What I've been up to.

Hi,

If you don't remember me, my name is Jane, and I was supposed to be keeping up this blog for you to read on a regular basis. Well, that failed miserably, as we all got busy, as Internet connections were slow, and as everything slowly went from being new and exciting to just ordinary life. Now, it's not to say that ordinary life here is boring and doesn't deserve mention, but sometimes it's hard to remember to write on here. Obviously. Anyways, I'm really going to try to give you a taste of everything I've been doing the last...2 months. Oy.

October 3- Went to Avila, a town about an hour from here, famous for its gigantic walls and its monastery, St. Teresa de Avila. We were only there for the day, but we saw all that we could, and had a good time on the walls, which you can walk on all around the city!

October 17-Toledo! Also about an hour from Madrid, home to three religions-Islam, Judaism and, of course Christianity, Toledo is known for their synagogues, for their marzapan, and their damask style jewelry. We saw a synagogue and a mosque that were converted into churches during the inquisition.

October 18-Bullfight in Plaza de Ventas. Perhaps one of my favorite things I have done in Madrid. And yes, they do kill the bull. Though it was sometimes unsettling to watch (yes, I closed my eyes multiple times in the hours we were there), the ritualistic manner in which everything was done was absolutely interesting, and beautiful in its own sort of way. Out of the three toros, the second was the most showy, and he even laid down in front of the bull to provoke him! What valor and showmanship!

October 23-25- Paris. Wow is all I have to say. Paris is the furthest I've ever been from home, distancewise, but after hearing my mom's recounting of her visits to Paris for work, it definitely felt like I wasn't too far away. We tried to do a lot-Louvre, Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triumf, Sacre Cour, Napoleon's Tomb, and a few churches, but mainly we really enjoyed spending time together. On Saturday night, that would be October 24, we got some groceries and had dinner in front of the Eiffel Tower, watching the lights change and enjoying one another's company. However, I have determined that I will need to return so that I can see the Musee d'Orsay, which we weren't able to make it to. Oh! And of course, we went to mass in Notre Dame on Sunday morning. I must admit, other than the Vatican, going to Notre Dame is a must for Catholics, but even for Christians. There is so much history, and it was so cool to be in a place that makes you feel the enormity of history.

October 31- Halloween. Yes, Halloween in the US is all about scariness, but also about harvest-time and All Saint's Day. But here, Halloween is an excuse to dress up in clothes just a hair creepier than what Madrilenos normally wear, and then stick some blood-looking make-up with like dark circles around their eyes. Cool. Not. However, to avoid too much creepiness, we headed to Estadio Santiago Bernabeu, home to Real Madrid football club. That means soccer, so don't get all excited and think that they had American football here. That would just be too good to be true, let me say. Anyways, playing Getafe, Real Madrid were able to pull out 2 goals and leave victoriously. Let me just say that Real Madrid fans, perhaps all football fans here, are the loudest fans I have ever heard, with the exception of my high school football team fans. Wow! What excitement they had for their team! Then, after the game, in the spirit of doing something American for an apparently "American" holiday, we headed to McDonald's, where I ate a Happy Meal. It tasted exactly like the hamburgers from McDonald's in the US. Part of me, if not all of me, thinks that is a bit concerning.

November 1- Sorolla Museum. Do you know who Joaquin Sorolla is? Well, google him right now. He is a painter from the late 19th and early 20th century, specializing in the impressionist style and known largely for his mastery of depicting light in his paintings. The Sorolla Museum was Sorolla's house before being made a museum, but they still conserve the feeling, decoration, and furniture that Sorolla had in the house when he lived there. In addition, dozens of his beautiful paintings line the walls. Wow! What a place. A must-do if you ever come to Madrid.

November 7-9- Palma de Mallorca, part of the Balearic Islands, which are a part of Spain, actually. It was cold, and occasionally rainy, but an awesome weekend. We went to the huge Cathedral there, partly designed by Gaudi, traveled by an antique train to Soller, a small village just outside of the city of Palma (which was so adorable!), and Castell Bellver, one of three circular castles in Europe or something. It was not a crazy weekend, we were in bed by 10:30, but it was so fun.

November 11-13-So, just a few days later, we went to London. I need to tell you that we found these flights for super duper cheap, and that is why we went from a Wednesday to a Friday. Well, it was chocked full of things to do. And speaking English to strangers, we realized, isn't something we're accustomed to anymore. The first night, getting into London at about 9 pm, we used the Tube to get to our destination for the evening, I lost my little ticket which you have to feed through the machine after using the Tube. Well, in desperately looking for my ticket, Meg and Marissa patiently waiting on the other side of the machines, a Tube worker called me over, asked me if I needed some help. I told him I couldn't find my ticket, upon which he asked me where I was from. "The US, Texas!" I replied. "Well, to leave, I'm going to have to ask you to say 'Oh my God' for me." I said it first hesitantly, and after he told me that I would need to say it like they do in the US, he let me go through the gates. Laughing as we left the station, I found the ticket in my coat pocket.

We did so much in the little time we were in London! I would give you more details, but I really need to study for final exams. I promise, though, I will give you a more detailed account.

Okay so there you have it, a Sparknotes or CliffNotes (whichever you prefer) version of all that I've been up to of late. Yes, there is a lot more to tell you, and I'll get to that once I get tired of studying for a while. Until then, and it won't be too long, cheers!

Five Weeks After--My Ode to America

Today, Sunday October 4th, marks my fifth complete week that I have lived in Madrid, Spain. As you can see by the previous posts, this place is incredible, fabulous, and above all, a great opportunity to get to know myself outside of what I know so well in America. My senora is surely destined for sainthood (get on that Pope Benedict), my neighborhood is a nice little community of older folks and families, and my professors are great.

All this said, I do have a few very minor complaints. In the spirit of passive-aggression, I now write to you some of the things that have in some ways gotten to me here in Spain. The kind of things that make you say, "Really, people? Really?" So now I will continue.

1. Smoking. Europeans like to smoke. This is a proven fact, published in the Book of Jane (Hartung 76). Though it probably benefits tobacco farmers throughout the southern US, it does not benefit my poor lungs. Every morning, at 7 am, I am greeted by the scent of burning tobacco from the neighbors. When we go to school in the morning, Marissa and I walk behind at least one smoker, inhaling enough secondhand smoke that I will need to get Nicotene patches to wean me off of tobacco upon arrival back in the US. And by the night, when we go downtown, rest assured that we are probably in a cloud of tobacco smoke. Dear lungs, I am sorry that you are turning black. Love, Jane

2. Vegetables. Spain is known for their food, I am sure. In fact, they are very well known for their hams, cheeses, olives, wines, and pastries. And damn, they are all incredible. But look, a girl has gotta eat some veggies. Let's face it, I need fiber, if you know what I mean. End of story.

3. Internet. In the US, we give away Internet like we give away corn subsidies. I could probably close my eyes and point on a map and find some place with Internet back home. However, Marissa and I have had the hardest time finding an Internet cafe or a place with free WiFi access. Boy oh boy!

4. Mullets and dreads, or a combination of both. Yes, back in Greenville, SC, or more specifically Traveler's Rest, SC, you are destined to see a good mullet at the local Wal-Mart. But, you know, it is endearing in a way, considering perhaps they aren't aware that the mullet went out of fashion...or never actually was in fashion. However, Madrid, Spain has had the grand idea of bringing the mullet back. They plan to implement their plan by infiltrating some mullets with the additional and ever popular dreadlocks as well. The result? A very ugly, in fact I shudder every time I see it, hairstyle.

5. Walking. Madrilenos do not know how to walk in a straight line. They do not walk in a logical pattern, nor are they courteous and make room for those walking in the opposite direction as they are. They do not say "Pardon, I have forgotten how to walk." They do not say "I'm sorry, I am a bit off balance today." They simply give you a dirty look when they pass you, especially as you are scampering to come up with a plan not to ram head-on with them.

And so it is, folks. Just a few little things, but I should head to bed now. Vicky our senora is snoring, so it probably is time for me to get a few z's in as well.

Galicia, in another nutshell

Hello all,

Today is a beautiful Sunday afternoon, which I have passed by going to El Rastro, the behemoth of a market in south downtown Madrid (what awful English I now speak) and eating la comida (the big meal of the day in Spain) with Vicky and her son's family. And now, I write to you, though I should be studying a bit and enjoying the outdoors. But regardless, I know I need to do this blog post at some point in my life. So why not now?

Last weekend, the Furman group went to the area of Galicia, which is directly north of Portugal. The best way I can describe this place in words would be northern California, European style. Not to bore you with the ecological explanations, but it makes sense based on the ocean currents, the topography of the land and the location of the area in relation to the continent. But I digress, hesitantly, no less.

We first headed to the resort town of A Coruna, home to fashionable snowbirds and the fishing industry. The area is gorgeous, and we were able to see THE OLDEST LIGHTHOUSE IN THE WORLD. It is called the Hercules Tower, and it was built during the Romantic period, so when the Romans were chilling here in Spain. It is very high up at the top, and was used for smoke signals. Our tour guide, Gelsi, not CHelsea, but Gelsi, was very informative. She showed us where the first Zara store is located, and told us all about the places where the rich and famous of Spain live.

Our next guide, in our travels to Santiago de Compostela, was Juan, pronounced Schwann. As in Schwann cells, or at least that's what I was thinking about. Schwann, where shall I even begin? Well, to say the least, and I have to study, so I will say the very least, was a man that underestimated our ability to understand Spanish, enjoyed yelling loudly in churches where we would tour, and, best of all, would spray his words if you stood too close to him. However, we did learn a great deal about the fishing industry near Santiago de Compostela and even ate a meal comparable to the famed and ever-so epic FEAST that I had once upon a time with Laura-Ann and Jacqui. I still don't like to think about seafood, and I ate this meal like 8 days ago.

Santiago de Compostela, as many of you probably don't know, is home to one of the largest pilgrimages in Europe, if not the world. There is a path that follows from France and ends in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. Gelsi had told us that it took her about 33 days to complete it and you receive a papal something or another upon completion of the pilgrimage. The church in Santiago de Compostela is huge and filled with traditions based on centuries of pilgrimages and Catholic business. Also, the entire area around the church has beautiful traditions steeped in superstition and, very separately but at the same time, the Catholic church. For example, they have little witches brews which you can buy that are basically glorified liquors. There are a lot of superstitions, too, that these folks believe, which means there is something quite mystical about the place. Perhaps that is why it has been one of my favorite areas to visit discounting Madrid.

Pictures are slowly but surely being uploaded, and I will post the slideshow soon enough. This place is gorgeous, folks, so I hope you can take a peek.

Barcelona, in a semi-nutshell

I send my deepest, deepest regrets, dear readers. The past week has been a bit of a fracaso, what with traveling to Barcelona, taking a test, and going to Galicia for four days. As such, I am going to play a bit of catch-up with my blog. So let me now recount a weekend in Barcelona.

We started off on Friday evening, at 10:30 pm. Meg, Marissa, and I loaded ourselves and our backpacks that we just as big as ourselves onto the bus, that in just eight hours transported us to Barcelona. Barcelona is located in the southern part of Spain, relatively close to the border of France and Spain. Therefore, they all speak Catalan, which is the red-headed child of the French and Spanish languages.

We began the day at the beach, trying to get some idea of the sunrise of Barcelona. However the sun does not rise in the direction we were hoping, so we passed the time eating a breakfast we had packed for ourselves. Then we headed to the hostel, dropped our stuff off in the luggage room, and headed to La Sagrada Familia.

Now, I am not going to speak for everybody, but La Sagrada Familia (this is that ultra-modern cathedral in Barcelona that you may have seen on one of the cycles of ANTM) was one of the most thrilling experiences I have had. We took the elevators to the rooftop and looked at the skyline and then the cathedral itself, and it was absolutely gorgeous. It is quite hard to put into words, as is the case for experiences like this, but to say the least, I will be floating on a cloud for a long time after going to La Sagrada Familia.

After our tour, we headed off towards our hostel, stopping in a park for a bit of lunch, that yes, we had packed as well. After freshening up at the hostel, we headed to the Picasso Museum, which was also wonderful. The museum itself was beautiful and things were well framed. In addition, all of the works were explained in a logical context, which is nice for science minded folks like Meg and me.

We hit up Las Ramblas and the boardwalk after that for a bit of a respite. Keep in mind we had been hittin it since like 7:30 on Friday morning, when we had to head to Friday classes.

As the sun set, we walked over to the Magic Fountain, which, I will say with a raised nose, is not as good as the Bellagio Hotel fountain. Yes, it was gorgeous, and probably the setting for the fountain itself was superior. However, the fountain mechanics themselves were not as good as the fountains at Bellagio. After that, we grabbed dinner and (tried) to find a little discoteca to dance at for a bit. However, Barcelona does not have the nightlife that we so take for granted here in Madrid. Things seem to die there. As our senora told us, nights in Barcelona are "just sad." I would have to agree with her on that.

We headed back to our hostel, Centric Point, relatively early for Spain. Although we were staying at a hostel, all of us got an amazing night's rest. Everybody in the hostel was extremely respectful of one another, and I would definitely return if I ever go back to Barcelona and can't afford a hotel. It was clean, nice, friendly, and actually very cool.

Sunday morning, after a breakfast at the hostel (which was provided, holla!), we walked to Park Guell, designed completely by Antoni Gaudi. I have a question for you all: Have you ever heard of Antoni Gaudi? No? Well, you definitely need to Google him or wiki him or whatever else you would do to look somebody up. He is an incredible, incredible architect and designer, basically laying the design based foundations of Barcelona. La Sagrada Familia, all of the modern architecture throughout Barcelona, and Park Guell, on top of heaps more of things were designed by this man. Though I am no architect, I definitely can appreciate his work and design.

I've left out a number of details, I'm sure, but I really want to write the next blog for Galicia. hasta pronto, chicos.

Barcelona, 19 a 20 septiembre

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