Valencia: the streets were literally designed to get you lost

On Friday morning, my roommate Liz and I embarked on our last trip within the Spanish borders to the city of Valencia on the eastern coast of Spain.  Now, our other roommates were a little worried about letting us loose on our own as we are both notoriously bad with directions but we confidently went forth with our plans despite their doubts.  We boarded the bus at 9am and of course after a week of sunshine it happened to be raining on the costa Valenciana.  Luckily, it had let up by the time we arrived and we left the bus station and made it to our hostel without a single problem.  That, however, as we had hoped, did not turn out to be a good omen or foretelling of our day to come.

And so began what was seemingly the longest walk of my life...

A few of the many soccer fields lining the park

A playground..or art? or both?

After getting settled in the hostel, we went out to explore the city and while in the city center right around our hostel.  (Note: it is about 2:00pm at this point) Our final destination was the beach which was supposedly about an hour and a half walk from the hostel.  While looking for the path to the City of Arts and Sciences which was on the way, we managed to misread the map and find every direction which was not the direction we wanted to go before finally figuring it out via process of elimination.  Like the map said to do, we followed a park which runs through the middle of the city and used to be a river before it was dried up.  From that point, we made it to the Museum of Arts and Sciences which was really cool and looked like a futuristic city of some sorts.  We explored this area for a bit and then decided to press on towards the beach...or such was the plan.

Museum of Arts and Sciences

City of the future

Vain attempt at reading a map....

I'm not really sure how but at one point we took a wrong turn and ended up in the industrial and pretty bad part of town so we back tracked about half an hour to the end of the museum to start from square one.  After another wrong turn at the wrong bridge we ended up at a shopping center and decided to go into a huge Sam's Club-esque store to regain some nerves with the purchase of peanut butter and Oreos, peanut butter being a luxury I haven't had since leaving the U.S.  Finally, (it being about 6:00pm) I asked an old couple for directions and they pointed us where we needed to go.  Anyway, after another hour or so of walking we finally made it to the beach
port and the sun was going down and it was beginning to rain.  We figured that at this point there was no way we were gonna attempt to walk back so we decided to hop on the 32 bus like the hostel worker told us to.  Of course, the next bus stop where the 32 ran was an hour's walk from where we were.  Oh and of course, we get on the 32 and ride it for 45 and end up right back at the stop we got on at before we realized that the 32 was not actually the bus we wanted.  The bus driver kindly told us where to catch the bus we needed which was about four blocks away so we ran there and got on the bus cold, wet, and more than slightly despirited at this point.  FINALLY, we made it to the bus station and navigated ourselves to the hostel from there and arrived safely at 11:30pm.  While we could have chosen to let this setback ruin our day, we decided that it was character building and a great opportunity to explore a new city. We new the city so well that we didn't get lost the rest of the weekend!!

This is what a wrong turn in Valencia looks like...

We spent the next two days just hanging out at the beach (we took the metro the next time, lesson learned) and exploring all that the city of Valencia had to offer culture wise including it's famous cuisine of Paella and Horchata, a sort of local cold, rice-based drink that they are known for. Both were delicious and the city itself is beautiful and full of a rich history of Muslims and Christians fighting for control.  We found out that the streets were originally designed by the Muslims to be confusing so the enemies would get lost...works on tourists too apparently.

We found the beach! and some sort of kite flying festival

Liz and our first glass of Horchata...it grows on you

There was a festival going on all weekend in celebration of the feast of St. Vicente the patron saint of Valencia and on Saturday night we went to a fair to join in the festivities.  There was a huge stage set up and a bunch of tents in a sort of Highland Fest fashion and there were flamenco performers on stage and huge crowds of Valencianos all joining in the dancing in and around the stage and tents.  It was a really fun time experiencing such a deep part of Spanish culture and we just hung out and took it all in for awhile before heading back.  As I was leaving the festival, I once again had the strange experience of running into someone I knew from back home.  Patrick Nyberg who was a year above me at CDH and in a few of my Spanish classes had been studying in Valencia and happened to be there at the celebration that night.  We caught up for a bit and once again I realized how small the world really is.

Feria de Valencia

Going out with a bang:

Lighting of firecrackers in the middle of a crowded square...

a measly feat in scheme of Valencian festivals and a lawsuit waiting to happen in the U.S.

On Sunday, Liz and I spent the day going through the Sunday market and I managed to find a few gifts for my sisters before it was time to head back to Madrid.  Now I have one more day of classes, a week of finals and a week in Greece before my time here is up! I can hardly believe how fast it has all gone and I shall be furiously trying to fit everything in before I'm forced to pack my bags once again...

Spring Break 2011: Last Stop- Salzburg, Austria and Munich, Germany

Kenzie, Liz and I left Prague on Thursday morning and arrived in Munich, Germany at about 3:00pm.  It was at this point, however, that we parted ways and I hopped on another train to Salzburg, Austria to meet up with Evan.

Evan met me at the train station at about 5:00pm and we made the short walk to the University of Portland center where has been living and going to school since September.  Even on the walk in, I could tell that Salzburg had a totally different vibe than any city I have been to thus far.  It is very scenic and mellow, a far cry from the hustle and flow of the big tourist cities I have frequented in other travels.  After showing me around a bit and stopping to shoot hoops in the courtyard, we went for a walk to one of the nearby parks and I got an amazing view of the mountains and the crystal clear river which was all beautiful.  It was great to see free standing buildings and houses with yards and grass in non-designated public areas, not to mention, the sight and smell of all the lilacs in bloom only improved the overall tone of the city.

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The hills are alive...

Familiar...

That evening, we went to dinner at a popular local beer garden which was a very cool experience.  We got some kind of wursts with mustard and bread and large mugs of an Austrian beer that they brew and although I am not sure what it was called, it was very good.  It was a beautiful evening and the garden was very crowded so we stood around waiting for a table until a young couple motioned us over and invited us to sit with them.  It turns out that the man was from Salzburg and the woman was from Berlin but had studied in Spain and spoke Spanish.  In which case, Evan struck up a conversation in German with the man while I carried on a lengthy conversation with the woman in Spanish.  Eventually, we came full circle and all ended up talking in English but it was really neat to be able to communicate on so many different levels.  The couple had a lot to say and were very interesting to talk to, we talked about cultural differences and I also learned a lot about changes in Berlin and the continuous cultural integration struggles since the fall of the Berlin Wall.  It was a such a unique and special experience to be able to sit with people from other parts of the world and be able to utilize the language I have spent the past months trying to master in order to connect with a girl not even from a Spanish speaking country.  I also learned a few other important things that night: people in Austria and Germany really do wear lederhosen- it's not just a stereotype and although The Sound of Music was filmed in Salzburg, most Austrians really don't understand the hype and haven't actually even seen the movie (I, for one, was shocked, I guess they just don't know what they're missing).

Salzburg at night

The next morning, Evan and I took a train about 40 min outside of Salzburg but across the border into Germany to spend the day at these German baths.  It is a little hard to describe but basically, there were a group of large indoor baths of warm saltwater that you lay and float in- a most relaxing and calming experience.  Then, you can go outside to the bigger baths which are also heated and where there were various options including a whirlpool, jacuzzi-esque pool, hot tubs and a really cold "sweet water" bath to cool you off.  While outside, you got the most beautiful view of the mountains which only added to the peacefulness and serenity of the atmosphere.  I could have spent forever there had I not pruned up worse than a raisin after the few hours that we did spend there.  After leaving, we went and explored the area a little bit before heading back to Salzburg.  We went down by the river and waded in and were numbed by the frigid ice that somehow had managed to maintain liquid status.  After dinkying around town for awhile, we got on a train and headed back for the evening to grab some food and go out for the night in Salzburg, where I so skillfully beat Evan at pool twice in a row (okay, I admit that Evan scratching on the 8-ball may actually constitute him beating himself more so than my actual pool skills..but hey, rules are rules).

Inside the baths, under water ocean theme

outdoor baths

Evan and I just taking a break 

(because it was oh so draining...)

Not horrible to look at

slightly numb at this point

Saturday morning, we got on yet another train to head back to Munich for the day so I could fly out the next morning.  We tried to meet up with Kenzie, Liz and Stephanie but we got a little lost and so we missed them at that point in the day.  At any rate, we walked around Munich for a bit which was quite a mad-house on the main strip and made our way to the Hofbrauhaus, a famous beer hall.  We went inside and it was super crowded and quite a lot to take in, but a very cool atmosphere.  There was live German music complete with extremely loud Germans in lederhosen singing extremely loud drinking songs while pounding full pints of bier (German spelling).  Evan ordered a liter of the Hofbrau Original and I got a half liter of what was called a Radler which was basically their version of a shandy.  Both were very good and we finished our mugs off while taking in the scene.  Afterwards, we went and explored the English Gardens and saw some locals surfing in the whirl-pool of the river and heard-tell of nudists who frequent German parks in warm weather but didn't actually see this phenomenon.

Germans at Hofbrauhaus beer hall

Taste testing

Surfing the river at the English Gardens

At about 6:30pm we went to my roommates' hostel and were lucky enough to actually catch them this time and after a round of introductions, we stepped out to get dinner and go out.  We had one last Bavarian meal of a wurst with mustard (still good even after a week straight of them) and all tried some variation of German beers, I went with a Weiss or wheat beer this time and enjoyed it immensely.  From there, we all went out together and spent the night dancing to a variety of American playlists with songs I haven't heard in awhile but could still recite all the lyrics to while getting our groove on.  Overall, it was a very fun evening and a great end to a fantastic spring break.  I couldn't have asked for a better time and truly enjoyed the culture and sights of every city I saw in very different respects.

Liz, Evan, and I

One last night of Spring Break 2011, It's been a blast!

Spring Break 2011: Next Stop- Prague, Czech Republic

Kenzie, Liz and I hopped on the night train from Krakow and the next thing we knew we were stacked three high in bunks in a tiny little train cabin on our way to Prague, Czech Republic.  Slightly to our surprise yet much to our happiness the beds were extremely comfortable and we all slept quite peacefully until our wake-up call at 7:00am the next morning.

Couldn't resist...

We arrived at our hostel pretty early and couldn't check in yet so we dropped our bags and went to explore the city on foot.  After converting some euros to kroners, we walked to the main square where we were pleasantly greeted by yet another eastern Europe Easter market!  Everything smelled wonderful and the food definitely rivaled Krakow's with the sausages and sauerkraut, potatoes with fixings galore and a tasty version of shish-kebabs.  After exploring the market, we went to see the Astronomical Clock, the oldest working one still in existence.  Later, we wandered over to the Charles Bridge which was very crowded but had a very pretty view of the river and part of the city.  That night, we went to the Krizik fountain show which was choreographed to tunes from Dirty Dancing and so of course we really enjoyed singing along to all of the songs.  The only problem was that we chose to go to the early show without looking at the sunset time so half of the effect was marred by the fact that lit up fountains aren't as cool when it's still light out.  All in all, though, it was still a very enjoyable evening and on the walk home we found a really pretty overlook of the entire city at night which was beautiful.

Easter Market

Astronomical Clock

I wanna dance with somebodayyy.. a little later in the night next time though

The next two days were spent exploring the city from end to end and taking in the sights.    We crossed the Charles Bridge again and went up to the Prague Castle and caught the tail end of the changing of the guards which was really interesting to watch as it was so intensely coordinated and the music made it quite a show.  We saw the John Lennon wall which was a big symbol of the Czech youth's desire for freedom and change while under the communist regime of Gustav Husak.  Even when we weren't seeing specific historical or tourist sights, we were enjoying just taking in the vibes of the amazing architechture mixed with sprawling parks full of colorful flowers in full springtime bloom.  Prague was definitely one of the most aesthetically beautiful of any of the cities I have seen thus far and I enjoyed taking it all in immensely.

John Lennon Wall

Spring has sprung in Prague

Prague Castle from across the bridge

View from the Charles Bridge

Night out in Prague with Liz, swings and Stella a great combo

Streets of Prague

View from the Castle

Fred and Ginger Dancing Building

Shout out to the Czechs! 

Love you and miss you all

Spring Break 2011: First Stop- Krakow, Poland

Last Friday, my roommates and I started off our Spring Break by hopping on an early flight to Krakow, Poland to embark on a 10-day exploration of Europe as it lies to the east of us here on the Iberian Peninsula.

Market Square

We arrived rather early in Poland and immediately loved the smaller town vibe we got from this city and I would have very much enjoyed the walk to the hostel had it not been my turn to lug the shared suitcase around town.  After settling in at the hostel, we went off to explore the city.  We discovered a really cool Easter market that had a ton of delicious food and beer and some interesting crafts and entertainment.  We came to love this market and spent a decent chunk of our time there dedicated to exploring the different cultural aspects it had to offer.  Personally, I enjoyed the wursts and pirogies (little dumplings filled with a variety of ingredients generally meat or potatoes) and spent many a Polish Zloty (the currency which so generously gave us a 1 zloty: 3 euro ratio) enjoying said foods.

Polish sausage with spicy mustard. Delicious.

PETA may take issue with this market

On Saturday, we woke up to go on the early tour of Auschwitz, the largest of the Nazi concentration camps, which is about an hour outside of Krakow.  On the bus ride there, they played a movie about the camp which gave us some background information and set the tone for the tour of the camp itself. We first toured Auschwitz I, the smallest of the three parts of the camp and that was an experience I will never forget.  We went into the barracks where the prisoners were held and saw countless photos of the Polish political prisoners and Jews from all over Europe of all ages who were held in this camp, the majority of them having died there.  Also, as the Nazis kept all of their belongings we saw rooms full of thousands upon thousands of suitcases, shoes, hairbrushes, children's toys, etc.  The eeriest was seeing the thousands of pounds of hair that had been shaved off all of the prisoners upon their arrival.  We also went through the gas chambers where many of those entering the gates of Auschwitz ended their journey.  From there, we went to Auschwitz II- Birkenau, the largest of the Auschwitz complexes.  The eeriness and immensity of this expansion is difficult to fathom and I could hardly even imagine the place as it would have been when it was in use.  I cannot really put into words everything that I felt and took from this experience but I learned a lot from the visit and I think it is really important to visit these places to learn about what happened to these millions of innocent people because of racist ideals and hatred.

Entrance to Auschwitz-Birkenau

Saturday night at the hostel there was a toga party complete with a mesh of a Greek-Polish feast which we decided to partake in.  As per usual at hostel events, we met some very interesting people from all over including Poland, Australia, Canada, Spain, and the U.S. to name a few.  We had a great night and went out with everyone to enjoy a little taste of Polish nightlife and my roommate Liz even won the best toga award!

Sunday was to be our last day in Krakow but we were taking an over night train at 11pm so we still had the whole day to enjoy the city.  After going to the market again and walking to the Jewish quarter where they filmed Schindler's List, we caught the afternoon tour bus to the Salt Mines.  We went down 52 flights of stairs about 2.5 miles into the mine which was less than 1% of the entire mine.  The mine was actually really cool and full of statues, monuments, and even a chapel which is the largest underground chapel in the world (although how many underground chapels actually exist I am not sure) all completely made out of salt which was incredible.  Luckily though, there was an elevator lift to bring us back up, unluckily it was beyond tiny and not ideal for claustrophobic people such as myself.

52 flights deep

100% made of pure salt

Taste it for yourself if you don't believe it

That night as we were leaving the hostel to head out for the train, I look over and who do I see checking in?  None other than Mr. Lally, my CDH high school English teacher.  Talk about a small world...
After chatting for a minute with him, we set off for our next adventure by means of a night train to Prague.