Dublin: Winging It

Updated Spain Posts:

El Mar

A Nutella and Pants Sandwich

An Inflatable Raft

Ancient Ruins

Ongoing Observations

NEW Spain Posts:

Viva Espana

Festival of St. John (the Baptist)

Flying Solo

Museum of Catalan History

Misc Other Sites in Barcelona

Of course there are other adventures in Spain, but I didn’t have pictures to go with them, so those posts are not updated

Again, Paris stuff later. I’m tired of adding picslol

Enjoy

And now that I’m in the middle of a 30-some odd hour journey from Spain to the US, I’m bored. Solution: blog about the things I see lol

Barcelona.
¤ My flight is delayed 1 hour . I guess that’s ok since it brings my next layover down from 10 to just 9 hours. Sweet.
¤Everything is closing. I should have grabbed food for the flight or for later. Oh well.
¤I’m seated next the most irritating couple alive. The woman is bitching about her flats hurting her feet, which are situated on the chair between us. She then starts going off about the Harry Potter kid getting $26 mil for the last 2 movies. Best part: berating her boyfriend/husband for being too much of a bloke. “I try very hard to speak well. You should too”. Said of course in a holier-than-thou tone. To top it all off she starts whining and actually threw a tantrum because she wanted chocolate. Are you for real!

Dublin.
¤I took my sweet ass time getting off the plane. Then I leisurely made my way to passport control. Even the flight attendants passed me. I guess being after 1am made people want to get home. Not me. I have time to kill. It turns out passport control was closing by the time I mosied over haha.
¤The departures terminal is closed. There is a growing group of us on chairs by the entrance to security. I found a corner to set up my raft. The poor Japanese dude next to me must think I’m crazy.
¤The raft is hard to inflate. I’m not sure why, but air seems to be getting stuck in on of the tubes. So I’m laying on the floor in an under-inflated raft. Either way it’s better than the chairs. Or worse yet, the floor.
¤I’m hungry. The stuff in the vending machine costs 1€. I have 70 cents. I am going to break into the candy I bought for my internship. Sorry in advance guys lol.
¤I just changed my clock. It was depressing turning it back an hour. 7 more to go!
¤It’s freezing in here!

¤Finally set up the raft. People have definitely given weird looks but I’m sure they’re jealous they don’t have a raft too. I managed a couple of naps between 4 and 7 before being disturbed by someone who told me I can’t sleep here. This officially made me feel like a hobo sleeping in the streets. But look buddy if you don’t want passengers sleeping on the floor, don’t give them 10 hour layovers in the middle of the night when everything, including the terminal itself, is closed!

THE raft

*Finally made it to the terminal, got on my flight. It’s almost empty!! Choosing seat 43K really was a great idea, because the only other person in my row has the other window. Note to self, always sit in the back of the plane. Anyway, I moved from the 2 window seats to the 4 middle seats, where I stretched out and took a nappy new. 2 Benadryl + 4 airplane seats = awesome flight.

New York:

*Well I’m back in the US. Only problem: I switched airlines so now I have to recheck my luggage. But…you can only do this 4 hours in advance. My flight is in 7 hours. Awesome.

*Update: After bitching about this to J, he suggested I switch my flight. DUH. How did I overlook this possibility??

*YES. 7 hour layover reduced to 2. I’m on an earlier flight!!

The runway:

*I’m chillin on the plane, in the middle of the runway. Yes, the MIDDLE of the runway. We backed out of the gate and taxi’d for a bit, then it started raining. Well more than just raining. There’s a thunder and lightning storm and the pilot just informed us all planes are grounded. Apparently it’s not safe to take off in lightning. Whatever, at least I’m on an earlier flight. Who cares that I’m in the very last row of the plane, next to a lavatory, and stuck by the window trapped in by 2 Hasidic Jewish guys? Speaking of, I don’t think Hasidic Jews are allowed to touch members of the opposite sex. Maybe I should keep my elbows to myself. Or maybe the plane should just take off. I’m ready to go home!

….and I’m HOME!!!

For some reason I decided to share this info with Petra. Not 2 hours later I found myself in a souvenir shop in the janky bus station. The guy working there asked where I was from – England?

I smiled, thinking of these recent convos and said no. Ireland? No. Scotland? No. Though I was thinking tp myself this guy is doing a really good job of naming off 3 of the 5 countries that comprise my ethnic heritage lol.

He finally asked where I was from. I thought about saying Canada but realized Americans aren’t hated in Spain so I fessed up to my US passport. He was like “Oh America! (though he did look confused) Well then you must want …” and started pointing to some junk on the wall.

Oh I see. You were guessing I was American so you could target your sales pitch lol.

A few days later I had more time to kill at that same janky bus station so I went to the same shop. Same dude asks me “where you from – England?” lol maybe he just thinks all white English speaking people are from the UK? This time I played along and said yes. He then pointed me to a different section of stuff, so perhaps his salespitch is targeted to his specific audience. Or maybe he’s crazy.

A few days later I was in another store buying lollipops and this dude tried to sell me cans of red bull. I said no thanks but he kept pushing the issue. Finally I just said “I’m flying home tomorrow and that’s too much liquid.” he politely told me that I could check them, after all, the flight from here to the UK isn’t far.

Lol another person who thinks I’m a Brit! And I am not even pretending to have an accent. Maybe this just means I need to live in England for a while and reconnect with my roots!

While in Spain, I´ve had the opportunity to go to the beach on several occasions. Keep in mind I´ve been wearing my Neutrogena Sport Suncreen, spf 70. Since that´s almost gone I might switch to my regular Neutrogena, spf 100. Apparently yes they make spf 100. BTW, these products are AMAZING and I would absolutely recommend them to others. So, I was anticipating getting some color, hopefully not red, but maybe darker shades of white on this trip.

I see myself in the mirror and I am a multicolored piece of art. I hesitate to ever use the word ¨tan¨ because most people look at me when I use it and laugh. Simply stated, I usually turn darker shades of white. I used the word ¨tan¨ when I asked Petra if I was darker, and she said ¨I don´t know that you´re tan….but well, I see a Tan Caro.¨ That´s good enough for me.

Since that day I have been on the beach twice more. My body is a variety of colors ranging from the base white to dark white to the pinks (light pink, dark pink, bright pink) and the …dare I say it…browns (light brown, slightly darker brown, etc).

I´m definitely a tan Caro, but I might actually be tan for real!! I´m gonna keep this up when I get back!

Two very different places, yet both very noteworthy. Our first day of sightseeing, Petra and I tried to go into the cathedral. However, I didn’t bring anything to cover up my shoulders, so I wasn’t allowed in. Again, I’m one of you. I used to go to church in tank tops at home. Can’t I just get some kind of a card that says “She’s Catholic. Allow her inside” that I can use whenever? Anyway, that’s a whole different issue. I guess they’re more conservative in Spain!

under construction....boo!

We finally got to go in another day, and it wasn’t as great as I thought it would be. I mean there was cool stuff, but I didn’t see how it was significantly different to 1. be a cathedral vs. just a really big church or 2. require super conservative clothing in 100 degree weather.

fake candles...you know, so you don't burn down the stone building lol

I do love some stained glass though

organ mounted high up on the wall

geese in the back

We did get to witness a woman with some sort of mental retardation get into a big fight with her jackass husband. I call him a jackass because it really seemed like he was just being a jerk for no reason. That was fun.

On our way back to the bus station that day, Petra and I stopped at La Sagrada Familia, which is another building built by Gaudi. It’s incredible, even stranger than the Casa Batilo.

it's not finished. over 100 years in the making!

yep, that's a christmas tree on the top

closeup of the front

I wish it had still been open when we got there, but I guess I’ll just have to come back. Maybe the next time I’m in Spain it will finally be done? LOL fat chance since it’s taken 120 years so far! Such a cool place, and as the guidebook said, it clearly looks like it was constructed by a lunatic.

While the history was incredibly fascinating, it started to drag on a bit after a while. Much to our shock and appreciation, we stumbled upon an interactive area…one where you could actually try on armor. Now this is what I’m talking about!!!

some information about what we were putting on

feeling bold (and unafraid of potential lice) i put on the helmet

petra tried on the helmet + the arms

i then ended up putting on the entire outfit. it was HEAVY!

petra showing off her robotic abilities

we weren't wearing mail underneath so this easily could have happened to us in battle LOL

Definitely the best museum EVER I must say. I learned a ton about Catalonia and their struggle to gain independence, and had a ton of fun doing it. If only all museums were this cool

First stop was by default. The bus let me off right by the Arc de Triumf so I had to stop and take some pictures.

Next stop was the Museo de Xocolata. Given the headline of my blog, it should come as no surprise that I’m a fan of chocolate. I had heard it wasn’t that great, but I didn’t care. It’s chocolate after all, what’s not to like?! My admission fee was 2 euro and that came with a chocolate bar. Already this seems worth my time. Then I wandered around the exhibits and learned about the cocoa bean:

beans

I also saw some really cool models, which I couldn’t decide if I wanted to stare at because they were cool looking or eat because they were made entirely of chocolate:

a chocolate arc de triumf

wall-e!

I also found the biggest mixer ever, though you can’t really tell its size in this picture

That was a great start to the day for sure. Next stop: Olympic Village. The subway system in Barcelona is amazing, but it’s so big that the map really is kind of hard to read. Regardless, I used my navigational skills to end up at the hill where the Olympic Games took place in 1992. Once there, I stopped in the Olympic Museum.

model hurdler

Michael Johnson's shoe

US Dreamteam - totally undefeated

The museum also had an area where you could sit and watch highlights of all sports, not just Olympic ones from throughout the decades. You could also sit at your own table and look up videos of various Olympic highlights of your choosing. All in all this museum was pretty cool. And the fact that it was air conditioned on a sweltering hot day didn’t hurt either

I wandered over to the Olympic stadium and took a few pictures.

the track. i had no idea it wasn't in the same shape as the tracks around here (aka shaped so a football field fits in the middle)

I sat down at one of the tables and ate the lunch I had packed. Hey, I just graduated and don’t have a full-time job. This was Europe on a budget! Of course, my lunch had to include a nutella and banana sandwich – that’s just how I roll! However, as soon as I whipped out my food, this mangy looking cat came over and got extremely close to me. I’m all for cats – I want one so badly! – but this one looked like it was possessed by some evil force. It also looked ready to give me rabies. Again, being on a budget, it seemed that a trip to the ER would be too expensive. I kept my eye on this mongrel to make sure it didn’t get too close.

such a filthy beast. and i usually love cats, even strays

After I was rejuvenated with some food and water, I braved the hills in the heat once more. I tried to find the Museum of Catalon Art, but took a wrong turn and ended up in the Botanical Gardens. Not a bad place to be! I even found a tiered waterfall/fountain. Pretty cool!

At this point the heat was really getting to me, so rather than go to the Art Museum and then walk all the way back up the hill again, I just decided to head back to the bus station and see the Placa Catalunya on my way. Petra and I had walked by it a few times, but I was never able to stop and see it up close or take pictures. So this was my chance.

It’s basically just a GIGANTIC roundabout, but has some stuff in the middle.

I wanted so badly to jump in this fountain, with all my clothes. I restrained myself to avoid the costly fees associated with getting arrested

Now that I’ve successfully navigated the streets of Barcelona and Dublin by myself, I consider myself a travel expert

We drove out to the town where his friends lived, and were introduced to everyone. I had forgotten about the traditional salutation in Spain, where you kiss the person’s cheeks. There were about 10 people, so this introduction took some time. Everyone was very friendly, and the food was delicious. The only problem I had was that all the Spaniards spoke Spanish, English, and Catalon. Petra and I speak English and some Spanish, yet these people all chose to have their conversations in Catalon. It would have been nice if they had switched to Spanish to include the 2 visitors, but I guess when you’re crashing a party you can’t be too picky.

Xavi had promised us fireworks, and I must admit this was the greatest display of fireworks I’ve seen. They weren’t all that great, but they lasted for hours. Literally, hours. It wasn’t a professional production, but rather a large amount of individuals who decided to buy fireworks and set them off. As Petra so perfectly summed it up, “It’s a bit concerning to me that you need a permit to have a bonfire, but anyone can light fireworks off the ground in the middle of a densely populated city.”

We migrated to the roof, where we had some very yummy traditional pastry-type desserts. At times, people would light off fireworks down the street. It was pretty cool to watch. At other times, the neighbors would light off fireworks from their balcony, which would go off literally ten feet above our heads. It was pretty terrifying, considering the brightness and the amount of noise they caused. In fact, the first few times this happened I thought some sort of fighter-jet had exploded right next to me. After a while I was sensitized to the noise and the brightness of it, and was really able to enjoy it. I’m still not convinced it was safe, but I was able to relax and enjoy the show. I mean, how often do you get to see fireworks THAT up-close?

Around 2am we decided to go for a walk and find a bar that was open. We walked around for a bit, getting a tour of this city. I was kind of surprised that so many teenagers were out at this hour on a weekday, but I guess it’s Europe and on top of that it’s also summer break. We found a bar and went inside. Two of Xavi’s friends joined us, and Petra and I were able to practice our Spanish. I found mine quickly coming back to me, although I had a bit of a hard time hearing what the other people were saying. It was very loud in there, and when you’re not used to hearing a different language, it makes it a bit difficult to understand what is being said to you from the other side of the table. All things considered, I think I did a pretty good job.

When we were driving to the dinner party, Xavi said something about “if we stay up til the sun rises.” I thought he was kidding. After all, this was my first full day in Espana, and I was still tired from traveling. I assumed we’d be back by 3am at the latest. Turns out, that’s not the case. We didn’t leave to go back until about 5. We had to drop someone off on the way, and then Petra decided it would be fun to go the scenic coastal route. I was tired and cranky and opposed to a 2+ hour drive home, but we did it anyway. I will admit that it was beautiful, but so is my bed. We got home around 7am, after the sun had risen. I slept til 4pm the next day. I definitely need to get on a more “normal” schedule, especially if I expect to do any sightseeing!! But I guess I have 2 weeks for that.

I could have SWORN I took some pictures, but I can’t for the life of me find them. So I’ll keep searching. They have to be on my camera or computer somewhere!!

I arrived at the airport around 10pm. Petra and her friend Xavi were there to meet me, and Xavi was gracious enough to give us a ride to Platja d’Aro, which is about an hour away, or 2 hours by bus. This is where Xavi has 2 apartments: one for himself and one that gets rented out. Petra rented the upper level one for the entire summer.

Since we weren’t tired, Xavi took us on a driving tour of the city. We went up to the hills that overlook Barcelona and the surrounding areas. In fact, the hill we went to was the one where the filmed part of the movie, The Machinist. It was absolutely breathtaking. And the weather that night was perfect, maybe 75-80 degrees with a slight breeze.

blurred picture of the city

a clearer one in case the first didn't get the point across

Next, we headed even farther up a winding hill to a cathedral. Next to the cathedral was an amusement park complete with a ferris wheel and rollercoasters. Not your typical combination, but very nice to look at regardless.

ferris wheel!

After taking a bunch of pictures and stretching our legs for a while, we headed back down to the city. Xavi drove us by a few sites that he suggested we go back to. One was the Casa Batilo, which is where Gaudi lived. This place is crazy looking – it’s a tall building, about 7 levels high, and the pillars on the outside look like bones. There are also skulls. At the top of the building is the back of a giant dragon. Apparently this is supposed to represent the legend of St. George, the patron Saint of either Barcelona, or Spain as a whole. It’s crazy looking, and I can’t wait to go inside.

Update: Petra and I went inside and it’s amazing!!!

totally funky house

not a single straight line inside the place!

inside the building, definitely felt like i was swimming. i actually expected to see mermaids lol

inside looking out the front - you can see the bones!

on the roof - the back of the dragon

After going around a couple of other places, we headed back to Platja d’Aro. It seems like a cute little beach town, though it is kind of far out in the cuts of the Costa Brava. We’ll see what it looks like in the day time!

Update: Platja is BEAUTIFUL!!!

the beach

getting ready for the festival of st. john

just a 5 min walk from our apartment!

I’m very excited for this part of the journey and hope I get to freshen up on my Spanish while I’m here!

Anyway these posts will mostly be from my phone and will more or less lack photos. I’ll try to add pictures as I can. Otherwise I will just edit from home.

Let the fun begin!