A Leisurely Wander & Tour

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

With no plans for this mid-February weekend, my friend Emily and I decided to wander. One can never wander enough and this beautiful city of Barcelona is never short of sights to see.

On my daily commute to school along Passeig (avenue) de Gràcia, I pass two of Antoni Gaudi’s great architectural works. So Saturday, we decided to take a closer look. Gaudi is the 20th century’s Catalan father of modernism architecture. Gaudi’s works are very distinct and individualistic and the majority are scattered throughout Barcelona. I live next door to the city’s most famous park, Parc Guell, designed by him. I’ve never seen anything like it and photos will be up soon. I also plan on visiting La Sagrada Familia, a large Catholic Church that he died while in the process of designing.

Below is Gaudi’s Casa Batlló built in 1877; from the outside the façade looks like it has been made from skulls and bones. The “skulls” are balconies and the “bones” are supporting pillars.

Below is Gaudi’s Casa Mila (La Pedrera), constructed between 1905-1910. Architecturally it’s considered an innovative work for its steel structure and walls- the façade is self-supporting.

After strolling Passeig de Gràcia, we decided to finish the day exploring my neighborhood. Below are photos of my beautiful home-stay here in Barcelona.

I was having problems with my pervious Senora (she wasn’t exactly kind or warm…) and was placed with another girl from my program, Stephanie, in a new home-stay. I now live in a beautiful HOUSE (a rarity in Barcelona) on the outskirts of the city. Though the commute is long, a bus ride and 2 metro rides to class every morning, it is more than worth it here! Two sisters in their 60s, Teti and Carmen, have been hosting students from all over the world for nearly 30 years (Teti has been an avid yogi for nearly as long!). They are so bubbly, warm, and genuinely caring- I couldn’t be any happier. Along with Stephanie, I live with a girl from Chicago, a girl from France, and cute little dog named Chati. They feed us great, and maybe most impressive, I now wake up to one of the best views around of this beautiful city!

The view from the terrance off of my bedroom- absolutely stunning. Such a lucky girl!

My house is situated between Parc Guell and Carmel, another park with trails and great views of the city.

El Campo de Futbol de Carmel, a futbol field literally in my backyard:

When a Town Becomes a Stage: Carnival in Sitges, Spain

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

Last night 5 of us dawned makeup, glitter, and masks and headed to the nearby beach town of Sitges to experience the spirit of Carnival! Sitges is a town about 25miles south of Barcelona and is home to one of the most popular European celebrations of Carnival. Carnival celebrates the last week before the season of Lent. Lent is a Catholic tradition of abstaining from meat, alcohol, and other things for 40days and living more simply before Easter. The biggest celebrations take place on Sunday, Rua de la Disbauxa (Debauchery Parade) and Tuesday, Rua de l’Extermini, (Extermination Parade)- each with nearly 40floats with more than 2,000 participants and 300,000 visitors! It didn’t take us long to realize Sitges is also a popular destination for gay and lesbians and is one of the most gay-friendly places in the world.

It was a loud, late night but super fun. The vibe was so friendly but also surprisingly peaceful given how many people were packed in the small town. I’d never experienced anything like it and if given the chance to go again, I will definitely participate more- I was underdressed for sure. Below are just a fraction of some of the crazy party-goers we came across, all of which warmly welcomed photos!

Hostel Hoppin’: Lisbon, Portugal!

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

The first weekend of February, 4 of my friends and I went on our first trip of the semester: Lisbon (Lisboa in Portuguese), Portugal! We left Friday morning at the crack of dawn and arrived an hour and half later in the capital. No longer along the Mediterranean, we were now next to the Atlantic and in a time zone one hour closer to home!

After arriving bright & early and taking an early morning nap, we headed off to lunch in the city center. We ate at a swanky restaurant in the plaza called Aura and got the always-economical Menu del Dia- soup, pork, dessert, and Sagre- Portuguese beer. Two and a half hours later (yes, lunch in Europe is no quick feat), we headed to Cascais beach via a 25minute train ride.

Cascais Beach:

On Saturday, we got right to business and visited the 3 main historical sites located in the nearby district of Belem: Jeronimos Monastery, Discoveries Monument, and the Belem Tower. Throughout the day we met some great people. More than the sites, I will remember how kind and happy the majority of the Portuguese people were and who helped us along our way!

Jeronimos Monastery:

Our walk between the monastery and the other historical sites proved to be entertaining. What began as us being innocent bystanders to a german shepherd obedience school, ended with a few of us participating in impromptu dog tricks. “Ladies, put your head down, cover your face, and don’t cry!” -Very random & very memorable in Portugal!

Discoveries Monument- Dedicated to the Portuguese explorers:

Tower of Belem:

After returning back to the city center, we decided we wanted to watch the sunset from a high viewpoint. I stopped to ask this older man for direction to the Castle of Sao Jorge and he insisted on tagging along for the rest of the hike. Even with the language barrier, he was so kind and helpful! He even showed us a short cut to the uphill climb through the city: up 5 stories in a super market elevator that landed us on top of a restaurant! When posing for the photo, he joked about pretending to be an American with us. An awesome encounter indeed.

January in Barcelona (4)

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

This week, my art class walked to the Museu Nacional d’Art de Catalunya situated atop Montjuïc, one of the two highest hilltops in Barcelona. Not only was it awesome to see original pieces from the 20th century artists we’ve been studying, the views of the city were immaculate.

We saw beautiful paintings from the Romantic, Realist, and Impressionist periods.

A Ramon Casas work: One of Barcelona’s most famous artists and one of the Els Quatre Gats (Four Cats).
As a mentor of young Picasso, he lead the Catalan art movement known as modernisme.

Snapshot from my walk home. It’s rare to find the Spanish flag here except on government buildings. The “state” of Catalonia’s independence movement is everywhere; the people’s pride and persistence is inspiring.

After the field trip, I decided to go for a run. It was gorgeous. And weird at the same time. Mostly because I’m used to the most miserable NW January runs! Needless to say, the 20minute metro ride to the beach is beyond worth it.

January in Barcelona (3)

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

This weekend, our program took us on a quick trip to the city of Zaragoza in the neighboring autonomous region (state), Aragon. When pronounced with the proper Spanish lisp, Zaragoza is pronounced “Saragoss-tha” and is the fifth largest city in the country. The city seemed so quaint and small though compared to bustling Barcelona; the peace was refreshing! The city is known for a few awesome historical UNESCO world heritage landmarks that we visited: Basílica del Pilar, La Seo Cathedral, and the Aljafería Palace.

The churches were awe-inspiring. Unfortunately, cameras aren’t allowed inside to preserve the original colors and finishes from the flashes. Wish I had photos to show since they were so beautiful but I do have some great photos of the Islamic palace!

Below is the Basílica del Pilar venerates Mary, under her title Our Lady of the Pillar, praised as Mother of the Hispanic Peoples by Pope John Paul II. It is thought to be the first church dedicated to Mary in history.

Below is Aljafería Palace; a medieval Islamic palace built during the 11th century. The palace is important because it is the only preserved building of Spanish Islamic architecture.

January in Barcelona (2)

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

The first week of class was a success! All students only have class Monday-Thursday which is nice; I have plenty of time to explore the city or travel during the weekend. I’m enrolled in three culture classes and one Spanish language course.

I’m taking a sports & society class which examines the sociological, anthropological, and cultural influences on a region’s (in this case, Catalonia and Spanish) sports. Although futbol (soccer) dominates Spanish sports, as it does throughout Europe, I’m looking forward to learning more about other culturally important sports like bullfighting. I’m also taking a 20th-century art history class with a focus on Miro, Dali, and Picasso- all with Spanish ties. It’s proving to be more interesting than I initially thought and I’m looking forward to the field trips! Lastly, I’m taking a Spanish civilization and culture class that goes into detail about the historic importance of the Iberia Peninsula and how the various invasions have shaped the culture of the region today.

Below are just some photos I snapped throughout the week.

January in Barcelona (1)

Posted on March 10, 2013 by pricemv

The first week in Barcelona was a whirlwind of new friends, places, and foods.

The program staff is fantastic at Barcelona International College (BIC). All are young and bilingual and eager to answer all of common sense questions like how to get around via the metro and where to get a local phone but also give us the scoop on good restaurants and gym memberships. Wednesday they took us on a beautiful hike along one of Barcelona’s 2 mountains (small by NW standards), Tibidado. The weather here is beautiful- nearly always sunny, low 60s during the day. After the hour-long walk, we enjoyed an authentic Spanish lunch that includes calcots (sort of like a sweet onion), pan con tomate (bread brushed with tomato, garlic, salt, & olive oil), lamb, and tiramisu. Most lunches here include 3 courses and one never leaves hungry after!

Later that evening, a big group of us caught a FC Barcelona futbol game. Though their opponent, Cordoba, made for an easy Barca win (4-0), experiencing the futbol culture and watching arguably the best team in the world play live was amazing. Hope to catch another one before I leave!

The program also took us on a day trip to Girona, a beautiful little city about an hour and a half north of Barcelona and an hour from the south of France. We were given a guided tour of the city and had lunch at a Catalan restaurant. The Catalan language is so tricky to comprehend, as it seems like a mix of Spanish and French. Luckily we had a menu translation! My first course was a macaroni plate, my second was similar to Shepherds Pie in the United States, and for the third I had a traditional regional dessert known as miel y mato (honey and fresh cheese). The cheese was in-between the milk and cheese stages, so almost like a cottage cheese consistency that was dipped in honey. Surprisingly so delicious.

From Girona, we then drove another 30 minutes north to the city of Gerona (very similar name!) to visit the Salvador Dalí Theatre and Museum. Not usually a museum enthusiast but this place was CRAZY. He was crazy. He actually bought and converted an old Roman era theater and designed the museum himself (he’s even buried underneath!). In addition to Dalí paintings from all decades of his career, there are sculptures, 3-dimensional collages, mechanical devices, a living-room with custom furniture that looks like the face of Mae West when viewed from a certain spot, and other curiosities from Dalí’s imagination. Truly incredible.

Pre-Barcelona Departure

Posted on December 27, 2012 by pricemv

In one week, I depart from Portland to the east coast. Wow, has this winter break flown by! Instead of flying directly from the west coast to Europe, I decided it would be more manageable to break the flight up. I’ll be visiting my family in New York for 3 days before departing for Barcelona, Spain. I like this idea for many reasons; it shortens the travel time and I have the opportunity to ease my way into the trip!

After months of preparation, the time is nearing for the biggest adventure of my life so far! Though my family is very supportive, I will be honest in saying the trip is not coming at a perfect time. My dad is pretty ill and leaving him will be very difficult. After many hard conversations, encouragement from my family & friends, and my own longing to travel to Europe- I have become less apprehensive about the trip and more excited.

For Christmas, my mom gave me a Lonely Planet guide book to the city of Barcelona. After reading all of the exciting reviews of the numerous restaurants, museums, markets, and day trips… Everything is becoming more real and the possibilities for my 4-month adventure are endless. I am living in an awesome neighborhood in the city center, merely a block away from my university, the beach, and in the heart of all of the action. I’m looking forward to meeting my roommate, Bryn, who is from Portland, ME (funny, huh?). We are living with an elderly host mom, Estela, is an apartment with her perro (dog). I look forward to meeting them & becoming acquainted with the city.

With years of Spanish language and culture classes, I’m very excited to experience the Spanish lifestyle first-hand. I’m anticipating some culture shock, and I imagine I will be a little hesitant and overwhelmed initially. However, one of my main goals is to really immerse myself in the experience by putting my Spanish to use (even though I’ve heard many Spaniards would rather practice their English with you if given the chance!). So after the initial adjustment, I fully intend to come out of my comfort zone and demonstrate the old saying “Practice makes perfect” in regards to my Spanish.

If there is one larger goal for my excursion to Barcelona, I would say it rests on the hope that I take full advantage of all of the culture has to offer. I want to visit sites I normally would not be interested in and try foods I typically shy away from at home i.e. seafood! I want to return home in 4 months knowing I took part in all the opportunities presented to me.

Katy

When in Rome…

Posted on November 13, 2012 by pricemv

: Eating some delicious chocolate and banana gelato!

The distinguished pyramid that let us know we were close to our hotel.

: The Famous Colosseum

: Part of the ruins in the Roman Forum and the city around it.

: The Pantheon.

: Trevi Fountain

: The river that passes through Rome at night.

: Night life along the river.

: Eating dinner on the riverside.

: St. Paul’s Cathedral

: Fruit candy.

: Famous Italian Pizza!

: The Spanish Steps.

: View from the top of the Spanish Steps.

: In one of Rome’s beautiful parks.

: I’m not sure what this thing was but it looked cool and it was in Vatican city.

: The famous paintings by Michelangelo

: The Creation of Man

: A perfect example of Europe’s small vehicles.

Home Sweet Home

Posted on November 13, 2012 by pricemv

: A picture of Mt. Hood from my flight, I’m home!

Post for August 12, 2012

I have now been back home for about two days. I still feel like I have lived an amazing dream. Things still seem surreal. Upon arriving home I felt a sense of relief. I think that may be because I felt safe and happy that everything during my entire trip went well. It was a huge difference as to when I arrived to my homestay in Barcelona because there everything was unfamiliar and new. I approached things with caution. Here I know and am comfortable with most things already that I felt a bit more at ease. That’s not to say that I didn’t like being in Barcelona though. There’s a few things I miss about it. I miss going out with the friends I made there and just exploring different parts of Barcelona or trying new foods. I miss interacting with my host family. I miss the beach and how exotic/interesting everything seemed in my eyes. I also really miss the random kindness I got to enjoy from strangers I would just talk to sometimes on the streets.

I am happy to be home though. Especially now that my brother and my mom have returned from their trip to Mexico. I feel more at home and like I truly belong. I love being able to use the kitchen and make whatever I feel like eating. I also appreciate all the commodities we have here like a fully functional washer and dryer, and consistent warm water with good pressure in the shower. I love finding it easier to relate to my family here.

The following photos are what I hope will convey how I feel being home again.

: Happy to be with my family celebrating my brother’s 15th birthday.

I chose to include this picture because we don’t often take pictures together and it makes me happy to see this and know that I have a family of my own to love and be a part of.

: Beautiful Oregon

I chose this photo that I took on the road from Monmouth to Salem because it shows a little bit of Oregon’s beauty with the sunset lighting and the tall trees. I think this picture carries meaning not just because it’s of the road I commonly drive on to get from home to school but because there’s a road that lies ahead and much of Oregon I have yet to see. I am happy to be back and while I was in Spain I realized that I don’t have to go far away to see new things. There’s so much of Oregon that I have never seen or even made the effort to explore and that is why one of my new goals is to set out to explore more of Oregon when I have free time.

Sincerely,

Jose

WOU Students Abroad

Category Archives: Spain

A Leisurely Wander & Tour

When a Town Becomes a Stage: Carnival in Sitges, Spain

Hostel Hoppin’: Lisbon, Portugal!

January in Barcelona (4)

January in Barcelona (3)

January in Barcelona (2)

January in Barcelona (1)

Pre-Barcelona Departure

When in Rome…

Home Sweet Home