The Fabulous Life in Monte Carlo

Monte Carlo was amazing! All of my travel plans went smoothly and I arrived late Thursday night at our fabulous hotel which was super nice and overlooked the Mediterranean. So I've got this picturesque setting, what else could I ask for? Two of my best friends of course! And that's what I got. I was so excited to see Jill and give her a big birthday hug, and also to see Cara who I had not seen since December 29th. Jill also brought two friends from her university in France, Elizabeth and Victoria, so we were all ready to have a good weekend of celebrating. Since I arrived so late, we immediately got dressed to go out and had some glasses of champagne in our hotel room. Around 3 am we tried to go to the club near our hotel, called Jimmyz. People were leaving and said that it was closing. We were so confused because it was a Thursday and not late at all for a club in Europe. We met some people who came back to our hotel with us, and we all stayed up the entire night just hanging out. We went to bed around 7am, only to be woken up at 9am by the room service breakfast we had ordered the night before. Between the two shared rooms we girls had, we had tons and tons of "American breakfast" of eggs, bacon, toast, fruit, and coffee. In addition, the waiter also brought a birthday cake and flowers for Jill. We were all so tired that we stayed in bed while the man cut the cake covered in rich milk chocolate and raspberries and then served it to us. Do I need to go on to explain how relaxed and carefree this trip was? Jill left to go have a morning in the spa while we girls got ready for a day at the pool. Once again, the opulence followed us downstairs. We sipped champagne poolside and just lounged all afternoon. We walked down the beach to a little cafe and had some really great pizza. After our late lunch we were getting a bit chilly as the sun was going down, so we went back up to our rooms for bubble baths and naps. We had reservations that night at Avenue 31, which was delicious and pretty swanky. Jill's mom and I had worked on getting a cake and champagne surprise at the restaurant, but when I left Thursday Mrs. Peets still hadn't heard back from the restaurant so I was unsure if it was going to work, but I knew Mrs. Peets would have something planned. Sure enough, after our great dinner the most decadent cake ever came out, complete with sparkling flare and a card written in chocolate, with a bottle of Rose champagne. Does it sound like all we did was eat cake and drink champagne? You'd be right. A side note: the cakes in Monaco/France/Europe are WAY better than in the US. The presentation is unbelievable; they're just so elegent and look more like art than food. The cake at this dinner was toffee and chocolate flavored and tasted just like a creamy Almond Roca, one of my favorite candies. After, we went to Jimmyz, the club which had been closed the night before. It was open and really cool on the inside, but still it was not packed like we were expecting. We're thinking: we're in the place known for partying and wealth and extravagance, so where is everyone? Well it turns out that "the season" (of partying, showing off wealth, and extravagance) doesn't open until around April 1st, or the first Saturday closest to it. Meaning Saturday night, our last night in Monaco, was the night where everything kicked off. Saturday was rainy but we walked around Monaco anyway and met two of Cara's friends who were also visiting that weekened. We napped in the afternoon and got ready to go to the Casino before dinner at Sass Cafe, which is known for entertaining all kinds of celebrities. It was, as the name suggests, sassy and hip and also came with really good food. Jill had another cake at the end of this dinner (we're not weird, Jill just likes her birthday a lot) and then we left the restaurant around 1am to head to Jimmyz, which was hosting the after party for the ball which started the season. While dressing for dinner we got to see all of the ridiculous cars lined up waiting for the passengers to enter the ball. The party feeling was definitely in the air. We arrived and it was packed full of people dressed to the nines, most of them in gowns and tuxes after coming from the ball. We danced and had a good time, but I had to call it a short night because I had an early flight. I didn't let that stop me from anything, though, because I left the club at 4:15 am, walked to our hotel to change and grab my suitcase, and took off to the train station. Needless to say I was exhausted, but the weekend was SO worth it. I don't know if anyone's birthday will ever top this weekend!

Las Fallas

Valencia turned out to be more beautiful and fun than I was expecting. It has a really Spanish vibe; by that I mean it's really laid back and everyone has a good time. Our bus ride ended up only being 6 and a half hours, not 8 like I'd originally thought, so we arrived at 5pm on Thursday with plenty of time to enjoy the festival. Our hotel, Hotel Neptuno, was right on the beach with a great view overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. We were able to stay in such a nice hotel because hotels run price specials during Las Fallas while the hostels mark up their rates. Also, the beach is the furthest away from the city center, and thus the main event of Las Fallas, so is considered a little desirable location for the festival. However, a 1.80 euro metro ticket got us from our hotel to the city center in 20 minutes, so we thought it was a great deal. We checked in, I took a bath in a jacuzzi for the first time since I left America, and then we headed out on the town. Over the course of the night, over 700 Fallas were burned all over the city. It's basically a huge Mardi Gras float that stays stationary and is about 10 stories tall. They are so incredibly detailed and each has a different theme-usually political in nature. The one here is called "Bancojo," or in English "The bank watches all." The streets were so crowded with people and at first I was a little afraid because people were carelessly tossing fireworks around. Two year olds and grandpas alike threw M-80s into the sky, oblivious to other pedastrians. Fortunately I never got hit by anything but falling ash from the Falla. At midnight all the Fallas are burned simoutaneously, so we stayed in one main spot until 1 am, when the final Falla is burned. The first place winner (judged for creativity, etc) is burned in front of the Ayuntamiento, or city hall, with tens of thousands of onlookers. At any random time firework shows (and I mean big ones) were going off across the city. It's said that Las Fallas sounds like the end of the world because of all the explosions. After seeing the first Falla burn, we were really pumped up to see the best one burn. The heat is really intense and for a while you can't believe you are watching a completely engulfed structure burn upwards of 30 stories into the sky. So how this stays under control, you're probably wondering. Buildings are covered in a fire retardant liquid and then there are a couple of firemen (literally only 2 or 3 for the huge blaze) on hand at each Falla. Once the Falla's fire starts to die down, the firefighters put it out. I can't imagine any American city taking the risk of purposely setting over 700 huge fires at the same time in the very middle of a crowded city. Fortunately nothing went wrong and it was a huge adrenaline rush to partake in this centuries-old festival. On Friday we went to the beach for a while, then ate lunch at a famous paella restaurant on the beach. Paella is the famous Spanish dish of rice, many spices, and usually seafood. It takes about 30 minutes to prepare and they don't serve it unless two or more people order it. Valencia is the paella capital of Spain without a doubt; it was way better (and cheaper) here than the paella I ate in Barcelona. After lunch we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening walking all over the city. My legs are sore today from the probably 20 miles we walked sightseeing a beautiful city. We got on the bus Friday night at 11 and got in Saturday morning at 5am. Now, I am about to go to a birthday party for one of my friends from California. On Thursday I fly to Nice, France, and then take a train to Monte Carlo to celebrate Jill's birthday in Monaco! Good times in Spain :)

A little holiday

This week should be a really nice one. On Monday I have one class, and on Tuesday no classes. On Wednesday I have a full day of class from 1-5 and 7-9, but on Thursday we have the day off for Father's Day (the date is different in Spain). So, Dad, Happy Father's Day, and thanks for getting me out of a day of school! Hardly anyone has classes on Friday, including me. So Thursday morning I am going to Valencia, Spain, a city 8 hours from Pamplona. It is in the southern part of Spain and this week they are celebrating Las Fallas, a festival similar to Mardi Gras but bigger and after the parades they burn all of the floats in one gigantic fireworks show. Las Fallas is the Catalan word for fire. Catalan is the language spoken in Valencia and that region, which is kind of a combination of French and Spanish. It's odd that in the same country several different languages are spoken-not dialects, but actual different languages. Fortunately most people speak the language of their region and Spanish. I will be going to Valencia with a lot of exchange students students from my university and some of my new friends from the private university in Pamplona. There are a lot more Americans at the private university, and lately I've been hanging out with some of the people from University of Southern California. We will stay Thursday night and all day Friday and take the 10pm bus back to Pamplona, and get back sometime around 530 am Saturday morning. We are staying right on the beach. I'm really excited, and I'll be sure to let y'all know how it is. Apparently last year they burned a big float of George Bush...I'd be down to see that :) Also, Valencia is famous for its beach and amazing architecture. I'll be posting pics soon! Love you.
A little about Valencia and Las Fallas:
http://www.valencia-cityguide.com/tourist-information/leisure/festivals/the-fallas.html

Me in Madrid!

1) Royal Palace
2) Plaza Mayor
3) Handpainted toros (bulls) line the city streets

Madrid

Well this weekend I set off to see another Spanish city, Madrid. The capital of Spain is a 5 hour bus ride from Pamplona. I left Friday morning at 8 with a group of students from my university, along with some Pamplonans who like to participate in the school's cultural activities program. It was my first time to be almost completely away from English speakers--the other students that went are German, Polish, Spanish, Puerto Rican, and Greek. Some of the people can speak some English, but when you're in a group of people who don't understand English, it's rude to speak it. We stopped for lunch and a side trip in Guadalajara, a city one hour outside of Madrid. There we saw the Yebes Astronomical Center, which was basically just a huge satellite in the middle of nowhere. I wasn't quite sure why we stopped to see this, but I was just along for the ride. Unlike my trip to Barcelona, Madrid was a structured trip with tour guides and an itinerary. We arrived in Madrid mid-afternoon and met up with our tour guide. I quickly figured out that I would be leaving the group and ditching the tour guide. The lady seemed nice enough, but wasted too much time standing in one spot talking in lengthy detail. I convinced some of the other students to come with me, opened up my city map, and started my own tour through the city. Typical me, right? We ended up seeing more sights than the group with the guide! The city is very old and filled with amazing architecture. Every couple of blocks there are fountains, plazas, domes, arcs, cathedrals, museums, statues, and government buildings. We walked around until dark, and then ate tapas and headed back to our hotel. Unfortunately the other students did not want to go out, so we ended up calling it an early night. I say unfortunately because Spain is all about the nightlife, and especially in big cities. Imagine my disappointment when we're in the biggest city in Spain and my travel buddies want to go to sleep at 11pm. I wasn't about to let that put a damper on things though, and I was excited for Saturday. Saturday we went to El Prado, the museum with tons of 12th-early 19th century paintings, including famous works by Goya, Rubens, Ribera, El Greco, Raphael, and Velazquez. Las Meninas by Velazquez was as impressive as I was hoping. After that, we ate lunch and walked around more. I had a McDeluxe sandwich, which is just a regular McDonald's burger, and it tasted the exact same as at home. After our fast food stop we went to the Museo Reina Sofia (Museum Queen Sofia), which houses modern art. I usually prefer traditional art over modern art, but I really enjoyed seeing all of Picasso and Salvador Dali's works. Picasso's "Guernica" was massive and really moving in person. That evening we spent more time in the city before heading back to our hotel. Again, the group didn't feel like doing anything after we got home around 7pm. I took a bath and a nap and was ready for some excitement. My roommate Louise has a friend from Belgium who studies in Madrid, and Louise had given her my number. Celine, Louise's friend, called me on Saturday night and invited me to go out with her and some of her friends. I met up with her and we hung out together all night. She was a great host, her friends were really nice, and the bar "Honky Tonk" was just right for a Southern girl visiting Madrid. On Sunday morning we made our way to the Palacio Real (Royal Palace), which was massive and stunning. The artwork, carvings, woodwork, and frescos on the inside were incredible. The king of Spain is just a honorary position, much like in England. Still, it comes with a pretty sweet house :) After the Palace we went to a flea market and I bought a bought a pretty dress from a gypsy lady for 14 dollars. I could've spent all day there. Overall, it was a good trip. Nothing can compare to Barcelona though; that is a really special place, and so far is the one place I will for sure return to at some point in my life. This Saturday I am going on a day trip, again with the university (just because they offer good trips on the cheap) through Navarra, the region I live in. We are going to a wine vineyard and to a sheep cheese farm. The weekend after that I will be going to Monte Carlo in Monaco with Jill, Jill's friend Victoria (who went with us to Barcelona), and Cara (who is also studying in France) for Jill's birthday. I am SO excited to visit one of the world's most famous cities. Jill's parents have been kind enough to give Jill as a present hotel rooms for us girls for the weekend. It is the big 21, afterall! I will post pictures of Madrid soon. Love to you all.

Barcelona

Wow. What a weekend. I left Pamplona at 8 Friday morning via bus, headed for Barcelona. The trip took 5 hours and I slept the whole way. I woke up just in time, right when we were going through the toll into the city. My first impression-this place is huge. Most parts of Pamplona are quaint, old European, with a touch of modern, but this place is truly metropolitan. If I could say anywhere it reminded me of, I would say a cross between New York and New Orleans. Those are two of my favorite places, so needless to say I loved Barcelona. I got there right around lunch, hopped on the subway and found my hostel pretty easily. As I was turning the corner, I recognized one of Jill's friends from Facebook and immediately started running, knowing Jill was not far behind. I was really happy to see Jill and to get to hang out in such an awesome place together. Jill and I have had some pretty cool trips together, from New York, Chicago, Greece, and now Barcelona. We talked about how lucky we've been to do so many things, and especially to enjoy that with a friend. Jill, her three friends Victoria, Elizabeth, and Juli, and I went to lunch and had traditional Barcelona fare with sangria. Food there is more seafood based due to its location on the Mediterranean, so I was also excited to try new food. After lunch we met up with Santi, Victoria's friend from Knoxville, TN, who is studying this semester is Barcelona. He showed us around some famous places and was a great host the whole weekend. Friday night we went to a club one block from our hostel and danced until 5 am. That may seem extreme, but no one goes out until 1 am, so things are just very different. You can take a nap before you go out so you have the energy to stay awake. On Saturday we got up and had a day full of sightseeing. We went took the cable cars up to Montjuic, the mountain overlooking the city with a fortress at the top. The view was really impressive, and the furthest sight in the distance was La Sagrada Familia, which is the artist/architect Gaudi's masterpiece, however it's unfinished. If you don't know what this huge cathedral looks like, you need to look it up. From Montjuic we went to La Sagrada Familia, and when I saw it I teared up. Honestly, it was the most amazing, breathtaking thing I have ever seen in my entire life. We girls stared with mouths agape for five minutes before moving or speaking. From there we went to Gaudi's next accomplishment, Guell Park, which is the most outstanding park I've ever seen. I'm telling you, Gaudi was a complete genius and pretty much dominated the city when he was alive. I could write a whole post on my new obsession with him and his work. Saturday night we saw the beach and the port. I had no idea, but the beach in Barcelona is man made, and was created solely for the Olympic Games in 1992, and every year they import sand from Egypt. We then roamed the city in search of a sushi restaurant, which turned out to be well worth the walking. After dinner, we went to a small bar called Chupitos with fun drink names like "Monica Lewinsky" and "Teletubby." We went back to our hostel (which, by the way, was awesome and fun. Very impressed with my first hostel experience...a hostel is like a hotel but cheaper and with public rooms with bunk beds) to meet up with our new friends and then we went to the club Razzmatazz, which is a giant club with 5 clubs inside, all with different music at each one. We danced again until 6am, and had a blast. Going to Barcelona and not doing the nightlife scene is a mistake, because so much more goes on in the early morning hours. Even older people go out to the clubs...it's just the way of life. Sunday we took it easy and just chilled out at the hostel. Not a lot is open on Sundays, as I've mentioned before. One of our new hostel friends had rented a motorcycle for the weekend, and I got to ride up to Montjuic, the mountain, to see the panoramic view of the city. Overall, the city was fabulous and fun, and it was really a weekend I will never forget. Sorry to drag on so much, I just don't know how to cut short such a great time!