London! Cheerio!

A long overdue recap of my london adventure...

'bout that time eh chap?...righto.

So we flew Monarch to London which is a british airline so all of their announcements were in a british accent and I giggled happily the entire flight. Especially when we deplaned and the flight attendant literally said "cheerio!"

We had to take the train into the city from the airport anyway so our absolute first stop in London was King's Cross station where Harry Potter's wizarding life began. Now I understand why in the end of the last book when Harry is inbetween life and death and Dumbledore asks, "where do you think we are?" Harry answers, "It looks like King's Cross... only cleaner..."The station was all construction and debris but thats the way it goes right? Magic can only be found in the most inconspicuous places by those who have enough sense to look for it there. Anyways, like Harry, we couldn't find the platform 9 and 3/4 either and so (favorite part of the trip) I got to actually ask a construction worker, "where is platform 9 and 3/4?" His hard facial expression broke into a reluctant smile at the look of pure glee on my face and he led us there while i skipped along behind him.

By the time our kings cross adventure was over and we had made it to the hostel to check in and put our stuff down and taken the tube to the river it was dark out. We were all trying to hide our disappointment at having missed an entire day of sunlight in London stuck in the line at customs and on various forms of public transportation.. until we saw how beautiful the city looked at night. We walked along the river across the London bridge, the Tower bridge, the Millenium bridge and past Shakespeare's globe theatre and St. Paul's Cathedral

By the way, I dont know if you guys have ever wondered if since people in the UK drive on the left side of the road if they walk on the other side of the sidewalk as well. Well, I learned the answer to this question when an unyielding business woman ran right into me as i clung to the right side wall in the subway station and proceeded to topple right over the suitcase she was wheeling behind her. Welcome to London, they walk on the left side too. After living in spain for a month we experienced another culture shock while walking around the city... As we sauntered across the bridge people were positively tearing past us. At one point we wanted to ask someone to take a picture of all of us and I must have asked at least 5 different people as they ran by. Some just said "sorry" and kept walking, some said "in a rush", some straight up said "no" and some only glanced at us. We were actually so shocked by their rush that we literally looked at each other scared and thought that the city was under attack by some evil forces. Honestly. We went to the train station and asked the information desk why everyone was in such a rush and he looked at us like the stupid americans we are and replied that they were headed home from work..

The next day was one of the most jam-packed days i have ever experienced. We did more in this one day than some people do in a week. We woke up early had tea and crumpets for breakfast and then headed out and proceeded to walk an hour in the wrong direction before we finally gave in and bought a tube pass for the day. We went to hyde park and walked along serpentine lake, saw buckingham palace and the changing of the guards, walked through (i think) St. Michaels park, saw Big Ben and Westminster Palace...

...Continued on to Trafalgar square where we stopped for lunch and then on to the Tower of London. The tower of london was amazing, we didnt go in because it was near closing time and the admission fee was a little high but we walked all around the castle and the museum which told us about all the crown jewels that are stored inside, along with armour from old kings, and even a small blurb about how this was the place that many "traitors" to the king were executed, including Ann Boleyn! We then walked by the Charles Dickens restaurant and hotel which was so charming, absolutely recommended, and my possible wedding location. After that, (yes this day is still going) we went to Harrods which is almost unexplainable. A department store on steriods. They sell pianos, 22000 dollar shirts, puppies, carousels, and everything inbetween. On the bottom floor they have a food market and a chocolate section where I had the best chocolate of my life to date. The whole time I was inside this "store" I felt like I had walked into some sort of mixture between Alice's Wonderland and Willy Wonka's chocolate factory.

When we left Harrod's it had begun to snow and looked beautiful outside with all the lights! We got fish and chips for the second night in a row (delish) if you have never had them it is not just fish sticks its literally an entire fish that has been fried and plopped on your plate for your devouring pleasure. After that we settled into a cozy english pub with a cup of baileys and hot chocolate while the snow continued to come down. We had decided to stay up until 3 when we would have to leave for the airport for our 6am flight and as if that wasnt bad enough... our taxi never showed up at 3am while we waited in the accumulating snow.. As my phone was out of minutes, Hilary's had turned off and she didnt know the code to turn it back on, and Alyssa's had died (of course).. we had to run back to the hostel looking absolutely ridiculous as our movement was significantly hindered by our 7 layers of clothing and our giant backpacks. We used the wifi and the hostel's phone to call every cab company's number on google only to receive no answer or the reply that they had closed because of the snow. We were now in great danger of missing our flight that was apparently still on time according to the airline and so in a last ditch effort i navigated to the second page of google (nobody checks google's second page of results) and we tried one last number. The cab company picked up and told us that they would be right there. We cut a line of about 200 people to check in and ran through security (movement still limited by gross amounts of clothing and luggage) and made our flight by about 4 minutes. Our flight then sat on the runway for approximately 2 hours and we returned to our apartment at 2pm the next day where I fell asleep til 10pm


you can look at all my london pictures by copying this link into your browser:

https://picasaweb.google.com/105431112873705184992/London?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCKHLwYmGwdiD8QE&feat=directlink

and please do! because it takes me about 2 hours to upload those things with this spanish internet we got going over here

Snow Day

Hi:) I'm blogging from bed wrapped in my fluffy comforter with a smirk on my face. Today it rained a little and then it got a little cold and there was a sort of wintry mix situation going on for approximately 20 minutes. Then it cleared up and the sun came out. Shortly after I received an email that all Classes were canceled due to the snow storm. Hence, the cuddling and the smirk.

There's too much to tell you guys! Let's see.. Last night I went salsa dancing! There's a little bar tucked away down like five deserted alleys that is like another world. We walked down dark and dreary streets in the rain and absolute silence (because Catalans hide when it rains) and then we found the bar and it was all orange and yellow with the happiest Latin jams bumping. It's so tiny and awesome. There's a little loft with tables but it's literally like willy wonka because you walk up the stairs and it feels like the rooms shrinking (cause it is) and although all 5'2 of me were pretty comfortable everyone else's head was touching the ceiling. There was a happy hour and then a Cuban man wearing white pants and a white vest with no shirt came up and said "vamos chicass!!!" and brought us down stairs and taught us how to salsa dance. He danced in front of us and we copied his moves and he would give us instructions like "arriba!!" "abajo!!" "adelante!" "atras!" and we would all copy him and say it too and clap to the rhythm.

I could not make this stuff up. It. was. awesome.

Also GUESS WHAT..

I'm going to London tomorrow!!! First trip and I could not be happier. Weee were going until Sunday and I'm ecstatic. I'm gonna go to kings cross and runn into the wall with a shopping cart.. So if you don't see me for a few months don't worry I'm studying at the school of witchcraft and wizardry. Don't try to find me, the castle is unplottable (muggles like you can't find it on a map and every time u get close to it you remember something urgent you had to do and you run off:))


Adios for now! I'll fill you in on London ASAP


Xo

Not Irish Enough

so, last night i had an irish friend from Chelmsford and his two friends from Dublin come and stay the night. Today I spent the entire day trying to recover and not toss my cookies all over my roommate.

worst. hangover. ever.

I absolutely did not inherit irish drinking abilities. Oh gosh it was terrible I'm getting sick just telling you guys. This morning I woke up feeling alright which I realized about an hour later was because I was definitely still under the influence. I ate a chocolate bar for breakfast and stained by white tee shirt with a million little rain drops of chocolate and then I thought I just needed a coffee and a giant croissant to get my day going.

It was like my last supper. The croissant was covered in this sickeningly sweet (literally) sugar glaze and as soon as I stood up from that fateful meal I knew I was doomed. I really thought I was gonna toss my cookies all over las ramblas. I told hilary (my roommate) we needed to get a baguette and orange juice immediately and so we stumbled around while I gagged multiple times looking for a store open on sunday that had nothing sugary in it whatsoever because every time i saw chocolate and/or candy I had to cover my eyes.

We finally found the two necessities and I collapsed on our balcony moaning that there was "Not enough air".

I spent approximately an hour laying on the balcony (in a small puddle of the champagne we popped there the night before) scared to move and then I retreated to the bed where I recovered for approximately 5 hours with the help of facebook, pinterest, and Midnight in Paris (great movie.. immediately started looking at flights for paris). I had to resort to the internet because there was no way I was getting any sleep. I couldnt sleep because the music that wafts in our balcony that was once dreamy, magical, and serenading was an extremely loud opera singer today who's lungs I wanted to rip out of his throat.

Feels like a sin to have wasted a day in Barcelona in this state... Lets hope I dont become friends with too many Irish people. All I could think of today was "I dont want it. I dont want it." from the Family Guy episode when Stewie is trying not to puke.

HOWEVER... Friday I was very productive! I hiked in the mountains all day and it was sooo beautiful and quiet I felt like I was in a totally different country and I got some great pics that I will add to my site but heres some

Overall though, not one of my more thought out plans... I hiked up one mountain and from the top saw a beautiful castle looking thing on a nearby mountain that I simply had to see. So, I hiked all the way to that and then realized I was miles from where I started, had no clue how to get back, and was crazy lejos (far) from any public transportation. I ended up wandering a winding highway type road through little villages for about an hour or two until I finally found a very distant train station similar to our commuter rail in relation to the metro or the T. All's well that ends well eh?

ahhh que mas? Well.. i dont know if i told you guys this but Spain doesnt have dryer's? or they are extremely rare. So laundry is hung out to dry on the lines off our back porch. All landry. Bras, underwear, everything.. However, they neglected to give us any clothes pins and there just so happens to be a a restaurant directly under our balconies and I have a terrible fear that if the wind gets higher than 5 mph someone is going to get my thong in their soup.


thats all for now!

adios

Start of Classes

Holaaaaaa!

classes start tomorrow... I apparently failed my placement test because I got placed in absurdly low level.  Im hoping to move up to where i belong but i have mixed feelings about that because the higher level is 520 to 740 monday through thursday which seriously cramps my style.

speaking of my style.. experiencing terrible bouts of buyers remorse. I feel like a five year old in my new green coat and the purse that i bought because i "needed" it looks disgusting in pictures. And I dont think i can return it... 1. because i dont know where the tag is and 2. because i dont remember how to say that in spanish

so far my showers have been hot! so thats good... and i cant say enough how much i love the area i live in. I live right across from the barcelona cathedral..

(thats the balcony in my bedroom)

and right in the middle of what seems like a million little shops/cafes/restaurants/souveneir shops/markets/grocers... I've been spending most of my days just literally wandering and finding new things... its funny because i cant get used to the hours of operation here. it seems like every little store is on its completely own schedule. It makes it interesting though because it feels like im walking down a different alley every time when the shops i saw before are closed and shops ive never seen are open!

we also went to two parks this week.. the cuitadella which is absolutely beautiful and a great place for running because the paths are dirt and theres a stunning building that looks like juliet used to live there

i fell in love with this park because of its running potential and the fact that there was little pups running around everywhere

OH and the dogs in barcelona are a complete mystery to me. There is some very strange relationship between dog and owner... either the dogs are unfailingly obedient or else they are just running rampant in the streets... a few times now i have seen pups just jaunting along all on their own looking like theyre headed out to run an errand and i cant tell if they are following that person i just passed, or maybe that bike that just rode by? or if they really are just completely on their own agenda..

the other park we went to is called parc guell it was constucted by Gaudi and he actually lived there for 20 years. Ive never been anywhere or heard of anything like this park. It is on a steep incline and there are plenty of recreational paths.. its beautiful and stunning and modern and contemporary as much as it is a relic and gothic and a little piece of the shire... the mosaic work on the walls and the benches is overwhelmingly amazing and the best part about it is that it offers some of the most beautiful panoramic views of the entire city, the ocean, and the mountains...

i cant wait to take any visitors to this place you will immediately fall in love!

hmm what else... I went for an accidentally kind of long run today which is great for me because i have a new found addiction to croissants (thanks europe -__-) and i got to see the beginning of the sun set on the beach... you can run so far along the coast line its suchh a pretty sight

so, our internet is terrible... i have been trying to upload pictures for approximately 3 days and I'm still not done but i have abandoned my shutterfly attempts because they keep rejecting half of my photos so im now using the following website to share my pics with you (disregard the previous link posted):

go visit my site now and see the rest of my pics! :) ill try to get them all uploaded by tomorrow night

https://picasaweb.google.com/105431112873705184992?authkey=Gv1sRgCKipmMuA-YbLHw

5. Go to Spain

Hola!

Just crossed off number 5 on my life list: Go to Spain.

I am here!! its amazing.. so far with the jet lag it just feels like a really long dream that im having. this idea is fueled by the appearance of my beautiful apartment with all white walls, three balconys (including on in my room) with flowing white curtains that let in the sun and the barcelona breeze as well as the soft sound of the acoustic guitars playing on the street. Feels so surreal. Heres a video for you to experience it:

The time change is seriously inconvenient for my blogging! i need to get in a routine but lately i have been wandering the streets/in meetings all day until you guys wake up and then i siesta, of course, and then i have to get ready to go out on the town!

also im completely overwhelmed with experiences and stories that i am at a loss for words! need to organize my thoughts better

so ill just rattle off a few key things:

it took me 20 minutes to turn on the light in the hotel before i realized that you needed to put the room card in some hidden slot

wine is cheaper than water

we called our landlord with 5 problems (the kitchen light didnt work, the shower wouldnt turn off, the toilet wouldnt flush, the keys wont turn) and it turned out that the only problem was we are idiots (we didnt wait long enough for the light to turn on, we were turning the faucet the wrong way, the toilet flush was hanging from the ceiling not on the back of the seat, and we werent turning the key far enough) and because im one of the best at speaking the language i had to communicate all these "problems" my roommates told me to ask to the landlord and now he thinks im the biggest american idiot ever

my doormans name is santiago, he is the friendliest man in the world and doesnt speak a word of english and i love him

there is a flea market outside my apartment every thursday with the funnest stuff!

we found a 100% organic bakery that has been there since the 1700's and is so so so charming and im going to spend all my euros there

we went to a beautiful park a 10 minute walk from our apartment that will be where i run, prettiest thing in the world.. will add pics ASAP

i am on an extremely aggressive search for camel colored riding boots (a necessity mom).. cant find the perfect ones for the perfect price! found some awesome ones that are made in spain but theyre 80 euro:(


note to self: sauteed veggies in spain come with ham in them

and im the worst photographer ever. i can never recognize a good photo opportunity its gonna take some serious getting used to

and of course as soon as i get to spain the rebajas start (sales). its a huge event over here they only take place twice a year.. now til january and then in the summer. everything is on sale and i want to buy EVERYTHING. already bought an awesome teal shirt for ali (truth: bought it for me but she can have it later)

i have a feeling that i am going to single handedly restore spains economy with my consumer dollars.

here are my pictures i put them on shutterfly:

http://bcnpics.shutterfly.com/.


adios!!

xoxo