Although it’s been a long while since I’ve written, I have a feeling that this one is going to be very long.
As most of you know…my spring break was last week and I went on a weeklong excursion to Italy. I hit all the greatest spots and ended up in Rome on Easter weekend, which couldn’t have been more impressive.
We began the journey on Thursday April 2nd when we left for the airport at 10 pm after loading our bellies with Chinese food from the only Asian restaurant in Toledo. We got to the airport around midnight and had quite the night ahead of us. Our flight didn’t leave until 6 am, but because public transportation doesn’t start running until 7 am on Saturdays (and cabs from Toledo to Madrid run about 100 euro), we had no other option than to sleep in the airport. Trust me…sleeping in the airport IS as bad as at sounds. Our flight took off on time and landed in Milan at about 8:30. We then hopped a bus, which took about an hour to get to the city center. We had planned on checking out the Cathedral in Milan. But by 11 am with no sleep we all were exhausted (and Milan, although it is the fashion capital of the world is really quite industrial looking and far less than breathtaking to look at). So we ate some food (our first taste of real Italian) and hopped right on a train to Venice.
Although I had heard that Venice was unimpressive, all of my misled preconceptions were taken away immediately upon stepping on the island. The old town has a quaint feel that oozes the idea of Italian small neighborhood. The concept of a city with the canals for streets is just as mind-blowing in person. The Piazza San Marco boasts a beautiful cathedral and is lined with elegant restaurants. The entire town is lined with shops filled with Venetian glass (and I had to indulge). Although I have bought very little during my entire European escapades (I like to think the memories and photographs will be enough and less damaging to the bank account), I bought 5 pairs of Venetian glass earrings. Every one of theme is intricate and unique with beautiful detail. Don’t worry, some are souvenirs. In Venice, it is hard to find lodging on the main islands because real estate is expensive because some of the city is deteriorating. So, my friend Conor found an apartment to rent, which was massive and allowed us to save some money by cooking meals. Overall, Venice nightlife is non-existence, and the weather was not on our side in the town. The first night we were too tired and lost (tricky canals) to explore the nightlife, and the second night it was close to a torrential downpour. Though we set off in the rain, we eventually stopped to gather warmth at a classier looking wine bar. We ordered one bottle of wine, and the owner took a liking to us. When we tried to leave, he gave us three more bottles of wine and appetizers for free. Such is the life of an American tourist in Italy.
After Venice we took a train to the Tuscan city of Florence. I had always heard great things about Florence, and the descriptions were all spot on. A smaller city, Florence is very walkable. All of its great sights are within a 10-15 minute walking distance of each other. Also shockingly, Venice was the town of American tourists. For the entire duration of the two day stay, I only saw American college aged girls in my hostel, and apparently you don’t even need to know a word of Italian to get by in Florence. The pictures that I have from Florence are among the most gorgeous of the bunch so be sure to look at them on facebook.
Although we couldn’t see the statue of David because the Uffici was closed on Monday (and that was our main day there), we saw all of the other sites that Venice has to offer. The Duomo church offers the most impressive view of the city (after climbing 437 stairs!!) and the Piazza di Michaelangelo gives you a downward view of the town’s nightlife (and not to mention a bronze replica of the David). Florence also has a a large leather market where I bought an Italian leather belt and a pair of super hip yellow sunglasses (which I by accident left in Rome and shed a tear about earlier today…hopefully somebody else from my group recovered them). My friend Dan’s friend from high school is studying in Florence so she acted as our official tour guide for the weekend. Overall, Florence is a highly recommended Tuscan treasure.
The third stop of our trip was the little known area of Cinque Terre. Cinque Terre is a stretch of 5 tiny hiking and beach towns. Because of the contrast between mountain and sea, I would contend that Cinque Terre is one of the most beautiful places in the world. The first day we sat on some rocks and just listened to the sound of the sea and soaked up sun. After our 4 days of vigorous traveling, we definitely needed the break. We went to a nice dinner that night and then for a drink at the only bar in town, Bar Centrale. We retired early because we knew we had a big day ahead of us.
The next morning we woke up at 9 to head to the beach. Cinque Terre is an area of five towns that are all connected by hiking paths. The fifth town, Monterosso del Mare has the best beaches. So we took the train to the last town to soak up some rays. At about 2 we ate some lunch on a waterfront restaurant (very Lake Geneva, but much cooler) and then started off on the 4-hour mountainous hike it takes to get back to our apartment in the first town. We hike for about 3 hours before we decided to take the train back (because we had dinner reservations for 8:30), but the workout was one of the best I’ve had in Spain. That night we ate and then went to Bar Centrale again, but this time we made some really cool British friends who we almost convinced to come to Rome with us the next day.
All traveling had been smooth sailing until we left on Thursday to head from Cinque Terre to Rome. We intended to stop in Pisa for two hours (in order to see the leaning tower), but when we got off the first train at Pisa and tried to get tickets to take the 3 p.m. train to Rome, there were no seats left. We had to get on another train about 20 minutes later, and therefore did not get to see the leaning tower. I did, however, buy a postcard of the infamous landmark.
When we arrived in Rome, I immediately went to meet up with my best friend and roommate Kim (who is a very hard woman to contact because her cell phone got stolen and her computer broke). Since the University of Notre Dame had planned a Notre Dame abroad reunion for Easter in Rome, there were approximately 100 ND kids in the ancient city this weekend. The first night we ate dinner and went to a bar where I knew about 40 people. It was a nice little treat to remind me at home and a great precursor to how fun senior year is going to be…everyone is connected somehow at our school of 8,000. I also got to see Alexandra Dinverno (a friend from high school) because she lives in the same housing complex as Kim.
The next day we got up to do all the necessary touristy things of Rome: Trevi Fountain, The Coliseum, The Forum, The Pantheon, the Piazzas, etc. After our touring, Kim and I and our two other girl friends, Mary (also in Rome) and Katie (my good friend in Spain) made a fabulous Italian dinner to save some money and have a good time. We made pesto pasta with caprese salad and grilled zucchini. For desert we frosted a cake with nutella and sliced strawberries and kiwis to put on top. Definitely one of the better meals I’ve had so far. Later that night, we had another ND reunion.
The next day I had to wake up at 6:30 so that I could join the ND organized tour of the Vatican (definitely worth the 6:30 wake up call). We got to see everything: St. Peter’s the Sistine Chapel, the Catacombs, etc. with a personal tour guide. The visual impact of the Vatican City cannot be described in words. It is suffice to say that it is a must see site in your lifetime.
Again I went out to dinner with Kim and Mary and some of our guy friends at school. We went to this cute little neighborhood called Trastevere, which was able to give us a taste of authentic Rome. I had delicious spaghetti carbonara (be jealous, Moe…it’s a Roman specialty). I left shortly after dinner because of the dreaded morning, which was to come…
Which brings me to Easter morning: I had to wake up at 3:30 to make sure that we were at the airport by 5 am. Our flight was on time and we landed in Madrid at 9 but we didn’t get to Toledo til 2 p.m. Exhausted, I showered and headed to school so that I could write an essay before mass in the Toledo cathedral at 6:30 pm. After mass I got to Skype my whole family that made me miss home a little bit. Thus, I’m ending my night writing this journal entry/email so that you all could know what a great time I’m having, but also to let you know that I will be home in 24 days.
My best friend from home, who most of you know, Britany is coming, along with my other good friend Adam from Barcelona this weekend to visit me in Toledo and Madrid. On Sunday I am going to Maria Luisa’s daughters house in the suburbs of Toledo to have a goodbye dinner since it will be my last weekend. Scary how quickly time flies.
Ciao bella! Miss and love you all!
The next time I write it will be about my adventures in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
An update
So I know I haven’t written in a long time, but I will give a brief summary of what happened the last few weeks in my European adventures:
After the Barcelona weekend, the school funded a trip for us to go to Granada. (March 6-8). There we stayed in a nice four-star hotel and saw the Alhambra. It’s a palace of Moorish and Christian influence and was almost named a man made wonder of the world in 2007. The Alhambra is quite impressive: its massive gardens and sprawling buildings are big enough to be considered its own city.
On Sunday (the 8th), Mike came to visit. I was nervous about finding him in the airport because he didn’t have a phone, but it ended up all right. That day I showed him Parque Retiro (which is the massive park in Madrid the size of central park). Then I took him for free tapas at the infamous “El Tigre” (it means “THE TIGER” and its a tapas bar which gives you massive portions of delicious free food after ordering one drink). We continued the night by strolling along the Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Sol and ate dinner at an Italian restaurant on the Gran Via. The next day we got up early so that I could make my 10 am class on time in Toledo. The rest of the week, I showed Mike around Toledo (we went in the beautiful cathedral…which I am convinced is the prettiest cathedral in the world) and went to dinner with my friends. On Thursday, we left for Paris to meet up with my friend Lindsay and her boyfriend.
For those of you who have not been, Paris is a city that cannot be described with words. Everything about the city is breathtaking: the view from the Eiffel tour, the Eiffel tour lit up at night, the arc de triumph, sacre couer. We also visited Napolean’s burial site, the Louvre, and Notre Dame cathedral. We certainly did not have enough time to explore the most beautiful city in the world.
The next weekend, Dad and Lauren came to visit. The first few days we stayed in Madrid and did the same touristy things that I took Mike to do. We also went to the Reina Sofía museum which houses a lot of original Picasso and Dalí works. We then went to Toledo Monday-Wednesday, and back to Madrid on Thursday. We ate lunch with my host mother on Wednesday, and Dad and Lauren finally were able to realize the kind of food I have to eat everyday (have one of them explain it to you…it will be much funnier. Ask about the asparagus and mayonnaise cake). On Thursday we went back to Madrid and on Friday we went to tour King Phillip II’s monastery in El Escorial. We came back to Madrid that night and ate dinner with my friend Andrea and her parents at an Asian inspired restaurant.
The next morning, Dad and Lauren left, while I took a bus to Valencia to celebrate my friend José’s birthday. While we were supposed to hang at the beach all day, the weather thwarted our plans. Instead, we went to an “indie” theatre which showed the original version of Slumdog Millionaire in English with Spanish subtitles. It was a nice way to remember home, and for those who have not yet seen the movie, I highly recommend it.
That night we went out for a lot of paella to celebrate José’s birthday. This morning, I came back to Toledo and have just been cruisin’ the internet since then, procrastinated some homework. I cannot believe I have just about 2 weeks left in Toledo. In four days I leave for Spring Break in Italy for a week. After that, I have just about 10 days left in Toledo before I begin my adventures in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. I come home in 38 days. Wow. Time flies.
Miss you all
Ellyn
After the Barcelona weekend, the school funded a trip for us to go to Granada. (March 6-8). There we stayed in a nice four-star hotel and saw the Alhambra. It’s a palace of Moorish and Christian influence and was almost named a man made wonder of the world in 2007. The Alhambra is quite impressive: its massive gardens and sprawling buildings are big enough to be considered its own city.
On Sunday (the 8th), Mike came to visit. I was nervous about finding him in the airport because he didn’t have a phone, but it ended up all right. That day I showed him Parque Retiro (which is the massive park in Madrid the size of central park). Then I took him for free tapas at the infamous “El Tigre” (it means “THE TIGER” and its a tapas bar which gives you massive portions of delicious free food after ordering one drink). We continued the night by strolling along the Plaza Mayor and Plaza del Sol and ate dinner at an Italian restaurant on the Gran Via. The next day we got up early so that I could make my 10 am class on time in Toledo. The rest of the week, I showed Mike around Toledo (we went in the beautiful cathedral…which I am convinced is the prettiest cathedral in the world) and went to dinner with my friends. On Thursday, we left for Paris to meet up with my friend Lindsay and her boyfriend.
For those of you who have not been, Paris is a city that cannot be described with words. Everything about the city is breathtaking: the view from the Eiffel tour, the Eiffel tour lit up at night, the arc de triumph, sacre couer. We also visited Napolean’s burial site, the Louvre, and Notre Dame cathedral. We certainly did not have enough time to explore the most beautiful city in the world.
The next weekend, Dad and Lauren came to visit. The first few days we stayed in Madrid and did the same touristy things that I took Mike to do. We also went to the Reina Sofía museum which houses a lot of original Picasso and Dalí works. We then went to Toledo Monday-Wednesday, and back to Madrid on Thursday. We ate lunch with my host mother on Wednesday, and Dad and Lauren finally were able to realize the kind of food I have to eat everyday (have one of them explain it to you…it will be much funnier. Ask about the asparagus and mayonnaise cake). On Thursday we went back to Madrid and on Friday we went to tour King Phillip II’s monastery in El Escorial. We came back to Madrid that night and ate dinner with my friend Andrea and her parents at an Asian inspired restaurant.
The next morning, Dad and Lauren left, while I took a bus to Valencia to celebrate my friend José’s birthday. While we were supposed to hang at the beach all day, the weather thwarted our plans. Instead, we went to an “indie” theatre which showed the original version of Slumdog Millionaire in English with Spanish subtitles. It was a nice way to remember home, and for those who have not yet seen the movie, I highly recommend it.
That night we went out for a lot of paella to celebrate José’s birthday. This morning, I came back to Toledo and have just been cruisin’ the internet since then, procrastinated some homework. I cannot believe I have just about 2 weeks left in Toledo. In four days I leave for Spring Break in Italy for a week. After that, I have just about 10 days left in Toledo before I begin my adventures in Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic. I come home in 38 days. Wow. Time flies.
Miss you all
Ellyn
Monday, March 2, 2009
Barcelona
Just a quick outline for a journal entry:
Since I didn’t journal last week, I thought I’d recap the last two weekends of my life in this one:
Last weekend, it was Carnaval so my friends and I decided to stick around Madrid and Barcelona. On Thursday, the streets of Toledo were teeming with lots of children dressed in Halloween Costumes (or Carnaval costumes, whichever you prefer). There was a parade, a big brass band, and a stage set up in the middle plaza. But the party didn’t truly start until Saturday.
Friday afternoon we headed to Madrid because we had heard that the Carnaval there was huge. All of us girl had bought bright colored tights and beautifully decorated masks to celebrate. The boys complained that they didn’t have costumes. So we went to El Corte Ingles (which is Spain’s version of a Nordstrom + a Walmart) and they floated around the toy area until the came up with the most ridiculous costumes. They bought skeleton masks for one euro and bright colored wigs. It is suffice to say that they looked like dead drag queens, and here is the real joke: little did we know that the people of Madrid do NOT, in fact, celebrate Carnaval. They looked like hilarious buffoons as we walked around Madrid. (See facebook pictures for those who have it). We still had a super fun time, and probably more fun because we were all dressed up.
Saturday we returned to Toledo where there actually was a huge Carnaval celebration. They had set up a makeshift bar in the middle of the plaza and there was a stage playing live music. During mid afternoon, there was a huge parade with loud music that went through the town, and at night the plaza was jam packed with people dressed as anything you can imagine. NOTE: it is a popular Carnaval theme for men to dress like women.
Okay so this weekend. I went to Barcelona to visit Britany and Adam Baljevich. We left Thursday for the Madrid airport even though our flight wasn’t until Friday morning. We had to spend the night in the airport because public transportation in both Madrid and Toledo doesn’t start running earlier enough to get us to the airport at 5:30 for our 7:30 flight. But when we got to Madrid, our friend Courtney introduced us to her parents that were visiting, and they took us to dinner at this tapas restaurant. It was very relaxing and enjoyable to just have a nice dinner.
After “sleeping” in the airport, we finally landed in Barcelona and I met up with Britany at about 9 am. We ended up taking naps for a while, and when Brit went to class at 2 o’clock, I met Adam for lunch. We then walked up and down “Las Ramblas” which is the famous street in Barcelona with a huge market. Lauren’s favorite part of Spain is located in the market: a large wall of gummy candies. We continued on to walk down to the port so we could look at the beautiful view of the water. We then met some of Brit’s friends for a happy hour, went out for tapas, and went home to get ready. That night at the club, there was a mini Maine South Reunion. I ran into 3 people I knew this weekend accidentally. It’s crazy how a continent can be so small.
Saturday we woke up and Brit and I were determined to do a entire view of Barcelona in a day. Twelve hours and about twelve hours of walking later, I had seen all the major points of Barcelona. Sagrada familia (a church designed by Gaudi that is taking over 100 years to complete) and Park Guell (which are both designed beautifully by Gaudi), other Gaudi buildings, the Olympic Park (from the 1992 Olympics), the Arc de Triompf, and the Born neighborhood (it’s a little Lincoln Park like). Adam, Brit, and I ate dinner at this great restaurant in the Born neighborhood and got gelato afterwards. We went home to rest for a little before heading out to meet up with my Notre Dame friends at a Bar called Dow Jones. This bar has a board like the stock market where prices of drinks fluctuate. Whatever is popular at the time goes up in price, and then everyone tries to buy the lower drinks. Sometimes there is a “stock market crash” and the drinks are all really low priced. Pretty neat idea for a bar.
Next weekend we are going to Granada with the school to see the Alhambra (really famous Spanish Palace). The school is paying for the entire weekend, including a 4 star hotel. When I come back on Sunday, I will go immediately to the airport to get MIKE! I am so excited for him to come visit and see where I have been living for the past two months. Then, the two of us are going to Paris and meeting up with my friend Lindsay and her boyfriend. It should be a pretty exciting week, as long as I get my work done!
Miss you all!
Since I didn’t journal last week, I thought I’d recap the last two weekends of my life in this one:
Last weekend, it was Carnaval so my friends and I decided to stick around Madrid and Barcelona. On Thursday, the streets of Toledo were teeming with lots of children dressed in Halloween Costumes (or Carnaval costumes, whichever you prefer). There was a parade, a big brass band, and a stage set up in the middle plaza. But the party didn’t truly start until Saturday.
Friday afternoon we headed to Madrid because we had heard that the Carnaval there was huge. All of us girl had bought bright colored tights and beautifully decorated masks to celebrate. The boys complained that they didn’t have costumes. So we went to El Corte Ingles (which is Spain’s version of a Nordstrom + a Walmart) and they floated around the toy area until the came up with the most ridiculous costumes. They bought skeleton masks for one euro and bright colored wigs. It is suffice to say that they looked like dead drag queens, and here is the real joke: little did we know that the people of Madrid do NOT, in fact, celebrate Carnaval. They looked like hilarious buffoons as we walked around Madrid. (See facebook pictures for those who have it). We still had a super fun time, and probably more fun because we were all dressed up.
Saturday we returned to Toledo where there actually was a huge Carnaval celebration. They had set up a makeshift bar in the middle of the plaza and there was a stage playing live music. During mid afternoon, there was a huge parade with loud music that went through the town, and at night the plaza was jam packed with people dressed as anything you can imagine. NOTE: it is a popular Carnaval theme for men to dress like women.
Okay so this weekend. I went to Barcelona to visit Britany and Adam Baljevich. We left Thursday for the Madrid airport even though our flight wasn’t until Friday morning. We had to spend the night in the airport because public transportation in both Madrid and Toledo doesn’t start running earlier enough to get us to the airport at 5:30 for our 7:30 flight. But when we got to Madrid, our friend Courtney introduced us to her parents that were visiting, and they took us to dinner at this tapas restaurant. It was very relaxing and enjoyable to just have a nice dinner.
After “sleeping” in the airport, we finally landed in Barcelona and I met up with Britany at about 9 am. We ended up taking naps for a while, and when Brit went to class at 2 o’clock, I met Adam for lunch. We then walked up and down “Las Ramblas” which is the famous street in Barcelona with a huge market. Lauren’s favorite part of Spain is located in the market: a large wall of gummy candies. We continued on to walk down to the port so we could look at the beautiful view of the water. We then met some of Brit’s friends for a happy hour, went out for tapas, and went home to get ready. That night at the club, there was a mini Maine South Reunion. I ran into 3 people I knew this weekend accidentally. It’s crazy how a continent can be so small.
Saturday we woke up and Brit and I were determined to do a entire view of Barcelona in a day. Twelve hours and about twelve hours of walking later, I had seen all the major points of Barcelona. Sagrada familia (a church designed by Gaudi that is taking over 100 years to complete) and Park Guell (which are both designed beautifully by Gaudi), other Gaudi buildings, the Olympic Park (from the 1992 Olympics), the Arc de Triompf, and the Born neighborhood (it’s a little Lincoln Park like). Adam, Brit, and I ate dinner at this great restaurant in the Born neighborhood and got gelato afterwards. We went home to rest for a little before heading out to meet up with my Notre Dame friends at a Bar called Dow Jones. This bar has a board like the stock market where prices of drinks fluctuate. Whatever is popular at the time goes up in price, and then everyone tries to buy the lower drinks. Sometimes there is a “stock market crash” and the drinks are all really low priced. Pretty neat idea for a bar.
Next weekend we are going to Granada with the school to see the Alhambra (really famous Spanish Palace). The school is paying for the entire weekend, including a 4 star hotel. When I come back on Sunday, I will go immediately to the airport to get MIKE! I am so excited for him to come visit and see where I have been living for the past two months. Then, the two of us are going to Paris and meeting up with my friend Lindsay and her boyfriend. It should be a pretty exciting week, as long as I get my work done!
Miss you all!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Another article link
For those of you that read Spanish.
http://www.latribunadetoledo.es/noticia.cfm/Opini%C3%B3n/20090216/sentido/terrorismo/7AB34E8F-1A64-968D-595434B5058AACFD
It's about terrorism.
http://www.latribunadetoledo.es/noticia.cfm/Opini%C3%B3n/20090216/sentido/terrorismo/7AB34E8F-1A64-968D-595434B5058AACFD
It's about terrorism.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Ireland
To describe the country of Ireland in two words: beautiful and expensive.
To begin with, the traveling went a lot smoother this weekend. We arrived at the airport and the flight took off with minimal delay. We then got a taste of true Irish friendliness when our cab driver carted us to our hotel. He explained to us the hot spots of Dublin, and pointed out the Gaelic stadium (which is apparently a cross between soccer and rugby). He said that stadium holds 86,000 and some games are even bigger than the Super Bowl.
We arrived at our hotel, which was very nice and about a 15-minute walk from the center of the city, and met my mom and then immediately decided to go get some food. We wandered around the city, ask some friendly Irish folks for directions, and eventually made it to Trinity College (which is in the middle of the city). The Notre Dame kids that study there are lucky—their campus is massive and beautiful and was built in 1592. We went to an Irish pub and quickly ate some fish and chips so we could make it to the Guinness factory before it closed at 5 p.m.
The Guinness factory was also very cool, and delicious. Seven floors of hops and barley, lots of history, and at the top there was a “gravity bar” which gave an eagle eye view of the city. Oh, and they gave you a free Guinness at the top so you can drink a delicious brew while you see the view.
We went back to the hotel to shower and change and wait for the arrival of Phil…so we just ate in the hotel because we were a bit behind schedule. Little did we know that those three euro hamburgers were going to be the cheapest things we ate/drank that weekend (Dublin, yes, is even more expensive than London…but I thought that the money was worth it to see beautiful Ireland). The hotel bar/restaurant is also pretty famous around Dublin. They had a live Beatles cover band there while we ate.
Finally Phil got there, and he ate a three-euro cheeseburger too. We went out to the Temple Bar area, which is the popular bar strip in Dublin. We did a lil’ pub-crawl and hit some pretty neat spots: The “REAL” Temple Bar, Fitzsimons (which had live music as well), and a club called the Purdy Kitchen. The Purdy Kitchen was pretty hilarious because I think it was all 14 year olds in the club on fake I.Ds. In fact, one started talking to me and I asked him how old he was. He said 19, and I responded: “13! What are they doing letting 13 year olds in here.” Needless to say, he did not talk to me anymore and we had a great time dancing by ourselves to American music. They are obsessed with Lady Gaga and Kings of Leon.
Day two: We started off our day at this cute little breakfast joint where I got, yes, a cheese sandwich (it was supposed to be on a croissant but they were out. While there, a little Irish boy came up to us, and said the following, in an ADORABLE Irish accent: “Today is my birfday and I got this camera that takes realllll pictures. We went to Paris last week and I went down the slide at a water park and my bum got wet. And then when I got to the bottom guess what I found? Guess what? All the toys that all other kids lost.” Okay, may not sound that cute via email, but have me do the impression and then you’ll realize that Irish/British kids are far cuter because they have accents.
Then we went on to Dublin Castle and other city center points to take pictures. We decided not to do a bus tour, but went to Malahide Castle on our own. It was located in this cute suburb of Ireland and we were able to see an ancient Irish castle (which was far different from any Spanish palaces I’ve seen). The only setback was the fact that we took a wrong turn after we got off the train and the 15-minute walk turned into a 50-minute walk. Look at the pictures this area was gorgeous.
We thought we’d make it to the James Joyce museum and the coast on the other side of the train stops, but the 50 minute walk set us back a bit. Instead we went to dinner at Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Ireland. It was built in 1165, has delicious Irish food and plays Irish music every night. After dinner we went to a brewery that brews 10 different types of their own beer. We sampled each, went home to get ready, and went out again to a club…this time with some other Notre Dame kids to an area that wasn’t Temple Bar and therefore less expensive but equally as fun.
The next morning we woke early and went to breakfast at Insomnia (the Irish version of Starbucks which is open 24 hours) and did some shopping in some little Irish shops. I bought a clauddaugh ring, just so I can have one that is officially Irish. Then we took cab back to the Dublin airport, and our Irish adventures ended.
It is safe to say we had another fun, and less exhausting than the London experience, weekend of travel.
Next weekend…Carnaval…which is Spain’s even crazier version of Mardi Gras. Apparently, Maria Luisa’s daughter told me I won’t sleep all week because the streets near my apartment will be so loud. Also, sidetrack…I just went for drinks with my friend Conor’s parents (who are visiting), and when I came home (12:30) Maria Luisa was still up. We watch an episode of the Spanish version of Dancing with the Stars together. I guess Spanish and American grandmas are the same.
To begin with, the traveling went a lot smoother this weekend. We arrived at the airport and the flight took off with minimal delay. We then got a taste of true Irish friendliness when our cab driver carted us to our hotel. He explained to us the hot spots of Dublin, and pointed out the Gaelic stadium (which is apparently a cross between soccer and rugby). He said that stadium holds 86,000 and some games are even bigger than the Super Bowl.
We arrived at our hotel, which was very nice and about a 15-minute walk from the center of the city, and met my mom and then immediately decided to go get some food. We wandered around the city, ask some friendly Irish folks for directions, and eventually made it to Trinity College (which is in the middle of the city). The Notre Dame kids that study there are lucky—their campus is massive and beautiful and was built in 1592. We went to an Irish pub and quickly ate some fish and chips so we could make it to the Guinness factory before it closed at 5 p.m.
The Guinness factory was also very cool, and delicious. Seven floors of hops and barley, lots of history, and at the top there was a “gravity bar” which gave an eagle eye view of the city. Oh, and they gave you a free Guinness at the top so you can drink a delicious brew while you see the view.
We went back to the hotel to shower and change and wait for the arrival of Phil…so we just ate in the hotel because we were a bit behind schedule. Little did we know that those three euro hamburgers were going to be the cheapest things we ate/drank that weekend (Dublin, yes, is even more expensive than London…but I thought that the money was worth it to see beautiful Ireland). The hotel bar/restaurant is also pretty famous around Dublin. They had a live Beatles cover band there while we ate.
Finally Phil got there, and he ate a three-euro cheeseburger too. We went out to the Temple Bar area, which is the popular bar strip in Dublin. We did a lil’ pub-crawl and hit some pretty neat spots: The “REAL” Temple Bar, Fitzsimons (which had live music as well), and a club called the Purdy Kitchen. The Purdy Kitchen was pretty hilarious because I think it was all 14 year olds in the club on fake I.Ds. In fact, one started talking to me and I asked him how old he was. He said 19, and I responded: “13! What are they doing letting 13 year olds in here.” Needless to say, he did not talk to me anymore and we had a great time dancing by ourselves to American music. They are obsessed with Lady Gaga and Kings of Leon.
Day two: We started off our day at this cute little breakfast joint where I got, yes, a cheese sandwich (it was supposed to be on a croissant but they were out. While there, a little Irish boy came up to us, and said the following, in an ADORABLE Irish accent: “Today is my birfday and I got this camera that takes realllll pictures. We went to Paris last week and I went down the slide at a water park and my bum got wet. And then when I got to the bottom guess what I found? Guess what? All the toys that all other kids lost.” Okay, may not sound that cute via email, but have me do the impression and then you’ll realize that Irish/British kids are far cuter because they have accents.
Then we went on to Dublin Castle and other city center points to take pictures. We decided not to do a bus tour, but went to Malahide Castle on our own. It was located in this cute suburb of Ireland and we were able to see an ancient Irish castle (which was far different from any Spanish palaces I’ve seen). The only setback was the fact that we took a wrong turn after we got off the train and the 15-minute walk turned into a 50-minute walk. Look at the pictures this area was gorgeous.
We thought we’d make it to the James Joyce museum and the coast on the other side of the train stops, but the 50 minute walk set us back a bit. Instead we went to dinner at Brazen Head, the oldest pub in Ireland. It was built in 1165, has delicious Irish food and plays Irish music every night. After dinner we went to a brewery that brews 10 different types of their own beer. We sampled each, went home to get ready, and went out again to a club…this time with some other Notre Dame kids to an area that wasn’t Temple Bar and therefore less expensive but equally as fun.
The next morning we woke early and went to breakfast at Insomnia (the Irish version of Starbucks which is open 24 hours) and did some shopping in some little Irish shops. I bought a clauddaugh ring, just so I can have one that is officially Irish. Then we took cab back to the Dublin airport, and our Irish adventures ended.
It is safe to say we had another fun, and less exhausting than the London experience, weekend of travel.
Next weekend…Carnaval…which is Spain’s even crazier version of Mardi Gras. Apparently, Maria Luisa’s daughter told me I won’t sleep all week because the streets near my apartment will be so loud. Also, sidetrack…I just went for drinks with my friend Conor’s parents (who are visiting), and when I came home (12:30) Maria Luisa was still up. We watch an episode of the Spanish version of Dancing with the Stars together. I guess Spanish and American grandmas are the same.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
The article
Hey,
I know some of you wanted to read my articles in Spanish. The website of the newspaper I work at is sometimes inefficient, but this week, my article was posted.
Here's the link:
http://www.latribunadetoledo.es/noticia.cfm/Opini%C3%B3n/20090209/cultura/flamenco/576E1A1B-1A64-968D-59B942C2DB47E5BD
I know some of you don't speak Spanish...but hey, I guess it's kinda cool to see!
I know some of you wanted to read my articles in Spanish. The website of the newspaper I work at is sometimes inefficient, but this week, my article was posted.
Here's the link:
http://www.latribunadetoledo.es/noticia.cfm/Opini%C3%B3n/20090209/cultura/flamenco/576E1A1B-1A64-968D-59B942C2DB47E5BD
I know some of you don't speak Spanish...but hey, I guess it's kinda cool to see!
Monday, February 9, 2009
Londontown
Because I like to use analogies, I will describe this past weekend as a roller coaster. Extreme lows: flight cancellation, hostel cancellation, sleeping about a combined 3 hours total for the weekend. Extreme highs: London, seeing some of my best friends, free 4 star hotel stay with two free 4-star hotel quality meals. Let’s just say, my friends and I were not fated to go to London this weekend. Just about everything that could have gone wrong, did, but when it came to being in London around old friends and new friends, it became impossible for anyone to be upset.
We left Toledo at 6 am on Friday morning to head to the airport in Madrid. We were supposed to leave Friday morning around 10 am, but right before we were going to board the plane, our flight was canceled. Oddly enough, the flight that was flying out an hour after us (also in to London) was NOT canceled. Easyjet offered us either a refund on our tickets, or a flight out the next morning at 7 am. We chose to stay the night in Madrid with a free four-star hotel and two free meals. We stayed in the Auditorium Hotel, which is supposedly one of the biggest hotels in Europe, but it was located very far outside of Madrid. We went grocery shopping, took a nap, and ate in the hotel for the rest of the day. With less than 3 hours of sleep, we headed to the airport the next morning at 5 am in order to check in for our 7 am flight. When we landed in London, we took a train to London Bridge in order to check into our hostel. Since we had had the hostel booked for Friday, but obviously couldn’t make it because of the canceled flight, my friend Katie had called Friday afternoon and canceled our reservation for that night, but made sure that we still had the reservation for Saturday. The receptionist said everything was fine, but clearly he was incompetent because he ended up canceling our entire reservation for the weekend, and then we had nowhere to stay. Luckily they had availability at their other hostel (but it was 30 minutes further on the tube at the Hammersmith stop). By the time we settled into the hostel we had about 12 hours to see the whole city.
We decided first to go see Notting Hill which is a very chic district of London (also the scene of a Hugh Grant movie). There I met up with my cousin Phil, although it was a little difficult because there were several drunken New Zealanders lining the streets to celebrate their independence. We continued on to the Portabello Market which takes place every Saturday. A two-mile stretch of street is lined with any kind of trinket, food, or accessory imaginable. I bought a dress for 15 pounds and my friend Meghan bought a vinyl Led Zeppelin record for her boyfriend. I met up with my Notre Dame friends studying in London at the market, and Kim who had flown in from Rome for the weekend. After the entire group was together, we decided to do a speed tour of all the hotspots of London: Trafalgar’s square, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, etc. After we finished the walking tour, we finally could check into the hostel (at about 6pm). We went back to the hostel for about 20 minutes and then we to dinner at this restaurant in Trafalgar’s Square (we passed the theatre district on the way which had Les Miserables, Jersey Boys, and several other popular shows playing). Whoever said all food in London is bad lied, because this restaurant was very delicious. Later we again met up with my Notre Dame friends studying in London and went to this three-floor bar/club called O’Neill’s. The first floor was a restaurant, the second floor was more relaxed with tables and loud techno (a little ironic), and the third floor had a really decent live band that covered popular 90s music. We spent a little while on the third floor with the band, but the drunken Irish and British people were a little pushy and the area was too crowded so we spent most of the night on the second floor where we were able to talk for a while. That was one of the main differences: British people like to drink just like American college students do.
We came home at 3 am and left again for the airport at 4:30. Suffice to say, I was extremely tired when I arrived home in Toledo. The 24 hours we spent in London were amazing. I got to see some of my best friends in the world (coming back to Spain only made me miss them more), a family member who I haven’t seen in awhile (but who I will several more times throughout the semester), and hang out with my new friends all together in one what I am convinced is one of the best cities in the world. I have made it my goal to live there at some point in my life (even if it is only for an internship). The city is beautiful and the people are amazingly friendly. My writing is a little less interesting today, probably because I am too tired to think of colorful adjectives that truly describe the excitement of the weekend.
Next weekend I am going to Dublin with a few of my friends to meet my mom and see Phil again. Should be pretty exciting and the Irish folk we met this weekend were INCREDIBLY friendly.
I am pumped.
I can’t believe I’ve been here for a month already.
We left Toledo at 6 am on Friday morning to head to the airport in Madrid. We were supposed to leave Friday morning around 10 am, but right before we were going to board the plane, our flight was canceled. Oddly enough, the flight that was flying out an hour after us (also in to London) was NOT canceled. Easyjet offered us either a refund on our tickets, or a flight out the next morning at 7 am. We chose to stay the night in Madrid with a free four-star hotel and two free meals. We stayed in the Auditorium Hotel, which is supposedly one of the biggest hotels in Europe, but it was located very far outside of Madrid. We went grocery shopping, took a nap, and ate in the hotel for the rest of the day. With less than 3 hours of sleep, we headed to the airport the next morning at 5 am in order to check in for our 7 am flight. When we landed in London, we took a train to London Bridge in order to check into our hostel. Since we had had the hostel booked for Friday, but obviously couldn’t make it because of the canceled flight, my friend Katie had called Friday afternoon and canceled our reservation for that night, but made sure that we still had the reservation for Saturday. The receptionist said everything was fine, but clearly he was incompetent because he ended up canceling our entire reservation for the weekend, and then we had nowhere to stay. Luckily they had availability at their other hostel (but it was 30 minutes further on the tube at the Hammersmith stop). By the time we settled into the hostel we had about 12 hours to see the whole city.
We decided first to go see Notting Hill which is a very chic district of London (also the scene of a Hugh Grant movie). There I met up with my cousin Phil, although it was a little difficult because there were several drunken New Zealanders lining the streets to celebrate their independence. We continued on to the Portabello Market which takes place every Saturday. A two-mile stretch of street is lined with any kind of trinket, food, or accessory imaginable. I bought a dress for 15 pounds and my friend Meghan bought a vinyl Led Zeppelin record for her boyfriend. I met up with my Notre Dame friends studying in London at the market, and Kim who had flown in from Rome for the weekend. After the entire group was together, we decided to do a speed tour of all the hotspots of London: Trafalgar’s square, Buckingham Palace, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, Hyde Park, etc. After we finished the walking tour, we finally could check into the hostel (at about 6pm). We went back to the hostel for about 20 minutes and then we to dinner at this restaurant in Trafalgar’s Square (we passed the theatre district on the way which had Les Miserables, Jersey Boys, and several other popular shows playing). Whoever said all food in London is bad lied, because this restaurant was very delicious. Later we again met up with my Notre Dame friends studying in London and went to this three-floor bar/club called O’Neill’s. The first floor was a restaurant, the second floor was more relaxed with tables and loud techno (a little ironic), and the third floor had a really decent live band that covered popular 90s music. We spent a little while on the third floor with the band, but the drunken Irish and British people were a little pushy and the area was too crowded so we spent most of the night on the second floor where we were able to talk for a while. That was one of the main differences: British people like to drink just like American college students do.
We came home at 3 am and left again for the airport at 4:30. Suffice to say, I was extremely tired when I arrived home in Toledo. The 24 hours we spent in London were amazing. I got to see some of my best friends in the world (coming back to Spain only made me miss them more), a family member who I haven’t seen in awhile (but who I will several more times throughout the semester), and hang out with my new friends all together in one what I am convinced is one of the best cities in the world. I have made it my goal to live there at some point in my life (even if it is only for an internship). The city is beautiful and the people are amazingly friendly. My writing is a little less interesting today, probably because I am too tired to think of colorful adjectives that truly describe the excitement of the weekend.
Next weekend I am going to Dublin with a few of my friends to meet my mom and see Phil again. Should be pretty exciting and the Irish folk we met this weekend were INCREDIBLY friendly.
I am pumped.
I can’t believe I’ve been here for a month already.
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