Ethpanya

A new home

2006-10-04T12:27:00.000+02:00

Funnily, "bethinspain" doesn't quite fit the bill anymore. This will have to be the final chapter of my Spain experience. For intermittent Australia/Thailand updates, check this page: http://andthewanderlustsetsin.blogspot.com/
Australia is amazing by the way. I'm in Sydney: picture a mixture of London and Chicago, but with the laid back Aussie attitude and a "wee" bit smaller. It's beautiful, but still a tad cold. But today was a wonderful day for hanging out at the harbor and snapping a few pics of the Opera House (it actually hit me at the moment I saw it that I was here and that I was really far away from, well..., anything). As I'm writing this, it's about 8PM (6 AM Atlanta time), so, I'm feeling pretty messed up. Thanks to my faithful blog readers. It's been a good run on this one. We'll see if I can keep it up with the new site.

So, is it weird being back home?

2006-09-06T16:31:00.000+02:00

This is the number one question I've been asked. Yes, it's weird, but honestly, not as weird as I once pictured. The first week back was really difficult, and the second was worse. But, now I've settled into this groove of working, and I mean working all the time, that I haven't had much reflection time. I'm working toward the goal of traveling through Australia and Thailand, but the reality that I'm leaving in a few weeks hasn't hit me. And I haven't really had time to miss Madrid. I do miss Spain, but my thoughts are usually comprised of how cheap some people can be, and how much my feet and back hurt.
But, things are good. My birthday was yesterday. There was no big party, and strangely, no photos even. But it was a wonderful day. I slept in, knowing that everyone else was working (he he he), then I went to Donna Marie's for a dip in the pool/cookout/hang with Roger for the first time since last year. A couple of Margaritas later and everything was peachy. Later that night my whole family, including the bro, went to one of my fav restaurants in Atlanta.
I guess that I can't really post under the web address, bethinspain, so, a new blog will come about soon. And new pics with my new camera, oooohhh!

Home Again

2006-08-03T21:37:00.000+02:00

I will give you the full run down of my travels through the north of Spain, France, and of course London. But for now, I don't feel like writing. I have photos on flickr though. Once I've had some time to think and adjust, I'll let you know.

Rock the Kasbah

2006-07-17T12:04:00.000+02:00

The Dunes in Zagora
It's not that I've been lazy; I've been traveling. Shannon and I hit Morocco for a week, and then I left Madrid for the north of Spain. I'm in San Sebastian at the mo, but more on that later.
Morocco was incredible. I don't know if it was just because it was so different, but I was in awe the entire time I was there. Yes, it smells like Africa (aka, poo everywhere on the street) but Muslim architecture really kicks the Catholics' butts. Sorry. We went into a couple of palaces that just blow your mind. The hand carved detail is similar to the Alhambra, and absolutely beautiful.

A young boy working on a "Ber-ber" lamp

Our trip was broken into parts. We had a few days in Marrakech, mostly spent shopping in the super-stressful medina. You really feel like a celebrity because everyone is trying to get your attention, and insisting that you come to their shop. "Just looking, just looking, looking is free..." Or, they say "fish and chips" to get you to look at them, because they think all the guiries are English, and bottom line, guiries have money. Definitely an experience I won't forget.

Terrace at the beach bar, in typical blue
We made our way to Essaouira, a beach town visited by hippies and, most famously, Jimi Hendrix. I think that this was my favorite place. The mood was much more relaxed, and the town was precious. Every house is white, with brightly painted blue doors. It brings luck in the Muslim culture.
After Essaouira, and a night in Marrakech, we joined a tour group for a trek into the Sahara. They put Shannon and I with 10 frogs, I mean French people, and only a couple of them spoke English. But amazingly, we had so many jokes and such a good time together. No, there was no mention of freedom fries and freedom toast. We had to take a van from Marrakech to Zagora, about 9 hours through the Atlas Mountains. The scenery is incredible. You go through the High Atlas, then into the Draa Valley, and finally you reach the edge of the Sahara. I learned some French along the way as well. "Pardon...si vous plais...les fotos... merci" We stopped at a famous Kasbah, Ait Benhaddou (a few movies were filmed there). It's funny, Morocco looks like Arizona, so a lot of westerns were also filmed there. The Kasbah is really interesting. There are loads of them in Morocco, and they all look similar and serve a similar function. The thermometer hit 38 Celsius (100 Fahrenheit), but as soon as you walk into the shade in the Kasbah, the temperature drops almost 30 degrees. It feels almost perfect inside. Morocco is a place where it's difficult to escape the heat, but they managed to figure it out all those years ago.

Me with the camel guides and a little "Ber-ber" music

We made it to Zagora for the sunset while on the camels. Our camel ride was about 2 hours long, and not the most comfortable (ask Shannon). But it was worth it to sleep on a sand dune and see all of the stars, the dust of the Milky Way, and then the sunrise at 5:30. One of the coolest things was talking to our guides. They have never left that village. Their entire lives have been spent in that one spot, taking tourists into the desert. But they seem content. The people are poor there, but they seem to live relatively happy lives. The kids get at you though. They kind of chase while you're on the camel asking you to buy little figurines they made out of palms. Most of them don't go to school; they work and help the family. But one girl broke my heart. She asked Shannon for a pen, and I found and extra one I had. She lit up when she got it. Who knows, maybe that's the only thing she has to write and draw with at home. My dad (The Disney Light-Up Pen King) would fare pretty well in Morocco.
All-in-all, a really nice trip. A bit sad in the end though. I left Madrid the day after we got back, so I had to say goodbye to my home, my city, and most importantly, my friends. I also received news that my mom's sister had died that week. So, it's been well timed that I am traveling alone. It gives me time for reflection and solitude. I'm so glad that I didn't plan this trip with other people. I don't think I would have been able to enjoy the company. I think I prefer traveling with friends, though. I really am such an extrovert, not meaning overly outgoing, but that I really need to be around people. But, being alone for a bit is good for me. But of course you guys know that I'm looking forward to being home and seeing you guys.
Enough typing/nerding it up, time to hit the beach!

Granada

2006-06-25T22:14:00.000+02:00

Patio de las Damas, La Alhambra

So, for one of my last jaunts, I went to the best city in Spain that I have seen so far (and looking back on it, I've seen a lot of places in a year.) I went to Granada, the stronghold of the Nazrid dynasty during the time of the Moors. That was about 1200 years ago, so it's amazing how much is still intact.
The trip consisted of pretty normal tourist things. I walked through the Albaicin, the old Muslim neighborhood, which is very stereotypical Spain. I reached the top of the hill (quite a hike!) and chilled at the Mirador. It boasts as having one of the best views of the Alhambra and the town below. It's beautiful, especially at sunset. Lots of people are relaxing, listening to the gypsies playing flamenco, and of course, taking photos. The feeling was different than other places. Your feet are dangling over a steep ledge, if you dare, and the air is so calm and peaceful.

The Albaicin, seen from La Alhambra

The next day I spent about 6 hours taking in the Moorish architecture of the Alhambra. There is a magnificent palace and adjoining gardens to match. I haven't seen anything in my life that rivals its beauty.
Later that night I caught some random flamenco at a Moroccan tea house. I feel even more excited now about my trip to Marrakech next week.

One of the cave houses, or 'cuevas'
For my last day, I walked through the Sacromonte. The gypsies were banned to this outer part of the town in the 15th century, and to beat the heat, they made their homes inside the mountain. Each cave house is a little door surrounded in white stucco. That's all that you see of most of them. Don't be fooled though, they're caves, but some of them are pretty posh. The hillside is covered in these homes, and the colors in the neighborhood are captivating. Bright blue tile here, a mosaic there, green trim in another place. I was entirely charmed the full three days I was there.
If you come to Spain ever, do not miss Granada. It would be disappointing to miss this little jewel. I feel like I barely had enough time to enjoy it myself.

A por ellos

2006-06-24T16:35:00.000+02:00

¡A por ellos, oé!
¡A por ellos, oé!
¡A por ellos, oé,
A por ellos oé oé!

¡Hasta cuartos, oé!
¡Hasta cuartos, oé!
¡Hasta cuartos, oé!
Y con suerte oé oé!

Let me put this video in context. I have been loving the world cup, and Spain is playing amazingly. But who are we kidding? Spain will advance past France in the next round, and then suffer a crushing defeat from the Brazilians. So, I found this video quite hilarious. "A por ellos" has been the national anthem of Spain lately. In this video, the first part is explained to be the "before shot", and the second is after the world cup. This is a publicity stunt put on by the Spanish team and coach. "A por ellos" translates roughly as "Get them!" In the second version, "Hasta cuartos" is "Until quarter finals, and only with luck"
Click here if you don't see it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1eAQsIl5x0A
Spain has a few great chants. The other one that has endeared my heart is a hymn I learned in Cádiz. The people of Cádiz are famous in Spain for being the nicest in the whole country, and I completely agree with that stereotype. So, they created a hymn that basically means, "We don't care about the football score, we just came to get drunk and have a nice time"
Alcohol, alcohol,
Alcohol alcohol alcohol
Hemos venido
a emborracharnos,
y el resultado
nos da igual

Road Trip to Sevilla

2006-06-15T21:22:00.000+02:00

Windmills in Castilla-LaMancha (ok, and the magic of Adobe)

This past weekend was our trip to Sevilla. We decided to rent a car since it was Shannon, Leo, and I, and it worked out to be about the same price as the train.
Shannon and I got the car and had some time to kill before Leo got off of work. So, where could we possibly go in Madrid that cannot be accessed by the metro or cercanias? La Moraleja. This is the poshy posh area of Madrid, and where David and Victoria Beckham live. We swear we saw Victoria gassing up her car. She had the pout. So, we were cruising the neighborhood in a green turtle car, listening to some 80's, and searching for even a quick glance or glimmer at David and Vicky Beck's pad.
We finally got on the road and headed down to Sevilla. We were meeting Renee (see previous posts) and her roommate Samantha for drinks, and it was about a 5-6 hour drive. So, leaving at 6:30, that put us in Sevilla at about midnight. We rolled in and went on the tapas/drinks hunt. But not before a man greeted us as we came out of the parking garage "Bienvenidos a España! Welcome to Spain!" He couldn't be happier. Where was that guy 10 months ago?
I didn't expect Sevilla to be as beautiful as it was. The colors everywhere are so bright and vivid, you just want to swim in them or something. And of course, palm trees everywhere. Leo and I hung out so that Renee and Shannon could catch up. We took a stroll around the cathedral, saw Columbus' tomb, visited the Alcazar and adjoining gardens, took a spin on the big Ferris Wheel overlooking the city, hung out by the river, and of course, coffee, coca-cola, coffee, coca-cola... One of the best things though was the Arabian bath. They are really popular in the south due to the fact that it is Moorish tradition. We decided to go for the last session at midnight. It's pool after pool of warm, relaxing water, a little Arabic music in the background, and smells that are unique and soothing. You walk out feeling so relaxed, like they could just pour you out onto the street when you leave (can't wait for Morocco!), and your skin is actually a baby's bottom.
Sevilla was a nice weekend away. A little hot, but definitely a nice change of pace from busy busy Madrid. As always, photos are on Flickr.

A not so usual day at the office

2006-06-14T21:38:00.000+02:00

Voy a escribir en español. No me rías.
Hoy, he ido a trabajo en Plaza Colón, y encontré un montón de gente como la gente en la izquierda. Estaba por la calle y al dentro de la fuente. Había tanto gente, los coches no pudieron pasar. Me encanta que estoy en Europa durante la Copa del Mundo. Y felicidades a España, 4-0. Pero, pobre Ucrania. Creo que son debiles;)
I went to work at Plaza Colón today, and was greeted by hundreds of people like these. They were covering the streets and jumping in the fountains at one of the busiest intersections in Madrid. I love that I'm in Europe during the world cup. And I love that Spain won 4-0. Poor Ukraine though, I guess they really are weak;)

Video at last

2006-06-12T22:42:00.000+02:00

It's finally here, the moment I'm sure you've all been waiting for. Click this link http://www.putfile.com/bethkalinski for a few choice videos I have selected for your viewing pleasure. Disfruta.

La Gran(hack)

2006-06-08T10:31:00.000+02:00

The lake in the Royal Gardens of San Ildefonso

Once again, I was able to see some of the amazing places that surround Madrid. This past weekend I was in La Granja de San Ildefonso. Spaniards always correct my pronunciation. You have to hack something up as you say it. La GRAN-ha (hack on the ha.) There is a large royal palace in conjunction with the royal gardens. This photo is from the lake. It was a peaceful and calm Saturday. I heard that the week before was a zoo, because only three times a year they turn the fountains on. There are hundreds of bronze sculptures that when on, display an amazing water show. We weren't there for it, but it was okay. Instead I have some hilarious photos of us climbing the fountains and being idiots. Someone please tell me that we have some cool stuff to see in Georgia. I'm going to miss my day trips. Did anyone recently build a 600 year old castle or palace near Marietta? What about an old city wall? Oh, it's near midtown?

I love the 80's

2006-06-06T23:46:00.000+02:00

Mario Skit

This is actually hilarious. Stupid, yet, a great laugh if you grew up in the 80's. Click this link if you can't view it on my page: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJdNxSnmgbw I swear I'm not being a total nerd in Spain. I saw this on one of my students' blogs. Thanks Jesús!

Madrid the region and Beth the reflector

2006-05-28T18:57:00.000+02:00

Plaza Mayor in Alcalá de Henares

Most people don't know this, but Madrid is also a region. The city of Madrid is surrounded by the Community of Madrid. And I'm so lucky to be able to see a good bit of it. Toledo and Segovia are near Madrid, but actually in different regions. But El Escorial, Aranjuez, Alcalá de Henares, and Manzanares el Real are all a part of the actual Madrid region.
Last weekend I visited Alcalá de Henares, the birthplace of Cervantes. There is also a university that is about 600 years old. It is a very typical, small, Spanish village, the kind you imagine being in the Spanish countryside. Adorable, old buildings, a huge main square with a cathedral and terraces to have coffee. And on top of all of the buildings, storks have huge nests that they guard and perch themselves on while looking down on the plaza. I was lucky, because there was a festival going on and a huge wedding. So, the streets around the plaza were filled with families watching the street performers, little jewelry stands, and plenty of tables outside to sip coffee and people watch.

The mountain stream in Manzanares
Yesterday, Shannon, Leo, and I went to Manzanares el Real. It's a village in the mountains with less people, but a lot more nature. The mountains surrounding the city look as if they are painted. It was impossible to take a photo that looked real. But the highlight was the creek running from the mountains down to the lake. We went wading for a bit, and then just relaxed in the shade. The water is straight from the melting snow, so it was quite cold, yet refreshing. We were mostly trying to scope out a low key campsite because it's not exactly legal to camp there. But in all fairness, the only two campsites there were either closed forever or not taking campers without RVs. What kind of camping is that?
I'm really trying to take in all I can. I can't believe I have less than a month left in Madrid. And this month, I'm going out of town a lot. Sevilla and Granada are the next few weekends, and after that, it's basically over. The last few weeks have felt a bit surreal, and I am trying to reflect and appreciate the little things about Spain. It's easy to complain about things like service in a restaurant, or extreme lack there of. But where in the States can you sit at a four-person table, order only a coffee, and not get the evil eye when you sit there for over an hour?
It's also been a time of self reflection, trying to remember who I was when I came here, and trying to figure out who I am now. A lot has changed, but I say that not really knowing exactly what has changed. I kind of have a mullet (thank you Spanish hairdresser Miguel), obviously that's a big change. But don't worry, I'd die before I'd let any of you see it. I know that my fundamental self hasn't changed, and never will. But other things I see with different eyes and at a different perspective. It's been interesting to ponder all of this. Wait till the end of June, then I'll really make you sick with all of my sappy, sentimental thoughts and proverbs according to Beth. Haha.

And another one bites the dust

2006-05-21T22:12:00.000+02:00

Niki at Campo de las Naciones, Madrid
Niki went back to the states on Friday, for good. NYC to be exact. Queens to be more exact. If you look through the archives of my blog or Flickr page, you can see that she has been around for most of my time in Spain. Aww, the memories. The first time I met Niki, we were both in the waiting room at American Language Academy. We had both been hired there, and were waiting for Catja to do our orientation. However, I was rolling my eyes, because Niki was stuck in a conversation talking about how she went to a-hem Brooown. 'Oh no, not another one' I was thinking to myself. However, I didn't realize it at the time, but she was talking to Carlos. There's no way you can have an interesting conversation with that man. I found out Niki was cool and that I liked her sometime during our meeting. So, Niki and I became mates not too long after that.
I could write a history, no, an anthology of our experiences together, but rather, I am posting some photos showing some of our best and worst times. Hope you enjoy! Especially you Niki, love you!

Killin' some time in the ALA staff room. Some of my first memories of Niki are from this place.

Punk rock Niki on Halloween

That's right, take it like a man. That was the best mullet ever.

Niki's Friday night face

Chewing some meat snacks at the ALA staff lunch

Niki's favorite activity, botellón at Parque del Oeste

Jeff and Niki

Niki, Stephen, and I being nerds at the park

"I'm just gonna lay down for a... ZZZZZZZZZZ"

Our first trip to Valencia

Aww, we look like babies in this picture. November seems like such a long time ago.

Botellón at the beach, Niki's second favorite thing to do

In the metro

Nice chapeaux

The bittersweet taste of a broken Mahou on the ground but the best laugh I had all week

Oooh, burning embers

I think the situation has been sufficiently analyzed

Chilling on the beach at a chiringuito during our girls weekend in Málaga

El Escorial and the Gallinas

2006-05-18T14:24:00.000+02:00

Manuel holding the turkey egg
Juan, my intercambio, and I went to a monastery north of Madrid on Monday. It's an impressive structure that is said to have over 3000 windows. We had a nice day of speaking Spanish and English, having coffee, and taking photos.
But the highlight of the trip was on the return. Juan's boyfriend Manuel works at a plant nursery. And at this nursery, he has over 90 chickens. Well, there is a turkey and a cute doggy thrown in the mix also. Manuel had me go get the eggs from the coop, which I got to take home later to make Spanish tortilla. But the best, Manuel grabbed some leaves and threw them into the coops for the chickens to eat. He waited a moment in one coop, for the chickens to come towards him. Before you could blink, he had grabbed one of the chickens and was holding it as all the others were squawking. Then, he took the chicken and was almost waving it in the other chickens' faces. I have a video of it, and if I figure out how to post it to the server, you can watch it for yourself.

The monastery of San Lorenzo del Escorial

Me collecting eggs at the vivero

Girls Weekend

2006-05-11T09:01:00.000+02:00

Traveling singer during a rendition of La Macarena
Niki, Shannon, and I went to Málaga for a girls only weekend. Niki and I left on Thursday night and got there super early on Friday. We were sitting in the bus station cafe, drinking coffee, and listening to an argument between the waiter and a Spanish speaking Chinese guy. The Chinese guy kept saying that he got three lemons on the slot machine, but it didn't pay out, so the waiter owed him thirty euros. But the waiter didn't want to hear that, because it wasn't his machine. It was nice to observe this and actually understand what was being said.
We felt like the walking dead, but we managed to find the beach and veg out for a couple hours while we waited to check in to our hostel.
Shannon got there that night, and it was off to dinner. Pescaitos fritos, pescaitos fritos, pescaitos fritos. Fried fish basically. I couldn't eat a lot of what was on the menu, but I did have some amazing gambas, boquerones, and adobo (shrimp, sardines, and shark). Sounds gross, but the sardines were the best thing I've eaten in a long time.
The next day was beach day. I don't actually believe that there are any amazing beaches in Spain. Ibiza or the Canaries maybe, but, it was a beach and that made it amazing. The water was quite blue, but the sand was coarse and dark. Later we had lunch on the beach, which is where we saw this guy at the top. He made my day. Picture it: full mullet singing the Macarena, sweat pouring down his face, and three guiry girls laughing their heads off. That's what the girls weekend was all about. A bit of cheese: Costa del Sol and touristy entertainment.
On Sunday Niki and Shannon went to the beach, and I took in a bit of Picasso. He was born in Málaga and there is a large museum with works donated by his daughter and grandson. This painting to the right Mujer con los Brazos Levantados was my favorite from the museum. It is difficult to see, but the paint was mixed with sand to give it an entirely different look. The paint was grainy and looked like it was almost glowing. It seemed to float above the canvas and not be attached to it. I just stood there and stared at it forever. I think that's one of my favorite things about Europe; there is never a shortage of art to enjoy. I'm always inspired to create my own art, either through painting or photography. FYI, one of my photos was used on a travel website. http://www.europe-cities.com then click the Portugal link. Those are my boats! It's minor, but quite exciting for me. National Geographic here I come ;)

"Dos de Marta"

2006-05-04T12:35:00.000+02:00

Niki and Marta at Cafe La Fe
Marta was here for the 'puente.' May 1 was Labor Day, and May 2 is Madrileño Independence. There is a plaza called Dos de Mayo, which had a big botellón to celebrate the fighting spirit. We had a 4-day weekend, so Marta came down from Vigo to hang out with Shannon and us. We went to her place in Galicia for Christmas. It was nice, because we weren't having to do touristy things. We chilled out on terraces and ate Asian food all weekend. On Tuesday we went to a play. I was lost for a good bit of it, but it did improve my Spanish somewhat. That's something I'm trying to really work on before I come home for the summer.
Niki is going back to the states in a couple of weeks, and of course I'm sad about it. But, she's moving to NYC, so I'm not too sad. And she's totally excited, so I'm really happy for her. She wants me to come to Queens to see her. No, it's not Manhattan, but she says that it's just as good and easier to get to places in Manhattan than actually being in Manhattan. To send her off, Shannon, Niki, and I are having a girls weekend in Málaga. I know, poor us. Lying on the beach, sipping mojitos, and 'taking sun.'

The big trek across Europe

2006-04-23T21:08:00.000+02:00

My parents and I with Juan. Juan es famoso.
I have broken my trip up into separate posts. It's really quite a lot of information, thoughts, and memories. It was great to see my parents. I started the trip by seeing Zurich, Switzerland for the day, and then met up with my parents in Prague. Zurich is nice, but I think it would be better if accompanied with skiing in the Alps. But it made for a nice day of shopping, coffee, and photography.
After the big trek, my parents came to Madrid. Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time. But, they did have some good food, met Shannon, saw flamenco, and had a caña in my favorite bar, "Juan's." This bar is like Cheers. It's downstairs in the building where my office is, so more often than not, I go down after work. Juan, the best camarero ever, says, "Hola Beth...que te pongo? Clara? Draft light?" Then he brings amazing tapas that we never pay for. I honestly think it was my parents' favorite part of Madrid. I can't blame them.
After, they went to London and Paris. How cute is this? In Paris, my dad re-proposed to mom at a restaurant and presented her with a huge new diamond ring. My mom cried of course, but who wouldn't?
They're back in the states now, and they went to pick up the dog from Athens today. She was staying with my brother for the last three weeks. My mom told me yesterday that today will me nothing but kisses on her nose. It was an amazing trip, and I have more photos on my Flickr page of course.

Prague, hype for a reason

2006-04-23T21:00:00.000+02:00

St. Vitus Cathedral across the Vltava River
Prague is gorgeous. I wish I had had a week to see everything. It is one of the most touristy places in Europe right now, but for good reason. Everything there is old, and beautiful, and breathtaking, and I could go on and on.
We started the day by walking across the Charles Bridge and Vltava River. The bridge is covered with over 30 statues and a load of tourists.
We slowly made our way over to the castle stairs. My dad was obsessed with the "enemies." He kept saying things like, "And if your enemies made it this far, they'd look at that wall and just say, 'Ehhh, screw it'." But we did make it to the castle, just in time for the Changing of the Guard ceremony. They do a really nice job, complete with a band and everything.
After this, it was finally time to see the cathedral. It's simply amazing. Every inch of it is covered in stone detail, stained glass, green patterned roof tiles, and flying buttresses off to the side. I decided to walk up to the top of the bell tower, but my parents skipped it. It was almost 300 tiny stairs winding up a circular staircase barely wide enough for the two directions of traffic going through there. But the view made it worth it. You can see the river crossed by numerous bridges, and churches and monuments all in the distance.
Later, I walked around the New Town and Jewish Quarter. There is an old Jewish cemetery that is said to be 12 layers deep and filled with 100,000 graves. But it is contained in an area barely big enough for a block of flats. The tombstones are practically on top of each other.
I managed to find a cafe and had slivovice (plum brandy), as suggested by Roger. Amazingly I still have my taste buds and my sight. Good Lord, that is straight paint thinner in a shot glass.
My feet were killing me at the end of the day, but I was still on them after dinner trying to track down a Jazz cafe. I found one called Reduta Jazz Club. They played some awesome and curiously authentic Jazz, but it was weird to hear these guys break out into Czech in between songs. And of course occasionally, pronounce the lyrics perfectly until they had to sing "where." "Vayr I like to go..."
Oh Prague, I would go back in a heartbeat. I still feel like I barely saw the city, though. I can see why so many of my friends were happy to spend a couple of months there.

Poland, The Motherland

2006-04-23T20:38:00.000+02:00

Inside the Wawel Hill Cathedral
On Sunday, we drove from Prague to Krakow. I had never heard my father speak a word of Polish, but for some reason in Poland he is fluent. He's been holding back on us for 50 years. In typical nerd fashion, he said "Polish by birth but first time on Polish soil!" Then proceeded to say our names Kalinski and Kalinska. Ah dad, you always provide free entertainment.
Krakow is a really nice town. It has a huge square in the old part of town, which is actually the biggest in all of Europe. We got together with my cousins, Bogusha and her daughter Kasha. They showed us around the town and took us to my grandmother's old house. Bogusha is so cute. Va-duh, vaa-duuh. That means water; she was teaching me a little.
We had a traditional lunch in this little restaurant where the Wawel Hill bell ringers hang out. Apparently it's a difficult organization to get into, and they only ring the bells at Wawel on certain special days. For example, when the pope died.
Speaking of Wawel, Kasha showed us around the beautiful and wowing Wawel Hill. There is a cathedral and fortress combo built on top of a hill overlooking the Vistula River. If your enemies wanted in, they had to deal with 50 feet of brick wall. But at the top, there is a cool cathedral with copper and gold cupolas.

My very extended Polish family
That night, after I walked around the whole city all day, we went out for dinner with Bogusha and her family. She had two vodka oranges and persuaded me to have piwo and vodka (beer and vodka). Strange combo, but better than expected. She wants me to come visit her for a week sometime. That would be interesting:
Me: Where is the bathroom?
Bogusha: (non-understood Polish)
Me: What?
Bogusha: (repeated non-understood Polish)
Me: Oh, ok, I guess I'll find it myself.
Haha, it could be fun.

The electrified barbed wire surrounding the camp
On our way back through Poland, we stopped at Auschwitz. It was a really heavy day. I totally recommend going to one of the concentration camps, just to pay respect to the people who suffered there. The atrocities committed there were vile and disgusting. One thing that struck me was the sheer size of the place. Auschwitz itself is fairly small, but Birkenau, or Auschwitz 2, is so enormous that we couldn't even see half of it. Even from the observation tower, it's impossible to see the entire camp.
After visiting Auschwitz, I feel the need to somehow be involved in preventing further genocide. It's ridiculous how the world counts on the UN to stop genocide, but the UN is completely useless. "Oh, you won't give us permission to enter your dictatorship regime to stop the mass murder of innocent individuals? Okay, I guess you've got us there." Something has to be done. However, if the US did anything, people would criticize the government for "meddling in affairs that have nothing to do with the US." What's the solution?

Ukraine is weak...

2006-04-23T19:15:00.000+02:00

The sign written in Cyrillic at the Ukraine Border

This was the line my parents and I repeated all week, in reference to the Seinfeld episode when Kramer and Newman are playing Risk on the subway. Ukraine is a very different place, even more different than I expected.
We tried to enter Ukraine on Tuesday. We waited in a long line, then had our passports scrutinized, followed by a search of car and a run of the license plates and VIN. As we were celebrating entering Ukraine so quickly, we realized that we had only just left Poland. Now we had to go through the same ordeal at the Ukraine border checkpoint. After about 20 minutes, my dad came back to the car and told us that we had been denied because of a paperwork error in our rental car registration. So, we turned around and re-entered Poland. It was extremely disappointing because my father was bringing gifts for people in Terembovla and I was hoping to meet up with a friend of my mate Jeff, who lived in Ternopil' for a couple of years.
We ended up going to a small village named Jaroslaw (pronounced Yur-uh-swuv). A little too light on cafes, as in ZERO, but the market in the morning made the trip. My dad was beaming when he ordered Krakowska, speaking in Polish in a real Polish market.
My dad called the rental car company, and we discovered that there was no error. The woman at the border didn't know what she was dealing with. Apparently there aren't a lot of Americans entering Ukraine in a Czech rental car. This was great news, because it meant we could try entering again. So, on we went. This time, no problem. The woman at the desk was so nice and helpful.
However, getting into Ukraine is only half the battle. Once we were in Ukraine, we had to drive through Ukraine. This is a country with harsh winters, no interstates, and certainly no organization like the Georgia DOT. The road was completely covered in potholes. 120 miles took 4 hours of driving, swerving the entire way.
We had a quick drive through L'viv and at last we made it to Ternopil' Wednesday night. Things there are incredibly cheap and eerily Soviet. I felt like I was in Russia, which, I know it's not the same, but it was all connected for a long time. A full dinner for two people costs $7. It's quite different to Madrid prices. And we stayed in this huge 12-story hotel called the Halychyna, which used to be a conference center for the Soviets. All very surreal.
The next day I walked around Ternopil' like a normal tourist. People were staring at me, because tourists do not go to this town. And for once, I didn't hear a word of English while I was exploring the city. It was cool, but intimidating at the same time. However, it's amazing how much you can do not speaking or reading the language. Meanwhile, my parents were in a small village called Terembovla. This is where my grandpa grew up, and my dad wanted to visit and possibly find his old house. They didn't find the house, but they visited a farm and had an amazing lunch, followed by a full history lesson on the area.
Later on, I met up with Sergiy, Jeff's friend. We had a lot of wodka. You always say "bud-mah!" right before you drink. And then of course "Doooo-bruuuuh" which is like "really good." We had a traditional Ukrainian dinner, and then we went to a Russian billiard hall. Russian billiards are similar to American billiards, except the holes are smaller and the balls are bigger. It makes it much more difficult. Some of Sergiy's friends from work came and busted into our game, and one of them, using his three words of English, kept saying "TERNOPIL'...TOURIST...AMERICA!"
Overall, an interesting experience, but definitely not a piece of cake. I recommend it though. It's nice to visit and explore places that most other people simply disregard.

Los padres están viniendo

2006-04-05T15:10:00.000+02:00

My parents are coming. They actually leave tomorrow and get to Prague sometime Friday afternoon. I'm flying there to meet them that night. Then we are spending a few days sightseeing in Prague, followed by a couple days in Krakow, and then on to Ternopil', Ukraine. My grandfather is from a small village that used to be in Poland, but now with the border change it's in Ukraine. After all of that, we will fly to Madrid together so I can show my padres where I live and stuff. I'm really looking forward to it. Espero con ganas. I'm trying to work on my Spanish as much as possible.
Unfortunately my bro can't make it. He has that pesky thing known as school, and I guess it's kind of important that he...goes...I guess. Too bad, I will just have to laugh at my parents alone. It's a favorite past time of ours. Por ejemplo, I said to my parents on the phone a week ago, "So dad, I guess you're already packed and mom hasn't even thought about it yet." They just started laughing because it was absolutely true. My dad had already done a "test pack" two weeks before and my mom was like, "Well, I have until Thursday." So predictable, I love it. I guess I need to start packing today. I won't really have the time tomorrow. So, I will put photos up in a couple weeks. Until then I'll be sipping a crisp Pilsner Urquell and plum brandy (slivivitzieh????), taking a stroll by Wawel Hill, and hopefully hanging out with some Ukrainian buddies of my friend Jeff. And of course squirreling away more European loot.

Las Fallas y La Fiesta de la Oficina

2006-03-26T21:32:00.000+02:00

It's been too long since I've updated my blog. I've had a busy week, but only one more left until classes change, and another week after that until spring break.
Last weekend Niki and I went to Valencia for this huge celebration called "Las Fallas." Fallas are elaborate paper mache sculptures that mock pop culture and politics from the last year. After a week of parades, firecracker shows called Mascletás, fireworks, and parties in the street, they burn all of the fallas. They go up so fast and the heat becomes unbearable, but it's an amazing site. Niki and I decided to go down there last minute, but my friend Kev was really nice and let us stay at his. Ellie also lives in Valencia, so it was a mini CELTA reunion. We had a great time at Kev's apartment before we went out. His flatmate had some friends in town too, and they were obsessed with this playstation game for karaoke. Kev, being one of the most English guys I know, tried to refuse. But they eventually made him sing Tom Jones. We all ended up getting into it though. Then, someone put on this cheesy Spanish-Polka mix and everyone started bouncing around the apartment like idiots. My favorite was when Raul got up and started dancing on the sofa.
We went out after that for some fun in the street. The situation with the kids was so strange. There would be a huge group of kids with lighters in hand, setting off fireworks. But the parents are nowhere to be found. And let us remember, this is 3AM. We stayed out pretty late, but there were no fallas yet, only street parties. The next night was the night of the burnings. We got to see 4 or 5 go up. They make a pretty big production of it all. They have the falla beauty queen, called a fallera, then they bring in the firemen. Next they cut the lights, followed by fireworks, and then finally the falla burns. The picture here is from the falla of the Roman Soldiers. I'm so glad I got to see it, but I think that I agree with most people; once in a lifetime is probably enough. It's really noisy and scary, and if you don't like people throwing fireworks at your feet, it's probably not for you.
Last night was also a fun night. Maria from work convinced our boss to throw us a staff appreciation party. We had it in this really cool bar, and everything was paid for by work. It was nice to actually hang out with people from work and not be talking about the copier being broken, again. Jeff, the guy I imitated for Halloween, kept running around saying "He-hee!" This picture here is a picture of our actual reactions when he did that. Niki, me, and Kelly were so not expecting him to run in, strike a pose, and shout his all too famous catch phrase, but I'm sure glad he did. I actually told him about my Halloween costume. At first he said, "What?!" Then he said that he would keep that in mind for next year. He-hee!

As requested by Sarah

2006-03-16T11:28:00.000+01:00

A side view of the Museo del Prado

Here are some of my latest pictures. A couple are from the Prado, which I finally visited. The others are from my piso. This is my room and the view from my window. Hope you enjoy!

Walkway in front of the Prado

"Las Meninas" by Velazquez

"St. Andrew and St. Francis" by El Greco

My bedroom

Calle Santa Isabel on a typical weekday morning

Carnaval in Cádiz

2006-03-10T13:22:00.000+01:00

I've finally found some time to post about my weekend in Cádiz (pronounced CAH-deeth). Shannon and I flew down to Jerez de la Frontera, a small town near the southwest coast of Spain. Jerez is famous for making Sherry, and they have a number of Bodegas just like in Oporto. We weren't expecting anything, but we had a pleasant surprise when we got there. Lots of really cool, but poor neighborhoods, with decrepit looking buildings. However, all of them had incredibly brightly painted doors and walls. And the people were so friendly. Everywhere we went, there were people asking if we needed directions, or they would just say, "You don't wanna walk this way, go that way." Later we had some amazing tapas sitting outside on a terrace. The first time all year, Madrid has been so cold. It's finally been warming up just this week.
After a bit of sightseeing, we took the train into Cádiz. The first thing we saw was the large port with a huge Navy ship docked there. I took a picture for my good ole' dad. Cádiz is beautiful. There is a thin strip of land surrounded by water, and then a large peninsula with the city on it. It's actually the oldest city in Europe. Every year, Cádiz has a huge street party named Carnaval, similar to Mardi Gras, but no beads. Lots of costumes and singing groups though. The groups are called Chirigotas, and they take popular songs, change the words to make them satirical, and later there is a competition for the best group. Some of the best costumes I saw were a group of ambulance drivers with a stretcher full of alcohol and that ran through the crowd with a siren blaring, a police officer with a group of prisoners who found a random prisoner on the street and captured him, and the old men dressed as priests and old ladies going to confession. Every guy there was dressed as a woman, even the geezers. We loved it though. We went as butterflies. This was our costume because it was the cheapest thing we could find. Wig, check, wings, check, glitter, check. Costume complete. But people complemented us all night, so it worked out.
Everyone there just hangs out on the street until sunrise, chanting songs about alcohol, and having a blast. I laughed all night, it was a good time.
We of course saw the water later on. I love Madrid, but it needs a beach or a lake. There is no feeling that can match the one that you have standing in front of the ocean with the wind blowing and the smell of salt in the air.
It was a great trip, I highly recommend Cádiz if you are ever in Spain. You know, I realized that I have been in Spain for over 7 months, which means that I will be back in the states in less than 5. It's strange to think that this year is more than half over. I haven't talked to some of you in a while, so leave a comment or send me an e-mail. I love getting updates from you guys!

A weekend of art and culture

2006-02-28T00:21:00.000+01:00

One of my students was so generous and gave me tickets to two different shows this weekend. The first show I saw was Cirque Eloize. It's similar to Cirque du Soleil, but a little different. The people in it were absolutely amazing. There were people juggling 21 different pins with each other while balancing on someone's shoulders, girls doing 3 flips in the air and landing straight up on a board the size of my hand, and people who could contort, balance, and do anything else they wanted. It was incredible.
Tonight, I saw a flamenco show. I have seen flamenco before, but this was a really good flamenco set. The mood they create has a very serious and dramatic feel, and the emotion can be felt in every tap of the heel, cry of the singer, and flick of the wrist. Flamenco draws on the Moorish past of Spain, so the singers sound very middle eastern. What sounds like a call to mosque changes into a fast paced, heart-pumping, feet-stomping spectacle. These people dance so fast that they look like little wind up toys that just hum across stage. Their legs turn to what looks like Jell-O. Or, do you remember the bendy pencil trick, where if you move it fast enough it looks like it's made of rubber? This is exactly how the bottom halves of these dancers look. An amazing weekend to say the least.
Next weekend will be great though, too. Shannon and I are finally going to Cadiz for Carnaval, and I will get to see some of the south. Spring is finally here, I can feel it!

Toledo, in homage to my high school Spanish teachers

2006-02-27T23:59:00.000+01:00

This is what I went to see. "Vista y Plano del Toledo" by El Greco. Of course I saw some of his other works, but this is the one that my Spanish teachers had me study for weeks. It's located in the Casa del Greco in Toldeo (pronounced toe- LAY- thdo). Niki and I went down there for the day on Saturday. It was cold and rainy, but it was nice to get out of the city and see something new.
As always, I saw the castle, cathedral, museum, and old city walls. Pretty standard fare in most Spanish cities (the Spaniards would kill me for saying that, but what!? It's true!). But I was able to appreciate Toledo for what it is because of the little education I had on it. It wasn't the most spectacular thing I've ever seen, but it makes me excited to see other things that I've learned about in the past. Also, being a teacher, it encourages me to keep teaching, because one day my students will appreciate it. It may be far in the future, but they will remember me droning on about the Pythagorean Theorem or why we say 'people are' and not 'people is'. They'll remember and be glad, and that's what keeps me going.

Up the duff, as my English friends would say

2006-02-24T14:34:00.000+01:00

I thought it was weird when my friends started getting married. But now it has gotten really weird. My friends are getting pregnant. My friends Donna Marie and Crista both sent me pregnancy photos on Wednesday within an hour of each other. Strange huh? It's not as strange with Donna Marie because I met her later on, but I met Crista when I first went to university. We were still babies ourselves. Crista was like a big sis to me, even though she was a bit kooky, eg: Rocket on the sun, dorm sink, and Rosa Parks. And now she's a mom.
They both look great and I'm really excited for them both. Here are a couple of pics so you can see for yourself. Crista is on the left and Donna Marie is on the right.

Reunion in Mad Town

2006-02-19T22:03:00.000+01:00

I had a really great weekend. Craig, Sara, and Kev came to Madrid. We all took the CELTA together in Barcelona. Shannon and I visited Kev in Valencia in October, but we hadn't seen Craig and Sara since August. They got here Thursday night and it was nothing but jokes and good times. "Look at that one, he's gorgeous!" "When is Kev getting here?" "I only eat fish and vegetables." "300 Euros." "And look, there's one touching my hair right now." Hmmm, guess you had to be there. This is a picture of Craig with the 18 paellas they brought us. Don't worry, there's only 16 more on the way. Needless to say we weren't too hungry after that.
We had a big weekend out, which was nice. I haven't been out like that in a while. Sightseeing in the day and after a big night we were in bed at the reasonable hour of 7:00 AM. Today was a perfect day: Shopping at El Rastro, Vasco Pintxos in La Latina, a walk through Retiro... It was sad to say goodbye again, though. Mad Town is more fun with a big crew, especially with the Brits. Maybe we should consider the DELTA...

RIP my friend

2006-02-06T22:25:00.000+01:00

A member of Team Madrid bites the dust. Remember this guy? My first mullet cut. Jeff got a job in Kazakhstan, so he's shipping out tomorrow. It's too bad, but we're all really excited for him. It'll be weird next weekend when I try to call him up and realize that that's not his phone number anymore. It's a strange existence when you are traveling. People come and go so quickly. This is the third person I've known pretty well that has left fairly suddenly.

Renee was here this weekend. She's Shannon's best friend from when they were in grade 7. We had a good time going out. Good jokes all the time. My favorite was when she destroyed the enterprise of some poor Chino on a Box. Sandwiches everywhere and Renee running away. Perfect. We had a great time, and of course, there are pictures on Flickr.

No other news at the moment. I do have some exciting travel plans coming up. Saturday I am finally going to Toledo. The home of El Greco for those of you who studied Spanish art at any point. It's supposed to be what you imagine when you picture Spain. But, nothing else too exciting now. Anyway, it's my bedtime. I have to be up at 6:30. Arrrgh.

Yaaaaaawwwn

2006-01-30T15:08:00.000+01:00

I know it's been a long time. I've been upping my hours the last couple of weeks. Teaching English is fun and I really love it, but it's awful for my eyelids. I'm up at 6:30 everyday to give 8:00 AM classes, then I have a break until lunch. After another short break I work until 9:30 PM. After I wait for the metro, walk home, and make dinner, it's already 11:30. But inevitably Shannon and I end up chatting for a while. So, the entire week I have a case of droopy eyelids. I still haven't made any firm decisions on what to do next year. I'll let you all know when I do, of course. I haven't been on any day trips lately, but the next couple of weekends I'm going to try to get out of town. On Tuesday I'm going to an art exhibition though. One of my students is a photographer and I thought it would be fun to mingle with the artsy crowd for an evening of sophistication. This is actual sophistication, not so-fis-ti-cay-shun like they've got in Jasper county. Promise I'll put some photos up in the next week or so.

Is it really Monday?

2006-01-09T15:34:00.000+01:00

Well, work started again today. 8AM, arrgh. But I had a wonderful holiday. I rounded out my vacation by taking a trip by myself to Zaragoza. It's the capital of the Aragon province, which is about halfway between Barcelona and Madrid. It rained the whole time, but I got to see some cool stuff and have some Beth time. The main attraction is the Cathedral del Pilar. The legend is that the Virgin Mary appeared to St. James on this pillar, so they built a huge church around it. It's an interesting exterior because of the tiled cupolas. But my favorite part of Zaragoza was the old Moorish castle named the Aljaferia. This was my first experience with Moorish architecture in Spain. The detail in the archways was amazing. The photo above is far more simple than most of the others in the castle. I liked the soft colors in this photo though. Andalucia is supposed to be very similar to this. I've seen a good bit of the north of Spain, except for the Basque Country, so I think my next trip will definitely be somewhere in the south. Sevilla, Grenada, Malaga...Unfortunately I'm forgetting about that whole I have to go to work thing. Hmmm, am I becoming Spanish...?

A not so typical Christmas

2005-12-31T15:45:00.000+01:00

Club Vademecum

Christmas was really cool, but very different. Usually Christmas Eve is about having a Polish dinner and going to bed early. Not this year. Shannon and I went to Vigo, which is in Galicia (north of Portugal) and stayed with her friend Marta. She is a wicked chic. She owns a nightclub there, so naturally we went out on Christmas Eve. As you do. We had lunch at a posh bodega and toasted no less than 8,000 times. It was a blast. Totally what you picture. Huge table with everyone toasting with a Rioja in hand, fully packed out, guitar players, whole pig legs hanging from the ceiling, so Spanish and so amazing. That night we had a late dinner and left the house about 2 a.m. Then we hit up a couple of different places and ended the night at Marta's club, Vademecum. I think I went to bed at about 8:30, but I don't really remember. Then Christmas Day was so not Christmassy. We woke up late, didn't really have any presents to exchange, so we went to the beach for coffee. And of course, out again that night. But not as late. Vigo is a chilled out, relaxed town with a different kind of vibe. It's on a harbor that is filled with mussel farms and industrial shipping lanes, but the city feels nothing like an industrial town. It was great for a visit.
Then I got to do some traveling through Galicia (pronounced Guh-lee-thee-uh). We went to A Coruña, which is on the northern shore of Spain. They have a 2000 year old lighthouse there called the Torre de Hércules. The next day I went to Santiago de Compostela. It looked like what I've seen in pictures of Prague. The main attraction is the cathedral. It's a baroque style church covered in a greenish layer of tarnish. It was just beautiful. Inside, St. James (Santiago in Spanish) is supposedly buried, and this is the spot that the church was built around.
One of the highlights of the week was our trip to Oporto, Portugal. I love this city. I have pictures on Flickr. The train ride is amazing as you come into the town. The track is right over a cliff that leads down to the Duoro River. And there are two huge bridges that look completely different. One of them is a double-decker bridge. At the top, pedestrians and the metro can cross. Way at the bottom, there is another road for pedestrians and cars. The city is built on the side of these cliffs, so walking is a bit of a challenge. But it makes for some breathtaking views and amazing pictures. The color of the city also struck me. Lots of rusted tin and green and yellow brick houses. I wish we could have stayed longer in Oporto. Everyone tells me Lisbon is better though...hmmm...
Last night was New Year's Eve, or Nochevieja. We hung out in Puerta del Sol and ate the 12 grapes. But it was weird, there was no countdown. All of a sudden it was 2006. But it was a good celebration. Then we hung out with some friends and practiced our Spanish.
Christmas was nice, but I missed my normal Christmas. I miss you guys and I wish you the best in the New Year!

Me, Marta, and Shannon at the Bodega on Christmas Eve (Nochebuena)

¡Salúd! One of the many toasts at the Bodega

The beach in Vigo

Christmas lights at Praza Constitución (yes, praza, they speak Gallego as well as Castellano)

Shannon enjoying a Cavalli at our favorite Vigo hangout, Coco Cafe

Catedrál del Apostól, the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela

A triple winding staircase in the old monastery in Santiago de Compostela

The view of Oporto from the bridge (it's really high up!)

Another view of Oporto, but from the terrace outside the cathedral

Fireworks at Puerta del Sol at the strike of midnight ¡Felíz Año Nuevo!

Sick...but not of Spain

2005-12-20T12:11:00.000+01:00

Cough cough...moan. I'm sick right now. Yes, I admitted that I am actually sick. It's not that bad though. I'm only mildly sick. But it was bad enough that I couldn't teach today. I really need to be well for Galicia on Friday, though. The reason I got sick is because of the amazing city I visited this past weekend. Shannon and I went to a place called Cuenca. It is one of the most beautiful towns I've visited. The old town is built on cliffs, and the cliffs drop straight down. The "Casas Colgadas", or hanging houses, are the most famous example of this. These two houses were built so that part of the house hangs over the edge of the cliff. That's what this photo is down below. Check out my Flickr page to see more. But, Cuenca is very cold, windy, and perfect for making me feel under the weather. That and being on a bus...Anyway, hopefully I'll feel better soon. There are too many Christmas parties coming up for me to miss them because of a cold. And everyone knows that's just not my style.

Long time no post

2005-12-08T14:48:00.000+01:00

It's been a long couple of weeks. Life in Spain still proves to be quite difficult sometimes. My Spanish is coming along, but I still encounter impatient attitudes and strange looks sometimes. I have had an eye-opening experience into the lives of the immigrants living in my home country. Piso hunting was a nightmare, but thankfully it is over. I'm living near the Antón Martín metro. It's super convenient to Atocha, Lavapiés, La Latina, and work. The only thing sad about the sitch is that Shannon won't be able to move in for another week.
Today is the second national holiday that we have had this week. It's been pretty nice and easy. Cancelled classes, sleeping in, as you do. Only two more weeks till Christmas. I can't believe it. Shannon and I went to Aranjuez on Tuesday. You can see a couple of the pics on my Flickr page. The main attraction is the Palácio Real with the huge botanical gardens attached to it. The rows of arches are breathtaking. We had such a nice day just walking around. The weather here is cold, but it was sunny and pretty. I still need to visit Toledo. I might save it though for any visitors I might have. Cuenca is a strong possibility for the weekend. And the plan is still Galicia for Christmas. There are so many places I still want to see. When in Galicia I can see Santiago de Compostela and a bit of Portugal. My students all want me to take the AVE to Grenada after New Years. Hmm, it sounds very tempting...what can I say, the wanderlust has taken hold.

Segovia, a bit of old Spain

2005-11-20T22:14:00.000+01:00

Shannon and I went to Segovia today. It's an old Spanish town with some amazing sights. Segovia is different than a lot of the places I've seen in Europe. I can't describe it other than to say that it feels enchanted. It still has an old Roman Aqueduct that stretches through the city. I've studied them, but never actually seen one. Then I felt like I was in Disneyland all day because the castle in California is based on the one you see here. The smells of Segovia are unique and amazing, too. Unfortunately the tastes don't match (back to the bocadilla). Anyway, it was a great way to spend a Sunday (btw, today it has been exactly 30 years since Franco died and Spain became free of the dictatorship). I'll post more pics on Flickr next month; I'm out of space at the moment.

Nipped over to Valencia for the weekend

2005-11-14T11:03:00.000+01:00

Shannon, Niki, and I went to Valencia for the weekend. We saw our friend Kev from the CELTA and got to see the city. It's really beautiful. Very Spanish with palm trees, old buildings, and a mini castle or two chucked into the mix. "So if I buy the 24 piece set, is the mini castle included?" I can't put any photos on Flickr because I'm at my limit for the month, but here are a couple of me and my friends.

The girls in front of the Turia Riverbed Garden (it used to be a river, but when it dried up they turned it into a big park.

Me in front of the Cathedral that claims to have the Holy Grail

Kev and I out in Valencia

"You only have one photo on your blog"

2005-11-11T00:49:00.000+01:00

People, check out the links section. My photos on Flickr will take you to over a hundred of my pics. Or, you can click this link.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bethonthemove/

Welcome to my humble abode

2005-11-10T06:02:00.000+01:00

I've finally gotten on the blog bandwagon. Now, instead of sending a million e-mails with a million photos, you can just check my page for Spain updates. I really miss my home in Atlanta, but I'm loving Spain. Now that everyone, including my students, has convinced me to create a blog, I'm hoping that you will enjoy and send comments. I love you guys!

2005-11-09T21:07:00.000+01:00

Everyone had fun at the Halloween party