The Elements of Spain

Earth and Air. Last Saturday I took a beautiful hike in some mountains not far outside of Alicante. The mountain that we traversed had spanning views of quaint Spanish pueblos nestled between the hills and the sea. It was gorgeous. Thanks to good friends, a sack lunch, and 50 SPF sunscreen (the Spanish sun has done a number on me lately), the day passed very pleasantly. We saw fort ruins, vineyards, and natural springs. Some of the scenery even made me feel pangs of homesickness because the desert spans weren't too dissimilar to Nevada. The highlight was definitely the moment when we had to crawl through a little tunnel to get to the other side of the mountain, and it happened to pop out into a cave-type area with breathtaking views of the sea. Apparently it's even famous in guide books like Lonely Planet.

The famous cave scene.

Fire and Water. After recovering from the hike, it was time to start part two of the weekend on Monday. It was El Dia De Papa (Father's Day), so there wasn't any school-- I can really get used to these Spanish holidays. Anyway, there was also a huge festival happening in Valencia during the weekend called Las Fallas. Las Fallas is one of the most famous festivals in Spain, and it's a very traditional celebration for the Valencian community. In fact, there is a similar celebration in Alicante that takes place at the end of June. In a nutshell, huge satirical figures are constructed out of flammable materials, and after a few days of fireworks, fiestas, and traditions, the figures are ceremonially burned. People come from all over the world just to be in Valencia for Las Fallas, so the city triples in population. It's that good.

My friend Katie and I waiting for the mascleta.
Note the giant figure in the background.

Needless to say, I was itching to go to Las Fallas, so I signed up for a group trip that was offered through the university. I embarked at 8:30am on Monday morning for a day of fun that wouldn't end until almost 24-hours later. Upon first arriving in Valencia, we took a walking tour of the major hotspots in the heart of the city. Giant figures can be found on almost every corner, and each is accompanied by a smaller figure with a similar theme. Lights line the tops of the streets, giving it a truly magical feel. It was almost reminiscent of a theme park at times. After swimming through the crowds, we huddled into city hall for one of the biggest traditions: the mascleta. The mascleta is a fireworks show that takes place at 2pm. Right now you are probably thinking, "But you can't see them?..." That's the unique thing about the mascleta; it's not about sight, it's about the sound. The combination of the ear-shaking explosions and the sardine-packed crowds make for quite a profound experience. After the mascleta, I spent the rest of the afternoon in limbo between modernity and tradition.... Paella. Starbucks. And bunuelos de calabaza (pumpkin doughnuts- a Las Fallas specialty). Let's just say my love handles are truly loving Spain. Ha.

As night began to approach, we began to embrace the spirit of the fiesta by getting a few drinks. Drinking in the streets is common during Spanish festivals, so people go around selling beers out of ice chests. It's almost easier-- and almost always cheaper-- to find a beer than it is to find a water. No joke. Time continued to fly by as we walked around during the early evening: scoping out more figures and watching the enthusiastic street performers. And finally, it was time for the main event: the burnings. First, the little figures were burned at 10pm. Crowds gathered in each neighborhood to watch the fires that were just a small teaser of what was to come later. Around midnight, almost all of the bigger figures are burned, except for the first prize one and the one in city hall. So around 11pm, my friends and I huddled close to a large figure, which we would later see set ablaze.

BEFORE

AFTER

The Spanish time schedule is anything but prompt, so come 12:30am it was finally time for the big show.  The kindling and fireworks were set. The firefighters were ready. The crowd was antsy. The lights were dimmed. It was almost eerie seeing a dim figure awaiting its fiery death, but I think that's what makes Las Fallas such a powerful tradition. Talk about the most intense five minutes of my life! Once the fire was lit, the flames engulfed the towering figure. To protect the surrounding buildings and the onlookers, firefighters squirt a lot of water around the perimeter of the area. So while watching the biggest fire of my entire life, I was simultaneously being drenched by the water from the hoses. I can't quite explain how profound and symbolic this experience was for me. Truly elemental. Absolutely humbling. It left me speechless (which is a hard thing to do since I love to talk so much). I still can't get the image out of my head of this giant burning hand that appeared to be climbing out of the fire.

The eerie hand.....

We then made our way to the city hall, where the final burning took place. With the combination of the masses and the safety precautions, we couldn't really see much. But there was a pretty good fireworks show accompanying the burning. At that point it was about 1:15am, and we had to wait until 3:30am until the bus would bring us home. What to do? Well, we ended up at Burger King (Seriously, I never go to this many fast food chains in the US, but desperate times call for desperate measures.) Anyway, Burger King provided us with a bathroom, even if the wait was long, hot, and miserable. I tried to use the men's bathroom-- no one was in there!-- but I got kicked out. Which put me at the back of the longgggggg ladies' room line yet again. Good thing I had time to kill. When I finally emerged from the bathroom, I was greeted by a rainstorm. So incredible! Just hours earlier I had witnessed the biggest fires I'd ever seen and now I was watching an absolute downpour. Elements in the extreme. Luckily I had a good friend who had advised me to bring my raincoat so I was prepared for whatever Mother Nature threw my way.

Fast forward to 5:30am: I arrived home in Alicante as my host mom was waking up for work. The tricky reality: I had to get up for school at 7:30am. I wasn't the most attentive student on Tuesday, but I made it through class and lunch before snuggling up for a siesta while listening the the rain patter on the patio. The rainstorm continued all day, which provided the perfect excuse for me to stay in and to lounge around.

Earth. Air. Water. Fire. The elements of Spain that may not bring a lot of rest but they sure do bring a lot of fun.

Really, I Do Go To School

I've realized lately that all of my posts and pictures have made my life in Alicante look like one giant party. Sure, I am having the time of my life here with lots of time for fun and travel, but I assure you, I do have a Spanish existence outside of fiesta-ing. With this in mind, I thought that I would update you all on some of the daily aspects of my life in Alicante because they are very important to me as well. I'm big on list-making, so here we go...

1. School. The 'study' part of studying abroad. School has been so busy lately! I'm learning SO MUCH in a relatively short amount of time, but I'm enjoying it immensely. My semester is more than halfway over now (where does the time go?!), but there is still a lot to learn. I spend about 3 hours in the classroom everyday, and the best part is that I can immediately apply the things I learn in the classroom to my Spanish life. As for my professor, she is absolutely great. She is probably one of the best teachers that I've ever had-- her enthusiasm and dedication for teaching us Spanish is inspiring. In fact, I might even double major in Psychology and Spanish now, but I need to crunch the numbers a few more times. One thing I know for sure: I don't want to lose my Spanish knowledge after I leave Spain. I'm hoping that maybe I can track down a conversation partner so that my talking ability doesn't completely disappear. Plus, I love to talk in any language.

2. Family. (I know that people have been wanting to see pictures, but I haven't gotten any yet. Don't worry-- I will take some before the semester is over!) Apart from my lack of pictures, everything with my host family has been going swimmingly. I feel like we have really bonded over the last few weeks. One of my favorite parts of the day is dinner because this is the time when I get to joke around with my host brothers, Victor and Abel. They really let loose since my host mom usually doesn't eat with us. Most of the time they call each other "tonto" (dumb), and I just sit there laughing. I'm their captive audience. But we also bond over our television shows, and sometimes we sit together for a while after dinner just watching our favorite game show: El Cubo. They are also good teachers for me, even though the words they teach me might not be exactly PG. It's rumored that we might take a family trip to a little town called Guadalest next Sunday, which I'm sure would be a lot of fun. Maybe that's when I can get my family pictures....

3. Work. Not sure if I can call it that, but I will anyway. Every Wednesday, I take the tram to the San Juan beach area to tutor Bernardo, an ears/nose/throat doctor, in English. I think I may have written about him before, but I just thought that I'd give a reminder and an update. Seriously though, I would do this job for free. I enjoy it that much. In fact, I feel almost guilty for taking his money sometimes because he teaches me almost as much as I teach him. Also, he has discovered my weakness for sweets, so he makes sure to give me chocolates during each of our tutoring sessions. Last Wednesday he even brought me a pastry similar to a cinnamon roll! Then, he was headed into Alicante, so he gave me a ride home. That was the first time that I've been in a car in Spain (besides a taxi), so I was fascinated by the roads and the change of scenery as I was taking a completely new route. This job is also very rewarding-- I helped Bernardo learn English phrases to use when he and his wife travel to Turkey for their anniversary in just a few weeks. His excitement and newfound confidence in English always make our sessions a highlight during the week.

4. Rowing. This week I started a rowing class that I'll have for the next few weeks. We meet twice a week for an hour each time. As un-coordinated as we all look out on the water, I have so much fun! There's nothing more beautiful than paddling through the gentle waves of the port right as the sun is setting. It's incredible.

As for this weekend, I'm going hiking on Saturday and then I'm headed to Valencia on Monday to experience Las Fallas, a famous festival in Spain. The weather continues to get better all the time, so I'l probably be out enjoying the sunshine in my free time. And hey, maybe I will even fit in a little fiesta time after all. Haha.

El Capital

Last weekend I visited one of my new favorite cities on the planet: Madrid. I was excited to visit the capital, but I was not prepared for how much I would love it. Let me tell you: Madrid is incredible.

The hostel

My travel there started at 4:30am on Friday morning. My friend/travel-companion Rosie and I caught a taxi at that early hour in order to make our flight. Everything went smoothly, and we arrived in Madrid with a whole day ahead of us. And of course, we had our priorities straight. After getting a little turned around as to the direction of our hostel, we decided to settle for some coffee and the-most-delicious-pastry-of-my-life. I'm pretty sure that it's called a neopoliano (or something along those lines), but it's filled with chocolate and delight. After chowing down, we found our hostel-- which was located in the heart of the city near a plaza called Puerta del Sol. Our hostel was awesome! 

In front of the Prado. Being an artist...

Once our bags had been dropped off, we began our museum circuit. We started off at the Prado Museum, which is one of the most famous museums in Spain and in Europe. The current hype at the Prado is a copy of the "Mona Lisa," which was believed to be painted by a pupil of Da Vinci. The other plus: we got in for free because we are students. And the free entry didn't stop there. We also got into the Reina Sofia for free, which holds a variety of works from Picasso, Dali, and other more modern artists. Seriously, can I be a student forever? The museum circuit can be a little tiring, though, so Rosie and I decided to make the most of the Spanish lifestyle with some food and a little siesta. Friday night was mellow: after a great dinner, we had our first movie theater experience in Spain. Oh my goodness, what an experience it was! It actually wasn't that much different from any other movie theater (minus the assigned seats), but our movie choice was what got us in trouble. We were hoping to see the movie in Spanish, but alas, we ended up seeing a film that took place in New York City and the only Spanish thing about it was the subtitles. It was the most intense movie of my life because it was some sort of contemporary award-winning film about a sex addict. Not sure if I recommend it, but if you are wondering, it's called Shame. Viewer discretion advised. Very advised. Ah!

I accidentally got this beauty from a vending machine at the hostel. Nothing screams tourist like a giant water bottle.
But I did have fun posing with it for the rest of the morning!

The next day, we woke up and headed straight for the Palacio Real. It's another one of the big ticket items in Madrid, and it's not hard to figure out why. It's presence is stunning. We were able to walk through the entire thing, and it was so interesting to be in a place that holds centuries worth of history. We also walked around the surrounding parks and through some of the more populated parts of the city. Hunger began to set in, so we found a menu del dia (the best way to eat in Spain) for lunch in Plaza Mayor, another hotspot in Madrid. For only 9 euros, I got paella, the entirety of a small bottle of red wine, bread, pork chops with fries, and a dessert. I love Spain! It was also a gorgeous day in Madrid, which made our outdoor eating experience all the better. After eating, we had a bit of a second wind, so we headed to the park known as Buen Retiro. I LOVE THIS PARK! Apparently I'm developing (or solidifying) an affinity for parks. This park was huge, and there was actually a large pond in the middle where you could rent a boat to row around in. I loved the vibe of the park- a combination of activity and relaxation. It was perfect.

BEST DEAL EVER! (Pictured: Paella and bottle of wine)

Buen Retiro (Park with the pond)

Naturally, it was time for a siesta at this point. We geared up for a big night of going out, and later in the night, we met up with one of Rosie's friends who is teaching English in Madrid. She took us to a "small" club, which still felt pretty big to me. And guess what? They played songs from Grease! So strange. Also, my hair proved to be a fascination for people in the club, which was an interesting experience to say the least. Our late night ended with a scrumptious Nutella crepe, and we were able to sleep for a few hours before heading back to home sweet home, Alicante. Overall, it was a great trip-- a balance of activity and leisure, a time of pleasure and a lesson in history. I'm excited to return to Madrid with my parents when they visit because it's definitely one of my favorite places that I've visited.

In other news, I'm getting addicted to a Spanish television game show. This is a good thing, though, because it's a great way for me to bond with my host brothers, Victor and Abel. It's called El Cubo, and in the game show, one person goes into this giant glass cube to complete some challenge. I've never seen Minute To Win It in the States, but I think it's reminiscent of that. We get pretty into it, and I've even let out a little squeal when watching the show during and after dinner. Last night, Victor and Abel said that I should go on the show since I'm the only one who is over 18, and they would sit in the area designated for the family and friend support. What a triumphant moment for me! 

As for this weekend, I'm looking forward to staying in Alicante. It should be a weekend of fun, sun, relaxation, and some homework too. I'm hoping to catch up on my sleep, but you never know what will happen...

London Part 2

Time to continue the recount of my adventure in London! I'll be posting about Madrid soon, but it seems like I'm perpetually behind in my blog. Also, before I get going, thanks to everyone who has been giving me such kind feedback about my blog. I appreciate it so much! It always makes me happy that my ramblings are being enjoyed. I love my readers!

So now, where was I? That's right: Saturday. This was my last full day in London, and I definitely lived it up. Kim and I got a little bit later of a start (let's just say that pubbing the night before doesn't lead to early mornings), but we still did so much. We took the tube to some of the other major sites in London: Covent Garden and Picadilly Circus to name some specifics. Once again, we took our time and basically toured at our own leisure. Chocolate waffle? Let's eat it. Book store? Let's peruse it. So all in all, we were having a great day. Later, we ate at a cute, little restaurant called The Breakfast Club in an area called Angel. Tucked in the colorfully cozy corner, we chowed down since it was our first legitimate meal of the day. I'm finally getting used to the whole no-tip policy in European restaurants. It was strange at first to walk away from a meal bill with only a few cents left in most cases (with exceptional service, the tipping is more normal), but now it's not only cost effective but more on par with the cultural practices here as well.

Gorgeous scene in Hyde Park.

On a whim, we decided to go to Hyde Park after we ate. Best decision ever. Hyde Park at sunset is incredibly beautiful, and I'm sure that if I lived in London, I would spend a large amount of my free time there. You can find a little bit of everything there: from secluded reading spots to more crowded jogging paths. It's also quite a large park, so I don't think that we saw even half of it. It was probably my favorite spot in London, and it was a great finishing touch to my visit.

Spoiler alert: here's where things start getting crazy. 

I didn't realize that when I booked my flight back to Alicante that the airport was an hour and a half away from where I was staying. The other catch about my cheap flight: it was at 7am. This meant that I would have to leave around 4:30am-ish so that I could make my flight. It was somewhat complicated to get to the airport since not a lot of bus/train/tube drivers are available at such a time in the morning. However, Kim and I figured it out, so all I had to do was execute the plan. Or so I thought.

I ended up pulling an all-nighter: we got to talking, eating Nutella toast, and drinking honey mint tea so it was pointless to go to bed. About 3:30am, I said goodbye to Kim so that I could embark on the next leg of my adventure. I had no problem catching the bus that was supposed to drop me off near the train station that I needed. I thought it would be easy to see it from the stop, but it wasn't. So with the help of a random bus driver, a few drunk clubbers, and a security guard, I finally made it to the station (which wasn't far but just hidden among the buildings). I bought my ticket and was excited because I thought that I was actually going to get to the airport early. They told me that there was going to be a bus replacement, but that didn't phase me. I just stood waiting on Platform 10 with my fellow cheap-travelling companions, many of whom didn't speak English or Spanish. The bus was supposed to leave at 4:10am, so I only had a few minutes to wait.

But then it was 4:20am, and the bus hadn't come. And then it was 4:30am, and the bus still hadn't come. And then it was 4:40am, and the bus still hadn't come. And people were starting to freak out. By this point, a pretty large crowd had gathered, and people with even earlier boarding times than me were almost guaranteed to miss their flights. I was able to push my way to the front, and I talked to one of the men in charge. What a stroke of luck! He told me that there was a more reliable bus that I could probably still catch, and it was cheaper. But it would take much longer, so there was no time to waste. After dealing with all of the panicking and stressed people-- of whom I was one-- I made it onto the other bus. The bus driver literally had to pull away because people kept trying to crowd on. Stressful situations turn people into animals. At this point it was 5am, and I was a little scared that I wasn't going to have enough time for the 1.5 hour drive, plus security, plus getting to my gate in time. 

I'll save any more of the nitty gritty details and just tell you that I made it in time. By some miracle, I even had time to get a bite to eat. I also made a friend on the bus with whom I could commiserate about this horrible situation. I seriously never fail to make great, temporary travelling buddies. This whole overwhelming trek had left me incredibly tired, so I fell asleep on the plane instantly. And I mean instantly. Seriously. I don't even remember taking off, and that's pretty strange for me since I usually have a hard time sleeping on planes. 

I can't even describe the happiness that I felt when I made it back to Alicante. It made Alicante truly feel like home. I had a great time in London, but my big adventure definitely made me appreciate Alicante even more. There really is no place like home. Even if your current home is in a foreign country thousands of miles away from anything you've ever known before.