The Travel Begins

Warning: This is going to be a big post! Carnival, Granada, El Campello and Madrid all wrapped into one post!

Carnival
I wasn't sure what to expect from Carnival but it exceeded my expectations! Concerts in the streets thousands of people young and old dressed up and dancing. It was a night full of laughter and dancing our butts off. Carnival was truly a fun experience and I will never forget the crazy night fun and excitement that highlights so well that Spaniards really know how to have fun!

I was a mardi-gra person for Carnival. (aka I got that mask for a Euro)

Mike was a tiger. And yes he did his own makeup. Didn't it look awesome!!

KFC at 4AM refueling for the walk home before falling into bed to sleep all day. 

Although the main carnival festivities took place on a Saturday night, carnival is technically an all week thing. On Wednesday there was what they called "Entierro de la Sardina" where they parade a giant paper and wood fish (sardine) through the streets and then symbolically burn it to symbolize the end of Carnival. People wore black and danced, and I am pretty sure it would have broken several fire codes in the US!

And so the travels begin! 

Granada

We took a group trip to Granada, Spain with our USAC program. We all stayed in the same hotel for 2 nights. I loved Granada! It was so different with the Arabic inspired architecture as well as of course, the beauty of the the Alhambra. My favorite part was the guided tour of the Alhambra that we did. 2nd favorite had to be when we went and experienced the Arabic baths and massage which was pretty amazing. Very relaxing with all the different temperature pools and hot stones. I felt like a noodle afterword and it was a perfect way to relax. Granada is different than Alicante and I really enjoyed seeing how two cities in the same country could be so different and knowing the history behind all of it made waking around Granada that much better. What an amazing place, so rich with history. In addition to the fun of being in such a beautiful city, it was Gabe's 21st birthday! We had a great night out in Granada to celebrate and it was a wonderful way to spend our last night in that beautiful city!

El Campello

One of the great things about living in a place with great public transportation is that it is easy to just hop on a tram and take a fun trip for the day. We went a few stops away to the awesome beach and rocks called El Campello. Our first time having our toes in the Mediterranean followed by exploring some cool rock formations with the ocean thundering through them. 

In Alicante for the last weekend for 3 weeks! We saw a Flamenco dance show. Very interesting and what a fun dance style to watch.

And so the travel begins!!! Madrid!!! Whirlwind weekend with all the great sights on the list. The Prado museum was great with so many paintings! It was amazing to see right in front of me things that I have seen in books. Getting to stand in front of such famous paintings was incredible. We went and got some Mexican food at this place called La Mordida close to our hostel. It was a nice taste of home but also not exactly the same as the Mexican food I am used to having. 

Of course we had to have a little American moment and escape for some iced tea (IT DOES EXIST HERE)

Following great travel advice from my ever wise mama we went and bought some groceries and made use of the hostel kitchen to have a healthy breakfast of yoghurt and a healthy lunch of hummus and veggies. YUM. Our second day was a big one. We walked all around Madrid. First stop, the Botanical Gardens where we saw the flowers just beginning to bloom and met a very interesting duck. After came the famous Puerto de Alcala followed by a walk to see the palace de cibeles (really cool building!) then my favorite part was the Parque de Retiro. A beautiful park full of people milling around and enjoying the warm day and being out and about. Kids running everywhere and lots of street performers. Sorry everyone, but I have no pictures from that part because they are all on Mike's phone. (The downside of us both taking pictures all the time). It was so beautiful and fun to people watch everyone just sitting around eating and enjoying themselves. 

In our last day in Madrid we spent our morning with the Spaniards walking around the outdoor flea market. If was fun and exciting to see all thee craftsman selling their wares in the streets of downtown Madrid. We then powered our way over to the Cathedral de Almuenda and the Palacio Real. Beautiful building showing where the monarchs of Spain lived. Next up was the plaza mayor where people were all sitting around eating bagged lunch and enjoying some sun and some pretty architecture. A quick look at Puerto de Sol and the famous dog and tree statue then back to check out and go to the train station. Don't worry we took a break to eat at this hole in the wall crepe place that was totally delicious. My favorite was my bacon/potato/brie crepe. Talk about yum. With that we went to the train station and headed home to Alicante after a wonderful weekend of seeing Madrid. 

In my next post I will include last weekends travel to the island of Mallorca and the upcoming trip I am taking tomorrow to Valencia for Fallas festival followed by Barcelona!

Now some thoughts on Spain culture from my perspective/things nobody ever told me:

• You will eat more ham in Spain than any other time in your life. Ham is everything here. Ham is included in just about everything. In markets there are legs of ham curing from the ceiling. Something fried? Chances are there is ham in it. Getting a bag of chips? 99% chance there is a ham flavor to choose from. Its funny because the US is so beef central that coming here I did not really realize how much ham really is in the food. I can count on one hand how may times I eat ham a year in the US. Here I totally lost count. Although I like ham (jamon) much more than the American ham. It is good and just another one of those differences but I just find it funny that nobody who studied abroad in Spain ever mentioned it in all the blogs and such I have read. In talking with my friends here we have all reached a consensus that we will most likely not eat ham for at least a year on returning to the US. 
• There is a very good chance you are almost run over at least 3 times a week. Spainards are terrible drivers. Fast, reckless and just overall insane. Even just standing on the sidewalk I fear for the other drivers. There are no rules (oh I am sure there are really but nobody cares). Parking rules? Don't exist. As long as you put your flashers on its alright. Does that mean that there are cars parked completely on the sidewalk? Yeah. Wrong side of the road? Yeah. Diagonally at the 90 degree of an intersection? Yeah. But the flashers... so its okay. Even riding the bus is terrifying because they race around everywhere and people almost get their side mirrors taken off every time I ride the bus. This is part of the reason I do not partake in bla-bla car. Bla-bla car is a ride sharing app where you find people going to the same place as you want to go to and pay them a little bit and they let you ride with them. It is a cheap form of transportation if you are willing to drive in a foreign country with strangers who are terrible drivers. I have friends who love and rave about this Uber-esque service, but it just is not something I can safely come to terms with doing. 
• Smoking. Everywhere. I heard on the Spanish news that lung cancer is the leading cause of death in men in Spain. Makes total sense. I knew there would be smoking but it still has been a cultural adjustment for me. Especially when I see 13 year olds smoking and I have to resist the urge to run up to them steal their cigarettes and yell at them that they are too young. Because you know thats only something you play out in your head while tsk tsking and bemoaning the tender age of the little ones. Walking down the street is a second hand smoking hazard. This little Zoolander video is me walking around with the smokers. 

• Dogs poop and pee on the sidewalks. The end.
• So I do not seem like a downer because I actually really enjoy Spanish culture. SIESTA. My all time favorite custom here. Everything closes so that people can be forced to stay home and sleep? Yeah my favorite thing. Now when I say I am going to go take a siesta, I get encouraging responses and happiness for my health instead of being called an old lady for napping in the middle of the day. Definitely going to keep the siesta. Reject the ham but keep the siesta. 
• A little note on drinking. I still get surprised when people sell me alcohol without blinking. I still fight the urge to run when drinking out in the streets and I see cops. Funny thing though is that the police party and drink along with everyone else.... even on duty. Discotecas are the best. Dance clubs that don't even open until 3AM guaranteeing you hate everything the next morning with aching legs but you know how awesome it is to dance all night. Almost everyone here is either 21 or turning 21 soon after returning to the US. So basically it will be quite strange to go from drinking whenever because it is accepted and legal to it being illegal and not accepted. Spaniards are smarter about alcohol that is for sure but I was told before coming here that Spaniards do not get drunk when they go out. Lies. Spaniards are human and more discreet with their drunkness but people my age are out and just as drunk as the rest of the bar hoppers. Although I really do believe that because alcohol is not as big a deal, Spaniards are less likely to be as stupid out drinking as I have consistently seen Americans be.
• Children. Statistically I know that there are the same amount of children in Spain as the US. Even a little less because Spain is known to have a lesser birth rate. But it seems like Spain has double the amount of children than the US. The difference is visibility. Children in Spain are always running around with their parents during the evenings, babies are being pushed in strollers everywhere you go. Spanish kids lead a much less sheltered existence. They are out and about at night enjoying time with their parents are friends. Kids are constantly playing in the parks set up around the city and just running around and generally having a great time. I feel as though in my experience American children are confined to being inside so much more that I have witnessed the Spanish children being. Spanish kids are also pretty fearless. They will smile and wave at you, have a mini conversation, play peek a boo and make funny faces at total strangers (namely me because I love kids and interacting with them) whereas an American child would run screaming in the other direction automatically associating strangers (me) with danger. Where is the balance? Teach kids to be cautious but also outgoing. To be friendly but also take precautions by being in supervision. Where is that balance? Seeing the children in Spain they just all look so happy running around the streets here being carefree children. I don't have an answer but it is interesting to see the visual representation of the culture of fear that many Americans have adopted versus the more open culture that the Spaniards embrace. 

Well that is it for now. Just a few thoughts floating in my brain. It is so interesting to see the cultural differences. But I have to say that although very different I love both the US culture as well as the Spanish culture. What isn't there to like about this amazing place I am in? (except maybe the ham and poop in the streets, but who said the US is perfect?) 

Much love to those in my home country and also the others who happen upon my blog! 

Laura

Creative Title?

Hello everyone!!

The dream continues here in Alicante and we have even marked our first travel milestone!

Mike and I took a vacation to visit my friend Erini in Valencia. We went to see a friend of hers, who is also at the Berklee music school's program in Valencia, sing at a club called Radio City in Valencia.   It was a great performance and it was fun to see a friend from home abroad. The next day we went to the aquarium in Valencia, the biggest in Europe and spent the day looking at fish and other pretty marine life The aquarium was great and the location within Valencia is part of its charm. L'Oceanographic is located in the Plaza of Arts and Sciences with several other museums all sporting incredible architecture. After a fun filled day at the aquarium we only had enough time for a quick breakfast sunday morning before returning to Alicante.

Sunday in Alicante we went and met our friends at the local bar we all frequent to watch the Super Bowl with all the Americans who live in Alicante is seemed. We got there at 11 to secure seating, the game started at 12:30 and we stayed and enjoyed the festivities until the very last play of the Superbowl at 4AM! It was an all night of watching football and being the quintessential Americans for one night by singing along with the National Anthem and screaming for our football associations while cursing the other team. After this fun and exhausting night we went to our classes the next day and generally hated life until falling into bed as soon as class was over. Exhausting experience but it was completely worth it for such a fun memory. We can always remember the Super Bowl we watched in Spain that went on all night.

Frankie, Mike and I had prime placement next to the heaters

Around 3:30AM, why won't the game end?

This past weekend we took a day trip to a town on the outskirts of Alicante called Altea. It takes about an hour and a half by train to get there from the Alicante city center. It is the classic Spanish town of whitewashed houses, cobblestone pathways and lots of steps. Altea is a beautiful little town where the people live life a little slower and you can enjoy the views of clay roofs and tile plazas.

Altea is a beautiful city and the perfect day trip to take over this past weekend. This upcoming weekend is Carvaval where tons of people from around Spain to dress up in costumes and parade around the streets of Alicante enjoying fireworks and street performers. It is going to be so much fun! Pictures and the like to come in my next post.

Love from Spain!

Laura

Nestea and the Little Things in Life

First let me explain the title of this post. At home I love iced tea. I drink it when I am out to lunch, I brew it to keep in the fridge at home. I have it late at night and I have it early in the morning. I appreciate a good glass of cold iced tea. Alas imagine my sadness at ordering "te frío" and being told that they only sell lemon Nestea. Every place I have asked. Oh yes Spain seems to only have Nestea (the evil lemon flavor to add insult to injury). No offense to Nestea lovers but I like plain old regular fresh brewed iced tea. In order to give substance to this post lets use that as a metaphor for being in a foreign country (but also I really just want some good iced tea).

All of the usual things you would get at home aren't here, but that just means you get so many more amazing new things. I am constantly surprised at the things my host mom cooks. Nothing is wasted ever. If there is leftovers they are incorporated into the next meal or just set out to finish. There is very little waste here. No dishwasher, just hand washing. Laundry done once a week. Quick showers. One of the girls here has a host family that makes her turn off the water in between shampooing and conditioning her hair. Lucky for me my host family does not ask that, but it goes to show how different it is from America where most people are ecological if they take a 5 minute shower. I am trying to enjoy all these new things. So many of them are exciting and different and wonderful and have been enriching to expand my worldview. But... many of you who know me know I pretty much don't eat seafood because of the flavor. I have been trying a lot of seafood since I have been here, alas I haven't had a change of mind about seafood, although I can see why so many people like it. I have tried not to mention it to my host family so I can try as many things as possible, but I have failed because today my host dad told me, after a lunch of what I can only call a distant cousin to beef chili was totally cleared from my plate, "You like meat and chicken more than fish don't you!" Apparently the small piece of Salmon I ate the night before compared to the beef chili solidified in his mind my eating habits. I confessed that yes, I don't normally eat much seafood (I did not mention the pretty much never ever part of that) but that I wanted to try new things here. He understood and laughed about how they were thinking I was only eating like a little rabbit because I wanted to, not because I didn't like it. The problem is that the seafood is delicious, it just still is fish! I have loved almost all the food here. It is different as far as texture and flavor go, spices are not used very much here. The only thing I have yet to like is Paella, which I think my host mom makes every sunday. Paella if you did not know is a rice and whatever dish. Usually it is rice simmered in something with bits of meat and seafood. (As you may be able to tell, the construction of Paella is still a mystery to me). I have now had Paella twice. Both times it has had rabbit in it which is a very popular meat here. The rabbit itself is not that bad. The flavor is basically if a chicken and a fish were combined that is the flavor of the meat. The problem is the hundreds of tiny little bones. My host mom chops up rabbit chunks and throws them into the Paella, bones and all.  Then there are clams whole which in theory you are supposed to scrape out of the shell (I have been too cowardly to eat them). During my first ever Sunday lunch I was served this dish and halfway through my host dad asked if I knew what meat I was eating. I said no and he cheerily told me it was conejo. I didn't know that particular word so he mimed a hopping bunny with ears. Question answered. The flavor of Paella is amazing, but I am still a little squeamish about the hundreds of tiny rabbit bones and the slimy clams. Next weekend Mike and I are going to Valencia which is supposed to have the best Paella in Spain so I am going to try and order exactly what I want in it, and at that moment I know my mind will be blown. I am a fairly open minded person I promise, just the thought of half a bunny skeleton in my stomach put me off a little bit.

On the other side, there are bars and cafeterías (cafes) on every single corner along with my new favorites pastelerías (pastry shops) and panaderías (bread shops). I get the best of both worlds, to have authentic spanish cooking as well as the experience of people watching at cafés and bars.

A quick word on music. I have been keeping up with the current music (I love country) but mostly I have buried myself into listening to all the songs by Striking Matches. They have just released for pre-order their first album, but there are so many live videos of their amazing music. As a person who loves music down to my soul they are pretty amazing. Master guitar players, songwriters and talented singers each in their own rights.

Here is a little taste of them for any of you who are interested.

https://soundcloud.com/striking-matches
This only has 5 of their songs, 4 from their first EP (all amazing) and one of their singles.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN50lgLV9kU
Their song God and You, which almost reduces me to tears due to the harmonies and soulful lyrics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkIN_Rt9hYk
The equally powerful When It's Raining".

It has been a long time since I have been truly consumed by one artist but this up and coming band has captured my heart and I thought I should share.

Now for pictures!

Mike, Nick, Frankie and I at everyones favorite neighborhood bar Austin's

That one time I saved Gabe from a crazy spanish lady

I am still knitting!! Beginning of a cowl for my mom

My view from the tram on the way to class every morning

Today Mike and I have been together for a year and 7 months. It is quite the conundrum of being amazed at how fast time has gone by but at the same time being amazing it has only been that long because it feels so much longer, but thats love isn't it? Doesn't make any sense 90% of the time. 

To celebrate we started at the self advertised, "3rd best gelato in Spain". If gelato was a person, he would give Mike a run for his money, thats for sure. Lucky for him my love affair with ice cream products doesn't impact our relationship (unless he eats the last in the freezer). Stopping by a little mercado we bought a wedge of Brie and some mini toast chips. We then walked to the pier jutting out over the Mediterranean Sea. We sat and talked and ate brie with mini toasts and watched the sun go down. In the middle of talking, fireworks started going off, literally. Out of nowhere fireworks lit up the sky, seemingly just for us as we were the only people on the pier.

An amazing night to celebrate a year and 7 months of bliss. Through all the craziness of life, no matter the circumstance it is important to have someone to enjoy the little things with. A sunset on a pier with a hunk of brie is just as romantic as dinner at an expensive restaurant. 

Love the little things in life my friends, I know I am in this little spanish town on the Mediterranean.