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