Cait and I left Nice super early on Saturday morning to meet Laura in La Spezia, Italy. We had tried making train reservations the day before but the Nice computers were down so that wasn’t a possibility. Thankfully when we showed up at the train station in the morning we were able to get a ticket to Ventimiglia, Italy, which is a town right across the France/Italy border. After a short and uneventful train ride we had made it to Italy and picked up tickets taking us to Genova and then on to La Spezia. We had an hour and a half in between trains to rather than sitting in the train station we took our packs and went into town to see what Ventimiglia had to offer. Ventimiglia is kind of a mixture of all sorts of things. Because it’s right across the border there are some French influences to this Italian town. I liked France while we were there but Caitlin and I both have a soft spot in our hearts for Italy so we were very happy to see the red white and green flag flying over the city. Neither of us know any French at all beyond “thank you” “hello” and “my name is…” Nor do we have any idea how to pronounce words in French so we couldn’t even pretend when reading a menu. Both of us have studied Spanish, which is closely related to Italian, so here we fared a little better.
Looking inland, in Ventimiglia we could see our first real, snow-covered mountains looming in the background, and looking in the other direction we saw the ocean, beach, and palm trees. It was a little strange but very cool to see both of these in the same place. We walked along a little river down to the ocean and sat for a while, then turned around and went back into town to further investigate a farmers market we had passed by on our way. It was fantastic, so many amazing fresh vegetables, fruits and flowers. With our packs on we were clearly way too big to be walking around in there but we lumbered through anyway, trying our best not to knock things over or hit people when we turned around. We bought some strawberries from one of the stands and went back to the train station to catch our connection to Genova.
One of the things that I have noticed in my travels abroad is that there are a ton of Canadians traveling all over Europe. I’ve met more people from Canada than from any other country. Maybe they’re just trying to get out of Canada, and really who can blame them for that? Anyway, there was a guy from Canada in our train compartment for the trip to Genova and our connection to La Spezia as well. This came in handy when trying to haul my huge pack up into the overhead storage bin. Meeting new people from different places is one of the most exciting things about traveling, and I always learn lots of good tips and interesting things from these interactions.
All of the trains were on time and before we knew it Caitlin and I were at the La Spezia train station heading to the ticket counter, hoping that Laura’s trains had been on time as well and she would be waiting for us. It was so good to see Laura! I hadn’t seen her or talked to her very much since she visited me in Sevilla at the beginning of February because her internet connections weren’t very good in London or in Florence. The three of us had a glorious reunion in the middle of the train station, and then picked up our packs and headed off to catch the little local train that would take us to the town we were staying in. Caitlin’s backpack is a relatively small pack perfect for 2-weeks worth of clothing, etc. I look ridiculous next to her with all of my stuff from the semester and 4 weeks of travel crammed in to a not-so-small backpack. It made me feel a little better that Laura was in the same boat and had all of her stuff from the semester in an enormous backpack. Now we can look ridiculous together.
The Cinque Terre is a series of 5 beautiful, tiny towns located on the Mediterranean coast of Italy. The land is extremely hilly with huge cliffs down to the water. The towns are separated from one another by hills and coves but are connected by railway. To get from one town to another you can either take the train for 1.4 euros per trip or you can hike along the cliffs following the coast. In order from north to south the towns are: Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola and Riomaggiore. Laura had gotten us a reservation for a 3-person apartment in Riomaggiore, which is the closest town to La Spezia.
The apartment was very simple and cute: a little bathroom with a shower, tiny kitchen with a huge window that opened onto the street, a small table and two ‘bed rooms’ separated by a half wall. Once we had moved our stuff in the first order of business was dinner. We walked up the hill a little ways and stopped in a few of the local shops we passed and picked up groceries. We bought bread, tomatoes, olive oil, an entire basil plant, spaghetti, tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella cheese, an onion, a bar of chocolate and an enormous bottle of cheap white wine. We went back to the apartment and baked some delicious tomato and mozzarella bruschetta for an appetizer, and then walked down the hill to the water to watch the sunset. We climbed out onto some rocks in the bay to get the best view possible and watched the sky change colors. From where we were the sun sank down behind a mountain and we could see the other Cinque Terre towns a few hills over. After the sun went down we went home and made spaghetti, drank our wine and did our best to catch each other up on what our semesters had been like.
In the morning Caitlin and I got ready to do the hike between the towns Corniglia and Vernazza. Laura didn’t want to risk her knee going out and she had already been hiking in the Cinque Terre earlier in the semester when her mom came to visit so she took the train straight to Monterosso for some beach time and Caitlin and I met her there when our hike was over. To begin the hike Caitlin and I climbed a series of almost 300 stairs zigzagging straight up a cliff face to reach the tiny cliff town of Corniglia. It took us about an hour and a half to hike from there to Vernazza, and it was potentially the most beautiful hike I have ever been on. The trail is pretty easy to follow, but there is a lot of up and down and climbing over big rocks. The hike stays along the coast the whole time, giving you a spectacular view down to the ocean. The hills on the other side of the trail are covered with trees and plants that give a little bit of shade. By the end Cait and I were drenched in sweat but we couldn’t have been happier. We had hiked with our swimsuits on so when we caught the train to meet up with Laura in Monterosso we jumped straight into the clear blue Mediterranean water. Swimming in that place was so surreal, looking around and seeing the towns on each point down the coast, the color of the water and the sand beaches. We enjoyed the beach and the sun for a while, grabbed an Italian gelato and slice of pizza for a late lunch and headed back to Riomaggiore to shower and nap.
We got dressed up for the evening and took a train back to Vernazza to watch the sunset and find some authentic Italian food for dinner. Vernazza is the most picturesque town I have ever seen. The colorful houses and restaurants come down the steep hills straight to the water. We watched the sun set over a bay full of small painted boats and sailboats, after which we left the main plaza to find a side street restaurant for dinner. We stopped at a quiet little restaurant serving pasta and seafood and had an Italian feast. Caitlin and Laura had seafood pasta and I had pesto ravioli. We shared bread and a cheese plate and a carafe of ‘cinque terre’ wine. Everything was spectacular, and we each got a final cone of gelato on the way home before calling it a night and getting our bags ready to leave for Switzerland in the morning.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Nice 5/20 – 5/21
As I write this blog update we are on the train from Barcelona to Nice and it is 11:45am. So far today hasn’t quite gone as planned. We got up early to try and reserve more trains for later in the trip at the station before we left for Nice. The man at the station told us that we couldn’t make reservations because all of the places reserved for Eurail travelers had already been sold out, for most of the trains that we need to take on the rest of our trip. That makes me more than a little nervous but I’m not going to worry about it until we get to France. Then Caitlin and I looked at our tickets and realized that we were at the wrong train station. We needed to be at Barcelona Franca station, rather than the main rail station. So, with an hour before our train left we hopped back on the metro and rode it across the city to the correct train station. We got there with 10 minutes to spare and boarded our train without any more problems. The trip has thus far been less exciting, and the scenery outside the windows is incredible! The train runs right alongside the ocean so we have a perfect view of the coast, cliffs, and all of the tiny red-roofed pueblos we pass through. Neither Caitlin nor I have ever been to France so we’re excited to get there and explore someplace new. Hopefully not speaking French won’t be too much of an issue! We still have 2 hours on this train and about 4 hours on the connecting train after Montpellier but we should arrive in Nice this evening in time to watch the sunset on the beach and find some good food for dinner.
The rest of Nice: our train took a 40-minute delay in some tiny town between Barcelona and Montpellier which appeared to me to be a big smoke break for all of the passengers and train crew, so as a result we pulled into the Montpellier station 9 minutes before our connecting train was supposed to leave for Nice. Caitlin and I ran through the train station, found our train and jumped aboard with exactly 2 minutes to spare before it pulled out of the station. That added just a little bit more excitement to our otherwise long, boring day. We arrived in Nice, found our way to the hostel and headed out to get something to eat. We had forgotten to pick up groceries in Barcelona, and we left before the hostel started serving breakfast so all we had to eat was half of a granola bar. The plan was to grab lunch at the station during our hour in Montpellier but since we ended up with 9 minutes to get to the train we skipped lunch as well. We did split an overpriced and rather disgusting sandwich from the trolley on the train but we were definitely ready for some real food. We walked down the main street in Nice towards the ocean and stopped at a kebab restaurant along the way. I ate a “kebab burger” that was bigger than my head and then we continued down to watch the sunset from the water.
The beaches at Nice aren’t nice sand beaches, they actually look a lot like the North Shore. The beach we were at was covered with big, rounded rocks that made a really cool sound as they rolled over each other when the waves rolled in. After checking out the beach situation we walked up a big hill to a tiny plaza on top of the hill that has built-in marble benches that are perfect for ocean/sunset watching.
Nice is a beautiful city full of plazas and fountains, and at night everything lights up. In the main plaza there are these weird statues of people sitting on top of tall posts that line the streets. At night the statues light up from inside with colored lights that change every few minutes. They kind of look like big gummy bears. Also, strung across the main street above the metro cables are strings of light blue and dark blue lights. In the dark of the night the street looks stunning.
The next day we got up late, walked around town, found a grocery store to make ourselves a picnic lunch and headed out to the beach to soak up some sun. Like I said, the beaches aren’t very sandy but we made due with the rocks. After we’d had enough sun we made a stop at the gelato stand and then headed back to the hostel for showers and a nap. The night before we had walked through a square that was full of people, street markets and tiny restaurants. For dinner we headed back down there to find some legit French cuisine. We ended up at a very cute small restaurant that had tables outside. They had a special on 3-course meals so of course we had to try it. Caitlin’s dinner consisted of a plate of fried zucchini and eggplant (delicious) with salmon and rice. I had a Nice salad (anchovies and tuna on top of lettuce and all kinds of vegetables), and beef stew that came served over noodles. I liked everything that I tasted, but the best part was yet to come. For dessert Caitlin and I split chocolate mousse and crème brule. As most of you know I have always been a huge fan of dessert, but I think it’s safe to say that this might have been the best dessert I have ever experienced. I know, it’s a bold statement but I’m sticking by it. I’ve never really liked crème brule before but this was SO good. The shell or crust or whatever you call it on top was the perfect crispness and the whole thing just melted in your mouth. And the chocolate mousse was rich and light all at the same time so we ate the whole thing but didn’t feel sick. It was beautiful. After dinner we went back up the hill for another sunset, then walked a bit further and sat by the ocean listening to the waves roll in until it was time for bed. I’m not sure that Nice is a place that I would go back to, nor someplace that I would want to spend a long period of time, but it was great for a short visit.
The rest of Nice: our train took a 40-minute delay in some tiny town between Barcelona and Montpellier which appeared to me to be a big smoke break for all of the passengers and train crew, so as a result we pulled into the Montpellier station 9 minutes before our connecting train was supposed to leave for Nice. Caitlin and I ran through the train station, found our train and jumped aboard with exactly 2 minutes to spare before it pulled out of the station. That added just a little bit more excitement to our otherwise long, boring day. We arrived in Nice, found our way to the hostel and headed out to get something to eat. We had forgotten to pick up groceries in Barcelona, and we left before the hostel started serving breakfast so all we had to eat was half of a granola bar. The plan was to grab lunch at the station during our hour in Montpellier but since we ended up with 9 minutes to get to the train we skipped lunch as well. We did split an overpriced and rather disgusting sandwich from the trolley on the train but we were definitely ready for some real food. We walked down the main street in Nice towards the ocean and stopped at a kebab restaurant along the way. I ate a “kebab burger” that was bigger than my head and then we continued down to watch the sunset from the water.
The beaches at Nice aren’t nice sand beaches, they actually look a lot like the North Shore. The beach we were at was covered with big, rounded rocks that made a really cool sound as they rolled over each other when the waves rolled in. After checking out the beach situation we walked up a big hill to a tiny plaza on top of the hill that has built-in marble benches that are perfect for ocean/sunset watching.
Nice is a beautiful city full of plazas and fountains, and at night everything lights up. In the main plaza there are these weird statues of people sitting on top of tall posts that line the streets. At night the statues light up from inside with colored lights that change every few minutes. They kind of look like big gummy bears. Also, strung across the main street above the metro cables are strings of light blue and dark blue lights. In the dark of the night the street looks stunning.
The next day we got up late, walked around town, found a grocery store to make ourselves a picnic lunch and headed out to the beach to soak up some sun. Like I said, the beaches aren’t very sandy but we made due with the rocks. After we’d had enough sun we made a stop at the gelato stand and then headed back to the hostel for showers and a nap. The night before we had walked through a square that was full of people, street markets and tiny restaurants. For dinner we headed back down there to find some legit French cuisine. We ended up at a very cute small restaurant that had tables outside. They had a special on 3-course meals so of course we had to try it. Caitlin’s dinner consisted of a plate of fried zucchini and eggplant (delicious) with salmon and rice. I had a Nice salad (anchovies and tuna on top of lettuce and all kinds of vegetables), and beef stew that came served over noodles. I liked everything that I tasted, but the best part was yet to come. For dessert Caitlin and I split chocolate mousse and crème brule. As most of you know I have always been a huge fan of dessert, but I think it’s safe to say that this might have been the best dessert I have ever experienced. I know, it’s a bold statement but I’m sticking by it. I’ve never really liked crème brule before but this was SO good. The shell or crust or whatever you call it on top was the perfect crispness and the whole thing just melted in your mouth. And the chocolate mousse was rich and light all at the same time so we ate the whole thing but didn’t feel sick. It was beautiful. After dinner we went back up the hill for another sunset, then walked a bit further and sat by the ocean listening to the waves roll in until it was time for bed. I’m not sure that Nice is a place that I would go back to, nor someplace that I would want to spend a long period of time, but it was great for a short visit.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Barcelona 5/18 – 5/19
Tuesday morning at 6am Caitlin and I woke up to walk with all of our stuff to the bus stop to start our journey to Barcelona. We got to the train station with plenty of time to spare, and made it onto the AVE (Spain’s high speed train) with no problems. We slept most of the way to Madrid, where we got off, ate pastries at an airport café, and then got on the next 3-hour train to Barcelona. Caitlin went to Barcelona for a few days last year with her family so she knew much more than I did. When we got off the train in Barcelona we bought our dual-person metro pass and rode the metro to our hostel. The first order of business was to shower after a long day on trains, and then we went out to enjoy the last few hours of daylight in the city. We walked up Las Ramblas, the main pedestrianized avenue in Barcelona. It is lined with huge trees and shops, stands with artists selling their work and random vendors with flowers, chickens, fish & other pets, and of course FC Barcelona fútbol gear. We took tons of pictures, meandered through the winding streets and found a little restaurant where we shared chicken paella, tortilla de patata and olives for dinner. After we ate we found gofres con chocolate (waffles with hot chocolate sauce) and coffee for dessert. We finished the evening with a walk by the harbor and a few drinks with some people from our hostel.
Wednesday was all about tourist sightseeing. We got up early and hit the city hard. Our first stop was Güell Park, which is full of Gaudi’s works. It was incredible, this beautiful park above the city full of gorgeous, fantastical buildings and works of art. We spent a long time here, hiking through all of the paths up to the very top for a spectacular view of the entire city and the ocean beyond. After we had our fill of the park we walked down through the city on our way to the Sagrada Familia. We stopped at a little shop for bocadillos and a small bottle of wine to share. We took a lunch break in a park before continuing our way down. The Sagrada Famila is a massive, awe-inspiring building designed by Gaudi before his death. It has been under construction for over 100 years and is still far from being finished. The detailing is so complex and the building is so massive, I can’t even imagine how much time it will take to complete it.
The next place on our list to visit was the Arc d’Triumph and a walk through the park. Barcelona is an incredibly beautiful city. It has the charm of a smaller European city when you walk through the tiny streets lined with balconies and window gardens, but at the same time it is very metropolitan and has massive structures like the Arc and downtown skyscrapers. Every park and plaza is filled with fountains and stone statues with benches and patches of grass that are perfect for resting your feet. We slowly made our way back to the hostel and took a power nap to recharge for the night’s activities. We ate a delicious dinner of vegetable pasta and pizza at an Italian restaurant in one of the plazas we had passed earlier, and then Caitlin took me to a crepe place she had discovered last year. We split one of the best desserts I have ever had, a hot crepe with nutella. It was perfect.
Wednesday night, Barcelona was hosting the league fútbol finals and Sevilla was playing Atlético de Madrid. All day long we had been running into huge packs of Madrid fans wearing their jerseys and scarves, singing, chanting, etc. There weren’t many Sevilla fans in the streets however, so I had to represent the city the best I could. Cait and I stopped into an Irish pub for a pint of Strongbow and to watch the game. Sevilla scored in the first 5 minutes and held the lead until the very end, when they scored a second goal to secure the win. It was an exciting night and we went back to the hostel to pack out bags and get ready for our train to Nice in the morning.
Wednesday was all about tourist sightseeing. We got up early and hit the city hard. Our first stop was Güell Park, which is full of Gaudi’s works. It was incredible, this beautiful park above the city full of gorgeous, fantastical buildings and works of art. We spent a long time here, hiking through all of the paths up to the very top for a spectacular view of the entire city and the ocean beyond. After we had our fill of the park we walked down through the city on our way to the Sagrada Familia. We stopped at a little shop for bocadillos and a small bottle of wine to share. We took a lunch break in a park before continuing our way down. The Sagrada Famila is a massive, awe-inspiring building designed by Gaudi before his death. It has been under construction for over 100 years and is still far from being finished. The detailing is so complex and the building is so massive, I can’t even imagine how much time it will take to complete it.
The next place on our list to visit was the Arc d’Triumph and a walk through the park. Barcelona is an incredibly beautiful city. It has the charm of a smaller European city when you walk through the tiny streets lined with balconies and window gardens, but at the same time it is very metropolitan and has massive structures like the Arc and downtown skyscrapers. Every park and plaza is filled with fountains and stone statues with benches and patches of grass that are perfect for resting your feet. We slowly made our way back to the hostel and took a power nap to recharge for the night’s activities. We ate a delicious dinner of vegetable pasta and pizza at an Italian restaurant in one of the plazas we had passed earlier, and then Caitlin took me to a crepe place she had discovered last year. We split one of the best desserts I have ever had, a hot crepe with nutella. It was perfect.
Wednesday night, Barcelona was hosting the league fútbol finals and Sevilla was playing Atlético de Madrid. All day long we had been running into huge packs of Madrid fans wearing their jerseys and scarves, singing, chanting, etc. There weren’t many Sevilla fans in the streets however, so I had to represent the city the best I could. Cait and I stopped into an Irish pub for a pint of Strongbow and to watch the game. Sevilla scored in the first 5 minutes and held the lead until the very end, when they scored a second goal to secure the win. It was an exciting night and we went back to the hostel to pack out bags and get ready for our train to Nice in the morning.
Sevilla 5/16 – 5/17
We hit a lot of weekend traffic coming back from the beach house, so José drove me straight to the airport to get Caitlin after dropping off Justyna and Javí so I didn’t have to waste more time taking the bus which was really nice of him. I was about an hour late and was worried that Caitlin would be sitting in the airport confused and worried because I wasn’t there to pick her up but when I walked into the airport her plane had just arrived. It had been delayed for an hour in London, so we miraculously got to the airport at the same time. Seeing Caitlin after 4 months apart was so exciting! We’d video chatted a lot via Skype but it’s just not the same as being together in person. Poor girl had been traveling for so many hours and was jet lagged and tired and all sorts of things. We took the airport bus to Prado bus station, walked to Lourdes’ apartment to pick up the rest of my things and headed to our hostel.
I’m pretty proud of myself, I somehow managed to fit everything from my semester abroad into an enormous backpacking pack I borrowed from Teddy before I left, my school backpack, (to be worn as a front pack. Super cool.) and a box of things that I paid way to much money to mail home. I left an entire suitcase full of clothes and things behind for Maria to give to her nieces etc. I know that I sill have too much stuff with me but I’m trying to get by without doing laundry until I get to Sweden. I will be leaving many things behind at hostels along the way to be sure.
After getting checked into our hostel Caitlin and I went in search of food. We ended up at the kebab stand because that was the only thing open at 12:30 on a Sunday night. My friends that were left in Sevilla met us here and we sat by the river for a while, not wanting to say goodbye. After an hour or so we really needed to get Caitlin to a bed, so we all said our final “hasta luego” and went our separate ways with lots of hugs and a few tears.
In the morning we got up, packed our bags up (which we left in the hostel lobby until later) and walked all the way through Sevilla to mail my box of school things and souvenirs that I don’t want to carry throughout Europe with me. Oh my goodness, it was so expensive to mail that box home! But it’s worth it, it saves my back a little more weight and I need my school materials to arrive safely at my house so I can submit them to Beloit next semester to get Anthropology credits for my courses in Spain. I feel safer having these important materials mailed via something that can be tracked vs. taking a 3-week boat trip from Spain to the USA.
Trying to plan this trip was way confusing with Caitlin being in the US, me being in Spain and Laura being in Italy. We never were able to get all of us online at the same time to discuss our plans so everything was done via email and Caitlin and my Skype chats. Thus, we had yet to actually make our train reservations which is a decision that may come back to bite us. I called the train station from my cell phone but all I found out was that it’s essentially impossible to do anything unless you are physically present in the train station with your Eurail pass. So Cait and I got on the city bus to the airport to try and get as many of our tickets figured out as we could. What a process. I am so thankful that I speak Spanish well enough to communicate effectively because if I didn’t we would have been lost. The process of making ticket reservations isn’t posted anywhere; it’s like some big secret with as many unnecessary steps built in as possible. Anyway, to make a very long story short we eventually found our way through all of the correct steps to find out that the night train we wanted had no available space, so we would have to take a train the next morning, and we reserved our trains from Barcelona to Nice.
We went back to the hostel to make a reservation to stay an extra night, took a nap and then called Erica to go out for one last dinner and drink. We went to the bar where my friend Susan’s señor works and had tapas and Cruzcampo in Sevilla one more time.
I’m pretty proud of myself, I somehow managed to fit everything from my semester abroad into an enormous backpacking pack I borrowed from Teddy before I left, my school backpack, (to be worn as a front pack. Super cool.) and a box of things that I paid way to much money to mail home. I left an entire suitcase full of clothes and things behind for Maria to give to her nieces etc. I know that I sill have too much stuff with me but I’m trying to get by without doing laundry until I get to Sweden. I will be leaving many things behind at hostels along the way to be sure.
After getting checked into our hostel Caitlin and I went in search of food. We ended up at the kebab stand because that was the only thing open at 12:30 on a Sunday night. My friends that were left in Sevilla met us here and we sat by the river for a while, not wanting to say goodbye. After an hour or so we really needed to get Caitlin to a bed, so we all said our final “hasta luego” and went our separate ways with lots of hugs and a few tears.
In the morning we got up, packed our bags up (which we left in the hostel lobby until later) and walked all the way through Sevilla to mail my box of school things and souvenirs that I don’t want to carry throughout Europe with me. Oh my goodness, it was so expensive to mail that box home! But it’s worth it, it saves my back a little more weight and I need my school materials to arrive safely at my house so I can submit them to Beloit next semester to get Anthropology credits for my courses in Spain. I feel safer having these important materials mailed via something that can be tracked vs. taking a 3-week boat trip from Spain to the USA.
Trying to plan this trip was way confusing with Caitlin being in the US, me being in Spain and Laura being in Italy. We never were able to get all of us online at the same time to discuss our plans so everything was done via email and Caitlin and my Skype chats. Thus, we had yet to actually make our train reservations which is a decision that may come back to bite us. I called the train station from my cell phone but all I found out was that it’s essentially impossible to do anything unless you are physically present in the train station with your Eurail pass. So Cait and I got on the city bus to the airport to try and get as many of our tickets figured out as we could. What a process. I am so thankful that I speak Spanish well enough to communicate effectively because if I didn’t we would have been lost. The process of making ticket reservations isn’t posted anywhere; it’s like some big secret with as many unnecessary steps built in as possible. Anyway, to make a very long story short we eventually found our way through all of the correct steps to find out that the night train we wanted had no available space, so we would have to take a train the next morning, and we reserved our trains from Barcelona to Nice.
We went back to the hostel to make a reservation to stay an extra night, took a nap and then called Erica to go out for one last dinner and drink. We went to the bar where my friend Susan’s señor works and had tapas and Cruzcampo in Sevilla one more time.
Traveling 5/16 – 6/15
Before I left for Spain I decided to take full advantage of being in Europe and plan a 2-week trip across a few countries, meeting up with Laura in Italy. That plan has since snowballed and turned into a rather epic adventure. Caitlin pulled some strings and managed to get herself a ticket to Spain to come traveling with me! She and I are taking on Spain and France before meeting up with Laura in Italy to continue to Switzerland and Paris. Laura leaves us in Paris to fly home and Caitlin and I will hop up to London for a few days. Being able to do this kind of a trip with my 2 best friends was amazing enough, but then I got in contact with some relatives in Sweden and my trip got another incredible extension. After London, I am taking a flight to Stockholm and will be staying with my Swedish relatives for 2 whole weeks before finally flying home to the USA. Barring disaster, the schedule is as follows:
• May 16th – Caitlin in Sevilla!
• May 17th – Sevilla, Spain
• May 18th – Barcelona, Spain
• May 19th – Barcelona, Spain
• May 20th – Nice, France
• May 21st – Nice, France
• May 22nd – Cinque Terre, Italy
• May 23rd – Cinque Terre, Italy
• May 24th – Zermatt, Switzerland
• May 25th – Zermatt Switzerland
• May 26th – Bern, Switzerland
• May 27th – Paris, France
• May 28th – Paris, France
• May 29th – London, England
• May 30th – London, England
• May 31st – June 14th – Sweden
• June 14th – Flight back to London, London to Chicago, Chicago to Minneapolis…
• June 15th @ 1:40pm HOME
I know that we’re probably trying to do too many places in too short of time and are going to be spending a ridiculous amount of time on trains, but I am SO excited. Regardless what happens this trip is going to be fun and I can’t wait to see so many new places, even if we’re only there a short while. I like to think of it as a sampler platter, scoping out lots of places to decide which places we want to go back to.
• May 16th – Caitlin in Sevilla!
• May 17th – Sevilla, Spain
• May 18th – Barcelona, Spain
• May 19th – Barcelona, Spain
• May 20th – Nice, France
• May 21st – Nice, France
• May 22nd – Cinque Terre, Italy
• May 23rd – Cinque Terre, Italy
• May 24th – Zermatt, Switzerland
• May 25th – Zermatt Switzerland
• May 26th – Bern, Switzerland
• May 27th – Paris, France
• May 28th – Paris, France
• May 29th – London, England
• May 30th – London, England
• May 31st – June 14th – Sweden
• June 14th – Flight back to London, London to Chicago, Chicago to Minneapolis…
• June 15th @ 1:40pm HOME
I know that we’re probably trying to do too many places in too short of time and are going to be spending a ridiculous amount of time on trains, but I am SO excited. Regardless what happens this trip is going to be fun and I can’t wait to see so many new places, even if we’re only there a short while. I like to think of it as a sampler platter, scoping out lots of places to decide which places we want to go back to.
Leaving Sevilla 5/17
And here ends my semester in Sevilla. I can’t believe that it’s over and I’m not really sure whet to think or feel. I lived here for 4 months, which seems like a long time but went by much too quickly. I can’t believe that the life I carved out for myself here is ending and that I might never see the people who were a part of my daily routine for a very long time, if ever again. Saying goodbye is always hard, no matter what the circumstances are, but saying goodbye without knowing if/when you will say hello again is the hardest. Leaving my host family was very strange. They have had so many students staying in their house; they can’t get too attached anymore. We had a good semester together and I hope that they enjoyed having me in their house as much as I enjoyed being there but they weren’t terribly sad to see us go. I know that chances are good I’ll never see either of them again, but Maria asked me to leave some photographs of myself behind and told me that if I ever come back to Sevilla I always have somewhere to stay. Spaniards don’t say goodbye, it’s always see you later. So that is the attitude with which I leave my city behind – someday I will return, to walk the streets and take in the sights again in a new stage of my life. The friendships I’ve made, people I’ve met and experiences I’ve had will stay with me forever; they are a part of me now and have left their mark. This semester has been an incredibly ride, so much more than anything I could have imagined. I have learned so much about myself, and my place and purpose in this world.
I am so sad that my life in Sevilla is ending, but in life there is always so much to look forward to. So here begins the next stage of my journey…
I am so sad that my life in Sevilla is ending, but in life there is always so much to look forward to. So here begins the next stage of my journey…
Beach House 5/14 – 5/16
To celebrate the end of classes and mourn the end of our time in Spain my roommate Justyna and I went with some Spanish friends to the beach for the weekend. Lourdes, one of Justyna’s friends, has an aunt and uncle who own a beach house in Huelva, which is roughly 1.5 hours outside of Sevilla. She invited us to stay there with her for the weekend, which was extremely generous and so much fun. In total there were 8 of us: Justyna and me, Lourdes, Javí, Pedro, Javier Francisco, José y Mauri. We spent our 2 days there tanning, collecting shells, swimming in the ocean and of course playing soccer on the beach. Watching all of these Spaniards interact was a hilarious and perfect example of Spanish culture. They are all such nice, friendly people. They didn’t all know each other when we got to the beach house but by the end of 2 days they were best friends. We all helped cook enormous meals of delicious Spanish food and watched the fútbol games on TV. In Sevilla there are 2 teams: Sevilla FC and Betis. Sevilla is really good and Betis has been terrible in recent years but each team has a huge base of extremely loyal fans. It’s true here that fútbol is a lifestyle. One of the things you ask about people, or one of the things you first find out judging by their clothing, tattoos, jewelry, etc, is what team they ‘belong to.’ Sevillanos don’t say, “I’m a fan of…” or “I follow…” or “I like…” a certain team, it’s always “I am.” “Soy Betis” o “Soy Sevilla.” They are true fans to the end regardless of how the team is doing in the standings and they really do feel like they are a part of it. Sevilla and Betis are bitter rivals. While we were at the beach both teams played so we all watched the games together. There was so much yelling and arguing going on between fans of each team, it was hilarious to watch.
It was an excellent weekend overall, and a great way to finish off my semester here.
It was an excellent weekend overall, and a great way to finish off my semester here.
Finals 5/10 – 5/13
Classes here ended with a flurry of exams and papers. As much work as it was, finals really showed me how much my Spanish has improved since coming here 4 months ago. I am so much more confident now, and I am much more comfortable with the language. During finals week a partner and I gave a 45-minute Anthropology presentation in Spanish and wrote an accompanying 13 page paper, I wrote a 7 page paper about my cultural experiences since arriving in Sevilla and my other Anthro group and I wrote a 15 page paper about gender roles and stereotypes in Andalucía. In January, never in a million years would I have thought I would have been able to do all of that. It was a lot of writing and a lot of studying in a short period of time but I came out all in one piece and summer vacation has officially begun! I still can’t quite shake the feeling that this whole semester has been a vacation of sorts, which some work mixed in here and there of course… After classes ended my program threw us a goodbye party at one of the beautiful restaurants on Calle Betis overlooking the Guadalquivir River. They had drinks and bite-sized tapas that were all delicious. It was so strange to see all of the kids from my program together in one room again, I couldn’t believe that it was 4 months ago when we were all lost and confused at orientation at the hotel. The party was so fun, a great way to celebrate the end of finals and the end of the semester altogether.
Lagos 4/21 – 4/ 24
After experiencing Feria for a day or two Erica and I decided that we wanted to take advantage of our week of vacation and do a little bit of traveling. We loved Portugal so much when we traveled to Lisbon so we decided to make a return to the country. We booked a hostel and bus tickets for Lagos, Portugal and away we went.
Lagos is a beautiful beach town on the southern coast of Portugal. It was the perfect place for a short beach vacation. The town is situated above the coastline on high, beautiful red and yellow rock cliffs overlooking the clear, aquamarine ocean. Between the amazing rock formations, brilliant water and blooming flowers there was so much vibrant color in Lagos and it was spectacular. Little secluded beaches are tucked into coves and are only accessible via a cliff walk that runs along the top edge with stairs leading down to the sand. We tried a different beach each day and they were all peaceful and secluded, ideal for relaxing. Besides lying on the beach, we walked the streets of Lagos, ate fabulous Portuguese food and took a cave/cove boat tour guided by a Portuguese fisherman. Overall I liked Lisbon better but if you ever find yourself in Portugal with the opportunity to spend some time in Lagos, I highly recommend it.
Lagos is a beautiful beach town on the southern coast of Portugal. It was the perfect place for a short beach vacation. The town is situated above the coastline on high, beautiful red and yellow rock cliffs overlooking the clear, aquamarine ocean. Between the amazing rock formations, brilliant water and blooming flowers there was so much vibrant color in Lagos and it was spectacular. Little secluded beaches are tucked into coves and are only accessible via a cliff walk that runs along the top edge with stairs leading down to the sand. We tried a different beach each day and they were all peaceful and secluded, ideal for relaxing. Besides lying on the beach, we walked the streets of Lagos, ate fabulous Portuguese food and took a cave/cove boat tour guided by a Portuguese fisherman. Overall I liked Lisbon better but if you ever find yourself in Portugal with the opportunity to spend some time in Lagos, I highly recommend it.
Feria 4/20 – 4/25
My program had a second ‘spring break’ week with no classes to celebrate the Feria de Abril in Sevilla. Feria used to be a celebration centered around cattle auctioning and everyone from the country would come into the city all dressed up for the occasion but today it has lost that original purpose and stands as a celebration of the city of Sevilla. There is no real purpose or intent other than to celebrate everything it means to be a Sevillano in the city that they love. The women all dress up in traditional style flamenco dresses of every shape and color complete with enormous matching earrings, hair combs and the biggest flowers I have ever seen directly on top of their heads. If the men are riding their horses into town or driving a horse-drawn carriage they dress up in traditional ‘cowboy’ clothes, and if not they put on their best suit.
The fair grounds are located in ‘los remedios’, which is a neighborhood just outside of the city center. Here rich families and businesses own ‘casetas’ which are little tents that are completely furnished as houses with floors, tables and chairs, bathrooms and a kitchen in the back. For the week of Feria this is the families house, and they entertain guests all day and night. If you are invited into a private tent they will take care of you, paying for all of your food and drink. An entire, classy tent city goes up for Feria complete with street signs and addresses. The streets are lined with lights and colored paper decorations.
Manzanilla, a very strong white wine, is the traditional drink of Feria, and in recent years people have started mixing it with 7-up to make rebujitos. These are dangerous things because they taste good and dilute the taste of the wine so it’s really easy to drink a few too many. We were well warned by all of our professors and host families but there were many hilarious rebujito-related stories to be told among the CIEE kids after Feria was over.
Like I said, Feria is all about celebrating Sevillan culture. The people come together to eat, drink, and above all, dance. The Sevillana is a style of flamenco dancing that originated and is still performed in Sevilla. Everybody knows how to do it and Feria is where they show it off. Every caseta has some sort of music playing, live bands or recordings, and everyone there is dancing with each other. It’s a beautiful dance and especially impressive with the women in their brightly colored, ruffled flamenco dresses and killer heels. I really don’t know how these Spanish women do it; my friends and I wore heels out to one night of Feria and ended up sitting on the curb before limping home to bed.
Feria is a cultural celebration but it is a very private celebration. There are a few tents open to the public but the majority of the celebrating goes on inside the casetas. My friends and I got into a private company caseta, which was less cool than a family caseta but still quite the experience.
The fair grounds are located in ‘los remedios’, which is a neighborhood just outside of the city center. Here rich families and businesses own ‘casetas’ which are little tents that are completely furnished as houses with floors, tables and chairs, bathrooms and a kitchen in the back. For the week of Feria this is the families house, and they entertain guests all day and night. If you are invited into a private tent they will take care of you, paying for all of your food and drink. An entire, classy tent city goes up for Feria complete with street signs and addresses. The streets are lined with lights and colored paper decorations.
Manzanilla, a very strong white wine, is the traditional drink of Feria, and in recent years people have started mixing it with 7-up to make rebujitos. These are dangerous things because they taste good and dilute the taste of the wine so it’s really easy to drink a few too many. We were well warned by all of our professors and host families but there were many hilarious rebujito-related stories to be told among the CIEE kids after Feria was over.
Like I said, Feria is all about celebrating Sevillan culture. The people come together to eat, drink, and above all, dance. The Sevillana is a style of flamenco dancing that originated and is still performed in Sevilla. Everybody knows how to do it and Feria is where they show it off. Every caseta has some sort of music playing, live bands or recordings, and everyone there is dancing with each other. It’s a beautiful dance and especially impressive with the women in their brightly colored, ruffled flamenco dresses and killer heels. I really don’t know how these Spanish women do it; my friends and I wore heels out to one night of Feria and ended up sitting on the curb before limping home to bed.
Feria is a cultural celebration but it is a very private celebration. There are a few tents open to the public but the majority of the celebrating goes on inside the casetas. My friends and I got into a private company caseta, which was less cool than a family caseta but still quite the experience.
Madrid Art Trip 4/16 - 4/18
Trip to Madrid! Just for fun, my program offers its students the opportunity to be in one of several 'interest groups' that focus on various aspects of Spanish culture (sports, food, cinema, international relations, etc.) I am in the modern art interest group, so all semester we have been going to see various examples of modern art around Sevilla. It has been really interesting and we've seen so many cool things, along with a couple of extremely 'modern' art forms that were a litlte bit puzzling. The interest groups all take a trip at the end of the semester, payed for the the program. My group went to Madrid to see the city and tour the Prado, Reina Sofía and Thyssen Museums. We took the AVE (Spain's high-speed train) to Madrid and stayed in a ridiculously nice hotel for the weekend, with an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet! Spain doesn't really do breakfast besides a piece of toast or two so we were all very excited to eat a USA-style breakfast, complete with pancakes. The boys in the group put away entire plates of pancakes while all of the Spaniards in the restaurant watched them in awe. But besides the breakfast buffet we did many other equally exciting things in Madrid. It was my first real visit to Spain's capital city, and I was very impressed. Ángel, our amazing group leader and professor, gave us a walking tour of the city, as well as a tour through each museum we went to. I swear that man knows everything. The three museums were very different from each other but I loved them all. It was incredible to get to see so many amazing works of art in person.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Roommates in Sevilla 4/9 - 4/13
Michelle and Kaitlin spent their 5-week (yes, 5 whole weeks) break traveling around Europe, and made Sevilla one of their stops. Our other friend from Beloit Brandon who is studying in the Netherlands decided to visit Sevilla as well, and by sheer coincidence their visits overlapped. They were here for the weekend of April 9th, and we had a great time. It was the first time that I did a lot of the 'tourist' stuff in Sevilla. We toured the Cathedral of Sevilla (originally a mosque during the Muslim reign of Andalucía) and climbed up the Giralda (currently a bell tower that was converted from the mosque's minaret) for a beautiful panoramic view of the city. I walk past the cathedral every day but had never been inside before so that was very cool. After hitting up most of the big tourist sites I asked the girls and Brandon what else they really wanted to do in Sevilla, they all said they wanted to relax! So we took a bus to the nearest beach, called Matalascañas (about an hour and a half ride) and spent a day in the sun.
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