So its all over. I've been home for six days now after checking out Freiburg, Germany for four, and I got most of my pictures up, how about that! Freiburg was a very nice town - Madison-sized, with a good feeling of history (but also of modern character). The cathedral there was gorgeous, and the old streets of the city (plus a city-wide canal system) weren't too shabby either. I once again reconciled with my good friend Mike - stayed in his apartment, went out with him and his friends. A good time.
But now lets look back at these two months of glory. While they may not be effective, and don't tell the story, I have to say I am a fan of lists, and will make one here (though in no particular order).
Top Three: Barcelona, Paris, London
Barcelona, I fell in love with. I went from being amazed by the city (first 10 days or so) to a state of mind where I really felt comfortable living there. I found good niches - walking down the Passeig de Sant Joan if I needed a stroll, eating a bocadilla sandwich) at the bakery across the street from my school. Even though I was only there for 5 weeks (6 including my hotel stint) I felt at home there. I truly will miss it, but without a doubt plan to return (and not just for a four day vacation or something).
Paris was wow,wow,wow. Was completely amazed for the four days I was there. I could have spent more time, and spent them simply lounging about the city, sitting at cafes, relaxing, etc. The ambience it gives off combined with the history, architecture and presence of museums is unbeatable.
London is somewhere inbetween those two. I saw plenty of sites, but after a full week there, I was just starting to settle in. The last few days I found myself saying "I could live here." I definitely became attached to the city, and I think thats why I was down and out when I had to leave.
So thats enough elaboration on this "list." To be completely straightforward, studying abroad was the best thing I've ever done in my life. The second best thing I've ever done was deciding to go early and stay late. Best two months of my life, easily. The only thing I might change would be doing a semester abroad, or maybe even a year. My spanish skills were realy starting to rise at an exceptional rate right as we left, but all things considered, I am satisfied with the improvement I've seen (6 weeks isn't really all that much and I feel much more comfortable speaking now than I did in May). So to everyone who has read this, or been checking it every so often, I hope it was worth it. Hopefully you feel the urge to visit Spain (or anywhere across the Atlantic), and maybe you've learned something too? (that sounds so corny, but hey Catalonia is not Spain right?). Anyway, thanks for reading, and perhaps I'll see you in Barcelona someday.
-Matt
Wednesday, August 1, 2007
Saturday, July 21, 2007
Paris - wow.
Paris is simply unbelievable. I feel like I've walked down all the streets of this city with my mouth half-open, amazed by the buildings and incredible architecture that line the streets, as well as the unique feeling of ambience the city gives off. I've taken tons of pictures here (and as I edited in a post a few back, I won't post anymore until I return home - don't want to waste my last days here uploading photos), but even when I take them I feel its almost pointless - photographs cannot do this city justice.
After taking my walk that first night, I've revisited the things I saw - went up the Eiffel tower, into the Louvre, into Notre Dame and around the Arc du Triomph. All were incredible - the inside of Notre Dame was stunning, and the Eiffel tower is simply brilliant - so intricate that it's insane to think of the construction process. The Louvre, I did see the Mona Lisa, but thats more like seeing people take pictures of the Mona Lisa. I was only inside the museum for about an hour, and one day will return to it (as well as many other things in the city). I think the outside is just as brilliant as the inside. I always knew it was big but it is REALLY big - it just keeps going and going.
On Friday, I met up with my friend Lisa from back home, who had just finished a study abroad program. We went about with some peop;le from her program - took a boat trip down the River Seine, went to a photography museum, then the Louvre for a bit, and finally had a picnic dinner with her program directors and all the kids in the program (12 or so) right on the Seine - there were loads of other people doing the same thing. A really good time, relaxing, eating bad food we bought (well not too bad), and drinking good wine.
Bottom line, I feel comfortable saying that Paris is the most amazing place I've ever visited (I think I previously said the same thing about Barcelona, but have obviously now changed my mind). Every step you take when walking around the city is not to be taken for granted. Gorgeous buildings and parks everywhere. Everyone lounging out at cafes - many times just how you imagine Paris. I hope to return sooner than later.
-Matt
After taking my walk that first night, I've revisited the things I saw - went up the Eiffel tower, into the Louvre, into Notre Dame and around the Arc du Triomph. All were incredible - the inside of Notre Dame was stunning, and the Eiffel tower is simply brilliant - so intricate that it's insane to think of the construction process. The Louvre, I did see the Mona Lisa, but thats more like seeing people take pictures of the Mona Lisa. I was only inside the museum for about an hour, and one day will return to it (as well as many other things in the city). I think the outside is just as brilliant as the inside. I always knew it was big but it is REALLY big - it just keeps going and going.
On Friday, I met up with my friend Lisa from back home, who had just finished a study abroad program. We went about with some peop;le from her program - took a boat trip down the River Seine, went to a photography museum, then the Louvre for a bit, and finally had a picnic dinner with her program directors and all the kids in the program (12 or so) right on the Seine - there were loads of other people doing the same thing. A really good time, relaxing, eating bad food we bought (well not too bad), and drinking good wine.
Bottom line, I feel comfortable saying that Paris is the most amazing place I've ever visited (I think I previously said the same thing about Barcelona, but have obviously now changed my mind). Every step you take when walking around the city is not to be taken for granted. Gorgeous buildings and parks everywhere. Everyone lounging out at cafes - many times just how you imagine Paris. I hope to return sooner than later.
-Matt
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Southern Spain and onto Paris
So after Barcelona, I headed down south with my parents to the Andalusia region to check out Granada and Seville. First we went to Granada, the smaller of the two cities - it was great - had a real good ambience to it, was a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Barcelona, yet had plenty going on in its own right. We went to see the Alhambra, an former Moorish palace/fortress that is incredible. Gorgeous structure, pleasant gardens, intriguing history, and so on - the trip to Granada was worth it just for this.
Next up was Seville - I knew it was going to be scorching hot, but I underestimated the heat. Its not too bad up until about two o'clock, but just about then, once the sun has been roasting the city for so long, it becomes nasty. Very rarely in the afternoon was it under 40 degrees Celsius (104 fahrenheit), and there wasn't too much shade to be found. But aside from me complaining about the heat, the city was great - bigger than Granada, but not Barcelona or Madrid big. To me Seville defines what most people think of when they think of Spain - Flamenco, Bull Fighting, and strict adherence to the siesta. We saw two flamenco shows, both were unbelievable. I saw one in Barcelona too, but knew that Seville was the place to really see flamenco. The guitar players grace and elegance, the dancers' insane abilities and speed - everything about it really appeals to me. I wish I had brought my camera both times.
Moving on, The Seville Cathedral (which has the largest alter-piece in the world) is incredible. Massive in size, it also has kept the tower from the Mosque that stood there before it, and adapted it into its own item (yet you can still see the Islam-influenced archways up and down the tower).
On our last full day, we took a day trip to Córdoba - a 45 minute train ride away. Córdoba is famous for its Mezquita - a former mosque that has a cathedral built inside it. I took plenty of pictures, for it is incredible. The way the Islamic arches blend in with the art and style of Christianity is gorgeous, and works quite well.
Our last day in Seville was when we went to the Cathedral, but shortly thereafter took a train to Madrid - parents flying back home the next day, me flying to Paris. We decided that rather than just going to the hotel and staying there, we would venture into the city for the short time we had. I'm glad we did - the weather was great this time (as opposed to the rainy weekend I spent there in June), and because of that I think I enjoyed being there more this time around. I really want to go back to Madrid sometime and see more of it - it really is something else.
Now, I sit in an internet cafe in Paris, taking a break from walking around the city. If Madrid is "something else," then I don't know what to call Paris. City to end all cities? Its amazing, simply put. I walked around last night from Notre Dame, past the Louvre, onto the Arc de Triomph, and finally to the Eiffel Tower - the whole time I had my mouth wide open I'm sure, just amazed by the feel of the city. I'm glad I have three more days to enjoy it.
Until next time,
Matt
Next up was Seville - I knew it was going to be scorching hot, but I underestimated the heat. Its not too bad up until about two o'clock, but just about then, once the sun has been roasting the city for so long, it becomes nasty. Very rarely in the afternoon was it under 40 degrees Celsius (104 fahrenheit), and there wasn't too much shade to be found. But aside from me complaining about the heat, the city was great - bigger than Granada, but not Barcelona or Madrid big. To me Seville defines what most people think of when they think of Spain - Flamenco, Bull Fighting, and strict adherence to the siesta. We saw two flamenco shows, both were unbelievable. I saw one in Barcelona too, but knew that Seville was the place to really see flamenco. The guitar players grace and elegance, the dancers' insane abilities and speed - everything about it really appeals to me. I wish I had brought my camera both times.
Moving on, The Seville Cathedral (which has the largest alter-piece in the world) is incredible. Massive in size, it also has kept the tower from the Mosque that stood there before it, and adapted it into its own item (yet you can still see the Islam-influenced archways up and down the tower).
On our last full day, we took a day trip to Córdoba - a 45 minute train ride away. Córdoba is famous for its Mezquita - a former mosque that has a cathedral built inside it. I took plenty of pictures, for it is incredible. The way the Islamic arches blend in with the art and style of Christianity is gorgeous, and works quite well.
Our last day in Seville was when we went to the Cathedral, but shortly thereafter took a train to Madrid - parents flying back home the next day, me flying to Paris. We decided that rather than just going to the hotel and staying there, we would venture into the city for the short time we had. I'm glad we did - the weather was great this time (as opposed to the rainy weekend I spent there in June), and because of that I think I enjoyed being there more this time around. I really want to go back to Madrid sometime and see more of it - it really is something else.
Now, I sit in an internet cafe in Paris, taking a break from walking around the city. If Madrid is "something else," then I don't know what to call Paris. City to end all cities? Its amazing, simply put. I walked around last night from Notre Dame, past the Louvre, onto the Arc de Triomph, and finally to the Eiffel Tower - the whole time I had my mouth wide open I'm sure, just amazed by the feel of the city. I'm glad I have three more days to enjoy it.
Until next time,
Matt
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
a few new pictures
so my camera died in Granada while posting pictures. i'm in a hotel with little time to put them up, and the connection is slow. I have however put some up from the sagrada familia, and will add more maybe in the next two days. check the webshots page. UPDATE - I am going to wait until I return home to post the rest of all my pictures - i have so many, and don't want to waste my last few days uploading photos.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Farewell Barcelona
My travels to Barcelona are over. ouch. I can't say enough how awesome my stay was in that city - probably my favorite place that I've ever visited - the people, the city setup, access to the mediterranean, amazing architecture, etc. etc. I stayed almost a week after my program concluded, met up with my parents and did some of the touristy things I missed during school. Also went up north a bit on the coast and did an amazing hike along the water - photos coming soon (today). Also hit up the Barcelona Cathedral (again), Camp Nou - FC Barcelona's stadium, the Palau de la Música Catalana, and the Magic Fountain show at Montjuic - all were amazing. It was really weird doing all these things during the day - it seemed much more like my first week than my last week in the city. I had gotten so used to just living in the city, and not seeing the sights, that it was shocking when each day was packed full of things to do and see - though I'm not complaining. Also got to hang out for a day with my spanish friends Eric and Andrea - two of those Guardian Angels I was talking about.
I am now sitting in an internet cafe in Granada - today we checked out the Alhambra - an incredible fortress/palace - for those who aren't familiar, it was a compound of the Moors - one of the last srongholds in southern Spain before the Catholics conquered it. Beautiful gardens, intricate designs - so much to see there, I took plenty of pictures. Anyway, I'm going to post those pictures while I'm at this cafe, and then maybe check out the cathedral in the city - however, the air conditioning in this cafe is quite refreshing - its 40 degrees outside (104 fahrenheit)...southern spain is hot.
Oh and one last thing, if I learned one important thing while in Barcelona, it is this:
Catalonia is not Spain. Look into the history, the culture, and you'll see what I mean if you don't already know.
-Matt
I am now sitting in an internet cafe in Granada - today we checked out the Alhambra - an incredible fortress/palace - for those who aren't familiar, it was a compound of the Moors - one of the last srongholds in southern Spain before the Catholics conquered it. Beautiful gardens, intricate designs - so much to see there, I took plenty of pictures. Anyway, I'm going to post those pictures while I'm at this cafe, and then maybe check out the cathedral in the city - however, the air conditioning in this cafe is quite refreshing - its 40 degrees outside (104 fahrenheit)...southern spain is hot.
Oh and one last thing, if I learned one important thing while in Barcelona, it is this:
Catalonia is not Spain. Look into the history, the culture, and you'll see what I mean if you don't already know.
-Matt
Friday, July 6, 2007
done with school...bittersweet....
So I just finished a take-home final exam (how convenient) and am unoffically done with my summer "semester" in Barcelona - its nice to be done with academics for awhile, but I am going to miss this city. I still have a week of hanging around here in Barcelona, but lots of people from the program are going elsewhere or back home. Thankfully we all have this last weekend together to go out in style.
Since Sant Joan, I've been quite busy - the whole school part of studying abroad really kicked in, and I had a lot less time to do what I pleased. I did however in that time get to see the Temple de la Sagrada Familia, which might be the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Seeing as its construction has now gone on for over a hundred years (and there's still tons left to do) its amazing to think what the completed project will look like.
Socially, weekends have continued to be incredible- I keep thinking how much I am starting to dislike the idea of returning home to the 2 am bar closing time - like I've told many of you, 2 am here on a Friday or Saturday is when people really get things going - clubs don't fill in until 3 or 3:30. But one can always hope that there will be drastic improvements/changes to the nightlife back home...or probably not.
I am however looking forward to checking out southern Spain as well as Paris and the southwestern part of Germany - I still have three weeks of travel left, and will have much more to tell you then. Also, I have a good amount of pictures to post yet, so keep an eye open for those.
-Matt
Since Sant Joan, I've been quite busy - the whole school part of studying abroad really kicked in, and I had a lot less time to do what I pleased. I did however in that time get to see the Temple de la Sagrada Familia, which might be the most amazing thing I've ever seen. Seeing as its construction has now gone on for over a hundred years (and there's still tons left to do) its amazing to think what the completed project will look like.
Socially, weekends have continued to be incredible- I keep thinking how much I am starting to dislike the idea of returning home to the 2 am bar closing time - like I've told many of you, 2 am here on a Friday or Saturday is when people really get things going - clubs don't fill in until 3 or 3:30. But one can always hope that there will be drastic improvements/changes to the nightlife back home...or probably not.
I am however looking forward to checking out southern Spain as well as Paris and the southwestern part of Germany - I still have three weeks of travel left, and will have much more to tell you then. Also, I have a good amount of pictures to post yet, so keep an eye open for those.
-Matt
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Photos from San Juan
posted the photos from La Noche de San Juan. same link as before, but here it is again. More pictures from Spain/Catalonia coming soon...
http://community.webshots.com/user/MMcDev14
http://community.webshots.com/user/MMcDev14
Sunday, June 24, 2007
weekend for the ages/La Nit de Sant Joan (La Noche de San Juan)
all I can say is wow. This weekend was incredible. After taking a test on Friday, I think everyone in the program was ready for an epic weekend. Friday night we went to this famous nightclub here in Barcelona - Razzmatazz - its in an old factory - is somewhere around 4 stories tall - and has five separate rooms with all different music. Probably 20 of us went with our "Guardian Angels" - Victor, Eric, and Andrea. (each year the program appoints three college-aged people as Guardian Angels who help show us around the city, and accompany us on excursions). This wasn't a coordinated event through the program or anything, we all just decided we needed to go out with the Guardian Angels - it was a great night.
Some of us first went to dinner, then to a smaller bar near the club, and finally around 2 am to the club. It was there that everyone finally met up. Some people started leaving around 4, but a handful of us stayed until 6:30, and the dance floor was still packed with people. We went to get breakfast afterwards, and then all went our separate ways and slept well into the afternoon - we needed to get a good night's sleep for Saturday's festivities - La Noche de San Juan (or in Catalan, La Nit de Sant Joan).
The best way to describe Sant Joan is to think of the Fourth of July back home, then multiply the amount of fireworks by 20, and keep the festivities going until sunrise. We all went to a small Plaça first, where there was some traditional dance and music. Once the sun went down things really got going - the sky was constantly filled with fireworks, and some ceremonies proceeded - I have plenty of pictures but had some trouble uploading them today - I'll try again tomorrow at school. So after a procession with drums, marches, and a procession of giant stilt figures - there was a speaker (who of course spoke not in Spanish but in Catalan) who seemed to get the crowd pretty excited - there were some chants going back and forth - it was amazing. Then, they lit the bonfire, a band started to play, and the fireworks resumed.
After the bonfire started to die down, we (and almost everyone in the city) proceeded to the beach, where we stayed until sunrise. There were plenty of bands and DJs to which everyone was dancing. The beach was so crowded with people of all ages - I remember seeing small children (with plenty of energy) running around at 4 am, as well as some elderly couples. Eventually the sun came up and we left the beach around 7 am. What a night, what a weekend. Its safe to say that things are going well in Barcelona! Check back tomorrow for pictures - I should have them up by then. ¡Hasta Luego!
-Matt
Some of us first went to dinner, then to a smaller bar near the club, and finally around 2 am to the club. It was there that everyone finally met up. Some people started leaving around 4, but a handful of us stayed until 6:30, and the dance floor was still packed with people. We went to get breakfast afterwards, and then all went our separate ways and slept well into the afternoon - we needed to get a good night's sleep for Saturday's festivities - La Noche de San Juan (or in Catalan, La Nit de Sant Joan).
The best way to describe Sant Joan is to think of the Fourth of July back home, then multiply the amount of fireworks by 20, and keep the festivities going until sunrise. We all went to a small Plaça first, where there was some traditional dance and music. Once the sun went down things really got going - the sky was constantly filled with fireworks, and some ceremonies proceeded - I have plenty of pictures but had some trouble uploading them today - I'll try again tomorrow at school. So after a procession with drums, marches, and a procession of giant stilt figures - there was a speaker (who of course spoke not in Spanish but in Catalan) who seemed to get the crowd pretty excited - there were some chants going back and forth - it was amazing. Then, they lit the bonfire, a band started to play, and the fireworks resumed.
After the bonfire started to die down, we (and almost everyone in the city) proceeded to the beach, where we stayed until sunrise. There were plenty of bands and DJs to which everyone was dancing. The beach was so crowded with people of all ages - I remember seeing small children (with plenty of energy) running around at 4 am, as well as some elderly couples. Eventually the sun came up and we left the beach around 7 am. What a night, what a weekend. Its safe to say that things are going well in Barcelona! Check back tomorrow for pictures - I should have them up by then. ¡Hasta Luego!
-Matt
Thursday, June 21, 2007
so where was I? Oh yes, on the way to Madrid. Madrid was pretty cool, with the exception of really cold and rainy weather, but we got around it. We took an early train Saturday morning (most of us just stayed out all Friday night and then slept on the train), and got going about the city right away. We checked out the Prado and the Reina Sofia museums and though both were amazing, we rushed through them a bit too fast. Its funny, when we learned all about Dalí, Goya, Picasso, Velazquez, and other Spanish artists, it was one of the things I enjoyed most in Spanish high school - seeing their works in person makes me appreciate them to an even greater extent.
The next day we did a walking tour of the city, and then ventured around our own to many different places - and also went inside the Royal Palace which was absolutely stunning. So many different rooms, decorated in so many different styles. Gorgeous.
Overall, I liked Madrid - its a really cool city - many things to see and do. But comparing it to Barcelona is redundant because they are polar opposites - Madrid is much more old and traditional, with very little modern architecture, and few large buildings - if you took all the cars and modern advertisements out of Madrid, it would be hard to say whether it was the year 2007 or 1607. At least thats the feel I got from it.
Oh and just for the sake of concluding what I started discussing last time - Real Madrid unfortunately ended up winning La Liga - disgusting. But I guess we can't complain here, Barça has won it the last two years.
So now that I'm back in Barcelona, school kicks in - I have a midterm, if we can call it that, in my language course tomorrow, and then one in my cultural class sometime next week. I cannot wait for tomorrow's test to be over, because this weekend is going to be great - Saturday is the Festival de Sant Joan - where everyone celebrates the summer solstice - huge bonfires and fireworks everywhere, people stay out all night, walking along and hanging out at the beach. People also jump through these huge fires - an old tradition that still lives on. Some online travel guides said this: "If you don't like loud bangs then this is a good weekend to go on a weekend trip to France." - I think I'll be fine here in Barcelona. Hopefully I'll have plenty to write about after this weekend.
Matt
The next day we did a walking tour of the city, and then ventured around our own to many different places - and also went inside the Royal Palace which was absolutely stunning. So many different rooms, decorated in so many different styles. Gorgeous.
Overall, I liked Madrid - its a really cool city - many things to see and do. But comparing it to Barcelona is redundant because they are polar opposites - Madrid is much more old and traditional, with very little modern architecture, and few large buildings - if you took all the cars and modern advertisements out of Madrid, it would be hard to say whether it was the year 2007 or 1607. At least thats the feel I got from it.
Oh and just for the sake of concluding what I started discussing last time - Real Madrid unfortunately ended up winning La Liga - disgusting. But I guess we can't complain here, Barça has won it the last two years.
So now that I'm back in Barcelona, school kicks in - I have a midterm, if we can call it that, in my language course tomorrow, and then one in my cultural class sometime next week. I cannot wait for tomorrow's test to be over, because this weekend is going to be great - Saturday is the Festival de Sant Joan - where everyone celebrates the summer solstice - huge bonfires and fireworks everywhere, people stay out all night, walking along and hanging out at the beach. People also jump through these huge fires - an old tradition that still lives on. Some online travel guides said this: "If you don't like loud bangs then this is a good weekend to go on a weekend trip to France." - I think I'll be fine here in Barcelona. Hopefully I'll have plenty to write about after this weekend.
Matt
Friday, June 15, 2007
Two weeks into Barcelona
So I've been in Barcelona for a little less than two weeks, and so far it has been excellent. The city is gorgeous, the weather is beautiful, and the people are great. At first it was tough to get the nerve to speak Spanish to some stranger, asking for help or directions, but now its become almost natural (though my Spanish is still far from fluent, or good for that matter). When I first decided on Barcelona I was a bit nervous about the fact that the official language is Catalan and not Spanish, but everyone here is educated in both, and there are so many people from other parts of Spain that Spanish is just as prevalent. But people up here definitely do take pride in their Catalan heritage, and in some smaller areas they'd rather speak to you in English than in Spanish.
I live with a single señora in a penthouse in the Grácia area of town - I lucked out to say the least. She's a great hostess - cooks great food, takes good care of me, helps with my Spanish, and she knows her way around town. She has been a DJ since she was younger and still does it from time to time. She's a hip lady to say the least, and we get along real well.
Anyway, what have I done while I've been here? The first week was all orientation things, though we'd probably only spend a few hours a day on that, the rest on tours and free time, walking about the city, looking at old cathedrals, seeing pleny of Gaudi designed buildings (and the Parc Guell, which was really cool). I must say that the architecture in Barcelona is spectacular - a mix of so many different things that blend together so well.
The weekend was a lot of fun too - people in Spain stay out LATE, though not just on the weekends. Its not all that uncommon to see an older couple strolling along a Plaza at 12:30 am during the week, or to see friends having a drink together at 1:30 am on a tuesday. But when people "go out" - they mean it. Some clubs are open till 8 am, and they aren't empty by then either. Saturday we went to a bar to watch the football (soccer) match between FC Barcelona and Espanyol. Unfortunately Barça let the lead slip away and ended up tying. The season is almost over, and a win last Saturday would have been crucial. The last games are tomorrow and Barça needs to win and have Real Madrid lose or tie in order to win the leage. Its a long shot but you never know.
With this week came the start of school. I'm taking two classes, a language course and one called "Cultural Encounters in Spain" which examines cultural changes since the death of Franco. The teacher is hilarious and I really like what he's laid out for the next four weeks. Should be very insightful. My language course has eleven people in it, and the culture one only four which is a nice change of pace from the way things work back home. In total, there are 25 people in the program, people from all over the place back home, and we thankfully get along real well. We all lucked out with a good group of people.
This weekend we're going to Madrid. The train leaves tomorrow (saturday) at 7:30 am. Not the most favorable time, but there will be plenty of time to sleep on the train. The trip should be a lot of fun - we have a pretty hefty itinerary with a lot of tours/museums, but we also have a lot of free time.
I'll post again sometime after I return, and will also post some more photos. Hope all is well back home, wherever home may be.
-Matt
I live with a single señora in a penthouse in the Grácia area of town - I lucked out to say the least. She's a great hostess - cooks great food, takes good care of me, helps with my Spanish, and she knows her way around town. She has been a DJ since she was younger and still does it from time to time. She's a hip lady to say the least, and we get along real well.
Anyway, what have I done while I've been here? The first week was all orientation things, though we'd probably only spend a few hours a day on that, the rest on tours and free time, walking about the city, looking at old cathedrals, seeing pleny of Gaudi designed buildings (and the Parc Guell, which was really cool). I must say that the architecture in Barcelona is spectacular - a mix of so many different things that blend together so well.
The weekend was a lot of fun too - people in Spain stay out LATE, though not just on the weekends. Its not all that uncommon to see an older couple strolling along a Plaza at 12:30 am during the week, or to see friends having a drink together at 1:30 am on a tuesday. But when people "go out" - they mean it. Some clubs are open till 8 am, and they aren't empty by then either. Saturday we went to a bar to watch the football (soccer) match between FC Barcelona and Espanyol. Unfortunately Barça let the lead slip away and ended up tying. The season is almost over, and a win last Saturday would have been crucial. The last games are tomorrow and Barça needs to win and have Real Madrid lose or tie in order to win the leage. Its a long shot but you never know.
With this week came the start of school. I'm taking two classes, a language course and one called "Cultural Encounters in Spain" which examines cultural changes since the death of Franco. The teacher is hilarious and I really like what he's laid out for the next four weeks. Should be very insightful. My language course has eleven people in it, and the culture one only four which is a nice change of pace from the way things work back home. In total, there are 25 people in the program, people from all over the place back home, and we thankfully get along real well. We all lucked out with a good group of people.
This weekend we're going to Madrid. The train leaves tomorrow (saturday) at 7:30 am. Not the most favorable time, but there will be plenty of time to sleep on the train. The trip should be a lot of fun - we have a pretty hefty itinerary with a lot of tours/museums, but we also have a lot of free time.
I'll post again sometime after I return, and will also post some more photos. Hope all is well back home, wherever home may be.
-Matt
Sunday, June 3, 2007
Photos
here's the link for my photos - I'll keep posting them, and labelling then as time goes by...
http://community.webshots.com/user/MMcDev14
http://community.webshots.com/user/MMcDev14
Friday, June 1, 2007
From London to Ireland
So its been awhile since I wrote my last blog, and since then I left London have been to Dublin for a day, Galway for two, and am now in Dingle.
Its safe to say I fell in love with London - it really is a great city in many many ways. The weekend was excellent - spent much of Friday with Dave and Ana, then hung out with them and a bunch of their business school friends - many of them were out there to celebrate one of their former classmate's (who now lives in London) birthday. I stayed there until I had to catch my tube stop back home, then said goodbye and went and actually met up with Ben and a bunch of his friends - it was a very long but very good evening. The next day I met up in the late afternoon with my friend Mike Smaglick from back home. We got dinner, walked around a bit, and then went out with Ben and company again to a small pub and then a night club which was a blast.
Sunday was my last full day in London, and I walked around with Ann over to the British Museum, Westminster Cathedral, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, and many other sites. It was really nice having her with me telling me all these things I would never have known about London itself and the sites we saw. It was a bit bittersweet though, knowing that the next day I'd be leaving London.
Since then I've been going about Ireland - spent only one night in Dublin (though will be going there again tomorrow) so I didn't get to see much. Galway was really nice - small, college-town type place with a real nice square which everything seems centered around. Yesterday we arrived in Dingle Town in the Dingle Peninsula, which so far has been my favorite part of the country. The town is nice and small, the people are great, and peninsula is stunning. Last nigh we went to a pub and heard some real good traditional Irish music - unfortunately we only caught the tail end of their performance, but it was enough to make me buy their CD. Can't wait to find a CD player. Today, Mike and I took bikes out and went around the peninsula - it was gorgeous and although we were aching by the end of the day, I think we'd both say it has been the best thing we've done in Ireland.
So anyways there is my second update of the trip - I'll probably put up another post once I've been in Barcelona for a little while - my flight leaves Sunday evening - and I'll get those pictures up soon.
Cheers,
Matt
Its safe to say I fell in love with London - it really is a great city in many many ways. The weekend was excellent - spent much of Friday with Dave and Ana, then hung out with them and a bunch of their business school friends - many of them were out there to celebrate one of their former classmate's (who now lives in London) birthday. I stayed there until I had to catch my tube stop back home, then said goodbye and went and actually met up with Ben and a bunch of his friends - it was a very long but very good evening. The next day I met up in the late afternoon with my friend Mike Smaglick from back home. We got dinner, walked around a bit, and then went out with Ben and company again to a small pub and then a night club which was a blast.
Sunday was my last full day in London, and I walked around with Ann over to the British Museum, Westminster Cathedral, St Paul's Cathedral, Trafalgar Square, and many other sites. It was really nice having her with me telling me all these things I would never have known about London itself and the sites we saw. It was a bit bittersweet though, knowing that the next day I'd be leaving London.
Since then I've been going about Ireland - spent only one night in Dublin (though will be going there again tomorrow) so I didn't get to see much. Galway was really nice - small, college-town type place with a real nice square which everything seems centered around. Yesterday we arrived in Dingle Town in the Dingle Peninsula, which so far has been my favorite part of the country. The town is nice and small, the people are great, and peninsula is stunning. Last nigh we went to a pub and heard some real good traditional Irish music - unfortunately we only caught the tail end of their performance, but it was enough to make me buy their CD. Can't wait to find a CD player. Today, Mike and I took bikes out and went around the peninsula - it was gorgeous and although we were aching by the end of the day, I think we'd both say it has been the best thing we've done in Ireland.
So anyways there is my second update of the trip - I'll probably put up another post once I've been in Barcelona for a little while - my flight leaves Sunday evening - and I'll get those pictures up soon.
Cheers,
Matt
Friday, May 25, 2007
London (so far)
Hello from London!
Arrived here the morning of Tuesday the 22nd, and have been having a blast ever since. The first day became very rough as the jet lag kicked in big time during the early afternoon, but as the days have gone by its getting better.
I'm staying with the my mom's friend Ann Caird and her family in Islington, in the northern half of London. They live in a wonderful area, though most of London seems wonderful anyway. I spent the first day hanging out with her son Ben and we lounged around here in Islington and then went to a gorgeous park in the afternoon near the London zoo. Its nice having someone near my age around to show me what I might not see, or think to go to if I was by myself.
Yesterday I went to the Westminster area, checked out Parliament (thought didn't go inside) which was massive/gorgeous/etc. and then Westminster Abbey which was absolutely beautiful.
Today, I went over to the Tower of London, then worked my way through the Tower Bridge - both were simply amazing and I'll post pictures soon.
After that I walked along the south side of the River Thames, saw city hall, the Globe Theater, Tate Modern, and also just spent sometime sitting around enjoying the space. Eventually I met up with my brother Dave and his now-fiance Ana for dinner and a drink afterwards. I haven't seen either of them since Thanksgiving, so it was great to see them, and I believe we're meeting up againt tomorrow.
That's all I've got for now, I'll post another entry sometime in the next week. Until then...
-Matt
Arrived here the morning of Tuesday the 22nd, and have been having a blast ever since. The first day became very rough as the jet lag kicked in big time during the early afternoon, but as the days have gone by its getting better.
I'm staying with the my mom's friend Ann Caird and her family in Islington, in the northern half of London. They live in a wonderful area, though most of London seems wonderful anyway. I spent the first day hanging out with her son Ben and we lounged around here in Islington and then went to a gorgeous park in the afternoon near the London zoo. Its nice having someone near my age around to show me what I might not see, or think to go to if I was by myself.
Yesterday I went to the Westminster area, checked out Parliament (thought didn't go inside) which was massive/gorgeous/etc. and then Westminster Abbey which was absolutely beautiful.
Today, I went over to the Tower of London, then worked my way through the Tower Bridge - both were simply amazing and I'll post pictures soon.
After that I walked along the south side of the River Thames, saw city hall, the Globe Theater, Tate Modern, and also just spent sometime sitting around enjoying the space. Eventually I met up with my brother Dave and his now-fiance Ana for dinner and a drink afterwards. I haven't seen either of them since Thanksgiving, so it was great to see them, and I believe we're meeting up againt tomorrow.
That's all I've got for now, I'll post another entry sometime in the next week. Until then...
-Matt
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