Do as the Romans do..

My latest travel adventure was to the beautiful and historical city of ROME! Last Thursday my travel partner, Karla, and I set off to the ancient city. We had some slight drama with Ryanair and checking in our luggage but we were finally able to breathe a sign of relief when we landed in Rome. Our five days in Rome were jammed packed with site seeing. After we landed we began the journey to find our hostel. After a bus and a metro ride we stumbled upon a large neo classical building and entered cautiously. Our hostel was on the 4th floor. I have never stayed in a hostel before, even in my previous excursions outside Madrid. It was certainly an experience. The staff was very friendly and the place began to grow on me after the first few days. We then headed to the Trevi Fountain and the Spanish Steps, but not without sampling some gellato beforehand. The Trevi fountain was stunning, a crowd of people snapped pictures and posed in front of the clear waters of the fountain. Of course, I followed tradition and made a wish as I tossed coins behind my back. The legend goes, if you toss three coins behind your left shoulder you are guaranteed to come back to Rome. We then went to the Spanish Steps which were adorned with bright azaleas cascading down them. It was just a breathtaking a view. The next day we headed to Vatican City. Luckily we had booked a guided tour in advanced because the line to enter the Vatican wrapped along the walls of the city and seemed to go on for miles. We were able to cut the line and shortly after began our over 2 hour tour. It was astonishing to see the wealth of the church right before my eyes. Artifacts from all over the world have been collected and stored in the Vatican. Grecian statues, rare marbles, painting, and everything you can possibly imagine they have. Our guided tour ended in the Sistine Chapel. I could have stayed in there for hours admiring Michelangelo's work. I even sneaked two pictures of it. (They were very strict about no pictures, but I couldn't resist) After the Sistine chapel we walked over to St. Peters Basilica which is where the Apostle Peter is buried. Needless to say, we were exhausted and starving after a long day at the Vatican. On Saturday, we traveled back in time to the Colosseum. I was in sheer awe of how large it is. It was as if at any moment a gladiator will enter and a battle would begin. We easily spent 2 hours listening to our audio guide and walking around the Colosseum. After the Colosseum we walked to the Roman Forum, where Cesar was killed and where he is buried, and to Palantine Hill. We ate our lunch among ancient roman ruins. Truly an experience. After a gellato break we walked to the Pantheon, which was a Pagan temple converted into a Catholic church. It was interesting to see statues of pagan gods mixed among christian relics. Truly is an example of how paganism and Catholicism have intertwined. We then walked to Piazza Navona to check out local artist and of course to sample more gellato. Also since Saturday was May 1 which is a holiday in Italy our entrance into the Collesium and Roman Forum was just one euro! Sunday we headed to Piazza del Popolo and Villa Borghese. Villa Borghese use to be a summer home for the Borghese family who were an extremely powerful and wealthy family of Italy. Marco Borghese was a Cardinal. He also was had a passion for art and began amassing incredible pieces of sculpture and painting. His sister was even married to Napoleon. Here in Madrid there is the Thyssen which is an art Museum of a family collection, but the Borghese collection absolutely trumps the Thyssen. I fell in love with the sculpture by Bernini. His work depicts scenes from Greek Mythology and the Bible. The detail is so exact and precise it looks like marble has come alive right before your eyes. Another remarkable attribute other than his shear talent is that many of his masterpieces were done when is was only in his early 2o's. I am turning 20 next month and can not imagine completing something as impressive as his sculpture. The Borghese family also has an an extensive collection of painting, one of the most famous is the Deposition by Raphael. I preferred "The School of Athens" by Raphael in the Vatican over "The Deposition", but it still is a beautiful piece of work. After a little shopping in the book store we started our journey to Trastevere which is a section of Rome that is divided from the rest of Rome by a river. We visited the oldest church in Rome and went to see the infamous sculpture of Bernini, Beata Ludovica Albertoni, located in another very old church. The sculpture is of a women lying down touching her chest. It was criticized because the church thought she looked to be in a state of "pleasure." Monday morning was our last day in Roma and we went to visit the Capuchin Crypt. The Capuchin Crypt is where an unknown artist of the 18th century decorated the underground burial site of the monks with bones. The walls and ceiling are adorned with bones that are very very very old. There are skeletons of monks on display and mummified monks. There are even bones of the children of royal families. It was pretty creepy I would not want to be there at night. I have not even mentioned the food! I LOVE Italian food, i think I would live there just so I could indulge in pizza, pastas, and gellato everyday. It was a wonderful break from spanish food and the usual dinners I have here. My trip to Rome was almost perfect, the only thing that could have made it better was if I wasn't sick. Unfortunately I am sick..again. I went today to see the same medico for a second time. Not fun, but at least I will be better when I get home! I am so excited to see everyone in just over a week! xoxo

Lagos & Lisbon ( Portugal!)

Last weekend my friend Karla and I set off on a 9hr bus to Portugal. The bus drove through the night and when we arrived in the morning we were in the beautiful fishing village of Lagos. Lagos is quaint town with pastel houses lining the beautiful beaches. After a power nap we headed to soak in the sun at the beach. The water was chilly but the sun was perfect in the 75 degree weather. I thought Portuguese would be easy to figure out but it wasn't...for dinner we sampled a Portuguese specialty which was a spice chicken dish. Luckily for me the sauce was on the side because it was super spicy. The next morning we boarded the same bus to take us to Lisbon. Lisbon is truly a special city. The buildings are covered in tiles and many of the roofs look like they are about to collapse in. It actually made for a stunning combination. Lisbon is pretty much a giant hill and we spent a good portion of the day climbing it. When we finally reached the top we were at the Castle. The grounds of the Castle gave us stunning views of the entire city. Later on in the day we headed to the port and watched the sail boats glide through the water. It was a prefect ending to a long day. That night we ventured into Barrio Alto it is Lisbon's infamous bar street where most of the night life lives. Sunday morning we boarded the bus, yet again, and headed back to Madrid. I was actually very excited to head back to Madrid. I only have about 2 weeks left in this wonderful city and I want to take advantage of every last minute I have. This weekend I head to ROMA...more on Rome next week.
xoxo

Belgium & The Zoo

When you plan, God laughs. I have heard that phrase a over a dozen times but did not truly experience it until this week! My Semana Santa (which is the equivalent of spring break in Spain) plans did not want to work out. They constantly rebelled against me until I was forced to wave my white flag and give up. They way I like to describe it is: todo que pueda pasar, pasó. With that said, I did make the best of it. I went to Belgium for a couple of days to start my week off. Thanks to day light savings I boarded my 6 am flight with about four hours of sleep and tried to prepare for the unexpected. When we arrived we soon realized that no one spoke English or Spanish. French and dutch are the two languages of the country (although I did not hear any Dutch while I was there). A shuttle from the airport dropped us off at a random train station in Brussels and then our adventure began. I located a map and was able to direct us to the central plaza. Brussels was amazing. Belgium is known for their Beer, Chocolate, and Waffles. Waffles: the most delicious waffles I have and ever will taste. They are smaller than their American cousin and are topped and filled with anything you can imagine. Perfect for breakfast or a snack to go, reason enough to go to Belgium. Chocolate: The most famous chocolate house is Galler they don't export! Therefore, I was forced to buy a carry on worth of chocolate, again another incentive to go to Belgium. Beer: To my fathers dismay, I did not try the beer. Another highlight of Brussels is the Museum of Musical Instruments. This museum has 5 floors. When you enter they hand you earphones and when you approach a display of a certain type of instrument your headphones automatically begin to play a song played by that particular instrument. It was incredible! Hands down my favorite museum I have been to in Europe. Liege is the town we stayed in, I will refrain from mentioning much about Liege. It was small, few tourist attractions, and in Liege we attended a traditional Passover Dinner. Overall our trip to Belgium can be called a success. It was the first time I have been in a country where I didn't understand a word of what there were saying. Spanish and English came to no use but I think my hand signals improved. After we returned to Madrid, my friend Rachel and I took a trip to the Madrid Zoo. I had no idea there was a Zoo in Madrid either! It was perfect day trip that brought me back to my even younger days. We saw lions, tiger, and bears ( Oh My!) I couldn't resist that..In addition to those animals, we also saw a dolphin show, a seal show, sharks, Nemo, Dory, Pandas, Giraffes, Elephants, Gorillas, every type of monkey, this list can go on and on. Name the animal and we saw it! I highly recommend spending an afternoon there if you get bored of the historical sights of Madrid. Lucky for me I do not have to return to school until Tuesday. I am looking forward to seeing what Easter festivities there will be tomorrow. Missing everyone but see you in just over a month! xoxo

Islas Canarias [ Twist & Shout] & Mis hermanos

Last week Vicky and I headed to Tenerife (the largest island of the canary islands) for some much needed R&R. In short the trip was incredible. We stayed in a resort right on the water the black sand beaches sparkled and shined everyday in our glorious 75 degree weather. The first night we decided to explore our new setting and was bit surprised on what we found. This time of year the majority of tourist are from Germany, Ireland, and England. The mean age of the tourist: 60. Although we were the outliers it did not stop us from having fun and truly enjoying every moment. We found this quaint restaurant next to our Hotel that served traditional dishes from England our waitress was from Essex! The food was delicious, hands down the best pizza I've had since being in Europe (I know pizza is not English!) It was also the first time in over 2 months that I had butter! Paula Dean would not be proud bc i couldn't recognize the flavor at first and confused it for mayonnaise! The following day we had the ultimate beach bum day and laid out for hours watching the surfers and the Europeans "free spirit" tanning. The following day we took a tour of the Island. We started by going to the largest Volcano on the Island (which is still active) It was my first time on a Volcano and I know I'll never forget it. Afterwards, we headed to the Capital of the Island, Santa Cruz, which is in the Northern part of Tenerife. We had lunch with the most beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean and purchased some of the Islands best known treasures: Pearls! We headed to a Basilica which honestly was a blur bc I was exhausted by this point. On Sunday, It was Carnaval in Los Christianos (The town we were staying in) It was such an experience. The eccentric and bright colored costumes flooded the streets during the parade as people danced to the beat of the live music. We rented bikes on Monday and rode for hours all along the boardwalk until we got to the beginning of the neighboring town (Playa de las americas) I got the worst sunburn from our bike adventures but it was certainly worth it. Every night the resort had evening entertainment; this included a Spanish Beatles cover band (need i say more), Professional Dance show (everything from hip hop to ballet), An exotic birds show (Personal Favorite), and a Flamenco Show. All very entertaining for different reasons. Victoria and I learned from the other tourist at the hotel that fun can be attained at any age and that you are never to old to attempt the worm or a pole dance? I was sad to leave but I know I want to return someday. My brother was in Madrid waiting for us when we returned. It was the best little piece of home I could have asked for. We spent the week going to typical tourist spots and showing them the night life of Madrid. Yesterday, I had to say goodbye to my sister and my brother which honestly was extremely difficult. Feeling the security blanket, that they are, for 2 weeks and then having it pulled from underneath you was not easy. It was the first time i wished I could have gotten on the plane with them. But the hardest part is over now, I am focusing on the trips I have ahead of me which includes a few days in Belgium next week! Soo excited about the waffles and chocolate I cant even explain! Well I have a mountain of hw ahead me tonight! Hasta luego!

xoxo

Better Late than Never..

So it has been almost a month since my last post..my excuse will be I have been sick this past week and I don't have any excuses for the weeks prior. Well I went to Extremadura with my program. Extremadura is the western part of Spain near Portugal. The bus ride was quite beautiful. Lots of lush green pastors filled with sheep or cows or both. Our first stop was to Guadalupe where we saw the sacred statue of Guadalupe who is a saint. It was very interesting but I do not think I understood the significance of praying to her. Apparently she told Queen Isabella to hire Columbus and that he was going to discover America. Coincidence? The area is also famous for their paprika which I contemplated buying. We then drove to Merida which was once ruled by the Romans. Merida was my favorite. That night two of my friends and I walked over a roman bridge which still has the original supports! The next day we went to the coliseums. It was breath taking and makes me soo excited to my trip to Italy. We then headed to Caceres. By this time we were exhausted and had to walk another 3 hour tour I kept myself busy by playing games with my program directors small daughters which I realized can be dangerous in museums. We also bought candy from nuns, but not just ordinary nuns these nuns are not allowed to interact with regular people so the sell the candy behind this wall and you open a cubby to find the candy you have ordered. It was a bit bizarre but very intriguing. The next day in the pouring rain we headed to Trujillo. Unfortunately I could not appreciate Trujillo it was raining very hard and many of us ditched the walking tour early. I was looking forward to the wine and cheese museum but was disappointed when the man working there did not know anything about wine or cheese! I was able to sample and i had queso de cabra ( goat cheese) and vino tinto ( red wine). They both were very good. Finally we headed back to madrid. This weekend I head to the Canary Islands with VICKY. She is currently here and I am sosososo happy. There is nothing like sharing an adventure with your best friend. Unfortunately I am sick..again. I went to the spanish doctor which was a little different than american doctors. For one there are many specialist in one office also the copay was 40 euros bit pricey but my antibiotics and a cough syrup was only 13 euro total! Exactly the opposite of the US. Anyways I need to rest up for my relaxing vacation this weekend :)

Buenas Noches xoxo

Un Mes!

I cannot believe one month has already gone by! It seems like I just stepped onto the plan to Spain. This month has been full of new experiences, breath taking views, and a lot of learning. I am so excited for what this next month brings! Soo thus far my favorite museum has been the Thyssen. It is so incredible to think one family amassed that much art throughout the years. Impressionism is my favorite period of art and the Monet, Degas, Renoir, and Morisot they have are absolutely beautiful, so beautiful in fact that I bought prints by each artist. Currently I am trying to plan my semana santa (spring break)! I am already bringing my sister to the Canary Islands for her birthday when she is here! I am so excited for warmth and la playa! Although I guess I shouldn't complain about weather here I have heard its been snowing back home! School has been going very well I am really happy with my classes and slowly getting use to my hour commute to school. I should probably start my paper on Granada for our program director. Missing everyone at home!

besos y abrazos

Toledo

Classes have officially begun which is why I have been slacking on my blog (lo siento Hannah!) But more importantly rebajos are ending soon which means i need to make time to shop more immediately. (Rebajos are sales in Spain that are like a month long and is the only sale of the year!) So Saturday we went to Toledo which is known for their swords, ceramic, and marzipan. Since I don't like marzipan and didn't think Customs would be too pleased with me bringing in a sword I bought beautiful hand made ceramic bowls and plates for mi madre ( de nada mami!) However, the day ended horribly for me..I contracted the infamous spanish bug which many if not all vassar/wes students have gotten. It was the worst part of my trip so far I won't go into details but i'm sure you can all imagine. The silver lining is I now know about this spanish elixir called Aquarius which a very much like Gatorade but better and I stayed in bed all day sunday and watched tv shows on my computer without feeling bad. Its officially the mid week slump and I cannot wait until friday because I don't have class on friday and I can explore Madrid some more. The classes I am taking are History of Journalism, History of Film, History of present time (current events) and spanish. So far I really like my classes and professors and the workload seems very manageable. I'm off to bed now but I hope everyone is doing well!

besos y abrazos