Weekend on the beach and saying goodbye to a great friend

There is nothing like the beach on a crystal clear day and this weekend we were blessed with awesome weather. On Friday the entire family (Flo,Emanuel, tef, Marie, Tonito, Kath, Anna and I) took the 3:30 bus to San Sebastian to visit out friend Alia from Vancouver. It was an awesome weekend and all of us are such good friends.

We got there and it was sunny and hot and we had to watch a half hour to her apartment which was about 100 yards from the beach and you could see the ocean from there. The waves were surfable and lots of people wearing wet suits inhabited the beach. We sat around and then made some hamburgers on the grill for everyone.

That night we hit the town as usual and went to some cool parties. One there was some guy playing guitar and we were all singing and some even screaming. We got home really late and all had to find a place to sleep in Alia´´s apartment. I slept on the floor but it was fine, I mean we hardly spent any money this weekend because we bought groceries and never went out to eat. We got up the next day, had some cereal and hit the beach.

The day was perfect. The forecast was for zero clouds and lots of heat. I am sure on the beach it hit mid 80´s during the peak of the day. We layed on the beach all day and eventually all decided to run into the frigid water. We were the only people who swam there, except for the people with wet suits. We later ate some lunch and hit the beach again. I went for a long walk with Alia and tonito thru the town and they have two beachs so it is beautiful. I was getting burned though and since we were so far away we couldn´ get any sunscreen. We all were red and it was a pretty funny thing to see us. Later that night we ate dinner together and had some ice cream. We all were pretty tired from the beach so we just went to a really cool Irish pub and had a drink and went home.

It was so fun because we didnt spend any money and we all are so close we dont need much other than eachother´s company. We can laugh at anything. For example they have the vents that blow air from the sideway and we would hang out at these for ever. Everyone walking by would laugh.

It was cloudy on Sunday but we really didnt need anymore sun so we just say in her apartment and chatted about life. We all want to meet up in 2010 in Vancouver for the olympics. We can stay for free so we will see what happens. It is hard to full fill these types of things. We had to haul all of Alia´s stuff because she leaves from Pamplona and it was work. We all had something extra to carry on the long 25 minute walk to the station. We said goodbye to Alia and Flo who was really close to her started crying and we all had a group hug and left. I will see Alia tomorrow but then she leaves again.

It is hard making such good friends and saying goodbye but that´s life I guess. It was a great weekend and I could not have asked for anything better. We slept on the bus ride home and all went back to our places and rested and loaded up our skin with lotion.

I just decided I will travel to the South of Spain this weekend with 3 Americans. One is from my college so it will be a good time. I will leave on Wednesday and come home Monday. We dont have school on Thursday because it is labor day here so we are making a long weekend. If you know Spain, you probably imagine Andalusia (the South). It is where Flamenco, Sangria, and the bull fights are the biggest. IT will be fun and I haven´t traveled with Americans yet so we will see how it goes.

Only one month left here so I am trying to enjoy it as much as I can. I have had so much fun here and have seen so much. I hope everyone at home is doing well. I heard it snowed but that´s good old Minnesota. It is raining here as usual so I guess today it isn´t much better. Have a good week.

The typical scene as you walk thru the old town. Bars filled with pinchos and people.


Us having fun with the air vents.




We found a squirrel in her apartment? What?


Dinner



The Germans


Anna (Finland) and Flo (France)



The beach!














Going Home

Pamplona for a while

Hey everyone,

Rain rain go away is all that is going on here. It rains everyday and can be sunny, but we get a lot of storms out of the mountains so it is kind of refreshing and annoying. It was really nice last month but we are just getting tons of rain now. It is alright though, everything is really green.

Not much is new in Pamplona. I haven´t traveled much since Madrid and just have been hanging out reading, going to class and watching horrific Spanish tv.

I haven´t had much homework lately but this week I have to start a massive research paper but it will be nice to be busy. I had some exams last week and learning 100 years of Spanish history was one of the hardest things I have done here. Their history is so complicated and annoying. During one period, they had 5 presidents in five years. It is kind of sad though because they are still fighting, with all this separation.

This weekend we will be going to San Sebastian all weekend and then we will cross the border and go to France for a day. There is a town called Bearitz which is supposed to be really nice and the food will be great. Our friend Alia from Vancouver lives there now and we will stay for free so it will be great. She will be leaving soon as will all of us so we are just enjoying this last month and a half together.

We went to the movies this weekend, and it is so weird to watch American movies in Spanish. I like going to the movies though because it is so easy to understand everything. We watched some movie about an American being tortured in Morroco, it was interesting because these are the issues of today and are new stories.

I am kind of tired this Monday morning but we don´t have school tomorrow so I will get some good sleep in. I hope it stops raining some day soon, it was hailing like crazy the other day.

I have been here so long that nothing suprises me anymore. It is a weird feeling and I don´t know how to describe it. I don´t even notice so many of the differences here. I mean I can watch movies in Spanish and not even notice, it is weird.

I am kind of babling so I better go get some lunch.

Madrid.. Welcome to Spain!

WE made it to Madrid. WE only had two days in Madrid so we just went thru the city a lot. The city isn´t very old historically and so there is just a lot of museums. We were a little dead on the plane and got to our high tech hotel as it was called. WE couldn´t check in so my dad had us eat a real fancy 12 euro breakfast. IT was so good though, we definitely packed it in. WE put out stuff away in our room which had bunk beds.




We went to the plaza de toros to buy some tickets to see a fight. After we got some tickets we went to the royal palace. WE got a guided tour but the mans english was pretty bad. One interesting thing was how he explained in Spain when eating at a huge table, the least important people sit on the ends, they sit in the middle. This was weird because in England the most important people sit on the ends, not here though.

Afterwards my dad went home and Shannon and I explored the Plaza Mayor which is the biggest in SPain. MAdrid has like 5 or 6 million people so the city is packed and Shannon said it reminded her of London somehow. WE went to the puerta del sol where they celebrate new years and eat their grapes. Shannon and I were hungry later and she got to have so typical Churros. She had them at taco johns before but I am pretty sure the ones we had were a little better.

AFter eating we went to the park de buen retire which is like a massive central park with flowers and performers and a lake where you can rent a boat and row around. We strolled along and went back to the hotel to see my dad. He was napping as usual but it was fine with us. WE were running without sleep but got ready for the bull fight. WE had some tapas before and went to the ring. It was raining and we sat in the cold and waited for this show. I don´t know if I like bull fights but I want to see one at least. We waited in the rain and then learned it was cancelled because of the rain. We could have returned our tickets for money... but my dad just said we should go. We left and went home. Later on we went out for some drinks and snacks. The next day we planned on going to Toledo which is an old fortress city so we rested up.

We went to the train station and got some tickets. This was where they had a terrorist attack not too long after ours and they redesigned the station so it had a big botanical garden in the middle of it. We slept on our short train and got to Toledo. Toledo has tons of history because the Muslims controlled it and it was a fortress. Spain eventually took it back in the 700s and it is full of old city walls and narrow streets. It is all on a hill though so it would be another death march according to my dad.

We went into a cathedral but they charged 7 euros to get in! What a robbery. I don´t mind resoration fees, but that is terrible. Shannon and I lost my dad for a moment but we found him. The problem with this town is u can get lost in 4 seconds because the streets are like alleys and it all looks the same. MY dad then ditched us and Shannon and I walked around and snapped some shots of this old town. This is where the best swords used to be made and in movies they get a lot of their swords from this city.

Shannon and I got some pizza for lunch and we met up with my dad later. We tried some typical sweets from TOledo and went back to meet my dad. WE got a taxi back to the station and our driver was a very odd Mexican man who had an aweful accent. I have been studying here for a while and I guess I am used to Spain. Mexican Spanish is like a song and it was so weird to hear him speak. I mean picture British English vs ours. It is a total change.

WE for some reason ended up being an hour early at the station and hung out on the patio underneath some palms. We headed back and Shannon and I explored the Picasso museum while my dad went back. I love Picasso and we saw his famous Guernica painting that depicts a small Basque town that the Germans bombed during the Spanish civil war. It was cool to see and the guided towns you can buy really help.

We later on went out for wine and enjoyed our last night together as the Griswolds. WE ate some kebabs and walked around Madrid. My dad and Shannon liked Barcelona more, but its because Madrid is just a big busy city.

We went to be that night and they woke me up at 3 am and I gave them a nice 3 am I am have asleep hug. They left and I enjoyed my own hotel room and then took a train home later that day. They had a long trip home and it was sad it was all over. I had a wonderful time and I really tried to make them try the Spanish food and experiences and they did. It was a great time and many funny memories were made.

The highlights of Madrid were:

Eating churros

Seeing Toledo

Going out for drinks and then ending up losing my dad on the way

The day when it was warm and sunny

When i added coke to my dads wine so that he could try the typical calimocho, shannon didnt think it was proper.

Staying in a hotel, I am usually stuck in a hostel.

The whole trip was a highlight and it was fun traveling with my dad and Shannon, only my dad wasn´t as adventurous as we were. IT is ok though we all like different things.

I have been busy with tests lately and I crammed 200 years of complex Spanish history into my little brain. If you have any questions about the trips please ask I would love elaborate on anything. Take care and be good this weekend.

Shannon and Dad come to Barcelona

We woke up early and took a cab the the airport. We had a nice breakfast at McDonalds which included a mini juice and some yogurt and the usual sandwiches. It was interesting because the portions were smaller. I mean who really needs 2 cups of OJ?

We landed in Barcelona and took a cab to our sweet hotel. Barcelona is a trendy city and is what transformed Spain into an upcoming country. They hosted the Olympics here and the tourism boost really got Spain out of the economic situation Franco put them in.

Barcelona is really trendy and is full of modern art and hip people. To go along with this our hotel was a five star and was really cool. You had to use a key to turn the lights on and it automatically lifted up the blinds. The pictures just show the modern design this city has. ALso in this region of Spain, they don´t speak Spanish. They speak Catalan which is a mix of French and Spanish. I can´t understand it at all but everyone can speak Spanish. They however like every part of Spain, they want independence.

We got to our hotel and my dad took another nap.... He really wanted siestas. Shannon and I hit the town. We were right next to a street called Las Ramblas which had tons of street performers markets and tourists. We then went to the market in Barcelona. It contained tons of fresh fruit, nuts, meats, fish and eggs. I love going to these markets and Shannon seemed to like it aswell. WE bought some chocolate things with hazelnuts inside which were excellent. Strawberries are ripe here now so it was great to get some fruit. In Minnesota I have to say we don´t have much for produce because of our sweet weather. We do in the summer, but here its all year.

Later that day we explored the Sagrada Familia which is an immense modern catherdral which is just nuts to look at. It was designed by Gaudí and is still under construction. The outside is kind of ugly but inside it is really cool. We want to go there when it is finished. Which may be a long time away, my dad said he will be dead but we can leave some of his ashes there, its his sense of humor ya know.

We then took the metro to the park the same artist designed. There was a little walk to get there and my dad called it a "death march" and later on emailed the family to warn them of the terrible things Shannon and I were doing. The park was cool and we hiked around and got a great view of Barcelona. My dad was resting at this point and he bought a beer and relaxed. We had to get back to the metro and he wanted to take a taxi. We got one but my dad tried to bring his beer in. WE told the man where we wanted to go, and he said that it is close and we can walk. I am pretty sure he was upset of what my dad did, but it was hilarious that he told us it is close. My dad wasn´t too happy lol, but Shannon and I laughed as we trekked my dad down the hill to the metro.

We returned to our hip hotel which had a shower that was sketchy and we though that we could see the person naked in the shower, we just had to warn people when we were showering to prevent undesired exposure. Shannon and I walked around some more while my dad napped or used the internet. Shannon had watched a show on the travel channel about Barcelona and we found a restaurant called 4 cats that was shown on the tv program. This place was where Pablo Picasso had his first showing. It was really cool and we went there with my dad another day and got some Cava which is Spanish Champagne.

That night we ate some tapas and hit the hay.

The next day my dad wanted us to explore a grain elevator in the port. Shannon and I felt he wasn´t participating enough but he almost got us to go there, but the cab driver went the wrong way. We instead went on a cable car that has a great view of the city and the harbor it has. We then got off and realized in order to get to the top of this mountain we needed to walk another 100m up hill. My dad paid money to take a tram while shannon and I made it to the top. My dad maybe would call this death march number two.

The castle on top was turned into a museum of military stuff so we looked at tons of weapons, which we didn´t know too much about. We did however meet an old man who gaveShannon and I a little tour of the museum. I got to translate and he was just a nice guy who new a lot about history. I will note that people like him are rare where I live because everyone is kinda snobby in the North. Barcelona is for the fun people.

We took the tram down and could see a glimpse of where they had the Olympics.

We then went home for a bit but Shannon and I went to the Gaudí house which was this insane house designed by him in the early 20th century and it is amazing. This man was so far ahead of his time. It was my favorite thing in Barcelona. WE did have some issued with our voice tours but we got thru it alive.

We pub crawled that night and met some interesting people. We met an eves dropper and then some creepy man wearing a bullet proof vest. Shannon thought my dad was going to get knifed but this man was just purely crazy. He had a dyed blonde mullet and goggles. He wanted to be less American and more Spanish I guess. Shannon kept screaming cannonball because she wanted to evade this creeper. We had a full drink but continued to scream cannonball so that we could get out of there alive.

We walked around and then went to this bar called hook. Of all the bars in this trendy city we chose the one that had a permanent theme of hook. It had a Wendy statue and pirate uniforms. It for some odd reason had an enormous statue of an native american and my dad offered to buy it. We laughed because we pictured my dad going home sitting next to a native american statue on the plane.

I then brought dad and Shannon to my favorite fast food in Europe. Doner Kebap which has Turkish food that is similar to Gyros we eat. We really enjoyed our meal and it is super cheap so we saved some money. WE made it home and had a nice rest in our humble room. My dad does make some aweful snoreing noises but we all got through it.

Our final day in Barcelona was nice. WE went to the market in the morning and got some strawberries and Napolianas which I talked about in my Valencia blog.

We headed to the beach and hung out in the sun and walked in the frigid waters of the Med. There was a big drum concert going on to promote the anniversary of this bike program the city has. Shannon got a nice picture of one of them and their dreadlocked rat tail. I may have to get one before I leave.

WE walked around this park that was really tropical and enjoyed the greenery. Then went and got some paella at a Basque restaurant. It was really good but we were so so so full. My dad instead of trying the Spanish food got some hamburgers and eggs, did someone say American, or giry as they call us. In latin american they call us gringos but not in Spain, we are Yankees of Girys.

We went out for wine that night and just relaxed and enjoyed our company and great Spanish wine. We had to leave super early and had to get up at 2:30 because of the time change. It was quite a hoot.

We stumbled into the taxi and set sail for Madrid. The final stop in this crazy trip and the only place that is actually truly Spain because they actually speak Spanish and they call themselves Spanish.


Highlights:

My dad complaining of all the death marches we put him though.

When the man told us we can walk instead of taking a cab. My dad was a little upset.

When we were served cold red wine at a restaurant...?

When my dad would try to style his hair as a european. Picture a fo hawk but with my dads bed har.

When Shannon said "It is time to turn you" to my dad when we returned and he was napping as usual.

Teaching Shannon the Spanish accent. "Dis is not E SPain this is Cataluña.

I loved the city and I wont be back there until I go home in less that two months.

Enjoy the pics. Shannon did a nice job.