Hey everyone!
So I created this blog for my time in Barcelona without the intention of continuing to post after I got back to the states, but I was hit today with an incredible urge to blog! So, elenabarcelona lives on!
I was inspired to blog by a band that I have recently discovered - the xx. I have been hearing about this band for a while and finally decided to listen... they are incredible! What makes them stand out to me, besides the uniqueness and beauty of their melodies, is the voice of the female lead, Romy Madley Croft. Even though I have a classical singing background, I really do appreciate "unique" voices (ahem John Darnielle). However, Croft's voice is refreshingly and undeniably gorgeous.
AND they are British, and what can I say, I have a soft spot for British bands.
So I'm trying to figure out how to play music on this blog, I'm gonna go work on that now.
Till later,
Elena
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Monday, December 7, 2009
aventuras en Bilbao
AHH!!
So we've only just gotten back to Bilbao and settled in our hostel, but the proces was quite the ordeal.
We followed the direction to get to the hostel exactly as Celia had copied them down from the hostel world website, and we didn't exactly expect to have problems.
We literally ended up on an auto mile. Like the area was very very far from the center of town and industrial, and every single shop either sold cars, sold auto parts, or repaired cars. After walking up and down the street several times and not finding any hint of hostel or even street number, we tried the phone number. The phone didn't work. We began to panic; we were in a strange neighborhood in a strange city, contemplating the idea that we might have booked a room in a non-existent, possibly scam hostel, and might have to somehow find another place to sleep for the night. Basically, we were in a tight spot.
Desperate, we walked into the only building that wasn't an auto store; a labratory. We walked in and sheepishly asked the lab-coat wearing man at the front desk if there was a hostel nearby. 'This is a labratory,' he said.
However, he ended up being a lifesaver. He looked up the hostel on his computer, and after about 15 minutes of us holding our breath and him not really appearing to know how to do an internet search, we had a map and we were on our way!
Celia had apparently left out the key step; we were supposed to walk much farther down the street than we had expected, and given that the neighborhood was not where one would typically expect to find a hostel, its no wonder we freaked out. BUT all is well, we are here now! The receptionist was incredibly friendly, complimented us on our spanish (!) and gave us tea! We will soon have beds (they are cleaning our room for us), and we are feeling much better about Bilbao and life in general now that we are settled in our hostel that, as it turns out, is NOT located in an auto repair shop. Thank God!
More later,
Elena
So we've only just gotten back to Bilbao and settled in our hostel, but the proces was quite the ordeal.
We followed the direction to get to the hostel exactly as Celia had copied them down from the hostel world website, and we didn't exactly expect to have problems.
We literally ended up on an auto mile. Like the area was very very far from the center of town and industrial, and every single shop either sold cars, sold auto parts, or repaired cars. After walking up and down the street several times and not finding any hint of hostel or even street number, we tried the phone number. The phone didn't work. We began to panic; we were in a strange neighborhood in a strange city, contemplating the idea that we might have booked a room in a non-existent, possibly scam hostel, and might have to somehow find another place to sleep for the night. Basically, we were in a tight spot.
Desperate, we walked into the only building that wasn't an auto store; a labratory. We walked in and sheepishly asked the lab-coat wearing man at the front desk if there was a hostel nearby. 'This is a labratory,' he said.
However, he ended up being a lifesaver. He looked up the hostel on his computer, and after about 15 minutes of us holding our breath and him not really appearing to know how to do an internet search, we had a map and we were on our way!
Celia had apparently left out the key step; we were supposed to walk much farther down the street than we had expected, and given that the neighborhood was not where one would typically expect to find a hostel, its no wonder we freaked out. BUT all is well, we are here now! The receptionist was incredibly friendly, complimented us on our spanish (!) and gave us tea! We will soon have beds (they are cleaning our room for us), and we are feeling much better about Bilbao and life in general now that we are settled in our hostel that, as it turns out, is NOT located in an auto repair shop. Thank God!
More later,
Elena
Sunday, December 6, 2009
San Sebastian
Okay, so when I went to Paris, I knew what to expect because I'd seen so many pictures and heard so many stories. Similarly, when I went to Amsterdam and Rome, I knew what to expect. When I went to Lisbon, I wasn't as sure what to expect but I wasn´t surprised by what I found; it made sense for Lisbon to be the way it was I guess. I am in San Sebastian now, and its much harder to pin down. At various points on the trip, Celia and I have commented that it looks like Barcelona, California, Martha´s Vineyard, the Caribbean, and China.
The effect is absolutely incredible! It is a quiet, decidedly European city with a rugged mountain backgroud, sharp cliffs to the ocean, soft sand beaches, and beautiful lush green landscape. Welcome to San Sebastian, the unexpectedly charming and heartbreakingly beautiful city!
We arrived last night, after spending the day in Bilbao at the Guggenheim (more about this later). We took an hour long bus ride to the sea-side city, located on Spain's north coast on the Atlantic Ocean. We checked into our hostel then left to explore the town.
Its so lovely, and the people here are so friendly! For dinner, we went to two different bars to get pinxos, which are like tapas and verry delicious! I got risotto and tortilla the first night, and Celia also got tortilla but her second dish was bacalau (cod).
Okay so this morning! We woke up and went immediately to get some coffee and pastries just outside a beautiful church by our hostel. We checked the schedule of services, and luckily enough there was one at 11 that was bilingual, so we went! It was one of the best church services I´ve ever seen, the music was lovely and everyone was friendly and the priest was hilarious (he sounded like a sports announcer!) and the church itself was more like a cathedral, it was incredibly gorgeous!
After church, we walked down to the coast with the intension of walking down San Sebastian's three beautiful beaches. We both realized that we missed the ocean sooo much! It is so much more raw than the Mediterranean, and even though it wasn't the Pacific ocean, something about the jagged cliffs reminded me of highway 1. I liked it, it made me a bit homesick but at the same time I felt so comfortable.
We walked along the beach, around a large hill (San Sebatian is very hilly) and down the whole beach till we reached a sculpture at the very end called Peine de los Vientos (comb of the winds), which I honestly wasn´t expected much from but fell in love with. The sculptures, three in total, were very abstract metal and joined to natural rocks and with the background of the crashing waves, the effect was very impresive!
We stopped for some more pinxos, visited the beautiful Basilica de Santa Maria, then began a climb up one of San Sebastian's three mountains to reach a very large sculpture of Jesus. The walk was very peaceful, and we had plenty of time to just chat and take in the beautiful Pacific ocean and the panoramic view of San Sebastian. We walked down to find the waves huge and crashing on the cliffs, white and frothy like milk. We stopped for some Indian food and headed back to the hostel.
Its been a perfect day, our walk really was epic and we got to see almost all of San Sebastian. Its not a very big city but it made a huge impression on me. I really love the unexpected beauty of this city and will be sad to leave it in the morning.
Oh well, Bilbao should be awesome as well! I'll keep you updated!
Elena
Santa Clara island, just off the main beach. Source: Sergio Ausejo
The effect is absolutely incredible! It is a quiet, decidedly European city with a rugged mountain backgroud, sharp cliffs to the ocean, soft sand beaches, and beautiful lush green landscape. Welcome to San Sebastian, the unexpectedly charming and heartbreakingly beautiful city!
We arrived last night, after spending the day in Bilbao at the Guggenheim (more about this later). We took an hour long bus ride to the sea-side city, located on Spain's north coast on the Atlantic Ocean. We checked into our hostel then left to explore the town.
Its so lovely, and the people here are so friendly! For dinner, we went to two different bars to get pinxos, which are like tapas and verry delicious! I got risotto and tortilla the first night, and Celia also got tortilla but her second dish was bacalau (cod).
Okay so this morning! We woke up and went immediately to get some coffee and pastries just outside a beautiful church by our hostel. We checked the schedule of services, and luckily enough there was one at 11 that was bilingual, so we went! It was one of the best church services I´ve ever seen, the music was lovely and everyone was friendly and the priest was hilarious (he sounded like a sports announcer!) and the church itself was more like a cathedral, it was incredibly gorgeous!
After church, we walked down to the coast with the intension of walking down San Sebastian's three beautiful beaches. We both realized that we missed the ocean sooo much! It is so much more raw than the Mediterranean, and even though it wasn't the Pacific ocean, something about the jagged cliffs reminded me of highway 1. I liked it, it made me a bit homesick but at the same time I felt so comfortable.
We walked along the beach, around a large hill (San Sebatian is very hilly) and down the whole beach till we reached a sculpture at the very end called Peine de los Vientos (comb of the winds), which I honestly wasn´t expected much from but fell in love with. The sculptures, three in total, were very abstract metal and joined to natural rocks and with the background of the crashing waves, the effect was very impresive!
Basilica de Santa Maria. Source: muguin.com
We stopped for some more pinxos, visited the beautiful Basilica de Santa Maria, then began a climb up one of San Sebastian's three mountains to reach a very large sculpture of Jesus. The walk was very peaceful, and we had plenty of time to just chat and take in the beautiful Pacific ocean and the panoramic view of San Sebastian. We walked down to find the waves huge and crashing on the cliffs, white and frothy like milk. We stopped for some Indian food and headed back to the hostel.
Its been a perfect day, our walk really was epic and we got to see almost all of San Sebastian. Its not a very big city but it made a huge impression on me. I really love the unexpected beauty of this city and will be sad to leave it in the morning.
Oh well, Bilbao should be awesome as well! I'll keep you updated!
Elena
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
desastre!
A word to the wise... don't EVER let an ATM eat your debit card while studying abroad in a foreign country, it could be six weeks and counting before you get another one. AND, if on top of that you were dumb and didn't follow your father's advice and get a credit card to have in case of emergencies, you will be poor and frustrated!!!!!!!!!!!
Grrr!!! Still waiting on my card.
Grrr!!! Still waiting on my card.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Victoria Barça!!!!
Last night, I went with Dan and Vicky to a local bar to watch the Clásico match, the big game of the season; FC Barcelona versus Real Madrid. BARCELONA WON!!!!! 1 - 0!!!!!
We had to sit outside because the bar was so packed, but in the end we were lucky to even have seats! So many others were standing outside with us! The bar had the game projected onto the wall, and while we couldn't hear the official commentary, all the catalans outside provided their own colorful commentary!
Even with my limited knowledge of fútbol, it was so evident from the moment the game started that the level of talent and focus was off the charts. It was such an intense game!!! Everyone was yelling at the players ("venga venga VENGA!" "molt bé Xavi, molt bé!") and cursing the referees. Barça had control of the ball for the majority of the game though, and their passing was just perfect. The only thing that was frustrating was that they all seemed to hesitate a bit to long at the critical moment when a goal could be scored.
The only goal of the game was scored by Ibhrahimovic, and it happened so fast I almost missed it. The ball had scarcely been passed to him when he launched it, como un fúsil, into the goal! Everyone erupted in cheers!! We could hear fireworks being set off in the distance!!
I enjoyed watching this game so much! It was so fun to be cheering for Barça alongside all these locals, and I also felt great because it turns out, I have a pretty good knowledge of all the players!
SO PROUD OF FCB!!!!
Ibrahimovic, after scoring the winning goal! Source: FCBarcelona.cat
We had to sit outside because the bar was so packed, but in the end we were lucky to even have seats! So many others were standing outside with us! The bar had the game projected onto the wall, and while we couldn't hear the official commentary, all the catalans outside provided their own colorful commentary!
Even with my limited knowledge of fútbol, it was so evident from the moment the game started that the level of talent and focus was off the charts. It was such an intense game!!! Everyone was yelling at the players ("venga venga VENGA!" "molt bé Xavi, molt bé!") and cursing the referees. Barça had control of the ball for the majority of the game though, and their passing was just perfect. The only thing that was frustrating was that they all seemed to hesitate a bit to long at the critical moment when a goal could be scored.
The only goal of the game was scored by Ibhrahimovic, and it happened so fast I almost missed it. The ball had scarcely been passed to him when he launched it, como un fúsil, into the goal! Everyone erupted in cheers!! We could hear fireworks being set off in the distance!!
I enjoyed watching this game so much! It was so fun to be cheering for Barça alongside all these locals, and I also felt great because it turns out, I have a pretty good knowledge of all the players!
SO PROUD OF FCB!!!!
Sunday, November 29, 2009
dia final de Paris!
Hi everyone!
So it is my last day in Paris and I am very very sad to be leaving. Usually after a weekend of frantic museum hopping and expensive meals, I am ready to be back in Barcelona. Not this time, I already feel so at home here I just don't feel even remotely done, even considering the fact that I will most likely have to return in the near future because I will miss it too much.
But my last day was perfect! I started with a trip to the Musee d'Orsay, which has an INCREDIBLE collection of impressionism and post-impressionism. I nearly died in the room of Cezannes, his work is just so incredibly gorgeous. Degas as well, so lovely! But the best part for me was a temporary exhibit on Art Nouveau revival in the 1960 and 1970s. It was such a well done exhibit, they juxtaposed the original Art Nouveau from the turn of the century with examples from the later decades that drew on it for inspiration. The exhibit had a huge collection of 'psychadelic art,' meaning concert posters, album covers, and magazine articles!
As if all this wasn't enough, I walked into one of the rooms only to find myself face to face with the original copies of 3 illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley, who is an incredible illustrator that I am actually obsessed with right now. Aubrey Beardsley!!! I had to sit down and collect myself I was so shocked and excited!! One illustration, 'Salome,' is actually saved on my desktop right now! His illustrations are so incredibly gorgeous and brilliant, it was such an amazing experience to see them in person.
I was also able to see more Van Gogh (I went to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam!), some symbolism art by Klimpt and Bocklin, and so much impressionism! Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Renior... incredible! I loved this museum.
Next I met all the girls in my group (Erin, Evie, Sabrina, and Staci) to take a picture in front of the other Arc de Triomph (it had to be done!) and then we all made our way to the famous Shakespeare and Co. bookstore, located along the Seine across from Notre Dame, to do some intellectual browsing. I asked a worker if they had any books with Beardsley illustrations in stock, and while she sadly informed me that they didn't, she was excited about my asking and told me that she LOVES him as well! I bought two other books instead, which she stamped so they now say 'Shakespeare and Co.' on the inside cover. Then I spent a few hours reading back at the hostel in Montmartre.
We went to a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves (haha!) which was actually awesome, then Erin and I went to the Eiffel Tower so I could spend my last night watching the light show up close and riding the carousel! Then, after stopping by the Christmas market for the third time so we could get chocolate and I could get a snack for the train ride, we came back here.
And here I am. I have fallen in love with this city and I am so sad to leave but for me its been a perfect weekend and a perfect introduction to this city that I hope to visit many more times in the years to come!
Bon soir!
Elena
So it is my last day in Paris and I am very very sad to be leaving. Usually after a weekend of frantic museum hopping and expensive meals, I am ready to be back in Barcelona. Not this time, I already feel so at home here I just don't feel even remotely done, even considering the fact that I will most likely have to return in the near future because I will miss it too much.
But my last day was perfect! I started with a trip to the Musee d'Orsay, which has an INCREDIBLE collection of impressionism and post-impressionism. I nearly died in the room of Cezannes, his work is just so incredibly gorgeous. Degas as well, so lovely! But the best part for me was a temporary exhibit on Art Nouveau revival in the 1960 and 1970s. It was such a well done exhibit, they juxtaposed the original Art Nouveau from the turn of the century with examples from the later decades that drew on it for inspiration. The exhibit had a huge collection of 'psychadelic art,' meaning concert posters, album covers, and magazine articles!
As if all this wasn't enough, I walked into one of the rooms only to find myself face to face with the original copies of 3 illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley, who is an incredible illustrator that I am actually obsessed with right now. Aubrey Beardsley!!! I had to sit down and collect myself I was so shocked and excited!! One illustration, 'Salome,' is actually saved on my desktop right now! His illustrations are so incredibly gorgeous and brilliant, it was such an amazing experience to see them in person.
"Salomé," or "The Peacock Skirt" by Aubrey Beardsley. Source: The Victorian Web
I was also able to see more Van Gogh (I went to the Van Gogh museum in Amsterdam!), some symbolism art by Klimpt and Bocklin, and so much impressionism! Monet, Manet, Pissaro, Renior... incredible! I loved this museum.
Next I met all the girls in my group (Erin, Evie, Sabrina, and Staci) to take a picture in front of the other Arc de Triomph (it had to be done!) and then we all made our way to the famous Shakespeare and Co. bookstore, located along the Seine across from Notre Dame, to do some intellectual browsing. I asked a worker if they had any books with Beardsley illustrations in stock, and while she sadly informed me that they didn't, she was excited about my asking and told me that she LOVES him as well! I bought two other books instead, which she stamped so they now say 'Shakespeare and Co.' on the inside cover. Then I spent a few hours reading back at the hostel in Montmartre.
We went to a restaurant recommended by Rick Steves (haha!) which was actually awesome, then Erin and I went to the Eiffel Tower so I could spend my last night watching the light show up close and riding the carousel! Then, after stopping by the Christmas market for the third time so we could get chocolate and I could get a snack for the train ride, we came back here.
And here I am. I have fallen in love with this city and I am so sad to leave but for me its been a perfect weekend and a perfect introduction to this city that I hope to visit many more times in the years to come!
Bon soir!
Elena
Saturday, November 28, 2009
segundo dia de Paris!
So guess what I saw today!! ... VERSAILLES!!!! It was awesome! Hall of mirrors and the Kings bedchambers, Grand Trianon, Petit Trianon (Marie Antoinettes estate, I saw the door she escaped out of to flee from the revolution!) and the gardens! What gardens!! There isn't much to say about Versaille except that, in the words of Kelly Boehner, it was 'sinfully ornate!' I went with Erin and we were in awe the whole time!
We took the train back from Versaille directly to the Eiffel Tower!! We sat at a cafe and ordered cafe au lait and almond merenges and read (I'm working on the Unbearable Lightness of Being, translated into Spanish) until we were joined by Sabrina to make a loop through the Eiffel Tower gardens, past the Assemblee Nationale and Les Invalides, and across the Pont Alexandre III bridge (supposedly the most beautiful in Paris!). We then went to the Bastille metro stop to try and find a cafe recommended to me by my good friend Carl, whose opinion I trust immensely. He didn't let me down!! After being joined by Evie, we sat down to a delicious dinner in the artsy cafe, whose wall were decorated with modern art and pictures of tribal women that looked like they belonged in National Geographic. And the best part? When the waitress took us to our booth there was a cat sitting on the bench. A CAT!!! The waitress tried to coax it away but it was too sleepy to have any of that, so it stayed and let Sabrina and I pet it until I jousteled it on a trip back from the bathroom. Anyone who knows me knows that finding a cat in my chair is pretty much the best thing that could happen to me, even in a restaurant. It was great!!
We ended out night with a jaunt past the Moulin Rouge (the letters M O U were blacked out... according to Evie, it was asian night...) and a hilarious encounter with the witty workers at a grocery store that ended up employing basically everyone in the store as translators.
This city has claimed anther one... I am in love with Paris.
We took the train back from Versaille directly to the Eiffel Tower!! We sat at a cafe and ordered cafe au lait and almond merenges and read (I'm working on the Unbearable Lightness of Being, translated into Spanish) until we were joined by Sabrina to make a loop through the Eiffel Tower gardens, past the Assemblee Nationale and Les Invalides, and across the Pont Alexandre III bridge (supposedly the most beautiful in Paris!). We then went to the Bastille metro stop to try and find a cafe recommended to me by my good friend Carl, whose opinion I trust immensely. He didn't let me down!! After being joined by Evie, we sat down to a delicious dinner in the artsy cafe, whose wall were decorated with modern art and pictures of tribal women that looked like they belonged in National Geographic. And the best part? When the waitress took us to our booth there was a cat sitting on the bench. A CAT!!! The waitress tried to coax it away but it was too sleepy to have any of that, so it stayed and let Sabrina and I pet it until I jousteled it on a trip back from the bathroom. Anyone who knows me knows that finding a cat in my chair is pretty much the best thing that could happen to me, even in a restaurant. It was great!!
We ended out night with a jaunt past the Moulin Rouge (the letters M O U were blacked out... according to Evie, it was asian night...) and a hilarious encounter with the witty workers at a grocery store that ended up employing basically everyone in the store as translators.
This city has claimed anther one... I am in love with Paris.
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