Sorry it has been so long since my last post! We were all on a class field trip from the 13th-25th this month so i havnt been around much! The weekend before we left, i went to Berlin---but to spare myself arthritis, i will just skip to the big trip.
CYPRUS Tuesday 13th-Saturday 17th
We flew out of Brussels to Cyprus, and landed in a tropical paradise. Maybe that is a bit of an exaggeration, but the weather was still beautiful. I unfortunatley had woken up with a cold that morning, and our late arrival put me and some friends in the mood for room service and bad television.
The next day, we got up with the intentions of checking out the beach, but when we went downstairs we found alot of our classmates telling us that it was muddy and gross, so we decided to lay by the pool instead. The water was way to cold to swim in, but sun-bathing was definitley a good choice. A bunch of us did that for most of the day, and it was so relaxing and such a change to finally see the sun! That night a bunch of us went out for dinner at a traditional Greek place across the street from our hotel---it was mediocre, but still filling.
The next day it was back to the educational stuff. We started out the day in the "green zone" which is the UN run buffer zone between South and North Cyprus. We were going to a UN Peace Initiative center which was in the buffer zone in Nicosia, the capital city. It was an absolute ghost town. There was abandoned homes, and even an abandoned airport left from the Turkish invasion in 1974. It was really eerie. After that lecture, we went to the Greek Cypriot Foreign Ministry to hear their side of the story. It was obviously a very biased view of the conflict, but it is worth hearing both sides. After that lecture we checked out downtown Nicosia, had lunch and then all headed back to our town, Limassol in the South. That night we all hung out together and a few of us went down to the beach around midnight and went swimming in the mediteranean...one of the best experiences of my life.
The next day it was time to hear the other side of the story. A greek driver took us to Nicosia, where we were dropped off and had to walk over the Turkish Cypriot Border. Were were given a removable stamp for our passport so that the Greeks wouldnt give us any trouble as to why we went there. After exploring the downtown of the Turkish side of Nicosia, a Turkish driver picked us up to take us to the Turkish Cypriot Foreign Ministry, where we heard a totally opposite biased side of the story, a left with a bag full of propoganda goodies oh yay! It was our last night in Cyprus, so after a nice dinner we spent some time by the pool and on our balconies taking in the last few breaths of nice weather we would have for a longggg time.
BUDPEST Saturday-Monday
Saturday afternoon we left Cyprus (after hitting up a pretty cool Cypriot market by the hotel) and landed in Vienna, where our usual driver Alex picked us up to drive to Hungary. For some reason we all thought it was a ridiculously long drive, so we were pleasantly surprised to be there in 4 hours. Budapest was beautiful at night with so many buildings surrounding the Danube lit up. It reminded me alot of Prague and was a really nice city to be in. We explored the main pedestrain street for dinner, where we found a really cozy wine bar/restaurant in the cellar of a building. It was so late by the time we were finished, and we were all so exhausted from the day of travelling that we hit the hay pretty early.
The next day, i went to the Terror Haza or House of Terror Museum. It is an old building, converted to a museum that was the headquarters for the Nazis and Soviets in Hungary. It was a really interesting museum--but very eerie---especially the reconstructed Soviet torture/prison cells in the basement. Afterwards we tried to do a bit of shopping, especially at a market that Jerry recommended to us. But unfortunatley, we neglected to notice it was Sunday, so shopping was a bit limited. I had considered going to the Turkish baths, which alot of people did...but my fear of germs/hair and not-so-bathing suit body made me realize communal bathing just wasnt for me. Instead i went to the "Buda" side of the river, and went and saw the Royal Palace. Afterwards, I tried to go to St. Steven's Cathedral, where there is a relic of St. Steve himself ---his shriveled old hand. However, when i made it to the building it was closed (shocking for a Sunday right?)...it wasnt until later that i discovered i had actually gone to the PARLIAMENT building...which looks alot like a church in my defense, but which explains why the guards were such assholes when i asked why the church was closed. We went back to the hotel to warm up for a bit, since it was a gross rainy day. Afterwards, a bunch of us went out to dinner together to a traditional hungarian place. I however, didnt want to convert more money, so i skipped the gulasch and went for something cheaper. Everything in Budapest closed pretty early, especially on Sunday so there wasnt much to do after dinner. We all just hung out at the hotel for a while, and goofed off there.
BELGRADE, SERBIA Monday-Wednesday
The next day we departed from Budapest to drive to Belgrade. It was a verrrryyy long bus ride, and when we finally arrived in the city the weather was gross. It was sad to see alot of the destruction that was left over from the NATO airstrikes that had just never been repaired. That night, Jerry had arranged for us to have a traditional serbian meal...which turned out to be Chicken and french fries (a meal that would haunt us for the rest of the trip).
We had class the next day at the Serbian Foreign Ministry...a great honor considering we were dropping bombs on them as little as 8 years ago, and are currently trying to tear apart their country. It was really interesting and they made some really good points in their defense...they are always made out to be the bad guys of the balkan wars and they certainly did enough damage, but it was good to hear their side of the story also. We had a tour of the city in the afternoon with the RIDICULOUS woman who was hilarious. She kept singing to us, blurted out the most pointless information and started AND finished each sentence with "here in the belgrade..." It was entertaining to say the least. We drove past Slobodan Milosevic's old house (which was caved in from a bomb.), saw the 3rd largest orthodox church in the world (which has never been completed), and many more random things that i will never remember except in the sense that they point out the ridiculously that is Serbia. That night there was more roomservice (it is just so easy).
SARAJEVO, BOSNIA-HERZOGOVINA Wednesday-Friday
The next day we took the long journey to Sarajevo. It was one of the most eerie, but thought provoking drives i have ever been on. After crossing the border from Croatia into Bosnia, there were miles and miles of burnt out homes, deserted towns, just sheer depression. This was all in the "Republica Serbska" and the homes were that of Croats or Bosniacs who were forced out and never bothered to go back. It was a beautiful country--the Balkan mountains, the rivers...but it was hard to look at them without wondering how many people died in that very spot, how many mass graves are still unfound. We passed dozens of mine-fields, that are still being excavated. I have never really thought of it this way, but we are truly SO lucky to live in such a civil society. Could you ever imagine seeing those things in America? No. But this is what this region of the world has dealt with since the fall of Yugoslavia. When we arrived in Sarajevo, the fog was so thick that you could hardly see your hand in front of you. A group of us followed Jerry to the "old town" area to check it out. We saw some beautiful mosques along the way, and stopped at the marketplace which was twice bombed by Serbs--killing dozens of civilians each time. We went down to the Turkish Quarter of town which had lots of neat shops and stuff, and saw the bridge were the Archduke Franz Ferdinand was shot by Gavrilo Princip, "the shot heard round the world" they say...starting WWI. We were let loose to explore a bit, but unfortunatley most of the shops were closing, so we had dinner and headed back to the hotel. Our hotel was a Holiday Inn that was build for the Olympics held in Sarajevo, and it was severely damaged during the war, however everything was repaired.
The next day (Thanksgiving) was an interesting day. When the fog finally cleared, you could really get a good view of the city...and how war torn it was. Bullet holes and shell holes covered every building. We started the day at the High Representative, and UN ad hoc body responsible for keeping the politic groups working in Bosnia. I was so frustrated by the time we left, because our speaker was AWFUL in my opinion, was rude, anti-american, and ridiculously biased. Next we went to the OSCE, which works on alot in Bosnia including elections, education, human rights etc. We were equally disappointed with our speaker there, who read fast from a piece of paper and wasnt able to answer the majority of our questions. After class, I went back downtown to do a little shopping before the highlight of the day which was our tour of the city with Muki, a former member of the Bosnian Army. We drove all over the city, saw the destruction, the rebuilding, the former Olympic stadiums and grounds---one field of which was converted into the largest cemetary for the Bosnian war--a surreal waste of lives. We also drove outside of the city a little bit and went to what was called the "Tunnel". Which is literally what it was...a tunnel that was build by the muslims to get people out of sarajevo and into the bosnian safe area. We watched a movie there that was absolutely unbelievable...bombings every day for three years, cars going down the street at 100 mph because they were shot at either way, the deaths of more than 1,500 children. The tunnel was built under a house (we got to go through a little part of what remained of it) and saved thousands of people during the war. The man we spoke to there had also been a member of the army, and gave us alot of food for thought that i will never forget. We then drove through former Serbian controlled territory, where there were some old Roman ruins before heading back to Sarjevo. It was truly something you would never expect to do on Thanksgiving...but i dont think ANYTHING ELSE has EVER made me feel more thankful than being there. The damage, the atrocities, the loss of lives, the fact that these people are STILL effected by the war and are still rebuilding their homes and society...these are all things we really take forgranted when watching the news. We had a thanksgiving dinner that was arranged for us at a restaraunt which was really nice...a VERY small bird for all 17 of us, but it was the first time i had ever seen turkey in europe! A great way to spend the holiday...
ZAGREB, CROATIA Friday-Saturday
When we left Bosnia, all the rest of the trip was getting home. Because our driver needed to rest we had two planned stops, one of which was in Zagreb. It was a cool city, but we didnt do anything historical really because we were there for less that 15 hours. so instead...we SHOPPED. :)
MUNICH
Our last stop on the journey home was in "munich" but was really about 3 miles outside of the city, so it was a good place for us to all relax and catch up on some sleep...the next day it was an 8 am start and a 10 hour drive back to Brussels!
So now i am finally back...with only 17 more days to go...if you think i am sad you are mistaken because i am MORE than ready to come home. Of course i dont want it to end...and yet i do...badly. This week is spent writing our 15 page paper for our internship credit. This weekend i will be going to Dublin...which i am excited about but not at the same time just because i am so sick of the "transit" part of travelling. I know i need to watch my tongue because my mother would kill me if she thought i wasnt excited to travel to ireland...but you know what i mean. After that it is finals finals finals and then FINALly HOME!!!!!!!!!!
Love,
Cristen
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Fall Break: Spain, Portugal and Italy
Sorry it has taken me a while to write this but things are getting a bit crazy here. First of all, it is hard to believe that we are already (past) mid-term, so there have been alot of tests, stress about paper, plus I still have my internship and all this ridiculous traveling. But anyways...so from Oct 27th-November 3rd I was on fall break, which will be broken into three parts because well....thats the way it happened.
SPAIN:
Myself, Tayler and another girl on my trip Serena and I decided to take a pre-break break and leave Brussels a few days before everyone else. Destination one: Spain. Ryanair (the cheap european airline) flew into Malaga, which is a southern coastal town in the Andalucia region. It isnt somewhere I ever would have planned out on my own but we were all actually really grateful the plane landed there because it was a GORGEOUS town right on the ocean. When we arrived we found our hostel, which brightened out spirits because it was really nice---nicer than any of the other hostels we had stayed in before---after which we decided to explore a bit. The weather was just fantastic...it was windy but it was actually warm and sunny and such a change from having not seen the sun in Brussels for WEEKS (literally....how depressing). We had some tapas for lunch and some lovely sangria and then spent a few hours chilling out on the beach just talking and watching the sun set...it was really beautiful. That night we tried to go out, but it was a Thursday and apparently Malaga isn't much for nightlife during the off seasons so we headed back early and got some much needed sleep. Unfortunatley that was our only day in Malaga (like I said, we were only there because it happened to be where the plane landed), but we all agreed it was an excellent way to start off the trip and we were really excited to keep moving.
The next day we caught a train to Seville, Spain which is in the western side of Andalucia. The train ride through the countryside was long but really worth it because the landscape was really beautiful. We passed through some gorgeous plains, and then some poorer towns (one of which i saw a man walking around in his underwear outside his house...cool.) before we finally arrived in Seville. It is much more metropolitan (in a spanish sense i suppose). It was alot more like a city, but our hostel was closest to the historic part of the town. It was even hotter in Seville than it was in Malaga and our hostel was even NICER (so you can just picture the spirits rising right?). The people at the hostel were nice...a bit blunt perhaps. When we first got there, Tayler said that the reservation was under her name and the reception girl said "isnt that a boy's name? we almost didnt give you the female room you requested." Then when i handed her my reservation (long story as to why i had to book seperately) she looked at my name and said "You're a German." I simply looked at her and said "Yes, i know..thank you." ha ha apparently she was german too. The only bad part was that the hostel had initially messed up our reservation--they were very confused individuals--so there was a time that I was unceratin whether I would have a bed or have to resort to homelesness for our second night. Luckily they figured it out.
We had some lunch when we arrived and then decided to go exploring. Our hostel was only a few blocks away from the Jardins Alcazar, a park behind the old royal palace. We checked that out, saw a cool monument to Columbus (which for a while we mistakenly thought was his tomb) and then headed deeper into the historic city. It is all a huge labyrinth of winding streets and alleys and so the first time through it was difficult to navigate but we finally made it to the main historic square where the palace Alcazar and the Catedral de Sevilla were. We also went to the bull fighting ring. Serena and I were hoping to get tickets for a fight but they had finished THE WEEK BEFORE WE GOT THERE which was annoying. Most of the monuments (including alcazar and the cathedral) were closed for the day (it was already after 6), so we decided to go shopping instead. Very historic indeed. We went out to dinner that night for some delicious tapas at a place that was rumored to have the strongest sangria in town. We werent impressed to say the least. The waiter tried to tell us that when we stood up we would notice how strong it was....i beg to differ. Anyways, after that we went to see a free flamenco show down the road from our hostel. It was really cool and I was glad to be able to do something cultural like that while we were there.
The next day we went back to Alcazar and the Cathedral. Alcazar was cool, alot of really really beautiful gardens and spanish tile work...but there wasnt much IN IT which was kind of dissapointing. The cathedral was also cool (where i saw columbus's ACTUAL tomb) but it was strangely commericial, was hosting a union strike...i dunno it was weird. We also went to this place called Plaza de Espana which was just a really nice park etc. We went back and took a nap for a while (it was a really hot day and we walked ALLLLL over). That night we went out on the other side of the Rio de Alfonso which was apparently where all the nightlife was...true. We had fun and then headed back for the night.
The next day we were off again...Spain was so beautiful though i was really sad to leave it behind. It was not only cool country (and a nice warm place to take a break) but the people were really friendly, and Serena and I both felt SO much more comfortable there than in Belgium because we both understand Spanish. Although I was rusty...i was actually really proud of myself. All of my passive Spanish came back (i.e. I understood everything people were saying to me) and a lot of my active Spanish came back too so it was a really good experience.
PORTUGAL:
We left Seville on Sunday and took a bus to Lisbon, Portugal. It was neat driving through both countries...however the bus ride soon became the most frustrating thing in the world. It was supposed to take six hours...it took more like 8 and we were VERY CONFUSED because Europe had just had daylight savings (before the US) plus Portugal was an hour behind Spain...so we were very lost. We arrived at our hostel which was EVEN BETTER than the other two...it was as though Ikea had thrown up on this place and i LOVED IT. We baisically checked in and passed out...it had been a really long day. We realized when leaving Spain that with the arrival of our bus and the early departure of our plane on Tuesday we really only had a day in Lisbon...so we tried to make the most of it. Unfortunately alot was closed on a Monday (a european thing apparently), so we didnt get to go inside a whole lot. First we went to the Casteo Sao Jorge, this old castle that was literally up a stupid hill...it was EXHAUSTING getting up there (okay, i am probably out of shape also, but it was literally 45 degree angle.) It was not necessarily in ruin, but it wasnt a preserved indoor sort of thing. But it did give AMAZING views of Lisbon. Next we went to this basilica, that was closed unfortunately. We walked around a bit more and then took a tram out to this area of the city called Belam. It had a great view of the water, and an old (and closed) monastery called Monesterio de jeronimos. We stopped and had lunch in this place that was recommended to us by the hostel and tried a pastry...apparently the portuguese are famous for their pastries...a little known fact i think. So we tried their "famous" thingy which was a flaky little circle with almost like a creme brulee in the middle. It was fabulous. We went back toward the hostel, but first walked up the Avenue de Liberdad---a great shopping street with lots of nice stores. We went back to the hostel to freshen up a bit before going out for the evening. We went to a restaraunt that had live "fado" which is traditional portuguese music. A very haunting and sad sort of music with an interesting guitar. Unfortunately the restaraunt was a RIP OFF so that pissed us off and left us very hungry. But we ended up just going back for the night because our flight in the morning was very early.
ITALY:
So Tuesday we flew to Rome. We had a long layover in Barcelone (back to Spain...technically.) but we finally moved on. Getting into Rome dropped my mood 100%. When we got there we were tired, it was pouring, it was cold, and we were being yelled at by a cab driver and a fat italian woman. Yes...I am my father's daughter...and i DID yell back. I felt slightly vindicated. We got to the hostel that our other 4 friends from the program we were meeting in rome had booked....that was another dissapointment after coming from gorgeous hostels in the meditteranean to a piece of dirty crap with these RUDE people who kept saying to us "this is a party hostel, hope you can handle it we will try to be quiet for you ha ha ha" just like laughing at us. Needless to say, i was NOT pleased. The three of us went to dinner...actually scoped out some HOTELS....and then met up with our friends in an area of town that had lots of bars and clubs and such. It was nice to see them...i liked being in a small group in Spain/Portugal and such (because often the group dynamic is overwhelming) but i was really ready to see my other friends, especially my guy friends. So we had a fun night out and then decided to tour Rome.....at 2 in the morning. We saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and some other random things before going back to the hostel. Ironically the next morning at the "breakfast" (although i hardly call orange juice and some gross chocolate looking thing breakfast), i overheard someone saying that we were so loud when we came in blah blah blah....i guess i didnt exactly make friends by turning to them and saying "Oh sorry...thought this was a party hostel..." yeahhhh....
The weather wasnt any better the next day...still really rainy. We did all our major sight seeing that day. Saw the colloseum, the Spanish steps, Pallantine Hill, Piazza de Popolo, and we topped it off with the Vatican and going inside St. Pieter's Basilica. which was absolutely beautiful and moving to me. The day was interesting...i mean admittedly it was hard to enjoy and appreciate such beautiful sights in the rain...while holding an umbrella, trying to take pictures, stay warm and walk all simultaneously. Plus, the day started with all 7 of us....1 passed out at the colloseum so she and another girl left, and then there were four.....then we lost someone at St.Pieter's.....then there were three. Luckily we were all reunited for dinner which was AMAZING. We went to a different part of town to a restaraunt called Carlomento where there was a 4 course italian dinner for 13 euro! It was fantastic and i was more full than i have ever been in my life, but hey...when in rome....
It was Halloween that night, so of course we had to go out. We went to the main nightlife part of the city, called Campo de Fiori where we had much fun.
The next day most of our friends were leaving to go to the Italian islands, but Tayler and I were staying in Rome because we were flying back earlier (and cheaper) than everyone else. So we got up in the morning, got a 2 star hotel room and she and I slept for most of the day...it had been a long two days. We got up in the evening walked around the shopping area and then had a truly European dinner (ie. 3 hours with lots of wine) which was really nice since it was just the two of us. We didnt do anything else...just slept that night which i think we both needed.
We justified not doing anything that day, because we had planned on doing our shopping, touristy shopping etc on our last day there. Tayler's little sister was coming into Rome for her own break, and had booked a hotel that we were going to leave our bags in since we had a red eye flight out early the next morning. Her sister had given Tayler the address of the hotel and we figured the best way to get there would be by cab....well it turns out that this place was 40 minutes outside of Rome in some backwardass town called Monterodondo......this place was a BLACK HOLE. Nothing was open. the hotel was crappy, her sister still had not arrived....it was very very frustrating for all parties involved, especially tayler's sister who had NO idea it was this far outside of the city. We tried to go into the city around dinner time, but the commuter trains were really dumb and confusing and so there just wasnt enough time for us to do it before Tayler and I had to catch a train to the airport...so we had dinner in that stupid town and headed to the aiport....stayed the night there (which i couldnt sleep during, so i was MISERABLE the next day).
In general Rome was fun because we were with our other friends...but also very dissapointing just because of the weather, the last two days, plus i never got to see the Sistine Chapel or eat gelato!!!! Oh well, i am sure i will make it back in life. Break turned out to be pretty exhausting, and by the time i got home i felt like i needed a break from break. So i was glad to be back in the swing of things this week for the most part.
This tuesday (the 6th) I had lunch at NATO with my professor Jamie Shea...the former NATO spokesman during the Balkan crisis. It was a lovely lunch with lovely conversation.
This weekend I am off to Berlin...which i realized i will be there for the 18th anniversary of the falling of the wall so it should be REALLY interesting I am excited.
Next Tuesday we head off for our big 12 day trip to Eastern Europe...wish me luck
P.S. PICTURES TO COME!!!!! Blogger was being dumb about uploading... sorry!!!!!!
Cristen
SPAIN:
Myself, Tayler and another girl on my trip Serena and I decided to take a pre-break break and leave Brussels a few days before everyone else. Destination one: Spain. Ryanair (the cheap european airline) flew into Malaga, which is a southern coastal town in the Andalucia region. It isnt somewhere I ever would have planned out on my own but we were all actually really grateful the plane landed there because it was a GORGEOUS town right on the ocean. When we arrived we found our hostel, which brightened out spirits because it was really nice---nicer than any of the other hostels we had stayed in before---after which we decided to explore a bit. The weather was just fantastic...it was windy but it was actually warm and sunny and such a change from having not seen the sun in Brussels for WEEKS (literally....how depressing). We had some tapas for lunch and some lovely sangria and then spent a few hours chilling out on the beach just talking and watching the sun set...it was really beautiful. That night we tried to go out, but it was a Thursday and apparently Malaga isn't much for nightlife during the off seasons so we headed back early and got some much needed sleep. Unfortunatley that was our only day in Malaga (like I said, we were only there because it happened to be where the plane landed), but we all agreed it was an excellent way to start off the trip and we were really excited to keep moving.
The next day we caught a train to Seville, Spain which is in the western side of Andalucia. The train ride through the countryside was long but really worth it because the landscape was really beautiful. We passed through some gorgeous plains, and then some poorer towns (one of which i saw a man walking around in his underwear outside his house...cool.) before we finally arrived in Seville. It is much more metropolitan (in a spanish sense i suppose). It was alot more like a city, but our hostel was closest to the historic part of the town. It was even hotter in Seville than it was in Malaga and our hostel was even NICER (so you can just picture the spirits rising right?). The people at the hostel were nice...a bit blunt perhaps. When we first got there, Tayler said that the reservation was under her name and the reception girl said "isnt that a boy's name? we almost didnt give you the female room you requested." Then when i handed her my reservation (long story as to why i had to book seperately) she looked at my name and said "You're a German." I simply looked at her and said "Yes, i know..thank you." ha ha apparently she was german too. The only bad part was that the hostel had initially messed up our reservation--they were very confused individuals--so there was a time that I was unceratin whether I would have a bed or have to resort to homelesness for our second night. Luckily they figured it out.
We had some lunch when we arrived and then decided to go exploring. Our hostel was only a few blocks away from the Jardins Alcazar, a park behind the old royal palace. We checked that out, saw a cool monument to Columbus (which for a while we mistakenly thought was his tomb) and then headed deeper into the historic city. It is all a huge labyrinth of winding streets and alleys and so the first time through it was difficult to navigate but we finally made it to the main historic square where the palace Alcazar and the Catedral de Sevilla were. We also went to the bull fighting ring. Serena and I were hoping to get tickets for a fight but they had finished THE WEEK BEFORE WE GOT THERE which was annoying. Most of the monuments (including alcazar and the cathedral) were closed for the day (it was already after 6), so we decided to go shopping instead. Very historic indeed. We went out to dinner that night for some delicious tapas at a place that was rumored to have the strongest sangria in town. We werent impressed to say the least. The waiter tried to tell us that when we stood up we would notice how strong it was....i beg to differ. Anyways, after that we went to see a free flamenco show down the road from our hostel. It was really cool and I was glad to be able to do something cultural like that while we were there.
The next day we went back to Alcazar and the Cathedral. Alcazar was cool, alot of really really beautiful gardens and spanish tile work...but there wasnt much IN IT which was kind of dissapointing. The cathedral was also cool (where i saw columbus's ACTUAL tomb) but it was strangely commericial, was hosting a union strike...i dunno it was weird. We also went to this place called Plaza de Espana which was just a really nice park etc. We went back and took a nap for a while (it was a really hot day and we walked ALLLLL over). That night we went out on the other side of the Rio de Alfonso which was apparently where all the nightlife was...true. We had fun and then headed back for the night.
The next day we were off again...Spain was so beautiful though i was really sad to leave it behind. It was not only cool country (and a nice warm place to take a break) but the people were really friendly, and Serena and I both felt SO much more comfortable there than in Belgium because we both understand Spanish. Although I was rusty...i was actually really proud of myself. All of my passive Spanish came back (i.e. I understood everything people were saying to me) and a lot of my active Spanish came back too so it was a really good experience.
PORTUGAL:
We left Seville on Sunday and took a bus to Lisbon, Portugal. It was neat driving through both countries...however the bus ride soon became the most frustrating thing in the world. It was supposed to take six hours...it took more like 8 and we were VERY CONFUSED because Europe had just had daylight savings (before the US) plus Portugal was an hour behind Spain...so we were very lost. We arrived at our hostel which was EVEN BETTER than the other two...it was as though Ikea had thrown up on this place and i LOVED IT. We baisically checked in and passed out...it had been a really long day. We realized when leaving Spain that with the arrival of our bus and the early departure of our plane on Tuesday we really only had a day in Lisbon...so we tried to make the most of it. Unfortunately alot was closed on a Monday (a european thing apparently), so we didnt get to go inside a whole lot. First we went to the Casteo Sao Jorge, this old castle that was literally up a stupid hill...it was EXHAUSTING getting up there (okay, i am probably out of shape also, but it was literally 45 degree angle.) It was not necessarily in ruin, but it wasnt a preserved indoor sort of thing. But it did give AMAZING views of Lisbon. Next we went to this basilica, that was closed unfortunately. We walked around a bit more and then took a tram out to this area of the city called Belam. It had a great view of the water, and an old (and closed) monastery called Monesterio de jeronimos. We stopped and had lunch in this place that was recommended to us by the hostel and tried a pastry...apparently the portuguese are famous for their pastries...a little known fact i think. So we tried their "famous" thingy which was a flaky little circle with almost like a creme brulee in the middle. It was fabulous. We went back toward the hostel, but first walked up the Avenue de Liberdad---a great shopping street with lots of nice stores. We went back to the hostel to freshen up a bit before going out for the evening. We went to a restaraunt that had live "fado" which is traditional portuguese music. A very haunting and sad sort of music with an interesting guitar. Unfortunately the restaraunt was a RIP OFF so that pissed us off and left us very hungry. But we ended up just going back for the night because our flight in the morning was very early.
ITALY:
So Tuesday we flew to Rome. We had a long layover in Barcelone (back to Spain...technically.) but we finally moved on. Getting into Rome dropped my mood 100%. When we got there we were tired, it was pouring, it was cold, and we were being yelled at by a cab driver and a fat italian woman. Yes...I am my father's daughter...and i DID yell back. I felt slightly vindicated. We got to the hostel that our other 4 friends from the program we were meeting in rome had booked....that was another dissapointment after coming from gorgeous hostels in the meditteranean to a piece of dirty crap with these RUDE people who kept saying to us "this is a party hostel, hope you can handle it we will try to be quiet for you ha ha ha" just like laughing at us. Needless to say, i was NOT pleased. The three of us went to dinner...actually scoped out some HOTELS....and then met up with our friends in an area of town that had lots of bars and clubs and such. It was nice to see them...i liked being in a small group in Spain/Portugal and such (because often the group dynamic is overwhelming) but i was really ready to see my other friends, especially my guy friends. So we had a fun night out and then decided to tour Rome.....at 2 in the morning. We saw the Pantheon, the Trevi Fountain and some other random things before going back to the hostel. Ironically the next morning at the "breakfast" (although i hardly call orange juice and some gross chocolate looking thing breakfast), i overheard someone saying that we were so loud when we came in blah blah blah....i guess i didnt exactly make friends by turning to them and saying "Oh sorry...thought this was a party hostel..." yeahhhh....
The weather wasnt any better the next day...still really rainy. We did all our major sight seeing that day. Saw the colloseum, the Spanish steps, Pallantine Hill, Piazza de Popolo, and we topped it off with the Vatican and going inside St. Pieter's Basilica. which was absolutely beautiful and moving to me. The day was interesting...i mean admittedly it was hard to enjoy and appreciate such beautiful sights in the rain...while holding an umbrella, trying to take pictures, stay warm and walk all simultaneously. Plus, the day started with all 7 of us....1 passed out at the colloseum so she and another girl left, and then there were four.....then we lost someone at St.Pieter's.....then there were three. Luckily we were all reunited for dinner which was AMAZING. We went to a different part of town to a restaraunt called Carlomento where there was a 4 course italian dinner for 13 euro! It was fantastic and i was more full than i have ever been in my life, but hey...when in rome....
It was Halloween that night, so of course we had to go out. We went to the main nightlife part of the city, called Campo de Fiori where we had much fun.
The next day most of our friends were leaving to go to the Italian islands, but Tayler and I were staying in Rome because we were flying back earlier (and cheaper) than everyone else. So we got up in the morning, got a 2 star hotel room and she and I slept for most of the day...it had been a long two days. We got up in the evening walked around the shopping area and then had a truly European dinner (ie. 3 hours with lots of wine) which was really nice since it was just the two of us. We didnt do anything else...just slept that night which i think we both needed.
We justified not doing anything that day, because we had planned on doing our shopping, touristy shopping etc on our last day there. Tayler's little sister was coming into Rome for her own break, and had booked a hotel that we were going to leave our bags in since we had a red eye flight out early the next morning. Her sister had given Tayler the address of the hotel and we figured the best way to get there would be by cab....well it turns out that this place was 40 minutes outside of Rome in some backwardass town called Monterodondo......this place was a BLACK HOLE. Nothing was open. the hotel was crappy, her sister still had not arrived....it was very very frustrating for all parties involved, especially tayler's sister who had NO idea it was this far outside of the city. We tried to go into the city around dinner time, but the commuter trains were really dumb and confusing and so there just wasnt enough time for us to do it before Tayler and I had to catch a train to the airport...so we had dinner in that stupid town and headed to the aiport....stayed the night there (which i couldnt sleep during, so i was MISERABLE the next day).
In general Rome was fun because we were with our other friends...but also very dissapointing just because of the weather, the last two days, plus i never got to see the Sistine Chapel or eat gelato!!!! Oh well, i am sure i will make it back in life. Break turned out to be pretty exhausting, and by the time i got home i felt like i needed a break from break. So i was glad to be back in the swing of things this week for the most part.
This tuesday (the 6th) I had lunch at NATO with my professor Jamie Shea...the former NATO spokesman during the Balkan crisis. It was a lovely lunch with lovely conversation.
This weekend I am off to Berlin...which i realized i will be there for the 18th anniversary of the falling of the wall so it should be REALLY interesting I am excited.
Next Tuesday we head off for our big 12 day trip to Eastern Europe...wish me luck
P.S. PICTURES TO COME!!!!! Blogger was being dumb about uploading... sorry!!!!!!
Cristen
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