tapas y sangria y cervezas, oh my

last night my art history professor, Curra, the best woman in the entire world, took some of my class and her other class (6 people showed up, out of 26) and took us out behind plaza mayor for tapas!  And she paid for everything! Such a nice nice woman.

First we went to get bocadillos de calamares (fried calamari sandwiches), which are very typical of spain. We had those and beer, they were good.  Then we walked around and sat down in a tapas restaurant and she ordered everything.  We got (and I ate everything, be proud!), tortilla española (egg and potato tortilla), morcillas (blood sausage), chistorra de navarra (fried chorizo sausage), pimientos de padrón (roasted green peppers), croquetas, y pulpo (octopus).  Yeah, I ate octopus.  Then we walked to this bar where they have beer from all over the world and I got a cherry Belgian beer.  Literally best night ever and I will seriously miss Curra.

brits on brits on brits

And last weekend Carissa, Ariel, and I went to Lisbon, Portugal!  This was seriously one of my favorite places in Europe.  I NEED to go back. It is such a beautiful place!!! Well first, our flight there was delayed an hour because of a strike at the Lisbon airport- what is going on with Europe?!

Our hostel was AMAZING. It was only 16€ a night, which is super super cheap, and it was on the second floor of a train station, which was pretty cool.  It looked like a jungle inside, with plants hanging everywhere, fake grass on the floor with hammocks and bean bags everywhere, star lights hanging from the ceiling.  It was awesome.  So then we asked where we could get a typical Portuguese lunch and the girl at the desk suggested we go to a place called Super Mario's.  That's number 1: Super Mario's. So we walked there and when we walked in, the place was long tables full of working-class men.  No women.  Dirty faces, paint on their clothes, you get the jist.  They ALL turn around and look at us like we were aliens.  So we sit down and the guy working there (Super Mario, I'm guessing...and a very sweaty one at that) gave us a menu, which was all in Portuguese.  I expected Portuguese to be similar to Spanish, but it's not at all.  There were pictures of meals so we pointed to them and he brought them to us.  To this day I still have no idea what we ate.  Such an experience.  

So then for dinner that night, our hostel said they had a pizza dinner.  At least I'd like to know what I'm eating.  But it was so far above and beyond what I expected.  I expected them to get a pizza in a box, etc. But we walked over to their kitchen and there was a woman who was cooking all day, and a long table with tablecloth, silverware, etc. Super nice.  Then the 3 of us sat down with two people who worked there (Bobby from Manchester and Maggie from NY) and a german girl.  We were served homemade lemonade, really good soup, homemade garlic bread, and the pizza.  Now wait, let me get to the pizza.  She served us a slice of like 5 different homemade pizzas...pineapple and mint, tomato and basil, spinach and goat cheese, shrimp something, and some meat one.  UNREAL.  They were SO SO good and I was STUFFED...and then she brought out dessert.  A pizza pie with chocolate and fresh strawberries.  Best 8€ I've ever spent.

That night we went on a bar crawl with our hostel (same people, plus one woman) and went to this section called Barrio Alto.  The drinks there are super cheap and the bars are tiny rooms with just a bar to buy drinks...you're expected to stand outside in the narrow streets and drink.  It was awesome.  On the way, we met this whole British rugby team and we met up with them later at our last bar.  They were HILARIOUS.  They were a club team in Lisbon for a tournament and all the first-timers had garden gnomes that they had to carry around and not break, so funny.  And all night I tried to talk in a British accent and they made fun of me. I met this one cute Jewish guy (Jewish!!) who is a sports reporter...literally my husband.  So sad I probably won't see him again.  

                            

The next day we went on a tour (We Hate Tourism Tours) which was so great.  Anyone going to Lisbon needs to do this tour!  We drove all around in this little van with a great driver (Marcos), and a lesbian couple from London who were really cool, and an older Indian couple from England, who were so so nice.  First we drove to Sintra, which is this amazing place. Sintra is a Unesco World Heritage site and it has a fairy-tale setting.  We first stopped and got queijadas, this amazingggg pastry with cinnamon and nutmeg and cheese it it. We walked around this jungly area eating them.  

Next we went to Quinta da Regaleira, the place where I'm getting married.  The most beautiful, romantic places I've ever been.  It's this estate with this huge garden on a hill.  There are underground tunnels and rivers (with stones that you can walk across), and towers, etc.  So many plants and flowers. The best way to get to know the place is to walk around and get lost.  It was amazing. 

After Quinta da Regaleira, we stopped for lunch where we got wine, cheese, and chorizo sandwiches from this little food truck.  SO GOOD. I want more.  We also walked through a farmer's market, where the vegetables were literally on steroids.  HUGE garlic, lettuce, oranges, etc. 

Then we drove to Cabo Da Roca, where the Europeans thought it was the end of the world.  It's the most western point of Europe (the closest I've been to home in 4 months!). Also one of the most gorgeous places ever. There were mountains and flowers everywhere and endless ocean.  So pretty, I can't get over it.

this isn't there, but the picture won't move!

Then we went to Guincho Beach...there were surfers everywhere.  And I almost got swept away by a wave...just kidding, but my sneakers got soaked from a surprise wave attack. 

We drove through a town called Cascais, a beach town where the wealthy people live.  But there was a golf course (Dad, we can go on vacation here!!) and beautiful houses.  We stopped at this gelato place called Santini's (really famous, supposedly) and I got vanilla and cinnamon gelato. Unreal. This town is so cute and pretty!

                                    

Then we sat in Belém and got a Pastel de Belém, filled with cream.  Unbelievable.  

 This was literally the best trip ever.  I love Portugal, and I hear that the islands are even better.  Kay I'm going back...done and done.

la familia

sorry i havent written in so long!  SUPER busy.  First my parents were here, then I was in Lisbon, then I had a project to work on, and now I finally have time to sit. So first thing's first. My parents came last week to visit! And Molly!

It was so great to see them. And it was nice to take cabs for a week!  I showed them all around Madrid, even if my mom wouldn't try any of the food.  And that weekend we went to Barcelona.  I love that city.  It's so artsy and modern.  There were tons of tourists there (start of tourist season) but that's okay.  We did the usual: la sagrada familia, casa batlló, park güell, picasso museum. we also went to this market on las ramblas, which was awesome.

all in all, im super glad they came, but i'll see them in 2 weeks!

feliz cumpleaños marcos!!

ps. today was Marcos' 9th birthday (my host brother)! We had cake and sang to him after dinner...and he was hilarious about wanting to cut the cake and screaming and flinging the knife everywhere, and lighting all the candles again and playing with fire. He's 9.

and Sol hypnotized us last night at dinner to do our homework and do well in school...let's see if it works.

and my family (minus jake sad) is coming thursday!! yayyyy right in time for all my work to be due..wooooooo

WARNING

WARNING WARNING

the next 5 posts go backwards!! So scroll down and start with Florence and then read up!!!!

too much to do, too little time: paris

5 of 5

Thursday we drove to Paris, and that night we saw the Hunger Games! Then we went to a couple bars in the Moulin Rouge district, which was a cool area.

Friday morning we went to the Lourve at 8:30am, when it opened at 9. And the line was already long! So we rannnn through the Lourve and saw the major sights in like an hour. It is the BIGGEST art museum I've ever seen. It goes on and on and on. Said hi to Mona and left. Then we did a walking tour of Paris, which was only okay. We didn't really go to any big sites. Then we walked through Champs Elysee to get to the Arc du Triomphe. We took the metro to the eiffel tower and took a couple pictures (got a crepe on the way). Then got on the metro again and went to Notre Dame, but the line was INSANE, like hundreds of people. So we snapped a couple pics and walked down the street to Sainte Chapelle. This was the number one thing that I wanted to do because it's a gorgeous chapel that I've loved forever and always have wanted to go to, so we got on line and OBVIOUSLY they cut off the line right in front of the people in front of us. like we were the second group to be cut off. great. that sucked. so i was upset. but whatever, guess I have to go back!

we went to Sacre Coeur where we sat on the steps and saw a gorgeous view of Paris and watched the sunset with wine and baguettes. Of course I said a prayer over them for Passover! That area has some cute restaurants so we went in one and I had GREAT french onion soup and a girl we were with had escargot.

Saturday (the last day) we went to Versailles, which was HUGE and gorgeous. There were a lot of people there, so we rented bikes and rode around and saw the sheep and Marie Antoinette's cottage. It was so pretty.

Then we flew home that night!

Anyways, I'm SUPER SUPER exhausted, and now sick. Paris was by far my least favorite, but the other three were unreal. Paris was just too much to do and too little time. How do you do Paris in 2 days, with the crowds of Easter weekend? Impossible. I loved this trip, and I could have never done it myself. It was all the cities I wanted to go to, but didn't have the time for. Now time for some sleep!!

If it ain't much, it ain't dutch: amsterdam

4 of 5

on tuesday we arrived to Amsterdam, which was such an amazing city! They're all about sex and drugs and peace, and anti violence (opposite of America). We did a walking tour of Amsterdam, where we got to try Gouda cheese and see the red light district, and sit by canals. Then we went to the Anne Franke House, which was so moving. You actually got to stand in the rooms where they stayed, and the museum was so well put together.

We then tried to find the Iamsterdam sign, and we first found the wrong one and had to take a boat over to it. It was nice cause no one was there. But there are 3 of the signs in Amsterdam and so we found all three!

Then we took a tour of the Red Light District, which was super interesting. I thought that it was just one street with a couple girls, but little did I know that it was blocks and blocks full of girls in windows with different types of girls. It was craaaazy.

The next day (wednesday) we took the tram to the Van Gogh Museum, which was awesome. And then we went to the REAL Iamsterdam sign. We were first in line for the Bols Museum (Bols is genever and liquer, all different flavored alcohol) and went through this really cool experience where you learn about taste and smell (you smell all the different flavors and guess what they are)...and then you make a custom drink based on your preferences. It was so cool.

Then we went to the Heineken experience, which was cool. There was this video where you stand on this platform that moves and it is like you're being turned into beer and bubbles come from the ceiling and it's so cool. We went to this pancake house called Carousel after that and it's built around a carousel and i got a bacon and apple pancake YUM YUM.

That's pretty much it for Amsterdam, it was pretty chill. I love love love the city, it's so cool that it's built all around canals and it's such a laid-back, liberal city. I DEFINITELY want to go back and I think everyone needs to go!!

the street art of berlin

3 of 5

So after Prague, on Sunday we drove to Berlin. Berlin is amazing. I had no idea what to expect, but it's literally an artist's (my) paradise. If only it weren't in Germany...

Anyways, we got there and went to the Jewish Museum (yet AGAIN being a jew!). It actually was really really cool. It was more of a history of Jews instead of just focusing on the Holocaust, so it was a new perspective. It also was a very interactive museum, which was interesting, too. The building is like zig-zagged and super big. There was this room you walk in where there are bronze faces that you walk on called the memory room. You walk on them and they make loud noises and it's like you're walking on the dead people. It was so creepy, I had to leave. And then there's this Holocaust Tower that was so moving. You stand in this room that's pitch black and really cold, and there's a tiny opening at the top of it that lets in the only light. And there's a ladder but you can't reach the bottom of it. And this woman closes the door, and you're not sure if it's locked or not. Super creepy, but really effective. I also ran into some girls from my sorority there! Small world.

It was freezing and windy, so after the museum, we went and got AMAZING burritos near our hostel. It made me miss Anna's Taqueria and Tango Mango!! We went on a bar crawl that night, but I was so tired that it kind of sucked.

Monday we did the walking tour of Berlin, where we had a really cool guide. I learned so much about the history of Berlin and the Berlin wall. We saw the Brandenberg Gate, Checkpoint Charlie, and Museums Island, plus more. We also stood where Hitler committed suicide, which was really creepy. I just couldn't imagine that we were standing right there. Right before that we walked through the Holocaust memorial there, which was so abstract but so moving. It reminded me of the buildings they lived in at the concentration camps, or graves, or how there was so much below the surface (because it looks flat, but the middle goes down so the blocks are towering above your head).

Right after that we did an alternative tour of the street art and artists of Berlin, which was the best tour I've ever taken in my life. We walked all around and learned about the techniques of street art and the street artists of Berlin. We also went to this house called Tacheles, which is a building covered in graffiti where artists live and have studios and sell their work. It's about to be taken over by the government because they don't have any money, so I could have been one of the last people in there. It's really sad because the artists built up the area and they don't have anywhere to go, so there's a big fight to save it. We then went to the East Side Gallery, which is part of the Berlin wall where they brought in artists to paint it, and it's so long and AMAZING. omg i loved it.

On the tour we also saw this house that this man built because he wanted to live somewhere but people wouldn't let him, so he built himself a house on a piece of land and now people visit it all the time. Such a cute story. Oh, and I ran into the girls from my sorority AGAIN!

We had burritos for dinner again..oops...and then got on the overnight bus to go to Amsterdam!!

berlin was such a surprise to me. I had no idea how cool of a city it is,...it's so underrated. I really want to go back and learn more about the street art and artists of Berlin!

mm mm prague

2 of 5

So after I met up with Kathy, we got on a bus for 13 hours to Prague. There were like 14 of us on the bus (41 on the trip total), but we didn't know about the option of flying straight to Prague. Good one becca. I definitely could NOT sleep on the bus. There is no comfortable position of lying down on a coach bus. I woke up like every hour. Also, our trip was full of Boston people, it was crazy! There was Needham (me, duh), Concord, Littleton, Framingham, Lexington, and Franklin. MA represent. At our rest stop on the way there, a couple of girls and I made a realization that if anyone from outside of MA knew one town in Mass, it would be Newton. Just everyone in the world knows of Newton. Craziness.

So we get to Prague after 13 hours of on and off sleep and our leader tells us that we have 10 minutes to get ready. Not cool. So then we went on our 3 hour walking tour. There were a couple characters on our trip. First of all, this youtube celebrity, Dom Mazzetti was on our trip, who was being paid to be there. Work? And this kid who literally is an alcoholic who carried a bottle of alcohol in a paper bag with him at all times. So great start. Our tour guide in Prague was this crazy man who was hyperactive and super strange. He looked like a leprechaun and called himself the Swedish ninja and leaped everywhere and fought people with waterbottles as swords. Dude, this guy was not okay. He also made really awkward jokes that weren't funny and like hugged people and made them uncomfortable. I'd say it might have been the most uncomfortable 3 hours of my life. We walked through the Old Town, the New Town, and the Jewish Quarter. After the tour we went to the Jewish Museum (look mom! i'm jewish!), which was really really interesting. The walls had every person's name who died from the Holocaust from Prague, including which area they lived in. The museum also had a room of drawings that children did during the Holocaust and this woman saved them all and hid them. It was amazing to see the Holocaust from the perspective of a child. Behind the museum was the jewish cemetery. There were piles and piles of gravestones packed on top of each other. And the cemetery was 11 rows deep of people because they didn't have a lot of room so they built on top of it. So sad.

Then we went to the center of the Old Town and went to the market and got a Czech sausage and this spiral pastry called a Trdelnik. The whole center was full of easter decorations because of the week and there were handmade easter eggs everywhere that were beautifullllly decorated. Then we went and climbed to the top of the clock tower and saw an amazing view from the top. At the top of every hour, the clock comes to life and little figures start moving and a man plays a trumpet from the top.

We took the metro home and went up the longest escalator in Europe...the things we see. On the way home, we happened to get on the prague news from a window (like the today show) and a little girl followed us for a couple blocks (scary cause we thought she was going to pickpocket us). We stayed in a really nice hostel with great showers. That night we went on a REALLY fun pub crawl and met up with my friend Emily from WashU who is also living in Madrid. One of the bars had like random ruins in it...what's going on in Prague?

The next day (Saturday) we went to the Prague Castle, so so cool. It was a whole little town and the cathedral there was GORGEOUS. The most amazing stained glass I've ever seen. Then we walked to the Lennon wall, which was also superrrrr cool. People are just allowed to do whatever they want to do to it, so people spray painted on it and wrote on it. My name is on it! We then walked over the Charles Bridge. We had lunch with our tour group at this Czech restaurant where two men played the accordion and tuba while we ate. I had a typical Czech lunch: beer, vegetable soup, goulash, and apple strudel. I felt like such a native. It actually was pretty good too.

After lunch I met up with Pavla (my old au pair from when I was 5), her daughter Christina, her boyfriend, and her sister Petra. So crazy to see them after so long and they look exactly the same. It was so good to see them! Then we were in a rush for dinner so we went to this Chinese restaurant right next to our hostel, which was the funniest place I've ever been to. The woman didn't speak english and we had to correspond pictures of the food to a menu with numbers on it. They had items like chicken with strange taste, chicken with mysterious taste, and eight treasures with spicy sauce)...ummmm? I had no idea what I was ordering. And Kathy, trying to communicate with this woman, thanked her with a bow...and wild hand motions. It was so hilarious, but the food was actually okay.

that night we went to an 80s and 90s club where they showed they music videos on a huge screen. it was all older people, but it was fun to listen to older music for a change.

Overall I love love Prague and want to go back ASAP.

SpRiNg BrEaKkKkkk 2012: Firenze

1 of 5

so this is where you START. i'm separating my 5 cities on spring break into 5 posts so it's easier to read, but it's backwards because it's in chronological order. so deal with it.

here we gooooo:

so the past 12 days was SPRING BREAK YEAH BABY!!! But it was the most tiring 12 days of my life. honestly. i'm dead and sick. first stop was Florence. Wednesday morning I flew through Barcelona (the biggest and cleanest and nicest airport ever) to Florence. This is the tiniest, oldest airport ever. I stumbled around with some other confused Americans to the bus and hopped on. I got to know some Italian people real well, up close and personal. Finally when I arrived to the Santa Maria Novella train station, I walked outside and it was 75 and sunny. And I was in a sweater and a scarf and boots. great. so now I'm sweating like crazy and waiting for my friend to come pick me up. Thank god she found me because I was going to get a heat rash.

I stayed with the sophomore art school washu students (mostly pi phi). We put my stuff in their apartment and then I followed Julie around while she did her errands. I also walked by Rachel's apartment from when she studied abroad! When everyone got out of class, we cooked dinner. Yes, cooked. Pesto pasta and spinach and herb chicken and red wine. Homemade pasta. Unreal. Then we went out that night to a club called 21. I ran into a boy from my Musiker trip to Spain! Small world.

Thursday, the girls had class again so I waited until they had their lunch break and we got paninis and sat outside the church and ate on the steps. When they went back to class, I walked around alone taking pictures. I had already been there so it felt very repetitive so I did a quick sweep of florence. Then I wandered through the market and found a bag I loved, and desperately needed of course, and bargained with the man. We then all had dinner at a pizza restaurant and I went to the bus station to meet up with Kathy for the bus trip. Sarah and Sofia came with me and it felt like they were my parents bringing me to camp.

Going to Florence again made me realize that I could not study abroad there or live there. I like living in a big city like Madrid, and Florence is just too small for me. Also, walking around, I realized that there are SO SO many Americans there. Students and tourists everywhere. I like living in Madrid where there are people who don't know a word of English and I have to speak Spanish in order to survive. Usually I don't see other American students unless I'm at a bar or club. So being in Florence definitely reassured my decision to come here!!