Morocco

Last weekend my friends and I traveled to Morocco, that’s right, AFRICA! The experience was incredible because none of us had ever been there before so it was a definite learning experience for everyone. We rented an apartment in the city of Tangier because we figured that it would be easier to do things ourselves and when we arrived to the apartment it was completely furnished and decorated in traditional Moroccan & Arabic style. Although this is not exactly what we were expecting we did enjoy it a lot because it was something that you don’t see every day. The first day we all had some major culture shock going on because there were so many thing that were different never mind the major language barrier! In Morocco the two main languages are Arabic and French, however many people in Tangier do have some knowledge of Spanish. Getting back to the trip, we went to the beach so that we could get a feel of where things were located and by the time we finally found it, it was getting dark outside so we decided that we should probably get some water and food for the morning. After we did that we took a taxi back to the apartment, which was also another experience because in Morocco the taxis do not have meters so you need to make sure that you and the taxi driver both agree on a price before you get in the taxi otherwise you might have to pay a lot. The next day we went back to the beach, because that is where the majority of the things were located, and while we were there we decided that we would like to ride a camel (as you can see in the picture) it only cost 50 Dirham which was about 5 Euro, so how could we pass that up? While walking around the beach on our camel you can look out towards the strait of Gibraltar and across the sea you are able to see Spain! Then we walked up some streets to get some touristic things, although we could not find that many, we were able to get some post cards and things like that. After all of the walking we were quite hungry so we decided to stop and get some pizza because we did not want to waste any time so that we could get back to the beach! Although the weather was not warm enough to go swimming, it was hot enough to be on the beach and try to get some sun, we even got burned a little! We walked all over the place looking at different parts of the city and were exhausted once again so we decided to call it a night. The final day we woke up and had to pack up everything and make sure that we cleaned the apartment a little bit. Then we went to the beach one more time to just take in the view one more time and then we had to get to the airport to travel back to Madrid. I thought the trip went very well and I cannot wait to go back and visit Africa again!

¡Hasta Luego!

Can Punyetes Taverna ~ Señora's Birthday!

Hi Guys, sorry it has been so long, I’ve just been caught up with traveling, classes and projects, but I did want to tell you that a few weeks ago I went out with my host señora and her family because she was celebrating her birthday! We went to a very nice restaurant near the Palacio Real called, Can Punyetes Taverna, which had amazing food! It was one of the best experiences that I have had here because I was truly able to be a part of a Spanish family and it was nice to learn some of the popular traditions amongst them. During the meal we all had a delicious piece of steak with potatoes on the side. For an appetizer or “tapas” we had some toasted bread with alioli sauce to spread over the top, it was homemade and tasted very good. After the meal we all enjoyed a nice piece of cake followed by coffee at one of the more famous coffee shops in Madrid, “Café del Oriente,” it was a very old, preserved building overlooking the Palacio Real so it was a beautiful view while drinking their delicious coffee. I have to say that it was nice to get to know my señora a little better and see what her family was like, as well as participate in her birthday celebration. You should definitely go check out that restaurant because the service was amazing!

¡Hasta Luego!

Andalucía

Wow how time is flying! I can not believe that we are already back in Madrid and classes are starting. Almost everyone arrived on the twelfth and since then we have been scrambling around getting ready for school. Last weekend the school traveled down to Andalucía to have our orientation trip where, once again, we were all able to meet new students (or even returning ones that we did not know previously) while on the trip we were also able to meet with the wonderful staff who actually make the trip an unforgettable experience! Getting back to the trip, we departed Madrid on Friday morning and started our journey to Sevilla (the capital of Andalucía), but on our journey down there we made a few pit stops. One in Baños de la Encima, a nice little town on a mountain where we were able to eat lunch while at the same time take in the picturesque view of the mountains, river as well as a well preserved castle surrounded by horses. After that we continued our journey to Sevilla making one more stop in Córdoba, the home of the famous Moorish Mezquita! Surrounded by orange trees and the Guadalquivir River we were really able to see how, at one time, people from different religions were able to share and pray together in once place. The first night we were in Sevilla we went to see a live flamenco show which really made us understand about la cultura de Andalucía. Although Sevilla was the focal point of our trip we were able to make a few day tips as well. One was to a farm in Cortijo where we learned how horses are trained to be in shows as well as a little bit about bull fighting. The second day we took a trip to Jerez de la Frontera and toured the bodega (winery) of Tio Pepe brand. We saw how they grow, make and store their world renowned Sherry and then we were able to relax for a while there and see a flamenco show with horses. Then finally on the last day we had a few hours on our own time to go and explor the city, so my friends and I decided to visit the Moorish Alcazar as well as the Catheral, but when we were walking there we saw some horse and carriages and decided to hop on board. The carriage took us around the entire city and the driver was a tour guide so we were able to see everything that the city had to offer. I honestly can not wait to go back to Sevilla! With the orange trees, nice weather and richness of culture it is definitely a “must see” spot in Spain!

¡Hasta Luego!

Viajando ~ Traveling

Catching up for lost time, a big thanks to final exams… I thought I would talk about traveling. It has been one of my favorite things and I cannot wait until I can travel more next semester. Thus far I have been to Salamanca, Avila, Villalba, El Escorial, Segovia & Toledo which are all small villages in Spain just a bit outside of the city. Some have been day trips while others weekenders, but however you plan on traveling I recommend spending time in Spain to try and get a feel for the culture before jumping into Europe. Salamanca was one of the school trips this semester where we had our orientation, which I mentioned in and earlier post and the others are just some other small villages that I have visited with friends because we have friends that live there or because there is some historical palace or monastery there, such as El Escorial. Avila is a medieval city which has a very interesting history, but I do not want to give away too much information because there is a school trip traveling there next semester! However, I have also traveled outside of Spain this semester! I have been to Paris & Toulouse, France, where I was able to spend time exploring and getting to know other cultures and customs. Dublin, Ireland is one of my all time favorites and I tend to return quite frequently to visit with some people who are very good friends of my family. On top of that I traveled to Lisbon, Portugal with the school on one of the semester trips. Each European country in very unique, meaning that they are proud of their culture as well as their customs and are always trying to show other people how special they truly are. By studying in Madrid I feel as if I am in the center of Europe and at the gateway to visit other countries, but at the same time if you come here on a smaller budget there are so many things to do in Madrid and its surroundings that you really do not have to leave. But as for now I’m going to go play in the snow because I have not seen any for a very long time…

This picture was taken on my flight from Ireland to Spain while we were just over the cost of Ireland, as you can see...
¡Hasta Luego!

Felices Fiestas ~ Happy Holidays

Wow how the time is flying by… I just finished all of my finals and cannot wait to go back home and visit my friends and family over the winter break!

Over the past few weeks I have been very busy making sure everything was completed for the end of the semester as well as studying for my final exams. Now that they are over I am able to enjoy my last few days here in Madrid before I travel home for a few weeks to spend some time with my family and friends. This year has been very special for me because I have been able to spend the preholiday season with some of my, now, very good friends! We have seen the holiday spirit in Lisbon, Portugal; Paris, France; Dublin, Ireland; as well as in Madrid, and each place we have traveled to we tried to get a little out of their culture to bring home and share with our own families. I am currently spending some time in the Sierra de Guadarrama visiting with some friends of mine and enjoying it a lot before I travel back to Madrid for the Cena de la Despedida (Farewell Dinner) which will take place on Monday evening. I think that the main reason as to why I am enjoying myself is the fact that there is so much NIEVE! That’s Right! SNOW!!!! I know it does not snow that often in Madrid but a mere 30+ minutes north of the city you can really get in touch with the winter weather where it snows a lot. However you are still able to get that warm holiday feeling in the city, the other evening my friends and I decided to take the Bus de Navidad (Christmas Bus) which cost only € 1 and took us all over the place to show us all of the Christmas Lights that are being displayed throughout the city…and on top of that there was a tour guide who pointed out several important places along the way! It was great fun and I recommend it to everyone because it surly brightened our holiday season!

I took this picture in front of the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris!

¡Hasta Luego!

Lisboa + Pastéis = Best Weekend Ever!

¡Hola a todos! It has been such a hectic week trying to complete everything since the semester is ending this THURSDAY, I know the time has flown by. But I guess that I should do some catching up…

First of all, Lisboa was amazing! The weather was perfect, the trip well organized, and the food was incredible, making this one of the best weekends this entire year! The city is located along the Tagus, Tajo, or Tejo River (Depending on which language you speak…English, Spanish, or Portuguese) and is also the current capital of Portugal. While there we visited several important sites including the Castelo São Jorge, Torre de Bélem, Monasterio de los Jerónimos, as well as many other sites including a nice theatre where we were able to watch a fado show while enjoying a delicious meal. During the trip we also traveled to several other surrounding cities like Sintra & Cascais, two lovely beach side towns where we had a lot of free time to relax, walk around, or simply lay on the beach. We also traveled to Cabo de Roca, which is the most western point of mainland Europe! It was so nice there and the view was incredible (as you can see from the foto above). Needless to say the trip was a great sucess and to top it all off, we ate some Pastéis de Bélem, some heavenly desserts that are famous from that area by locals as well as tourists alike, making the weekend end on a wonderful note. The bus ride was about eight hours, but I guess that is what you have to pay to reach some of the nicest places on earth...

¡Hasta Luego!

Some Students at Cabo de Roca

A view of Lisbon from El Castelo São Jorge

El Otoño – Fall

While walking down the lovely streets of Madrid today I realized something, it’s fall! Having grown up in the Boston area, I always thought that the leaves changed in the beginning of October, but as I saw today that is not always true. When you mix falling leaves, fresh air and a light jacket you get the perfect day for a walk in Madrid, so that is exactly what I did. While walking from my host family’s house to El Parque del Buen Retiro, one of the largest parks that Madrid has to offer, I was able to visit some of my favorite places around the city such as La Plaza de Colón and La Plaza de Cibeles. La Plaza de Colón is one of my favorites because it is a very relaxing place equipped with fountains, murals, an underground theatre as well as an enormous Spanish flag! Not only that, but the entire plaza is dedicated to Cristóbal Colón (Christopher Columbus) with a statue in his honor and about four or five murals that depict his voyages to the new world. As for La Plaza de Cibeles, it is simply an enormous building like none I have seen before…and on top of that, it’s the post office!!! Anyways, getting back to El Retiro, the park is a very relaxing place where I usually go to walk around. There are flowers, a small lake where you can rent rowboats (They cost about €4), El Palacio de Cristal (Where normally they hold different art exhibitions throughout the year) and an abundance of trees and fresh air with pathways (So I do not get lost)! Normally on Saturdays there are tons of people in the park, either selling crafts or taking advantage of the fresh air and you can go and partake in this small piece of Spanish culture. My friends and I usually end up in the park during the weekend to walk around and get some fresh air instead of being cooped up inside all day, but that’s just us!

As for now I have to go finish packing for the school trip to Lisbon this weekend…

¡Hasta Luego!