Two Posts in One: Travel Adventures!

Again, I can't remember when I last wrote, so I'll give you a quick summary. I spent seven days and nights in Congleton, England, outside Manchester with my aunt, uncle, and cousin. It was pretty awesome and relaxing. We visited the Lake district over the weekend, which was gorgeous. I biked with my aunt, did yoga, helped cook some, went out for curry and a movie, talked to my cousin about wedding things, read a lot, slept, stretched, and overall improved my mental and physical health, which was great. Not to mention, I love my aunt, uncle, and cousin and it was amazing having so long to spend with them, seeing as they live so far.
I left Wednesday night from Manchester airport and tried very hard not to cry as I left them. I could however look forward to seeing Anna that night and Sarah the next day though, so that pulled me through, just barely. I met two really good British people on the plane, brother and sister, and we exchanged e-mails at the end. Sometimes, you meet really awesome people while traveling, and make good friends. I hope I see them again. I arrived at the airport in Barcelona past midnight, and didn't arrive in the city from the bus ride until about 1:30am. Anna picked me up and we sleepily wandered our way to the beach, where we had decided (perhaps unwisely) to pass the night, since I had no place to stay.
It started out well enough; there were people enough for it not to be too sketchy, and we found a nice patch of sand and cuddled up under my sleeping bag with my backpack as a pillow. I unfortunately had to pee and in the two minutes I was gone, Anna managed to find a really creepy scary dude crouching right behind her, doing nothing. I came back and vehemently encouraged him to "piss off" until he got the hint and left. We settled down and watched the stars and talked, and probably around 4 fell asleep, briefly. Only to awake to someone standing over trying to open my bag. Thank you Anna for being a light sleeper. We scared them off and decided sleeping, even briefly, was a bad idea on the beach, at least if you have anything on you worth stealing.
After watching the sunrise, which was rather pretty, we walked through the city back to Anna's place where we dropped off my bag. We killed some time in a cafe, and Anna returned to her place while I waited to go to the airport to pick up Sarah. I slept on a park bench for an hour or so, on and off, trying to catch up on the night before, before catching a train to the airport to get Sarah. Adventure number 2!
Well, since I didn't have Sarah's flight information, the only thing I was going on was that it arrived at 1:05 pm. I arrived right around then and on the arrivals board there was only one flight listed at that time. From Latvia. Huh. After a couple of hours of waiting, some panicking, several calls to Anna, which led to calls to Max and Erica for specific flight information, I found Sarah. Apparently her flight was just weird, and she'd spent the last hour searching all over for her luggage, which got carried to a different terminal from the one she landed in. Anyway, I was relieved to see her, and super excited as well.
We proceeded to find our hostel, and arrived there around 5pm. We took naps after settling in and around 6:30 or so went out to meet Anna. We had a happy reunion and spent the evening walking around Barcelona. We went to the magic fountain, but realized that it didn't start until 9, so we walked some more and found a place for some food and to sit for a while. We walked a little more and eventually split up, Anna to go meet her friends for one last night and goodbye, and Sarah and I to get showered and rested. We returned to the hostel exhausted, and I was about in tears from exhaustion and homesickness. They usually go together. A hot shower later I was a new person, and fell asleep almost immediately for at least 9 hours.
That was Thursday. Friday, Sarah and I met Anna in the morning by our hostel and we all walked together to Park Guell. It was up some hills and very warm, but we got good views of the city, and the park is pretty cool. From the park we walked down by the Sagrada Familia, which is pretty impressive. We didn't go inside, but rather walked around then took the metro to the Plaza Espanya (I think). We walked Las Ramblas and visited the market to get some fruit types and bread for lunch. We carried our kilo of strawberries and then some through the gothic quarter, which was very pretty. We window shopped and really shopped; Sarah found a great dress for swing dancing, which Anna and I convinced her to buy. We were pretty thrilled.
We sat down by the cathedral to eat and walked some more. We made our way down to the beach since we were all pretty tired of walking by this point, except for Anna, who has no limit when it comes to walking. We sat on the beach for an hour or two and built a sand castle, which we dubbed The Little Shiny Black Rock Piece of Hell Castle, also known as Castle Turtle, to the locals. We walked some more, now slightly rested, and chatted about home and gossip and travel things and people and whatever else came to mind. We commented on Barcelona's modern fish, impractical lifeguard towers, and face. We made our way back to Las Ramblas and stopped to share to gofres. Gofres are like belgian waffles served with nutella or chocolate cream or gelato or whipped cream or all of the above. We took the metro together and Anna showed Sarah and I where the magic fountain was to be found, then she returned home for a last dinner with her host family. Anna and I watched the magic fountain and talked, then listened to the magic fountain, and were duly impressed. The massive fountain overlooks the city of Barcelona and sits on the Palace's doorstep, and can perform nearly as many acrobatics as the Cirque du Soleil. We returned to the hostel a little before 11 pm, showered, packed up, and went to sleep.
Saturday was our travel day, which is to say, we had to wake up before 7 to pack up and catch the metro to the train station to the airport, all with our heavy and unruly bags. The airport was amazingly easy, although I managed to lose Sarah's second bottle of sunscreen going through security... We napped on the flight, which was fairly quick, and reached Milan in a state of great excitement. We were in Italy! And everyone was speaking Italian! Go figure!
We took a bus from the airport which dropped us off at the train station where we lugged our bags around for quite some time before finding the ticket station and enquiring about how to use our Eurorail pass and get to Florence in two days time. It's surprisingly easy, and we needed to pay nothing, so we proceeded to find the metro (with some difficulty) and then walk the five blocks or so to our hotel. In the hot sun and with our heavy bags, it seemed much farther. We collapsed inside, sweaty and cranky, at around 3 pm, having eaten nothing all day. I realized we would have a terrible afternoon and accomplish nothing without some quick food and energy, so we walked down the street and found a pizza place, and ordered three pizzas between us. We wanted enough for dinner too.
We felt slightly better after eating, and returned to our hotel to catch a quick nap (in Anna's case), a quick read (in Sarah's case), and write a quick letter (in my case). By 5 we felt good enough to leave the hotel, so we took the metro, this time burdened by nothing but cameras, into the city center. We were greeted upon our exit from the Metro by the amazing Duermo; the cathedral of Milan. It is fantastically large, imposing, gothic, white, marble, ornate, and in great condition. We took lots of pretty pictures. We got some gelato and walked around for a bit, admiring the well dressed men and ladies, the classy shops, the electric trams, and the fairly grungy and eclectic feel of the city. We explored for a while, sat for a while, explored a little more, then realized we were exhausted and returned to our hotel.
It was only 7:30 or a little later, but we couldn't walk anymore or really focus on anything, and Anna, who hadn't gotten more than 4 hours of sleep in the past four nights, was just about ready to collapse. We planned tomorrow, a good full day in Milan, with some museum trips, castle-seeing, and market browsing. Now we're watching Walker Texas Ranger in Italian, which really requires no translation. Well, I say watching, but Anna is sleeping and Sarah is story-thinking. I have yet to find inspiration for any stories so instead I decided to update my blog, though who knows when I'll manage to post it. For now, Ciao!

It has been over a week since I've written, but it feels longer. We have passed through Milan, Florence, Venice, and are currently in Rothenthurn, Austria. In a castle. A real castle. It has it's own chapel and everything. But we'll get to that later...
We spent a fairly busy couple of days in Milan, mostly walking and window shopping and eating gelato. We also visited a castle, which was pretty neat, although my favorite part was hanging around a fountain outside and watching a little french girl (probably about 2 years old) waddle around in the water in her diaper with her dad following. Adorable. Milan was alright as far as cities go; it was busy and loud and people were very fashionable.
Next stop, Florence. We took the train, which we decided we liked very much, and was a sight better means or transportation than the airplane. We struggled slightly finding our hostel, but it was a pretty nice place despite its lack of internet access (guys, Europe hates the internet), except for when the other guests accidentally didn't give the key back and we were locked out. It was ok though because there was a ladder in the courtyard and all we had to do was climb it through the bathroom window to get in. Except that we were also locked in, and climbing down proved slightly more arduous.
Florence was great. I really loved it; there was lots of art, and lots of tourists, and great outdoor markets where you could find just about anything, especially anything made out of leather. We spent two of our days there just walking and wandering and also checking out Dante's house, the river, and the markets. Our last full day we took a day trip to Cortona, a small Tuscan town, which was pretty cool. Except for the wind, which didn't cooperate with the dress very well, but my Marilyn Monroe moment was saved only for Sarah and Anna. The town was up a hill, so we got great views of the Tuscan countryside, saw a pretty nice Basilica, checked out more shops, ate some pastries, watched a bride and groom take pictures, and then took the train back to Florence, only to pack up and head out the next day, on our way to Venice.
Venice was an interesting city. There was, as expected, lots of water. I loved it for several reasons, primarily that it lacked the two things I hate most about cities--construction and cars. We decided Venice is in some ways not unlike a corpse, as morbid as that sounds. It's a dead city, compared to what it once was, alive only for the tourists that crawl around like insects. On the other hand, it has a regal and charming feel to it in the old buildings still standing majestically over the water, the dilapidated roofs and worn stone bridges. At night, the tourists disappear, the lights shimmer magically over the water, and little cafes spill their warm glow onto the streets; you could almost be witnessing the city hundreds of years ago. Obviously, I liked it best at night.
We spent our five nights in Venice camping on the mainland about a half hour bus ride away in a nice cozy place. The campsite was great, despite the slightly cramped conditions, mosquitoes, and chilly mornings. We spent the first two days exploring the islands around Venice, Murano, famous for its glass, and Burano, famous for its lace and colorful houses. We also checked out San Michele, the cemetery island, which was by far the prettiest, calmest, and quietest. It had lots of pretty flowers and old graves with character (I especially liked all of those with cracked or askew gravestones, or those with figures half fallen).
We spent a lot of time shopping, but not buying, and eating more gelato than I care to dwell on. The buses (boats) were awesome, although the rocking did tend to make me want to nap. The basilica of San Marco and its piazzale, the centerpiece of Venice, were pretty alright, and the palace next door pretty excellent, especially if one could imagine renting it out for a swing dancing venue. Most of the cathedrals we found would be excellent swing dancing venues; they have great floors, and big open spaces. We took our time in Venice, spending a couple of days catching up just at the camp site, reading and cooking and eating and talking and writing. We had fairly excellent weather, much cooler than Florence and Milan, and one excellently cloudy day that yielded amazing skies and water with great character. Sarah agreed.
We left Venice in a bus destined for Villach, Austria. The ride might have been my favorite thing so far, passing through mountains and more mountains and valleys and rivers and waterfalls of northern Italy and southern Austria. The views were fantastic, and I was captivated for the entire four hours. We arrived in Villach and had an hour to kill before our train ride to Rothenthurn, so I was interviewed on TV about the bus service, and then finally conceded to paying money for a public restroom (yes, you have to PAY for them here. Go figure). The train dropped us off, backpacks and bags in tow, in a tiny town that can not even boast of having its own grocery store. Luckily, the castle that was our destination was in view, halfway up the mountain in front of us, so we set off doggedly. At least it wasn't raining.
After some slight confusion (I concede, Anna was right on the directions this time, but only because she wasn't 99% sure) and a great deal of walking uphill with very heavy packs, we made it. It was just like the pictures. There was a white castle, with a pond in front, and pretty trees, and a tower pointing up just a little. We walked up the dirt drive, not knowing exactly what to expect, when the most stereotypical Austrian man comes out and greets us. He must be about six foot three, and wore a button up shirt, leather shorts with buttons in the front, knee socks, and brown leather loafers. "Gutentag!" Luckily, he also speaks some English, and he knew who we were, as I knew him (through my mom and my aunt at least). After lamenting our lack of a car, and informing us that he would gladly have picked us up at the station (whoops), Georg, as he is called, gave us a great tour of the castle, enlightening us to a small part of its 1000 year history.
We spent that first evening we arrived cuddled up in a giant bed watching MTV, the only American channel, then exploring. We scaled the hill facing the castle to get better views of the valley, took lots of pictures, and Anna rolled down. We whispered as we walked through the halls and up and down the stone staircase of the lower floor, because for some reason being in a castle promotes quiet voices. Maria, Georg's wife, was kind enough to provide us with pasta and tomato sauce and the kitchen downstairs (they have two) for our pleasure and use. We made great use of it and feasted for the first time in a while on real plates using proper cutlery. It was ten before we knew it and we headed upstairs to our magnificent wood-decorated room to read before sleep.
Today, our only full day at the castle, we slept in and breakfasted in the large dining room. Two other people were there, also guests, who after overhearing our conversation about train times with Georg, offered to drive us into Spittal, 8 km away, so we could do some grocery shopping for today and tomorrow. We gladly accepted, and after sending quick messages home on Georg's one and only computer, we grabbed our bags and were off.
Our new Austrian friends were exceedingly polite and adorable, on a weeks vacation not far from home in order to hike and explore. They were a young and cute couple, and we were really glad for the ride to town, since 8 km is slightly more than we could really stomach walking just then. We got to Spittal and walked around some, having escaped the rain at the castle, and found a grocery store within minutes. We got more food than we will probably eat, and scanned the shops, then caught the train back to Rothenthurn and walked back up the hill again to the castle, easier this time not burdened with our bags.
We arrived and made ourselves a picnic lunch on the porch of peanut butter sandwiches and fruit. Man, I've missed peanut butter. Who would've known? We hung out while the rain persisted (we had gotten slightly damp on our walk up the hill), but it soon cleared up and by 2 pm Anna and I were ready for a hike. Sarah decided to stay behind and relax in the castle, which is by no means boring in its own sake, and Anna and I set out on bikes we borrowed from Georg.
After several minutes we were very glad we were on bikes because the road was steep and long, and even riding it took us forty five minutes to reach the lake, Milstatter See. The lake, surrounded by mountains, is gorgeous. There is no other word for it, although amazing, spectacular, and fantastic also come to mind. We arrived on the shore and immediately noticed some paddle boats, so after some inquiries (guess what guys? Everyone speaks English here! What the hell?) we found the owners of said paddle boats and communicated our desire to rent one.
Five minutes later we were on our way out to the middle of the lake, paddling happily and laughing in delight at the deep blue water, the snow-capped mountains, the castle across from us, the brightly colored houses, and the windsurfers sharing our turf. Out in the middle of the lake we needed little urging to strip down and jump in, though I won't lie we came out very quickly from the chilly water and huddled, drifting, until the cool breeze dried us enough to get dressed and warm up. It was totally worth it, even riding home with wet underwear later.
We hung around the lake for a little while waiting for a paddle boat friends to come back since we still owed them five euro. Paddle boat man accepted my knots and mooring skills, yelling "Perfecto!" to us as we walked our bikes away. I was very proud of those bowlines, I won't lie. We walked our bikes up the first steep stretch back up the mountain before mounting up and setting off back for the castle. The ride back was better than the way there, since the hills were less steep, and we were mostly in the shade. We got back by 5:30 pm or so and caught up with Sarah.
We cooked a second delicious meal downstairs and then retired to our room early, where we have all retreated to our cozy corners to read, or in my case, write. Oh, but only after Anna and I had a great sliding-across-the-wood-floor-in-socks contest which led to a fairly amusing video and thankfully no concussions or broken bones. Time to get some of my own reading in... Until next time, Aufwieterzeiz, however you spell that.

France!

I arrived at Beauvais Airport outside Paris Saturday afternoon after a night and half day in the airport. Luckily with other students there I managed to sleep some, and got to know Terminal 1 very well. I slept on the flight, which went quickly, and I arrived early and caught the first shuttle into Paris, which dropped me off at Porte Maillot. There, I unloaded my traveler's backpack, my small backpack, and my rolling suitcase (at 20.5 kg) and walked the couple of blocks to the metro station. I have very few complaints about the Paris metro system, which I find one of the best organized, efficient, and quick of all metros I've ever been in. On the other hand, they could do with a few less stairs.
I made it without too much difficulty to the Gare Montparnasse, although by then I was beginning to feel the 36 hours or so without a shower or change of clothes. I bought my train ticket after going up and down the same escalator several times (still with all my luggage in tow) until I found the ticket booth I needed. I had a few minutes respite, then boarded my train, a TGV, which is amazingly comfortable, and I promptly fell asleep.
Three hours later, Catherine, my "aunt", picked me up in Vannes, and we went back to her place. We had some tea and cookies and talked until about midnight, when I crawled into bed and slept as soundly as I can ever remember. I took a shower sitting down in the bathtub in the morning, had a breakfast of toasted baguette with butter or honey dipped in hot chocolate, then packed up. Catherine and I visited the cemetery where my grandparents are buried, and walked for a while. It was beautiful and peaceful, and I had never visited before. We drove a little around the town of Vannes, which I remembered vaguely from four years ago when I visited with my parents, then went back to Catherine's for a minute.
We drove to Pen Castel, about a half hour away, and stopped by the market where my "uncle" Jean-Francois, Catherine's brother, sells his wine. He recognized me from my visit four years ago, when I stayed with him and his family for two weeks, and gave me a big hug hello. It was nice seeing him again; he hasn't changed at all, he still wears the straw hat that says Muscadet and the same large apron behind the same stall with the same bottles of wine in front of him. We tasted one, then Catherine and I went for a walk by the water, looking out over the ocean towards home. We joined Jean-Francois, his wife Muriel, and two of their daughters Amandine and Segolene at their summer house in Pen Castel for lunch. It's currently under serious reconstruction, since they're remodeling the whole thing, and there are only two habitable rooms. I'm sorry I won't be back in a couple of months to see the finished thing. I caught up with Amandine over lunch and chatted with my family; it was great seeing them again and I felt very much at home.
We hung around until about 5:30, when I said goodbye to Catherine and we all drove back to La Fecuniere, their vineyard outside Valet, an hour and a half inland from the coast. We arrived and helped set up the table, and soon later were enjoying a good dinner and a movie. I called my mom on Skype later that evening to wish her a Happy Mother's Day, then went to bed not too late after updating my journal. I again slept soundly until past 9:30, enjoyed a long hot shower, then ventured downstairs for breakfast. I spent the rest of the morning reading, taking pictures of the house, writing in my journal, and cuddling under a blanket.
We had lunch all together downstairs, then I took the dogs out for a walk around the vineyard. We explored a bit and I took more pictures, then came back and relaxed for a bit. I wrote some, chatted online, and at 5 left with Amandine for Valet, which is just five minutes away. Amandine had a dentist appointment so I took the opportunity to walk around the town, which really took about five minutes. I walked around the church, the cemetery (which are amazingly relaxing and peaceful places), walked into the few shops that are open on Mondays, got a croissant and sat on a bench watching the people. It was pretty nice out, not too chilly but with a breeze. We came home and I helped set the table for dinner, which was again delicious.
We left soon after dinner for a movie, Coco Avant Chanel, the story of Gabrielle Chanel, the woman who built the Chanel enterprise singlehandedly. It was pretty interesting actually, and well played. I just got back and decided to finish writing before going to bed soon. Another day hanging out tomorrow before leaving for Manchester for the next week.

Last Week in Valencia

So I forgot I had one of these again.
My last week and some in Valencia hasn't been too excited. I spent a fair amount of time studying or napping at the beach, hung out with some new people and some old people, watched the Barcelona-Chelsea soccer game, said goodbye to people, and did some last minute shopping. I also spent some time panicking about traveling, and excited to see my family, and also feeling ill, for unknown reasons.
I also found out, to my great dismay, on my last day in Valencia, that there's a swing dancing club right next to my friend's place here. A SWING DANCING CLUB. I cried from the irony of it all.
Besides that, I packed, and everything fits, just barely, and tonight I leave on a bus for Madrid, where I will spend an uncomfortable night in the airport, catch a plane tomorrow afternoon for Paris, then a shuttle into the city, then two metros to the train station, then a train to Vannes, where my aunt will pick me and I will spend the night at her place. I'm very much looking forward to not sleeping for the next 36 hours or so.
This week I also: visited the Botanic Gardens, bought souvenirs, walked through the park one last time, and saw a Flamenco performance.
I would update more but nothing else is fantastically new. I haven't been feeling very well lately, but I think it might be nervousness for leaving. I'm also very sad to be leaving my host family, but excited to see my real family in France and England, then Anna and Sarah so soon. And after that, back home!

Whoops, I forgot I had one of these

So, after all the exciting vacation times with my parents, and before that seeing Anna, and before that going to Mallorca with Max and Isaac and Fallas happening and seeing my brother and all, this past week has been pretty tame.
On my way back from the train station, I ran into a guy who started talking to me, and we decided to meet up sometime to chill. I got back home and spent the evening with my host family, then went out with Dotty for the triple purpose of getting out of the house, determining when and where we should meet to do the rest of our project, and seeing some Flamenco. We met at a little bar called La Claca, which hosts Flamenco dancing and music live every Sunday night. Dotty and I arrived a little late to get good seats, but we could see standing by the bar, and sat down and caught up, which was nice.
Monday, which was actually a holiday thanks to another saint (one good thing about a Catholic country is all the random holidays), so Dotty and I met up in mid-morning to get some work done. We accomplished little, distracted as we were by the good weather, and consequently spent the afternoon at the beach instead. We returned to her place to finish up some work and divide up the remaining work.
Tuesday classes started again, and passed as usual. My culture class visited IVAM, the modern art museum in Valencia, which was actually pretty awesome and enjoyable. I spent the afternoon working on my paper and presentation, then went out for a walk with Alex. I caught up on my TV show that night, and spent some time online to catch up with friends back home.
Wednesday my second class was cancelled, so I did some shopping on the way home and finally found a couple of needed gifts. I did more work, then went out with my host family. It was Italo's birthday, and we were meeting all of Alba's family in the area and going out to a restaurant where we would eat and talk and Italo's band would play some music. I was pretty excited to be invited along. We drove about fifteen minutes to another part of the city and took over the little bar/restaurant. Italo, his son Alberto, and two other guys set up their music things and started playing as the rest of us sat down and we ate traditional Columbian food. It was delicious, and the music was good, and I got to film and take lots of pictures. Everyone brought gifts for Italo, who accepted them graciously, and more music ensued. I talked mostly with Noelia, Alba and Italo's daughter-in-law, who is really cool and chill. She's the only Spaniard in the family (that is, actually from Valencia), and I have a much harder time understanding her accent, but oh well. It was only slightly awkward since everyone there was a couple and they were all really close, but still lots of fun. We didn't get home until about six, at which point I had to run to get online and figure out travel things for the summer, which was also, in its way, pretty exciting.
Thursday I spent most of the day after class in the ISA office, Skyping and working on my grammar class presentation. I fortunately remembered that I needed to write an article for the Retriever, and hastily did that, although I was a little embarrassed to submit it. I had dinner at home but went back out for a little to finish some conversations and e-mail pictures and my article. (Apparently things like jobs don't wait for you to get back from study abroad, so I also had to take care of some paperwork things).
Friday morning was pretty relaxing, since I have no class. I got some work in, then walked to the stadium to meet my ISA group for our trip to the Albufera. The Albufera is both a huge lake and a national park, protected for its importance to migratory birds between Africa and Europe. I was imagining more of a park than a lake, but the lake pretty much is the park, so you don't really walk much. We took a ride in some flat-bottomed boats and saw lots of herons and other birds. It was gorgeous out and it was nice just to be on the water, and also see everyone I hadn't seen in ages, thanks to two weeks of spring break. It was a little weird seeing them all too though, since everyone is already preoccupied with going home and taking care of last-minute things here, saying goodbye to people and places, cramming some last late-nights in before going home.
That night was fairly boring; Dotty and I planned to go find some dancing but I wasn't up to it so we decided to pass on that, so I stayed in, worked, chatted with some friends back home, and read. Saturday morning I worked some more (I really haven't been working as much as it sounds, I only ever did about an hour at a time, and at a fairly lazy pace at that). I cooked Mexican tacos with Alba, which were perhaps the most delicious things I've ever consumed. I am very excited about cooking them on my own when I get back home. I don't remember the afternoon really, which is good because it was fairly dull. I know at some point to left the house to recharge my phone, but didn't go running since it was cold and gross outside. Dotty and I tried to make up our dancing-date, but unfortunately Saturday night she wasn't up for it, and Ken was still hungover from the night before and not up for a night out.
I went to bed not too late, which was actually fortunate because Sunday morning I got up fairly early and got a lot done. I worked a little, then went out to the center of down, did some more gift-shopping, then caught the bus to the beach. I had my picnic lunch there and napped and read and enjoyed the sun and the sound of the waves. I joined Dotty for a last-minute revision of our ten-page paper and presentation. We decided to celebrate the termination of our project with frozen yogurt (which here actually IS yogurt, not ice cream) and mojitos at Dotty's favorite bar (which is perhaps now MY favorite bar as well, with an Irish bartender with an adorable accent and an Italian bartender who looks exactly like Johnny Depp, but with a more attractive accent and younger). We hung out and talked, and Johnny Depp bartender bought us keychains from a guy coming in to sell things, which was cute. I had to get home for dinner eventually, so we left, and I caught the bus home, where I ate and then read, and then slept.
Monday we turned in our papers and listened to lots of presentations in class. I walked home with Dotty, stopping at the futbol store for her to get a gift. I had lunch at home, then helped Alba cook Arroz al Horno. Now that I only have two weeks left I'm catching up on all the recipes I wanted to learn before leaving. I also learned Alba used to go to cooking school for five years back in Columbia, which explains how she knows things about cooking, and makes so many delicious foods. I did more homework things that afternoon, or tried, but ended up napping instead for a good hour and a half. I met up with Alex again and we walked up to the train station and back. It's interesting getting to know other peoples opinions from such different backgrounds and lives (he's from Africa, and has been living in Spain for some 8 years or so). Anyway, I came home, chilled, had some dinner, and went to the locutorio for a little before going to bed.
Today, Tuesday, I had class, did my presentation (the one all that work supposedly was on) which went alright, and we finally finished talking about Don Quixote in my literature class. Not that I don't like Don Quixote, but Cervantes was a little long-winded. Afterwards I had lunch at home, did my homework, (it's so easy to be a good student when it takes about an hour a day or less, and you only have twelve hours of class a week), then talked with Max for a while. I came back home to cook Spaghetti a la Carbonara with Alba, which is also surprisingly easy and delicious. It was past 6 by the time we finished, and I got some studying done, and finally some writing.
So my last week wasn't all full of adventures, but still pretty nice to chill in Spain. I have yet to revisit and say goodbye to all my favorite places in Spain, and go back to my favorite bar at least once, and go salsa dancing (I know it's not a Spanish dance, but still fun). Oh! And one last visit to the park for some bouldering, and hopefully seeing my climbing friends there. I can't believe I'm leaving so soon, or how the time still manages to go really slowly and quickly at the same time.
Hasta luego!

Last Days of Vacation...

I left you on Tuesday night. So lets see, Wednesday wasn't very eventful. I went to the beach in the morning and read after a breakfast of hot chocolate and croissants. It hasn't actually been warm enough to sunbathe, but the beach is nice nonetheless, watching the waves and the surfers. Actually, I'm tempted to pick up the sport; it doesn't look too hard, and it certainly seems like fun.
I rode into town with my aunt and uncle and mom, since my mom and aunt wanted to shop and Stephen and I were going to find some internet to do e-mail things. We did find some internet, and hung out for a few minutes, and not too long later walked back home. It was only about a half hour between the town and our little campsite, and it was gorgeous and sunny outside, which was nice.
We had lunch around 1, and soon after decided to take a trip to see some nearby caves. We all drove in Stephen's, my uncle's, car, along the windy roads until I was just about ready to puke out the window, and then we were there. The Grottes de Sare (Caves of Sare), are magnificent huge caves deep into the mountainside under the Pyrenees. We took a tour, and it reminded me of Lurray Caverns, except with no stalagmites or stalactites. The water runs too quickly to leave large calcium deposits; the water still runs and the rock is worn in fascinating shapes. Early cavemen lived here as proven by remains found, which is pretty neat. There are seashells embedded in the rock, or at least fossilized shells, from when this area was underwater some 30 million years ago, give or take. Bats still live in the caves, and we could see their little furry bodies all wrapped up like cocoons hanging from the roofs of the cave.
After the tour we drove into town to do some shopping, in the case of my aunt, my mom, and I, and for a beer at the bar in the case of my dad and uncle. I got some gift shopping done, which was nice, and my mom got me a cute top/dress thing and some leggings. We joined my dad and uncle at the bar for a drink then headed back home for dinner. We cooked dinner in our little cabin and all ate together, as we have every night here. We went out to the beach afterwards to catch the sunset. There are benches above the beach and you can watch the waves and the surfers and put your feet up on the little stone ledge.
Thursday, our last full day, we hung around the campsite and beach. I read a lot, got some sun, at least on my face, and watched the surfers. We had a picnic lunch on the beach, and my uncle went for a bike ride since it was nice weather. I walked along the beach for quite some time, listening to music and then to the waves, and picking up rocks and then dropping them again. It was very nice.
Dinner was good, and was again followed by one last relaxing evening watching the beach and the ever-persistent surfers. Tomorrow we're leaving early (around 7:30 or so) so I spent some time packing this afternoon, as did my parents. It's only 9:45 now but I'm exhausted, probably from not doing anything today. Goodnight!

Friday morning we woke up super early (around 6:30 or so) to shower and take the sheets off our beds to give back to my aunt and uncle, who had kindly brought them for us. Since they were driving all the way to the north of France that day, they were leaving early around 7. We ended up leaving around 8 or so since we had already packed up, and we had a fair amount of driving to do the next couple of days.
We arrived in Pau, a French town just north of the Pyrenees about an hour from the Atlantic coast, around 9:30. My aunt used to live here for six months or so, and almost bought a house here, so my mom really wanted to see it, as did I. We walked around a little in the rain and saw the Pyrenees and found a castle. We took the tour of the castle, which proved to be pretty fascinating. It's the castle where Henry IV was born, one of the better French kings, as far as they go. Apparently he was the last king to be a proper soldier and fight with his soldiers, and made it his mission to make sure everyone in his kingdom had meat to eat once a week. Perhaps he cared about his subjects? Anyway, I think he's more famous for having only taken one bath his entire life, which he only took in order to consummate his first marriage, since his wife refused to sleep with him if he didn't clean himself first. He was sadly assassinated, supposedly at the order of his last wife, who wasn't the same as his first, which is kind of a shame. The castle itself had some pretty great treasures, including a wooden table 18 meters long, a giant turtle shell where little King Henry IV was first deposited at his birth, and more tapestries than you can shake a stick at.
After the castle tour and some sandwiches, we continued on our way; next stop Carcassonne. Carcassonne is another town not unlike Pau, but further down the Pyrenees close to the Mediterranean coast. We arrived and parked, and confusedly searched for the tourist office for some time, and more importantly, the castle. One would think a castle wouldn't be hard to find, especially since we'd already found the walls, and were inside them. Well, go figure, there are actually two towns surrounded by medieval walls in the area, and once we found a map, realized we were some fifteen minutes from the actual castle we were looking for, and we set off.
The REAL Carcassonne castle might be the epitome of all castles everywhere. It is the only medieval city to have the entire wall surrounding the town intact, as well as the castle still standing in excellent condition. We arrived late and didn't get a guided tour and instead walked around, so I know nothing of the history of Carcassonne. I do know the book Labyrinth partially takes place there, if you're into reading. The castle itself is pretty fantastic, with lots of turrets, walls, arrow slots or whatever those skinny windows are called, portcullises, and more. Since one wall was apparently not enough they actually built a second one, so part of the city has a double defense, not counting at all the fact that the whole thing was built up on a hill.
Though I didn't learn very much history of the castle, we did learn why we had trouble finding it. Apparently when some faction (perhaps the Moors, but I don't remember) were kicked out of the fort and it was conquered, they were peeved and stubborn enough to build a neighboring city about 200 meters away from which they could launch more attacks. There, they built another wall from which to defend their position, the wall we originally and mistakenly believed surrounded the castle and its town. Talk about a feud.
Anyway, we found a hotel and stayed the night in Carcassonne, but only after meandering along the medieval town's streets (no cars allowed), and peering into yet another cathedral, not unlike the last fifteen or eighteen I've seen. We went out to dinner and then to bed, and woke the next morning in time to visit several markets. We got some lunch materials and also some gift types, then after breakfast headed off again. It was Saturday, and we needed to make it to Barcelona by that night.
We drove first south, and soon hit the Mediterranean coast, which is both gorgeous and markedly different from the Atlantic coast. Rather than being green and forested, it is mostly scrubland, though with still imposing mountains. There are lots of palms, the water is much bluer, if possible, and the coast is rocky and cliffy rather than too beachy. We followed a windy road along the coast, since the coastline, unlike in many places, is not a straight line but a rather cliff and cove-ridden place. The Pyrenees meet the Mediterranean with a vengeance, and with no room to maneuver.
We passed a myriad of adorable small towns, first in France, then in Spain when we crossed the border. We stopped along the road for a picnic lunch on a bench overlooking the water and one of the towns with yet another castle. We didn't visit, but enjoyed the view, and tried to finish our groceries leftover from the week, since otherwise they would have to be thrown out. I dipped my toes in the water after clambering down the hill and rocks to the sea, but the water is still too frigid to swim in, at least for me.
Soon after crossing into Spain we found yet another monastery, which we decided to visit, I think to my mother's chagrin. She was driving, and the road up to the monastery was not the kindest (cliff down on one side, cliff up on the other side, and with the occasional speeding cyclist coming down the other direction). We made it up eventually and I tried unsuccessfully to cure mom of her fear of heights. I guess walking on top of the stone barrier over the cliff edge is not the best cure.
The monastery was partly in ruins, since it had been plundered in the 20th century sometime, but was still neat. It has apparently been around since at least the 10th century (over a thousand years ago), which is also pretty cool. There are no more monks, but there is a pretty nice tour and the most amazing view of the Mediterranean, pretty rocks, cliffs, and mountains all around.
We set off again and eventually hit a motorway, which made our way a little easier. We had already booked a hotel near the airport in Barcelona, and we managed to not get lost at all on the way there. We settled in, repacked everything, toured the Corte Ingles nearby and had a quick dinner before getting back to bed. I was very sad to be leaving my parents, and wanted to get on the plane back with them to the US when they left, but I only have two months left in Europe, and only three weeks more of class. Not even really, thanks to random holidays and early exams.
My TO DO list for my last two weeks in Valencia: Learn how to cook Tortilla Española and Arroz al Horno from my host mom, get some last minute gifts (OH MY GOODNESS SOME OF YOU ARE SO HARD TO SHOP FOR), spend a night on the beach, or at least several days, climb a mountain, swim in the Mediterranean, and say goodbye to all my favorite places in the city (the cathedral, the Torres de Serrano, the rio/park). Anything I'm forgetting?
Up next: Last Weeks in Valencia, then, Adventures With Family in France and England.
PS: You guys need to learn how to comment on these friggin blogs. It's not that hard guys. Have I been forgotten in Spain?!

Travel Adventures 1

It's been a while since I've written, so I'll try to fill you in as best as possible. After my weekend with Anna, I had a fairly productive week: I worked on my paper for my culture class, I went climbing, I got my climbing shoes repaired, and organized summer travel plans with Anna and Sarah. Besides that, I went to class, ate, slept, and finished The Three Musketeers (which I highly recommend).
Friday morning I picked my parents up at the airport, and only panicked a little as they were the last ones off the plane. It was great to see them though, and I was excited for a couple of weeks of traveling and relaxing and seeing more of Spain! I settled them in their hostel, and we spent the afternoon getting lunch and then walking around Valencia. I had dinner with my dad later, then went to bed.
Saturday we visited the market, La Lonja, the park, and saw the Torres de Serrano. I made Paella with my host mom for my parents and we all ate together at my host family's place, and I was busy translating and explaining things. That afternoon we visited the Ceramic Museum/Palace and the Roman ruins museum, then went to a local wine tasting in the park before walking home.
Sunday we climbed the Torres de Quart, went to the Archeological museum, had a picnic lunch by the Cathedral, then went to the beach for a nap. We walked through the port, saw a little exposition on the America's Cup (at the end of which we still didn't know who won), then got lost walking back by the CAC. We made it back eventually, and went out for tapas later.
Monday, our last day in Valencia, we went to pick up our rental car at the airport, got lunch, visited the Cathedral, and perhaps did some shopping and packing. Tuesday it rained, which was fine since we spent a lot of time driving. We drove up to Tarragona, which is about two and a half hours away, and stopped at Peñiscola on the way. There we visited a big castle/fortress right on the sea, which was pretty cool, although the rain was a little depressing. In Tarragona (a town on the Mediterranean about 2/3 of the way from Valencia to Barcelona) we hung around the hotel since it was cold and getting late.
Wednesday we visited the old Roman Forum, or what remains of it, as well as the amphitheater, the Archeological museum, and Palace of Tarragona. We had a picnic lunch by the aqueduct, then drove to Poblet, a monastery about 30 km away. The monastery was pretty fantastic, an amazing and huge building that is actually still a monastery. We bought some wine made by the monks after the tour, then on our way back to Tarragona for the night, stopped in Montblanc. That town also had a fortress wall so we walked along that and the little cobblestone roads.
Thursday we left Tarragona, only to find the engine light on in the car, and worried, drove back and asked about it. Luckily it was only a reminder to service the car, which pops up automatically every so many miles, so we set off again, heading inland north west parallel to the Pyrenees. We stopped in a small town called Alcázar, which was fantastic. It was sunny and hot again, and the countryside we drove through was gorgeous. Alcázar stood on a hill and had a fantastic fortress/church thing on the top, which was beautiful. Far below a river ran through a deep gorge, really a canyon, which we walked down to visit a medieval bridge and have a late picnic. The town itself was adorable and there were so many pretty cliffs and rocks I wanted to climb them all. We drove on to Huesca, where we walked around and finally found a hotel. After settling in we went to visit the town's cathedral and have dinner. The town was pretty nice, and there were lots of people around getting ready for Good Friday and Easter celebrations. Huesca used to be the capital of Aragon, the region of Spain we'd been driving through since leaving Catalunya (home to Tarragona and Barcelona).
Friday we had breakfast in the hotel, and it was pouring rain again, which was fine since we had to drive all the way to France, which really isn't all that far. On the way we stopped at the Castillo de Loarre, which was awesome, perhaps my favorite place so far. It was foggy and windy and eerie, and the castle stood on this huge cliff, and was very large. It's actually the best preserved Romanesque castle in Europe, and was built as a fortress in the 11th century as the Christians came down into "Spain" to kick out the Moors. We lost our umbrella there, but I got lots of postcards and sweet views of gorgeous green rolling hills before us and mountains, the beginning foothills of the Pyrenees, behind us.
We continued on our way, and I slept in the car and finished a box of cookies as we made our way up windy roads into the mountains to see the monastery of San Juan de la Peña. The monastery is deep in green forests on a mountainside, carved out underneath a huge alcove. It's not very huge, and very remote, but for some reason all the kings of Aragon wanted to be buried here, so there are some tombs, and some sweet carvings of the life of Jesus, and more great views. We were high enough up that we could see our breath, and the clouds drifted below us like a river in the valleys below. Aragon might be my favorite province of Spain, although I haven't seen very many of them. It's green and mountainous and not too populated, has some fantastic castles, and lots of camping and climbing.
After visiting the monastery we drove some more, and I slept some more, and after driving around Pamplona and San Sebastian we made it to the border and crossed into France for a mere 1.50 euros. Less than 20 km farther we found Saint Jean de Luz, the town near our "campsite" and after getting a little lost in the town, found our place. The reception place had closed an hour earlier, so we stood outside our car in confusion for several minutes, until my aunt and uncle conveniently pulled up. They had a camper nearby and had gotten the key to our place and were on their way to make up our beds and whatnot. We joined them and settled in our little cabin that will be home for the next week, then went back to theirs for dinner, since they had cooked for us.
Saturday, today, we got up and went for a good long walk along the coast (the Atlantic Coast, since we are currently right close to the border of France and Spain on the north westerly side). It wasn't raining, though it was cloudy and chilly for the most part. The seaside is gorgeous though, and the mountains are clearly visible behind. The beaches are sandy and rocky and lie at the bottom of green hills covered in bushes and flowers. We walked to Saint Jean de Luz and looked around for a while, then got lunch. I was surprised to understand everyone around me, since they speak French here, now we're in France, although half the tourists here are from Spain, so I heard a lot of Spanish as well. It's fantastic speaking languages.
After lunch we meandered back, and decided to take a siesta. My parents went out for groceries, I wrote a zillion postcards, and it's now almost six and I should probably work on my paper since I finally have time, but instead I will probably read. It doesn't get dark until 8:30 or 9 at least here, so perhaps I will brave the wind and go explore the beach, although really it's pretty obvious. Since there is no internet here (obviously) I will keep writing each day I guess and then post this back in Valencia, or at the end of the week.

Sunday, Easter, we decided it would be a good idea to go visit a nice hike over a sweet gorge with some swinging bridges, so adventures ensued. It was cold and rainy, so we decided to visit a town nearby first, so we did. We got some hot chocolate and walked around a little, then it stopped raining and we decided to at least do part of the hike. We made it quite a ways into the Pyrenees before the windy roads on the side of the cliff got to my mom's nerves and the snow became deep enough to worry us about getting stuck. We had a mini snowball fight on the mountaintop where we stopped to turn around and check the map, which mostly consisted of my uncle throwing snow at the rest of us.
So we turned around and went back to the village we'd come from, and Easter mass over, managed to see the church, as well as the Citadel, which we'd missed on the way in since none of us knew what a citadel was (apparently, it's kind of like a fortress/castle, but I don't know why it isn't just called a fortress...). We took a walk along a river and had a picnic lunch, then made friends with some horses in a field. We fed them apples and they let us pet them and followed us along the fence.
On the way back towards our campsite place, we stopped in another town, which is supposedly one of the prettiest towns in France. It was pretty cute, and had another nice church, which had two rows of balconies like a theater, which I've never seen in a church before. I got some postcards, and my mom got some duck sausage, and we were on our way. That night back at the cabin I made a paella for everyone, which was a fairly large success, though I'd never tried it with fish, and it needed a little salt. We had easter chocolate for dessert.
Today, Monday, it was gorgeous and sunny out, so my aunt and uncle headed out for a bike ride in the Pyrenees in preparation for this summer (they are biking for one week from one side of the Pyrenees to the other with five or six others). My parents did some laundry and I read on the beach. Around noon we headed up to a hike we'd heard was nice, and climbed a giant mountain. It was gorgeous, but it was also 730 meters of elevation change in a mere two hours, so very steep. The views were amazing, and the mountains were thickly populated with wild horses, most with adorable fuzzy foals and none of which were scared of people in the slightest. The views from the top were stunning, and we realized upon arrival that we must have crossed the French/Spanish border, and were back in Spain, since all the signs were in Spanish. We decided to take the train down since it was getting a little late and our legs were tired, but it felt like cheating.
Tonight we ate at my aunt and uncle's little cabin place, then went out to the beach with a bottle of wine to catch the sunset. It was beautiful, and the sounds of the waves was a perfect soundtrack. Right now I am back in our cabin on my bed with my feet up, and an empty bowl that had hot chocolate in it some minutes ago beside me, and a pile of postcards on the other empty bed to fill in. Bed time in an hour or so... Good night!
Tuesday was the day in Biarritz. My aunt Anne had scheduled a trip to the hairdresser for herself, my mom, and me, so we headed out around 10 or so just after breakfast. Though we had nothing but the address (no map) we found it fairly quickly and were treated like royalty. My mom and I finished before my aunt so we walked around and shopped a little. My dad and uncle joined us for lunch, and we got sandwiches and sat on a bench overlooking the beach and watched the surfers. The waves were much bigger than in St. Jean de Luz, the town by our campsite, which is a little bizarre since it's only 15 km down the coast.
After lunch we walked some more, checking out the beach and the little port and eventually stopped for tea in a nice tea house. My mom decided her next business venture would be to open a tea house back home, since there's bound to be a market and little competition in the States (survey: how many of you would like to see a tea house in DC, and if so, would you go?). My mom got me some sandals, which I badly needed, and we split up, my aunt and uncle to go find biking gear and me to find an internet cafe. I did, and my parents gave me a whole hour before we were to head back to get my tickets and do my mail. I didn't get a chance to post the blog, so sorry guys, that's why it's going to be so long.
We came back, my parents cooked, I read, we all ate way too much, drank a few bottles of wine, shared stories, and now it's just about time for bed. Looking forward to another vacation day tomorrow. Au revoir mes amis!

Spain: Tarragona and the week that preceded it

So last week packed fairly quickly, and was pretty entertaining overall. Monday I had lunch at home, then went climbing in the park, finally met some girl climbers, and exhausted myself. I walked home, and did some things. Tuesday I brought a lunch with me to class and immediately afterwards went to the beach with Ken and Andrew, a flashback to one of my first weeks here, although much warmer. We chilled, and I read for a bit, and we were visually accosted by the following:
-A mostly naked girl (no top, VERY small bathingsuit bottom) doing something kind of like a cross between tai-chi and kick boxing on the beach. Sometimes she dove into the water and then came back out and resumed her half dance/half exercise routine thing. She was very topless.
-A chubby and bearded guy who did something that seemed kind of like Aikido. He repeatedly threw himself on the sand into a roll, which sometimes didn't really work, and sometimes did. He continued in this vein for quite some time.
-A VERY bizarre cross-dressing guy. Andrew's comment was priceless, something along the lines of, "Is that?... That IS a guy. Oh my god." He was wearing a skirt and a shirt, and flat shoes and a straight brown wig, and was probably in his forties or fifties. He just walked along the beach and then off it.
We took the bus back and then I walked the rest of the way home. I think that afternoon I spent some time online trying to organize schedule things, but I'm not positive. Anyway, Wednesday was sort of a repeat of Monday, except after lunch I registered for classes, and got into everything I wanted. I also finally got one professor to agree to let me take a class without the prerequisite, which was nice. After climbing I found out about a place that would repair my shoes, so I went and got that done, and got a replacement pair in the meantime.
Thursday I went back to the park, met up with slack-line guy, who encouraged me to try the bouldering under the other bridge with the sketchy looking handholds. In Spanish they have a different word for this kind of bouldering, called la trecha. Instead of going sideways (traversing) you go upside down essentially, and it's much harder. I, needless to say, did not do very well, and went home kind of early. I think I did some homework, but I'm not positive.
Friday I didn't have class, but I got up early anyway to go to the train station and get tickets for Tarragona that evening. I met up with Dotty afterwards and we went back to her place and worked on our project. I made an outline and got a bunch of information on Spanish music, thanks mostly to wikipedia, then headed back home. I ate some food, packed up, and headed to the train station to head to Tarragona.

I met Anna at the train station in Tarragona around 7:45 pm that evening. The town is about two thirds of the way to Barcelona from Valencia and is right on the coast. It was once a major Roman city, and still boasts parts of the original Roman wall, an aqueduct, the amphitheater, the circus, and lots of sculptures and ruins. Anyway, Anna and I spent the evening walking around and talking and seeing things. It was fairly nice out, and we only had our backpacks, so it was pretty chill. We eventually went back to our hotel to drop our stuff off, then headed back out for dinner.
Cheap and hungry as we were, we decided to get kebaps and gelato, the second part of which we failed at, but made up for the next day. Back at the hotel sometime after 11pm or so, we decided to take advantage of the free wifi and call people back home. So we proceeded to try and call Mike, who didn't answer, and Jon, who did, and didn't realize it was us for a while. We also got ahold of Meaghan and convinced her, Max, and Erica to get on Skype so we could call them.
They didn't really like Skype so we eventually got the ivideo thing to work, but not very well, and had a little three-way chat going with Andrew in London as well. Technology never ceases to amaze me. Soon Max and Meaghan and Erica had to go do fun things, so they left and Andrew called us back on Skype, which worked much better, since we could actually see him. Some time later Anna and I realized we should probably figure out what we were going to do the next day, so we spent some time looking at a map and things.
Sunday we got up not too late, took insanely long and wonderfully hot showers, packed up, dropped our bags off at the front desk, and set out. First stop: archeological museum, or one of them. Well, that was only after we stopped at a patisserie and got delicious chocolate pastries for breakfast, as well as a bag of cookies for later, which we did indeed consume throughout the day. We only got a little lost on the way to the museum, which was pretty small and under reconstruction. It was still kind of cool though, and we got a student discount.
Second stop: the aqueduct. It's a little ways outside the city, but we read in Anna's guidebook that you could take a bus from a particular stop, so we went there. The bus number we were looking for didn't stop there, so we went inside a store to ask, but the lady there didn't know. She did point us in the direction of an information center though, so we walked there next. Unfortunately the information center was locked and closed, and no one was there, so we were decided to go to the bus station next door. The bus station, however, proved equally useless, since the buses were long distance, not city buses, and there were no maps anywhere.
At this point we decided we might as well walk, so we set off, not deterred by the slight drizzle. On the road there, we fortunately passed a kindly old man waiting at a bus stop, and he told us the bus was coming and would take us to the aqueduct. I say fortunately because we realized in the bus ride that our walk would have been fairly unpleasant on the side of a highway with no sidewalk, and pretty darn far.
We took a walk in the woods around the aqueduct, and it was awesome. The aqueduct itself was pretty huge, and perfectly maintained, and we could cross over it in the little trench at the very top the water used to flow through. It had stopped drizzling, which was nice, and we had a good walk on an easy trail through the woods, passing several monuments apparently dedicated to the Day of the Tree. I think this day should be reinstated, unless it is already a day and I just didn't know about it.
Anyway, later we caught the bus back into town, which fortunately dropped us off right in front of the market, which is where we were headed. We got bread, chorizo, strawberries, and kiwis, which has become a custom I am very fond of, and headed back out again to find a place to chill for a bit. We were a little tired, so back in the old part of town, a stop at a cafe was in order.
We found one and proceeded to plan our summer travel on the back of a receipt and a napkin. We both got very excited about where we're visiting, and I even managed to get excited for next year, when I will be back to real work, and applying to places, and whatnot. I think I spent quite some time recommending books to Anna as well (The Alchemist, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance).
Anyway, afterwards we set back out to see the cathedral. IT WAS AWESOME. I have seen my fair of cathedrals, and I guess this one was much like the others, but it had the added benefit of having an absolutely gorgeous and large courtyard with a fountain in the middle, sweet architecture, and a fairly expansive museum with lots of gold things and old things, which we touched.
I think after the museum we decided to hit some more museums after eating lunch. We finally found a dry place to sit, since everything was still damp from the drizzle which periodically punctuated our day, and ate. It was good times. The next two museums were right next to each other and displayed mostly old roman things, like statues, and artifacts, and mosaics, and rocks. We climbed something that was very tall and gave a good view of the city and the Mediterranean. We explored the old circus, where they once had chariot races (and the occasional public execution apparently), and saw lots of pillars and arches.
Afterwards we walked some more to the old Roman wall. On the way we stopped in this tiny little place that was home to a miniature of the Roman city, aqueduct and all. It was really cute, and conveniently located next to the wall we then proceeded to climb. It had some canons, trees, good views, lots of old rock, and a pretty sweet path. We took some peoples' pictures, and they took ours. We exited not really knowing where we were, but managed to walk until we did know.
We stopped by the amphitheater next, but rather than paying to go in, walked around and outside it and above it, getting a pretty good view of the whole thing. By this time it was around 6:30 or so, and I only had a couple of hours before my train back home, so we headed back towards our hotel to pick our bags up. We sat for a minute there then went to the train station to sit and wait, since we were exhausted and seen just about everything we could.
We ate our kiwis using Isaac's knife, which was still in my backpack, and they incidentally didn't confiscate (I was grateful for that, since I'd forgotten it was in my bag), and then said goodbye as my train pulled up. The train ride was pretty quick. They played Nim's Island in Spanish on the TV, which was actually an excellent film and I understood the whole thing even in Spanish. It helped having the subtitles as well in Spanish.
Anyway, today, Sunday, has passed fairly uneventfully. I spent the morning working on my project, and discovering that writing in Spanish is not that hard, so long as you don't care about silly things like grammar, or spelling. I abandoned my plan to go running since it's gross and cold outside, and rainy, and instead read a lot of my book, had like four meals already, and skyped home. I have only about a half hour until dinner, then I can kill some more time online, then bed, and another week starts tomorrow.

Thanks Anna for an awesome weekend in Tarragona, and for making me super excited about summer travel, and working at NIH, and other things! :)

Spain I've Lost Count

Well it's certainly been a long time since I've updated, and I can't quite remember where I left you last. I spent the week after London preparing for Alicante and Mallorca. I guess I should start at the beginning...

Alicante:
I left for Alicante with Dotty by train on Thursday afternoon almost immediately after class. I had time to come home and pick up my backpacker's bag, sleeping bag strapped underneath, and the packed lunch my host mom left out for me, before rushing to get a taxi to the train station and almost missing the train. We arrived in Alicante with several hours of daylight left. We found a map at a hotel and made our way to our hostel. The owner was apparently out for a while, so we sat down in a cafe for a while deciding what we wanted to see in Alicante the next day. That evening, after depositing our bags, we headed out for a walk and then tapas. We saw some pretty sweet buildings, the plaza de torros, and the Torro Museum, which had altogether too many bulls' heads for me to really appreciate the sport. We walked along the big streets of Alicante and did some shopping, mostly window shopping, until we found the tapas bar that my guidebook had recommended. We had delicious sangria and the best meat I've ever had as tapas.
Friday we got up and I showered, then we set out once again. We walked the streets towards the beach through the old, pretty part of town. At the market, which was pretty but not nearly as impressive as Valencia's, we got bread, chorizo, cheese, and fruit for lunch. We passed the cathedral, some old (I assume Roman) ruins, before reaching the coast. It was warm enough that plenty of people were out sunbathing on the beach and a few were even braving the chilly waters. We continued onwards to the tunnel under the mountain that took us to an elevator leading all the way up to the castle on the top. It was several hundred feet up and the view was amazing. We could see all of Alicante, the sea, and the surrounding mountains from the castle, which was also huge. We took lots of pictures and enjoyed the warm sunlight. After killing some time there we headed back down to the beach for a picnic and a nap. In my case I spent the time writing an article for the UMBC Retriever, since I'd forgotten to send the one I'd written earlier that week when I was in Valencia, and had no way of retrieving it. It actually proved perfect since I had an article ready when I got back to Valencia the next week, when I was too busy to write anything.
After a couple hours worth of sunburn on my shoulders and face and a delicious picnic, we headed up to the archeological museum. It wasn't a really long walk, but it was uphill and it was fairly warm out, so I was very grateful when we arrived. The museum didn't seem that big but was actually very expansive inside. Mostly there were archeological remains found in and around the mountains in Alicante, like pots and arrowheads and tools and bones and whatnot. It was fairly interesting and I read a lot about the early peoples of Spain, then the first civilizations. I didn't catch all of it since it was all in Castellano, but oh well.
Anyway we left there when the sun was beginning to set, and on our way back down to the beach area stopped at the big shopping center nearby. I made my first self purchases since my boots there (a shirt and flats on sale at H&M and two pairs of 1 euro sunglasses at Claires). Dotty and I had fun shopping, it was actually the first time I'd done so since Barcelona. Anyway afterwards we made our way back to our hostel, stopping to get some food and cider in a convenience store. The cider was remarkably good for only two euros the bottle, and we drank and ate back in our hostel while watching Pasapalabra on TV. We went to bed early since I had to get up at four to get my flight to Mallorca. Since Dotty unfortunately had no alarm of her own, she, too, was waking up at four and would stay awake until her train left at 8 or so.

Malloca:
Saturday was by far the most exquisitely painful and frustrating and long day I've ever lived through. It started very early, around 4 in the morning, since I had a flight at 6, and needed to catch a taxi to the airport a half hour away. I arrived well, and was only slightly frustrated at having to pay an extra twenty euros to check my bag (apparently I didn't check that box when I bought my ticket online?). Anyway, the flight was only about forty minutes or less, which I slept through, and by 7 I was in Palma. I found the bus insanely quickly, and my hostel even faster, which happened to be about fifteen yards from the bus stop. By this time it was almost 8 am, and I had a good ten hours to wait before Max and Isaac would arrive. I think I checked my watch at least several times an hour counting down until I could finally catch the bus to the airport and go pick them up.
Anyway, I tried to nap that morning, but I failed, so I read instead until around 9:15, when I knew the Tourist Information place would be open. They were unfortunately not very friendly there (surprisingly enough), but I did get two lists of buses in and around Palma, which proved to be less than ideal but sufficient for our purposes later on. I also got a map of Palma in order to not get too lost. Anyway, it was then around 9:30 or so, and I had many hours to kill, so I walked down the busiest looking street, pretty much aimlessly wandering. I found a bookstore and managed to kill a good half hour there browsing. I walked into a couple of clothing stores, but shopping is frustrating when you have no money and also don't really care about buying anything. I made my way down the street and marked a gelato place, a kebap place, and a cheap locutorio for later.
Eventually I made it down to the cathedral. I paid the four euro to go in, although in retrospect it was maybe not worth it. I sat down for a little while and watched all the tourists pouring in and out. Palma I think is solely inhabited by tourists, although I guess there are some people who much live there as well to run the stores where the tourists all go. The cathedral was certainly beautiful and huge, but more impressive from the outside. It was hot and gorgeous outside, and I was very grateful for the sunglasses I'd bought in Alicante. I saw a man playing alto sax outside for money, and thought of Max. Well, I'd pretty much been thinking about him and Isaac all week anyway, but now they wouldn't leave my mind. I realized very quickly traveling alone is not my thing, although I found an outdoor exposition of photographs that was amazing, and I definitely enjoyed that. I walked around to the Arab baths and a cute park where I sat down in the sun and relaxed for a while. I found a free museum and hung out there for a while. Max called there from the airport in Madrid, saying he'd arrived fine and he would see me in a few hours. That definitely cheered me up.
Later I went back to the hostel to try and take another nap, which also didn't work, but my mom did call. We talked for probably close to an hour, or a little longer, and then I went to the grocery store to get some bread, chorizo, cheese, and fruit, thinking Max and Isaac might be hungry when they arrived. I'd eaten nothing all day but could not even contemplate food, so wasn't tempted. I dropped the food off at my room and went to the locutorio then to do some facebook/e-mail things. I talked to my mom again on Skype, which was nice, and took care of some other things. Eventually it was 5:25 and I could go to the bus stop to get back to the airport. I arrived there just before 6, and luckily all the flights from Madrid had already landed ten minutes early, and the gate was open. I stood waiting, impatient, tears in my eyes as hard as I tried not to cry.
They finally came through, and I saw Max for the first time in two months, though it felt like an eternity. I hugged him for another eternity, and cried only a little on his sweater, and repeated with Isaac. I couldn't stop smiling, a feeling which didn't really fade at all for the week they were here. Anyway we finally managed to get ourselves together and get the bus back to the hostel. I told them the mixed news that we would probably not be able to camp, since camping is apparently not allowed anywhere on Mallorca except in the two designated campsites, neither of which were close or easily accessible. This did not bother me at all though, since I was just happy to be with them, and together nothing could really go wrong. Neither Isaac nor Max had really slept a ton recently (Max was somewhere on his 50th hour or so without any at all, give or take an hour or two in the plane), but I was determined to keep them up until at least 9 or 10 so they could get a full night's sleep.
In the meantime, Isaac ate the food I bought, we went to the grocery store to get breakfast and lunch for the following day, and walked around town a little. I made Max call his mom and tell her he'd arrived safely, and later we went down to the cafe below the hostel. We ate dinner and soon after retired to our respective rooms.

Sunday we slept in and it was beautiful. I woke up happier than I can remember, and did not feel the urge to get out of bed but rather lay there for a while. I got up and showered first, then Max, and we woke Isaac up sometime after that. We realized around 10:25 that the last bus until 1pm was leaving for Valldemossa at 10:30, so we hastily packed a bag with water and our picnic lunch and headed out, sprinting to the bus station next to the hostel. What a perfect location, really. Anyway we found a long line of people getting on and off the bus, which was already full, and realized they were getting tickets for the next bus, which was apparently on its way and would arrive some ten minutes later. So much for my schedule... We did the same and sat down to wait. I was super thrilled about a day of hiking, especially since it was warm enough out for shorts and a T-shirt, but more so because I was with Max and Isaac and out of a city and we could do whatever we wanted.
The bus to Valldemossa was only about a half hour's ride and less than two euros each, another blessing. We arrived and sadly realized that the tourist info place there was closed since it was Sunday, so we spent a little while wandering the shops and open market until I found a map and a kindly old store owner who gave me excellent directions to a good hike around the mountains above Valldemossa. We set off then and in no time found the proper trail, meandering its way through rock and dirt up and around the mountainside. We encountered several others on the trail on the way and thus figured out exactly where we were and where we wanted to go, since there were several forks in the path. I spoke Spanish with the Spanish tourists or English with all the rest. Those of you who think English is not the global language, think again, because between any and all people from Switzerland, Germany, and other middle European countries we communicated in English.
We ate lunch on some big rocks in the sun on the mountainside which yielded an impressive view of the valley below where Valldemossa was quaintly nestled. We saw good cliffs for climbing everywhere, but none of them seemed bolted, populated, or easily accessible, so we still had no idea where we would get our climbing in the next couple of days. In the meantime though, we were having an excellent hike. At the top of the mountain we got to see the other direction, North to the sea and along the coast eastwards to Deia and much further, Soller. The path followed the ridge for quite some time and we found a fork, the right path of which would take us back to Valldemossa and the left of which would take us to Deia. Since we'd just been in Valldemossa we decided to go left and set off down the rocky brush land, the path marked with cairns.
Lost in conversation and wandering through lots of rocks that could or could not have been a path, we ended up way off our actual route half following a man we saw descending. He later came to us and asked where the path was, and we realized he also obviously did not know, so we spent a good forty five minutes searching around the cliffs before we found it much higher up and over to the left. We set off back down the mountain, a little short on water by now, but still with several hours of daylight left, with the (I think German) guy in tow. I told Max and Isaac of life in Valencia, and they told me of classes and things back home, and I told them more about Spanish and things I've learned from studying abroad, and things I've realized.
Deia proved to be a fairly adorable little town, and after stopping at a cafe and sitting outside to have cold orange fantas, we found the bus stop. We had about forty five minutes or so until the next bus back to Palma so we looked around the town in the meantime. We found a large population of cats, which Max dutifully photographed, a cute silent church, a very aesthetically pleasing cemetery, and a hostel that was slightly too expensive for it to be worthwhile to come back here the next day. We were all a little sorry about not having a guidebook for climbing, and not having planned a little better, since we all kind of wanted to camp. I actually was probably the least concerned, since I was very excited just to be with Max and Isaac, and also didn't mind spending the little extra on staying in a hostel and having hot showers every morning.
The bus back to Palma was a little longer than the way in, passing through Valldemossa, and was unfortunately populated with very loud and perhaps drunken Germans, and really, German is one of my least favorite languages to listen to (sorry Jon and Sarah). I was only slightly worried about not having paid for that night at the hostel, since we were supposed to have done that before 2 pm, and we discussed what the chances were of them throwing all our stuff out and letting out our rooms to someone else. We got back probably around 7:30 or so, and realized that we were not only not kicked out, but we also had all our bags, and the guy at the desk cared not at all. W also realized we had some planning and things to do the next day if we wanted to find either camping or climbing. The grocery store was also closed, so I introduced Max and Isaac to kebaps and gelato, which then became our Mallorca evening routine. After trying and failing to find a bookstore that might have a guidebook, we walked to the park behind the hostel and played on the playground there for a while, since it was entirely deserted and somehow we had some energy left. We went back to the hostel and to bed sometime around 11, and got another good night's sleep.

Monday was another beautifully warm day, and I was excited about getting to wear shorts for the second day in a row, and actually the second day since my arrival in Spain. We went to the grocery store to get that day's worth of bread, cheese, chocolate croissants for breakfast (two each this time, though I saved my second for later), and sausage. Next we stopped at an internet cafe where we looked up and found the best spot for climbing close to Palma and the bus route we needed to get there. We had a little over a half hour to kill until the next bus, so we went back to the hostel, packed our picnic bag and climbing bag and took naps.
We set off not too long later, and arrived in Palmanyola with absolutely no clue where the climbing was or how to get there. We walked in the general direction of the mountain for a little while, realized we were in a residential area and were not headed the direction we wanted, and ambled back to the town center, which is to say one tiny street with a post office and tobacco store. I went into the post office to inquire about a map, which they didn't have. There was a man there, however, who was either a climber or knew climbers, who knew exactly how to get to the climbing area, and drew me a little map. The only unfortunate thing was that we were some four kilometers away, so we decided we might as well get going immediately.
We barely got lost at all on the way, and discovered a truly amazing rocky path that seemed like a dried stream bed that would take us all the way to the beautiful tall rocky gorge. We stopped on the way for lunch, since it was already close to two o'clock. We finally arrived and Max and Isaac immediately decided we had to do the pitch up to the cave in the side of the cliff. While we settled our stuff down, Isaac also clambered around and found an excellent shelter with an old campfire where we decided we would spend the following night. I had my doubts, but it seemed like it had been used fairly recently and there were plenty of climbers about, so no problem there.
We managed to get one and a half pitches in before we had to head back. Max practiced some down-climbing and I realized I haven't forgotten how to climb in the two months I've been out of practice, which is a good thing. We also realized we really needed more quick draws, so we headed back to Palma with the intention of packing up and camping one night, finding a climbing store, and getting enough supplies for two days. We luckily found another bus stop much closer than that in Pamanyola, and only waited about twenty minutes until it arrived.
That night we had another set of kepabs and gelato, but only after going to the locutorio and finding out where we could find a climbing store. It was within ten minutes walk, although it took is a little over half an hour to find it, getting lost only a little bit. It was closed, unfortunately, but opened at 10 the next morning, so we decided to return after our grocery shopping and again make sure to catch the 11 o'clock bus to Bunyola, the proper stop for climbers going where we were headed. We packed up that night and informed the hostel we would be returning not the following night but wednesday, and they kindly let us store one bag in a locked closet until we got back.

I passed another good night's sleep, but this time woke to my alarm at 8:30 to get up and shower. We set off a little after nine that day (Tuesday) to get the groceries, then went back to the hostel to drop them off before going to find the climbing store. We found it alright and got enough quickdraws for sport climbing. Max and Isaac promised to remember the store's locale for their next trip to Mallorca, thanks in part to the myriad guidebooks they had, which apparently proved very difficult to find online and very expensive, which explains why we didn't already have one.
Anyway for some reason we decided to split up, since Max and I were going to stop by EMS to check for his coat in the lost and found (which he had misplaced in the bus on the way back from the airport Saturday night), and Isaac was going to head back to the hostel to pack up. We ended up arriving before he did, since he managed to get a little lost, and we waited with the bags only slightly worried, then finally walked out to search for him. We found him just close to the hostel, having gotten himself back alright, and finally got our bags together and set off after checking out of the hostel.
The bus to Bunyola was significantly less populated than that to Valldemossa, but we still had to put our large backpackers bags in the storage part underneath. Some hour or more later we found ourselves again at the foot of the cliffs. We deposited our things at our campsite like place and laid out the tent as a tarp to sleep on, since the overhang protected us in the unlikely chance of rain. We ate at some point, I'm not sure when or where, then found a likely place to climb.
I think we started on a slightly too difficult climb that Max and Isaac soon gave up on, again working on their down-climbing abilities, and we decided to do one I'd found. Isaac started leading, made it up to the first belay station, which was barely a ledge, and then I followed. Max came up next and Isaac belayed while I watched and tried not to think of the two slings that held me to the mountainside breaking. Max got up to our ledge and after getting all the quick draws from Isaac led the second pitch, which I think was the hardest, although I'm not sure. I followed after Max had set up at the next belay station, which was (oh what fun!) a hanging belay! I hung out up there, literally, with Max as Isaac cleaned (followed taking up the quick draws with him) until all three were hanging. It was starting to get very chilly by this point but we decided we should certainly press on, so we did.
Isaac led the third pitch, and again I followed. It was much easier than the first two, but even still at the top of that pitch we were quite some ways from the top of the ridge. Max cleaned while Isaac and I hung, him belaying, me freezing and really needing to go pee. I've never wanted to be a boy so badly, although it probably wouldn't have helped that much, since we were at a hanging belay station and that still would have been awkward. When Max got up we realized it was getting too dark to do the next pitch, which looked a little sketchy anyway, so we rappelled down in three stages. Max collected my sunglasses from a tree they'd fallen into and almost missed the first belay station, but I was finally on the ground and could go pee.
By the time we had packed up the climbing gear, gotten back to our makeshift campsite, set up our sleeping bags, and eaten the trail mix, fruit, bread, and cheese we rationed for that night, it was dark. I changed in my sleeping bag and fell asleep fairly quickly, certainly before Isaac, but after Max. I was happy I was cuddled between them because we were all woken in the night by the sound of some very creepy ass birds and something that was definitely much larger. From the droppings all around our little shelter and the fact that it was covered in hay, we assumed it might be a spot for some goat herder to leave his goats for the night, and we slept slightly uneasily thinking that we would be woken any second by either a goat, an unhappy goat herder, a chupacabra, or very early morning climbers. Max and Isaac didn't help with their talk of scary movies and how this was exactly how a typical horror film would start, and which of us was most likely to die first if it were.
All in all, I probably slept much better than either Max or Isaac, Max since I kept apparently pushing him into the rock and he would wake up and bang his head on it, and Isaac because of the very creepy birds and his fear of goats (that second I just made up, but you wouldn't know it from the way the two of them went on about them). I only woke once or twice, and slept much longer than usual, from dark until sunrise (give or take from 9-7:30).

By ten AM or so (Wednesday) we were at the foot of the original climb we'd done below the cave in the cliff, determined this time to get past just the first pitch, since we had the whole day ahead of us. We would have arrived at the pitch much earlier, except first Max decided to take a "shortcut" which was not at all a path, which he later had to down climb. Isaac resumed his pack and decided to take a different "shortcut" and eventually made it up to where we had settled down some twenty minutes before. This was followed with announcements of having to go to the bathroom, so it was another little while before we actually got started, since secluded spots at the cliff bottom are slightly hard to come by (especially with suitable rocks for, you know, using as toilet paper, according to Max).
Anyway, we did get past the first pitch that day, though the second proved harder than High Exposure back in the Gunks and for me, close to as terrifying. For some reason my fear of heights kicked in that day, and hanging out with Max at the first belay ledge, which was just barely that, was more terrifying than usual. I also was unpleasantly warm in the sun and could actually feel my legs and arms burning, although later I realized I didn't get too red at all except on my face.
Anyway after Max led the first pitch and Isaac and I had followed, Isaac went ahead to the second. It proved about a 5.9 in terms of difficulty, and a 5.bazillion in terms of terror. Isaac did spectacularly though and I got some excellent photos in the meantime (check them out on facebook). I especially liked when he heel-hooked and then bellyflopped onto the second ledge, which was actually inside the cave, and I could see only his ankles and feet sticking off the side. I followed with great difficulty, at one point wrapping all four limbs determinedly around a hanging pillar and frantically calling up to Isaac, "TAKE TAKE TAKE!" He took, and all was well as I slowly followed up the climb, partially cheating and resting a great deal. One of these days I should really do that thing where I get in shape.
Max had the hard task of following. This was only problematic because at the hardest part of the climb he couldn't fall because he would swing away from the rock and be left hanging with no way to get back on the rock and a very difficult time getting lowered to the last belay station, which wasn't directly below us. I unfortunately could not get any pictures of his climb up but rather coiled the spare rope and gazed about the cave. I was in the shade there and realized that I now missed the sun, being rather chilly without it.
Max made it up considerably faster than I had and after a quick rest continued up the next pitch, which required him to use both sides of the cave and the crack it turned into at it's peak. Unfortunately the climb became much more difficult up past the cave where all the handholds decided not to exist anymore, so Max had to (even more terrifying) down climb back to our belay ledge. He tried to get Isaac to take over for him, but it was almost 2pm by now and we were starving, so we decided to rappel back down for lunch. We found some other climbers and eventually asked to see their guide in order to see what we'd just climbed. It was a 6c+, which in the european grading scale means DIFFICULT AS ALL HELL, at least the top pitch. I think the bottom one was slightly easier.
Anyway we had a nice lunch in the sun, and we devoured almost all the remains of our food, since we were going back to Palma that night and didn't need to keep any of it. We still had some hours of daylight before we had to head back, so we went to the other side of the valley as yet unexplored and Isaac found a climb he was willing to attempt. I was totally done for the day so I belayed first him, then Max up to retrieve his quick draws when the climb proved much more difficult that it appeared. I was very impressed they both made it as far as they did, and I was glad I had not attempted it. It was cold-ish again in the shade, since the sun was setting over the ridge behind us, and around 5:15 we packed up. We retrieved all our stuff from our campsite, took a last couple of photos, and headed back down the trail, our bags considerably lighter without the water and food.
We again waited about twenty minutes for the bus, and got back to our hostel hungry and exhausted and content. We again got kepabs and gelato, then unpacked and repacked everything into the appropriate bags. I made sure the bus for the airport would leave as early as 5:30, and we set our alarms, reluctantly, for 4:50. I took a shower that night in order to sleep in a little more the next morning, but the alarm still went off too early.

Thursday morning passed in a vague blur. We caught the bus to the airport, checked our bags, made our way to the gate, waited for some ten minutes or so before boarding, then settled in our seats. I realized it was the first time I was taking a place with people I knew (not counting Leigh and Megan, other ISA girls I barely know, on our way to Morocco) in as long as I can remember. My last flights have been alone, at least since high school. I think we all slept some in the plane and arrived in Valencia around 7am. We caught the metro into the center of the city and walked back to my place from there, since Isaac and Max were staying with me.
The streets were dirty and there were Fallas on every other corner. We passed a marching band walking up and down the streets and many people throwing petardos, or firecrackers, everywhere. I was a little sad about the dirtiness since Valencia is usually a very clean city and I didn't want Max and Isaac to have a bad impression. I was also excited that it was Fallas though, and was eager to see what the fuss was all about for the giant festival, which was culminating that day.
Back at my place no one was home so we threw our bags down and took naps. I got up before Max and Isaac and had some breakfast, then my host parents returned and I told them a little about the trip. I let Isaac and Max sleep until around 10:30, since they seemed so exhausted, though Isaac woke up a little earlier and I introduced him to my host parents. We all had breakfast and soon later my brother showed up. He had arrived with his friend JT to Valencia late the night before around midnight and was staying at my host parents' son Alberto's place, a couple of streets away. Noelia, Alberto's wife, accompanied the two of them to our place, and we hugged lots. I was very excited to see them again. Alba offered them some coffee which Jon gladly accepted and soon later we headed out for lunch and to walk around town. We realized we wouldn't find anything open for lunch until around 1:30, so we walked around taking pictures of the Fallas and getting increasingly irritated with the constant petardos (firecrackers) going off everywhere. They really are bothersome when thrown right close to your feet, and are very loud even if thrown in the street one or two down from you.
The streets close to the center of town were ridiculously crowded and we decided to go down some side streets to find a good place to relax and eat. I realized that none of the people I was with would greatly enjoy La Mascleta, and so we sat down to eat around 1:30 for some paella with no intention of catching it. We were maybe four or five blocks from the center of town, and the ground still shook from La Mascleta when it happened at noon. Max retreated to the restaurant bathroom to avoid the tremendous noise, while the rest of us took a break from conversation, since it wasn't very audible anyway.
The paella was delicious (not as good as my host mom's I think), and we shared three plates of it between the five of us, with salads and pasta as starters and flan as a dessert. After the huge crowd from La Mascleta had passed and thinned down, we all decided to head to the center of town and I could show everyone Valencia. We saw lots more Fallas and almost lost each other in the crowds. We saw a giant statue of La Virgen made entirely of flowers, the entire Plaza de la Virgen being bedecked in flowers in honor of her as well. We saw the Torres de Serrano and were assaulted by another Mascleta (apparently they happen on just about every street at various times of day during Fallas). We checked out a temporary market and then descended into the park, which was marginally less crowded and noisy.
We walked through the park stopping at a sweet rope jungle gym that Max, Isaac, and I played on while JT watched and Jon napped. We continued a little farther to La Palau de la Musica and the fountain behind it, then cut back across little streets to our place. Back at home we all napped and relaxed, since we were still exhausted from the travel, the climbing, and the walking. We decided to meet up around 7 or 8 at the locutorio across the street (since Jon was back at Alberto's place with JT). My host mom kindly and unexpectedly made us all dinner, a giant plate of pasta and ham each, which we devoured, excited for not having to go out for dinner. We found Jon and he and JT came up for some food as well, and we all hung around chatting with each other and my host family.
We went back out that night to walk around for a bit and see the Fallas lit up. We found a bar and sat outside for a while, then hung around looking at our Falla (the one on our street) and talking. We watched the Falla Infantil burn and I got to talk a lot with my brother and catch up, which was nice, and I was super excited about how well everyone was getting along. I had previously been fairly nervous about having Max, Isaac, my brother, and JT all together and having to make them all happy and do what everyone wanted to, but it proved much easier than I had thought. We then met up with Alberto and Noelia, who told us of another bar across the street that was nice, so we went there to sit and wait for the fires to start. The TV in the bar was showing air and ground views of the best Fallas all around the city and the Falleras as they set fire to the Infantiles Fallas. It was nice to watch from inside and be away a little from the crowd and noise of the streets. I bought chocolate con churros for us all to share, and soon later walked Max back to our place. He was exhausted and very not keen on the noise, so he headed to sleep early, and Jon, Isaac, and I went back towards the center of town to see some of the Fallas burn. We found the one on Calle Cadiz, one of the biggest and coolest that we'd seen earlier, and since it was almost midnight decided to wait until it was burned.
It was a much longer wait than any of us had predicted; the fireworks started around 1:30, as did the burning. It was very impressive to watch a giant wooden and styrofoam structure doused in lighter fluid go down in flames, and the sky filled with smoke and still burning embers. The firefighters all around kept the nearby buildings and trees from catching fire, and very soon all of us close to the fence were forced to retreat as the large burning embers, some as large as my head, started drifting towards us and falling on the crowd. We were greatly amused by the antics of one Japanese girl after she got hit with one, and subsequently realized it once it had fallen to the ground.
We stayed until the structure collapsed, some fifteen minutes later, and cheered with the crowd, then, exhausted, walked back home. I feel asleep almost immediately back in my bed, and slept very well.

Friday proved blissfully quiet in comparison to the day before. We all slept in until around 10:30, and after showering and breakfasting, were about ready to head out close to noon. We met Jon once again at the locutorio across the street and the four of us headed out (Isaac, Max, Jon, and I). I decided to take everyone to the market so we could get supplies for lunch, but only after we spent some time doing e-mail things. The market was luckily still open when we arrived, and we split up to get bread, cheese, meat, fruit, nuts, and more.
We walked back to the cathedral and we had a picnic on the grass below a couple of trees right in front of the cathedral. It was delicious, and we talked and listened to the alto sax player on the street in front of the cafe close to us. Max gave him some money, but I don't think he told the guy "For lessons" as he'd asked me how to say in Spanish.
Afterwards we went into the cathedral, just for a while, and looked around. The streets were all cleaned up after Fallas and there was barely any sign of the giant festival that had taken place the day before, except for the crowds all in the center of the city. Since it was nice out we decided to head to the beach, and caught a bus there from the center of town. Isaac slept in the bus but I told Max and Jon about the buildings we passed and where in the city we were, where my house was in comparison and where the university was, etc...
We arrived and soon found a place to lay out. Max and I immediately fell asleep to a very cozy and warm nap. We woke to find Isaac captivated by some trick kite flyers right behind us, and Jon reading. We watched the kite flyers for a while, since they were all pretty badass. One was doing all sorts of amazing tricks and sideways somersaults, and the other three were flying synchronized. We caught the bus back to the center of town and I tried to get us all horchata but the city was too crowded. We went by the Plaza Redonda instead and Max got some postcards and Jon some Fallas scarves and a different scarf for Becky (which I helped choose).
On the way back to our place we did find an horchata stand and we got four large cups, one each. I was glad everyone liked it. Back at our respective temporary homes, we napped and relaxed for a while. Max, Isaac, and I put pictures up on facebook at the internet place and were served paella by my host mom. Jon and JT came over and joined and soon later we set back out, this time to play some pool. Jon and JT were leaving that night around 11, so we didn't stay out late, but got a good couple of pool games in. I played on Jon's team first and Max and Isaac creamed us, so we switched. I again lost on Isaac's team, although the second game was much closer.
We walked Jon and JT back to their place to pick up their bags and then find them a taxi. We didn't wait too long, and after hugging and saying goodbye they piled everything into the taxi and headed out for the train station and Granada. Max, Isaac, and I went back to our place and went to sleep fairly early. It was our last night together, but it was long enough.

We slept in on Saturday, Max and Isaac's last day in Spain, and then headed out after showers and breakfast. We went first to the locutorio to get their flight information then back to the Market. I split up to try and change their train tickets to a later time, but all the trains were booked, not surprisingly for the weekend after Fallas, while the two of them went ahead to the market and to practice their Spanish while getting us all lunch.
We ate at the same place we had the day before with Jon after stopping by La Lonja, just to show them the old marketplace. We took a different route to the park, passing by a small square in town with some amazing trees they insisted on climbing. I took pictures.
At the park we bouldered for a very short time, then continued on towards the CAC and Gulliver. Gulliver is a giant playground in the shape of a man, which proved very fun to clamber around and play on. We stopped for fanta and water afterwards, then continued on to the CAC. We merely walked around the outside, since I wanted to show the buildings to Max and Isaac. They were duly impressed with the modern white huge structures.
We caught a bus outside the CAC that took us fairly close to home, and walked the rest of the way. Back there Max and Isaac packed and then said goodbye to my host family. We stopped one last time at the locutorio to put up the last round of pictures on facebook together, then I walked them back to the train station. The line to get on board seemed interminably long but went very quickly, too quickly, and I had to say goodbye since I couldn't cross the barrier. It was a rushed and hasty goodbye, and hard to think about, but it had been a perfect week. I couldn't have been happier to see Max and Isaac, to get some climbing in, to get out of the city and camp for a night, to hike in the mountains and see the beauty of Mallorca, to watch a Falla burn with my brother and catch up with him, and to play pool with some of my favorite people. I already miss them all so much, and it's been just a day since Max and Isaac left, and two since Jon left. *sigh* I guess that's just one of those things about studying abroad. At least I have my parents' visit to look forward to, and even earlier, hopefully another day trip with Anna this coming weekend.

Anyway, today, Sunday, I didn't do a whole lot but sew up my pants, talk to my mom on Skype, do some homework, read, and write this blog. I still have a story to write for homework, and should probably start thinking about some of my final projects soon. I only have five more weeks of class, which only amounts to 22 days of class since I have four day weeks and at least a couple random holidays not counting the two weeks off for Semana Santa when my parents will be here. In between I plan to try and climb some, go to the beach, read some more books, plan summer travel, and relax.
Sorry for the super long post, hope you enjoyed, I certainly did, and take care all! Enjoy the pictures on facebook too!