Fireworks, Protests, and the Devil Eating Ice Cream

Indeed I'm in a dream over here. Lots of free time, lots of travels, and very little school.

I’m about to end my third 12-day break in two months - in a span of 61 days, I have had just 7 days of class. Going back to Boston College in the fall is going to be rough.

A trip to Palma de Mallorca (an island near the coast of Barcelona) has been the highlight of my travels the past few weeks – with other trips to Tarragona, Cercedilla, Salamanca, Real de Manzanares and El Escorial. They are all small, beautiful, peaceful cities and towns, appreciated more for their natural beauty and street life than their man-made tourist attractions. The pictures below do most of the explaining.

Palma was both a relaxing and adventurous weekend. The highlight was taking tiny, stick-shift cars (for less than €10/day per person) up and down winding mountains roads and along sandy beaches and steep cliffs across most of the island (see pics). Of course, we also spent time laying in the sun, exploring the store-lined streets of the city, and constantly explaining to promoters that we didn’t speak German – Palma is a German tourist hotspot; we heard more German than any other language (including Catalan and Castilian) and nearly all signs were in German (or have a German translation).

Other recent activities:

-infiltrating the 15-M protests of “los indignados” and marching around the city
-day hikes in the mountains north of Madrid
-watching fuegos artificiales (‘fireworks’) in Retiro Park for the San Isidro Festival
-seeing my first bullfight in Madrid’s Las Ventas bullring

Fun facts:

-It just got HOT. After the first three months in the cold, then a month with over 23 days of rains, so far in May it has been HOT (near 90 and humid). With no A/C in my homestay apartment, I’m definitely feeling it. I’m dying wearing shorts and a t-shirt. Meanwhile my host mom laughs and says “Just wait” - I still see Spaniards walking around with jeans and sweatshirts..

-Just three weeks left in Madrid before a week vacation and then off to Tarragona, Spain to work over the summer. I’m trying to soak up as much as possible before I go.

-Y’all will be excited to hear that, for whatever reason, I’ve grown nearly two inches since leaving the States. Also, my beard is now blond.

Hope everyone enjoys their first few weeks of summer,

Carlito

Un Pain Au Chocolat S'il Vous Plaît

[Wednesday, 2:15pm; my home-stay apartment]

I just returned from a lovely, 12-day Easter Week vacation: eight days in Paris and four days in Budapest.  I've been captured by Paris' charm and Budapest's friendliness (read: inexpensiveness).

Now, when I think about Paris, my mouth waters.  I’m overwhelmed with the memories of perfectly-baked baguettes, cheap red wine, nutella-filled crepes, and warm chocolate pastries.  When I think about Paris, I think about being outside: taking slow walks along the Seine; gazing over the city on the steps of Sacre Couer; sitting on the grass in the Luxembourg Gardens; waving at the passing boats at Pont Neuf; and soaking up the sun while a swing band, saxophonist, or cellist gracefully composes the Parisian mood.

And I think about the other sounds: the French accent; the obligatory ‘Bonjour’ and ‘Merci’ with every new encounter; the near silence along the river; the constant public announcements on the metro; and the growl of motorcycles through the streets.  Of course when I think about Paris, I also think about the Louvre, the Champs-Elysees, the Eifel Tower, the Hotel des Invalides, the Arc de Triomphe, and the Cathedral of Notre-Dame.  But more than that, I think about the sidewalk cafes and restaurants; the outdoor booksellers; the kebab shops; the churches and museums; the statues and fountains; the boulangeries, the patisseries, and the creperies; but, above all, when I think about Paris, I think about the Seine.

Budapest was different.  Budapest almost could have been a small city in Canada or the northwestern US, but with much more history.  When I think about Budapest, I think about centuries-old buildings mixed with contemporary culture.  I think about St. Stevens Basilica, the Great Market Hall, the Citadella on top of Gellert Hill, Buda Caste, Heroes’ Square, the bridges and, of course, the Danube River.  I think about the pizza-like langos, sweet crepes, pretzel towers, cheap beer, kebabs, and the enormous servings of goulash, spiced meat, and savory vegetables at the For Sale Pub. 

A cheap, relaxed, friendly city, Budapest was the perfect complement to my week in Paris.  It doesn't have the well-known character that Paris has, but when the beer in Budapest is over three times cheaper than in Paris, few are complaining...

Most remarkable part of my 12-day trip: the 2-hour Palm Sunday mass at the Cathedral of Notre-Dame, all of it in French.

Special thanks to Teddy Altepeter for letting me stay at his apartment and for showing me all Paris has to offer.

I’m back in Madrid for three days before I head off to Tarragona, Spain for the weekend.

As always, I’d love to hear any comments, questions, or updates from the States: charliemegaman@yahoo.com

Enjoy the pics,

Chas

'El que lee mucho y anda mucho, ve mucho y sabe mucho'

[Wednesday, 6pm; Madrid, my homestay apartment]

It’s Week Nine here in Europe.  I've reached the half way point in my semester abroad.  It sure is going fast, but I can't believe how much I've done and seen so far.  It's hard to imagine I'm only half way.

The past three weeks have been incredible.  First week: Cordoba and Grenada.  Second week: Amsterdam.  Third week: Touring Madrid with Drew Sexton and Teddy Altepeter.  In the past 22 days, I’ve had 5 days of class.  And in the next 22, I’ll have 3 days.  I’m constantly thinking how weird it is that they call this “study” abroad.  I’m kidding, of course.. But really, these five day weekends are a delight.  I’ve done so much recently that, to keep it short, this post is going to be more of an inventory:

Cordoba:

            Once the most populous city in the world (in the 10^th and 11^th centuries) and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Cordoba is a small, beautiful city in the south of Spain.  For most of our 5-hour stay there, we toured the Mezquita.  Half mosque-half cathedral due to its Muslim and Christian history, the Mezquita bears multiple claims of being the third largest (some say the largest) place of worship in the world.  Though I doubt it makes it in the top 20, it is nonetheless a quite interesting and impressive building. 

Granada:

            Like the Mezquita in Cordoba, Grenada has just one major attraction: the Alhambra.  A 1000-year-old palatial complex that overlooks the city, the Alhambra was the clear highlight of the trip.  But we also: saw the burial place of Ferdinand and Isabella, enjoyed Granada’s famous free-tapas-with-your-drink culture, relaxed in an Arab bath, and danced in a nightclub/cave on top of a mountain.

Amsterdam:

            Everyone knows Amsterdam has a unique charm with its historical and cultural significance and its relaxed attitudes.  So on our 3-day trip we were sure to get a sample of everything: traditional Dutch potatoes, meatballs, and kale; Anne Frank House; Van Gogh Museum with a DJ in the lobby; coffee shops; Sex Museum; ‘I am Amsterdam’ sign; NEMO Science Museum with - only in Amsterdam - a whole floor dedicated to sex and puberty; a brewery in a windmill; Red Light District; drinking with some Brits; Heineken Brewery tour; fast food vending machine stores; and a 3-hour walking tour of everything else. 

Three fun facts about Amsterdam:

-According to our tour guide, anything in Amsterdam is excepted if it is 1) discreet, 2) ‘good for business’, and 3) non-violent.

-25% of Amsterdam lies below sea level (the main airport is 4 meters below).  Because the Dutch are the world experts on keeping back the seawater with their system of canals and dykes, they were the first to help New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

-People in the Netherlands are the tallest in the world with men averaging over 6ft and women around 5’7”, and we certainly noticed everywhere we went. 

Madrid with Drew and Ted:

            Wanting to give them a good taste of the life I’ve been living here, I made sure we did just about everything a tourist could do in Madrid in three days.  Those of you who have been to Madrid before will recognize a lot of this, the rest of you will recognize what you’re missing: Reina Sophia and Prado Museums, Ayuntamiento overlook of the city, Palacio Real, 3 local favorites for tapas-with-your-drink (Cien Montaditos, Museo de Jamon, and Tigre), 4 discotecas (Joy, Kapital, Orange and Pacha), chilling in Retiro Park, napping in Retiro Park, La Mallorquina Café, Mercado de San Miguel, Plaza de Espana, Sol, Plaza Mayor, sunset at the Temple of Debod, tapas at Casa Alberto, El Rastro flea market, Puerta de Alcala, street performers, Real Madrid game in an Irish pub, 3-hour walking tour, Don Simon, ham, croquettas, gazpacho, torrijas, churros and chocolate, and montaditos…

One More Fun Fact:

I've been in Madrid for 9 weeks, and today was the first day it has rained.  The amount of constant sunshine and clear skies is incredible.

Coming up is a week of midterm exams then a 12-day break for “Semana Santa”.

I’d love to hear from y’all (charliemegaman@yahoo.com).

Hope all is well,

Carlito Hombrefrito