Tapas, Ice, & Gaudi ~ Livin' the life in Barcelona

This should say:
I BARELY survived IceBarcelona

After the near-crisis of accidently buying my plane ticket from Madrid to Barcelona for November 7th instead of October 24th (whoops), I made it to my second Spanish destination just in time to meet my friends,
Cally & Emily, for dinner and Sangria. They had been in Barcelona for a few days so over dinner, we traded stories about our fall break adventures and prepared for the next part of our vacation. After dinner, we met up with some guys from our Florence program at IceBarcelona, the only Ice bar located on the beach in the entire
world. Walking into the bar, I was immediately handed thick gloves and a jacket that made me look like a giant silver marshmallow. Inside, we found nothing but ice... From the chairs to the bar to the glasses we drank out of, everything was ice and very. very. cold.. My favorite part was that the cartoon movie "Ice Age" was playing in the background. After about 15 minutes, I needed to escape this Winter Wonderland. As I clung tightly to a fire pit, we all talked for a couple minutes as well thawed out and then parted ways, returning to
our warm hotel room.

Casa Batllo

The next morning, Emily left for Sevilla and Cally and I enjoyed a delicious breakfast at Starbucks. After that, I went to Casa Batllo, the apartment re-designed by the famous architect, Antoni Gaudi. Inside, I was in awe of every single detail of the house which has no trace of a straight line, as the entire design was inspired by nature from the ocean to pre-historic animals. Gaudi's attention to detail, use of colors, and practicality (window hinges and banisters were designed in the shape of the human hand) were genius and I felt so lucky to be able to see his work in person. 

Dinosaur spine staircase

I wish I had this on my rooftop!

And this!

Gaudi used different hues of blue for the upper and lower tiles
in relation to their distance from the sun shining
through the sun-roof

After roaming the street , we came upon the Sagrada Familia, which is easily the biggest church I have ever seen and will being even bigger in 20 years (when construction is "supposed" to be finished). The church was designed by Gaudi (of course) about 100 years ago and work continues to be done on this impressive building that is unlike anything I have ever seen. The plans are so immense that it is rumored that the surrounding apartments may be knocked down to make room for the plan. Completing our Gauldi pilgrimage, Cally and I went to Park Guell, enjoying the unique structures, fountains, and mosaics while overlooking the city and Sagrada Familia.

Another apartment designed by Gaudi

La Sagrada Familia

Just two of the incredible designs found on Sagrada Familia

Cally & I sitting in Park Guell

Beautiful Mosaics

Tapas. The Spanish meal that is more like a food fiesta than an ordinary meal. The tapas menu includes just about anything you could ever want from fried calamari and caesar salad to mini hamburgers and
tortilla chips with guacamole to traditional dishes like papas fritas. We enjoyed tapas two nights in a row and made sure to try the whole spectrum of dishes, all of which were so delicious! 

Meeting up with my high school friend, Mallory, at her
favorite tapas restaurant. She is studying in Barcelona this
semester and loving every minute!

- The Dow Jones Bar -
where the drink market goes up & down and
then CRASHES every half hour

With Lindsay, a friend from USD, at Down Jones
She is also studying in Barcelona.

I was also fortunate enough to visit the Picasso Museum 
which had a special exhibit on Edgar Degas, one of my 
favorite artists. Seeing everything from his early training 
works to the Blue Period to his more abstract pieces, 
Picasso's paintings were incredible and definitely 
strengthened my appreciation for his work.
 

Degas' Little Dancer Aged Fourteen
The center-piece of the exhibit

Reflecting on my enjoyable time in Spain, I couldn't believe it was already time to pack up and head to CROATIA!!!

Fall break 2010 - 1st stop: MADRID!

Despite the fact that I may have the worst Spanish accent in the world and haven’t studied the language for 7 years, a little voice in the back of kept telling me to take a trip to Spain. I’m pretty sure that this was the voice of my best friend, Meghan, who is studying in Madrid and was kind enough to let me stay with her, her senora, and her senora’s parrot “Cuco”.

Traveling to Madrid was an experience in itself... from the 7AM train out of Florence, to the bus driver who instinctively knew I was flying EasyJet (a cheap airline often used by students), to searching the inner depths of my brain to find the minimal amounts of Spanish I still know, this trip was off to an adventurous start before I even met up with my friends.

Being the proud American that I am, the first stop I made when I got to this wonderful city was... Starbucks. Although I sound like any other nineteen-year-old coffee-addicted girl, I can not tell you how happy I was to find a little taste of home in my grande Mocha. I sat in the upstairs area of the Starbucks and observed the people as they walked by, trying to absorb the culture and realize that I was in Spain! Seeing Meghan walk towards me was such an exciting moment and after hearing more about her time in Madrid, I knew I was in for an exciting few days...

with Meghan & Ally

Churros con chocolate

Having heard mixed reviews about Madrid, I wasn’t expecting much, but I ended up loving every experience in this vibrant and crowded city. The hustle and bustle of Madrid was a bit overwhelming, but all of that couldn't take away from the beauty and serenity of Parque Ritiro. This massive park, complete with a Crystal Palace and 20 lbs ducks, was the perfect place to spend the afternoon with my amazing Theta sisters. Over a delicious lunch of bagguettes, chex mix, and sangria, we all caught up on life and about our semesters abroad. I never thought a park could make me so happy, but something between reuniting with my wonderful friends and sharing so many laughs while testing our

paddle-boat skills, I realized that I was absolutely in love with Ritiro!

Theta reunion in Ritiro! 

These ducks really need to work out

View from our paddle boat

        

Beautiful day in Madrid!

The next day, my highly-qualified tour guides, Meghan and Ally, took me all around the city. After nearly being run over by a police car going at 90 mph, we made our way past the Palace and Cathedral to Mercato San Miguel. Inside, we found everything from flowers to sushi to frozen yogurt to traditional Spanish tapas. Unfortunately though, we didn't get anything because we were on our way to a MEXICAN restaurant, where we found a little taste of San Diego in our chips & guacamole :)

The Palace

EVERYONE loves Mercato San Miguel...

and this is why... YUM

Kodak moment before braving the Kapital kraziness

To finish my time in Madrid on happy note, my friends  decided to take me to Kapital, a 7-story club.... yes, SEVEN stories.  I knew I was in for a crazy night and that my Kapital experience would be one of the most memorable parts of my fall break.  After waiting in a line of about fifty people to check out coats, it was time to dance. I was given a quick tour of the entire club, but then we headed back down to first floor - the techno floor.  With some of my best friends and other USD friends by my side, I quickly picked up on the Kapital energy and was ready to dance the night away... and dance the night away, we did. After numerous “ice showers” (surprise blasts of freezing cold air  and fog that fill the club) and too many techno songs to count, I started to get a little tired, only to realize that it was 6:00 AM.  I never thought in my wildest dreams that I would ever do such a thing, but I was so happy to be with my friends for one last night, that I didn’t even think about the time. Before you get too worried about us leaving a club at 6:00 AM, you should know that this is the 

exact time that the METRO opens up! Leaving the club at the 

perfect time, we caught the first METRO back to Meghan’s 

house and slept soundly until it was time to get up, head to the airport, 

and fly off to BARCELONA!

I Cibi di Firenze ~ The Food of Florence

When deciding where to study abroad, one of the major positives of
Italy was of course, the FOOD. Since I've been in Florence, I have
eaten so many incredible foods that have almost made up for the fact
that I can't have the frozen yogurt I love so much back home.

Gnocchi with prawns & pink sauc

There are so many things to appreciate about Florentine restaurants.
Although the service is typically not very good and the bread isn't
very tasty, the main dish is always delicious and not overly
expensive.. Every time I have gotten a pasta & seafood dish, it
definitely did not cost as much as it would in America. You would
think that pizza is just pizza BUT there is something about pizza in
Italy that puts me under a spell, telling me that I must eat the
entire thing. There are some very well known panini shops right near
campus that are the perfect stop between classes... There's nothing
better than an eggplant, marinara, and mozzarella panini before
heading to Ethics of Globalization! One restaurant, Il Principe, has
become a personal favorite of our's. The owner is an awesome Italian
guy who speaks to us in English but always encourages us to practice
speaking Italian. The place is a little reminiscent of an American
sandwich shop.. You can get any meat, on any bread, with any cheese
and veggies you want, and it comes with a generous serving of fries.
Or you can get a pizza or a massive salad. The first time we went, I
was offered bread with my salad and of course I said yes, expecting a
slice or two. But, much to my surprise and excitement, I was given a
big, delicious roll to enjoy. (I just went about two hours ago and our owner-friend was very happy to see us)

Then.... There's the gelato. While I miss my fro yo dearly, this
Italian staple is serving as an excellent substitute. The flavors are
endless and all equally delicious.. My favorite combination though
comes from the gelateria near school that gives A STUDENT DISCOUNT.
That favorite combination is white chocolate, cranberry, and regular
(or dark) chocolate.. You can always find me there on Tuesday
afternoons in between my Michelangelo, Caravaggio, & Bernini art
history class and International Terrorism.. It's the perfect half-way
snack between 5 hours of class. From the classics like Mint and
Fragola (Strawberry) to exciting flavors like Nutella and Tiramisu.. Every cup or
cone of gelato is de-li-cious!

One really cool thing about the school we attend is that is has
several different branches including a culinary arts program. The
classes would cost extra for us to take and don't give us any USD
credit, but we still benefit from what the culinary arts students are
learning. GANZO is the name of the student-run restaurant that we get
30 vouchers to through our program. Each day the menu is a little
different and all the dishes venture a little out of the norm. From
octopus salad to seabass to chocolate mousse, every thing is yummy and
its fun to run into classmates and recognize the faces of the waiters
and staff, as they are all students.

Talking about GANZO brings me to my next point... The Italian cultural
experience called Apertivo. It is something put on by many of the
restaurants here as a way for friends to meet up and eat a little
something after work and before heading home for dinner. "Apertivo"
comes from the word "aprire" which means "to open". So, this
in-between meal serves to open up the stomach and taste buds before
dinner time. It typically costs between 4 and 8 euro and includes a
drink and a small buffet of several dishes. Ganzo has an apertivo
every Wednesday and this past wednesday was my first time going. For 4
euros we were given a drink of choice and were then unleashed upon a
buffet of never-ending options. While apertivo isn't supposed to take
the place of dinner, it did in our case because the food was too good
to turn down.

Here's what they offered:
Couscous with vegetables
Rice balls
Bread with melted brie and walnuts
Fresh vegetables
Tempure fried vegetables
Mozzarella balls
Tortilla chips
Quesadillas with GUACAMOLE
Green beans
Proscuitto
Curry rice
Fruit skewers
A rice and caprese dish
Baby hashbrowns
... And probably some more dishes that I can't remember!

Needless to say, there was something for everyone and plenty to fill-up on.

Shopping at the grocery store, however, has been a little more of an
adventure. There are so many things in America that I'm used to eating
that just don't exist here. Skim milk and apple juice are
non-existent, cookie dough is no where to be found, and our cereal
options are very limited. It isn't surprising for the store to run out
Cherrios.... That is a problem that would probably never happen at
home. It is fun, though, to go to the farmer's market every weekend to
pick up fresh fruit and vegetables and stare at the endless supplies
and varieties of pasta, balsamic vinegar, and cheese. I now fully
understand why the Italians eat so well.

Attempting to cook with limited supplies & skills

After 2 trips to the grocery store & some risky experimentation,
we finally had some delicious home-made Nutella-Marshmallow Brownies to enjoy!

Good ol' American Menu 

Whenever we have a craving for American food, there are a few places to go for our fix. Mama's Bakery on the other side of the river serves
BAGELS with cream cheese, peanut butter, or nutella (I get the
everything bagel w/ sun-dried tomato cream chesse), sandwiches,
brownies, cupcakes, cookies, AMERICAN COFFEE, and more. "The Diner" serves omelettes, pancakes, hot chocolate, burgers, shakes, and other typical American dishes. The food isn't anything too special but it is a nice reminder of home!




Well, I guess if there's one thing I can talk about, it's food! I'm
sure that right about now you are saying "OK OK we get it! The food is
amazing!". I hope I haven't made you too hungry or jealous. If you are
jealous, go to Starbucks and drink a vanilla latte or go to
Yogurtland, and then I will be jealous of you!! If I figure out a way
to bring gelato home in my suitcase, I will bring enough for all of
you!

My Amalfi Coast weekend adventure!

Where to begin... How about we start with the 7 hour bus trip from

Florence to Sorrento. I don't know about you, but that was a lot of

bus time for me! We didn't get to go to bed at the Hotel Cavour

(hostel) until 2:30 AM and had to be up on a few hours later to begin

our adventure to Capri.

The fabulous Amalfi Coast 

Capri... One of those beautiful seaside towns that you've always heard about but might never actually see. It was so wonderful and I feel so lucky that I got to experience it with great friends. After a lot of walking, we finally made it down to the beach, passing white-walled almost Grecian looking shops and homes along the way. We had a great lunch overlooking the Mediterranean... A vegetable calzone & a sunny day at the beach, could life be any better? I think not. We also went on a ferry trip around the island and along the way we saw Moussolini's summer home, the homes of Sophia Loren and Julia Roberts, the "kissing arch", an incredible piece of rock in the form of the Virgin Mary, and the famous Blue Grotto. Then we went to lay out on the beach, but it wasn't like any regular California beach. This is beach didn't have sand, it has a shore full of stones to lay on. While it wasn't too comfortable, I still managed to fall asleep and woke up just in time for a free Limoncello tasting.. the Amalfi coast is famous for its lemons. After a not so sunny summer in California, it was so nice to enjoy the sun and a great time with friends.

The Kissing Arch

Beautiful Mediterranean water!

It's Mary!

The next day we went to Positano, another city I knew nothing about. After making the 20 minute trek from the bus, down countless flights of steps, we arrived at the beach and I knew it was going to be a relaxing day. I spent about 4 hours laying out, but left the beach for a while to get some gelato and explore. Cally, and I made our way through the streets full of nice jewelry shops and art galleries.

Ancient Amphitheater

And then, we went to Pompei and climbed to the top of Mt. Vesuvius!! I studied Latin all 4 years in high school and learned a lot about the history of Pompei, so this experience was very very exciting for me. We were taken on a tour and saw so many aspects of this ancient city - amphitheaters, bath houses, brothels, temples, and even snack bars (there were 85 in Pompei). We even saw the bodies of people who died in the massive eruption of Mt. Vesuvius. It was sad and unbelievable sight. 

The main "forum" of Pompei

The body of a man buried alive in the ash of Mt. Vesuvius 

One of many brothels in Pompei

Then, it was time to climb.. We were all asking ourselves and each other "What is
possessing us to climb to the top of an active volcano? What are we thinking?", but after getting over of unnecessary fears, we started to hike. It was an exhausting walk up the mountain, but it was so worth it. 

Vesuvius!

Almost to the top!

Thetas "kiting" the volcano

View from the mountain

On the way down, I slipped a few times but was very proud of myself for not falling down the side of the mountain, but.. I couldn't be proud of myself for long...... 

Thank you, bus driver, thank, thank you, bus driver (camp reference)

After making it alllll the way back to bus, I tripped on the road, scraping my knee. Thank goodness for our bus driver and his handy-dandy first-aid kit! After taking care of my wound, it was time to settle in for the long trip to Florence. I couldn't wait to be back in the city I am now calling home!