center of Seville is beautiful. The architecture was an attractive mix of modern with old, a Latin style with a more Arabic style. The color palate was bold mixed with softer pastel colors and adorned with decorative tiles. The city was flat with wide boulevards, welcoming plazas, relaxing parks, and interesting side streets. It was a city one could enjoy getting lost in, and I couldn't help but think how nice it would be to live close by and be able to just wander around daily or sit and people watch there.

The first thing we went to see was the Cathedral. It was a really impressive structure. The outside was decoratively carved, it had a rose window, stained glass windows, a huge organ inside, gold decor inside, and very high ceilings. The Cathedral also has Columbus' tomb inside (see below).

After a visit here, we just wandered down random side streets to get a feel for the place. We saw a plaza that had orange streets (that are inedible but are planted to create a contrast in color and to provide a lovely aroma).

We ate lunch on one of the little side street cafes and then went to wander in search of a good gelato place. It was a place called "Los Angeles" and it was very good: good portions, good taste, good price. It is all about the gelato for me in Europe :)

We drove along the water way (reminded me a pit of the walkway along the Seine in Paris) and then made a quick stop at Plaza de España. This was a really cool sight as it had sections of tile dedicated to each of the regions of Spain. The tiles were painted with a map of the region as well as a historic event that was significant to the region.

We returned back to our "home" around 6pm and then went to the beach to see the sunset. We had a drink at a Moroccan-style tea place in an area called "Petit Sherry". There also was a model of some old ship (one of Columbus' I think), so we took a pirate picture (see below). My tea was very good: Mango tea served in a decorative gold glass and accompanied by dates (had never had them before, and they are actually quite good!). Then we returned back "home" to watch about 3 episodes of "Top Chef" as our hostess had the ability to get US TV in her home and we hadn't seen any TV for a month.

HIGHLIGHT OF SEVILLE: Wandering the side streets and feeling welcomed by such a beautiful city.

1. First Views of Seville:

2. Side Street and Plaza (with the orange trees)

4. The Cathedral

5. Tomb of Columbus

6.Part of the exterior to the Cathedral

7. My flatmates and I in front of the Cathedral

8. Plaza de España

9. Sunset near Petit Sherry

10. Pirate Pic

11. My Mango tea with Dates

Tanger, Morocco

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:50:00 +0000

Afternoon of 28 September 2007

After Gibraltar we drove to Tarifa, Spain to catch a 3pm ferry to Tanger, Morocco. The ferry was huge and could seat about 500 people. Although, when we took it, there were barely 30 people on board. The trip out wasn't too bad, a little rocky, but it only took 45-60 minutes and we had arrived to the African continent. I was really excited to be (technically speaking) in Africa for the first time.

The funny thing about taking the ferry is that we had to get our passport stamped once in Tarifa by Spanish authorities and then again by Moroccan authorities on the ferry. When we returned we did the same ritual in reverse, with a total of 4 stamps on our passport instead of the usual two.

It was a little overwhelming getting off the ferry and stepping onto African soil (or cement rather) for the first time. It suddenly hit us that we were four girls by ourselves in an African and Arab country for the first time, we had not maps, and we had no idea where we could go. But, God works in wonderfully and mysterious ways, and we were immediately approached by a man with a tour-guide badge offering to give us a walking tour of the city for 5 euros a piece. At first I was very suspicious, seeing as we had literally just stepped off the ferry and because he was very eager and determined to give us a tour. However, in the end, we agreed having really no better option.

It turned out to be a huge blessing though, for without him we would have been lost and felt much less secure in walking around since we really had no idea where to go. He explained that since it was Ramadan we only had a few hours to see things before everything closed up. So, the first thing we did was go to a Moroccan restaurant he recommended. The decor was Arabic in style and we sat on elevated cushions with pillows. We ate off of decorative china and there were even 3 men in fezzes playing Moroccan music for us while we dined. Most of the food I couldn't eat because it had chicken in it, but I filled up on a lot of bread which was really good. You can see pictures and descriptions of our meal below.

After that he took us to an open market (helped me buy some Moroccan fruit), down charming side streets, to see a local Catholic church, to see people coming out of a mosque, showed us a 300 year old tree, and showed us the Kasbah.

He also took us to a local store to buy some souvenirs. It was clear to us, at this point, that his route was very organized and that he likely had deals with/was friends with the owners of the restaurant and the store. For 5 euros apiece, I hope he gets some commissions or something for taking us to those places. We did some haggling and bought some gifts, and the people in the store were really nice to talk to. They were determined to give us a "package deal" and "good student price", it was a very worthwhile experience. While in the store, we also heard the call to prayer over some sort of intercom system. You could hear it anywhere you were in the city.

Before heading back to the ferry, our guide helped us buy some honey cakes. He had been mentioning them a lot when we asked about what they ate there normally and what they usually ate when they broke the fast of Ramadan at night. So, I just had to try them. He got us 4 different varieties and they were SO good. Any of you who go to Morocco, you HAVE to try these things, and they are very cheap. They were so good one had to exercise self-control not to inhale them. Anyways, it was good to try something very local and authentic.

Morocco is 2 hours behind Spain because it does not change its clocks for daylights savings. So, we went to catch the 7pm ferry (9pm Spain time) since we literally just missed the 5pm one. When we got there, we discovered that since it was Ramadan all the ferries were pushed back 30 minutes, and in the end we left around 8pm (10pm Spain time). Our guide had to go home to his family, so we had to just chill and eat honey cakes for about 2 hours waiting for the ferry to depart.

While we waited God entertained us with some lighting, which really completed the experience for me. It was really fun to spend a day in Morocco, especially with our wonderful God-sent guide.

HIGHLIGHT OF MOROCCO: Experiencing Africa and an Arabic country for the first time and eating delicious HONEYCAKES!

1. Ferry from Tarifa, Spain to Tanger, Morocco

2. One of the first views I had of Africa

3. Interior of the Moroccan Restaurant

4. Me, one of my flat mates, and the lady we stayed with in the restaurant

5. View of the "old city" from the Restaurant Window

6. Our Moroccan Band :)

7. The China for our lunch

8. First Course: Chicken-Lentil Stew

9. Second Course: Fried-Crepe-Cinamonon-Sugar-Egg-Chicken Pocket (don't know the real name)

10. Third Course: Chicken Couscous

11. Wheat Loaf

12. Where the bread is cooked (saw later in the day)

13. Almond-Sugar Cookies (very good!)

14. Olives from the open market (mom and dad: you would have like this part)

15. People getting out of a service at a mosque

16. My flatmates, me, and the lady we stayed with in front of the entrance to the kashbah

17. My two flatmates, our guide, and the lady we stayed with

18.Honeycakes!!! (half eaten :)

Gibraltar, UK

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:49:00 +0000

Morning of 28 September 2007

We woke up early to make the drive to Gibraltar. The funny thing about Gibraltar is that it is located physically on the Iberian Peninsula (aka Spain) but it is owned by the UK. We had to drive across a check point and show our passports and then once inside the city limits all the signs were in English, restaurants had English fare on the menu and British names, and prices were in pounds. It was strange to be submerged into an English speaking culture once again.

It was raining and a little windy when we got there, so the cable car that takes you up to the top of Gibraltar Rock was closed. So, we spent about 2 hours walking around Gibraltar in the rain trying to decide if we should pay 30 Euros for a bus tour and or try to take a taxi. We decided against the bus tour, but we couldn't get a taxi anywhere although we tried to flag them down. Just as we were about to drive up ourselves (which is a tough ride and wouldn't give us an opportunity to walk around up top because there is no parking lot) we saw that the cable cars were working again!

The cable car ride up and down has an amazing view, and takes only about 10 minutes: very worth it for those of you that go there someday. Not only is the view over Gibraltar spectacular, but there are wild monkeys up top. So, Gibraltar became a little more random: English speaking providence on the coast of Spain that has monkeys. These monkeys were used to tourists though, and we were warned that they would steal things (namely food) from your bags if you weren't careful where you put your things.

We walked around up top and observed the monkeys around us. It was very overcast and it felt like you were walking in a cloud, which made for some really cool pictures (see below). Although some of the visibility of the city and the ocean were limited due to the clouds, I liked it a lot, it made the whole experience seem a little more fantastic.

At around 12:30ish we descended from our "castle on a cloud" and set off to drive to Tarifa, Spain in order to catch a ferry to Tanger, Morocco.

HIGHLIGHT OF GIBRALTAR: Cable car ride up to see monkeys and feel like I was walking on a cloud.

1.Gibraltar Rock

2. Cable car to the top

3. View of Gibraltar from above

4. Gibraltar Monkey

5. View of the top of the Rock (some sort of historic military fortress?)

6. My Flatmates and I in a cloud :)

7. Memorial Site

Cadiz, Spain

noreply@blogger.com (JMRZ) — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 05:48:00 +0000

27 September 2007

Two of my flatmates and I took an evening flight from Madrid to Jerez, Spain. When we arrived we were met by a friend of my fathers and she drove us back to her home, about 30 minutes away along the coast, where we were going to stay for the weekend.

She first took us by to see the beach that is close to her home (she lives in a city near ROTA, a U.S. Naval Base), and the view was beautiful! Then, after a quick look around her home and a drink , we decided to go have a look at Cádiz, which was about 45 minutes away by car.

According to my guide book, Cádiz is "thought to be the oldest inhabited city in Europe". It is also apparently where Queen Elizabeth made the first step in the coming defeat of the King Philip II's Spanish Armada.

It was a really nice city, small but with a very well preserved historic look to it. We really just kind of wandered along the charming back streets. We saw the Cathedral there, which was next to a nice plaza (adding to its charm was a street performer playing acoustic guitar). We went along a cobble-stoned path way that led to a light house and also had some tapas before driving home.

HIGHLIGHT OF CáDIZ: wandering the historic streets of Europe's oldest city.

1. Beach near ROTA

3.Cathedral

4.Plaza near the Cathedral

5. Entrance to pathway leading to light house

6. Pathway to lighthouse

7. Charming Side Street