This week has been interesting...steph left, I got sick (and went to the doctor today and apparently have a throat infection of some sort, just a little painful), the clock went back an hour, and we are not celebrating Halloween! What a wierd month. Although I hear from home that my dog is going to be Yoda- not my first pick of costumes! So I also got reprimanded from Conchi today about why I did not go out this weekend...um hello sick! Since she gave me hot milk and honey I think she thinks I was cured, definitely not! Since she goes off to her mountain village every week it is a nice break for me and I get some quiet time without her crazy singing in a capella! I got to actually cook for myself this weekend too, who would have thoguht that I would have wanted to actually cook! No I lover her cooking but I was craving good scrambled eggs and grilled cheeses!
She makes great food though, like lentil soup, garbanzo bean soup (if that is even what it is), vegetable puree (I think is the name), yummy mixed veggies, rice with tomato sauce. And it is never alone...Conchi hates sad food she calls it. Like a salad with nothing in it is sad, so she put tomato and cucumber. Or soup alone is sad, she says "que triste", so we always have fresh bread, soup or something and salad and maybe something else! Definitely a good well rounded meal. The this afternoon when she came home for siesta and to cook lunch (which is definitely the biggest and most important meal of the day, in addition to dinner) she said you eat nothing, you don't eat fruit and I was like I had 4 oranges, 3 apples and a peach (with the help of my friends who come over and eat my food all the time since I can never eat all she leaves me on the weekends alone!) and she was like that is nothing! Crazy I tell ya.
But this weekend should be fun, Matt, Nikki and I are headed to Barcelona for four nights to explore...Matt and I decided to pay a little extra for an hour flight while Nikki is taking a seven hour train for half the price as our flights...I think I will pass!
Monday, October 29, 2007
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Some photos!
The pictures are a little mixed up but with the help of mary, here they are:
Me in Southern France
This beach is Plenzia about 30 minutes north of Bilbao
This is form a group trip we took to Southern France, and you can see Spain off to the left
This is me and Matt and our good Italian friend Rossella from Rome, it is so cool to have a common language!
Me and Nikki at a discoteca called "Fever"- they were giving out masks!
This is the beach in France (and Matts head)
the Real Madrid stadium! We has a personal tour! so amazing
Plaza Mayor in Madrid
My bday pastries everyone got me!
Hyde Park, London
Palacio Royal in Madrid
Me in Southern France
This beach is Plenzia about 30 minutes north of Bilbao
This is form a group trip we took to Southern France, and you can see Spain off to the left
This is me and Matt and our good Italian friend Rossella from Rome, it is so cool to have a common language!
Me and Nikki at a discoteca called "Fever"- they were giving out masks!
This is the beach in France (and Matts head)
the Real Madrid stadium! We has a personal tour! so amazing
Plaza Mayor in Madrid
My bday pastries everyone got me!
Hyde Park, London
Palacio Royal in Madrid
Saturday, October 27, 2007
A little Piece of Home from Denmark
Steph is here from Copenhagen, Denmark, staying with me and Conchi (who is amazing and is cooking for both of us and doing her laundry!) We went to the big park in Bilbao on Sunday and it was so sunny and warm, a very nice change. We just sat on a bench and read and enjoyed the crazy little Spanish kids running around and screaming by the fountain.
Then on Monday we walked to class at ten together and stopped by a pastelería to get a little sweet bread. Steph brought my computer to go into the Cafetería to go online while I had class for 2 hours. So I found the three Richmond guys, who go to Richmond University, the only English speaking table, and introduced her then left- since I did not want to be late for class. So I came back during break, and she was laughing and definitely making friends! We walked back a long the river and then Steph met Conchi. Wow is that language barrier hard! But we had a great lunch and steph was introduced to tortilla de patatas (which I learned how to make) - her new love! Then we met our friend from SF Matt and Stevie to walk across La Puente Colgante, the hanging bridge. It is about a 20 minute metro ride north by the beach. It is in the town of Areeta. So we walked to the bridge and took a moving enclosed car with passengers and cars on it across the river to the other side then took the elevator up to the top of the bridge and walked across. We saw all the red rooftops on both sides of the river and the Spanish northern coast and the beach town of Plenzia. Stevie has a little fear of heights but we made it to the end of the very high very windy bridge.
After that we walked to a bar (they are called bars here but they have pinchos, bocadillos and little foods like that in addition to serving alcohol, but a lot of people just go to hang out and sit down to talk or watch a soccer game- they are not exactly like the bars at home and the most popular times are in the mid morning and siesta, then after dinner on weekends) to have calimocho a drink typical of the basque country with wine and coca cola. It is an interesting mix but very good. So Steph and I are friends with John from home and so we went to see him and catch up, and she met his roommates the Italians- Rossella and María Teresa.
Then, on Wednesday night before steph left, she wanted to try sangria so we did and it is amazing as always. So she got the full Spanish experience! She is in Prague now and then will return back to school on Monday. Last winter I went to visit her in Jackson Hole Wyoming…what a great place for skiing! It is so great to see her in all different places!
Saturday, October 20, 2007
Urdaibai and Gernika- Northern Spain
For our third and last excursion with our program, we went to the biosphere called Urdaibai in Northern Spain, not too far from the Basque country trip we took in the South of France a few weeks ago. The UNESCO named this place a biosphere reserve. It is mostly forests and wildlife, and a few very important little towns. We stoped in Gernika in the reserve, which is the historical capital of the basque country. The little town, Guernika was bombed the 26th of April in 1937, during the Spanish civil was from 1936-1939. The town was in complete destruction.
We got to go to the Peace museum in the middle of Gernika, which exibited photos and remains from the bombings. We saw videos of people who actually lived through it and retold the story recently. It was a great musuem, there was one exhibit on the meaning of peace and quotes from famous people.
This was one of my favorites: "No hay caminos para la paz, paz es el camino" meaning there aren't any roads to peace, peace is the road- by M. Ghandi
"If I thought the world was going to end tommorrow, I would still plant a tree today." - Martin Luther King
It was great to see Gernika the town and experience / understand a little bit more of the history. We went to the Casa de Juntas, like the political headquarters of the town and of the Basque country. Every four years the Basque country President comes to this place to be sworn in. It is amazing how small the area is, but how huge the historical significance is. Oak trees are very important here, representing strength, and life after the war. There is a preserved oak tree over 300 years old near the Casa de Juntas that has been very important throughout history. It is funny to think these crazy spanairds have this huge attachment to a tree, but the more I think about it, we silly Americans have the same wierd attachments and sayings.
When I was in Madrid, I went to the Reina Sofia Mueseum and actually saw "Guernica" by Picasso, painted in 1937. He was commissioned to paint it right after the bombing which caused even more commotion and drew much more attention to the attrocity.
So after lunch we took the bus through windy wooded roads (not ideal when you have to pee) and stopped at this beautiful lookout over the Spanish coast. I ran off the bus to pee in the bushes and luckily I had a buddy with me, cus when the whole group got off the bus they came my way...not good, but they stopped so I could pee. One of my friends who went pee too was like "this is the closest you can be to Spain or Spanish nature rather..." Funny! Then we all hiked down the mountain to the ocean and then up stairs to this church on a rock far out on the coast. So it was about an hour and half downhill then up about 300 rocky stairs uphill to this church. I was thinking, before I started the trek, oh the stairs on the USF campus at Lone Mountain are about 150 I can do twice that no problem, ohhh my gosh!!!! All I can say now is that my butt has never hurt this much! We made it to the top and it it was so beautiful, you could see the blue ocean along the coast for miles and miles. We were perched up next to this church looking at the mountains and ocean, with the wind in our hair, you can just imagine...
Then we hiked back up trying to catch rides up from the few cars and picking flowers and taking breaks and looking at slugs. So all in all it took us about 2 hours to get back up. We then headed back on the bus and less than an hour later we were back home. Very tired last night I just passed out, plus I think I am getting a cold. My body was so achey. I told Conchi, my host woman, and she was like oh well then you need to drink this hot milk with like 20 teaspoons of honey in it. It was so sweet, but according to her it with cure your cold and aches. So I drank it and I am still a little achey and sick but maybe it will kick in later. I tell ya wierd spanish traditions!
Well, this morning I woke up and took the metro to the bus station and the bus to the airport. I know what you are thinking, where could she be going now? No No No, I went to pick up my friend Stephanie coming in from London at the airport. She lives in Denmark and is studying there this semester and is here to visit me this week. It was very nice for a change to go to the airport and not go anywhere. Traveling is great, but taking a break everyother weekend is a must! So we took the bus back and rested a little and now we are going to go out tonight so she can meet all my friends and the basque boys. It will however, be interesting since Steph speaks no Spanish! We go to USF together and have lived on the same floor the last two years in the dorms. She is great and so energetic so this will be a great week!
Hasta pronto....
We got to go to the Peace museum in the middle of Gernika, which exibited photos and remains from the bombings. We saw videos of people who actually lived through it and retold the story recently. It was a great musuem, there was one exhibit on the meaning of peace and quotes from famous people.
This was one of my favorites: "No hay caminos para la paz, paz es el camino" meaning there aren't any roads to peace, peace is the road- by M. Ghandi
"If I thought the world was going to end tommorrow, I would still plant a tree today." - Martin Luther King
It was great to see Gernika the town and experience / understand a little bit more of the history. We went to the Casa de Juntas, like the political headquarters of the town and of the Basque country. Every four years the Basque country President comes to this place to be sworn in. It is amazing how small the area is, but how huge the historical significance is. Oak trees are very important here, representing strength, and life after the war. There is a preserved oak tree over 300 years old near the Casa de Juntas that has been very important throughout history. It is funny to think these crazy spanairds have this huge attachment to a tree, but the more I think about it, we silly Americans have the same wierd attachments and sayings.
When I was in Madrid, I went to the Reina Sofia Mueseum and actually saw "Guernica" by Picasso, painted in 1937. He was commissioned to paint it right after the bombing which caused even more commotion and drew much more attention to the attrocity.
So after lunch we took the bus through windy wooded roads (not ideal when you have to pee) and stopped at this beautiful lookout over the Spanish coast. I ran off the bus to pee in the bushes and luckily I had a buddy with me, cus when the whole group got off the bus they came my way...not good, but they stopped so I could pee. One of my friends who went pee too was like "this is the closest you can be to Spain or Spanish nature rather..." Funny! Then we all hiked down the mountain to the ocean and then up stairs to this church on a rock far out on the coast. So it was about an hour and half downhill then up about 300 rocky stairs uphill to this church. I was thinking, before I started the trek, oh the stairs on the USF campus at Lone Mountain are about 150 I can do twice that no problem, ohhh my gosh!!!! All I can say now is that my butt has never hurt this much! We made it to the top and it it was so beautiful, you could see the blue ocean along the coast for miles and miles. We were perched up next to this church looking at the mountains and ocean, with the wind in our hair, you can just imagine...
Then we hiked back up trying to catch rides up from the few cars and picking flowers and taking breaks and looking at slugs. So all in all it took us about 2 hours to get back up. We then headed back on the bus and less than an hour later we were back home. Very tired last night I just passed out, plus I think I am getting a cold. My body was so achey. I told Conchi, my host woman, and she was like oh well then you need to drink this hot milk with like 20 teaspoons of honey in it. It was so sweet, but according to her it with cure your cold and aches. So I drank it and I am still a little achey and sick but maybe it will kick in later. I tell ya wierd spanish traditions!
Well, this morning I woke up and took the metro to the bus station and the bus to the airport. I know what you are thinking, where could she be going now? No No No, I went to pick up my friend Stephanie coming in from London at the airport. She lives in Denmark and is studying there this semester and is here to visit me this week. It was very nice for a change to go to the airport and not go anywhere. Traveling is great, but taking a break everyother weekend is a must! So we took the bus back and rested a little and now we are going to go out tonight so she can meet all my friends and the basque boys. It will however, be interesting since Steph speaks no Spanish! We go to USF together and have lived on the same floor the last two years in the dorms. She is great and so energetic so this will be a great week!
Hasta pronto....
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Wireless SF
How cool would it be to have wireless internet every where you go? How easy would that be? Well, since California leads the country in many ways, we should definitely be the first city and state to have wireless internet! check out www.wirelessSF.org!! You can vote for measure J for a wireless San Francisco and sign up online as a public suporter with just your name and email address!
Wednesday, October 17, 2007
Love in London
I spent Friday through Monday in London and LOVED IT! What a change from Spain. There is so much diversity in food and in culture! About 56 thousand Australians live in London, amazing! I wish I had met more...anyways
I met up with my friend Katey from high school who I haven't seen since and stayed with her Friday night. We caught up at her little flat in Kensington then went out to Notting Hill (where all the famous people apparently live- we saw a blond Victoria Secret model I think!) and to Portobello Road with cute shops and cafes and a market outside. It was so cute how a lot of the buildings are the same but different colors. It really reminded me of Haight Street, the market and stores I mean.
So then later we went out with her friends in the program from California to a pub. There is really such a difference between Americans and Europeans, in the way they dress and their manners! I saw these friends of Kateys wearing baseball hats, baggy jeans and sneakers and I was like oh they’re from California. Style is much more a priority here I would say! For the women too, everyone in Spain wears high heels and nice cloths out, similar to London.
So I woke up on Saturday and had quite an adventure getting to the hotel where my friend Maile was staying. A lot of the tube lines close on weekends so the main one I wanted, the circle line which took me directly to her wasn’t working…oh I had to take three lines to get to her but finally did. We went straight out for the day and must have walked 9 miles around London and definitely got great use out of our metro day passes. (mean while the whole weekend trying not to think about how everything is double the cost of the dollar, how depressing!) We went to St. Paul’s Cathedral, beautiful and huge! Then crossed the river to the Tate Modern Gallery, with great artwork and we learned a little about British artists. Then we headed over to Covent Gardens to do a little shopping and hit up this market near to walk around. We had amazing sugar waffles, warm and sweet! Deciding to explore some more we walked around into the Soho area and stopped for a beer, mmm Hosgarden (or however you spell it, it was refreshing and light!) We kept going, at this time we had been out for about six hours and it was maybe 5pm. We walked over along the park to Buckingham Palace, which Maile had to see! I have been to London about three times before but never for more than a weekend. She was taking pictures of the policemen and making them smile and we took pictures by the fountain like typical tourists! We just could not walk anymore so we taxied it back to the hotel.
*FYI Maile is studying at the beauty school of Paul Mitchell in San Francisco and came to London for a week to study hair stuff, so I stayed at her hotel saturday and Sunday, so that was the base camp!
At the hotel Maile cut my hair, since she is a pro by now and will be famous someday in the movie industry for hair and make up. So we took the tube, like always to East London to Fifteen. This is the restaurant where I met all the British boys in Italy working for the non profit event a few weeks ago. So I saw Dean a chef, and Paul the head wine guy, I forget the word but it is French like “Somelier” or something. I thought I would not need a reservation so I just showed up thinking they would have a table for us, but since it was their fifth anniversary it was a little crowded. However, Paul (the Australian) sent up a huge plate of appetizers and yummy bread, and we made friends with the chefs in the kitchen near us so they gave us great desserts- like crème brulee, canoli, and brownies. (Oh I am headed to Australia in Decmeber with John, I cannot wait!) Of course Maile is allergic to nuts which could possibly be in anything so I ate almost everything! Then we said our goodbyes and headed for some pubs on Portobello Road. Oddly enough on a Saturday night everything closes at 12:30 so we ended up taking a nice walk around then back along Hyde Park to the hotel.
Sunday, I went to the park and walked around observing and taking in the fall. All the leaves on the grass were orange and red. I sat down to write watching this center road in the park, more of a circle focal point where walking paths connect, and there was so much activity. It was so nice to see dogs, (I am missing mine so much, poor Bailey without me!) bikes, joggers, kids in strollers with adorable accents, and a soccer game with a bunch of yelling Brits- I debated several times whether or not to jump in, I miss playing soccer so much! It was great not to have any time limits, I had no watch or cell phone and I just enjoyed my time there. Then I walked around some more near Spring Street and Paddington Station and actually had dinner with Luke, another one of the guys who used to work at Fifteen. He is about 26 and works at a very prestigious restaurant in London and can now basically work at any restaurant in the world. He has traveled a lot, and makes me want to travel more. I am not satisfied! I want to see more…although I have had some great experiences!
I flew back home through Barcelona, and surprisingly all the airports so far I have been to in Spain have Wifi. I have not had my computer but that is awesome! So high tech! This weekend my friend Stephanie from USF, studying in Copenhagen, Denmark is coming to stay with me for a week. She has a lot of energy and is excited about life so it will be great to see her!
I met up with my friend Katey from high school who I haven't seen since and stayed with her Friday night. We caught up at her little flat in Kensington then went out to Notting Hill (where all the famous people apparently live- we saw a blond Victoria Secret model I think!) and to Portobello Road with cute shops and cafes and a market outside. It was so cute how a lot of the buildings are the same but different colors. It really reminded me of Haight Street, the market and stores I mean.
So then later we went out with her friends in the program from California to a pub. There is really such a difference between Americans and Europeans, in the way they dress and their manners! I saw these friends of Kateys wearing baseball hats, baggy jeans and sneakers and I was like oh they’re from California. Style is much more a priority here I would say! For the women too, everyone in Spain wears high heels and nice cloths out, similar to London.
So I woke up on Saturday and had quite an adventure getting to the hotel where my friend Maile was staying. A lot of the tube lines close on weekends so the main one I wanted, the circle line which took me directly to her wasn’t working…oh I had to take three lines to get to her but finally did. We went straight out for the day and must have walked 9 miles around London and definitely got great use out of our metro day passes. (mean while the whole weekend trying not to think about how everything is double the cost of the dollar, how depressing!) We went to St. Paul’s Cathedral, beautiful and huge! Then crossed the river to the Tate Modern Gallery, with great artwork and we learned a little about British artists. Then we headed over to Covent Gardens to do a little shopping and hit up this market near to walk around. We had amazing sugar waffles, warm and sweet! Deciding to explore some more we walked around into the Soho area and stopped for a beer, mmm Hosgarden (or however you spell it, it was refreshing and light!) We kept going, at this time we had been out for about six hours and it was maybe 5pm. We walked over along the park to Buckingham Palace, which Maile had to see! I have been to London about three times before but never for more than a weekend. She was taking pictures of the policemen and making them smile and we took pictures by the fountain like typical tourists! We just could not walk anymore so we taxied it back to the hotel.
*FYI Maile is studying at the beauty school of Paul Mitchell in San Francisco and came to London for a week to study hair stuff, so I stayed at her hotel saturday and Sunday, so that was the base camp!
At the hotel Maile cut my hair, since she is a pro by now and will be famous someday in the movie industry for hair and make up. So we took the tube, like always to East London to Fifteen. This is the restaurant where I met all the British boys in Italy working for the non profit event a few weeks ago. So I saw Dean a chef, and Paul the head wine guy, I forget the word but it is French like “Somelier” or something. I thought I would not need a reservation so I just showed up thinking they would have a table for us, but since it was their fifth anniversary it was a little crowded. However, Paul (the Australian) sent up a huge plate of appetizers and yummy bread, and we made friends with the chefs in the kitchen near us so they gave us great desserts- like crème brulee, canoli, and brownies. (Oh I am headed to Australia in Decmeber with John, I cannot wait!) Of course Maile is allergic to nuts which could possibly be in anything so I ate almost everything! Then we said our goodbyes and headed for some pubs on Portobello Road. Oddly enough on a Saturday night everything closes at 12:30 so we ended up taking a nice walk around then back along Hyde Park to the hotel.
Sunday, I went to the park and walked around observing and taking in the fall. All the leaves on the grass were orange and red. I sat down to write watching this center road in the park, more of a circle focal point where walking paths connect, and there was so much activity. It was so nice to see dogs, (I am missing mine so much, poor Bailey without me!) bikes, joggers, kids in strollers with adorable accents, and a soccer game with a bunch of yelling Brits- I debated several times whether or not to jump in, I miss playing soccer so much! It was great not to have any time limits, I had no watch or cell phone and I just enjoyed my time there. Then I walked around some more near Spring Street and Paddington Station and actually had dinner with Luke, another one of the guys who used to work at Fifteen. He is about 26 and works at a very prestigious restaurant in London and can now basically work at any restaurant in the world. He has traveled a lot, and makes me want to travel more. I am not satisfied! I want to see more…although I have had some great experiences!
I flew back home through Barcelona, and surprisingly all the airports so far I have been to in Spain have Wifi. I have not had my computer but that is awesome! So high tech! This weekend my friend Stephanie from USF, studying in Copenhagen, Denmark is coming to stay with me for a week. She has a lot of energy and is excited about life so it will be great to see her!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Devon in DC
I had a fabulous week of classes and still cannot believe it has been more than a month living in Spain!
Well, I was planning on studying abroad in Argentina next semester, but when I looked into the program more and the location, it was not what I wanted, so I was bummed since I can only go through USF sponsored programs. So I was like I will apply to this cool international studies program in DC at American University for the spring, it is still kinda like a study abroad- but domestic. So I did the easy application with an essay and attached my resume not expecting a lot because only five people get accepted every semester. But, I was looking at my inbox in gmail, and no new mail since I last checked. I paused then saw a new email from USF saying CONGRATS, you got into the program!!!
I am sooooo excited to study at American University next semester. I am going to be in this intense program with an internship with a non profit or in the government and take classes on foriegn policy, this is the program I want:
*International Law and Organizations—Explore the nature of international law in interstate relations by studying the activities, and performance of major global organizations in areas such as: security and terrorism, international trade and economic development, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian assistance. In addition to your time in Washington, you will spend three weeks visiting the United Nations in New York City, the International Court of Justice at The Hague, and NATO and the European Union in Brussels.
That sounds so amazing to me! So I told my host woman who I live with, Conchi, who is so great, and she was like oh how lucky. Then she was telling me how I am always welcome here in her place no matter when or with no notice! So that is such great news too, we are getting along very well, although she is still feeding me so much my stomache is always always full!
I am headed to London tomorrow morning, friday until monday, I am stoked! I am meeting a friend from high school who is studying there and will stay with her Friday night, then my friend Maile from SF who goes to Paul Mitchell Beauty school is in London learning so we are hanging out all day Saturday then I am staying with her and then on Sunday I am meeting the British boys from Italy to hang out and I am going to have coffee with Paul, the British guy I met when I was in Munich before comign to Spain in September. This is going to be quite a weekend!
Well check out the website for the semester in DC if you want to: www.washingtonsemester.com
Well, I was planning on studying abroad in Argentina next semester, but when I looked into the program more and the location, it was not what I wanted, so I was bummed since I can only go through USF sponsored programs. So I was like I will apply to this cool international studies program in DC at American University for the spring, it is still kinda like a study abroad- but domestic. So I did the easy application with an essay and attached my resume not expecting a lot because only five people get accepted every semester. But, I was looking at my inbox in gmail, and no new mail since I last checked. I paused then saw a new email from USF saying CONGRATS, you got into the program!!!
I am sooooo excited to study at American University next semester. I am going to be in this intense program with an internship with a non profit or in the government and take classes on foriegn policy, this is the program I want:
*International Law and Organizations—Explore the nature of international law in interstate relations by studying the activities, and performance of major global organizations in areas such as: security and terrorism, international trade and economic development, the environment, human rights, and humanitarian assistance. In addition to your time in Washington, you will spend three weeks visiting the United Nations in New York City, the International Court of Justice at The Hague, and NATO and the European Union in Brussels.
That sounds so amazing to me! So I told my host woman who I live with, Conchi, who is so great, and she was like oh how lucky. Then she was telling me how I am always welcome here in her place no matter when or with no notice! So that is such great news too, we are getting along very well, although she is still feeding me so much my stomache is always always full!
I am headed to London tomorrow morning, friday until monday, I am stoked! I am meeting a friend from high school who is studying there and will stay with her Friday night, then my friend Maile from SF who goes to Paul Mitchell Beauty school is in London learning so we are hanging out all day Saturday then I am staying with her and then on Sunday I am meeting the British boys from Italy to hang out and I am going to have coffee with Paul, the British guy I met when I was in Munich before comign to Spain in September. This is going to be quite a weekend!
Well check out the website for the semester in DC if you want to: www.washingtonsemester.com
Sunday, October 7, 2007
France for a day
Who knew a silly little border between two countries could make such a difference. On Friday I went to the Pais Vasco in France with our University. We went to the same basque country that is in Spain but in Spain and the people are so different there and really look french with the little hats and all even thoguh they are both considered the same "country" in the south of France and the North of Spain. They each speak french and spanish in addition to Euskera, the native Basque language. The bus ride was about an hour long, again always an adventure putting 35 twenty and twenty one year olds on one bus!
We went to a little ocean side town that smelled of fish and fresh air called Saint Jean de Luz. We saw a church and the beach, where you can see spain far to the left. We also walked downtown on the cobblestone streets and I can honestly say I had the best croissant of my life! I went to this little bakery and 2 of the 20 french words I know are chocolat and croissant so it was perfect.
Since the north of Spain is hugely developed since the idustrial perios in the 90's the cities are very different. In France, they are much more pristine and white. We went to a ritzy beach town next called Biarritz. A lot of the building, house and hotels were white with white fences right on the beach. We went to an enclosed market with the best looking cheese and fresh fruit and pastries everywhere! Then we walked along the boardwalk to a natural pier. It was very windy and beautiful with a great coastline view. Everyone has their cameras, so you can imagine 20 people at one time taking the same pictures, so I tried not to take that many, it is a little embarrasing when everyone around you is starting and it is not like Americans have a good reputation with the French or with anyone internationally already! We also made a very long stop at a pastry shop known as one of the best in Europe according to one of my professors.
Next, we headed to to the Basilica de Loyola and la Casa Torre. This was the birth place of Saint Ignazio who founded the Jesuit order, and is a huge deal. Next to his house was the church where it all started in the 1500's. It was pretty amazing to see everything in the old condition in which he lived. I was rainning when we arrived and there was fog and mist inbetween the mountains, it was beautiful. I am one of those people who loves rain!
So I am not very religous, but it was so interesting to learn about the Jesuits since USF is Jesuit and has all of the names of the buildings named after Ignazio and Pedro Arrupe and important people like them. So I felt a close connection to my school and understood a lot more about the motives behind the order. I learned a lot about Ignazio and his religious life and it was actually pretty interesting for the first time.
Well then we were on our way back on the bus in the rain on the highway and I hear a POP! ohh crap, what is that...hmm well a flat tire! Ya so 35 people on this bus in the middle of the mountain in Northern Spain with no transportation and no one around! We had to wait for another bus to come get us of course from Bilbao, about an hour away. So we waited an hour, on the bus- we couldn't get off cus it was rainning, in the dark- since the bus wouldn't start, in the cold with no food. No but it was fun, we talked and hung out. Not too horrible but definitely unexpected! I definitely want to go back to France, maybe Paris, but with a translator! I have this friend Antoni, who is French and would be perfect for that job!
We went to a little ocean side town that smelled of fish and fresh air called Saint Jean de Luz. We saw a church and the beach, where you can see spain far to the left. We also walked downtown on the cobblestone streets and I can honestly say I had the best croissant of my life! I went to this little bakery and 2 of the 20 french words I know are chocolat and croissant so it was perfect.
Since the north of Spain is hugely developed since the idustrial perios in the 90's the cities are very different. In France, they are much more pristine and white. We went to a ritzy beach town next called Biarritz. A lot of the building, house and hotels were white with white fences right on the beach. We went to an enclosed market with the best looking cheese and fresh fruit and pastries everywhere! Then we walked along the boardwalk to a natural pier. It was very windy and beautiful with a great coastline view. Everyone has their cameras, so you can imagine 20 people at one time taking the same pictures, so I tried not to take that many, it is a little embarrasing when everyone around you is starting and it is not like Americans have a good reputation with the French or with anyone internationally already! We also made a very long stop at a pastry shop known as one of the best in Europe according to one of my professors.
Next, we headed to to the Basilica de Loyola and la Casa Torre. This was the birth place of Saint Ignazio who founded the Jesuit order, and is a huge deal. Next to his house was the church where it all started in the 1500's. It was pretty amazing to see everything in the old condition in which he lived. I was rainning when we arrived and there was fog and mist inbetween the mountains, it was beautiful. I am one of those people who loves rain!
So I am not very religous, but it was so interesting to learn about the Jesuits since USF is Jesuit and has all of the names of the buildings named after Ignazio and Pedro Arrupe and important people like them. So I felt a close connection to my school and understood a lot more about the motives behind the order. I learned a lot about Ignazio and his religious life and it was actually pretty interesting for the first time.
Well then we were on our way back on the bus in the rain on the highway and I hear a POP! ohh crap, what is that...hmm well a flat tire! Ya so 35 people on this bus in the middle of the mountain in Northern Spain with no transportation and no one around! We had to wait for another bus to come get us of course from Bilbao, about an hour away. So we waited an hour, on the bus- we couldn't get off cus it was rainning, in the dark- since the bus wouldn't start, in the cold with no food. No but it was fun, we talked and hung out. Not too horrible but definitely unexpected! I definitely want to go back to France, maybe Paris, but with a translator! I have this friend Antoni, who is French and would be perfect for that job!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
One month in and I have survived the Spanish
Well I am headed to the South of France on Friday just for the day with my program through school. The people taking us keep warning us to bring an empty stomach and lots of money for French chocolate and ice cream!! I am very excited! So I live in the Basque country in Spain and we are going to the Basque region in France! I am also working on posting more pictures…from Madrid and Italy so hold your horses! And please post comment and send me emails because I love to hear from everyone!!
Today marks the first month I have spent in Spain and it has gone soo quickly! I am so excited for the next month of crazy adventures!
Today marks the first month I have spent in Spain and it has gone soo quickly! I am so excited for the next month of crazy adventures!
San Patrignano in Rimini, Italy and the Cheese!
This last weekend I went to Bologna and Rimini, Italy with Roots of Peace. I volunteer for Roots of Peace, an organization based out of San Rafael, California who removes land mines from war torn countries and also do sustainable agricultural development in countries like Angola, Africa, Cambodia, Croatia and Iraq and Afghanistan. I started volunteering about a year ago and fell in love with the organization and everyone who works there and just kept going after my social justice volunteering program was over through USF. Anyways, RoP was asked to be a part of an annual event called Squisito, at the largest drug rehabilitation center in Europe called San Patrignano. The event had all humanitarian organizations dealing with food and somehow related to drugs there. For example, there were saffron products from Afghanistan there, that organization grew saffron instead of opium, and people from Myanmar selling their goods to support their economy, etc.
So I basically showed off the products RoP products from Afghanistan and explained what the organization is about, working my best Italian phrases. After the three days, I perfected my Italian vocab for fruits and nuts. I was working with another volunteer from the states, but who lives in Croatia now. Her name is Kathleen and she is so interesting, she just picked up from the bay area, after growing up in Colorado and moved to Croatia in part, protesting our government, globalization and identity loss. Her family is Croatian so she has deep roots there. I really enjoyed talking to her all weekend and she speak like 5 languages, which seems to be the common theme in Europe!
I was also with a woman who works for CNN as an independent journalist, named Flavia Taggiasco. She is American and Italian, and lives in Rome- but loves New York and is fluent in both languages. She was wonderful this weekend. She got Heidi Kuhn, the CEO/founder of RoP, a meeting with the Pope through her connections at the Vatican. I admire her so much, she has two kids, works at all hours for CNN and volunteers all the rest of her time for RoP. It is funny, in the last six months I have met up with Flavia three times even though we live on opposite ends of the world!
So everyone I met this weekend was extremely nice, a lot of people spoke English and I picked up some Italian too. I met Monica Luppi who graduated the three year drug rehab program and has the biggest heart. She actually went to Menlo High school, a mile away from mine, but we met in Rimini, Italy. How strange is that? Then there is this woman, Francesca from Santa Barbara who is amazing as well. I can’t imagine what it is like to have two homes in two different countries and to know them so differently at different stages in your life.
So the event was huge, I cannot tell you how much cheese and meat and wine there was, and how much more I ate! San Patrignano produces all these goods and supports themselves by selling their products and through private donations. About 800 people are in the program, I believe. So events were going on all weekend until 11pm. That is definitely something I can get used to in Europe- that everything ends later, I feel like there is more time in the day.
So we set up the booth, put up pictures of former mine fields and information in Italian and little trays with nuts and dried fruit on them. Across from our area were young guys volunteering from Fifteen, a restaurant in London that teaches reformed or, oh I don’t know, bad boys how to be excellent chefs and is a non profit as well, they donate to all humanitarian organizations. So those guys were hilarious and brought over little desserts and special plates for us over at our RoP booth. All I can say is it was amazing food and the head chef invited me back to eat with him when I am in London in two weeks! I am also staying in touch with some of the other guys who are very ridiculous and fun!
Monica had an extra ticket for a wine tasting on Friday, so I went with Paul, the Australian head wine guy at the restaurant Fifteen in London. So we walked over to another building and sat down at a nice white cloth table with about 8 huge red wine glasses and a black bucket. I look around the room, noticing I was the youngest there by 20 years, but even more exciting right?! So two intense wine people sit down in front of all the tables and the cameras, oh and yes we are being filmed. There was press everwhere and live filming going on. This was so much more intense than I thought. So I asked Paul what the black buckets were for and then found out when I saw people spitting into them after their fourth and fifth glass of wine. But this is not just a tasting, it is a mouth swishing, smelling and swirling I would say. People are very into their wine. The theme of this tasting, since I guess there are themes, was the same wine throughout the years. It is very interesting by the end how well I could tell the differences, also thanks to Paul, who has an adorable accent, and who explained just about everything to me. By the eighth glass and much spitting, and 2 hours later, I am going to wait a little while before my next wine “tasting.”
We also all went to a concert / wine tasting that was very interesting on Saturday night. There was a group of people in the program who sang beautiful songs, like Oh Happy Day and other English and Italian songs, and in between them we would taste a particular wine. Quite an interesting combination and very creative! The singers seemed so happy, like their lives have turned around and now they are so grateful, it was really beautiful to watch. That night I ended up going out with the British boys and the head chef…they are all very funny is all I can say!
So on Sunday, the princess of Afghanistan came to the event to see the Afghan products and meet with the RoP CEO/founder, Heidi Kuhn and other people. She is the granddaughter of the King of Afghanistan. When I first met her, I didn’t believe it because she looked afghani but spoke English and Italian perfectly and wore such normal cloths she blended right in. She was very down to earth and friendly. So then Heidi (CEO/founder of RoP) gave a speech to a bunch of people and I got to sit in on my first press conference with Heidi and the founder of San Patrignano and I got to take some pictures of course which was fun. Kyleigh, Heidi’s daughter who is my age and who goes to Berkeley, came with Heidi and we got to hang out on Sunday. So it was nice to be with someone my own age besides the British boys.
I am so happy I spent time getting to know more people from RoP, San Patrignano and from Italy. It was so much more rewarding than taking a weekend trip somewhere to be a tourist, which is although very important sometimes, I just enjoyed being around people with such a positive outlook on life. I am also so glad to have been the youngest one there working, since it gives me a chance to learn from others and their life experiences.
So I basically showed off the products RoP products from Afghanistan and explained what the organization is about, working my best Italian phrases. After the three days, I perfected my Italian vocab for fruits and nuts. I was working with another volunteer from the states, but who lives in Croatia now. Her name is Kathleen and she is so interesting, she just picked up from the bay area, after growing up in Colorado and moved to Croatia in part, protesting our government, globalization and identity loss. Her family is Croatian so she has deep roots there. I really enjoyed talking to her all weekend and she speak like 5 languages, which seems to be the common theme in Europe!
I was also with a woman who works for CNN as an independent journalist, named Flavia Taggiasco. She is American and Italian, and lives in Rome- but loves New York and is fluent in both languages. She was wonderful this weekend. She got Heidi Kuhn, the CEO/founder of RoP, a meeting with the Pope through her connections at the Vatican. I admire her so much, she has two kids, works at all hours for CNN and volunteers all the rest of her time for RoP. It is funny, in the last six months I have met up with Flavia three times even though we live on opposite ends of the world!
So everyone I met this weekend was extremely nice, a lot of people spoke English and I picked up some Italian too. I met Monica Luppi who graduated the three year drug rehab program and has the biggest heart. She actually went to Menlo High school, a mile away from mine, but we met in Rimini, Italy. How strange is that? Then there is this woman, Francesca from Santa Barbara who is amazing as well. I can’t imagine what it is like to have two homes in two different countries and to know them so differently at different stages in your life.
So the event was huge, I cannot tell you how much cheese and meat and wine there was, and how much more I ate! San Patrignano produces all these goods and supports themselves by selling their products and through private donations. About 800 people are in the program, I believe. So events were going on all weekend until 11pm. That is definitely something I can get used to in Europe- that everything ends later, I feel like there is more time in the day.
So we set up the booth, put up pictures of former mine fields and information in Italian and little trays with nuts and dried fruit on them. Across from our area were young guys volunteering from Fifteen, a restaurant in London that teaches reformed or, oh I don’t know, bad boys how to be excellent chefs and is a non profit as well, they donate to all humanitarian organizations. So those guys were hilarious and brought over little desserts and special plates for us over at our RoP booth. All I can say is it was amazing food and the head chef invited me back to eat with him when I am in London in two weeks! I am also staying in touch with some of the other guys who are very ridiculous and fun!
Monica had an extra ticket for a wine tasting on Friday, so I went with Paul, the Australian head wine guy at the restaurant Fifteen in London. So we walked over to another building and sat down at a nice white cloth table with about 8 huge red wine glasses and a black bucket. I look around the room, noticing I was the youngest there by 20 years, but even more exciting right?! So two intense wine people sit down in front of all the tables and the cameras, oh and yes we are being filmed. There was press everwhere and live filming going on. This was so much more intense than I thought. So I asked Paul what the black buckets were for and then found out when I saw people spitting into them after their fourth and fifth glass of wine. But this is not just a tasting, it is a mouth swishing, smelling and swirling I would say. People are very into their wine. The theme of this tasting, since I guess there are themes, was the same wine throughout the years. It is very interesting by the end how well I could tell the differences, also thanks to Paul, who has an adorable accent, and who explained just about everything to me. By the eighth glass and much spitting, and 2 hours later, I am going to wait a little while before my next wine “tasting.”
We also all went to a concert / wine tasting that was very interesting on Saturday night. There was a group of people in the program who sang beautiful songs, like Oh Happy Day and other English and Italian songs, and in between them we would taste a particular wine. Quite an interesting combination and very creative! The singers seemed so happy, like their lives have turned around and now they are so grateful, it was really beautiful to watch. That night I ended up going out with the British boys and the head chef…they are all very funny is all I can say!
So on Sunday, the princess of Afghanistan came to the event to see the Afghan products and meet with the RoP CEO/founder, Heidi Kuhn and other people. She is the granddaughter of the King of Afghanistan. When I first met her, I didn’t believe it because she looked afghani but spoke English and Italian perfectly and wore such normal cloths she blended right in. She was very down to earth and friendly. So then Heidi (CEO/founder of RoP) gave a speech to a bunch of people and I got to sit in on my first press conference with Heidi and the founder of San Patrignano and I got to take some pictures of course which was fun. Kyleigh, Heidi’s daughter who is my age and who goes to Berkeley, came with Heidi and we got to hang out on Sunday. So it was nice to be with someone my own age besides the British boys.
I am so happy I spent time getting to know more people from RoP, San Patrignano and from Italy. It was so much more rewarding than taking a weekend trip somewhere to be a tourist, which is although very important sometimes, I just enjoyed being around people with such a positive outlook on life. I am also so glad to have been the youngest one there working, since it gives me a chance to learn from others and their life experiences.
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