This is my last post. Hard to bring myself to think that in just a few short months it was all over. All the things I had once hated and was annoyed by had grown on me. All the things I never thought I would get used to, I did get used to. All the things I never thought I would ever miss, I did grow to appreciate and cherish.
Like the clique, "all good things come to an end" my trip must also come to an end. I learned a lot, traveled far and wide and most of all made some really good friends. It was worth it. If I ever had to recommend traveling, I would say do it. Do it despite how scared you are to leave your comfort zone. Do it because there's a whole world waiting for you to find it.
Some of the things I will really miss:
-Spanish coffee vending machines
-food that doesn't taste like preservatives
-smaller portions (so it forces me to eat healthy)
-traveling and seeing "real" history (as some of my European friends like to say us Americans don't really have history)
-hearing a lot of different languages when you enter a room
-how friendly people in Europe are
-running along the beach while watching the sunset
-TAPAS at lizarran
-RyanAir (even though they are the scum of the earth)
-dinner parties because the food is great and the company is even better ;)
-speaking spanish
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Barcelona
Barce-BCN! I love this city. It is known as "little Europe" because of its unique culture and great modernist art. I've heard so much about Barcelona and it was a fear of mine that I would leave Spain without seeing this city. Luckily enough, I found cheap tickets to Barcelona on the train for about 50 euros.
So a brief of overview of Barce before I go into what we saw. In case you don't know, it is in the region of Catalunya. This region has its own language called Catalan. It is similar to Spanish in some ways but it is different enough to be distinguished as its own language. Luckily enough I never encountered anyone who only adamantly spoke Catalan so getting around wasn't bad. Most signs are in Catalan but with the knowledge of Spanish it was pretty easily to get by.
We stayed for four days because I knew it would be a large city and it would be hard to see everything. Here's a list of the things we saw:
La Sagrada Familia, a famous Cathedral that was designed by Barcelona's revered Antoni Gaudi. He's designs are truly wonders. It is a totally unique experience to see his designs. Although, I am not a fan of modernist art, his architecture is ingenious.
Despite how amazing it looks from inside, the view from the top is a million times better. The view is of the entire city. Since it was the first day in Barcelona, the view of the entire city was a pretty good overview of what we needed to see/do. We took an elevator up but to get down we had to walk down a million windy and narrow staircases. It was a great workout!
Font Magic, near the famous Barcelona Soccer Team Stadium and Plaza Espanya. At night there is fountain show where the fountain lights up and sprays water in crazy but cool ways. The show lasts for about 1 hour with music accompaniment. We found a free patch of grass, popped a squat and ate our dinner as we watched the light show.
Parc Guell, one of Gaudi's designs in the corner of Barcelona's city center. It was a hike to get up to the Park but definitely worth it because after you reach the top you see another wonderful view of the city. The park had two mini "homes" that functioned as the entrance and in the center of the entrance is a view of the large infrastructure of pure Gaudi design. Once you pass that you climb to the top and there is a hill of crosses where you can see the entire city.
Parc Ciutadella, the park in the city center. It had an awesome fountain in the corner of the park (shown below). There was a pond with mini rowboats as well. It was a pretty tranquil environment. That was probably why it attracted the huge crowd of Bohemian people lounging around on the grass. The center of the park was a walk way where stalls of ethnic food and nic nacs could be purchased.
Placa Espanya, like I mentioned in the Sevilla post everyone Spanish city has a Plaza de España. However, in Barcelona the Catalan version of it is spelled differently.
La Casa Gaudi, another amazing design of Gaudi's.
So a brief of overview of Barce before I go into what we saw. In case you don't know, it is in the region of Catalunya. This region has its own language called Catalan. It is similar to Spanish in some ways but it is different enough to be distinguished as its own language. Luckily enough I never encountered anyone who only adamantly spoke Catalan so getting around wasn't bad. Most signs are in Catalan but with the knowledge of Spanish it was pretty easily to get by.
We stayed for four days because I knew it would be a large city and it would be hard to see everything. Here's a list of the things we saw:
La Sagrada Familia, a famous Cathedral that was designed by Barcelona's revered Antoni Gaudi. He's designs are truly wonders. It is a totally unique experience to see his designs. Although, I am not a fan of modernist art, his architecture is ingenious.
Despite how amazing it looks from inside, the view from the top is a million times better. The view is of the entire city. Since it was the first day in Barcelona, the view of the entire city was a pretty good overview of what we needed to see/do. We took an elevator up but to get down we had to walk down a million windy and narrow staircases. It was a great workout!
Font Magic, near the famous Barcelona Soccer Team Stadium and Plaza Espanya. At night there is fountain show where the fountain lights up and sprays water in crazy but cool ways. The show lasts for about 1 hour with music accompaniment. We found a free patch of grass, popped a squat and ate our dinner as we watched the light show.
Parc Guell, one of Gaudi's designs in the corner of Barcelona's city center. It was a hike to get up to the Park but definitely worth it because after you reach the top you see another wonderful view of the city. The park had two mini "homes" that functioned as the entrance and in the center of the entrance is a view of the large infrastructure of pure Gaudi design. Once you pass that you climb to the top and there is a hill of crosses where you can see the entire city.
Parc Ciutadella, the park in the city center. It had an awesome fountain in the corner of the park (shown below). There was a pond with mini rowboats as well. It was a pretty tranquil environment. That was probably why it attracted the huge crowd of Bohemian people lounging around on the grass. The center of the park was a walk way where stalls of ethnic food and nic nacs could be purchased.
Placa Espanya, like I mentioned in the Sevilla post everyone Spanish city has a Plaza de España. However, in Barcelona the Catalan version of it is spelled differently.
La Casa Gaudi, another amazing design of Gaudi's.
Arc de Triomp, like the "Triumph Arc" in Paris, this Arc is a must-see in Barcelona. We had a view of this often because our hostal was just a 5min walk away from this and it was on-route to the metro so every day we got to see this.
What I've learned about traveling is that most cities offer free walking tours. The trick is to find out exactly where the meet and when. It pays to do these tours because you get a great tour of the city and you also get to find out about the history of the city which makes it more interesting to see.
One day as we walked down to the Port Vell (the main Port of Barce) we saw a "teleferico" which was a sky line from the beach to Montjuic. The teleferico gave you the view of the Playa Barceloneta, Port Vell, La Rambla and a view of Montjuic. Here's just a preview:
First Two Weeks of April
Instead of celebrating the start of the warm weather in Alicante, like everyone else, I spent the first two weeks holed up in my piso (apartment) either working on my reports, presentations or studying for my final exams. If I wasn't doing any of the above, then I was working on my 50hours of online training for my internship this summer.
Horribly enough, those two weeks (right after my Sevilla trip) passed and then I was getting ready for my Barcelona trip and the subsequent trips that I had planned. Anyway, that is my attempt to explain why I have been slacking on my blog updates.
Horribly enough, those two weeks (right after my Sevilla trip) passed and then I was getting ready for my Barcelona trip and the subsequent trips that I had planned. Anyway, that is my attempt to explain why I have been slacking on my blog updates.
Sevilla
What can I say? It was definitely a beautiful city with all the amazing architecture that Andalucia has to offer. We arrived Thursday night and went straight to our Hostel. It was GORGEOUS. It had a terrace with hammocks, coaches with covered shades and even a jacuzzi. Although we shared 6 people in a room, it wasn't a horrible experience because in our group of 15 people, we were not sharing the room with random strangers.
That night we ate out at a Mexican restaurant. It was the first time in 2months that I ate Mexican food so ontop of how cheap it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Funny thing is that I ordered Spicy Salsa to put on top of my Burrito and of course everyone at the table freaked out when they saw me dumping 5 spoonfuls into my burrito.
The next day we split up into different groups based on our choices of what to do first. In my group we went to Real Alcazar first. Its a Royal Palace that the Moorish Kings built. In case you don't know, Spain was inhabited by Muslim rulers called the "Moors" before the Inquisition of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel.
It was a gorgeous palace with many outdoor courtyards and gardens. The architecture was so intricate and it had a million arches. (In case you don't know I'm a huge fan of arches and intricate ceilings). It was such a large place that it took nearly 2hours to walk through it all.
Next, we went to the Cathedral of Sevilla. Luckily enough the exact moment we were there Prince Charles and his wife were also there. We got a chance to see her wave out of her car window; my friend swears that his wife was waving at her!
After that we headed to Plaza de España. If you don't already know, every Spanish city has some of the "same" places. There's always a Plaza del Ayuntamiento, a street named Gran Via, and a Rambla. More importantly, there's always a Plaza de España. However, the Plaza in Sevilla is a lot better than in Alicante. There's a magnificent half-circle structure and in the center there is a fountain. Surrounding the fountain are little moats, kind of like the Venitian canals. Take a look below:
After that we headed back to the hostal and the Lithuanian girls in our group had a dinner prepared for us. It was so sweet that they bought groceries and cooked a dinner for us and had it ready as we arrived. (In case you don't know, many hostals have kitchens and Europeans tend to buy food and cook it instead of eating out as often as us Americans.)
That night, we headed to see a free Flamenco show. It was a very interesting experience. I would recommend anyone to pay to see a Flamenco show because what we saw was very simplistic compared to what I've heard that you can normally see in a Flamenco show.
The next day we went back to Plaza de España. Across from it is a nice park where we sat and had a picnic. After the picnic, we went to a few of the free museums they had in the city including the Museum of Art and Customs.
After our walk through the parks near Plaza de España and the visit to the museums. We walked to the Torre del Oro as well and then headed back to the hostal and went off to the airport. It was only a few days but it was an amazing experience. It was my first taste of Andalucian culture and architecture and I loved it.
That night we ate out at a Mexican restaurant. It was the first time in 2months that I ate Mexican food so ontop of how cheap it was, I thoroughly enjoyed it. Funny thing is that I ordered Spicy Salsa to put on top of my Burrito and of course everyone at the table freaked out when they saw me dumping 5 spoonfuls into my burrito.
The next day we split up into different groups based on our choices of what to do first. In my group we went to Real Alcazar first. Its a Royal Palace that the Moorish Kings built. In case you don't know, Spain was inhabited by Muslim rulers called the "Moors" before the Inquisition of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel.
It was a gorgeous palace with many outdoor courtyards and gardens. The architecture was so intricate and it had a million arches. (In case you don't know I'm a huge fan of arches and intricate ceilings). It was such a large place that it took nearly 2hours to walk through it all.
Next, we went to the Cathedral of Sevilla. Luckily enough the exact moment we were there Prince Charles and his wife were also there. We got a chance to see her wave out of her car window; my friend swears that his wife was waving at her!
After that we headed to Plaza de España. If you don't already know, every Spanish city has some of the "same" places. There's always a Plaza del Ayuntamiento, a street named Gran Via, and a Rambla. More importantly, there's always a Plaza de España. However, the Plaza in Sevilla is a lot better than in Alicante. There's a magnificent half-circle structure and in the center there is a fountain. Surrounding the fountain are little moats, kind of like the Venitian canals. Take a look below:
After that we headed back to the hostal and the Lithuanian girls in our group had a dinner prepared for us. It was so sweet that they bought groceries and cooked a dinner for us and had it ready as we arrived. (In case you don't know, many hostals have kitchens and Europeans tend to buy food and cook it instead of eating out as often as us Americans.)
That night, we headed to see a free Flamenco show. It was a very interesting experience. I would recommend anyone to pay to see a Flamenco show because what we saw was very simplistic compared to what I've heard that you can normally see in a Flamenco show.
The next day we went back to Plaza de España. Across from it is a nice park where we sat and had a picnic. After the picnic, we went to a few of the free museums they had in the city including the Museum of Art and Customs.
After our walk through the parks near Plaza de España and the visit to the museums. We walked to the Torre del Oro as well and then headed back to the hostal and went off to the airport. It was only a few days but it was an amazing experience. It was my first taste of Andalucian culture and architecture and I loved it.
My Apologies
Life is best when we document it. I know I'm being such a hypocrite because of my lack of entries for the past month. In my defense I was too busy living and experiencing the wonders of Europe to write about it. But here is my sincerest apologies for not writing something much sooner. Enjoy!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Rooftop BBQ
I feel as though there are too many dinners and such that we, Erasmus and International students, plan. I guess that's the point of studying abroad - to eat a lot, meet a lot of people and enjoy life.
Spain is a great place to do just that with its laid-back attitude and the warm weather. (In comparison to rest of Europe of course because Miami is a whole lot warmer than here.) Anyway, the carefree attitude is definitely something that rubs off on us international students.
One great example, is the Rooftop BBQ that my friend Kevin planned. He lives on the 20th floor of his building, right below the terrace. So he thought why not take advantage of the terrace and throw a big Erasmus get-together. Since there's nothing to do on Sunday because all the shops are closed he decided why not then?
So, of course we had a large fiesta last Sunday starting at 7PM where everyone brought their choice of BBQ meat, seasoned and ready to cook. Kevin had a large BBQ grill waiting for us on the terrace and we enjoyed the somewhat good weather as we grilled our food and ate to our heart's content.
He did it as a way to welcome his French friends that were visiting him. It was also a way to hang out with all the different Erasmus (international students) groups that we have all formed. I invited my roommates, or compañeras, as they like to call it here in Spain. It was a great time and mix of many languages, as usual. We heard a lot of Spanish, English, French and German. My roommates are Italian and were able to speak Italian to the other Italian girl that happened to be there.
Although there were a few issues that arose, such as my friends getting stuck in the elevator for 1 hour or the lack of light on the terrace, it was a great view and amazing company. Like always in Alicante, we had a great time just talking amongst ourselves and enjoying the different food.
Spain is a great place to do just that with its laid-back attitude and the warm weather. (In comparison to rest of Europe of course because Miami is a whole lot warmer than here.) Anyway, the carefree attitude is definitely something that rubs off on us international students.
One great example, is the Rooftop BBQ that my friend Kevin planned. He lives on the 20th floor of his building, right below the terrace. So he thought why not take advantage of the terrace and throw a big Erasmus get-together. Since there's nothing to do on Sunday because all the shops are closed he decided why not then?
So, of course we had a large fiesta last Sunday starting at 7PM where everyone brought their choice of BBQ meat, seasoned and ready to cook. Kevin had a large BBQ grill waiting for us on the terrace and we enjoyed the somewhat good weather as we grilled our food and ate to our heart's content.
He did it as a way to welcome his French friends that were visiting him. It was also a way to hang out with all the different Erasmus (international students) groups that we have all formed. I invited my roommates, or compañeras, as they like to call it here in Spain. It was a great time and mix of many languages, as usual. We heard a lot of Spanish, English, French and German. My roommates are Italian and were able to speak Italian to the other Italian girl that happened to be there.
Although there were a few issues that arose, such as my friends getting stuck in the elevator for 1 hour or the lack of light on the terrace, it was a great view and amazing company. Like always in Alicante, we had a great time just talking amongst ourselves and enjoying the different food.
Alemania
Alemanes, or Germans, are everywhere here in Alicante. I have no idea why there are so many of them but I always feel like when I ask someone where they are from they reply Alemania. In a way, I feel blessed because the language that both parties know best is English and it makes it easier to communicate with them. On the other hand, hanging out with a group of Germans (which I always feel like I am doing) can be difficult especially when they start rambling off in rapid German.
To accommodate with the majority I decided to learn a few words. Most of them I use when annoyed as a playful jibe to my friends but some are actually pretty useful, such as:
Hallo= Hello
Wie giehts= How are you?
Dunka, good = Thanks, good
Ich wohne in Alicante = I am living in Alicante
Ich heisse Pallavi = My name is Pallavi
Ich bin zwanzig jahre alt = I am 20 years old
Alta/Alte= Dude (first one for a male, the second for a female)
Eine = one
Zwei = two
Drei = three
Houssen = town
Ich hasse dich = I hate you
Ich liebe dich = I love you
I love learning different languages, but despite what Germans say, their language is nowhere close to English. I am still completely lost when they rattle off in their native tongue, even when they say words that I have learned already.
The great thing about having a lot of German friends is that you get the chance to learn about their culture. I am in Spain so I obviously am getting used to the Spanish culture but this way I can also learn about the Northern countries as well.
For instance, one thing about Germans I have noticed is that they are always on time. My really good friend, Stephie, is always the first one to arrive when we set up a time to meet. She is never late and always ends up waiting on us, that poor girl. The only one time that she didn't come before me was a shock and we made fun of her for it .
Another thing, Germans are very direct. They like to cut to the chase and they do not entertain nonsensical beating around the bush crap. Although many Americans feel that they are direct and forward, let me assure you, not in the way that Germans are. Americans are direct and straight to the point about serious, business matters but in friendships they aren't that much. For example, when my friend sat on gum which ruined her pants, a German friend told her the bitingly honest truth while I told her it didn't look too bad. My German friend was not trying to be mean or hurtful yet her straightforward answer can take you for surprise if your not used to it.
Also, they are very organizationally motivated. What I mean is that when planning a trip, for example, they would like to know exactly when and where. When they choose to travel they do not enjoy wandering around aimlessly but rather having a game plan of what they will do and see next. I noticed this on my trip to Valencia. The group I was with was a mix of all nationalities and the Germans were a little rattled by the lack of planning and direction of the group. We ended up wandering around a lot and had many intermittent breaks. It was a source of annoyance for them.
The sad thing that I've noticed about a lot of Germans is their lack of patriotism. I do not say this in a condescending way but rather I feel bad that they cannot and do not feel proud to be of their heritage. To many of us WWII is a thing of the past. Its history that doesn't seem real to us. To a lot of Germans it is a burden on their culture, a blemish, that they cannot seem to erase.
One German friend told me that during a cultural festival in Germany he had asked his mother if he could put up the German flag. His mother responded rebukingly "No, why would we do that? So that we can be Nazis?" The flag is a symbol of the country and beauty of the culture. Every country has things in the past they are regrettable yet Germany still atones for its mistake. Its something I feel sad about because I am patriotic for my country and proud to be American. And even Americans have a great deal of bad history. We have had decades of slavery and also had the Japanese internment camps during WWII. I do not think Germany should still be punished for things of the past because every country has its own share of wrongdoings.
International Dinner Part Deux
As you might have already read, my friend Steph through an International Dinner at her house a month ago and it was a complete success. Because of how amazing all the food was and how much we all got to eat, we decided to host another International Dinner. And when I say we, I really mean my other friend Meagan.
Since Meagan´s house is a little bigger than the rest of ours, she offered to throw a dinner at her place with a guest list of 30 people. Thirty people from more than a dozen different nationalities and plenty of food sounds like a recipe for success, right? Of course!
There was food from Germany, France, Denmark, India, Sweden, Finland, Scotland, Lithuania and Algeria. I loved sampling all the different types of food. However, the large crowd made it difficult to communicate with everyone and it lost its intimate appeal. The last time there was an international dinner it was easier to talk with everyone while eating and after eating as well. One thing I liked about this dinner was that some people decided to talk on the terrace before the meal and each person was given a turn to tell their life story in their own language. It was interesting to hear other languages and others stories. Although we didn't understand the language it was amazing nonetheless. It was a true Erasmus (study abroad) experience!
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Tapas
Wow, I can't believe I haven't written about this yet because it is an integral part of Spanish culture and more importantly it involves something very dear to me, FOOD!
Anyway, in case you don't know already, tapas are not a type of dish but rather a way of eating . Spaniards have a different biological clock than the rest of us and this works in terms of eating times as well. Small breakfast, humongous three/four course lunch, merienda (snacks) in between and then tapas at around 9PM.
Tapas are small (although some places the portions are much larger) plates of food. It can be anything from montaditos (small bocadillos - aka small sandwhiches made with a baguette instead of sandwhich bread), hamburgers, perros caliente (hot dog), paella, and more!
So your thinking, okay whats the big deal? They are just small snacks, right? NOPE
Like I said, its the way of eating, not portion size. So normally Spaniards eat tapas with friends or family, always with a lot of people and always with conversation. Its not like fast food where everyone scarfs down the food in 5 minutes.
I remember one time I ate tapas and it took us 4 hours! We were in the tapas place from 9PM -12PM. The funny thing is that all I ordered was two montaditos!!
Anyway, why do I bring this up now? Because Wednesday is the big day for eating tapas. Why? Our favorite tapas places, 100 Montaditos and Lizarran, have 1 Euro tapas and drinks. With this amazing deal its so hard to resist, especially for my ever hungry belly!!
Anyway, in case you don't know already, tapas are not a type of dish but rather a way of eating . Spaniards have a different biological clock than the rest of us and this works in terms of eating times as well. Small breakfast, humongous three/four course lunch, merienda (snacks) in between and then tapas at around 9PM.
Tapas are small (although some places the portions are much larger) plates of food. It can be anything from montaditos (small bocadillos - aka small sandwhiches made with a baguette instead of sandwhich bread), hamburgers, perros caliente (hot dog), paella, and more!
So your thinking, okay whats the big deal? They are just small snacks, right? NOPE
Like I said, its the way of eating, not portion size. So normally Spaniards eat tapas with friends or family, always with a lot of people and always with conversation. Its not like fast food where everyone scarfs down the food in 5 minutes.
I remember one time I ate tapas and it took us 4 hours! We were in the tapas place from 9PM -12PM. The funny thing is that all I ordered was two montaditos!!
Anyway, why do I bring this up now? Because Wednesday is the big day for eating tapas. Why? Our favorite tapas places, 100 Montaditos and Lizarran, have 1 Euro tapas and drinks. With this amazing deal its so hard to resist, especially for my ever hungry belly!!
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Las Fallas - One Adventure After Another
Las Fallas is one of the many Spanish Festivals in the Spring time that attract crowds of people and really show the world how lively the Spaniards can be. It is held in the city of Valencia and it is a celebration where Spaniards burn down large Styrofoam structures named "Las Fallas".
The entire week there are different forms of celebration. However, Saturday March 19 is the final day for the celebration and it is normally the day with the most festivities. It is a festival made specifically for pyromaniacs because everything had to do with fire and burning.
I went on a university-sponsored trip with a lot of my friends. From what we were told, there was supposed to be an influx of people from other cities in Spain and other countries in Europe. It was supposed to be pure chaos. They were totally right!
We left Alicante at 8AM and got to Valencia at 11AM. For about an hour and half we walked around the city and saw some of Las Fallas on display. Mind you, these are 15-20 feet tall colorful structures sitting smack dab in the center of the streets. Many of the roads were closed off. It is surprising to try to imagine how Valencia survived a week of the roads being closed and the crowds spilling out into the streets.
Anyway, by 1PM we made it to Plaza Ayuntamiento. For all of you non-Spanish speakers, thats the town hall plaza. It is the center of the city with the largest Falla. Here, they had a festivity called "Las Mascletas" which are a series of fireworks in the air commemorating the start of the final day. But these are not normal fireworks. The sound is so loud that you need to open your mouth so the pressure of the noise doesn't break your ear drums. You feel the vibrations reverberate throughout your body and even on your skin.
After Las Mascletas, we had plenty of time to kill before the parades and the burning of Las Fallas would begin. My friends and I walked around the city, saw the Valencian Catedral, the architectural wonders and even took a siesta in the park.
We were recommended by many to try the specialty food of this festival. Of course, being the ever-hungry and ever inquisitive person that I am I tried both. One is called "bañuelos" and the other, found in America as well, "churros." Both are deep fried dough with sugar sprinkled on top. Bañuelos are in a round shape while churros are in a pipe-like shape. Some of the bañuelos and churros came stuffed with cream or chocolate. There were even some bañuelos made of pumpkins!
After our escapades throughout the city, we headed to the "Cabalgata del Fuego" which was a street parade with demonstrations of fire. There were little "Reinas de las fallas", Queens of Las Fallas, and even little boys with running around with fire-spitting dragons attached to their waists.
From 10PM to 1AM there was a series of burning of the Fallas. In various areas of the city there was another Falla burning and we followed the burning by the sound of the firecrackers and direction of the crowd. We ended up seeing two burn. It was amazing to see the fireworks shoot up first, creating suspense, and then the entire 15foot structure become engulfed in black flames.
One of "Las Fallas"
The entire week there are different forms of celebration. However, Saturday March 19 is the final day for the celebration and it is normally the day with the most festivities. It is a festival made specifically for pyromaniacs because everything had to do with fire and burning.
I went on a university-sponsored trip with a lot of my friends. From what we were told, there was supposed to be an influx of people from other cities in Spain and other countries in Europe. It was supposed to be pure chaos. They were totally right!
We left Alicante at 8AM and got to Valencia at 11AM. For about an hour and half we walked around the city and saw some of Las Fallas on display. Mind you, these are 15-20 feet tall colorful structures sitting smack dab in the center of the streets. Many of the roads were closed off. It is surprising to try to imagine how Valencia survived a week of the roads being closed and the crowds spilling out into the streets.
Anyway, by 1PM we made it to Plaza Ayuntamiento. For all of you non-Spanish speakers, thats the town hall plaza. It is the center of the city with the largest Falla. Here, they had a festivity called "Las Mascletas" which are a series of fireworks in the air commemorating the start of the final day. But these are not normal fireworks. The sound is so loud that you need to open your mouth so the pressure of the noise doesn't break your ear drums. You feel the vibrations reverberate throughout your body and even on your skin.
After Las Mascletas, we had plenty of time to kill before the parades and the burning of Las Fallas would begin. My friends and I walked around the city, saw the Valencian Catedral, the architectural wonders and even took a siesta in the park.
We were recommended by many to try the specialty food of this festival. Of course, being the ever-hungry and ever inquisitive person that I am I tried both. One is called "bañuelos" and the other, found in America as well, "churros." Both are deep fried dough with sugar sprinkled on top. Bañuelos are in a round shape while churros are in a pipe-like shape. Some of the bañuelos and churros came stuffed with cream or chocolate. There were even some bañuelos made of pumpkins!
After our escapades throughout the city, we headed to the "Cabalgata del Fuego" which was a street parade with demonstrations of fire. There were little "Reinas de las fallas", Queens of Las Fallas, and even little boys with running around with fire-spitting dragons attached to their waists.
From 10PM to 1AM there was a series of burning of the Fallas. In various areas of the city there was another Falla burning and we followed the burning by the sound of the firecrackers and direction of the crowd. We ended up seeing two burn. It was amazing to see the fireworks shoot up first, creating suspense, and then the entire 15foot structure become engulfed in black flames.
Before
After
The First Fallas Burning
The Last and Final Burning
The First Fallas Burning
The Last and Final Burning
The craziest thing is not even the fires burning down a 15 feet tall structure in the middle of the street smack dab in the city center. What is far more crazy to me is that from 6PM onwards til 1AM at night every street you turn on you hear large banging sounds, almost like gunshots. This is sound of little children (yes I said children) carrying around and letting off firecrackers. Many are known to loose fingers and become badly burned all in the name of culture. It was an experience of a lifetime to go to the Fallas and experience such chaos, but at the same time caution must be taken for this festival. One of my friends actually got hit in the face with a firecracker and was left with a small burn mark.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Being American
In most of my classes I am one of the many Americans because I happen to be taking International Business Classes. However, amongst my closest friends, I am the only American.
Since I happen to be the token American girl in my circle of friends, my European friends love to make jabs at Americans. They are just joking with me but ever since the first 8hours of my arrival into Alicante I have heard all kinds of horrible impressions and bad stereotypes of Americans. Even though I don't think I fulfill most of them, here are a few:
1) AMERICANS ARE LAZY
We have elevators and escalators everywhere. We drive our cars 10minutes down the block to pick up groceries. But honestly I can understand what they mean because in Spain it is normal for a 5 or 6 floor building to not have an elevator and it becomes an exercise in and of itself to climb to the top.
2) AMERICANS ARE WASTEFUL
We drive big, obnoxious cars such as Hummers and waste gas. We pollute the environment and we use up a lot of water and electricity on useless things. However, after coming here I have noticed that rarely ever will lights or TVs be left on. Usually Europeans turn off whatever they are using when they are done which of course is not the "American" way.
3) AMERICANS ARE DUMB
This one is hilarious because if you ask a European why Americans are dumb they usually tell you a story about the first American that they met and some stupid thing that they did. Unfortunately us Americans really do create a bad name for ourselves with our ridiculous antics as tourists.
4) AMERICANS ARE FAT
Well, America is the land of McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and fast food chains. We eat frozen food as well which doesn't help the size of our waists. Moreover, since we don't walk around with our groceries (as Europeans do) or climb up 5 stories using stairs the weight we could've lost is exacerbated.
5) AMERICANS DON'T HAVE HISTORY
In comparison to Europe, that is true, however to someone who is born and brought up in America it is shocking to hear that we have no history. For an European, learning the history of Europe encompasses thousands of years where as in America our history goes back no more than 200 years.
6) AMERICANS SAY THE WORD "LIKE" TOO MUCH
Well, this may be true for those of us who are younger than 30. "Like" is a necessity and gets overused in ways that do not even make sense. Unfortunately, it is something that does get quite annoying fast and I understand why Europeans don't like it. However, not all of us use it that often.
But by far my favorite has been my Cross-Cultural Relations teacher who claimed that all Americans have white teeth! Interestingly enough, I think thats the only one I can really say that I have.
I'm not saying these are true because in all honesty they aren't. But it is funny to see the impression Americans have on others. Don't get me wrong, none of the Europeans I have met hate or are disgusted by Americans. Nor do they think that all Americans fit this profile but it is an impression that we Americans, somehow, give off.
Since I happen to be the token American girl in my circle of friends, my European friends love to make jabs at Americans. They are just joking with me but ever since the first 8hours of my arrival into Alicante I have heard all kinds of horrible impressions and bad stereotypes of Americans. Even though I don't think I fulfill most of them, here are a few:
1) AMERICANS ARE LAZY
We have elevators and escalators everywhere. We drive our cars 10minutes down the block to pick up groceries. But honestly I can understand what they mean because in Spain it is normal for a 5 or 6 floor building to not have an elevator and it becomes an exercise in and of itself to climb to the top.
2) AMERICANS ARE WASTEFUL
We drive big, obnoxious cars such as Hummers and waste gas. We pollute the environment and we use up a lot of water and electricity on useless things. However, after coming here I have noticed that rarely ever will lights or TVs be left on. Usually Europeans turn off whatever they are using when they are done which of course is not the "American" way.
3) AMERICANS ARE DUMB
This one is hilarious because if you ask a European why Americans are dumb they usually tell you a story about the first American that they met and some stupid thing that they did. Unfortunately us Americans really do create a bad name for ourselves with our ridiculous antics as tourists.
4) AMERICANS ARE FAT
Well, America is the land of McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and fast food chains. We eat frozen food as well which doesn't help the size of our waists. Moreover, since we don't walk around with our groceries (as Europeans do) or climb up 5 stories using stairs the weight we could've lost is exacerbated.
5) AMERICANS DON'T HAVE HISTORY
In comparison to Europe, that is true, however to someone who is born and brought up in America it is shocking to hear that we have no history. For an European, learning the history of Europe encompasses thousands of years where as in America our history goes back no more than 200 years.
6) AMERICANS SAY THE WORD "LIKE" TOO MUCH
Well, this may be true for those of us who are younger than 30. "Like" is a necessity and gets overused in ways that do not even make sense. Unfortunately, it is something that does get quite annoying fast and I understand why Europeans don't like it. However, not all of us use it that often.
But by far my favorite has been my Cross-Cultural Relations teacher who claimed that all Americans have white teeth! Interestingly enough, I think thats the only one I can really say that I have.
I'm not saying these are true because in all honesty they aren't. But it is funny to see the impression Americans have on others. Don't get me wrong, none of the Europeans I have met hate or are disgusted by Americans. Nor do they think that all Americans fit this profile but it is an impression that we Americans, somehow, give off.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Carnaval
The period of time before Lent where everyone dresses up and celebrates down the street. Usually in Spain, Carnaval is celebrated through festivals and street parades. People also dress up like Halloween in crazy costumes. My friends and I spent our Carnaval weekend in MADRID! One of the top four places in Spain to see the festivities, we definitely enjoyed ourselves.
Check out the following:
Check out the following:
Carnaval Part 1
Carnaval Part 2
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Madrid
Excitedly I missed that RyanAir (a flight company infamously known for ripping unsuspecting customers off) that there was a 10euro fee on top of the 8 euros we were already paying. However, a 20euro flight isn't that bad either. A month later, my 20 euro trip to Madrid became reality.
This was my first expedition outside of Alicante, Spain. I was really excited to finally be in Spanish City and see everything that there is to see. Madrid is known for its culture, shops, and great places to eat.
We (Me, Steph and Meagan) had a pretty eventful trip to Madrid. It was not exactly how we planned it but it was better than I could have ever imagined. I'm lucky to have been travelling with two veteran European travelers. There are little tips/tricks that you should keep aware of when flying via RyanAir or staying in hostal or even saving money when travelling in Europe. Being with the two Europeans made me feel safe and them being my two closest girl friends here in Spain made me feel comfortable and relaxed.
Some of the great things that we saw in Madrid were:
Plaza de Mayor
Fuente de Cibeles
Parque Retiro
Puerta del Sol
Plaza Callao
Plaza Callao
Museo del Prado (we couldn't go inside because of the long lines)
Paseo del Prado
It was a blast wandering through the city. We all had self-designated roles. I was the one with the ridiculous amount of research done from the best places to visit to the places where you can get free tapas and cheap restaurants.
Free tapas, in case you don't know, originated with a law in Spain that said an establishment couldn't sell alcohol without serving food because the Spaniards were developing health issues. So now, even though many places don't do this anymore, the "Free Tapas" bars will serve you a plate of food with every drink. Its usually a small plate (unless your in Granada).
In Madrid we ended up trying a few small dishes. One was paella, the other Spanish bread with Jamon Serrano on top and the third was a potato dish. All were amazing, and of course, the Jamon Serrano was the best of all in my opinion. I love Jamon Serrano and cannot get enough of it!
The great thing about Madrid is around every corner is another beautiful building with great architecture. Take a look!
Some things we did in Madrid include:
Watching Flamenco
Drinking lots of amazing Cafes (coffees)
Shopping
Eating Jamon!
Enjoying Carnaval - I will put up a blog post about that later!
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