No smirting with the waffles

Chapter 2: Brussels

We hopped on a bus and rode the 2 hours north to Belgium. Because it was a Sunday, we could only go to the bus station in the north of the city instead of the more central station. So we got off the bus and found a metro, then took that to the Midi stop… which is the neighborhood where we were supposed to be staying.

While we were planning this trip, Haley brought up this idea that she had heard of called CouchSurfing. It’s an online organization which basically facilitates free accomadation and cultural exchange for travelers. We signed up about a month back and reviewed a bunch of profiles for people in the cities we were to visit and emailed them to ask if they would host us… we had a taker named Jeff in Brussels. It was essentially like a blind date… we told him facts about ourselves, and gave us interesting tidbits and an address and then we were just supposed to show up whenever we got there. Unfortunately, he told us that he was traveling to the Netherlands that weekend, and wouldn’t be home until late Sunday night. So when Haley and I got to Brussels, we had to walk around with our 20 pound backpacks all day.

Back to the story… we emerge from the metro in the middle of nowhere. Correction, in the middle of the Ghetto. I had had this really romantic image of Brussels in my head – I thought it was going to be clean and full of gardens and fountains… but it’s actually a very ugly city. Hahaha. We wandered around aimlessly for about two hours, just trying to find the center because we knew that’s where we could go to pass the most time. Eventually we were pointed in the right direction and found it, but our energy and patience were both decreasing exponentially. Andrew’s friend Jean Louise had told us to go to this street near the center informally known as Kebab Street because of all of the Greek and Middle Eastern restaurants on it… and in the middle of all of our wandering… we stumbled upon the mythical Kebab Street. It was a like beacon of hope during the weary traveler’s darkest hour. We picked one random dive and stole a seat inside… a table for four because although we were only two, our bags took up the space of two grown men. We ordered average pitas – mine was beef with cucumber sauce and corn,


Haley’s was chicken with tomatoes and cucumbers… two Coca-lights…. And we were done. Life, as I knew it had ended. SOOOOOO GOOD. Everything I had every wanted out of life was manifested in this pita. For the only time during the entire trip, Haley finished her food before me, because I was too busy lusting to my food.

We stayed there for a while after we had finished and then decided to go chocolate shop hopping, in the hopes that we could get some free samples. All of the shops were the same – all were beautiful. It’s like in Brussels, they weren’t worried about making a pretty city, because the chocolate is the art. I forgot to tell you that I left my camera charger at Haley’s friend’s house in Paris, so I had to do without for most of the trip… but I wish I could have taken a photo of the chocolate shops for you all.

After the chocolate shops, we decided to take the plunge and get some famous Belgian Waffles… what else should we have done? When in Rome! Or… Belgium? Anyways… please forget anything you ever knew about waffles. Even then best, most exquisite and fantastical waffles ever conceived. Because they would pale in comparison to the real deal. In Belgium, they don’t waste their time with that batter nonsense – the waffles are made out of dough… dough which is made out of straight up love, sex, world peace, eternal bliss and probably lots of sugar.


You can get them plain, with powdered sugar, or even get fancy with fruit and chocolate sauce and whipped cream. But in my opinion that just complicates a relationship that should be very simple. And lovely. In my relationship with the Belgian waffle, I’m not sure who wears the pants… because for 48 hours straight I was at the waffles beck and call, but in the end I OWNED those waffles! Must be one of those life riddles.

We walked around a little and decided to sit down and have a beer… another thing famous in Belgium. Haley had something pretty authentic, but I, being someone that HATES beer, could only stand to order a raspberry flavored beer which actually didn’t taste like beer at all when I got it. I think it had like -1.4% alcohol too… so I felt real good about that decision ☺ About two hours later we found ourselves back on Kebab Street trying out a different restaurant, which wasn’t as good as the first, but still delicious.



We took the metro back to the ghetto, asked a taxi driver how to reach the address Jeff had given me, and then set out to walking. Remember the story I told you about the bars and cafes and Morocco? It was the second act of the same play – Jeff lived in the only Muslim neighborhood in Brussels. We got so many stares walking down the street at 10 pm with our big back packs. We finally made it… unscathed… to Jeff’s doorstep, rang the bell and then just prayed while we waited for him to come down. He was really friendly from minute one, very hospitable and accommodating. He told us all about Brussels, we had friendly conversation and all that jazz. Then went to bed in the pretty much the most awkward and uncomfortable silence ever.

The next morning we got up and went to an antique flea market that felt more like a massively unorganized garage sale than anything else. We spent about an hour there sorting through all the vendors' piles... Haley bought some cool tins and plates that she was happy with. I was kind of sad because I hadn't found anything, and then as we were walking out of the market, Haley looked at a random pile and was like "Alli, Look!!!!!" And when I turned my head I saw this colorful book sitting on the top of a pile. I went and picked it up... and... it was an antique copy of Alice in Wonderland in Dutch!! I WAS SO EXCITED. For those of you who don't know, I have an extreme and somewhat unjustifiable draw to that book, I hold the story very close to my heart and often incorporate it's ideas into my everyday ridiculous life. The book had so much character, and it was totally meant to be - plus it was only 3 euro, so you can bet I bought it! THEN, we found this often print and poster shop which we spent another hour in... I bought two absolutely amazing vintage pin up girl posters. They are uber feminine, ultra sassy and just the epitome of fun. I can't wait to hang them up in my new apartment when I get home!

We walked around the city a little bit... grabbed some more chocolate, some more waffles, and of course another kebab. There was a ton of stuff to see in the city, but for some reason we were as happy as could be just eating and shopping. We set out to find Mannekin Piss - the famous statue of the little boy peeing - because we thought it was going to be this big expedition to find, but we wnded up walking down this little side street and almost missing it. Not because of the side street, but because it was like the most insignificant little statue EVER.


The fountain wasn't in the middle of a square or plaza, it was engaged in a small alley corner, and then peeing boy was about the size of an actual infant. I was real confused... maybe let down, but I had a belly full of belgian food so I didn't let it get to me too much.

We went home to Jeff's place and hung out with him for a while. I got online to check baggage restrictions for the new airline that we were going to fly on... and thank the LORD that I did check, because we would have gone to the wrong airport the following morning if I hadn't. We thought we were flying out of the main Brussels airport, but instead, we had to get on a bus that shuttles you to the "other" airport -an hour outside of the city! Man that would have sucked. We agreed to buy a bag and put our extra stuff in it and split the cost of checking it... so it was cheaper to do online and I felt really good about that decision.

That night we wanted to get one last kebab, so we decided to see if there was anything in Jeff's neighoorhood. We kept walking further and further down his street, until things started looking real familiar. All of a sudden we realized that we were practically a block away from the center... and it only took us abut 10 minutes to walk there! We had been spending somewhere around a half hour traveling via metro each time we went back and fourth from Jeff's to the center...


luckily we hadn't paid for any of the metro tickets, but still! We couldn't believe how small the city actually turned out to be abd how stupid we were not to have realized it sooner.

The next morning we got up at about 5:45, changed out clothes and walked back to the bus station. Thank God we left early because we had some serious problems finding the bus to shuttle us to the airport. It cost 13 euro each to get there, which kind of sucked but beggars can't be choosers in a situation like that, I suppose. We made it safely to the airport, checked in without any Madrid-like problems, and hopped on the plane to the Czech Republic... leaving our beloved waffles and kebabs behind.

Hey Mona Lisa, can I get a date on Friday? And if you're busy, I wouldn't mind taking Saturday-ay-ay

Just to prepare any and all of those of you who read these posts, this will be part 1 in a series of 3 to fill you in on my spring break. Listos? Preparados? YA!

On April 1, I set out on a 10 day adventure, which I was certain would be the biggest and best spring break -- the spring break to end all spring breaks if you will -- thus my traveling partner Haley and I deemed the trip "Armageddon." Spoiler alert: the trip totally lived up to that name. 

Wednesday morning, I woke up at 6:30 to catch the bus here in Sevilla to the train station. For some weird reason, the only train I could get was headed to Madrid an hour before Haley's... so it was slightly awkward timing wise, but it worked out great. The Ave (fast train line in Spain) took 2.5 hours to reach Madrid from Sevilla and it was such a very pleasant ride. The cars were really new and fresh, and the seats were ultra roomy, and although my train left from platform 7, I got to pretend it was platform 9-3/4 and that I was hopping on the Hogwarts Express for another semester at England's finest institution for witchcraft and wizardry. Ahhhh :) I got into Madrid around noon and waited for Haley until around 1:15, at which point we took the metro into the city; we had a few hours to kill until we had to make tracks to the airport, so we hopped off at a random metro stop and wandered around the city until we found this random park/driving range that was super inviting. We sat down and ate the bocadillos that our host mothers had made for us and just chit chatted for about an hour, then we found this wonderful bench in the shade and took a nap in the park like hobos for about 2 hours. A very relaxing way to start the trip. 

We took the metro to the airport, which was very efficient because it takes you right into the terminal. We made our first attempt to check in, but failed miserably because our low-cost airline of choice, EasyJet, tried to make Haley check her bag because it wouldn't fit in the absolutely microscopic bin they had designated as the cut off for carry-on baggage. It was supposed to cost 20 euro, so we had a mini confrontation with the woman, hopped out of line and then proceeded to unpack and repack both of our bags for the first time in what would be a series of 4 by the time we physically got on the plane. It was the most ridiculous thing in the world, and I was so frustrated about it that I was literally sweating and red in the face -- I thought I was going to have to straight up pop someone in the face because when I got on the plane, I was able to fit my bag and another in the overhead compartment. Yes, TWO bags. That should be a lesson from the get go for anyone who thinks they're getting away with a great deal on low-cost airlines... they will nickel and dime you, and harass you at the airport, so be prepared. 

But alas, we reached Paris safe and sound, all baggage in tow. And we even got stamps in our passports - hazaah! We were to stay with a friend of Haley's from college, so we hopped on the RER (a more extensive line of the metro running to al outer zones of the city) to a stop relatively close to the apartment, then we caught a tram to her block. We got off and had to keep walking until we found her house number, then call her on a payphone to let us into the building. It was quite the process, but we were glad to make it in one piece and to have a place to sleep - for free! 

The next morning we went to the grocery - one of my absolute favorite things to do in foreign countries for some reason. I just love the grocery! We bought cereal, juice, pretzels and other superfluous items to pack a lunch for our day excursion to VERSAILLES! Versailles is one of those places I've dreamt of going to since I read about it in like the seventh grade... two weeks after the fact, I still cannot believe I did it.  We took the RER again to Versailles, a city actually just outside of Paris. We were supposed to pay an extra fee for the zone change, but we saw other people hopping the metro gate, so we decided to balls up and do the same. $Free.99 never felt so good. We stopped into a little cafe for a coffee and a coke, a little pick me up if you will... and it was so funny when we asked for the bill because the bartender said some random number in French, and seeing as how neither Haley nor myself speak French we just stared at him. Then he ever so nicely reached around to a coaster and wrote the number, then we all proceeded to laugh out loud at how silly it was. This was the start of a very friendly line of French people we encountered throughout our stay in Paris - in fact, I will just go ahead and get this out of the way: whatever rumors you have heard or stereotypes you might have in your mind about how unfriendly, arrogant and pretentious the French are, just replace the French with every average Spaniard and you'll be more on the right track. En serio - the French were so kind to us, it was a really refreshing change of pace from being in Spain and I soaked up every minute of it. 

So - back to Versailles. *Sigh* for Versailles. We rounded the corner of the avenue leading up to the Chateau, and I swear when I caught my first glimpse of it all I heard the sweet harmonies of a chorus of angels singing.


The front gates are made completely of gold, and they are immaculately polished and shiiiiiiiny. The front courtyard was impressive - it was like the greeting you get from a party host... warm and intimate, like a personal invitation to come inside and make yourself at home. We spent the big bucks on our admission tickets so we could see everything - and I didn't even care because I was so excited. The first stop was an exhibit in the Chateau about the history of the court: mainly portraitures of the famous Louis XIV and his counterparts that made Versailles their home. The second part was an exhibit about fashion at the French court - and it was so awesome! They had Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette's coronation outfits on display, in addition to several other pieces indicative of everyday style in that time. It was really amazing to see how small-framed people were back then, both how thin and how short they were. And the way they fashioned women's apparel was sooooo funny - they put petticoats and metal or wooden frames under their dresses to create the weirdest profiles, HUGE, over-exaggerated hips and tiny tiny tiny waistlines. It was beautiful though. 

Next we got to walk through some of the Palace rooms: chapels, dining halls, drawing rooms, offices, receiving rooms, throne rooms, bed chambers. Everything was so ornate and detailed. Such brilliant color schemes and vivid decor on every surface.

We got to go through the Hall of Mirrors, the central gallery in the palace and probably one of the most famous rooms in the entire world. Every inch of the room was covered in gilded mirrors, flanked with windows that reached from floor to ceiling; crystal chandeliers hung from the center walkway and reflected the sunlight right onto the mirrors which in turn set light dancing into every corner of space in the room. Amazing. Just amazing. 

We had a picnic lunch in the main garden/courtyard and just people watched for a while, then we decided to take a mini train out to Marie Antoinette's estate - Le Petit Trianon. It was basically this mansion on the northwestern part of the estate that Louis XVI gave to Marie Antoinette to escape from the life at court which she so hated. We also got to visit her private hamlet and gardens, which was probably my favorite part of the entire trip to Paris. It was so green, so tranquil and genuinely felt like it was a little piece of heaven here on earth. Her palace was gorgeous - nowhere near as overdone as the main Chateau, but still so beautiful and rich.





We walked through the little paths that carved their way all through the estate; we visited the Temple of Love, the little animal farm, the grotto, the lake houses and the vineyard. The daffodils were blooming all over the place - greeting us with only the friendliest disposition like all daffodils do. I could have stayed there forever.   

That night we stayed in the apartment and made cheese ravioli with tomato sauce... washed it down with a decent bottle of riesling and turned in pretty early. The next morning we got up and about, packed out things and moved ourselves to another friend of Haley's, Andrew. He's been living in Paris for 3 years studying film at an international university in the city. When we got there and dropped off our things, we headed right out to do some sight seeing. It felt like we were in a completely different city than before... Andrew's apartment was right in the heart of Paris, only about a ten minute walk from Notre Dame. That was our first stop of the day, and it was beautiful.

Even though I thought I was pretty churched-out from all the cathedrals I've seen on my Spanish adventures, I was still amazed at the beauty of it all. My amazement will never cease at beautiful and painfully meaningful things people have created for God. It restores my faith a little more and more every time. 

After that we walked around that district in search of a market to buy some meat and cheese for a picnic lunch... it took us about a half hour, but we finally found this small grocery where we bought some brie and salami. We bought a baguette at a bakery and then hopped on the metro to go to - drum roll please - La Tour Eiffel!

When we got off the metro, we couldn't see the tower and had no idea which way to go, but we got pointed in the right direction and when we turned the corner into the park and I saw the tower for the first time, my mouth literally dropped open. It was so big! I mean tremendous! I had no idea how big it was going to be, but my breath was just taken away at the monumental-ness of it all. (By the way - that's what she said...) We walked under the tower to get to the grass knoll on the other side, and I just kept looking up to take it all in... I'm pretty I experienced a little bit of vertigo or something. We found a cozy spot and sat down to have our oh-so-French lunch. Haley's friend Kira met us there and we just sat around in the sunshine for a while, then tried to take some funny pictures with the tower. We grabbed a fresh crepe with nutella and banana, a few diet cokes, then set out for a walk through the city. 

We wound up at the Arc de Triopmhe - which was crazy big! The roundabout of traffic circling it had to be at least 8 lanes wide, and you can't access the arch from the sidewalk,  you have to go through an underground tunnel to come up right in the middle. We admired it from a distance, but I still thought it was amazing.

I had to pee like crazy, so we randomly stopped into a cafe and I discreetly snuck into the restroom than walked out with Kira - but right before we got to the door, the bartender stopped her and yelled at her. Apparently the bar wasn't open for people to just use the restroom, so I had to come back in and buy something to pay for using the restroom. She came out laughing and told me what he said... and although he was really serious, I was like, really? We thought about making a run for it, but Haley needed a pick me up anyways so she bought a coffee. It was real stupid of him to be such a douche, in hindsight. 

After we finished paying or dues there, we walked down the Champs Elysees (the most famous street in Paris - lots of cafes and super expensive stores) and enjoyed people watching. 

We took the Metro back  to Andrew's and had crepes for dinner. Afterwards, Kira, Haley and I went to Pont Neuf - which is the oldest standing bridge over the Seine in Paris... more importantly though, it's the bridge from Sex and the City when Carrie makes her sojourn to Paris. DEEEEE!

On Friday nights people go there to drink wine and just hang out. It was fun to do something other than tourist stuff, and I was thankful to have Kira there. We didn't stay out as long as we could have, because the wind next to the river was cutting through my fleece like a cold knife. Kira took us to the Louvre to see the pyramid at night before we hopped on the metro and went home. 

The next morning we woke up early to go to the Louvre for real. Surprisingly enough, we didn't have to wait at all in line. We got our tickets and a map and designated two hours of the day to tour the facility. What a joke. I had no idea how large and in charge the Louvre was in actuality. There's nothing to compare it to- nothing. Haley said she once read that if a person were to look at every piece of art in the collection for about 5 minutes, it would take them more than 30 whole days to see everything. I was truly overwhelmed looking at the map - I didn't know where to start. I really wanted to see some of the ancient art - especially the Mesopotamian reliefs.

And or course we went through the Renaissance section... I turned the corner into that wing and Rachael, all I could think of was the Lingo and I screamed CIMABUE!
I was looking for a Giot-to, but alas, he wasn't there. I hung out with Mona and Madonna for a while then moved onto the large-scale French pieces, mostly from the neoclassic and romantic periods, but so worth it. I was SO PROUD of myself for recognizing works and styles and recalling facts like I did. I don't often get to apply anything I've learned in my art classes, but I felt vindicated for about an hour that day... even though I think I bored Haley to death with the random things I was saying. Mrs. Lash, you would have been proud, too.

Afterwards, we stopped and had lunch at a gyro stand and then headed to the Cemetery Pere Lachaise... the biggest and best in Paris. For some odd reason, I love cemeteries. They are so relaxing... maybe because everyone there is dead and doesn't bother you. It's just such a tranquil environment, and there's always the most beautiful, enveloping trees to shade you and keep you company on a low-key day. Pere Lachaise is HUGE, like everything else in Paris. Instead of your typical gravestones though, most of the graves are mausoleums, or basically small scale houses! There's ivy crawling all over the unique and beautiful headstones and mausoleum doors and as far as you can see.
Basically famous French artist of the modern era is buried here, as well as playwrights, poets, politicians, etc. The most two graves are Jim Morrison from the Doors and the author Oscar Wilde;
We took a long walk through the grounds but made sure to stop at both of those sites. 

Last stop of the day was Montmarte - the highest point in Paris which provides a panoramic view of the city. It's something like 400 feet above the city and is famous for the basilica Sacre Coeur.


I was exhausted at this point in time - being on my feet walking through the museum and then the cemetery wore me out enough, but we had to climb some 200 steps (literally) to get out of the metro, and then at least another 200 to get to the top of the hill. I thought my knee was going to implode. The things we do for Paris. 

That night we went back to Andrew's and packed up all of our junk so we could make a quick and clean exit the next morning to catch the bus to Brussels. We had a tasty meal of chicken shawarma and ice cream, then watched a string of hilarious youtube videos with Andrew and his friend Jean-Louise. It was so low-key and so pleasant... a perfect way to end the first leg of the trip. 

Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change

This weekend was API's trip to Barcelona... I had mixed emotions on the way there, but the weekend turned out to be wonderful!

The format of the trip was a little different. First off, because Barcelona is located in the far north east of Spain, we flew. Usually we bus it up, but that would have taken literally an entire day to get there. Secondly, API usually has everything planned out for us. There is usually a mountain of activities and sites to see on the itinerary, and everything is spelled out for us... but this time they kind of just got us there and cut the tether. Up side : we had lots of time to do whatever we wanted. Downside: I didn't have much time to research the city and plan my weekend, and I didn't realize how HUGE Barcelona was before I got there. Naturally, I didn't get to do all that I wanted. Also... the only meal that was included was breakfast at the hotel, so we had to spend a lot of money on eats. 

When we got to Barcelona on Friday afternoon, we took a sightseeing tour of the city on a bus... which was nice, because everyone was quite tired and didn't feel like navigating through the city. Our guide was kind of a douche... he scolded us for being rude and then took forever telling us a bunch of information that we couldn't even hear because his mic wasn't loud enough. We hit up a panoramic view point near the pier, which was beautiful. The entire city is filled with mosaics, even the sidewalks... the lookout point walkways were made of inverted beer bottles and caps, arranged in swirls and spirals. Realllllllly cool. 

Afterwards, we went downtown to see the Gaudi Cathedral. Antonio Gaudi, for those of you who don't know, is a perhaps the most famous Spanish architect ever. His work is considered modernism, but it feels like it's from another time or place. His lines are so round and expressive... his style is truly one of a kind and it makes you feel like you're walking through a fantasy land or a game of Candy Land. The Cathedral is a really interesting work, because only half of it was completed by Gaudi... he began one side of the facade and then died before he got to the second. Another artist took up the project and the finished products couldn't be on more opposite sides of the spectrum. The weather was super strange, so I couldn't get any good pictures, but don't be afraid to look it up online. 

Next, we went to Park Guell, another Gaudi work. I really had no idea what that place was, or what purpose it served, but it was beautiful. It was like an estate of alllllll Gaudi allllll the time. All the building facades were dropping with Gaudi style - every surface was done in tile mosaic and the colors were absolutely brilliant. So saturated... so inviting and rich. BONUS! I stumbled upon this archway/tunnel thing that looked mighty familiar - and after I stared at it for a while, I realized it was the runway that America's Next Top Model used for the final Ghost Bride runway show when they went to Barcelona. I was sooooo excited! My friend Mackenna and I ditched the group for a few to stay behind and fight for a picture; we couldn't possibly get everyone to clear out, but we took some fun shots!

When the tour was over, we were exhausted. My friends and I went back to the hotel and took a fabulous nap... the hotel was four star and the rooms were huge. The beds had down comforters and adjustable mattresses. The bathroom was huge - the shower was oversized, with a full curtain and amazingly hot water. Loved it. Later that nightwe took the metro downtown to meet some of Haley's friends who are studying this semester in Barcelona. We went to this restaurant called La Rosa Negra - it was a hopping little mexican joint. We are all so in love with Mexican food at home, and none of us have had any since we got to Spain, so we were allllllll over that place. I had delicious guacamole (not quite as good as Scott's :) ) and chips, a carne asada burrito and like 3 coca-lights. We sat around the table and just talked for like 2 hours afterwards. Then we just went home. I was really pleased with the day and the food... and it felt really good to sleep. 

The next morning we went down to what was probably the best breakfast I have had in my entire life. Or maybe it just seemed like it because all I've had for the past two  months is toast and tea. Omelets made to order. Perfectly ripe honeydew and pineapple. Fresh glazed donuts. CEREAL!!!!!!!!!!! All sorts of juices... cold cuts and smoked salmon... preserves... rolls... LOVE. I ate until I literally couldn't, and then I stole food to eat later. 

We took the metro to the Palace of Music... again, I had no idea what the place was, but I'm so glad I got to see it. It's an opera house/concert hall that's been around for 100 years. It's covered in ornate carvings, columns and mosaics. The most famous feature is the stained glass dome in the main concert hall... it was breathtaking. We had the opportunity to sit in the balcony and watch a rehearsal for a few minutes, and the noise coming from the stage sounded so pure. the acoustics were just wonderful and only enhanced the beauty of the hall. It's considered to be private property, so we weren't allowed to take pictures... but I did sneak one. 

I wondered around the city for a while afterwards. We went to the chocolate museum for a while. I didn't really pay much attention to the history of it all, because I knew a lot of it from LA studies, but I did love the displays! They had wonderful models of all subject matters made out of chocolate: Bambi, a bull and a matador in the ring, Gaudi's Lizard, etc. Our ticket was a free chocolate bar which we got to eat while walking through the exhibits, so I couldn't complain :)

After strolling around the gothic barrio for a while, we met a friend for lunch... at Pizza Hut. Hahaha. Go ahead and laugh - but I had no problem getting some simple food that I knew would please. I ordered a chicken caesar salad which was probably made by God himself, and then split a little pizza with some friends. Our waiter was really friendly and flirty and ended up giving us all free ice cream and then tried to get us to go out for drinks with him later that night. It was nice to have a pleasant conversation with a stranger for once. Made me smile for hours. 

Later that night three friends and I took the metro to the Plaza de Espana to see the light show they hold every weekend. The fountain is in front of this amazing building and the water was just shooting everywhere in the craziest, most fun and intriguing patterns everywhere. I don't know how they got the colors to be so bright or so brilliant, but in combination with the music the whole show really made my heart race. I took so many beautiful pictures, and if you look at the pictures I posted on the photobucket site, there should also be a small video clip of the show.... 

We ate dinner at a little dive that played fabulous 80's music throughout the entire meal. We were having so much fun getting geeked up for the show. We had tickets to see Beauty and the Beast (the broadway musical) at 10:00. When we sat down in the theatre, I must admit I was feeling leery about the show being in Spanish, but by the time the first song was over I was so giddy I couldn't even sit still. The set design and costumes were AMAZING - so efficient and expressive of the story-line and character development.

The woman who played Belle sounded exactly like the original Belle, only she spoke in Spanish. Lumier was just as hilarious as he was in the movie, and spoke with the best French accent I've ever heard in Spanish. Hahaha. In the movie, he flirts with the duster- house made, but she had a much more prevalent part in the stage version. I loved her character. She was so sassy and funny. Her costume was a skin-tight mermaid style dress with feathers lining the bottom - faded from black to light grey to look like a feather duster. He butt was padded to make he extra voluptuous, and whenever she spoke she shook he hips and booty allllllll over. It made me laugh - out loud - and by intermission my cheeks were throbbing from the perma-grin. Some of the words to the songs were different, obviously you can't translate those perfectly, but my favorite part was in the very first song "Little Town." Usually the townsmen say "Bonjour, Good Day, How is your family?" but in Spanish they sang "Bonjour, Que tal?...." Maybe you have to be a spanish speaker to find that funny, but my friend Leslie and I couldn't stop laughing. By the end of the show I felt like I was on top of the world, and I must confess that I've been listening to the soundtrack on my ipod for the past two days straight. 

That night I took a super long shower and went into another coma in my super comfy bed. The next morning we had another amazing breakfast and then set out to see some sites last minute before we left. Nothing too exciting... by the time the bus left for the airport at 5, we were ready to go home. I had a wonderful time... a really unexpected and wonderful time. 

Wednesday morning I leave for Armageddon (the spring break to end all spring breaks). I've spent all evening making packing and to do lists... I hope I can get it together tomorrow and feel ready by Wednesday. Regardless, I'm so excited to be going on this trip. And... to be getting away from Sevilla for a few days. The girl I'm traveling with is my closest friend on the trip, so I really think this break will be aaaaaaaaamaaaaaaaazingly fun and memorable. 

One last thing: I'm sporting lots of Spartan Pride for my boys in the final four! I wish them all the luck in the world and will be routing for them across the pond! GO GREEN! 

I can't be sure that this state of mind is not of my own design

This isn't really one of those "WOW! Look what I did this weekend" blogs, it's more like what I have come to recognize as the good, the bad and the ugly/are they out of their minds moments in Spain... thus far. 

Let's start this out on a good note, with the pleasantries of Spanish life:

1. Coca-light. I've tried time and time again to break myself of my pop-consuming habit, and I was getting pretty good in the states, but there's just no hope when Coca-light comes into the picture. It's the european version of Diet Coke, but there's just something different, something oh so sexy about it. And when you're a person who doesn't drink coffee or beer, it's the best of all alternatives when meeting friends at a cafe. 
   
2. Parks. So this one might come as a shocker, because anyone who knows me at all knows that I will do anything to avoid going outdoors, but Sevilla has cracked my hard exterior. There are so many beautiful parks, with benches and fountains and gardens, oh my! The trees know just how to bend to allow the right amount of sunlight in, yet they congregate at just the right time along the walking path to give you a little taste of cool shade. And the leaves... they just dance. 
   
3. Eggs. I love them! I love them anyway you want to give them to me - and Spaniards love them too!!! My house mom always sneaks hard boiled or fried eggs into our soup, sometimes she'll serve it as a side with meat, sometimes it's a whole vat of eggs in the form of tortilla... it's just egg heaven. I'm getting a lot of ideas for cooking when I get home. 
   
4. Smells. Well, sometimes it's not so good, like any spot can be... but when it's good, it's sooo sooooo good. Here are some of the favorites: fresh bread and croissants from the panderias or cafes; garlic anything - but especially rice; the orange blossoms blooming along every street; the sun? Ok, that one sounds kind of weird... but you all know when you've been outside all day or along for a walk and you get inside and your clothes just smell... warm. Sunkissed. That's it. 
   
5. Chuchis. Candy stands are referred to as Chucherias here, so I'm sure I don't have the right name for them... but what I call chuchis are little pieces of hybrid heaven - a cross between licorice and starbursts. My favorites are the generic brand you can get in packages at the grocery, but I would never turn down the GIANT chuchis of different flavors - watermelon, bubble gum, raspberry, cherry... PURE LOVE - ALL OF THEM. 
   
6. I love not having to cook meals. I'm lazy. 
   
7. (Some) Spanish men. So sometimes, when I'm walking down the street or sitting at a cafe, I inevitably see good looking guys. I know there's this great, romanticized image of a sexy Spaniard - tall, dark, handsome, suave - well, it's true... there are some of those. But then there are some others who just put even the most perfect image to shame. I mean, today I was stopped at a crosswalk and this man got out of his car. He was wearing a plain v-neck teeshirt and fitted jeans - so nothing special... but I'm pretty sure he saw my mouth drop open and my head cock to the side. I mean I was amazed by his beauty. He just reeked of charisma... and manliness. I want one. 
   
8. Twilight. The temperature is always perfect. The air always has the slightest breeze and it picks up every pleasant smell that the day created. If you can find the right spot, no one will be out to bother you, and you can just walk for hours. You can think. You can relax.  The nighttime just facilitates reflection. 
   
9. Croquetas. The godfather of all tapas, in my opinion. Croquetas are small fried rolls made with this type of thick cream substance that basically simulates creamy mashed potatoes. I've had them with spinach and ham, but you can put any kind of meat in them... and they are just amazing. I always want to shove them in my mouth, like sushi, but then I realize that rushing the perfection that is the would be an insult to all things yummy. 
   
10. Dogs. There are so many cute puppies all around! They're so well behaved that they are rarely ever on a leash and I just want to cuddle with them all
    
11. Little boys. That didn't sound creepy? What I meant by that is that all the little boys are dressed in short-short overalls and knee highs until the age of 5. It's not uncommon - it's adorable - and so pleasantly old fashioned that it almost makes me want to have a baby of my own to dress. Ha - let's not get ahead of ourselves. 
    

Things that make my eyes twitch, my temperature rise and my patience wear thin:

1. My house mom. She is a really nice woman - she's never done anything out of line or said anything that was offensive or invasive, but there's just something about her that frustrates me so much. So has to question evvvvvverything I do. Like the other day she asked why I hadn't been eating as much. Because I'm gaining weight. Why do you have your bag packed? Because I'm going to the gym before class. The gym? Why? Because I don't want to gain weight. I'm going to Morocco this weekend. Morocco, why would you go there? EVERYTHING HAS TO BE FOLLOWED WITH WHY. WHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYY.
   
2. Our cleaning lady. She comes every Friday morning. I came to realize that it's necessary to pre-clean the room before she cleans it. So every Friday I shove all my stuff in the closet so she doesn't touch/drop/move anything important... she doesn't even clean the room? There's still dust everywhere, the floor never gets swept, the mirror is dirty... and the other day she was cleaning the bathroom and she took the no-slip mat out of the tub and DRAPED IT OVER OUR CLEAN HAND TOWELS. Disgusting. I would rather clean my own space because I think she's crazy and senseless. 
3. Spanish manners. Or should I say the lack-thereof. They stare. The run into you on the sidewalk. They refuse to move. They never say excuse me. They never say thank you or bless you. They are just flat out rude. I decided that if I were going to make eye contact with anyone on the street anymore, it would only be to give the stink eye. So far it's worked. And I also decided to use the best defense weapon God gave me - my elbows. I can play that game too - I have checked 4 women with my elbow and/or bag this week alone. Each hit feels like a bullseye too! I will say that today I was walking home from school and this spanish woman smiled at me. That meant everything to me. I play and joke and make light of the situation, but it's exhausting being around such unhappy people all the time. Sometimes you need that smile. 
4. Smokers. Lord, they're everywhere. I can't go into a bar or restaurant for 3 minutes without smelling like an ashtray. And they start out so early in the morning - makes me nauseous when I'm walking to school
   
5. Bars/Clubs. I hate them. I hate going out. I hate people who try to make me go out or try to make me feel guilty for going out. I am low key and can't help it. But apparently "I'm in Spain!" and that's what you're supposed to do. No... I do what I do, thanks. 
   
6. Toilet still stalls. Shower door still lets cold air in. 
   
7. The Spanish grading system. I just don't get it. Like I got my grammar exam back the other day and there were four numbers at the top - then below I had the number 9 circled. My professor told me this was two grades, both out of ten. Everyone else had weird numbers like 9.22 and 7.16... why did I only have one and WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?!
   
8. Waiters. Getting anyone's attention in a restaurant is like pulling teeth. Wait to be sat. Wait for someone to notice you. Wait to order a drink. Drink your drink. Wait to order food. Wait forever for your food. Wait to get someone's attention for the bill. Wait as you try to figure out how to split the bill because no one is clever enough to realize that people don't always want to pay together. Wait for change. Get so frustrated about the time, forget the tip and leave! There is no such thing as quick and casual. 
   
9. The outlets. There are two different sizes and my appliances don't fit in the smaller one - which seems to be around more frequently. And, there's only one outlet in my room which is no where near the mirror. Mornings are quite hectic when getting ready. 
   
10. The language. People speak so fast... and everyday I'm getting better at actually understanding or piecing together what is being spoken to me. But obviously, I don't understand everything... and when I ask someone to repeat something, they take that as me not being able to speak spanish. So they address me in english. I keep trying to speak in spanish, but they're not having it. So pretty soon I just get frustrated and walk away. This always happens to me in bars/clubs/loud environments where people are retarded enough to think that you should be able to have a conversation over the noise anyways. Geez. 
    
11. Salads... still. We've moved on from the olive oil problem, but now it's bigger and better things. They like to pile tomatoes, onions and dry tuna on the salads - three things which make me queezy when eaten at the wrong time or with the wrong dose. I've tried to scrape it all off and just eat the lettuce, but alas, the whole idea is nearly ruined for me now. 
    

Things that just make me ask myself, "really?"

1. Spaniards like to park any and everywhere. They also like to leave their cars in neutral so that if someone else needs a parking spot, they can get out of their car and push the other car out of the way. I've seen this done a number of times. 
   
2. It's approaching 80 degrees and people are still dressed in layers - jackets, sweaters, scarfs and boots. I know you sweat - don't try to tell me otherwise. 
   
3. Medicine? So last week the plague hit my house and my house mom, house sister, roommate and myself were all throwing up and pooping ourselves sideways. Instead of going to the doctor and getting medicine - my house mom decided to rely on what seemed to me to be real backwards, counterproductive home remedies. Example: taking pills for a headache for every symptom; drinking lemon water until you can't stand it; eating nothing until you are near death,  at which point you are to eat yogurt and toast- no butter anywhere near! When you're well enough to eat real meals, eat fish... because we all know how fish settles an upset stomach. I mean come on woman! Go to the pharmacy and get some pepto bismol and vernors! I don't have a license to practice medicine, but I can tell you in a heart beat that none of that stuff works or makes you temporarily feel better!
   
4. Mold. We keep putting the jam in the fridge after breakfast, our house mom keeps taking it back out. She likes to refill the jars when they get low, without rotating the jam or washing the containers. There is a fresh layer of mold or at least a few spots everyday. I don't get down like that. 
   
5. Mothers. Women have babies here at the same ages as in the States, but they must have a super quick rebound period... because they're walking around with their strollers and baby slings and newborns - in the latest fashions, the highest of high heels and with the best hair you've ever seen. Is that what it takes?
   
6. Incense. There are pockets allllll over the city where people sell and burn it - but it's always the same kind and always so strong. Isn't variety supposed to be the spice of life?
   
7. Why are grapes sooooo freaking expensive?!!!!!
   
8. There are no pre-mixed desserts in the stores. No Duncan, no Betty, no Doughboy. There goes cheap entertainment. 
   

That's about it for now... thanks for sticking to it and reading my rant all the way through. This weekend I'm going to Barcelona, and then it's almost time for Spring Break. 

I'm trying to renew my attitude for the rest of my time here, and really take everything in. I'm having a wonderful experience, and I love this opportunity... but it goes without being said that I miss you all terribly. I'm such a house cat :(

Our dreams, they are made out of real things

>

This past weekend a bunch of friends and I ventured to a new land filled with mint tea, mosques and markets. That's right friends - MOROCCO!

For those of you who missed the brief geography lesson, that's a country in northern Africa. The coast covers both the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean sea, and we spent most of our time on one of two mountain ranges in Morocco - the Rif Mountains. Enough of the facts - let's skip to the stories!

We left Sevilla on Friday afternoon and drove down to the Straight of Gibraltar where were hopped on the Fast Ferry to Africa. Apparently the water was really rough that day, so the boat ride was miserable for quite a few people. In fact, one little Spanish girl was on the outer deck with her dad and couldn't help but to throw up ALL OVER the panoramic window. I think she had strawberries for lunch. 

We had to go through customs and border patrol to get into Morocco; they stamped out passports thank goodness! I'm so sick of traveling and not getting any stamps... this time I got two, so I felt slightly vindicated. One soldier came on the bus to verify that all of our passports had the right stamp, and he totally had blood smeared all over his white jacket. Thank God he wasn't toting an AK47 or anything. Oh Africa...

First night we stayed in a hotel -- pretty nice. I was actually really impressed with our room, the food and the atmosphere in general... none of us really knew what to expect though. The next morning we left for the city of Tetuan. When Morocco used to be controled by both the Spanish and the French, Tetuan was the most important city of the Spanish territory. It had three main parts: the residential areas, the old city dating centuries back, and the modern zone which was built in he early 1900s. The roads were all either cobblestone or dirt, and they go every which way, so it was basically like a labyrinth. We walked through the old town and into the market place first. For some odd reason, I LOVE MARKETS! So many colors and sounds and smells... 

This was like a farmers market, so there were people selling produce, spices, dried goods like pasta a rice, eggs laid by live chickens, fish - everything you can imagine. The fruit all looked so plump and vibrant, and the smell of cilantro was following me everywhere - it was lovely.

We had couscous and beef for lunch with these banana and sesame seed cookies, a little mint tea to wash it all down... it was just pure love in my mouth. A couple sat by us at lunch - the guy was from Sevilla, but the girl was from Finland. When she said that, my eyes lit up and I had to bite my tongue for a few minutes so as to not seem like a total creeper. After a while I asked her what part of Finland she was from, and I told her that I was Finnish too from Grandma... she asked what her name was and I told her, and she thought I could actually speak Finnish by the way I pronounced it. We both laughed when I told her I couldn't, but then I was like - it doesn't matter, I'm still a Finn at heart! Her name was Kisah and I kind of have a girl crush on her now. 

We drove up the coast a little bit to see the point where the Atlantic merges with the Mediterranean, and then we had time to take a camel ride if we wanted. I wanted to - so badly - but I really felt that they were cruel to the camels, and I'm not into the exploitation of fury friends, so I settled for a picture with one of the babies :)

We stayed the night in Tanger - one of the largest cities in North Africa. It was kind of strange - modern, but surrounded by a super Islamic culture. Most of the time in Morocco women are not allowed in restaurants or cafes; a really nice English fellow I met who was born in Morocco told me that women who go into cafes are viewed as prositutes or whores. I was like WHAAAAAAAAAAAA? Ever'body gotta get they coca-cola, yo. That's universal. 

On Sunday we went to Chauen, a city in the Rif mountains. Our guide was about 95, he sounded and looked just like Yoda. The Jedi Master told us that they painted their homes and buildings indigo blue because it made the mosquitos nauseous. While I don't really believe that, I did love the colors. Set against the green of the mountains and the yellow bricks used for the walkways, it was beautiful.

We visited a cooperative where they make woven goods like rugs and blankets; the handcrafts were so vibrant and well made, they all seemed so unique. I bought a blanket for Colton to welcome him into the world come June, and I'm so excited to give it to him!

Low point of the trip home: the bus driver almost killed a small child. He ran out in front of us to cross the road - in the middle of the mountains - and the bus driver had to SLAM on the breaks... purses flew down the aisle, bags fell from over head and everybody was slightly panicked/annoyed. Luckily the little boy didn't get hurt. 

By the time we got home at 1030, I was Mo-rocked out.We got to the apartment around 11 at which point in time I was supposed to study for my midterms today but it didn't really happen. Oh well, one is over and it was easy... I'm leaving in about 10 minutes for the next (Flamenco - I HATE THAT CLASS). What makes it worse is that apparently I ate something terrible, because I woke up in a terrible sweat and had to run to the bathroom this morning. From 8-11 I threw up about every half hour. I just want to go into the fetal position right now and nap. 

It will be 80 here by the end of the week - summer's a coming! Hope mother earth spreads the love your way...

Other pics are up for those of you who care to seeeeee!

Strange, how clouds that look like mountains in the sky are next to mountains anyway

What a great weekend!

Friday morning I got to sleep in and relax, did a little bit of shopping and then I went to the gym for about an hour and a half. Considering the fact that I haven't done any sort of physical activity since my surgery in October, I was so sore that I could have collapsed... but it just hurt so good and I will be doing it all over again tomorrow morning before class! 

Saturday morning I woke up early to walk to the Discover Sevilla bus for our trip to Gibraltar. On my way to meet Haley and Jessica, I heard something in the bushes by the river. When I looked I saw a man with his back turned to me... I kept walking, and looking, and when he finally turned around I saw that he was masturbating -- full out, let's not be shy, i'm gonna get down and dirty in public masturbating. Needless to say I threw up in my mouth and ran past him as fast as my little crippled leg would carry me. Oh the things people do. 

Anyways - Gibraltar! Soooooo beautiful! Apparently we lucked out because there is usually a cloud covering the whole entire area - so fitting for a British territory :) The weather was wonderful, probably around 65, sunny and with a nice breeze from the water. We walked across the border and hopped onto mini-busses to go up the rock. Our driver's name was Tony and he was this old, dirty-minded and terribly witty Brit who was in love with Lord Nelson. He drove us all around the city and explained the history of all the wars, the fortified walls, the cannons, how many times it's been passed between the Moors, the Spanish and the English, blah blah blah. We took a few breaks to take photos from the scenic spots overlooking the water. It was so interesting to be able to see the southernmost point of Spain to my right, and Africa 20 miles away to the front. 

We went into St. Michael's Cave where there were beautiful stalagmites and stalactites. Tony told us to remember that "tights always come down sooner or later" if we were having trouble remembering which formations went which way. Hahahaha - Oh, Tony. We went deep into the rock and it was very eerie yet exciting. During WWII, the cave served as an emergency hospital, and nowadays The Royal Marines of Britain often hold charity concerts in the cave because the acoustics are so good... it was just craziness. 

When we came back outside of the cave, the monkeys started showing up. It is believed that the Moors brought monkeys with them from Africa when they came over in the eighth century for either food or pets... but when they were driven out, the monkeys stayed. There are some 300 wild monkeys in Gibraltar that the British government cares for. They are really friendly and used to humans - so they climb on your shoulders and the cars, they give you high fives and sit on your head for pictures too. However, they're really greedy when it comes to food - they looooove peanuts. When we were driving further up the rock to the Apes' Den, Tony told us to close the windows on the bus so that the monkeys wouldn't enter, but he forgot to shut his. He had an entire bag of peanuts sitting on the dashboard, and while we were driving, a monkey swung in the passenger side window, grabbed the peanuts and jumped across Tony's lap and out the other window as fast as lightning. He screamed and then we all laughed... after a few seconds Tony started giggling and said "That monkey just pinched me nuts!" I LOVE IT. 

We got dropped off in the center of town and we given two hours or so to dink around. We ate a picnic style lunch in the central plaza and then wandered in and out of the shops. We found this British import sort of shop that had all sorts of preserves, candy, and special foods from the UK. They also had Dr. Pepper, which was a huuuuuuge hit with everyone on the trip because you can't find it anywhere in Spain. I myself bought 3 bottles of blue powerade and a package of shortbread cookies... the combination was like unrefined street crack and I loved every minute of it. 

The trip was really relaxing and pleasant - I thoroughly enjoyed my time and loved seeing such an amazing place. I'm really gaining some great memories and experiences from all of the beautiful things I'm seeing this time around, but I'm trying to really see it all for what it is and not worry about having a photo to remember it by. Photos never really do the most amazing things justice...

I leave on Friday to go to Morocco for the weekend - THAT'S IN AFRICA, YO! As my wifey would say, I'm going back to the motherland... let's hope the sun doesn't kill me and that there will be a camel waiting for me with my name on it. 

Hope the weather is looking up for you all - it's supposed to be sunny and in the low 70s all week here. It's ok... you can be jealous, I won't judge you. 

That new thing, I've got no clue what it's for

Just FYI - I've uploaded a new photo sharing program for the blog. 

You can access it by clicking the photo of me to the right; it will take you to a sort of slideshow on photobucket but you can change the way you view the photos. Some of you haven't seen pictures yet so aproveche (take advantage of it)!