I have pictures posted! hooray!
Madrid:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=135623&id=500523819&l=1f0e8cb3fa
Barcelona:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=135630&id=500523819&l=72457ce818
Toledo:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=135636&id=500523819&l=f30ac8e631
Granada:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=135641&id=500523819&l=a2f6bd8cd2
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Adios Granada: A Final Farewell
Well, we're going to keep this short and sweet because some of us have been traveling and traveling for 2 weeks and are EXHAUSTED.
But, today was a great day!!!
First of all, we decided it was probably a good idea to not really get out of bed until...like...noon. We were so tired and still de-thawing from our day at the Alhambra yesterday, plus we didnt want to be out in the cold too long before our Arab bath appointment at 6pm.
We walked around the shopping district...and shopped of course...then made our way to this pretty little plaza called Plaza Nueva which has a bunch of restaurants and is kind of the main hang out of the city. Can we just discuss how the food in Granada has been SO GOOD. Everywhere else we have been the food has been kind of weird or just plain not good (except the mushroom tapas and calamari rings in Madrid. I will never talk ill of you my loves)...but Granada, everything we have had has been SO good. So today we stopped at this realllllly cool restaurant that basically reeked of "Esther". It was all in black and white swirly modern prints everywhere, and then had vintage chandeliers and pretty old pictures up too...I swooned. We had a HUGE 2 course meal for only 13 euro each, and it was so so so good. We couldnt move afterwards. Amazing.
Anyway, enough about food. After lunch we took the bus up to the viewpoint of the city called San Nicolas. It had an AMAZING viewpoint of the Alhambra and the entire city. SO beautiful up there. The bus ride up and around there was amazing too because everything around there is really old and has the same Moorish architecture as the Alhambra. All these cute little houses, courtyards, doors, archways...such a sweet bus ride. Except sometimes I thought we were going to die and I would say "oh my God!", and then I would see the bus driver laugh. It was pretty funny.
Ok, NOW the baths. Oh man. We had the BEST time. We each paid 25euro for a 75 minute "bath" and a 15 minute massage, and they give you towels and a locker and everything. So its kind of like a spa, EXCEPT sweeter. Once you get inside, it looks just like the old baths we saw at the Alhambra with 8 pools of different temperatures each (all like mini little hot tubs without the bubbles) and then a pool with cold water that you go into in between each warm bath. And it was all warm in the entire place, so you could just wander around in your bathing suit without being cold. And then they call your number for your massage...which was really just like a lovely backrub with oils...and your all relaxed and love life. And then they have the most DELICIOUS Moroccan tea EVER in this little nook...oh man, we were in heaven.
except...and this was a big except. Pretty much everyone else there were these cute young couples our age cuddling and kissing and being cute in all the pools...and it just made us miss our boyfriends a lot. As if we didnt already, right?
Some favorite moments of mine:
-way too old and too fat to be wearing that polka dot bikini lady
-obviously its appropriate for the old scraggly lady to take her top off in the coed shower in the bath area
-of course we had to have a speedo or two. At least THEY weren't old and icky.
-the couple full on making out in bath #1
-the couple full on making out in bath #2
-you get the idea.
After our lovely and relaxing bathing session, we walked all the way home, stopping for a sweet on the way. We just discovered this sweet shop by our APARTMENT...so naturally we have been stopping there everyday to get a sweet. We might just be in love.
So yeah, another horrid day in Granada. hehe
Tomorrow we train it to Madrid and arrive in the afternoon. We might try and hit a museum we didnt have time for, or might shop some more, but will be for sure ending our final night in Spain eating more mushroom tapas, calamari rings, and drinking our last sangria.
All our love from Granada!
-Esther (and Alyssa in the bathroom)
But, today was a great day!!!
First of all, we decided it was probably a good idea to not really get out of bed until...like...noon. We were so tired and still de-thawing from our day at the Alhambra yesterday, plus we didnt want to be out in the cold too long before our Arab bath appointment at 6pm.
We walked around the shopping district...and shopped of course...then made our way to this pretty little plaza called Plaza Nueva which has a bunch of restaurants and is kind of the main hang out of the city. Can we just discuss how the food in Granada has been SO GOOD. Everywhere else we have been the food has been kind of weird or just plain not good (except the mushroom tapas and calamari rings in Madrid. I will never talk ill of you my loves)...but Granada, everything we have had has been SO good. So today we stopped at this realllllly cool restaurant that basically reeked of "Esther". It was all in black and white swirly modern prints everywhere, and then had vintage chandeliers and pretty old pictures up too...I swooned. We had a HUGE 2 course meal for only 13 euro each, and it was so so so good. We couldnt move afterwards. Amazing.
Anyway, enough about food. After lunch we took the bus up to the viewpoint of the city called San Nicolas. It had an AMAZING viewpoint of the Alhambra and the entire city. SO beautiful up there. The bus ride up and around there was amazing too because everything around there is really old and has the same Moorish architecture as the Alhambra. All these cute little houses, courtyards, doors, archways...such a sweet bus ride. Except sometimes I thought we were going to die and I would say "oh my God!", and then I would see the bus driver laugh. It was pretty funny.
Ok, NOW the baths. Oh man. We had the BEST time. We each paid 25euro for a 75 minute "bath" and a 15 minute massage, and they give you towels and a locker and everything. So its kind of like a spa, EXCEPT sweeter. Once you get inside, it looks just like the old baths we saw at the Alhambra with 8 pools of different temperatures each (all like mini little hot tubs without the bubbles) and then a pool with cold water that you go into in between each warm bath. And it was all warm in the entire place, so you could just wander around in your bathing suit without being cold. And then they call your number for your massage...which was really just like a lovely backrub with oils...and your all relaxed and love life. And then they have the most DELICIOUS Moroccan tea EVER in this little nook...oh man, we were in heaven.
except...and this was a big except. Pretty much everyone else there were these cute young couples our age cuddling and kissing and being cute in all the pools...and it just made us miss our boyfriends a lot. As if we didnt already, right?
Some favorite moments of mine:
-way too old and too fat to be wearing that polka dot bikini lady
-obviously its appropriate for the old scraggly lady to take her top off in the coed shower in the bath area
-of course we had to have a speedo or two. At least THEY weren't old and icky.
-the couple full on making out in bath #1
-the couple full on making out in bath #2
-you get the idea.
After our lovely and relaxing bathing session, we walked all the way home, stopping for a sweet on the way. We just discovered this sweet shop by our APARTMENT...so naturally we have been stopping there everyday to get a sweet. We might just be in love.
So yeah, another horrid day in Granada. hehe
Tomorrow we train it to Madrid and arrive in the afternoon. We might try and hit a museum we didnt have time for, or might shop some more, but will be for sure ending our final night in Spain eating more mushroom tapas, calamari rings, and drinking our last sangria.
All our love from Granada!
-Esther (and Alyssa in the bathroom)
Friday, January 8, 2010
Alhambra: The Day We Almost Died of Hypothermia.
WELL
Just when you think the adventures of Alyssa and Esther couldn't get any better...they did.
Today was Alhambra day! Something we were both SO excited about! BUT we were NOT excited about it being a "high" of 32 degrees...in fact, we were dreading even leaving the house allll day and were tempted to just stay in our PJs in our warm beds all day instead. Instead, we just put on 5 layers of clothes (seriously) and ventured out into the cold anyway. STILL wasnt enough for our warm socal blood, but we just sucked it up and made it to the Alhambra as indicated on the time on our ticket.
Oh, we just loved it up there. All these beautiful Islamic archways, domes, fountains, gardens, lattices, bathes, tile work...it was just so amazing. First we wandered around the gardens, then found these cool old baths (like the ones we're going to tomorrow!), then went to the palace Charles V built which is a huge circle...so pretty, then we climbed up into the actual fort and could see the ENTIRE city from up there! We already couldnt feel our fingers and toes by this point, and our faces were red with cold...BUT THEN.
BUT THEN.
BUT THEN.
Luck continued to follow us to the Alhambra. and...
IT STARTED SNOWING.
FOR REAL!!!
THIS IS WHAT IM SAYING!!!
I told you it was cold!!!! We were on top of the world and it started snowing!!! It was SO amazing!
Imagine two little California girls squealing from the cold and delight of the snow on top of a medieval Islamic fort on top of Granada. Pretty. stinkin. awesome.
So we were in high spirits as it continued to snow THE REST OF THE DAY.
And were onto our last and most exciting stop. The palace! so excited, right?!
yeah, this is where it gets interesting.
Apparently, the ticket we reserved on the internet a month ago for the time slot of 2pm, is NOT to get into the Alhambra itself, instead it is to get into the palace part of the Alhambra. Yeah. How am I supposed to know that when the signs telling us this are in an entirely different part of where we picked up our internet tickets?!
Well, the lady at the line didnt seem to care and we had to walk alllllll the way back to the front (some crying may have been done at this time, since the palace was THE thing to see...and because we were already sooooo cold and tired) and decided to just ask the front if there was anything we could do. "Luckily" for us, we were able to just buy an entirely other ticket to get in to the palace in a half hour. So thats 2 tickets for 12E each. Great.
After a quick cup of tea and a sweet to make us happy again, we were off to the palace. Pretty sure it was even colder inside the palace then it was outside (how is this possible?!)
we were so glad we sucked it up and payed the extra 12E! The palace was just BEAUTIFUL. And these are kind of medieval "ruins"...I was trying to imagine it in its heyday and was just overwhelmed with beauty. Architecture like the Taj Mahal...but I was trying to remember the shiney Taj and put it in this place and OH MAN what a sight it must have been!
By the end of the day we were so cold (literally, numb fingers and toes and noses...pretty sure we almost got frost bite) that we were just snapping pictures of each other...
"go stand there and smile."
"ok."
"ok, good enough, lets go."
and then we'd laugh because we realized how cold and horrible it was but how beautiful and funny it was at the same time. You wont be able to tell how horribly cold we were from the pictures...good actresses.
It snowed all the way home...and we couldnt wait to be back in our snugly beds that we could hardly leave this morning.
So here we are!
It was quite a day...almost died of hypothermia, SNOW, drama with the tickets (AGAIN, what is with Spain and their ticket agents being jerks ALL the time?!), beautifulness everywhere...whew, we are exhausted.
Cant wait for our Arab bath tomorrow! Try not to be too jealous!
Here are some pictures of our day today! We have a TON and cant wait to share them with you when we get home...this is just a teaser. It was so beautiful!
With love,
Esther (and Alyssa reading next to me)
Here we are with the beautiful Renaissance Palace built by the Spanish after the Moors were driven out. Beautiful of course!
Alyssa with the beautiful view of Granada from Alhambra.
Its Snowing!!! Its Snowing!!!
Beautiful palace with beautiful views.
Alyssa in one of the MANY amazing palace courtyards.
Beautiful gardens EVERYWHERE
Just when you think the adventures of Alyssa and Esther couldn't get any better...they did.
Today was Alhambra day! Something we were both SO excited about! BUT we were NOT excited about it being a "high" of 32 degrees...in fact, we were dreading even leaving the house allll day and were tempted to just stay in our PJs in our warm beds all day instead. Instead, we just put on 5 layers of clothes (seriously) and ventured out into the cold anyway. STILL wasnt enough for our warm socal blood, but we just sucked it up and made it to the Alhambra as indicated on the time on our ticket.
Oh, we just loved it up there. All these beautiful Islamic archways, domes, fountains, gardens, lattices, bathes, tile work...it was just so amazing. First we wandered around the gardens, then found these cool old baths (like the ones we're going to tomorrow!), then went to the palace Charles V built which is a huge circle...so pretty, then we climbed up into the actual fort and could see the ENTIRE city from up there! We already couldnt feel our fingers and toes by this point, and our faces were red with cold...BUT THEN.
BUT THEN.
BUT THEN.
Luck continued to follow us to the Alhambra. and...
IT STARTED SNOWING.
FOR REAL!!!
THIS IS WHAT IM SAYING!!!
I told you it was cold!!!! We were on top of the world and it started snowing!!! It was SO amazing!
Imagine two little California girls squealing from the cold and delight of the snow on top of a medieval Islamic fort on top of Granada. Pretty. stinkin. awesome.
So we were in high spirits as it continued to snow THE REST OF THE DAY.
And were onto our last and most exciting stop. The palace! so excited, right?!
yeah, this is where it gets interesting.
Apparently, the ticket we reserved on the internet a month ago for the time slot of 2pm, is NOT to get into the Alhambra itself, instead it is to get into the palace part of the Alhambra. Yeah. How am I supposed to know that when the signs telling us this are in an entirely different part of where we picked up our internet tickets?!
Well, the lady at the line didnt seem to care and we had to walk alllllll the way back to the front (some crying may have been done at this time, since the palace was THE thing to see...and because we were already sooooo cold and tired) and decided to just ask the front if there was anything we could do. "Luckily" for us, we were able to just buy an entirely other ticket to get in to the palace in a half hour. So thats 2 tickets for 12E each. Great.
After a quick cup of tea and a sweet to make us happy again, we were off to the palace. Pretty sure it was even colder inside the palace then it was outside (how is this possible?!)
we were so glad we sucked it up and payed the extra 12E! The palace was just BEAUTIFUL. And these are kind of medieval "ruins"...I was trying to imagine it in its heyday and was just overwhelmed with beauty. Architecture like the Taj Mahal...but I was trying to remember the shiney Taj and put it in this place and OH MAN what a sight it must have been!
By the end of the day we were so cold (literally, numb fingers and toes and noses...pretty sure we almost got frost bite) that we were just snapping pictures of each other...
"go stand there and smile."
"ok."
"ok, good enough, lets go."
and then we'd laugh because we realized how cold and horrible it was but how beautiful and funny it was at the same time. You wont be able to tell how horribly cold we were from the pictures...good actresses.
It snowed all the way home...and we couldnt wait to be back in our snugly beds that we could hardly leave this morning.
So here we are!
It was quite a day...almost died of hypothermia, SNOW, drama with the tickets (AGAIN, what is with Spain and their ticket agents being jerks ALL the time?!), beautifulness everywhere...whew, we are exhausted.
Cant wait for our Arab bath tomorrow! Try not to be too jealous!
Here are some pictures of our day today! We have a TON and cant wait to share them with you when we get home...this is just a teaser. It was so beautiful!
With love,
Esther (and Alyssa reading next to me)
Here we are with the beautiful Renaissance Palace built by the Spanish after the Moors were driven out. Beautiful of course!
Alyssa with the beautiful view of Granada from Alhambra.
Its Snowing!!! Its Snowing!!!
Beautiful palace with beautiful views.
Alyssa in one of the MANY amazing palace courtyards.
Beautiful gardens EVERYWHERE
Thursday, January 7, 2010
If Morocco and Spain had a baby: it would be Granada!
Hola amigos!
Just a quick update about our lovely day today. Granada is such a cute little place, and we haven't even ventured to the old part of the city yet! It has the same Spanish feel to everything, but then has this huge Arabic influence (which reminds me of India) so it comes out all mixed together. For example...we'll be walking down this beautiful boulevard with pretty victorianesque buildings like in the rest of Europe...then we'll turn a corner and BOOM! a big beautiful arabic entryway that leads into a sweet moorish courtyard that has hanging grapes! Amazing! Pictures to come:)
Today we went to the cathedral here and the royal chapel where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel are buried. It was beautiful! We just cant get enough of cathedrals. They are all so different and so intricately detailed and decorated...and shiney! Gold everywhere! love it! We learned a lot of nerdy (we love it) history of Ferdinand and Isabel...besides being the ones to send Columbus on his voyage, they also drove the Moors (Arab Islams) out of Spain (the last battle took place here! We will go to the last Moor stronghold tomorrow, the Alhambra. Today we saw the Spanish flags that were flown there the day of the defeat...they were from 1492. CRAZY.). Isabel was also an intense Catholic and provided a strong example for the country. And, they set up their children through marriage to unite the French AND Austrian (Hapsburgs) empires so Spain extended from eastern Europe...all the way to Bolivia. The sun never set on the Spanish empire for real! Although, I don't respect everything they did, it was so interesting to see why this country respects and loves them so much. We got to see the queens crown and sceptor...her art collection...AND the pretty chest that she supposedly filled with her jewels to give to Columbus to fund his voyage because she was out of cash because of the war. Yeah, thats right. LEGIT history we can tell our fun kids in our classrooms...except no photos again:( But we got some of the cathedral...just not the royal chapel. We got to see the ACTUAL coffins! They have these big pretty sculptures of them on top, and then you go below and look at their actual coffins. Totally creepy. The chapel and everything are like...lets see...500+ years old. This is what Im saying. SO cool!
After the cathedral and chapel we warmed up in a little cafe for lunch (best food we've had so far! Besides the mushroom tapas in Madrid of course) and then we wandered around shopping for the afternoon. Of course we had MORE luck follow us on this trip since we are here for the "soldes" AGAIN! Yeah, thats right. The entire country is ON SALE for a few weeks 2 times a year...I think they started yesterday or today. Last year we were in Paris for the soldes and got cute things at Zara and H&M...I already bought things at Zara and plan on H&Ming it one last time in Madrid before we come home. WE LOVE SHOPPING.
Dont worry, after shopping we took a 3 hour nap and were going to go out for tapas tonight...but are STILL tired.
Oh, and did I mention its FREEZING. Seriously freezing. Everyone said Granada was going to be soooo warm and nice, and its the coldest place we've been, hands down. FOR EXAMPLE: tomorrow the high is going to be a whopping 41 degrees and the low...27. Plus, it was raining all day which I swear made it colder. And the cathedrals are even colder inside. So I think I almost died of hypothermia today, and tomorrow we both plan on wearing like 5 layers for our day at the Alhambra.
We are SO excited for tomorrow! SO fun!
I promise lots of pictures tomorrow!
Love,
Esther (and sleeping Alyssa)
Just a quick update about our lovely day today. Granada is such a cute little place, and we haven't even ventured to the old part of the city yet! It has the same Spanish feel to everything, but then has this huge Arabic influence (which reminds me of India) so it comes out all mixed together. For example...we'll be walking down this beautiful boulevard with pretty victorianesque buildings like in the rest of Europe...then we'll turn a corner and BOOM! a big beautiful arabic entryway that leads into a sweet moorish courtyard that has hanging grapes! Amazing! Pictures to come:)
Today we went to the cathedral here and the royal chapel where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel are buried. It was beautiful! We just cant get enough of cathedrals. They are all so different and so intricately detailed and decorated...and shiney! Gold everywhere! love it! We learned a lot of nerdy (we love it) history of Ferdinand and Isabel...besides being the ones to send Columbus on his voyage, they also drove the Moors (Arab Islams) out of Spain (the last battle took place here! We will go to the last Moor stronghold tomorrow, the Alhambra. Today we saw the Spanish flags that were flown there the day of the defeat...they were from 1492. CRAZY.). Isabel was also an intense Catholic and provided a strong example for the country. And, they set up their children through marriage to unite the French AND Austrian (Hapsburgs) empires so Spain extended from eastern Europe...all the way to Bolivia. The sun never set on the Spanish empire for real! Although, I don't respect everything they did, it was so interesting to see why this country respects and loves them so much. We got to see the queens crown and sceptor...her art collection...AND the pretty chest that she supposedly filled with her jewels to give to Columbus to fund his voyage because she was out of cash because of the war. Yeah, thats right. LEGIT history we can tell our fun kids in our classrooms...except no photos again:( But we got some of the cathedral...just not the royal chapel. We got to see the ACTUAL coffins! They have these big pretty sculptures of them on top, and then you go below and look at their actual coffins. Totally creepy. The chapel and everything are like...lets see...500+ years old. This is what Im saying. SO cool!
After the cathedral and chapel we warmed up in a little cafe for lunch (best food we've had so far! Besides the mushroom tapas in Madrid of course) and then we wandered around shopping for the afternoon. Of course we had MORE luck follow us on this trip since we are here for the "soldes" AGAIN! Yeah, thats right. The entire country is ON SALE for a few weeks 2 times a year...I think they started yesterday or today. Last year we were in Paris for the soldes and got cute things at Zara and H&M...I already bought things at Zara and plan on H&Ming it one last time in Madrid before we come home. WE LOVE SHOPPING.
Dont worry, after shopping we took a 3 hour nap and were going to go out for tapas tonight...but are STILL tired.
Oh, and did I mention its FREEZING. Seriously freezing. Everyone said Granada was going to be soooo warm and nice, and its the coldest place we've been, hands down. FOR EXAMPLE: tomorrow the high is going to be a whopping 41 degrees and the low...27. Plus, it was raining all day which I swear made it colder. And the cathedrals are even colder inside. So I think I almost died of hypothermia today, and tomorrow we both plan on wearing like 5 layers for our day at the Alhambra.
We are SO excited for tomorrow! SO fun!
I promise lots of pictures tomorrow!
Love,
Esther (and sleeping Alyssa)
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Hola Granada.
Well, we prepared for today to be a rough one...and despite a few little bumps in the road it wasnt too bad and we are here! we are here! we are here!
This morning we enjoyed our last day in Toledo since our train didnt leave until 3:30p. We slept in again (we are getting really good at this;) and then went to the Santa Cruz museum. It is a free museum in an old hospital/orphanage. We were prepared to see a bunch of El Greco's, a Goya, and some other lovely religious art. We weren't prepared for a sweet temporary exhibit they had of ballet costumes designed by Picasso and Dali! It was really cool! Very colorful with lots of interesting patterns and shapes. They also had an average exhibit of tile work from all over Europe. I have no idea how tile work is done, so we both admired the craftsmanship in all of the pieces.
Afterwards we got some lunch, (I had a salad finally and Alyssa managed some spaghetti! I think our illnesses are behind us!), took some last pictures around sweet little Toledo, and then headed for the train. We had a long day ahead of us...we had to go to Madrid from Toledo (30min), then had an hour break before taking the train from Madrid to Granada (4+ hours). There was a rumor that our train wouldnt make it and we'd have to take a bus...we were really confused (what else is new?) so we just found someone on our car that was also going to Granada and decided to follow them if necessary. We freaked out a little because the train kept stopping...I think it was having some problems...and I could tell the other people on the car were a little worried. Time went by fast...well, maybe because I was sleeping the entire time and it was so warm and cozy on there, and all of a sudden we were here!
LUCK FOLLOWED US TO GRANADA since when we checked in, we got upgraded to an apartment AGAIN!!! I KNOW RIGHT! So she gave us the keys, map, and sent us on our way. However...she didnt tell us it was up a huge hill...and it was raining. So the adventure continued with us trying to haul our luggage up this huge hill in the rain. Good thing we are troopers and were laughing about it the entire time:) We arrived to this precious old building with a courtyard inside:) There was even an elevator to take us up to our APARTMENT. We have a big queen room, and another single bed in the living area. A full kitchen and washer and dryer again...bathroom...TV...the works:) Plus, from the looks of it...we're pretty close to everything, so thats great too.
Tomorrow we are going to the Royal Chapel where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel are buried. Its supposed to be really beautiful...and us teachers are going to nerd out with all the history we can bring back to our classrooms. haha. Afterwards we're going to walk the old arab part of the town, maybe hit the market, and a pretty viewpoint they have which is supposedly the best in Europe.
We are both REALLY excited for Granada. The Alhambra was on the top of our lists and we're even going to go to some Arab baths to soak and get massages and Moroccan tea and be fun on our last day! Maybe hit up a free flamenco show...you know, be awesome!
Here are some more pictures from beautiful Toledo today!
Here we are with a random statue of someone we couldnt read the sign of in the middle of the Toledo. I just love his pants!
Beautiful tile work in the museum today. This stuff is everywhere!
Alyssa in the beautiful courtyard of the museum in Toledo, Santa Cruz.
Thats us yesterday in front of the most beautiful cathedral ever!
Thats me and the pretty view! We loved Toledo!
This morning we enjoyed our last day in Toledo since our train didnt leave until 3:30p. We slept in again (we are getting really good at this;) and then went to the Santa Cruz museum. It is a free museum in an old hospital/orphanage. We were prepared to see a bunch of El Greco's, a Goya, and some other lovely religious art. We weren't prepared for a sweet temporary exhibit they had of ballet costumes designed by Picasso and Dali! It was really cool! Very colorful with lots of interesting patterns and shapes. They also had an average exhibit of tile work from all over Europe. I have no idea how tile work is done, so we both admired the craftsmanship in all of the pieces.
Afterwards we got some lunch, (I had a salad finally and Alyssa managed some spaghetti! I think our illnesses are behind us!), took some last pictures around sweet little Toledo, and then headed for the train. We had a long day ahead of us...we had to go to Madrid from Toledo (30min), then had an hour break before taking the train from Madrid to Granada (4+ hours). There was a rumor that our train wouldnt make it and we'd have to take a bus...we were really confused (what else is new?) so we just found someone on our car that was also going to Granada and decided to follow them if necessary. We freaked out a little because the train kept stopping...I think it was having some problems...and I could tell the other people on the car were a little worried. Time went by fast...well, maybe because I was sleeping the entire time and it was so warm and cozy on there, and all of a sudden we were here!
LUCK FOLLOWED US TO GRANADA since when we checked in, we got upgraded to an apartment AGAIN!!! I KNOW RIGHT! So she gave us the keys, map, and sent us on our way. However...she didnt tell us it was up a huge hill...and it was raining. So the adventure continued with us trying to haul our luggage up this huge hill in the rain. Good thing we are troopers and were laughing about it the entire time:) We arrived to this precious old building with a courtyard inside:) There was even an elevator to take us up to our APARTMENT. We have a big queen room, and another single bed in the living area. A full kitchen and washer and dryer again...bathroom...TV...the works:) Plus, from the looks of it...we're pretty close to everything, so thats great too.
Tomorrow we are going to the Royal Chapel where King Ferdinand and Queen Isabel are buried. Its supposed to be really beautiful...and us teachers are going to nerd out with all the history we can bring back to our classrooms. haha. Afterwards we're going to walk the old arab part of the town, maybe hit the market, and a pretty viewpoint they have which is supposedly the best in Europe.
We are both REALLY excited for Granada. The Alhambra was on the top of our lists and we're even going to go to some Arab baths to soak and get massages and Moroccan tea and be fun on our last day! Maybe hit up a free flamenco show...you know, be awesome!
Here are some more pictures from beautiful Toledo today!
Here we are with a random statue of someone we couldnt read the sign of in the middle of the Toledo. I just love his pants!
Beautiful tile work in the museum today. This stuff is everywhere!
Alyssa in the beautiful courtyard of the museum in Toledo, Santa Cruz.
Thats us yesterday in front of the most beautiful cathedral ever!
Thats me and the pretty view! We loved Toledo!
Some Pictures From Toledo, More to Come!
Beautiful view as we walk from our hotel to the square everyday and night. lovely.
Balloons.
Happy 3 Kings Day! Enjoying the parade!
Thats us in the main plaza here, Plaza Zocodover. All lit up and pretty for Christmas!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Happy 3 Kings Day from Toledo!
What a LOVELY day here! Just the day we needed!
This morning we slept in until 9am...thats a lot for us who havent been really sleeping or have been sleeping very little. It was AMAZING to feel so rested. Then we went to the cathedral here, which was one of the main reasons we came to Toledo since it is considered to be the best in all of Spain...and maybe in all of Europe (in my opinion).
The cathedral is of course medieval, like the rest of this precious walled city, but took so long to build that it has Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements to it. Honestly, we didn't know where to look! There was SO much! The main alter was made of REAL gold!!! and the choir was all these beautifully carved benches and huge organs and sculptures. Then all around the cathedral were these little rooms of marble work, frescos, iron work, sculptures...just beautiful. Having been to my share of cathedrals around Europe, I can safely say this was my favorite. Between my other two favorites: It wasn't as gaudy as St. Marks in Rome, but it wasnt as sparse as Notre Dame in Paris. The marble and stained glass in the other two cant be beat, but as an overall cathedral...this was just enchanting! PLUS they had a treasury with this huge gold thing that they use for a parade on the holiday here Corpus Christi. It is so old, that they think the 35 pounds of gold (I KNOW) was probably from Columbus's first trip back to Spain! OMG right! Its really hard for me to describe how beautiful the cathedral was, plus we weren't allowed to take pictures inside (I did sneak some video, so no worries). So Ill just try and show you the post cards we bought of our favorite parts when I get home:)
After the cathedral we got some lunch, and Alyssa has managed to keep down some soup and bread! yay! She had more soup and bread for dinner and some rice from my icky bland paella (havent had any good paella since ive been here:( Then we took a luscious LONG nap all afternoon. Totally needed it.
Once again tonight luck followed us to Toledo where we got to witness the 3 kings parade and celebration! The parade started at the bottom of the city gates, went right past our hotel, and up to the Plaza! There was music, horses, floats, everyone throws candy and the kids run out and collect it, fire fighters, and then a float for each of the kings! Its so stinkin cute! We just LOVED it. Juana in Barcelona said that tomorrow is a holiday...kids wake up and open presents from the 3 kings. They leave our milk and cookies because the kings are tired from their long journey:) Its like our santa claus, because they celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve and have some gifts and then more gifts on 3 kings day. SO STINKIN CUTE!
After the parade we went to Zara and tried on things and then went bag shopping since we are bursting out of our bags...I think we will wait until Granada. So tomorrow we are off to Granada...our last city before home. Alyssa and I are VERY excited about Granada because we have heard so many good things about it and because the weather will be warmer! yay!
Pretty sure Ive figured out how I got sick (still fighting it, hasnt turned into a full blown cold yet! yes!). Basically, I've been eating all carbs and fried foods. Havent been sleeping much. Havent been drinking enough water. and have been outside walking and being super busy in dirty cities for a week. no wonder I got sick! So tomorrow Im making myself eat salads, took a LONG nap this afternoon, and have been chugging water like its my job. Plus all the vitamin C. woot!
We tried to upload photos but it isnt letting us, so we will try again tomorrow.
Bye bye Toledo.
Hello Granada!
Adios,
Esther (And Alyssa sitting next to me this time!)
This morning we slept in until 9am...thats a lot for us who havent been really sleeping or have been sleeping very little. It was AMAZING to feel so rested. Then we went to the cathedral here, which was one of the main reasons we came to Toledo since it is considered to be the best in all of Spain...and maybe in all of Europe (in my opinion).
The cathedral is of course medieval, like the rest of this precious walled city, but took so long to build that it has Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque elements to it. Honestly, we didn't know where to look! There was SO much! The main alter was made of REAL gold!!! and the choir was all these beautifully carved benches and huge organs and sculptures. Then all around the cathedral were these little rooms of marble work, frescos, iron work, sculptures...just beautiful. Having been to my share of cathedrals around Europe, I can safely say this was my favorite. Between my other two favorites: It wasn't as gaudy as St. Marks in Rome, but it wasnt as sparse as Notre Dame in Paris. The marble and stained glass in the other two cant be beat, but as an overall cathedral...this was just enchanting! PLUS they had a treasury with this huge gold thing that they use for a parade on the holiday here Corpus Christi. It is so old, that they think the 35 pounds of gold (I KNOW) was probably from Columbus's first trip back to Spain! OMG right! Its really hard for me to describe how beautiful the cathedral was, plus we weren't allowed to take pictures inside (I did sneak some video, so no worries). So Ill just try and show you the post cards we bought of our favorite parts when I get home:)
After the cathedral we got some lunch, and Alyssa has managed to keep down some soup and bread! yay! She had more soup and bread for dinner and some rice from my icky bland paella (havent had any good paella since ive been here:( Then we took a luscious LONG nap all afternoon. Totally needed it.
Once again tonight luck followed us to Toledo where we got to witness the 3 kings parade and celebration! The parade started at the bottom of the city gates, went right past our hotel, and up to the Plaza! There was music, horses, floats, everyone throws candy and the kids run out and collect it, fire fighters, and then a float for each of the kings! Its so stinkin cute! We just LOVED it. Juana in Barcelona said that tomorrow is a holiday...kids wake up and open presents from the 3 kings. They leave our milk and cookies because the kings are tired from their long journey:) Its like our santa claus, because they celebrate Christmas on Christmas eve and have some gifts and then more gifts on 3 kings day. SO STINKIN CUTE!
After the parade we went to Zara and tried on things and then went bag shopping since we are bursting out of our bags...I think we will wait until Granada. So tomorrow we are off to Granada...our last city before home. Alyssa and I are VERY excited about Granada because we have heard so many good things about it and because the weather will be warmer! yay!
Pretty sure Ive figured out how I got sick (still fighting it, hasnt turned into a full blown cold yet! yes!). Basically, I've been eating all carbs and fried foods. Havent been sleeping much. Havent been drinking enough water. and have been outside walking and being super busy in dirty cities for a week. no wonder I got sick! So tomorrow Im making myself eat salads, took a LONG nap this afternoon, and have been chugging water like its my job. Plus all the vitamin C. woot!
We tried to upload photos but it isnt letting us, so we will try again tomorrow.
Bye bye Toledo.
Hello Granada!
Adios,
Esther (And Alyssa sitting next to me this time!)
Monday, January 4, 2010
Toledo: A little fairy tale.
Well here we are, a new city!
Hola Toledo!
To begin with, we had quite the morning trying to figure out the train situation. To sum it up, it ended with me almost throwing up/having an anxiety attack, and we both cried. Basically everything we read before coming was a bit out of date or something, because nothing said we needed to make reservations for ALL of our train rides. We bought a euro rail pass, and in my experience you just jump on and go. Sometimes making reservations is good because you might not get a seat and will have to sit in between trains...like say, Florence>Venice 2008...but otherwise, you just jump on. RIGHT?! Not with the new and fancy AVE trains in Spain. You need to make reservations and pay MORE money for EVERY trip. Please note, that I now know this by waiting in loonnnnng lines 2 different times only to have mean train people yell at me in Spanish as if that would help me understand them more. My Spanish isn't so horrible, I probably could have understood them a little more if they would just speak slowly and not roll their eyes at me and get all angry. I really needed someone to just PLEASE speak English and HELP ME. I kept just wanting someone to come and take care of everything for me...but I just told myself, "I AM WOMAN" and worked it the best I could...and cried later.
FInally, I used what little Spanish I do have...and pointed to the the printed times and dates we wanted to go (thank God we had that-thanks Alyssa) and we booked our Toledo trip for today, and our Granada trip for the 6th, and back to Madrid for the 10th. WHAT A MORNING.
In other news, Miss Alyssa is feeling MUCH better! She even ate some bread tonight and has kept it down just fine! Her tummy doesnt hurt anymore and she hasnt gotten sick! woohoo! Our spirits are back up and we are ready to get going! Except...now I am fighting a cold and am pretty tired from such a long week last week...so some rest may be in order.
We got here to Toledo this afternoon, we were emotionally and physically exhausted (see anxiety morning 2010 above), so we just passed out for 2 hours before heading out to explore the city and get some dinner. We just FELL IN LOVE with this cute little city. Toledo is a walled medieval city that was the capital of Spain at one point. It has moorish influences too, which make it so unique at every corner. The streets are all tiny, rocky, and confusing...but it isnt scary like Barcelona because its so small you cant really get lost. But you CAN stroll eating their delicious local mazapan and stumble upon cute kids ice skating in a beautiful square! and your CAN find the Zara here! and you CAN run your hand along these huge brick walls that have been here for hundreds of years! AND there are no creepy people...just touristas:)
They have whats considered by most to be the most beautiful cathedral in all of Europe, and since it is the home of the artist we fell in love with in Madrid, El Greco, we will get to see lots of his work at the free museum here as well. Tomorrow should be a lovely day after some much needed rest and some recuperated sicky's.
We didnt take very many pictures today wandering in the dark, but tomorrow I will make sure and get you some!
Sending lots of love from fairy tale Toledo!
-Esther (and sleeping Alyssa)
Hola Toledo!
To begin with, we had quite the morning trying to figure out the train situation. To sum it up, it ended with me almost throwing up/having an anxiety attack, and we both cried. Basically everything we read before coming was a bit out of date or something, because nothing said we needed to make reservations for ALL of our train rides. We bought a euro rail pass, and in my experience you just jump on and go. Sometimes making reservations is good because you might not get a seat and will have to sit in between trains...like say, Florence>Venice 2008...but otherwise, you just jump on. RIGHT?! Not with the new and fancy AVE trains in Spain. You need to make reservations and pay MORE money for EVERY trip. Please note, that I now know this by waiting in loonnnnng lines 2 different times only to have mean train people yell at me in Spanish as if that would help me understand them more. My Spanish isn't so horrible, I probably could have understood them a little more if they would just speak slowly and not roll their eyes at me and get all angry. I really needed someone to just PLEASE speak English and HELP ME. I kept just wanting someone to come and take care of everything for me...but I just told myself, "I AM WOMAN" and worked it the best I could...and cried later.
FInally, I used what little Spanish I do have...and pointed to the the printed times and dates we wanted to go (thank God we had that-thanks Alyssa) and we booked our Toledo trip for today, and our Granada trip for the 6th, and back to Madrid for the 10th. WHAT A MORNING.
In other news, Miss Alyssa is feeling MUCH better! She even ate some bread tonight and has kept it down just fine! Her tummy doesnt hurt anymore and she hasnt gotten sick! woohoo! Our spirits are back up and we are ready to get going! Except...now I am fighting a cold and am pretty tired from such a long week last week...so some rest may be in order.
We got here to Toledo this afternoon, we were emotionally and physically exhausted (see anxiety morning 2010 above), so we just passed out for 2 hours before heading out to explore the city and get some dinner. We just FELL IN LOVE with this cute little city. Toledo is a walled medieval city that was the capital of Spain at one point. It has moorish influences too, which make it so unique at every corner. The streets are all tiny, rocky, and confusing...but it isnt scary like Barcelona because its so small you cant really get lost. But you CAN stroll eating their delicious local mazapan and stumble upon cute kids ice skating in a beautiful square! and your CAN find the Zara here! and you CAN run your hand along these huge brick walls that have been here for hundreds of years! AND there are no creepy people...just touristas:)
They have whats considered by most to be the most beautiful cathedral in all of Europe, and since it is the home of the artist we fell in love with in Madrid, El Greco, we will get to see lots of his work at the free museum here as well. Tomorrow should be a lovely day after some much needed rest and some recuperated sicky's.
We didnt take very many pictures today wandering in the dark, but tomorrow I will make sure and get you some!
Sending lots of love from fairy tale Toledo!
-Esther (and sleeping Alyssa)
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Gaudi, Shopping, and some Drama.
(this is two days in one, its a doozy! Feel free to take breaks and come back, Ill be here;)
Hola!
Sorry I didnt update on our fun Gaudi day yesterday, but I was just too exhausted by the time I was able to sit down and write...at uh...2am...so we are going to bed "early" tonight (prob around midnight- hehe) so I can get you all updated and post some more photos. woot!
First of all, the main two things that have brought me to Spain were the Gaudi architecture I have gushed over in my art classes and the Picasso museum I have dreamed about since falling in love with him in Paris. After more research, I have been excited to see lots of things, but those two were the most exciting to me.
Gaudi has 4 main attractions in the city here, the incredible Sagrada Familia, two smaller buildings called Casa Mila and another one I cant remember the name of, and then Parc Guell which was actually the beginning of a housing project that never got finished. Each one is just AMAZING! We started at Sagrada Familia and we advised not to bother waiting in the HUGE line to get inside since it was all under construction anyway. It was really amazing because some parts are obviously old and worn since he began building it in 1883, while others look similar as they follow the design, but are made with newer materials so it doesnt look as worn. Its kind of funny. Also, it looks kind of like a mud castle you would make at the beach, but then when you get close to it, you realize its all these intricate statues! The craftsmanship and vision of Gaudi is just so overwhelming, we had to find a bench just to stare awhile. Then SLOWLY walked around the building. It was hard for me to even take pictures because it so obviously didnt do it justice. Another reason I wish I lived here, so I could go sit over there and stare at it whenever I wanted. sigh.
Afterwards, we went over to Casa Mila and the other one I cant remember the name of. Alyssa has pictures on her camera of everything (I was in a trance. Plus, I was taking video since I thought it captured the essence more:) but shes sicky (more on that later) so you will have to do with my pictures...which do not include any of casa mila or the other one. Just know that we LOVED them and loved the fun shopping street they were on too! Got to wave to my friends Chanel, LV, Hermes...just lovely. I enjoyed taking some pictures of the pretty buildings and boulevards though!
Afterwards we went to something we were both looking forward to even more, Parc Guell. Honestly, Parc Guell is like that dream in your head you wake up all happy from, but are then sad because its not real. Well, it IS real. The buildings look like gingerbread houses (only better), the grand stairs and benches are covered in mosaic tile work and are all curvey and fun like a funhouse (still better), and then the top has an entire view of the city to just die for. PLUS there are all these singers, and musicians, and a weird lady making huge bubbles that the kids chase after at the top square with the view. We had such a nice time walking around there, and then sitting and watching everyone and the view. It was so peaceful yet had an amazing energy at the same time. Told you it was like a dream!
(an example of the beautiful tile work in the Parc. One tile of MANY!)
(Alyssa in front of the pretty sign)
After the day of walking all around everywhere, we came home for our siesta and then went out for tapas at...uh...11pm. One of the reasons I love it here is how late everyone stays up, on our metro ride home from tapas at around 1am, I promise there was an entire family on the train with young kids all awake and alive. Its seriously the BEST city. So alive. So pretty.
----------------
Today:
While Alyssa wasnt feeling well today, and before her appointment, I took myself on a walking tour of the cathedral and gothic quarter of the city. I got to see Las Ramblas during Sunday too, which was AMAZING because the vendors sell pets to kids on Sundays! My favorite pets included chipmucks (yep), pigeons (uh huh), and teeny tiny turtles (so cute! and so smelly!). They also had full on fish tanks, bunnies, mice, beautiful birds, and chickens! The pigeons were the weirdest. They were in this big cage eating bird food, and the food that fell out of the cage onto the floor was being eaten by...the wild pigeons on the street...it was so weird. And made me sad for the caged pigeons:( "Why am I in here and they are out there?! I want to fly and feel the wind on my wings!"---poor pigeons. Anyway, then I spent 2 GLORIOUS hours in the...get ready for this...5 STORY H&M. THIS IS WHAT IM SAYING. 5 STORIES OF H&M AMAZINGNESS. And I know your thinking "we have H&M at home, whats wrong with you?" its ENTIRELY different here and actually has amazing pieces you would all die for. Every floor had a different "theme" and I could have EASILY bought everything in the store and been happy. Can we just take another moment for the 5 story H&M? breathe.
Ok, then afterwards I walked to try and find this cathedral thats all hidden away in the alleys that looked scary at night, but during the day are filled with shops and tons of people and families shopping and eating and being fun! So I walked around and stumbled upon little squares with fancy food markets in them...old churches...flea markets...artists...every square was a little different and every square was beautiful! Even though I missed Alyssa, I remember walking around and feeling like I would burst because I was SO filled with joy. Everything was so beautiful, I was so relaxed, I was shopping, I got to eat another chicken shwarma while I walked (sorry chickens), the weather was beautiful, everyone was so cute and happy, it was just JOY to the EXTREME! I am so blessed:) Perhaps the best part was when I finally stumbled upon the cathedral (so glad I finally did, it was indeed beautiful) and there was the antique market there which I swooned over (again, would have bought EVERYTHING there) and a band playing on the front steps. THEN there were about 50+ elderly people dancing in circles some kind of traditional dance along to the music!!! Dont you even worry, I got video.
At this point, Im surprised I did not in fact combust out of happiness.
And now, a terrible story that I am VERY sad about. Remember how the Picasso museum is one of the reasons I came here? Ok, here goes. After the doctors appointment I was rushing to try and get to the Picasso museum during the free hours from 5-8. I didn't get to leave until around 530, and it took awhile to get there. Then of course, I got lost. And ended up in the same squares I was earlier that day. I wasn't exactly "lost" I just suck at following a map and all the little streets aren't labeled and I don't have a compass and I just suck. So then this happened: I sat on the steps of the square at around 7pm (museum closes at 8) and cried. yep, totally cried. I try not to live by the "your only in this city once" mantra, otherwise Ill go crazy...but this was PICASSO. I was even excited for their gift shop because I had all these things I wanted from it. So I was a bit of a mess. I was starving because I hadnt eaten, hadnt gotten a siesta (little sleep+no siesta=no bueno), it was cold, I couldnt find the beloved museum, I was kind of lost, AND THEN IT STARTED TO RAIN. Dont worry, I didnt bring an umbrella. So after having my first pity party of 2010 (Im sure its not the last unfortunately), I gave myself 10 minutes to be upset (im still a little upset, so my 10 minutes is back) and then said to myself, "Ok crazy, you are in the middle of a BEAUTIFUL square in BARCELONA. Get a hold of yourself woman! You had a great day, and the Picasso museum will be here forever. You WILL come again. Now cut it out."
So of course, it was then I also realized I was surrounded by a sweets shop and a ton of amazing shopping I hadnt been able to enjoy because I was trying to find the museum the entire time. SO it was time for some food and retail therapy which sure did the trick...one cup of chocolate and some churros for dipping...and 3 pairs of shoes later: A new woman.
Still had another cry later about missing the museum, but tomorrow is a new day and a new city! Off to Toledo we go!
But not before some pictures from my adventures today!
Hola!
Sorry I didnt update on our fun Gaudi day yesterday, but I was just too exhausted by the time I was able to sit down and write...at uh...2am...so we are going to bed "early" tonight (prob around midnight- hehe) so I can get you all updated and post some more photos. woot!
First of all, the main two things that have brought me to Spain were the Gaudi architecture I have gushed over in my art classes and the Picasso museum I have dreamed about since falling in love with him in Paris. After more research, I have been excited to see lots of things, but those two were the most exciting to me.
Gaudi has 4 main attractions in the city here, the incredible Sagrada Familia, two smaller buildings called Casa Mila and another one I cant remember the name of, and then Parc Guell which was actually the beginning of a housing project that never got finished. Each one is just AMAZING! We started at Sagrada Familia and we advised not to bother waiting in the HUGE line to get inside since it was all under construction anyway. It was really amazing because some parts are obviously old and worn since he began building it in 1883, while others look similar as they follow the design, but are made with newer materials so it doesnt look as worn. Its kind of funny. Also, it looks kind of like a mud castle you would make at the beach, but then when you get close to it, you realize its all these intricate statues! The craftsmanship and vision of Gaudi is just so overwhelming, we had to find a bench just to stare awhile. Then SLOWLY walked around the building. It was hard for me to even take pictures because it so obviously didnt do it justice. Another reason I wish I lived here, so I could go sit over there and stare at it whenever I wanted. sigh.
Afterwards, we went over to Casa Mila and the other one I cant remember the name of. Alyssa has pictures on her camera of everything (I was in a trance. Plus, I was taking video since I thought it captured the essence more:) but shes sicky (more on that later) so you will have to do with my pictures...which do not include any of casa mila or the other one. Just know that we LOVED them and loved the fun shopping street they were on too! Got to wave to my friends Chanel, LV, Hermes...just lovely. I enjoyed taking some pictures of the pretty buildings and boulevards though!
Afterwards we went to something we were both looking forward to even more, Parc Guell. Honestly, Parc Guell is like that dream in your head you wake up all happy from, but are then sad because its not real. Well, it IS real. The buildings look like gingerbread houses (only better), the grand stairs and benches are covered in mosaic tile work and are all curvey and fun like a funhouse (still better), and then the top has an entire view of the city to just die for. PLUS there are all these singers, and musicians, and a weird lady making huge bubbles that the kids chase after at the top square with the view. We had such a nice time walking around there, and then sitting and watching everyone and the view. It was so peaceful yet had an amazing energy at the same time. Told you it was like a dream!
(an example of the beautiful tile work in the Parc. One tile of MANY!)
(Alyssa in front of the pretty sign)
After the day of walking all around everywhere, we came home for our siesta and then went out for tapas at...uh...11pm. One of the reasons I love it here is how late everyone stays up, on our metro ride home from tapas at around 1am, I promise there was an entire family on the train with young kids all awake and alive. Its seriously the BEST city. So alive. So pretty.
----------------
Today:
While Alyssa wasnt feeling well today, and before her appointment, I took myself on a walking tour of the cathedral and gothic quarter of the city. I got to see Las Ramblas during Sunday too, which was AMAZING because the vendors sell pets to kids on Sundays! My favorite pets included chipmucks (yep), pigeons (uh huh), and teeny tiny turtles (so cute! and so smelly!). They also had full on fish tanks, bunnies, mice, beautiful birds, and chickens! The pigeons were the weirdest. They were in this big cage eating bird food, and the food that fell out of the cage onto the floor was being eaten by...the wild pigeons on the street...it was so weird. And made me sad for the caged pigeons:( "Why am I in here and they are out there?! I want to fly and feel the wind on my wings!"---poor pigeons. Anyway, then I spent 2 GLORIOUS hours in the...get ready for this...5 STORY H&M. THIS IS WHAT IM SAYING. 5 STORIES OF H&M AMAZINGNESS. And I know your thinking "we have H&M at home, whats wrong with you?" its ENTIRELY different here and actually has amazing pieces you would all die for. Every floor had a different "theme" and I could have EASILY bought everything in the store and been happy. Can we just take another moment for the 5 story H&M? breathe.
Ok, then afterwards I walked to try and find this cathedral thats all hidden away in the alleys that looked scary at night, but during the day are filled with shops and tons of people and families shopping and eating and being fun! So I walked around and stumbled upon little squares with fancy food markets in them...old churches...flea markets...artists...every square was a little different and every square was beautiful! Even though I missed Alyssa, I remember walking around and feeling like I would burst because I was SO filled with joy. Everything was so beautiful, I was so relaxed, I was shopping, I got to eat another chicken shwarma while I walked (sorry chickens), the weather was beautiful, everyone was so cute and happy, it was just JOY to the EXTREME! I am so blessed:) Perhaps the best part was when I finally stumbled upon the cathedral (so glad I finally did, it was indeed beautiful) and there was the antique market there which I swooned over (again, would have bought EVERYTHING there) and a band playing on the front steps. THEN there were about 50+ elderly people dancing in circles some kind of traditional dance along to the music!!! Dont you even worry, I got video.
At this point, Im surprised I did not in fact combust out of happiness.
And now, a terrible story that I am VERY sad about. Remember how the Picasso museum is one of the reasons I came here? Ok, here goes. After the doctors appointment I was rushing to try and get to the Picasso museum during the free hours from 5-8. I didn't get to leave until around 530, and it took awhile to get there. Then of course, I got lost. And ended up in the same squares I was earlier that day. I wasn't exactly "lost" I just suck at following a map and all the little streets aren't labeled and I don't have a compass and I just suck. So then this happened: I sat on the steps of the square at around 7pm (museum closes at 8) and cried. yep, totally cried. I try not to live by the "your only in this city once" mantra, otherwise Ill go crazy...but this was PICASSO. I was even excited for their gift shop because I had all these things I wanted from it. So I was a bit of a mess. I was starving because I hadnt eaten, hadnt gotten a siesta (little sleep+no siesta=no bueno), it was cold, I couldnt find the beloved museum, I was kind of lost, AND THEN IT STARTED TO RAIN. Dont worry, I didnt bring an umbrella. So after having my first pity party of 2010 (Im sure its not the last unfortunately), I gave myself 10 minutes to be upset (im still a little upset, so my 10 minutes is back) and then said to myself, "Ok crazy, you are in the middle of a BEAUTIFUL square in BARCELONA. Get a hold of yourself woman! You had a great day, and the Picasso museum will be here forever. You WILL come again. Now cut it out."
So of course, it was then I also realized I was surrounded by a sweets shop and a ton of amazing shopping I hadnt been able to enjoy because I was trying to find the museum the entire time. SO it was time for some food and retail therapy which sure did the trick...one cup of chocolate and some churros for dipping...and 3 pairs of shoes later: A new woman.
Still had another cry later about missing the museum, but tomorrow is a new day and a new city! Off to Toledo we go!
But not before some pictures from my adventures today!
Friday, January 1, 2010
A New Years in Barcelona. A Night to Remember!
WELL. I think we can safely say, there is no New Years like the one in Barcelona. Oh my goodness, we had the BEST night EVER.
We began drinking home made Catalan sangria in the hostel and they gave us grapes to take with us wherever we decided to go. They have a tradition here that you eat a grape for the last 12 seconds before midnight and make 3 wishes, if you eat all your grapes then your wishes come true! So we took our grapes and headed down to Las Ramblas and the main square along with the rest of the entire city! Las Ramblas is the main drag here in Barcelona, tons of shops, restaurants, and creepy people trying to sell you stuff or steal your bag. We walked the strip awhile enjoying the Christmas lights and tons of people, got a chicken shwarma, but then were starting to feel a little scared and insecure with all the creepy men talking to us and following us. Luckily, two decent and nice frenchman wished us a Happy New Year and invited us to go to a bar with them. We felt lucky to have guys to ward off the creepers from then on, and they were actually really surprised we were there walking alone because its so dangerous. They took us to this super cool bar above a sweet shop that was really old and full of locals and internationals alike! We drank the local(?) San Miguel beer, danced to the American music they were playing (which EVERYONE knew the words too, haha), and just relaxed until it was close to midnight.
Just before midnight, we all joined everyone and ran toward the main clock tower in the square for the countdown. I dont know how to describe this to you, other then comparing it to New Years Eve in New York in Times Square. Its a HUGE boulevard and a HUGE square and it was just PACKED with people. And everyone is spraying champagne, hugging each other, singing songs with strangers, taking pictures with strangers, passing around champagne and caviar, kissing each other on the cheek...it was AMAZING. Again, we were glad to have our friends who helped guide us through the crowds and warded off the drunk guys trying to kiss us.
Alyssa and I had bought tickets to a highly recommended club called Razmatazz here. It is THE place to go in Barcelona with 5 rooms of different music in each room and by some of the best DJs in the city. OMG just getting there was INCREDIBLE. The boys wanted to come with us, so we again joined the rest of the city and pushed our way onto the metro. The metro was another party where we could hardly move and everyone was again just singing songs, passing around champagne, talking in tons of different languages...SO FUN!!! Most everyone got off at the stop for the club, and thats when we knew it was going to be a good night. We followed the crowd to the club, and waited in the huge line. Magically our friends without tickets were able to sneak in with us in the shorter with-ticket line, and we all ended up being able to get in! The line to wait to buy tickets was OUT OF CONTROL, so we were really thankful for our receptionist who helped us out with that. Inside was just amazing!!! HUGE and FULL of people dancing to all different kinds of music and just having so much fun!!! We walked around a little, and danced lots, and then our feet started to hate life by around 5am, so we decided it was time to go home. We'd lost our friends by then-sad (it was a big club). So we headed home.
The night ended on a great note with 2 people throwing up on the metro and us walking from the metro to our hostel in the freezing cold in our socks.
I would also like to note, that I had 1 legit marriage proposal, a frenchman fall in love with me, and many a stranger letting us know we were "muy guapa". Only in Barcelona. All in all, a good night. haha.
Today, Alyssa wasn't feeling well and we didn't wake up until around 1pm so we just layed low awhile. Then tonight we went to see this super cool fountain show in front of these beautiful buildings a few stops away. It was on a high point in the city too, so we got to see a beautiful view of everything. Afterwards in search of something to eat, we ended up walking all the way back to our hostel...haha.
We had such an AMAZING time last night, I want to do it over and over again! Tomorrow we are going to the Picasso museum and maybe do a little shopping. Im SO excited to see the museum, its one of the reasons I've come!
Here are some fun pictures!
They have these beautiful lights all over the city streets!
Happy New Year from us!
Happy New Year from strangers!
Alyssa from the view with the fountains!
We began drinking home made Catalan sangria in the hostel and they gave us grapes to take with us wherever we decided to go. They have a tradition here that you eat a grape for the last 12 seconds before midnight and make 3 wishes, if you eat all your grapes then your wishes come true! So we took our grapes and headed down to Las Ramblas and the main square along with the rest of the entire city! Las Ramblas is the main drag here in Barcelona, tons of shops, restaurants, and creepy people trying to sell you stuff or steal your bag. We walked the strip awhile enjoying the Christmas lights and tons of people, got a chicken shwarma, but then were starting to feel a little scared and insecure with all the creepy men talking to us and following us. Luckily, two decent and nice frenchman wished us a Happy New Year and invited us to go to a bar with them. We felt lucky to have guys to ward off the creepers from then on, and they were actually really surprised we were there walking alone because its so dangerous. They took us to this super cool bar above a sweet shop that was really old and full of locals and internationals alike! We drank the local(?) San Miguel beer, danced to the American music they were playing (which EVERYONE knew the words too, haha), and just relaxed until it was close to midnight.
Just before midnight, we all joined everyone and ran toward the main clock tower in the square for the countdown. I dont know how to describe this to you, other then comparing it to New Years Eve in New York in Times Square. Its a HUGE boulevard and a HUGE square and it was just PACKED with people. And everyone is spraying champagne, hugging each other, singing songs with strangers, taking pictures with strangers, passing around champagne and caviar, kissing each other on the cheek...it was AMAZING. Again, we were glad to have our friends who helped guide us through the crowds and warded off the drunk guys trying to kiss us.
Alyssa and I had bought tickets to a highly recommended club called Razmatazz here. It is THE place to go in Barcelona with 5 rooms of different music in each room and by some of the best DJs in the city. OMG just getting there was INCREDIBLE. The boys wanted to come with us, so we again joined the rest of the city and pushed our way onto the metro. The metro was another party where we could hardly move and everyone was again just singing songs, passing around champagne, talking in tons of different languages...SO FUN!!! Most everyone got off at the stop for the club, and thats when we knew it was going to be a good night. We followed the crowd to the club, and waited in the huge line. Magically our friends without tickets were able to sneak in with us in the shorter with-ticket line, and we all ended up being able to get in! The line to wait to buy tickets was OUT OF CONTROL, so we were really thankful for our receptionist who helped us out with that. Inside was just amazing!!! HUGE and FULL of people dancing to all different kinds of music and just having so much fun!!! We walked around a little, and danced lots, and then our feet started to hate life by around 5am, so we decided it was time to go home. We'd lost our friends by then-sad (it was a big club). So we headed home.
The night ended on a great note with 2 people throwing up on the metro and us walking from the metro to our hostel in the freezing cold in our socks.
I would also like to note, that I had 1 legit marriage proposal, a frenchman fall in love with me, and many a stranger letting us know we were "muy guapa". Only in Barcelona. All in all, a good night. haha.
Today, Alyssa wasn't feeling well and we didn't wake up until around 1pm so we just layed low awhile. Then tonight we went to see this super cool fountain show in front of these beautiful buildings a few stops away. It was on a high point in the city too, so we got to see a beautiful view of everything. Afterwards in search of something to eat, we ended up walking all the way back to our hostel...haha.
We had such an AMAZING time last night, I want to do it over and over again! Tomorrow we are going to the Picasso museum and maybe do a little shopping. Im SO excited to see the museum, its one of the reasons I've come!
Here are some fun pictures!
They have these beautiful lights all over the city streets!
Happy New Year from us!
Happy New Year from strangers!
Alyssa from the view with the fountains!
Here are some pictures from the Prado and Flamenco show!
Alyssa in front of the Prado sign. No pictures allowed inside:(
thats me in front of the Flamenco place! super cool picture!
Beautiful flamenco dancer. This doesnt even capture how amazing the show was!
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