Semana Santa

This week was my spring break so my mom came to visit for a week. I took her around Granada, showed her the Alhambra, we did Arabic baths, ate Arabic food, and went to Madrid. She had a blast, and I'm sure she was like a zombie when she returned home.

Procession

Last week was Semana Santa which is a huge holiday in Spain where everyone is off from work and out of school. During each day of the week leading up to easter Sunday, the Catholic churches in the area process down the street with religious floats that have sculptures of Mary and Jesus. The streets are blocked off with hundreds of people standing around watching and taking pictures. For many people it was very emotional. This is a huge tradition in Spanish culture, and it was amazing to experience.

Valencia and Barcelona

Barcelona game

Barcelona Stadium

Barcelona beach

The 1992 Olympics

Park Guell

Valencia aquarium

Fallas sculpture

Last week our group went to Valencia and Barcelona. We only stayed in Valencia for two nights, but we were there during the week of Fallas, which is a huge celebration that takes place in the city every year. There were giant structures made out of paper mache in the streets and, at the end of the week, they burned them all. There were also fireworks every day that week leading up to the burning even throughout the day, which were mostly being set of by children. I was shocked to see children as young as five years old ignite fire crackers. Since Valencia is know for their Paella, I definitely tried some, and it was amazing. Paella is seasoned rice with various types of seafood, meats, or both. We also went to the aquarium and science museum. They both were very big and took a couple of hours to get through. The aquarium had almost every type of see creature. They also had a dolphin show that took place outside. Unfortunately, it was a rainy day so we didn't see the dolphins, but we saw everything else. Our hotel was in Gandia right on the beach. The hotel prices to stay in Valencia were extremely expensive so we stayed at four star one a hour away. Once we left Valencia we drove five hours to Barcelona.

Barcelona was beautiful. Besides the weather being over 70 degrees, the city had a lot to offer. It was a combination of New York City, Los Angeles, and Spain, and is by far my favorite city in Europe right now. We took a double decker bus tour that took us around the city explaining all the historical cites. We also went to Park Guell, which is a famous park and big tourist attraction filled with beautiful architecture. It was also the park where America's Next Top Model cycle 7 had their fashion show (for those who remember). There were hundreds of people there walking around taking pictures. The size of the park was huge, and anyone could get lost. Also in Barcelona, there is a beautiful beach only a few metro stops away. It reminded me a lot of Venice beach in LA. There were many people roller blading and riding bikes. There was also a small gym outside where many men were working out trying to show off for the women walking past. The shopping was very similar to NYC. Many people on the street were going from store to store especially the high end ones like Chanel. We also went to the cite where Barcelona hosted the 1992 Olympics. They kept everything the pretty much the same. Now it is a popular tourist attraction. They still host events in the arena and stadium. While we were at the cite, there was a convention taking place in the arena. Many people were dressed in business attire. Luckily, the event was free so we got a chance to see inside the arena.

On Saturday night, we went to a FCBarcelona game, which a professional soccer game. Barcelona is the best team in the country and in the world considering that Spain won the World Cup last year. Their stadium is the biggest soccer stadium in Europe holding almost over 100 thousand people. I was never a big soccer fan, but watching soccer in Europe is a completely different experience than in the U.S. The skill level is higher and the fans are very passionate about the sport. One thing that was different in the stadium was they do not sell alcohol. People are allowed to bring in liquids up to a certain amount, but no one can purchase alcoholic beverages once they are inside. This made complete sense to me because if there was not a cap on how much alcohol people could drink, the place would be uncontrollable because these were die hard fans.

We were only in Barcelona for three nights, and anyone who visits Barcelona for the first time will need more time than that so I plan to go back before I leave in May.

Paris

Crepe with chocolate and bananas

Duck

Escargot

Arc-De-Triomphe

Louvre

Eiffel Tower

Notre Dame

I've always dreamed of going to Paris one day, but I never thought it would come this soon in my life. Last weekend, I went with another girl from my group to Paris, France from Thursday to Monday. We stayed in a hostel, which are like dorms that are a lot cheaper than hotels. We had a wonderful time, and saw many historical attractions like the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, Chaillot, Arc-De-Triomphe, Opera, Moulin-Rouge, Sacre-Coeur, Notre Dame and more. I met up with my former teammate from UNH and her friends, and we took a boat tour that took us down the river from the Eiffel Tower.

While we were in the Lourve (the biggest museum in the world), we saw the original painting of the Mona Lisa. The painting was in a glass guarded by security, and no one could get closer than ten feet. There were also many other famous paintings and sculptures in the museum, but it would have taken us four months to complete the museum if we looked at every piece of art for a minute. (fun fact I learned on the boat tour)

Since I was in Paris, one of the main fashion capitals of the world, I had to go down Avenue de Montaigne, which is one of the most famous and expensive shopping streets in Paris. This street has stores of almost all of the most popular high fashion designers. Of course I didn't buy anything, but there were definitely people making purchasing in almost every story. One day I will know what that feels like.

On the same street as Moulin-Rouge, there were many exotic entertainment clubs and stores on both sides of the street. I was amazed. While I was on that street, I had a crepe, which is a well known French food. It is a thin pancake with your choice of fruit, sugar, chocolate, ham, and many other options. They fold it up into a shape of a triangle and you can eat it on the go. I had three of them during my stay. They are delicious.

Speaking on food, we went a French restaurant called Chartier. Luckily, our waiter spoke English because we didn't know what anything was one the menu. I tried escargot (snails) and duck for the first time. If you visit Paris, you have to go to Chartier. It was good French food for a good price, and the food came out faster than at McDonalds. I was impressed. I guess since there were a lot of people with the same orders they never stopped cooking.

I was surprised at how many people spoke English. Almost everyone we talked to knew enough English to help us. At Pizza Hut (yes, Pizza Hut), our waitress spoke English and then spoke Spanish for our Spanish friends who were with us. I've noticed that many people who live in Europe know at least more than two languages. Learning Spanish is hard enough. I can't imagine trying to learn two more. I was saying "gracias" to people without noticing.

Overall I had a great time. Even though it was the off season for tourists, there were a lot so I suggest visiting in the off season because I can only imagine how many people are there in the summer time. Also, bring a lot of money because you will use it. We tried to do all the free things in Paris, but we still managed to spend a good amount of money. Here is a word of advice, do not go to the aquarium. Online it says that it's one of Paris's top ten attractions, but its not worth the money. There were many other things to do near the aquarium like the Eiffel Tower so spend your money at another attraction.

While I am still recovering from Paris, I have to get ready to travel to Valencia and Barcelona in a week. :)

Cordoba and the Flu

These past two weeks, I have been getting over the flu, and it was harder than I've ever experienced. The Saturday before last, my friend was in town from Madrid so we hung out for a while until my body began to feel very achy. I went home, got in the bed, and slept until Monday. My body was so weak, and I was exhausted. Finally, I decided that I should see a doctor since I was missing class and could barely walk. The doctor gave me four different medications and sent me on my way. Instantly, I began to feel better. I went to class the next day, and each day felt easier. I guess my body is not used to the germs here. Many of the students have been sick and are continuing to get sick.

This past Saturday we drove three hours to Cordoba, Spain. We went to a museum of architecture called El Museo de Madinat al-Zahra, which had pieces of ancient buildings in Cordoba. After, we walked around the city and went the Cathedral of Cordoba, which is a very popular church known for its architecture and Islamic background. Luckily, I was feeling better so I could handle all the walking we were doing.

This weekend, beginning tomorrow, I am going to Paris, France! I'm staying directly in the city only minutes away from the Eiffel Tower. I'll be sure to take plenty of pictures.

Madrid

Toledo

Segovia

Aquarium at the zoo in Madrid

The Royal Palace

Real Madrid soccer stadium

Bull Fighting Stadium

From Wednesday to Sunday, I was in Madrid, Spain with my group learning about it's history and seeing the sights. Madrid is a gorgeous city with a population of about 5 million people. I call it the New York City of Spain because it is very fashion forward and it has a lot of corporate buildings. We stayed in a hotel called, El Regente, in the heart of the city right off Gran Via, which is a main street. Along with the stores and offices, they have many historical sights like museums and palaces that all tell stories about the culture of Madrid. On the first day, we went to Escorial to see the Royal Seat of San Lorenzo del Escorial where kings of Spain lived in the 15th century. Now it is a monastery, school, museum, and royal palace. The next day we took a bus tour that showed us around the city. We saw the Real Madrid fútbol stadium and the bull fighting stadium. After the bus tour we took a tour of another Royal Palace where a king of Spain lived. Each room was decorated to represent another country and serve a different purpose. On Friday, we were on our own to do what we wanted, and a group of us went to the zoo. It cost 19 euros to get enter, which I was shocked about and almost changed my mind about going. However, it had a lot to offer. There were many animals and an aquarium that was very beautiful. Friday night we went to a Spanish musical called "40 Musical," and they played top 40 Spanish hits throughout the story. Although I didn't understand a lot of what they were saying, I got the gist of what the plot was about. The musical was very entraining and the audience was mostly of teenagers and young adults. The following day, we took the bus to Segovia, Spain, which was an hour and a half away, and saw their historical sights and museum. Finally, on the last day, we visited Toledo, Spain to take pictures of the view of the city. After, we went into the city to see a few cathedrals and ate at McDonald's. I am not a huge McDonald's fan, but it was good. The hamburger meat was bigger than the bun and the french fries tasted like fresh cut potatoes. It was the best experience I ever had at McDonald's.

Since the paragraph described what we did during the day, I will now tell what we did at night. What we did at night is a completely different story. Madrid loves to party. They have, what are called, discotecas, which are like clubs but with live dance performances. These discotecas do not begin until after 12 a.m. or 1 a.m. We went three nights in a row, and yes, I was tired, but they were a lot of fun. We didn't get back to our hotel until 5 or 6 in the morning just in time for breakfast at 8 a.m. I was dragging through our afternoon adventures, but I was only going to be there once. Plus, I got a chance to meet people from different countries. If you decide to visit Spain, you must visit Madrid. The cost to stay there is expensive, but it is definitely worth it.

Arabic Spa

Tonight I went to an Arabic spa recommended from our program director. The student package was only 21 euros, and it included a massage and access to the three different temperature pools. The place was set up Arabian style with dimmed lights and marble walls and floors. They took us to the back to change our clothes then showed us the different areas we could experience. The first room was the ice bath. I didn't go to that one because I hate cold water. I can barely get into a swimming pool. The second room had a larger pool and, it was the hottest bath like a jacuzzi. Then the last room was the medium temperature bath, which was deeper, but the temperature was just right. Not too hot or too cold. Each of us was given a number, and when it was called, we went to the section where the massages were held. The masseuse called me over, and I laid on the table and received the best massage of my life. He used an oil that felt like a mild IcyHot. Once it was over I went into another room that had a large flat hot rock in the middle and laid on it for a few minutes. The whole packaged lasted for an hour and a half. Before exiting the spa area, we had mint tea waiting for us. That tea was the best tea I have ever drank. I'm going to find out where i can purchase it and bring some back to the U.S. It is amazing! The entire experience was absolute bliss. I am definitely going to be spoiled before I go back home.

If you are ever in Spain you have to experience this! I plan on bringing my mother when she comes to visit.

http://www.granada.hammamspain.com/index.php

Dinero (Money)

Money is a very important factor in this journey because you need money to do anything. Thankfully, my volleyball scholarship paid the expenses of this trip for the whole semester. However, when it comes to making purchases and traveling, I have to use my own funds. For starters, Spain does not accept U.S. dollars. They use euros here along with many other European countries. The exchange rate here is about 36 cents more for each euro, which can vary by the minute; therefore, the dollar is worth a little less here. Luckily, most products here are cheaper so it balances itself out in a way. It took me a while to get used to the money because it looks different, and they have more coins and banknotes than the U.S. Their lowest bill is 5 and the highest is 500. Can you imagine finding a 500 euro bill on the ground? I'm praying for that day to come. One and 2 euros are coins so when I think I have a bunch of change, it can add up to be a good amount of money. I had to train myself not spend my 1 euro and 2 euro coins like they are quarters.

The cost to travel from Spain is pretty cheap. I am looking to fly to Paris at the end of February and round trip flights were as low as 30 euros ($40.81). Instead of hotels, many students stay in hostels which are only 15-20 euros a night. Traveling Europe is not very expensive so I plan to take advantage of it as much as I can. I also plan to visit Rome and possibly London if I have the time. Although flights from Madrid are the cheapest, there are buses from Granada that go to Madrid for 16-20 euros. The bus ride is 5 hours, but I'd rather ride on a bus for 5 hours than pay 200 euros for a plan ticket out of Granada.

I've learned the numbers in spanish faster than I learned anything else because when someone tells me the price of something or gives me my change I need to accurate and quick. One of the first new phrases I learned when I got here was "cuánto cuesta?" (how much?).

Here is shocker for you all. The gas prices here range around 1.26 euros, which is only about $1. 70. Yes, I know what you are thinking. Granada doesn't sound too bad after all.

Comprar (Shopping)

As you all know, I love fashion, and I love to shop. Of course I have scoped out all the stores in my area already. I came during the perfect time of year, "rebajas," which is the term used here for their season of sales. It began the first week of January and lasts until the end of February or March. All the stores have their sale signs in the windows and crowds of people are out shopping every day. Shopping takes place mostly outside since there aren't malls around so its very similar to New York's shopping style. Now I'm not going to ramble through everything I've bought so far since I know my parents will be reading this regularly. (just kidding- i haven't gone crazy) However, some of the stores have very good sales, but you have to go to the right places. Most of the stores are different from the U.S., but there are some that are the same. For example, Levi's, Zara (which is originally from Europe), Mango, and Colors of Benetton are all stores present in the U.S. For all of you who shop at Zara and Mango, their prices are dirt cheap compared to the prices in the U.S. especially with the sales. I try to go to them only once a week. A lot of stores are high end designers, which I was not surprised about since we are in Europe where the fashion industry was created. The majority of the population dress very conservative and upscale.

I know this all sounds great, but as soon as I thought I was in fashion heaven, I bumped into a minor setback. Since most of the Spanish women are around 5'6" and under, they do not sell size 10 and 11 shoes (in european sizes 41, 42, 43). I have been having the hardest time finding shoes, but I guess its a good thing because it puts me on some sort of a restriction for at least one item. The clothes run smaller as well, and the sizes are different. Shirts are either small, medium, and large or sizes 34-48, which are sizes 4-18 in the U.S. Of course with these minor differences I've managed to educate myself in this department pretty quickly.

They have a department store that foreigners claim to be like a Walmart, but when I walked in, it was more like a Nordstrom with a groceries and home goods. It's called El Corte Ingles (photo above). Everyone goes there to buy their basic necessities and clothes. I have never seen such a high end store for the most basic products. So the answer is No, they do not have a Walmart, but they do have El Corte Ingles, which sells the sames things without Walmart prices.

Unfortunately, all this shopping does not go on all day. There is a tradition that they recognize here called "siesta," which begins around 1 p.m. or 2 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m. During this time, all the stores and shops are closed and everyone is eating lunch, taking a nap, or relaxing. We definitely need this in the U.S., but I see why we don't because no one would want to go back to work after. On Sundays, most of the stores are closed for the entire day. So what ever you need to buy get it before Sunday.

La Comida (Food)

For the picky eaters there is a Burger King and Häagen-Dazs

Churros with chocolate

Eating here is absolutely wonderful! I don't know how I am going to survive when I return to the states. The food here is cheap and delicious. Maria cooks a variety of things like fish, paella (rice with seafood), chicken, different kinds of soups, lasagna, etc. I feel like I am eating restaurant food every day. It's not only Maria's cooking but everywhere even the corner stores and carry out places. All the food here seems more fresh than the U.S., and they use olive oil rather than butter to cook with, which gives the food a different but kind of rich taste. This past Friday we went to an Arabic restaurant. I have never eaten Arabic food before, but it was amazing! I ate lamb, cous cous (the picture above), eggplant, hummus, and rice. After the the meal, they gave us hot mint tea and chocolate truffles for dessert. Muy bien.

Also, the seafood here....SPEECHLESS! I am a seafood lover, and it is very cheap to buy here and people eat it all the time. Yes, I am being spoiled.

As for the desserts, their pastries are delicious. They are known for their chocolate croissants and truffles. The ice cream is smooth and rich, and you can buy a cup for 1 euro. They have all kinds of flavors that consist of real fruit, cookies, and more.

The fruit here is very sweet and fresh. Orange and lemon trees are everywhere, and you can pick any one and enjoy a great piece of fruit. Kiwi is my favorite. It wasn't until the second week that I noticed we were drinking tap water everyday with our meals. Well, Maria could have fooled us because it taste just like bottled water. I could not tell the difference. The water is very clean. I haven't bought a bottle of water yet.

My next couple of posts will be more about the Spanish culture and how it is different from the U.S. I will cover money, shopping, night life, and people.

España

Congratulations! Here is my first post to my blog for all of you to read and continue to follow me through these four months in Spain. I have only been here two weeks, and it already feels longer because I am adapting to this new culture very fast. Prior to my arrival, I was very nervous because I had not taken Spanish class for a year, and my level of Spanish was equivalent to a four-year-old girl. Now, already after two weeks, I have learned so much of the language that I have moved up to a six-year-old girl. During my first week, everyone was talking so fast I was completely lost and could not communicate with anyone, especially my host mother, Maria Carrion.

I live in an apartment on Blas Infante with Kayliegh Mitchell, a student from UNH. This may surprise you all, but yes, we are living by ourselves. Maria rents out the apartment to other students who come to study at the Universidad de Granada. She cooks us lunch and dinner and brings us our meals everyday. We chat for a little then she leaves to go cook dinner at her house for her and her husband. She has two older children in their twenties who live on their own in Granada. Thankfully, I can now understand Maria, and all three of us converse during our meals. We get to know one another, learn about Spain, and teach Maria about Estados Unidos (United States) since she has never been. We have grown to be like a family, and Maria has been very kind to us and has treated us like children of her own.