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!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Sunday, April 19, 2009
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?!
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?!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
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!
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!
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