Study Abroad in Spain Spring 2008

First full day in Berlin

2008-05-14T19:12:00.000+02:00

5/9

Friday. We got up early because Mike had made breakfast reservations at a restaurant atop the Reichstagg (the German congress). It is an interesting combination of old and new architecture. The building was burned in the 30's and bombed during the war and went unused for several decades.

It was recently refurbished and after the government moved from Bonn to Berlin in the 90's it has been the seat of the Parliament here. The views we

re beautiful with another gorgeous day. After a rooftop breakfast with Mike we explored the dome and headed down to the Museum island part of Berlin while Mike claimed to head off to work. We went to the Alte Nationalgalerie (old national art gallery) and spent a few hours exploring the art

there. Mainly a lot of German painters but also a few more famous folks

like Rodin and Manet.

After leaving the museum we wandered around old Berlin, stopping at a street side Bratwurst stand. Andy got a brat and I got a "Currywurst," which is a Berlin thing, picture a brat drowned in ketchup with curry sprinkled on top and you have the concept. It was worth a try but not a repeat. The $2.5 euro lunch was still a deal.

We kept on walking and wandering the streets until we came upon the site of "Checkpoint Charlie" the entrance way between the American and the Russian and later the East German sectors of Berlin. All that's left now are cobblestones in pavement and some signs explaining what occurred there over the years. They have a little recreation of the guardpost checkpoint complete with a East German and American guards for tourists. Part of what makes the history of Berlin so dramatic is how recent everything feels. The wall wasn't built until 1961 didn't fall until 1989. The reunification of Germany didn't occur until 1990.

We met back up with Mike after he finished with work and trekked off to a beer garden for dinner. The one we went to was set in a lovely spot next to a park. The crowds were heavy and the beer flowed under a canopy of trees. One of Mike's friends, Andreas, who is married to an American diplomat, joined us. We ate pizza, roasted chicken and potato salad. It was great. Getting to know about Germany from a native was a real treat. We decided to keep the evening going by hitting a beach bar on the way home. Berliners have these crazy bars with beach chairs and sometimes sand where they pretend they are at the beach. I guess the beer helps with this illusion. We camped out in beach chairs watching the tour boats go up and down the river. The night was still young (by Berlin standards) so we continued on to a cocktail bar Mike knew about not far from the American embassy. It was a tiny joint and the owner was the bartender. He played great music and really loved his job. He also sampled the end results of his concoctions to make sure he got them right. I felt like we had a wonderful evening experiencing the city at night like locals do. The conversation was great with my son and my brother and Andreas was a very open, nice and thoughtful German. I enjoyed hearing about his life and his perspective on his country. We had our last round of drinks there and headed home for some good sleep.

End of Barcelona, Beginnings of Berlin

2008-05-13T17:36:00.001+02:00

The final night in Barcelona was spent at a very American-like sports bar by the hotel where we watched the Real Madrid v. Barcelona. This was a better place to watch the game because the announcing was in English, not to mention that the fans were a bit more docile and my cheers for Madrid wouldn't end in violence. After a thorough whipping of Barcelona by a score of 4-1 by League Champions Real Madrid, we headed back to the hotel to rest up before setting off for Berlin the following day.

Berlin is an absolutely fascinating city and a definite change of pace from Spain. Technologically speaking, they seem to be light years beyond the Spanish, and Berlin itself is hip and modern. We got in on the 8th around 2 pm after a delayed flight and grabbed a train from the airport

towards Mike's place. The flight was easy (hence the company name EasyJet), despite the delay and seats that did not recline. You can't argue with a 40 euro plane

ticket though. Mike met us at the train station, and we hopped on the metro to go two more stops to his place. It was great to see Mike and know that he was going to be our guide/host for the remainder of our trip. Mike takes care of you like nobody can. For those of you coming to visit Mike, get excited for absolutely stunning 8th floor apartment that is comfortable and spacious. He's in a new building that is techno hip with huge windows and stunning views on both sides of his apartment.

Mike took us down the Spree river where we embarked on a boat tour that pointed out the architectural highlights of Eastern Berlin, including the parliament building and several museums. We enjoyed a German pilsner and took in our first glimpses of the city. To my aunts

and uncles coming in the following weeks, make sure you hold your brother to the high standards on accommodations and cuisine that we ourselves have received. For example, our first night we were served a incredible dinner that began with a first course of prosciutto on cantaloupe slices, followed by a second c

ourse of duck, potatoes, and white asparagus topped with hollandaise sauce. This was accompanied by a champagne toast and a nice bottle of red wine. Great atmosphere, conversation, food and drink. Now everyone coming in the following weeks has a standard to measure their experience by. I truly hope that your time compares to our exquisite welcoming, but to be honest, I doubt it will. Mike told us privately that he reserved the best treatment for us. Our bellies full and some good conversation later, we called it a day. Tomorrow is another day.

7/5 Last Full Day in Barcelona

2008-05-10T17:47:00.003+02:00

We got a late start to our last full day in Barcelona, so we grabbed some pastries and coffee and headed to our first stop of the day - the Barcelona Cathedral. It was under renovation, so the exterior and part of the interior was draped off. Nevertheless it was a huge, impressive building with an area for the choir set right in the middle of the church, blocking the altar from much of the rest of the gallery. Five euros later and we were on the roof, looking over the rooftops of the Barri Gotic, our own neighborhood. The day was picture perfect with a clear blue sky and gentle cool breezes.

We left the Cathedral and walked a few blocks away to the City’s history museum. Located in a beautiful old building, much of the museum consisted of taking walkways over excavated Roman ruins and the remains of an old Episcopal Church. The Roman artifacts went back over 2,000 years. I found the museum a little dry after looking at several rock walls and excavated clay pots, but it gave me some understanding of how the city had developed. We proceeded over to another church that was supposed to be pretty good – Santa Maria del Mar. This church was striking. It was nearly as big as the Cathedral but had been burned during the Spanish Civil war. As a result, it was pretty austere inside and the soot from the flames was still visible on the ceiling. Gregorian chants played while we sat and took in the church. We both liked it better than the Cathedral and it was situated in a neat little neighborhood, not far from the beach.

Leaving the church, we wandered across a part of town we hadn’t been in before and went back to our stomping grounds. We thought we’d give the Dali museum a try, but it was something that we could have missed. It was a small operation and primarily showed photos of the artists and several of his lesser-known works in print. No paintings at all, although there were several statutes. We didn’t spend too much time in the place since there wasn’t much there and what there was wasn’t that interesting. For lunch we decided to hit the tapas bar we went to the other night and unlike some of the other places we had been to today, it didn’t disappoint. The food was just as good as we remembered and we tried several new dishes. We could have eaten more but we stopped after a dozen. It was delicious.

Andy wanted to check out more Gaudi, specifically a house he had constructed for the wealthy

Mila family of Barcelona nicknamed La Pedrera (Quarry in Catalan). I myself wasn’t sure I wanted to see more of his work after spending loads of time at both Park Güell and La Sagrada Familia, but I agreed since we weren’t having much luck with our other picks. Along the way we ran into the Palau de la Musica Catalana (the Music Hall). It was a beautiful building and we tried to get in to take a tour but they were sold out. The glimpses we got to see were impressive and we took the inability to check it out this time as a sign we were meant to return to Barcelona in the future. After walking a few more blocks we found Gaudi’s La Casa Mila. A bank bought the building and runs tours out of it. It was very well done and we both really enjoyed it. Most of the tour is in the attic of the building, which was a wonderful spot to show off Gaudi’s unique construction techniques, since the cantilever arches, support columns and wild brickwork is all exposed. Models and videos displaying his work helped you understand several of the themes he brought to hisprojects. From the attic you climb onto the roof. It’s like nothing you’ve ever seen. The roof rises and falls and encircles two interior atriums, which bring light down and into all the floors and apartments. Over a dozen chimneys, each unique, protrude from the roof. After visiting the roof you are able to go into an apartment in the building. Gaudi’s design allowed lots of light and he used opaque glass and lots of windows to make the rooms feel large and airy. None of the interior apartment walls were load bearing soa person could set their rooms up in any configuration they’d like. The result was very charming and modern for a building, which was started in 1908 and completed in 1920. It was Gaudi’s last work.

Since it was such a nice day we walked all the way back to our hotel, stopping for some more gelato. This stuff is really good. I wonder if you could live off of beer and gelato. I wouldn’t mind giving it a try.

Upon our return, Andy hooked up the Internet and connected with his friends. I finished my book and packed for the airport. We have an early flight to Berlin in the morning and Real Madrid plays Barcelona (a fierce rivalry – think Yankees (Barcelona) and Red Sox (Real Madrid) according to Andy) tonight so we’re going to go to a sports bar to catch the game.

I’m having a great time with my son. Hope you can feel just a little bit of the magic through this blog. It’s been a wonderful trip so far and tomorrow I get to see my brother. Life is very good right now.

6/5/2008 Barcelona Continued...

2008-05-07T18:53:00.008+02:00

6/5/2008 ( For those of you who haven't caught on, the Europeans do their dates day/month/year)

Toward the end of yesterday we headed back to a tapas bar by the Dali Museum that had been recommended to us by our bicycle tour guide. We stepped inside and took a small table with two short seats at the back. Tapas were arrayed on plates up and down the long bar. Each tapa had a wood skewer sticking out of it. The price of the tapa was determined by the length of the stick; the longer the stick the more expensive the appetizer. The prices ranged from about E 1.4 to E 1.7. They had everything under the sun and all of it was good. We feasted on things like eel, salmon, crab, roast beef, tuna stuffed peppers and roasted duck. We stopped after sampling 12 tapas and having a couple of beers. There was a table next to us of three women and one man. They were engaged in a lively conversation and before long had drawn us into it. Demanding that we sing a song from our native land we complied with “Rocky Top” and the responded with a Cataluñan tune. Andy had a great time talking to both of them and gained some insight into the belief that this region should be an independent country that doesn’t need or want Spain. For those of you unaware, Cataluña has autonomy in the nation of Spain. Basically, they are economically the closest thing to an independent country without being one. Catuñans have their own language, different from Castillan Spanish, their own identity and cultural. For this reason, there is a sense of nationalism among many Catluñans. This was the sentiment expressed quite openly by this woman.

In the morning we woke up with plans to see La Sagrada Familia, an incredible cathedral being built in Barcelona, which was begun over 100 years ago. Antonio Gaudi was the principal architect. He was a genius, fanatic, extremely catholic, and a man of great faith and vision. It’s too much to go into in this blog but the building is amazing. Gaudi believed that representation of faith, such as statutes of saints or depictions of biblical import should be on the outside of the church where people can see them and be drawn inside. He has over 200,000 images on the exterior, which is still not finished. There will be 18 towers, only 8 of which have been completed. Two of the three planned facades have been completed, the Nativity and Crucifixion respectively. The final façade, which remains under constructions, is that of the Glory, or Ascension of Christ. The interior still has a long way to go but it is an engineering and architectural marvel. He patterned most of his designs after the mathematical perfection found in nature. We spent hours there soaking it up.

After La Sagrada Familia, we headed toward the beach to another restaurant recommended by our bicycle guide. This one was very nice and looked expensive but they had a lunch special for E 12 that we both got. What a deal it turned out to be. A nice light white wine, bread with olive oil and tomatoes drizzled on top; potatoes, onions and sausage in a white cream sauce; very good gazpacho; broiled sardines; peppers, olives and other pickled treats; a meat stew; paella; and a broiled white fish. All of this was topped off with a dessert of crème de Catalayan (a soft crème brulee). It was absolutely delicious.

We walked off the meal by heading down to the beach and dipping our toes in the Mediterran. We hiked over to a tower by the port and took an overhead cable tram from the port to Mont Jouïc (Jewish mountain). From leaving the tram we walked to the top of the mountain where the 92 Olympics were held. A soccer team still uses the stadium today. The Miro museum and the Catalyan Art Museum are also there along with spectacular views of the city as it rises from the sea. We took a metro from the top and headed back to our hotel, trying to work off as much of the lunch as possible.

Back at the hotel, we caught up with some email and did some reading before heading out for a late night gelato snack. It was another beautiful day.

First Full Day in Barcelona

2008-05-06T20:08:00.007+02:00

5/5/2008
We began our second (first full) day in Barcelona by taking a bike tour to help us orient ourselves to what had seemed a quite overwhelming city at first. Our tour guide was French, but she spoke English, Spanish, as well as Catalan (the language spoken in Cataluña of which Barcelona is the Capital.) We toured with a Dutch woman, her daughter, and her daughter’s friend. Being on a bike was great after the exhausting amount of walking it felt like we had done the day before. I know Dad especially enjoyed it. Our tour guide was very informed on the history and context of the city and its architecture. I enjoyed speaking to her about these topics as well as chatting a bit in Spanish as we rode.

After the bike tour finished, Dad and I grabbed lunch at a Wok to Walk. This place is a chain that I had eaten at a couple of times in Amsterdam because it was quick and cheap. The one in Barcelona did not disappoint either.

After lunch, we hopped on the metro up to Parc Güell, a park designed by Gaudi on a hill that overlooks all of Barcelona. The park is full of quirky neo-gothic architecture and scenic vistas of the city and the Mediterranean. We spent a few hours just strolling through the park and enjoying the wonderful weather. The park itself was free, however we decided to spend a couple of euros and go inside the Gaudi Museum, a house where Gaudi himself had lived for several years. The place was not large, but it was full of furniture he had designed and was quite interesting.

Finished with the park, we took the metro back towards our hotel in search of a Moritz ( a beer from Barcelona we had read about in our books). We had spotted and International Beer bar near the hotel, and thought it might be as good a place as any to find one. Unfortunately, the bar didn’t carry Moritz, but instead was packed with some rowdy Brits who were throwing a stag party for their mate, as well as a Australian guy who was in Barcelona on business, and a Norwegian electrician who just got off a cruise ship he had been working on. At around 5:30 or 6 in the afternoon the Brits were absolutely smashed, and the Australian was being civil as they verbally abused him down the bar. Whenever he was on the ropes, he pulled his ace from his pocket. The Aussies have owned the Brits in cricket over the last few years. That seemed to shut them up momentarily. Their intentions weren’t violent by any means, and the Aussie was aware that the Brits had a reputation of being loud and obnoxious in bars. The Aussie and the Brits bought each other beers down the bar, and we eventually ending up chatting with the Australian (Mark), one of the Brits (Rob), and the Norwegian (John). All of them were much more intent our getting hammered than Dad and I, and we left them to their tomfoolery after two beers.

Right now we are sitting in the hotel, remembering what we can to post on the blog at a future date, and waiting for 8:00 PM, which is the earliest dinner is served if you want to truly mesh with the culture.
-Andy

AVE and First Glimpse of Barcelona

2008-05-06T19:57:00.004+02:00

4/5/2008
Well today we traveled to Barcelona. We got up early to make sure we were packed and walked on down to the train station, grabbing a coffee and neopolitan (a croissant stuffed with chocolate crème and topped with powdered sugar) once we got there. We waited for the 9:30 AVE train to Barcelona. The train was beautiful and new, very sleek and comfortable. Within minutes we were outside of Madrid, enjoying the countryside and listening to music. The train reached speeds of over 300 km/hr (about 190 mph), making a few stops along the way. We were in Barcelona by 1:00 pm., took a taxi to the Rambles (a large pedestrian walkway about a mile long which starts in the Plaza de Catalayana and ends at the harbor) and walked to the hotel.

Once we dropped our stuff the reality of our surroundings caught up with us. Very narrow streets with no particular direction caused us to be lost in very short order. The Romans were in Barcelona and you can still catch glimpses of their presence. Getting hungry, we found a picturesque restaurant and went inside for lunch. We had a wonderful lunch, maybe the best of the trip so far. Appetizers of grilled vegetables and salmon rolls were really good. Then came the paella, the main course. With a bottle of wine, it couldn’t get much better. After a long lunch we started to explore.

The alleys reminded me of Italy. We wandered around and found the Rambles, walking the length of it. We walked down by the harbor, saw the monument to Columbus pointing out to the sea, and looked for a metro to visit the Sagrada Familia (a cathedral that was started over 100 years ago by Antoni Gaudi). After a quick treat for gelato, we headed back to the hotel, stopping at a local market to buy some bread. Andy decided to head to an internet café to hook up with his friends, since the internet wasn’t working at our hotel. I stayed behind and read. Andy made it back and we watched an episode of “It’s always Sunny in Philadelphia” before we went to bed.
-Gregg

The Mailing Adventure, or How to be an ugly American at the Post Office 4/5/2008

2008-05-06T19:17:00.004+02:00

We got up earlier than the past day because we needed to send some of my stuff back to the States. Two suitcases were too much to lug around, not too mention the outrageous cost of having an extra suitcase on some of the flights we will be taking. We pulled my over 20 kg suitcase through Madrid to El Corte Ingles (a massive department store think Wal-mart meets Sears). The post office was not open when we arrived, so we st

opped over at a café for a coffee and some breakfast. When we returned, the post office was not very busy and we hopped in line. I had to help a couple of Australian guys mail some things because their attempt at speaking louder and more clearly in English wasn’t very effective.

When it was our turn in line, we realized we would have to unpack the contents of my suitcase and offload it into a box to send home. This took some time, and as we did it the line grew. By the time we finally finished, a Spanish man had come to express his frustration with the clerk, who was extremely helpful. He asked if there was some problem with the network and when the clerk responded that there was not, he cursed him for spending so much time helping the foreigners who

he had wrongly identified as British. Not knowing I had understood everything he said, we paid the clerk, thanked him, pardoned ourselves to the annoyed Spaniard, and went on our way.

After the 2 hours it took to do this, Dad and I were happy to go see some art at the modern art museum, the Reina Sofia. I’m going to let Dad tell you about the rest of the day.

-Andy

We forged on to the Reina Sofia (Madrid’s Metropolitan Museum of Modern Art). Located in an old hospital, the museum had a special showing of Picasso’s works, from the National Museum in Paris. With over 400 of his paintings, drawings and sculpture, we got to see more Picasso in one place than I ever thought possible. The most popular painting was “La Guernica” which captured the horror of the Nazi bombing (at Franco’s request) of a small city in Spain in 1937 during the Spanish Civil War. Hitler used the war to practice the tactics he would later use against the allies. The painting became famous as a powerful protest against modern war. We spent hours looking at Picasso and also got to see some of Salvador Dali’s work. The earlier works of both artists was interesting, since they were both more traditional.

After all that art, we decided to go see a soccer match. We went to a stadium where Atletico de Madrid plays. Madrid has two professional soccer teams (think Cubs and White Sox). These guys are like the White Sox, playing second fiddle to the much more popular Real Madrid. Nonetheless, they are ranked 4^th in the very competitive Spanish Soccer League A, under Real Madrid, Villareal, and Barcelona. We bought tickets, grabbed a bite to eat and waited for the stadium to open. Once inside we traveled to our seats. Yup, the very last row up. You had to duck below overhead steel beams to get to the seats. Andy forgot twice and banged his head; I made the same mistake once. What this country needs is some good personal injury lawyers, I thought. The sun started to go down and the match began. Atletico scored first and made two more goals before it was over. The crowd was very happy. It was fun to watch a soccer game and have immediate fan feedback as to what were good plays. From our vantage point we could really get a sense of the plays developing and saw some pretty awesome soccer.

After the game we headed back to the hostel. We bought a couple of beers on the way to take back to our room and toast Andy’s friends, Tara, Andrew and the others who were graduating that day. Back at the room we got to video chat with Casey before calling it a night. I’m having a great time traveling with my son. He’s a pleasure to be with. We’re having great chats and seeing some wonderful things. Tomorrow we hit Barcelona.

-Gregg

Segundo Dia en España

2008-05-03T11:19:00.002+02:00

After quite an exhausting first day in Spain, Dad and I slept for over 12 hours, waking up around 10:30 to get started with the day. We stopped at a corner cafe for a cafe con leche and doughnut, before heading to the Prado to see the Goya exhibit. The 2nd of May is a special one for Spaniards, especially Madrileños, as it is the day of a revolt against French soldie
rs who were occupying Madrid. The following day, the French soldiers shot the leaders and particpants of the revolt in the streets. These events sparked the Spanish war of Independence that lasted from 1808-1814, when Ferdinand VII returned to power. The two events are depicted in the Goya paintings 2 de Mayo and 3 de Mayo, which have been recently restored. To add to the day, it also happens to be the 200th anniversary of the events, so it carried some extra significance. We enjoyed the Piratas de Jazz, a guitar and violin duo of street musicians as we waited in line to enter. After waiting in line for over two hours, we finally got in to see the Goya exhibit. Lucky for us, because of the holiday, admission was free. Many of the other Goya paintings depicted scenes of violence, and the general inhumanity of war. The exhibit took us quite a while to go through, as it covered the Goya's entire career which lasted over 50 years, I believe. Although Dad and I both wanted to take advantage of seeing the rest of the museum, we were both feeling quite tired after waiting in line and spending almost 2 hours in the exhibit. We caught some of the other major works by the likes of Rubens and Valazquez, and decided to grab a beer. After enjoying a Guinness, we wandered back to the hostel for some rest, and then went back out for dinner a bit later that evening. We enjoyed some nice stir-fry in a hip restaurant and had some great conversations. Later we went to the Plaza Mayor to view a re-enactment of a battle from the Spanish war of Independence, complete with a drum corps and soldiers in period dress on horseback. We headed back toward the hostel and grabbed another beer and enjoyed some tapas on the terrace of a restaurant. Spain loves its ham, and sure enough the tapas they brought us were slices of different cured ham and chorizo with tomato on some bread. We talked some more and headed back to hostel where we chatted with our respective significant others via Skype. We watched another episode of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia and crashed. Today we offloaded about 20 kg of my stuff by sending it back to the states, and right now are about to head to the Reina Sofia, the other more modern art museum in Madrid.
-Andy

After a Long Hiatus, the Blog is back.

2008-05-02T10:34:00.004+02:00

We're going to cut the excuses as to why this hasn't been updated in months and just get back to blogging.

My Dad is here in Madrid, and we will will be traveling to Barcelona, Berlin, Dresden, and Frankfort. We've decided to keep everyone updated about our travels during the two weeks via the blog. Hope everyone enjoys, and make sure to tell your friends.

-Andy

Got into Madrid at 9:00 am and my smiling son was waiting for me. What a nice hello to a new place. We took the metro from the airport to our hostel, a second floor walk up off of a side street.

Andy had already landed there the day before. We had a room to ourselves with a bathroom down the hall. After dumping my backpack we headed out to explore Madrid. We walked down the street and grabbed breakfast, coffee and a potato omlet that was great after eating airline food. We walked over to the modern art gallery the Reina Sofia and tried to get it but it was closed for a holiday. In fact, almost everything

was closed. From there we walked to the Madrid train station and visited the memorial for those who died in the terrorist bombing in 2004. There was a church across the street that we entered. A guy was playing the organ and the sound filled the place. It was beautiful, but just one of many gorgeous churches here. Next we headed to El Parque del Buen Retiro (the central park of Madrid). It was a beautiful sunshiny day and we wandered around the grounds, then headed for the Plaza del Sol, the main plaza in Madrid. We went looking for a place for lunch and finally found this little hole in the wall we were looking for after going around the block for a few times. Restaurant Puerto Rico was going to be great as soon as we walked in, nothing but Spainards inside and a delicious aroma. We sat down and had about a 2 hour lunch, fish with bacon, egg soup, wine, fried potatos (everything is fried here) and fruit for dessert. Next we walked over to the palace and went in

to the catherdral Almudena next to it. Tired, we headed back to the hostel for siesta. After a much needed nap, we got up and took the train to Alcala to meet up with some of Andy's friends. The University of Alcala was built in 1499, and the building where Andy studied in the 1600s. The town is most famous for the university as well as being the birthplace of Miguel Cervantes, author of Don Quixote. The center of Alcala is very picturesque The sun was going down and the light was great when we got there. The town square was full of people. Andy showed me some of his college buildings and we saw stork nests on almost every roof. They were massive. We went to get some sandwiches and then met Andy's friends who were hanging out in an alley drinking cheap wine mixed with coke. No joke. They were very nice and clearly cared for him. He said some sad goodbyes and we walked back to the train station, stopping for some gelato along the way. It was pretty good, I couldn't remembe

r the gelato in Florence being any better. We got home about 11 and watched a tv show andy had on his laptop and went to bed. I was pretty tired and glad to be in a bed. Good night.

-Gregg and Andy

Us next to the Don Quixote statue in front of Casa de Cervantes.

The original university building in Acala.

Us in Parque del Buen Retiro.

The giant Stork nests in Alcala

The Monument to the victims of March 11.

4 day weekend

2008-01-28T19:44:00.000+01:00

The weekend began with Botellon, a pre-party that occurs on campus every Thursday evening beginning around 7 or so. The traditional drink is a mixture of cheap red wine and Coca-Cola called Callemocho(sp?). Botellon usually concludes around 9 or 10 and the group heads to various bars to enjoy the first day of the weekend. This event has allowed me the opportunity to meet some wonderful people as well as given me the chance to practice my Spanish. The majority of the night I spent talking to Fran, a Spanish student who has an American girlfriend. I stumbled over my Spanish and he spoke to me in English as he is trying to learn it. When I couldn't find the right way to say something he would assist me, and when he didn't know how to say something in English I would help him. The group of 15 or so people that hang out at Botellon on Thursdays are incredibly nice and welcoming. Spending time with them has made me thought about befriending the foreign students that visit MTSU. The generosity and kindness of these folks has been truly overwhelming, I can't help but want to pay it forward upon my return.
Friday was spent hanging around the house and studying, with the plan to embark on El Escorial the following morning with my classmate John. We met at the bus stop around 8:30 and went to the train station, taking the 9:00 train to El Escorial. The town is nestled in the mountains and is exceptionally scenic. We arrived around 10:45 and set off on foot to try and find the Monastery that had been commissioned by Felipe II of Spain. After a trek up a steady grueling hill, we found the Monastery and paid the entrance fee. The Monastery is a collection of architectural drawings, artwork of the era, the possessions and living quarters of the royal families who spent time there, their tombs, and finally a massive ornate Cathedral with gold decor. The place was absolutely stunning and quite large, taboot. We probably could hav spent mroe time there, however there was only one bus to Valle de Caîdos and it left at 3:15. We grabbed a quick bocadillo (baguette sandwich mine had fish and red peppers), and headed to the bus station. The bus climbed up the mountains and delivered us at our destination at Valle de Los Caidos. The place is a monument that Franco had built for the fallen troops of his army after the Spanish Civil War. What is not often talked about is that it was built by the his prisoners of war, many of whom died during the construction. The outside of the cathedral is a massive plaza that looks out on the surrounding mountains. The building itself is truly amazing, a cathedral built into the side of a mountain. As a result, the cathedral is far from typical, as there is no light shining through, which means no stained glass windows, and it is built entirely out of concrete. This creates for a rather eerie atmosphere, topped off with two giant statues of archangels as you enter. Franco's grave is modest, however when John and I approached it a group of 3 women began to pray around which was strange to watch. We sneaked a picture of his grave, although we were not supposed to as well as one of the Archangels guarding the entrance and the entrance itself. Valle de Los Caidos is one of the strangest places I've ever been; its almost the equivalent of going to a monument for Hitler and the Nazis killed during WWII. After departing the Cathedral, we ventured up the mountain to get to the base of the several story tall cross that stands atop of the mountain. There is a tram up to the top but it cost a couple Europe and we decided we had spent enough money on entrance fees for the day. The hike was longer than expected, but especially picturesque. The picture at the top of the blog is from the base of the cross. We hurried back down the mountain to make the bus back to El Escorial proper, than walked to the train station for the long ride home. The journey had been a worthwhile and John was a great travel companion. It made up for the disappointment I felt for not taking a trip to London or Paris like many of my classmates had done.
The following day I decided to go to the Centro del Arte de Reina Sofia in Madrid by myself. When I reached the museum, however I had only 45 minutes before it closed. Luckily the entrance was free and I got to see some famous Salvador Dali paintings, including "El Gran Masturbador" before I was on my way. Unfortunately Picasso's "Guernica" is closed and will not reopen until Feb. 5. I walked over to El Parque del Buen Retiro and took a Sunday stroll through the "Central Park" of Madrid. I followed that up with a bit of shopping before the January sales came to a close and returned home around 7 or so.
The Monday we had off was spent doing laundry, as well as signing up for a membership at a local gym. For 37 Euro a month I get to come and go whenever the place is open as well as free personal training with the funny gym owner Jorge; a pretty good deal, I think. I've gone everyday this week. I have been busy back at classes but today is Thursday and another weekend is beginning. I signed up to vote in the Global Democratic Primary. This is the first time there has ever been an online way to vote in a primary and the company counts as a 51st state sending 22 delegates each with half a vote. I'm excited that I will be able to participate in the process. Hope everyone reading is doing well, and if you have any comments or suggestions about my blog feel free to let me know. Also, all pictures can be clicked on to view a larger version for anyone who hasn't figured that out.

The Botanical Garden and My Humble Abode

2008-01-24T16:19:00.000+01:00

On Tuesday I decided to check out the Botanical Garden next to my dorm. After doing my best to prove that I was in fact a student to the guy at the office he let me in for the student rate of 1.5 Euros I browsed around and took some great shots of the hills/mountains (not sure if they are mountains or not) that overlook the Residencias. Overall the Gardens were a bit brown and dead, but after all it is winter and Spain is known for its dry climate so hopefully come Spring there will be some beautiful blooms to check out. The landscaping they had done to create the garden was also quite beautiful. One can see the wooden walkway to the left in the photo, and I myself am standing atop a tower that gives you a beautiful perspective of the entire garden which was quite larger than I had imagined when I passed it walking to my dorm. As I was leaving, a different man had taken over the post at the entrance to the gardens. Although I struggled at first to understand him, he was gracious enough to help me fill out an application for a free pass into the Botanical Garden that I am entitled to as a student. Lucky for me I had some small passport photos on me and he made me a card that allows me to come and go as often as I like. I will without a doubt be putting this to use as the weather improves. Later that day I ventured to Corte Ingles, a massive department store on the far East side of Alcalå. I had a wireless card to return and decided it would be beneficial to buy some Spanish music not only to immerse myself in the culture but also to help improve my language skills. I picked out some recommendations from my Lonely Planet travel guide and asked the clerk if he had several of them. The first 3 or 4 Iasked about they did not carry, however I finally found these two. The first is by Joaquin Sabina, a folk-rock singer songwriter. I have only barely listened to it, but nothing I have heard so far has grabbed me. The second, by flamenco group Ketama, however, is absolutely excellent. Ketama is a modern flamenco fusion band and complete with horns and infectious percussion is simply awesome. This record is taken from a live performance and captures the infectious energy of the flamenco style. Hopefully the Sabina record will grow on me, I probably just need to give it a more careful listen. Classes have been difficult this week, as they have picked up in pace and more and more reading is being required. I feel a bit as though I lack in my language ability compared to most of my classmates. I am trying very hard however, and spend quite a bit of time with my work. I am looking forward to a long weekend because we have Monday off. Many American students are traveling around Europe this weekend, however I am planning on sticking around Spain. Saturday I'm going to take the train to Valle de los Caîdos, a monument built during the Franco era to memorialize the fallen soldiers during the Spanish Civil War and also the location where Franco himself is buried. Sunday I plan to go to El Rastro, a flea market held in Madrid on Sunday mornings, and later to El Prado which is free on Sundays. I have spoken to a couple people who are staying around this weekend and they may join me for either one or both of these excursions but I will go even if I don't have company. Before signing off let me leave all of you with some pictures of the Residencia. Here is my humble abode, our kitchen, and our lovely living area tied together with some puke-yellow curtains. Please excuse my messy room. The constant presence of dirty dishes in the sink in our kitchen remind me of home, and make me appreciate the great invention of the dishwasher that is we often take for granted back in the States. Hope all our well, and if you are having trouble commenting on the blog try posting as an anonymous user and then type in your name as an alias so I know who you are. This should work for anyone who has had problems posting and doesn't want to sign up for an account simply to comment on my blog.

Allow me to introduce mis compañeras de casa

2008-01-16T22:01:00.000+01:00

So I've been here a little more than a week and am becoming more and more comfortable with my situation. One of the main reasons for this has been my wonderful housemates with whom I could not live without. From left to right pictured here are Nicole (from Minnesota), Lydia (from Mexico), and Chazz (from Manchester, UK). Nicole and Chazz have been here for a Semester and obviously speak English so they have been very helpful with errands and the culture in general. They've also introduced me to several of their Spanish friends who have been very kind and patient as I struggle to speak to them,. Also there is Jesus with whom I share a bathroom and Maria from Peru. Jesus has not been around much because of a sick relative and Maria keeps to herself most of the time. Lydia is a Masters student and she helps me with my Spanish while I help her with her English. Last night, Chazz, Nicole, and I went out to a popular bar that many students go to called Whelan's. It's themed after an Irish pub which is somewhat strange. We watched the Barcelona v. Sevilla match and enjoyed overpriced 2 for 1s. Here they are on the bus ride home.I did laundry today for the first time and it was no hassle. I also went to the Mercadona, a supermarket maybe 300 yards from our place and bought some more groceries. On the way home one of the bags I was carrying knocked against a building and my brand new 750 mL bottle of olive oil spilled everywhere. Considering that as the low point of my trip so far I've had a fantastic and fortunate time. Classes are going well albeit difficult to understand. I get the just of the lecture but it is still very difficult for me to speak. Next update I will add some pictures of our house, the school (the university for North American students is a really cool old building that was used as a barracks by Franco's troops and called La Comandancia, which I find absolutely fascinating), as well as a few from my trip to Madrid and the mountains that are right outside my house.

My address, phone #'s, etc.

2008-01-14T16:58:00.000+01:00

If you want to send me mail or give me a ring this info might come in handy:

Address:
Andy Sullivan
Ciudad Residencial Universitaria
Vivienda: B-1.1
28805, Alcalá de Henares.
Madrid, España

Phone #'s
Home: Dial 011 (International Access Cod) then 0034 (Spain's country code) then 911-817-152
Cell: 011 then 0034 then 618-022-950

e-mail:
acs3t@mtsu.edu
acsully@gmail.com

If you call the house, it is very possible that one of my house mates will answer in Spanish. In this case say Podria hablar con Andy. If you don't hear them call for me and they say something you can't understand, I'm probably not there.

Also, If you call my cell phone and I don't pick up, it might take you to my voicemail which I have not yet set up. I think it might have a message from a past student who used this same phone so you can try to leave me a message if you so choose. I will try to figure out how to set it up soon.

Primero Post

2008-01-14T16:29:00.000+01:00

Getting settled in to the city. Alcala is beautiful and rich in History. Started classes today. I feel like I only understand every third word or so. Went to Madrid 2x this weekend. Had lots of fun and have met many good people. I shall return with pictures sooner or later, until then. -Hasta Luego,
Andy