Amsterdam

Almost all of what I knew before about Amsterdam was what I had learned from the movie "Eurotrip".  Not exactly the most educational film, it taught me that the city was a chaotic mess of prostitutes and drugs.  However, I found that more than anything, there were nice old families, canals, bikes and fry stores.  Lots of fry stores.

And I had to stop at every one

The city is all-around beautiful, with its winding canals and houses.  There were quite a few houseboats as well, that would float alongside the bike-paths.  There were hardly any cars and bikes replaced them as the main form of transportation.  During the day Amsterdam is a very quiet, peaceful place.   

The people of Amsterdam are actually very relaxed and it was mostly only the tourists that caused any problems.  If there was one city I visited this Spring Break that I could imagine myself living in, it would be Amsterdam. 

Dresden

We were in Dresden for only one day, but it was still nice to experience part of Eastern Germany.  After the fall of the Berlin Wall, Eastern Germany has been adjusting itself to fit the Western German lifestyle.  While not yet as prosperous as much of the West, it has been adapting to the change in culture.  Dresden is located only two hours from Prague, not far from the border between Germany and the Czech republic.  

Dresden was bombed during WWII, resulting in much reconstruction.  However, there are still plenty of historical buildings that have been preserved throughout the years:

 

Photos by Ariana Rosenthal            

This building is one of the churches inside of The Old City.  As its name suggests, this area is made up of buildings that have been around for quite awhile and were not nearly as affected by the 1945 bombing.     

               

Dresden was definitely the coldest place we went; the streets were like wind-tunnels and there was no place to hide from the cold.  At night this forced us to go into every bar we could see, the most interesting being 1940's themed and one called "Lebowski".  Amazingly, or at least obsessively, this bar is filled with "The Big Lebowski" memorabilia and original art and has the movie playing on repeat the entire night.

Dresden is kind of a strange city and has a surprisingly large nightlife, and its definitely worth taking a look at if you will be in Prague anyway.

Prague

Prague was one of my favorite cities.  If I could see myself living in any of the places that I had visited, I could most easily picture myself there.  

The Main Square

Prague is an old city with a rich history.  Although the Czech Republic was once a part of the Soviet Union during its time as Czechoslovakia, it retains a very Western style.  There are numerous churches and Christian influences on the city, as Prague was once the capital of the Holy Roman Empire, but it does not stop it from possessing its own unique feel.   

The Charles Bridge in Prague, lined with Religious figures

Photo by Ariana Rosenthal

The center square of Prague has a notable Astronomical Clock that was implemented in 1410, where throngs of loud-mouthed tourists now flock around.  Because of this, large amounts of pickpocketers hang-around the area, waiting to take what could have been well-used trdelnik money.

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The Trdelnik in all its glory.

Prague is also home to an interesting art culture that was not limited to only galleries.  The Lennon wall carries the graffiti of many generations of artists (and sorority girls, judging by the endless Delta Gamma shout-outs).  The wall has been painted over many times, leaving different art there every year.  Overall though, the predominate theme is, of course, John Lennon and his lyrics.

Every piece of architecture in Prague is a work of art in its own right.  The city has the feel of a city with history but still continues to grow in its modernity.  I would go back to Prague in an instant and would not mind spending more time there in the future.

Finals and Honors

This semester I was lucky enough to have just one honors class, leaving me with a single end of the semester honors project.  Unluckily for me though, I did not start the project until the weekend before it was due.  Twenty pages, a PowerPoint and a complete loss of a weekend later, I was completely done.

As much of a hassle as it can be at times, I realized that my honors track was worth it when I was able to sign up for classes earlier than the other students.  This allowed me to have Fridays off with no class before 10 am, letting me continue the lazy lifestyle I've grown accustomed to.  I would recommend trying out honors in Madrid, even though the style is different than Suffolk Boston.  There aren't specialized honors classes but honorizing a class just means that you have additional work on top of the standard workload.

Its nice to be done with my work but it would have been even better if I had spread it out over a longer period of time.  It just shows that I still have a lot to learn before I'm done with college.

Budapest

The first destination on our list was Budapest.   To get to Hungary, we first needed to travel through the Charleroi airport in Brussels.  We found ourselves there with a nine hour layover and decided to take the bus into the city.  Often with Ryanair, the airport is on the outskirts of the city and a bus is necessary to get anywhere worth seeing.  

Brussels is the hub of the European Union, where many of the institutions meet and discuss European politics.  While there I made sure to try the chocolate, waffles and also the fries, which are very popular in both Belgium and Amsterdam.  Brussels was a short trip, worth seeing but I was satisfied with the amount of time I spent there.

Budapest was unlike any other country that I've been to.  It was the first time I went to an Eastern European country, and the differences were evident.  Budapest is a relatively recent addition to the EU and some of the Soviet culture can still be seen.  It is not an unfriendly place, but you are hard pressed to find people walking around smiling.  They often keep to themselves, but its not to say they aren't kind- they just are less likely to show it.  

We landed in Budapest around 10pm and quickly realized we were out of our element.  We went to the ATM to get some monopoly-looking forints and hoped we would make it to our hostel. 

These belong with a board game

We were stopped by the metro police on our way because we never found the ticket vending machine.  There was a significant difference between the Hungarian metro security and the Spanish.  Namely, the Hungarians were more monster than human, being 6 foot 6 and built like a linebacker, if that linebacker happened to eat another linebacker.  Luckily, the metro system in Budapest runs less on electricity than it does on corruption and we were able to pay off the security for the equivalent of $5 each.

We eventually made it to the hostel, a homey-feeling place with a squad of hippies as staff members.  They were all very accommodating and helped us any chance they could.

Notice the staff bed in the top right, so even while asleep, someone's behind the desk

The first day in Budapest was rainy but tolerable.  We decided to go to a huge market that had floors of produce, restaurants and souvenirs.  We had fresh squeezed orange juice (although none can compare with Spain's) and goulash.  Goulash is a hearty beef soup and the key to the Hungarian's size, I assume.  We also picked up fresh ingredients so that the better cooks of the group could treat us to a hostel-cooked meal.

Photo by Ariana Rosenthal

We took a bus around the city and were able to see the most significant sights, such as Heroes' Square, a huge plaza in Budapest that honors the seven leaders that founded Hungary:

Photo by Ariana Rosenthal

The Basilica:

Fisherman's Bastion, a Disney-looking Castle:

Photo from destination360.com

The view from the Bastion

And the parliament building, which we tried unsuccessfully to get inside:

Photo from destination360

Budapest was probably the most unique destination on our list, but it was only the start to a great spring break.

Spring Break

Having just returned from Spring Break, I'm exhausted and ready for the solidarity of Madrid.  After moving through five hostels and several airport floors, I'm ready to return to my familiar twin bed.  I spent ten days in   five different countries and know that this Spring Break will never be repeated in the rest of my college years.  I made sure to take advantage of the opportunity that studying in Europe granted me, and made sure to spend my vacation all over Europe.  However, all the traveling exhausted me and a nap seems necessary.  I'll make sure to write about all the countries after my coma.  Happy Easter, world.

Segovia

This weekend my visiting friends and I decided we needed a break from Madrid and the long nights that are all too common here.  Saturday we took a bus to Segovia, a city in the mountains not even an hour and a half outside Madrid.  I did not know what to expect, other than a famous aqueduct and delicious pig dishes.

I slept through most of the bus ride, until I woke up to the bus screeching to a halt.  After scraping my head off the window, I realized we were in the middle of the snowstorm.  This was the first time I saw a significant amount of snow since leaving New England.  Everyone else on the bus was pointing and getting very excited at frozen water falling from the sky.  Perhaps it was the frequency we get it back home, or maybe the concussion that I assumed I must have then received from the window, but I went back to sleep and woke only when I made it to the destination.

The aqueduct was amazing, as it was built almost 2000 years ago without mortar and still stood.  I couldn't fathom how people could make it without machines, when I can't write a paper before complaining about it for weeks.

Almost as elaborate as one of my essays.

All I could think about on the way to the city was the eventual pork meal that was supposed to be fantastic. And I wasn't disappointed.  It was one of the best meals that I've had in the country and the waiter was kind enough to inform me more about the origin of my lunch.  He told me that the pig was only 21 days old, freshly removed from his mother.  It was easily the most innocent baby that I have ever shoved in my mouth.

Awwwwwww

Normally, infanticide is not part of my balanced diet, but I made the exception just this once.  And if a baby pig ever graces my plate again, I'm not sure I could refuse.

The other notable structure in Segovia is the castle.  It stands at the edge of town, a moat surrounding it as it looks toward the mountains.  The inside is covered in artifacts from the era and other pieces of history.

Photo by Arianna Nava

Segovia is much different than Madrid, and is a nice day trip from the city.  It was much calmer and a great escape from the hustle of daily city life in Madrid.

March 11th Anniversary

Today marks the ninth anniversary of the March 11th Madrid train bombings.  On that day, a terrorist group placed several IEDs across the commuter trains in the morning, killing 191 people and injuring another 1,800.  Across the city you can find statues dedicated to the victims, and most prominent is the memorial located at the Atocha train station, where the most devastating explosion occurred.  The inside of the cylindrical memorial has messages in different languages of grief and of hope.

Photo from spottedbylocals.com

Since that day nine years ago, there has not been another attack.  I expected the trains to be emptier today, as people always tend to fear an anniversary repeat attack.  However, I was surprised to see the metro as full as always, with the attack not dictating their lives.  While this solitary tragedy often sticks out in people's minds, the trains are incredibly safe.  When we let the fear of an event dictate our lives, it gives strength to terrorism.  It is important to grieve and to remember the victims, but not to let terrorism control your decisions.

Midterms

Now that midterms are over, I've decided I can start enjoying my birthday weekend.  My friends are visiting for the next week, and a lot of preparation is in order.  I waded through the rain to find their hostel today, which is conveniently located between a homeless colony and what I assume would be a prime location for a meth lab.  Of course, in Madrid where everything seems so safe, they would choose the one place where I wouldn't be surprised if I was missing a kidney if I slept on those streets.

Approximate location of the hostel.

Luckily, the hostel is located close enough to less syringe-y places.  It is only a short walk from Sol and the metro system is connected to everywhere you would want to go in the city.  I'm hoping I can be a good enough host while they're here, and show them all the intricacies of Madrid.  The biggest problem I'll have is balancing my schoolwork with the crazy event-filled days that I'm expecting with them around.  I'm sure the especially strong coffee here will be my crutch to make it through the week.  At least there's the silver-lining that if they're actually good friends they may have brought me some American food that I've been craving so much.  It will be nice to have a taste of home amidst all this jamon.

Lisbon

I chose to go to Lisbon for this semester's school trip.  For those who are not the most up-to-date on geography, Lisbon's in Portugal, which is on the Iberian peninsula next to Spain.  It was about an eight hour drive from Madrid; an overnight trip forcing me to supplement sleep with gallons of coffee.

After the first day in the country, I could already see differences between Portugal and Spain.  The people in Lisbon were much more soft-spoken and friendly.  Everyone there spoke English, a change from Madrid where you're almost forced to learn the local language.  At the same time, the people there seemed sad when compared to the upbeat, high-energy nature of Madrid.

This friendly nut-salesman was photographed by Arianna Nava

We had a walking tour of the city on the first morning we arrived, but I was too tired to recall most of the things that happened.  Lisbon is situated on a hill and has the Santa Justa Lift to make travelling up and down the side of the city easier.  This tower is essentially a huge elevator that brings people up the face of the hill.

Photo by Lorna Lopez

We paused for lunch and what better way to immerse myself Portuguese culture than by eating at an Italian
café?

Always the best food no matter where you go, anyway.

We went to a nice Portuguese restaurant for dinner that night, where we were treated to the country's cuisine and national music, fado.  Fado is an old style of music that focuses on the laments of the poor and broken-hearted.  A description can't do the art justice, so who else better to show you then the Queen of Fado herself, Amalia Rodrigues:

It rained on the last day we were in Lisbon, but it did not stop us from seeing more of the city.  We began the day by climbing the cobblestone streets up to an old Church, which had survived the devastating earthquake of 1755.  Interestingly, the beautiful streets that are made of broken rock rather than pavement are due to this earthquake, and making use of the rubble it had created.

Continuing up the city we eventually came to the Castle of São Jorge.  This fortification overlooked the city from the top of the hill, giving the perfect view of the bay, and the beauty of Lisbon.

Photo by Caprice Serafine

Super Bowl

This year's Super Bowl was different than my previous ones.  For one, kickoff began at 12:30 am, making my 9:00 am class later that day more dreaded than ever.  Also, I had to head to an Irish bar in order to see the game.  The bar was a change from the family-event atmosphere I'm used to back home; the patrons were all smashed or at least trying their best to be, and all the yelling was done in Spanish.  I wasn't sure that everyone cheering knew what they were rooting for, but it didn't stop them from sharing some of the passion they have for soccer with our own football.

Although there was considerably less crying.

As the night went on, the Spaniards' drunk yelling increased, and the game seemed to gain more and more importance.  It became a matter of pride above all else.  Eventually the 49ers lost, as was expected, and all was right in the world.  Until I had to go to class three hours later, without sleep.  It's at times like those when the six hour time difference gets to you.

Residence Living

This semester I elected to switch from a host family to a residence.  As much as I love Nancy, I felt like I needed a change of location.

What an adorable woman.

When I got out of the airport, I did my best to find the new residence.  This was made harder by having to navigate two bags through the streets of Madrid, as I was able to have an extra bag for free, since I was moved up to business class.  This second bag, filled entirely with ramen noodles and Little Debbies, proved to be a hassle when moving through the impatient crowds.

My Spanish was rusty, having just gotten back to Spain, so I managed to have an incredibly awkward conversation with the doorman of my new residence.  This is the same man that I accidentally dumped a bag's worth of empty sunflower seeds on from the balcony a few days ago.  I now try to avoid him at every cost.

The room that I got assigned is a double but has sliding doors that divide the two halves of the large room.  However, these doors are functionally just windows as they're made almost entirely of glass, making their purpose completely unknown to me.  It's nice living with more people this semester, because you can always find something to do.

Overall, it's a different experience from my time with a host mom.  I live closer to the center of the city and go out and walk around my neighborhood more often.  I do miss Nancy and her delicious cooking, but I'm excited for the semester ahead.

Sevilla

While Madrid is much warmer than back home, I should have been smart enough not to leave my jacket at my host mom's house.  I suffered through the first few days in Madrid with little more than my self-pity and churros to keep me warm.  Luckily, this semester's orientation trip was to Sevilla, in the Andalusia region.  Even though still in Spain, it was noticeably warmer.  I have been there once before, but not with a group so big.

The orientation trip had more people this semester, a large number of them from Chapman.  It was strange recognizing so few people, when I had come to know almost everyone from last semester.  Almost all the freshmen came back , and although it was different than Salamanca, it was equally as fun.

The first day we had a short tour of the area around our hotel, which took us through the maze of apartments that made up the Jewish district and to the cathedral.

Photo by Sean Laffey

The Catedral de Sevilla is one of the largest in the world and overlooks Seville.  Aside from the cathedral itself, there is a tower that allows you to see across the entire city from the top.  The 30 something floor trip to the top was a reminder of how out of shape I've become, but the walk was well worth the view from the top.

Photo by Taylor Kunselman


The second day began with a trip to Las Grutas, caves with stalagmites and other formations.  We were not allowed to take pictures, so naturally, plenty of photos were taken.

    

Photo by a loose-cannon that doesn't play by the rules

Somehow, Spain chose the one weekend that we were supposed to hike to rain, so the rest of the day was mainly spent eating.  We went to a farm that specializes in jamon serrano, the disgusting-looking, yet delicious specialty of Spain.  I learned that this delicacy is created by salting pig legs and letting layers of mold grow, until it hardens and is ready to serve years later.

yum.

The last full day was spent focusing on flamenco dancing.  As amazing as I am at dancing, as anyone who is embarrassed in public with me can attest to, I was more into watching the shows than getting involved in them.

Everyone was too focused on how attractive the dancers were to take pictures, but here are some flamingos instead

At Cortijo Pino Montano, where the dancing took place, we saw a humane bullfight.  There was also horse dancing, but prancing around on a horse is often overshadowed by badasses fighting bulls.

Photo by Taylor Kunselman

Pictured: something not nearly as cool as bullfighting

My favorite place I visited when I was in Sevilla last time was Los Reales Alcazares.  I was glad to know my memory served me right, and that the palace was as elaborate as I remembered.

Photo by Taylor Kunselman

The palace was originally a Moorish fort, and features intricately decorated walls and an immense garden.

Photo by Taylor Kunselman

It was great to be back in Sevilla and I hope that in the future I can make my way to this city once more.

Madrid: Round 2

After being home for three weeks I began to miss being back in Madrid.  As much as I love my university hometown of Durham, NH, there's very little to do when the students aren't around and I was anxious to get back to Spain.

My trip began with my seat being upgraded to business class, where I was accompanied by serious businessmen, more legroom than I knew what to do with, and an open bar.  The flight went by too fast, and I was brought back to reality when my connecting flight involved a cramped seat next to a man with a serious sinus issue.  However, I knew that the 11 hour trip was worthwhile when I approached Madrid and saw the city stand out in the distance.

It feels great to be back and I'm looking for another semester in beautiful Madrid.  I just hope one year is enough time for me to experience the city.